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HUGH BOYD.

ON JUNIUS.

THE life of this gentleman, of which in pursuing our plan we have drawn an outline, is prefumed to contain much evidence to fupport the idea of his having been the author of the letters of Junius. His great abilities, which his admirers fo highly extol, but which his opponents have dared to doubt, is a prefumption which it is neceffary to make frong, before confirmatory arguments on the queftion in controverfy will be allowed. Whether Mr. Boyd was peculiarly eminent in this particular, we shall not at prefent inquire, but, waving the confideration, shall attend to the particular teftimony which has been produced in his behalf.

The ftudy of law, which he profecuted for three years, was preparatory to his eager collection of all minifterial transactions just before Junius appeared, and rendered him lawyer enough to compofe the celebrated letter to lord Mansfield. If, befides this, it be admitted as truth, what Mr. Campbell affirms as fuch, that immediately previous to the publication of that letter he was continually occupied by the perufal of law-books, and in writing with bis ufual fecrecy; the argument is much enforced.

The next fact adduced is the refemblance of the ftyle of Junius, faid to be obfervable in that of Mr. Boyd; a refemblance fo great, that the author of either must be fuppofed to have been the author of both. Numerous examples are produced corroborative of this idea; out of which we have felected the following.

From the Whig.

Junius.

When it is truly! The doctrine incul faid, that the king cated by our laws, office is intended wrong, is admitted can do no wrong, the that the king can do no and not the per- without reluctance. fon; and this true We feparate the aconftruction is the miable, good-natured perfect praife of prince from the folly our admirable con- and treachery of his stitution. The king fervants, and the pri of England can do no vate virtues of the wrong, for it is not man from the vices the office of the of his government. king to do any Were it not for this thing. The cau-diftinction, I know tious wifdom of not whether your our policy will hot majefty's condition or permit the king that of the English nato act.

tion would deferve Imoft to be lamented.

The affinity between the styles of Hugh Boyd and Junius being confidered undeniable, the advocates for the former have thought it incumbent on them to prove, that this affinity was not the refult of a fervile and ftudied imitation, but of that habit of thought and expreffion, to which the minds of original geniufes are naturally bent. The argument is this. That Junius had not an original ftyle, but formed it from works antecedently produced. Two of which are cited. The first, entitled "Killing no murder," was written by Col. Titus whilst closely confined by Cromwell in the tower, and is a remonftrance to the people of England, against their fupinenefs in fubmitting to the ufurpation of the protector. This performance, bold, claffical, and energetick, would have done honour to any period of English literature; and is fufficiently in the tone of Junius, to allow the prefumption of his having modelled his language after this orig

inal. Lord Bolingbroke's political letters is the other work, from which it is fuppofed that Junius borrowed the manner and the fpirit. But the dedication of Lord Oxford, fo often quoted, bears greater likeness of the features of Junius, than perhaps any fubfequent performance.

The reafon affigned, which Mr. Boyd had for concealing his name, is, that he was involved in the greatest embarrassments, and expected his friends, who had hitherto encouraged him, would have withdrawn their patronage, and have become his inveterate foes, had his fecret been divulged. Be fides, that extraordinary difpofition of mind fo eminent in Junius, which would allow him to listen to the afperities of the envious, the encomiums of the fenfible, or the farcafms of the critical with equal indifference, is confeffed by all who knew him to have been a characteristick of Mr. Boyd. With this temper, and having. declared, he was the fole depofitory of his own fecret and it should perifb with him, it cannot reasonably be expected that any fituation into which he might have been unexpectedly thrown, or any "cafual concurrence of calamitous circumstances" could have wrung that truth from his lips.

His correfpondence with the Daily Advertiser, carried on with the most unaccountable fecrecy, beginning and ending as is affert ed by Mr. L. D. Campbell, precifely with Junius, is confidered an important fact in this queftion. The proof of it, is the avowal of Mrs. Boyd; a lady, it is faid, of perfect impartiality, and whofe reverence for truth alone has influenced her in thus exalt

ing the reputation of her husband.

This lady alfo teftifies to another fact, "that in looking over the letters of Junius fhe was much ftruck with finding an anecdote related in one of the notes relative to Lord Truham, and one of her guardians, which fhe had in confidence communicated to Mr. Boyd,and which fhe knew had been very ftudiously kept fecret by the parties concerned." Mrs. Boyd however, confidered as fhe undoubtedly was,an intimate among them, was not debarred from the knowledge of this infamous tranf action; and after hearing it, told it to her husband. Hence it is concluded, this anecdote, added to the last letter of Junius to the Duke of Grafton, must have been written by Mr. Boyd.

