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Gentleman's Magazine 1851 part 1 p.12
Since this edition in 1802 a valuable addition has been made
to T. Warton's works in Chalmer's edition, by the discovery
of five pastoral eclogues, the scenes of which are
laid among the shepherds of Germany. They were published in
1745, and ascribed to T. Warton on the authority of Isaac
Reed. He was only eighteen years of age when they
were printed. We do not enter on the subject of T. Warton as
an editor of Theocritus or of the Anthologia, or we could
give such information on that head as we believe would be
quite new to his admirers and editors; but we may observe,
that there are a few poems by him at present not
placed in his collected works, and a new edition would be
useful both of him and his contemporary Collins. On
Southey's proposed plan of continuing Warton's
History of Poetry, see p.245 of this volume.
P.82. "The evidence concerning its authenticity (The Eikon
Basilike) is more curiously balanced than in any other case,
except perhaps that of the two Alexander Cunninghams.
but the internal evidence is strongly in its favour,"
&c.
list, The controversy concerning the authorship of this
celebrated work is in much the same state as that of Junius,
only that the rival disputants on the former work are more
dogmatic and decided than the latter. Lord Melbourne used to
say of a celebrated poetical and party writer of the present
day, "M--- is always so cock-sure of every thing."
That this is the case with some of the Eikon disputants, may
be seen by a few extracts from the fly-leaves of our copy of
the work. We give them just as they occur, and as they were
written down. "The arguments concerning this work, whether
it was written by Charles or Bishop Gauden, may be seen in
Hume's History of England, vol.vii. p.154, &c. See also
Zouch's edition of Walton's Lives, p.463; and Bishop
Warburton's works, vol.vii. p.920, who says, "It is the most
uncertain matter I ever took the pains to examine. There is
strong evidence on both sides, but I think the strongest and
most unexceptionable is on that which gives it to the King."
See also the General Dictionary, vol.iii. p.389, and vol.x.
p.76. "Clarendon is silent on the subject. Burnet against
it. It passed through fifty editions in a twelvemonth." In
Burnet's introduction to Milton's Prose Works, vol.i.
p.xxxv. "it has been proved, beyond the possibilty of a
doubt, that it was written by Dr. Gauden; as the
evidence is detailed in Laing's History of Scotland, and
Symmons's Life of Milton, it need not be repeated." Mr.
Southey's opinion seems to be stated in an article in the
Qtrly Review, No.L. October, 1821, p.298 note: "The
authenticity of this book has been attacked and defended
with such cogent arguments and strong assertions, that, as
far as relates to external proofs, perhaps there is
scarcely any other question in bibliography so doubtful.
The internal evidence is wholly in its favour. Had it
been the work of Gauden, or any person writing to support
the royal cause, a higher tone concerning episcopacy and
prerogative would have been taken. There would have been
more effort at justification, and there would not have been
that inefficient but conscientious defence of fatal
concessions, that penitent confession of sin when weakness
had been sinful, that piety without alloy, that character of
mind and even magnanimity, and that heavenly-mindedness
which render Eikon one of the most interesting works in our
language." In this argument of Mr. Southey's it may be
observed, that he seems to have overlooked, or rather not
sufficiently remarked, that Gauden was writing in the
assumed character of the King, and that he would of course
carefully and studiously adopt the sentiments and even copy
the expressions which would characterise the original with
the utmost fidelity and verisimilitude. In such a work as
this, we must give the fictitious writer credit for
deep and careful study of his subject, as we do to a
first-rate actor, as well as for abilities equal to his
undertaking. If Gauden wrote in the character of Charles, he
would endeavour to assume the qualities which he well knew
were conspicuous in Charles, which would be expected to
appear in a work attributed to him, and which would
establish in the mind of the reader its claim to
authenticity. More of this subject may be read in Todd's
Life of Walton, pp.139-147, who is said to have
proved that the work is written
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