The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume III.Cibber, Theophilus
General
The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume III.
Cibber, Theophilus
Poets, English -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Poets, Irish -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
These are chiefly the works of Maynwaring, who was a gentleman of
genius, and appears to have been a good-natur'd honest man. His moral
life has only been blamed for his intrigue with Mrs. Oldfield; but I
am persuaded when the accomplishments of that lady are remembered, (so
bright) is employed in the composition of one book, a bookseller may
publish twenty; so that in the very nature of things, a bookseller
without oppression, a crime which by unsuccessful writers is generally
imputed to them, may grow rich, while the most industrious and able
author can arrive at no more than a decent competence: and even to that,
many a great genius has never attained.
No sooner had Mr. Head a little recovered himself, than we find him
cheated again by the syren alurements of pleasure and poetry, in the
latter of which, however, it does not appear he made any proficiency.
He failed a second time, in the world, and having recourse to his pen,
wrote the first part of the English Rogue, which being too libertine,
could not be licensed till he had expunged some of the most luscious
descriptions out of it.
Mr. Winstanley, p. 208, has informed us, that at the coming out of this
first part, he was with him at the Three Cup tavern in Holborn drinking
a glass of Rhenish, and made these verses upon him,
What Gusman, Buscan, Francion, Rablais writ,
I once applauded for most excellent wit;
But reading thee, and thy rich fancy's store,
I now condemn, what I admir'd before.
Henceforth translations pack away, be gone,
No Rogue so well writ, as the English one.
We cannot help observing, that Winstanley has a little ridiculously
shewn his vanity, by informing the world, that he could afford to drink
a glass of Rhenish; and has added nothing to his reputation by the
verses, which have neither poetry nor wit in them.
[Footnote 1: Oldmixon's Life of Maynwaring.]
[Footnote 2: Life, p. xviii. xix.]
[Footnote 3: Ibid. p. xxii.]
* * * * *
The HON. Mrs. MONK.
This Lady was the daughter of the Right Hon. the Lord Molesworth, a
nobleman of Ireland, and wife of George Monk, Esq; By the force of her
natural genius, she learnt the Latin, Italian, and Spanish tongues, and
by a constant reading of the best authors in those languages, became so
great a proficient, especially in poetry, that she wrote many pieces
that were deemed worthy of publication, and soon after her death, were
printed and published with the following title, Marinda. Poems, and
Translations upon several occasions, printed in London, 1716. The book
is addressed to her Royal Highness Carolina Princess of Wales, in a
long dedication, dated March 26, 1716, written by her father, who thus
affectionately speaks of the poems and their author.
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