It has always been the preva lent idea, that the unrelenting hoftility to the Duke of Grafton, arofe in Junius from perfonal pique; but it is accounted for in Mr. Boyd from this motive. An intimacy fubfifted between him and the family of the Macleanes, and as he was naturally of an ardent difpofition he always took a warm intereft in their affairs. "Mr. L. Macleane having been difmiffed by the Duke from the office of under fecretary of state, he painted him in his refentment in the blackeft colours." this, and the conviction that his administration was infamous, is inferred Mr. Boyd's violent oppofition.

The evidence thus produced in favour of the gentleman, whose name heads the prefent paper, is in general all that is important. We fhall take leave, in our next number,of Mr. Boyd, by our own ob fervations on his merits.

A.

ORIGINAL.

POETRY.

The reader fcarcely need be informed, that the following is by the witty author of Macfingal. It was written rubile Trumbull refided as a Bachelor at Yale College, on the marriage of one of the Tutors to a lady of great fortune. It same into our bands from a fource, which leaves no doubt of its authenticity; and though we have ventured to omit a few lines, rubich were rather too frolickfome for the gravity of the Anthology, we bave loft little of the humour of the piece. We bould be exceedingly obliged to thofe, who knew Trumbull in his better days, if they would furnish us with other of bis unpublished pieces, many of which we, imagine are known to bis early cotem poraries.

AN EPITHALAMIUM.

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Clapp'd on his daylight round his ears; Saddl'd his horse, and fix'd his fpurs. Night turn'd her backfide; fo in turn he Mounted, and set forth on his journey! Our wedding folks were yet a-bed, Nor dream'd what's doing overhead. At leisure now for episodes, We'll introduce our set of gods. Sing then, my Mufe, in lofty crambo, HowHymen came,with lighted flambeau Juno, it seems, by fad mishaps, Oe'r night with Jove was pulling caps; For by the way she's wont to govern (So Homer fays) the henpeck'd fov'reign. But now ftobioff, and left him fretting, And rode poft hafte to come to wedding. Lucina was not there that morning; But ready stood at nine months' warnings The Nymphs, of ev'ry form and fize, Came there before the bride could rife. The Mountain Nymphs skipp'd down like fleas,

Dryads crept out from hollow trees; The Water Nymphs, from swamps and flats,

Came dripping on, like half-drown'd

rats;

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Joyful as Dick, after obtaining
His mafter's leave to go to training.
Here, did not rhyming greatly harrass

one,

Were a fine place to make comparison ;
Call up the ghofts of heroes pristine,
Egyptian, Trojan, Greek, Philistine,
Thofe rogues renown'd in ancient days,
So fweetly fung in ancient lays
Set them in order by our gallant,
To prove him handfome, wife, and
valiant.

He now came forth, and stood before
His lovely goddefs' chamber-door,
Addrefs'd her with three gentle hollo's,
Then read, or faid, or fung as follows.
1. Arife, my love, and come away,
To cheer the world, and gild the day,
Which fades by wanting fresh fupplies
From the bright moonfhine of thine

eyes.

2. How beautiful art thou, my love,
Surpalling all the dames above;
Venus with thee might ftrive again,
Venus with thee would ftrive in vain.
3. Though ev'ry mufe, and ev'ry grace,
Confpire to deck bright Venus' face,
Thou'rt handfomer than all this trafb,
By full three hundred pounds in cash.
4. Rife then, my love, and come away,
To cheer the world, and gild the day,
Which fades by wanting fresh fupplies
From the bright moonshine of thine

eyes.

And now came forth our lovely bride, Array'd in all her charms and pride. Note here, left we should be misguided, Lovers and bards are fo quick-fighted, In ev'ry charm they spy a Cupid, Though other people are more stupid; So our fair bride, oar lover swore, Was deck'd with Cupids o'er and o'er ; (Thus Virgil's goddefs Fame appears From head to feet o'erhung with ears.) Here, if our Mufe we did not check first,

We might go on to fing of breakfast ;

Of nymphs in gardens picking tulipe
Of maids preparing cordial juleps,
With other matters of this fort, whence
We come to things of more importance
The fun, who never stops to bait,
Now riding at his usual rate,
Had hardly pafs'd his midway course,
And fpurr'd along his downward horse,
Our bridegroom, and his lovely virgin
Set forth to church with little urging.
A folemn fhow before, behind 'em
A lengthen'd cavalcade attend 'em,
Of nymphs and fwains a mingled crew,
Of ev'ry shape and ev'ry hue.
In midst of thefe, with folemn wag,
Our priest bestrode his ambling nag;
His drefs and air right well accouter'd,
His hat new brush'd, his wig new
powder'd,

