"Contending nations ancient HOMER claim,
And Mantua glories in her MARO's name;
Our happier soil the prize shall yield to none—
Ardenna's groves shall boast an ADDISON!
Each land remote your curious eye has view'd,
That Grecian Arts or Roman Arms subdued ;-
Say, then, accomplished Bard, what god inclin'd
To these our* humble plains your generous mind?
You would not deign in Latian fields to dwell,-
(Which none know better, or describe so well)
Your wiser choice prefers this spot of earth
Distinguished by the immortal SHAKSPEARE's birth!
Where thro' the vales the fair Avona glides,
And nourishes the glebe with fattening tides-

Here, on the painted borders of the flood

The BABE was born!-his bed with roses strew'd!

Here, in an ancient venerable dome

Oppress'd with grief we view THE POET's tomb!

Angels unseen watch o'er his hallow'd urn,

And in soft elegies complaining mourn!”

From SOMERVILLE'S "Verses to Mr. Addison"; who had at the period of the address being written, taken up his residence in the author's native County.

* Warwickshire.

"Thou in our wonder and astonishment
"Hast built thyself a live-long monument!"

MILTON.

Such was the energetic language which the British Eagle applied to the Bard of Avon,-the pride and glory of his country; whose merits, it has been justly observed, have obtained for him a renown, established on so solid a foundation, as to bid defiance not only to the caprices of fashion, but to the canker of Time-which, while it is continually washing away the dissoluble fabrics of other Poets, passes without injury by the adamant of Shakspeare.* His fame, on eagle wing, has soared far and wide; and his works,

Dr. Johnson's Preface,

which will make him "look fresh to all ages," when "brass and marble fade,*" have found their way into some of the remotest corners of the globe.

By many the attempt to add to a fame so durable and peerlessly splendid as that which now irradiates the name of Shakspeare, may be considered futile, and some, indeed, may be tempted to exclaim in the language of the great Bard himself

"To guard a title that was rich before,
To gild refined gold or paint the lily,
To throw a perfume on the violet,
To smooth the ice, or add another hue
Unto the rainbow, or with taper light

To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish,
Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.'

Yet by others it has been thought that many of the Poet's commentators have shed new lustre on his fame, and that his works, being

Prun'd by their care, his laurels loftier grow
And bloom afresh on his immortal brow.

Broom.

Some such feeling as that which excited the labours of those learned men, we trust actuated the celebrated Garrick to institute the Jubilee of 1769. We are aware, however, that other motives, far less honourable, have been attributed to him. "Whatever they might be (says the learned Historian of Stratford,)† the design was certainly noble in itself, and in spite of all the ridicule and opposition, which envy or malice exerted, it was carried into execution; the performance was received with universal approbation; and it was allowed, by gentlemen of the first rank in the literary world, that no occasion of festivity ever was or ever could be more justifiable, than that of paying honours to the memory of so great an ornament to his country, as the inimitable Shakspeare."

As the following particulars are said, by some of our

*Digges' Epitaph.

† Mr. Wheler.