Excerpt from The English Humorists of the Eighteenth Century: Critical Reviews; The Second Funeral of Napoleon The text of this edition is founded upon a careful com parison of the first two English editions (of which one of the editors was fortunate enough to possess copies) with the first American edition, a copy of which, formerly belonging to Mr. Andrew D. White, was very kindly lent by the Cornell University Library. Hannay's notes, which were appended to the original editions, are excluded as unsuited to the purpose for which this volume is intended; there is no proof that Thackeray had any hand in their preparation, and their omission gives room for explanatory matter very much more to the purpose; in the one or two cases where Hannay's comments seemed helpful, they have been retained, and, of course, duly acknowledged. The notes in this volume have been pre pared by Dr. Watt, who wishes to acknowledge his obli gations to previous editors; for the introduction I am responsible; the text we did together. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1896. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... PRIOR, GAY, AND POPE. Matthew Prior was one of those famous and lucky wits of the auspicious reign of Queen Anne, whose name it behooves ua not to pass over. Mat was a world-philosopher of no small genius, good-nature and acumen.1 He loved, he drank, he sang. He describes himself, in one of his lyrics, "in a little Dutch chaise on a Saturday night; on his left hand, his Horace, and a friend on his right," going out of town from the Hague to pass that evening, and the ensuing Sunday, boozing at a Spielhaus with his companions, perhaps bobbing for perch in a Dutch canal, and noting down, in a strain and with a grace not unworthy of his Epicurean master, the charms of his idleness, his retreat, and his Batavian Chloe. A vintner's son in Whitehall, and a distinguished pupil of Busby of the Bod, Prior attracted some notice by writing verses at St. John's College, Cambridge, and, coming up to town, aided Montague1 in an attack on the noble old English Hon John Dryden; in ridicule of whose work, "The Hind and the Panther," he brought out that remarkable and famous burlesque, "The Town and Country Mouse." Are n't you all acquainted with it? Have you not all got it by heart? What! have you never heard of it? See what fame is made of! The wonderful part of the satire was, that, as a natural consequence of "The Town and Country Mouse," Matthew Prior was made Secretary of Embassy at the Hague! I believe it is dancing, rather than singing, which distinguishes the young English diplomatists of the present day; and have seen them in various parts perform that part of their duty very finely. In Prior's time it appears a different accomplishment led to preferment. Could you write a copy of Alcaics? that -was the question. Could you turn out a neat epigram or two? Could you compo...