Page:Retaliation - Goldsmith (1774).pdf/31

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

[19]

"Here Douglas retires from his toils to relax,
"The scourge of Impostors, the terror of Quacks,"—page 11, lines 5 and 6] Doctor Douglas, an ingenious Scotch gentleman, who has no less distinguished himself as a Citizen of the World, than a sound Critic, in detecting several literary mistakes (or rather forgeries) of his countrymen; particularly Lauder on Milton, and Bowyer's History of the Popes.

"Macpherson writes bombast, and calls it a style, p. 11, line 13] David Macpherson, Esq; who lately, from the mere force of his style, wrote down the first poet of all antiquity.

"Here lies David Garrick," page 12, line 5] David Garrick, Esq; joint Patentee and acting Manager of the Theatre-Royal, Drury-lane. For the other parts of his character, vide the Poem.

"Here Hickey reclines," page 14, line 9] A gentleman whose hospitality and good-humour have acquired him, in this Club, the title of 'honest Tom Hickey.' His profession, the Doctor tells us, is that of an attorney, but whether he meant the words an echo to the sense or not, he has told us so in, perhaps, the only indifferent couplet of the whole Poem. To soften this censure, however, in some respect, the English Reader is to be told, that the phrase of "burn ye," in the 5th line of the 15th page, tho' it may seem forced to rhyme to "attorney," is a familiar method of salutation in Ireland amongst the lower classes of the people.

"He