he was compelled once more to return to Aldborough. Crabbe now engaged himself as an assistant in the shop of a surgeon named Maskill. This man had an imperious temper, and Crabbe's situation was a most undesirable one. But he was content to submit for a while to ill-usage, for he felt the necessity of acquiring additional knowledge in his business. After a short time, Maskill removed from Aldborough, and Crabbe was encouraged to set up for himself in his native town. He was hardly qualified for his task, however, and his practice and emoluments were scanty enough. All this time, he improved his opportunities of acquaintance with Miss Elmy, and the young couple were understood to be affianced. But poverty barred the nuptials, and a dispassionate view of the future seemed scarcely to promise a removal of the impediment. 1 Brooding over the profitless life he was leading in this secluded village, our poet at length formed the bold resolution of abandoning the medical profession, and pushing his fortune in the literary world of London. He was so poor, that he had not the means of defraying the expenses of the journey thither; and all his friends were as poor as himself. In this dilemma, he addressed a letter to Mr. Dudley North, asking the loan of a small sum. That gentleman kindly advanced him five pounds; and with this fund, Crabbe settled his affairs at Aldborough, and, embarking in a sloop at Slaughton, he sailed for the great city. He was at this time about 24 years of age. Upon his arrival in the metropolis, he took economical lodgings, and applied himself diligently to transcribing and correcting the poetical pieces he had brought with him from the country. But he applied to the publishers in vain: none of them would hazard print and paper on behalf of the unknown author. Crabbe now was soon reduced to a situation of great embarrassment and distress. He made written applications to several eminent individuals, but none would aid him, until, in an auspicious moment, he determined to address the illustrious Edmund Burke. That gentleman immediately appointed an interview, and judged so favourably of the young poet's character and attainments, that he immediately became his friend, took him to dwell in his own family, introduced him to the highest literary society of London, and assisted him in the publication of his poems. "The Library" was issued in 1781; and its favourable reception was such as at once to establish the poetical reputation of the author. | Even the fastidious Dr. Johnson condescended to admire and commend, and indeed had lent the aid of his efficient revisal to the manuscript of the poem. Crabbe had long felt an inclination towards the clerical profession, and the powerful influence of his present friends soon enabled him to enter the Church as one of its ministers. He was admitted to deacon's orders by the Bishop of Norwich, and soon after left London to assume the duties of a curate at his native village of Aldborough. Mr. Crabbe retained this post only for a few months. The untiring friendship of Mr. Burke obtained for him the more advantageous situation of domestic chaplain to the Duke of Rutland ; and Mr. Crabbe took up his residence, of course, at Belvoir Castle. In 1783, our author again ventured before the public, in his "Village," which met with the most decided success, and materially enhanced Mr. Crabbe's poetical reputation. His altered prospects never in the least degree influenced his habits or demeanour;-these continued to be characterized by the same simplicity and equanimity which marked the penniless student, and the rejected candidate for publication. It was now deemed expedient that Mr. Crabbe should have a university degree; and his name was accordingly entered on the boards of Trinity College, Cambridge. Soon after this, the Chancellor Thurlow bestowed upon him the small liv. ings of Frome St. Quintin, and Evershot, in Dorsetshire; and Mr. Crabbe obtained, at the same time, from the Archbishop of Canterbury, the degree of LL. B. When the Duke of Rutland went to Ireland as lord-lieutenant, Mr. Crabbe did not accompany him;-for the time had arrived when he could, without incurring the imputation of imprudence, offer his hand to the long-beloved Miss Elmy. The marriage took place in December 1783, and the wedded couple took possession of apartments in Belvoir Castle, which had been kindly tendered by the Duke, on his departure from England. But from various causes, it was found that a residence here was not desirable; and, before a year and a half had elapsed, Mr. Crabbe removed to the neighbouring parsonage of Stathern. He here spent four of the happiest years of his life, and in this period became the father of four children, two of whom only (George and John) grew to maturity. In 1785, Mr. Crabbe again appeared as a poet, and published "The Newspaper," which received T MEMOIR OF THE REV. GEO. CRABBE. vii the same emphatic approval which had attended | supposed to have derived considerable advantage his prior efforts. from their critical acumen. In October, 1787, the Duke of Rutland died, somewhat suddenly, in