Page:The Rosciad - Churchill (1761, 2nd edition).djvu/30

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THE ROSCIAD.
Who else can speak so very, very fine,That Sense may kindly end with ev'ry line?
Some dozen lines before the ghost is there,Behold him for the solemn scene prepare.See how he frames his eyes, poises each limb, 585Puts the whole body into proper trim,———From whence we learn, with no great stretch of art,Five lines hence comes a ghost, and, ha! a start.
When he appears most perfect, still we findSomething which jars upon, and hurts the mind. 590Whatever lights upon a part are thrown,We see too plainly they are not his own.No flame from Nature ever yet he caught,Nor knew a feeling which he was not taught:He rais'd his trophies on the base of art, 595And conn'd his passions as he conn'd his part.
Q—n, from afar, lur'd by the scent of Fame,A Stage-Leviathan, put in his claim.Pupil of Betterton and Booth. Alone,Sullen he walk'd, and deem'd the chair his own. 600For how should moderns, mushrooms of the day,Who ne'er those masters knew, know how to play?

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