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had sunk deep into his mind. At parting, heinformed me that he charged himself with my present support, and future establishment; and that till this last could be effected to my wish, I should come and reside with him. These were not words of course-they were more than fulfilled in every point. I did go, and reside with him; and I experienced a warm and cord:al reception, a kind and affectionate esteem, that has known neither diminution nor interruption from that hour to this a period of 20 years!*

"In his Lordship's house, I proceeded with Juvenal, till I was called upon to accompany his son (one of the most amiable and accomplished young noblemen that this country, fertile in such characters, could ever boast,) to the continent. With him, in two successive tours, I spent many yearsyears of which the remembrance will always be dear to me, from the recollection that a friendship was then conAracted, which time and a more intimate knowledge of each other have mellowed into a regard that forms at once the pride and happiness of my life."

"

In this manner concluded Mr. Gifford's own autobiographical narrative, first published with his Juvenal in 1802. He had already acquired great celebrity as the author of "The Baviad' and The Mæviad," though he does not himself notice those successful productions of his muse. The former satire was published in 1794; and the object of its attack was what was called the Della Cruscan school of poetry. This school had first originated in 1785, when, says Mr. Gifford, " a few Eng. lish of both sexes, whom chance had jumbled together at Florence, took a fancy to while away their time in scribbling high panegyrics on themselves, and complimentary canzonettes on two or three Italians, who understood too little of the language to be disgusted with them." These trifles

would in themselves have been unworthy the notice of Gifford; but, being published in England in the daily paper called the World, which then enjoyed a large circulation, they became fashionable and popular, and were imitated from one end of the kingdom to the other. The appearance of the Baviad effectually routed this tribe of poetasters, and laid on the ruins of their popularity the foundation of the more elevated fame of Gifford.

The Maviad, which appeared in the following year, was more particularly directed to the state of dramatic poetry, and was equally successful in obtaining for itself the applause of the public, if not in correcting its theatrical taste. The Baviad and Mæviad have been frequently republished together, accompanied by an Epistle to Peter Pindar.

Mr. Gifford's Juvenal, as before mentioned, first appeared in 1802, in 4to. (and it was then reviewed in vol. LXXII. ii. p. 882, 992). Of the strictures of the Critical Review, Mr. Gifford, published an "Examination" in 1803, and a " Supplement" to that Examination in 1804. A second edition of the Juvenal was published in 8vo, in 1806.

As the editor of the Anti-jacobin newspaper, Mr. Gifford greatly added to his celebrity; and on the first establishment of the Quarterly Review in 1809, he was, in a happy hour for its proprietor and the public, chosen to conduct that publication, of which he continued the Editor till within a year of his death.

In the notes to his Juvenal, Mr. Gifford had displayed an extensive acquaintance with the early English poets; and throughout his life he prosecuted at his leisure hours that interesting study. In 1808 he published an edition of the Plays of Massinger in 4 vols. 8vo; in 1816 the Works of Ben Jonson, in 9 vols. 8vo; and during the few latter years of his life, he had

* To this passage Mr. Gifford, in the second edition of his Juvenal, appended the following note:

"I have a melancholy satisfaction in recording that this revered friend and patron lived to witness my grateful acknowledgment of his kindness. He survived the appearance of the translation but a very few days, and I paid the last sad duty to his memory by attending his remains to the grave. To me, this laborious work has not been happy; the same disastrous event that marked its cominencement has imbittered its conclusion, and frequently forced upon my recollection the calamity of the rebuilder of Jericho He laid the founda tion thereof in Abiram, his first born, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son, Segub.-1806."

been preparing the Works of Ford and Shirley. The former is complete in two volumes, and ready for publication; of the latter, five volumes, and one-half of the sixth, are printed.

Of Jonson in particular, the first poet of his age in the estimation of his contemporaries, though Shakspeare has so much eclipsed him in the opinion of posterity, a standard edition was certainly a great desideratum. The impartial reader must peruse with delight and admiration the able and convincing vindication of the Poet's personal character, which is contained in the 307 introductory pages. The folly and the falshood displayed by the ، enemies” of Jonson,-by those principally who have pandered to flatter the popular deification of Shakspeare by sacrificing at his altar every author who could possibly be brought into comparison with him,—no writer could have so completely and thoroughly exposed, as the author of the Baviad and Mæviad.

A portrait of Mr. Gifford, from a painting by his intimate friend Hoppner, was prefixed to his Juvenal, and copied in the Monthly Mirror for Sept. 1802. The engraving which is pubblished in the present Magazine, is from an earlier painting by the same artist, copied by permission from the original in the possession of the Dean of Westminster.

The mortal remains of this distinguished scholar and critic were deposited in Westminster Abbey, immediately below the monuments of Camden and Garrick, on the 8th of January. The first mourning coach contained Dr. Ireland, Dean of Westminster, General Grosvenor, Mr. Cookesley, sen., and Mr. Cookesley, jun.; the second, Mr. Croker, Mr. Barrow, Mr. Hay, and Mr. Backhouse; the third, Mr. Chantrey (the sculptor), Mr. Bedford, Mr. Lockhart, and Mr. Sergeant Rough; the fourth, Mr. Palgrave, Mr. Hoppner, Mr. Jacob, and Mr. Taylor (the late proprietor of the Sun newspaper); the fifth and last, Mr. Bandinell, Dr. Thompson, Mr. Parsloe, Mr. Cooper, and Mr. Murray.

