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172

Epigram on Gibber.

[A.D. 1741.

<poem>Sleep, undisturb'd, within this peaceful shrine, Till angels wake thee with a note like thine[1]!'</poem>

At the same time that Mr. Garrick favoured me with this anecdote, he repeated a very pointed Epigram by Johnson, on George the Second and Colley Gibber, which has never yet appeared, and of which I know not the exact date[2]. Dr. Johnson afterwards gave it to me himself[3]:

[4]

  1. ↑  The epitaph of Phillips is in the porch of Wolverhampton Church. The prose part of it is curious:—
    'Near this place lies
    Charles Claudius Phillips,
    Whose absolute contempt of riches
    and inimitable performances upon the violin
    made the admiration of all that knew him.
    He was born in Wales,
    made the tour of Europe,
    and, after the experience of both kinds of fortune,
    Died in 1732.'

    Mr. Garrick appears not to have recited the verses correctly, the original being as follows:—
    'Exalted soul, thy various sounds could please
    The love-sick virgin and the gouty ease;
    Could jarring crowds, like old Amphion, move
    To beauteous order and harmonious love;
    Rest here in peace, till Angels bid thee rise.
    And meet thy Saviour's consort in the skies.'
    Blakeway. 

    Consort is defined in Johnson's Dictionary as a Number of instruments playing together.
  2. ↑  I have no doubt that it was written in 1741; for the second line is clearly a parody of a line in the chorus of Cibber's Birthday Ode for that year. The chorus is as follows:
    'While thou our Master of the Main
    Revives Eliza's glorious reign.
    The great Plantagenets look down,
    And see your race adorn your crown.
    Gent. Mag. xi. 549. 

    In the Life of Barretier Johnson has also this fling at George II:—'Princes are commonly the last by whom merit is distinguished.' Johnson's Works, vi. 381.
  3. ↑ See Boswell's Hebrides. Oct. 23 and Nov, 21, 1773.
  4. ↑ as there given is:—'An epitaph upon the celebrated Claudy Philips, Musician, who died very poor.'

'Augustus

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