Dublin, and his widow, returning to Belvoir, was not forgetful of her husband's protegé. She procured from the Chancellor the exchange of the two inconsiderable livings held by Mr. Crabbe, for the more important ones of Muston in Leicestershire, and Allington in Lincolnshire. In February, 1789, he removed, with his family, to the parsonage of Muston. His new residence was pleasant in many respects; and it was with much reluctance, after abiding here for three years, that he yielded to another change. The death of a relative of Mrs. Crabbe rendered necessary the services of her husband as executor; and he removed to Parham, in Suffolk-again placing himself near the scenes of his boyhood and early courtship. Here he undertook the curacies of Swefling and Great Glemham, and the course of his life varied but little from what it had been in Muston. He had resided four years at Parham, when he lost by death his third son, a child of about six years. His children had been seven, and they were now reduced to two. This deprivation was severely felt by the mother, and conjoined with other circumstances to cause a removal again. Mr. Crabbe now rented Great Glemham Hall, a pleasant house belonging to Mr. North, and lived in it four or five years with great comfort and satisfaction.But another removal then becoming necessary on account of the sale of the estate, Mr. Crabbe hired a house in the neighbouring village of Rendham, wherein he remained until the year 1805, when he left Suffolk, and resumed his clerical station at Muston. In this tranquil course of life, attending to the care of his flock, and to the instruction of his beloved family, Mr. Crabbe long concealed himself from the gaze of the world until the year 1807; when, after an absence of about twenty-two years, he at length produced a collection of "Poems." ("The Parish Register," &c.) "Laudari a laudato viro" has ever been deemed a stamp of merit; and, such has been the invariable proof of Mr. Crabbe's excellence as a Poet, that he has ever been distinguished by the discerning few, as he will always be admired by the reading public. The "Poems" were honoured with a perusal in manuscript by the present Lord Holland, and his late illustrious uncle; and may naturally be In addition to their intrinsic merit, they will be deemed, by kindred minds, to possess an additional value, when it is considered that they tended to cheer the death-bed of the highly-gifted Charles Fox. This collection has passed through several editions. Three years afterwards (1810) he produced the Poem of the "Borough," the scene of which is his native place: and in 1812 he published his Tales. In 1813, Mr. Crabbe sustained the severe affliction of losing his wife; and soon after, having obtained the living of Trowbridge, in Wiltshire, he removed to that town. From this period, our author mixed much more in society, and especially in the gay and literary world of London, than during the lifetime of his wife. In the metropolis, he met on intimate terms with most of the eminent writers of the day, and seemed to form a connecting link between the era of Johnson, Burke, and Reynolds, and that of Scott, Byron, Moore, and Campbell. In 1819, Mr. Murray published the "Tales of the Hall"-and gave for the manuscript of that work, and the copy-right of Mr. Crabbe's previous poems, the liberal sum of 3000l. This work was not less favourably received than its predecessors. Whilst in London upon one of his visits, in 1821, our poet had the good fortune of meeting Sir Walter Scott, and accepted a pressing invita tion to visit him in Scotland. Mr. Crabbe accordingly journeyed to the north for that purpose in the following year, and found Sir Walter in Edinburgh, attending upon George IV., who was then making his famous visit to Scotland. But, notwithstanding the pressure of multifarious business, the great novelist contrived to make Crabbe's sojourn in his house pleasant and gratifying in no ordinary degree. In the year 1821, Mr. Crabbe had a severe attack of tic douloureux, and thenceforward he was subject to that complaint, which aided the natural decay attendant upon old age. But he continued in the performance of his clerical duties, and maintained his friendly and social relations, until within a few days of the termination of his existence. This event took place at Trowbridge, on the 7th of February, 1832. It is not our intention to enter into an elaborate criticism of Mr. Crabbe's qualities as a poet.We shall content ourselves with observing merely that the characteristics of his style are, origi- | those of Thomson, of imaginary, but of real nality of thought, force, precision, truth, depth, nature. The delineations of his rustics are, conand pathos of description; clothed frequently in sequently, different from those which we meet the happy diction and polished versification which with in the Georgics of Virgil, or the Idylls of we so much admire in Goldsmith. Gesner: but they are such as may be seen every day in the country. He sees with a keen, correct, and perhaps too microscopic an eye, and all his scenes of common life are portrayed with