The deceased gentleman's carriage, the Dean of Westminster's, Lord Grosvenor's, Mr. Parsloe's, Mr. Jacob's, Lord Belgrave's, Mr. Backhouse's, Dr. Thompson's, and Mr. Croker's followed. · The probate of Mr. Gifford's will is taken out under 25,000l. personal property. He has left the bulk of his for

tune to the Rev. Mr. Cookesley, who is likewise his residuary legatee. He has left his house in James-street, for the remainder of the term, nearly thirty years, to Mrs Hoppner, widow of the eminent portrait-painter, and legacies of a few hundreds to her children. He has left a sum of money, the interest of which is to be distri buted annually amongst the poor of Ashburton.. He has likewise left to Exeter College another sumi, the foundation of two scholarships. Three thousand pounds are left to the relatives of his beloved maid servant, who was buried in South Audley Chapel, where the Poet himself intended to repose, but for the pressing request of his Executor, who was anxious that Gifford's remains should be mingled with the great and good, in Poet's Corner. He has left to Mr. Heber his edition of Maittaire's Classics, and any other books Mr. Heber may choose to select. To Mr. Murray, the bookseller, he has left 100/. as a memorial; likewise five hundred guineas, to enable him to reimburse a military gentleman, to whom he appears to have become jointly bound for the advance of that sum for Mr. Cookesley, at a former period. He leaves to his executor, Dr. Ireland, fifty guineas for a ring, and any of his books the Dean may select. He requests his Executor to destroy all confidential papers, especially those relating to the Review, so that the illustrated Quarterly, mentioned in the newspapers, in which the names of the authors, and the prices paid for each article, are said to have been inserted, will never see the light." Other legacies to individuals are likewise left. There are various codicils to the will. The whole is in the handwriting of Mr. Gifford.

"With what feelings," says Mr. Gifford, in concluding the preface to his Jonson, "do I trace the words -THE DEAN OF WESTMINSTER! Five and forty springs have now passed over my head, since I first found Dr. Ireland, some years my junior, in our little school, at his spelling-book. During this long period, our friendship has been without a cloud; ny delight in youth, my pride and consolation in old age!"-Mr. Gifford had before alluded to this faithful friendship, in the following beau tiful lines of the "Baviad :" Sure, if our fates hang on some hidden power,' And take their colour from the natal hour,

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And paper kites (a last, great effort!) flew:
And when the day was done, retired to rest,
Sleep on our eyes, and sunshine on our breast.
In riper years, again together thrown,
Our studies, as our sports before, were one.
Together we explored the stoic page
Of the Ligurian, stern though beardless,
sage!

stores,

Together too, when Greece unlock'd her
[shores,
We rov'd in thought o'er Troy's devoted
Or follow'd, while he sought his native soil,
That"old man eloquent," from toil to toil;
Lingering with good Alcinoüs o'er the tale,
Till the east redden'd and the stars grew pale.
So past our life,-till Fate, severely kind,
Tore us apart, and land and sea disjoin'd
For many a year; now met, to part no more,
The ascendant power, confess'd so strong of
yore,

Stronger by absence every thought controls,
And knits in perfect unity our souls!

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BIBLICAL Scholars multiply every day, and as the system of religious education is rapidly extending, it may be hoped that those who are so zealous in the encouragement of it, will not content themselves with giving the mere outlines and shadows of instruction, but teach their disciples to understand, as well as to read the books placed in their hands. With the hope, therefore, that information may now be obtained respecting subjects which might a few years ago have been only adapted to the learned few, I beg leave to propose a question, which perhaps it may be deemed very iguorant in any one to ask in these enlight ened days; but which, if so, may be the more readily answered.

In the song or poem called The Bow, mentioned in the 1st chapter of the 2nd Book of Samuel, in which the Book of Jasher is cited as containing the original, there is the following remarkable expression :—

"Saul and Jonathan pleasant in their lives."

were lovely and

Now I would enquire in what sense these words are to be understood; for surely without very ample poetical license, it can scarcely be deemed agreeable to the preceding account of Saul's

language or behaviour to Jonathan, to say that they were lovely or pleasant: whereas, in the short history delivered respecting the monarch and his son, we read that upon a solemn occasion, Saul reproached Jonathan as "the son of a perverse rebellious woman," (we all know by what terms such an expression in the Oriental languages might be fairly translated into vulgar English,) and not content with such indignity publicly offered to a great prince (whom he ought at least to have honoured before his guests and his people, in whatsoever terms he might have rebuked him more privately,) "cast a javelin at him to smite him." Really, Sir, in common reasoning, this appears not very lovely or very pleasant. Nor does Jonathan seem to have considered it from the table in fierce anger, and did either one or the other, for he arose eat no meat, &c. "because his father had done him shame."

I humbly desire that this question may not be misconstrued into a cavil respecting the language or sentiments contained in the best of Books, but I think it may quite as usefully employ the time of some of those gentlemen, who like your correspondent, Clericus,

[p. 303, of the last volume of Gent. Mag.] seems desirous of opening the doors of the pulpit to all manner of teachers, to shew that they understand the Scriptures, by rendering this, and such like passages plain to the meanest capacity, as in preparing speeches for Bible-society meetings, or harangues upon the advantages of communion with Dissenters of all denominations, merely because they may perchance be very pious.

Here, Mr. Urban, I find myself approaching to the question respecting extemporary preaching and expounding but, with all due deference to your correspondent, I may be permitted to say that, if such language be necessary

for elucidating any religious subject as a man cannot "bring himself" to commit to paper, it is not fit or becoming to use it orally in the church, or on public occasions; and it should therefore make part of the business as well as duty of the parochial clergy to supply by private instruction, such a degree of information as may qualify their parishioners for understanding such language as they can bring themselves" to utter in the pulpit and to commit to writing. Yours, &c.

A PLAIN SPEAKER.

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