His formal band, of's trade the fign,
Depending decent from his chin,
His threadbare coat, late turn'd by Snip,
With feripture book, and cane for whip,
Unnotic'd pafs'd among the throng,
And look'd demure, and jogg'd along.
Yet laymen ne'er his pow'r could equal,
As we fhall fhew you in the sequel.
For when this priest o'er man and maid
A fet of fcripture words had faid,
You'd find them closely link'd together
For life, in ftrange enchanted tether,
(Like fpirits in magician's circle)
Till friendly death did him or her kill;
Tied up in wondrous Gordian knot
They neither can untie nor cut,
Inclos'd in cage where all may fee 'em,
But all the world can never free 'em.
For once by priest in bands of wedlock.
When tied and hamper'd by the fetlock,
They fight, or strive, or fly in vain,
And ftill drag after them their chain.

Trifles fkipt o'er, our next pro

ceeding

Shall give defcription of the wedding; Where though we Pagan mix with

Christian,

And gods and goddeffes with priest join

Truth need not stand to make objection,
We poets have the right of fiction.
And first great Hymen in the porch,
Like link-boy flood, with flaming torch,
Around, in all the vacant places,
Stood gods, and goddeffes, and graces;
Venus, and Cupid, god of love,
With all the rabble from above.

In midft our groom and bride appear,
With wedding guests in wing and rear.
Our priest now fhew'd his flight of hand,
Roll'd up his eyes, and strok'd his band,
Then join'd their hands in terms concife,
And struck the bargain in a trice.
First for the bridegroom thus began he:
Saying, “you Stephen take her Han-

nah ;"

And then, to make both parties even, For her, " you Hannah take him Stephen ;"

Then told them to avoid temptation,
To do the duties of their station,
In ftate of hickness nurfe and nourish,
In health cleave fast, and love, and cher-
ish.

To all the parfon said or meant
Our bride and bridegroom gave confent.
He bow'd to what the priest did say,
She blush'd, and curt'fy'd, and cry'd
"ay."

The bargain made, he gave his bleffing,
And bade them fign and feal with kiffing;
The smack being given, neat and fresh,
He strait pronounc'd them both one flesh.
By mathematicks, 'tis well known,
It takes two halves to make up one,
And Adam, as our priests believe,
Was but an half without Mifs Eve; *
So every mortal man in life,

Is but an half without his wife;
And hence, by natural coaction,
Man seeks fo much his other fraction,
Which found, no tinker, 'tis confest,
Can fplice and fodder, but a priest.
The rites now o'er, the priest drew

near,
And kif'd the bride's finifter ear;

Told them he hop'd they'd make good neighbours,

And begg'd a bleffing on their labours. Him follow'd every mincing couple, Licking their lips to make them fupple, Each got a kifs from one or t'other, And wish'd they long might live together. The wedding o'er, with joy and

revelry

Back to their brides return'd the cavalry:
And, as when armies take a town,
Which cofts them long to batter down'
That Fame may raife her voice the
louder,

They fire whole magazines of powder,
And heaps of fuel lay upon fires,
To celebrate their joy with bonfires,
So now the bride had chang'd her station,
Surrender'd prisoner at discretion,
Submitting to our hero's fancies,
Herself with all appurtenances,
The well pleas'd crowd (for greatest joys
Are always shown with greatest noise)
Triumph'd, by firing, shouting, ringing,
By dancing, drinking, wine, and finging.
But yet our groom (time march'd fo

lazy)

Sat hitching, neftling, and uneafy,
Thought day-light never would be gone,
And call'd the fun a lagging drone.
The fun, just when 'twas time to fup,

Came to the fea where he puts up,
Sent his last rays o'er earth to scatter,
And div'd down headlong into water.
Here is the place, if we would choose
To tire our reader, and our Mufe,
To name and number every guest,
To tell what fare compos'd the feast,
With other things that did betide,
As how they kiss'd and jok'd the bride,
How frolickfome the liquor made 'em
And how the fiddler came to aid 'em,
And tun'd his lyre with fuch a fcraping,
It fet the people all a capering.
When Orpheus fiddled, at his guidance
Thus trees leap'd forth, and join'd ia
fet dance.

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