For why should you stay in that filthy hole, I mean the city so smoky,

When you have not one friend left in town, or at least not one that's witty, to joke w' ye?

For as for honest John,' though I'm not sure on't, yet I'll be hang'd, lest he

Be gone down to the county of Wexford with that great peer the Lord Anglesey.2

O! but I forgot; perhaps, by this time, you may have one come to town, but I don't know whether he be friend or foe, Delany:

But, however, if he be come, bring him down, and you shall go back in a fortnight, for I know there's no delaying ye.

O! I forgot too: I believe there may be one more, I mean that great fat joker, friend Helsham, he That wrote the prologue,3 and if you stay with him, depend on't, in the end, he'll sham ye.

1 Supposed to mean Dr. Walmsley.---F. 2 Arthur, Earl of Anglesey.---Scott.

3 It was customary with Dr. Sheridan to have a Greek play acted by his head class, just before they entered the university; and, accordingly, in the year 1720, the Doctor having fixed on Hippolytus, writ a prologue in English, to be spoken by Master Thom. Putland, one of the youngest children he had in his school. The prologue was very neat and elegant, but extremely puerile, and quite adapted to the childhood of the speaker, who as regularly was taught and rehearsed his part as any of the upper lads did theirs. However, it unfortunately happened that Dr. King, Archbishop of Dublin, had promised Sheridan that he would go and see his lads perform the tragedy. Upon which Dr.

Bring down Longshanks Jim' too; but, now I think on't, he's not yet come from Courtown, I fancy;

For I heard, a month ago, that he was down there a-courting sly Nancy.

However, bring down yourself, and you bring down all; for, to say it we may venture,

In thee Delany's spleen, John's mirth, Helsham's jokes, and the soft soul of amorous Jemmy,

centre.

Helsham writ another prologue, wherein he laughed egregiously at Sheridan's; and privately instructed Master Putland how to act his part; and at the same time exacted a promise from the child, that no consideration should make him repeat that prologue which he had been taught by Sheridan. When the play was to be acted, the archbishop attended according to his promise; and Master Putland began Helsham's prologue, and went through it to the amazement of Sheridan; which fired him to such a degree, (although he was one of the best-natured men in the world) that he would have entirely put off the play, had it not been in respect to the archbishop, who was indeed highly complimented in Helsham's performance. When the play was over, the archbishop was very desirous to hear Sheridan's prologue; but all the entreaties of the archbishop, the child's father, and Sheridan, could not prevail with Master Putland to repeat it, having, he said, promised faithfully that he would not, upon any account whatever; and therefore insisted that he would keep his word.---F. 1 Dr. James Stopford, Bishop of Cloyne.---F.

2 The seat of Hussay, Esq. in the county of Kil

dare.---F.

POSTSCRIPT.

I had forgot to desire you to bring down what I say you have, and you'll believe me as sure as a gun, and own it;

I mean, what no other mortal in the universe can boast of, your own spirit of pun, and own wit. And now I hope you'll excuse this rhyming, which I must say is (though written somewhat at large) trim and clean;

And so I conclude, with humble respects as usual, Your most dutiful and obedient

GEORGE-NIM-DAN-DEAN.

TO GEORGE-NIM-DAN-DEAN, ESQ. UPON HIS INCOMPARABLE VERSES. BY DR. DELANY, IN SHERIDAN'S NAME.'

HAIL, human compound quadrifarious,
Invincible as wight Briareus!

Hail! doubly-doubled mighty merry one,
Stronger than triple-bodied Geryon !
O may your vastness deign t' excuse
The praises of a puny Muse,
Unable, in her utmost flight,

To reach thy huge colossian height!

These were written all in circles, one within another, as appears from the observations in the following poem by Dr. Swift.---F.

T'attempt to write like thee were frantic,
Whose lines are, like thyself, gigantic.

Yet let me bless, in humbler strain,
Thy vast, thy bold Cambysian vein,
Pour'd out t' enrich thy native isle,.
As Egypt wont to be with Nile.
O, how I joy to see thee wander,
In many a winding loose meander,
In circling mazes, smooth and supple,
And ending in a clink quadruple;
Loud, yet agreeable withal,

Like rivers rattling in their fall !
Thine, sure, is poetry divine,

Where wit and majesty combine ;

Where every line, as huge as seven,

If stretch'd in length, would reach to Heaven:
Here all comparing would be slandering,
The least is more than Alexandrine.
Against thy verse Time sees with pain,
He whets his envious scythe in vain ;
For though from thee he much may pare,
Yet much thou still wilt have to spare.

Thou hast alone the skill to feast
With Roman elegance of taste,
Who hast of rhymes as vast resources
As Pompey's caterer of courses.

O thou, of all the Nine inspired!
My languid soul, with teaching tired,
How is it raptured, when it thinks
Of thy harmonious set of chinks;

Each answering each in various rhymes,
Like echo to St. Patrick's chimes!

Thy Muse, majestic in her rage,
Moves like Statira on the stage;
And scarcely can one page sustain
The length of such a flowing train:
Her train of variegated dye

Shows like Thaumantia's in the sky;
Alike they glow, alike they please,
Alike imprest by Phoebus' rays.

Thy verse- -(Ye Gods! I cannot bear it)
To what, to what shall I compare it?

"Tis like, what I have oft heard spoke on, The famous statue of Laocoon.

'Tis like,-O yes, 'tis very like it,

The long, long string, with which you fly kite.

'Tis like what you, and one or two more,
Roar to your Echo1 in good humour;

And every couplet thou hast writ
Concludes with Rhattah-whittah-whit.2

At Gaulstown there is so famous an echo, that if you repeat two lines of Virgil out of a speaking-trumpet, you may hear the nymph return them to your ear with great propriety and clearness.--- F.

2 These words allude to their amusements with the echo, having no other signification but to express the sound of stones when beaten one against the other, returned by the echo.---F.