The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume III. — John Shaqi
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
5. The Lover's Watch; or the Art of making love. It is taken from M.
Bonnecourte's le Montre, or the Watch. It is not properly a novel. A
lady, under the name of Iris, being absent from her lover Damon, is
supposed to send him a Watch, on the dial plate of which the whole
business of a lover, during the twenty-four hours, is marked out, and
pointed to by the dart of a Cupid in the middle.--
"Thus eight o'clock is marked agreeable to reverie; nine o'Clock, design
to please no body; ten o'clock, reading of letters, &c."
To which is added, as from Damon to Iris, a description of the case of
the watch.
6. The Lady's Looking-Glass, to dress themselves by. Damon is supposed
to send Iris a looking-glass, which represents to her all her charms,
viz. her shape, complexion, hair, &c. This likewise, which is not
properly a novel, is taken from the French.
7. The Lucky Mistake, a new novel.
8. The Court of the King of Bantam.
9. The Adventures of the Black Lady. The reader will distinguish the
originals from translations, by consulting the 2d and 3d tomes of
Recueil des pieces gallantet, en prose et en verse. Paris 1684.
We have observed, that in the English translation of Ovid's Epistles,
the paraphrase of Oenone's Epistle to Paris is her's. In the preface to
that work Mr. Dryden pays her this handsome compliment.
"I was desired to say, that the author, who is of the fair sex,
understood not Latin; but if she does not, I'm afraid she has given us
occasion to be ashamed who do."
Part of this epistle transcribed will afford a specimen of her
verification.
Say lovely youth, why wouldst thou, thus betray,
My easy faith, and lead my heart away.
I might some humble shepherd's choice have been,
Had I not heard that tongue, those eyes not seen;
And in some homely cot, in low repose,
Liv'd undisturb'd, with broken vows and oaths;
All day by shaded springs my flocks have kept,
And in some honest arms, at night have slept.
Then, un-upbraided with my wrongs thou'dit been,
Safe in the joys of the fair Grecian queen.
What stars do rule the great? no sooner you
Became a prince, but you were perjured too.
Are crowns and falsehoods then consistent things?
And must they all be faithless who are Kings?
The gods be prais'd that I was humble born,
Ev'n tho' it renders me my Paris' scorn.
And I had rather this way wretched prove,
Than be a queen, dishonest in my love.
[Footnote 1: Memoirs prefixed to her Novels, by a lady.]
[Footnote 2: Memoires ubi supra.]
[Footnote 3: Memoirs ubi supra.]
[Footnote 4: A noted boxer.]
[Footnote 5: A Turk, famous for his performances on a wire, after the
manner of rope-dancers.]
* * * * *
Sir GEORGE ETHEREGE,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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