The poetical works of Mark Akenside.

  • Mark Akenside
Date:
1857
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The poetical works of Mark Akenside. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    papers, which deserve to be reprinted, and from which I regret that the necessary shortness of this Memoir will not allow me to olfer some extracts; viz. On Correctness,l 2 The Table of Modern Fame, a vision,- Letter from a Swiss Gentleman on English Liberty,3 * and The Balance of Poets.* In 1747 he composed a couple of stanzas On a Sermon against Glory, and an Ode to the Earl of Hunting- don, which was published in the following year,5 and is, perhaps, the most perfect of his ellorts in lyric poetry. About the same time he composed his Ode to Caleb Ilardinge, M. D., a talented and eccentric character, of whom, in connection with our poet, some anecdotes will be afterwards re- lated. Mr. Dyson, we have already seen, had suc- ceeded this gentleman’s brother, Mr. Ilardinge, as Clerk to the House of Commons; and Akenside had consequently become acquainted with various members of the Ilardiuge family. The Ode To Sir 1 Museum, i. 84.—Two passages of this Essay are cited by J. Warton (Pope’s Works, i. 264; iv. 190), and Mr. Bucke, not knowing from what piece they were derived, supposes that Warton quoted from the conversation of Akenside. Life of Akenside, 105. 2 Museum, i. 481.—It is an imitation of the eighty-first number of The Taller—J. Warton (Pope’s Works, ii. 83), attributing it to Akenside, says, “ the guests are intro- duced and ranged with that taste and judgment which is peculiar to the author.” It is strange that Akenside should have omitted to introduce (though he quotes) Shakespeare in this Vision. 3 Museum, ii. 161.—On the authority of Mr. A. Chal- mers, (Biog. Diet., art. Akenside,) who possesses J. War- ton’s copy of The Museum : see also Brit. Poets, xviii. 76. * Museum, ii. 165. (mispaged).—On the authority of Isaac Reed. 5 Quarto, pr. Is. See List of Books for January, 1748, in the Gent. May.
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