minuteness, but with a fidelity true to nature. He is naturally and deservedly a popular poet; since all his delineations come home closely to the "business and bosoms of men." He is certainly one of the most original and pathetic poets that Eng land has, in modern times, produced; and is a bright star in that splendid constellation of British genius that has illumined and adorned the present age. It must not, however, be supposed, from this remark, that Mr. Crabbe is a copyist of any former author. He is a bard sui generis; he has formed himself upon no model, and is consequently unlike other writers. He is a poet who examines man as he is, there is, therefore, no illusion in his poetry. He is, in fact, the Portrait-Painter of humble life-in all its variety and detail. His portraits are exact likenesses; and are equally to be praised for the correctness of the outline, and the propriety of the colouring. His descriptions are, not like THE POETICAL WORKS OF GEORGE CRABBE. Poems. Ipse per Ausonias Æneia carmina gentes Quod canit, et sterili tantum cantasset avena LUCAN. Paneg. ad Pisones. то THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY-RICHARD FOX, LORD HOLLAND, Of Holland, in Lincolnshire; Lord Holland of Foxley; and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. MY LORD, ment no one of his friends found cause to distrust, and whose acknowledged candour no enemy had the temerity to deny. THAT the longest poem in this collection was honoured by the notice of your Lordship's right honourable and ever-valued relation, Mr. Fox; With such encouragement, I present my book that it should be the last which engaged his atten- to your Lordship: the Account of the Life and tion, and that some parts of it were marked with Writings of Lopez de Vega has taught me what I his approbation; are circumstances productive of am to expect; I there perceive how your Lordship better hopes of ultimate success than I had dared can write, and am there taught how you can judge to entertain before I was gratified with a know- of writers: my faults, however numerous, I know ledge of them: and the hope thus raised leads me will none of them escape through inattention, nor to ask permission that I may dedicate this book to will any merit be lost for want of discernment: your Lordship, to whom that truly great and my verses are before him who has written elegreatly-lamented personage was so nearly allied in gantly, who has judged with accuracy, and who family, so closely bound in affection, and in whose has given unequivocal proof of abilities in a work mind presides the same critical taste which he ex- of difficulty;-a translation of poetry, which few erted to the delight of all who heard him. He persons in this kingdom are able to read, and in doubtless united with his unequalled abilities a the estimation of talents not hitherto justly appre fund of good-nature; and this possibly led him to ciated. In this view, I cannot but feel some apspeak favourably of, and give satisfaction to wri- prehension; but I know also, that your Lordship ters, with whose productions he might not be en- is apprised of the great difficulty of writing well; tirely satisfied: nor must I allow myself to suppose that you will make much allowance for failures, if his desire of obliging was withholden, when he not too frequently repeated; and, as you can accuhonoured any effort of mine with his approbation rately discern, so you will readily approve, all the but, my Lord, as there was discrimination in the better and more happy efforts of one, who places opinion he gave; as he did not veil indifference for the highest value upon your Lordship's approbainsipid mediocrity of composition under any gene-tion, and who has the honour to be, ral expression of cool approval-I allow myself to draw a favourable conclusion from the verdict of one who had the superiority of intellect few would dispute, which he made manifest by a force of eloquence peculiar to himself; whose excellent judg MY LORD, Your Lordship's most faithful And obliged humble servant, PREFACE. rant of the solid instruction, as well as the fasci nating pleasantry, found in his common conversation, amongst his friends, and his affectionate manners, amiable disposition, and zeal for their happiness, which he manifested in the hours of retirement with his family. ABOUT twenty-five years since was published a poem called "The Library;" which, in no long time, was followed by two others, "The Village,' To this gentleman I was indebted for my knowand "The Newspaper:" these, with a few altera- ledge of Sir Joshua Reynolds, who was as well tions and additions, are here reprinted; and are known to his friends for his perpetual fund of goodaccompanied by a poem of greater length, and sev- humour and his unceasing wishes to oblige, as he eral shorter attempts, now, for the first time, before was to the public for the extraordinary productions the public; whose reception of them creates in of his pencil and his pen. By him I was favoured their author something more than common solici- with an introduction to Doctor Johnson, who hotùde, because he conceives that, with the judgment noured me with his notice, and assisted me, as Mr. to be formed of these latter productions, upon Boswell has told, with remarks and emendations whatever may be found intrinsically meritorious for a poem I was about to publish.