There's a pasty'-'A pasty!' repeated the Jew; I don't care if I keep a corner for 't too.' 'What the de'il, mon, a pasty!' re-echoed the Scot; "Though splitting, I'll still keep a corner for that.' 'We'll all keep a corner,' the lady cried out; 'We'll all keep a corner,' was echo'd about. While thus we resolv'd, and the pasty delay'd, r With looks that quite petrified, enter'd the maid : A visage so sad, and so pale with affright, Wak'd Priam in drawing his curtains by night. But we quickly found out, - for who could mis take her? [baker: That she came with some terrible news from the Sad Philomel thus - but let similes drop — And now that I think on't, the story may stop. To be plain, my good lord, it's but labour misplac'd To send such good verses to one of your taste; You've got an odd something-a kind of discerning A relish a taste― sicken'd over by learning ; At least, it's your temper, as very well known,. That you think very slightly of all that's your own: So, perhaps, in your habits of thinking amiss, You may make a mistake, and think slightly of this. VARIATIONS. q There's a pasty.' A pasty!' returned the Scot; 'I don't care if I keep a corner for thot.' r looks quite astonishing s too soon we DR. GOLDSMITH and some of his friends occasionally dined at the St. James's Coffee-house. One day it was proposed to write epitaphs on him. His country, dialect, and person furnished subjects of witticism. He was called on for RETALIATION, and at their next meeting produced the following poem. See an account of the origin of this poem in Northcote's Life of Reynolds, p. 126. Garrick wrote off-hand, with a good deal of humour, an epitaph on Goldsmith. Dr. Bernard also gave him an epitaph. Sir Joshua sketched his bust in pen and ink. This prompted the poem of the Retaliation. Hints for this poem might have been suggested by Pope's poem to Mr. Thomas Southern, on his Birthday (v. Warton, ii. p. 352); and by Motteux's Prologue to Farquhar's 'Inconstant,' see vol. ii. p. 10, ed. 1772.-ED. RETALIATION. Or old, when Scarron his companions invited, Each guest brought his dish, and the feast was united; If our 'landlord supplies us with beef and with fish, Let each guest bring himself, and he brings the best dish: Our 2 dean shall be venison, just fresh from the [brains; plains; Our Burke shall be tongue, with the garnish of Our Will shall be wildfowl, of excellent flavour, And 5 Dick with his pepper shall heighten their [tain, Our Cumberland's sweetbread its place shall ob savour: 1 The master of the St. James's Coffee-house, where the Doctor, and the friends he has characterised in this poem, occasionally dined. 2 Doctor Bernard, Dean of Derry, in Ireland. 3 Mr. Edmund Burke. 4 Mr. William Burke, late secretary to General Conway, and member for Bedwin. 5 Mr. Richard Burke, collector of Grenada. 6 Mr. Richard Cumberland, author of the West Indian,' Fashionable Lover,' The Brothers,' and other dramatic pieces. 7 And Douglas is pudding, substantial and plain; 8 Our Garrick's a salad; for in him we see Oil, vinegar, sugar, and saltness agree: To make out the dinner, full certain I am 9 That Ridge is anchovy, and 10 Reynolds is lamb; That 11 Hickey's a capon, and, by the same rule, 12 Here lies the good dean,18 reunited to earth, Who mixt reason with pleasure, and wisdom with mirth: 7 Doctor Douglas, canon of Windsor, 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 Bower's History of the Popes. 8 David Garrick, Esq. 9 Counsellor John Ridge, a gentleman belonging to the Irish Bar. 10 Sir Joshua Reynolds. 11 An eminent attorney, whose hospitality and good humour acquired him in his club the title of honest Tom Hickey.' 12 Here lies the good dean] See a poem by Dean Bernard to Sir J. Reynolds, in Northcote's Life of Reynolds, p. 130. |