* The Doctor or defective, there will be united an inquiry into had been often wearied by applications, and did the relative degree of praise or blame which they not readily comply with requests for his opinion; may be thought to deserve, when compared with not from any unwillingness to oblige, but from a the more early attempts of the same writer. painful contention in his mind, between a desire And certainly, were it the principal employment of giving pleasure and a determination to speak of a man's life to compose verses, it might seem truth. No man can, I think, publish a work with. reasonable to expect that he would continue to im- out some expectation of satisfying those who are to prove as long as he continued to live; though, even judge of its merit: but I can, with the utmost rethen, there is some doubt whether such improve-gard to veracity, speak my fears, as predominating ment would follow, and perhaps proof might be ad- over every pre-indulged thought of a more favour. duced to show it would not: but when, to this able nature, when I was told that a judge so dis "idle trade," is added some "calling," with supe- cerning had consented to read and give his opinion rior claims upon his time and attention, his pro- of "The Village," the poem I had prepared for gress in the art of versification will probably be in publication. The time of suspense was not long proportion neither to the years he has lived, nor protracted; I was soon favoured with a few words even to the attempts he has made. from Sir Joshua, who observed,-" If I knew how While composing the first-published of these cautious Doctor Johnson was in giving commendapoems, the author was honoured with the notice, tion, I should be well satisfied with the portion and assisted by the advice of the Right Honourable dealt to me in his letter."--Of that letter the followEdmund Burke: part of it was written in his pre-ing is a copy: sence, and the whole submitted to his judgment; "Sir,--I have sent you back Mr. Crabbe's poem, which I receiving, in its progress, the benefit of his correc-read with great delight. It is original, vigorous, and eegant. tion: I hope, therefore, to obtain pardon of the The alterations which I have made, I do not require him to reader, if I eagerly seize the occasion, and, after adopt; for my lines are, perhaps, not often better [than] his so long a silence, endeavour to express a grateful own: but he may take mine and his own together, and persense of the benefits I have received from this gen-haps, between them, produce something better than either. tleman, who was solicitous for my more essential He is not to think his copy wantonly defaced: a wet sponge will wash all the red lines away, and leave the pages clean.interests, as well as benevolently anxious for my His Dedication will be least liked: it were better to contract credit as a writer. it into a short sprightly address.--I do not doubt of M:. Crabbe's "I am, Sir, your most humble servant, "March 4, 1783." ''SAM. JOHNSON. I will not enter upon the subject of his extra-success. ordinary abilities; it would be vanity, it would be weakness in me to believe that I could make them better known, or more admired than they now are: but of his private worth, of his wishes to do That I was fully satisfied, my readers will do good, of his affability and condescension; his readi- me the justice to believe; and I hope they will ness to lend assistance when he knew it was want-pardon me, if there should appear to them any imed, and his delight to give praise where he thought propriety in publishing the favourable opinion exit was deserved; of these I may write with some pressed in a private letter: they will judge, and propriety. All know that his powers were vast, truly, that by so doing, I wish to bespeak their his acquirements various; and I take leave to add, good opinion, but have no design of extorting their that he applied them with unremitted attention to applause. I would not hazard an appearance so those objects which he believed tended to the ho- ostentatious to gratify my vanity, but I venture to nour and welfare of his country. But it may not do it in compliance with my fears. be so generally understood that he was ever assiduous in the more private duties of a benevolent nature, that he delighted to give encouragement to any promise of ability, and assistance to any appearance of desert: to what purposes he employed his pen, and with what eloquence he spake in the senate, will be told by many, who yet may be igno * See the Life of S. Johnson, by Boswell, vol. iv, p. 185, octavo edition. Neither of these were adopted; the author had written, about that time, some verses to the memory of Lord Robert junction, it is presumed not forced or unnatural, form the concluding part of "The Village.” Manners, brother to the late Duke of Rutland; and these, by a |