We are well pleased with Incognita’s translation of the last word and recommend it to the recollection of the ladies in all their disputations with the superior Sex but we doubt whether she means that the women should really submit, or only advises submission when they can speak no longer. As Quin or Apicius would advise a man to fast when he could eat no more. This indeed seems to be implied in the third stanza, as this condescending lady, while she affects to surrender the charter to the gentlemen, still claims the right of perpetually requiring from them another last word, and it seems impossible to extinguish her candle, while one particle of inflammable matter prevails. The song in imitation of Burns, “about it, and about it,” is very happy, and the simple pathetic tale by Fitz Wordsworth is an excellent satyr on that ridiculous style of composition introduced by the author alluded to and other such luminaries of the day, who mistake facility of writing, and childish diction for simplicity, and for great actions & sublimity of thought substitute every day occurrences and sentiments, of the most trifling kind, for good actions and sublimity of thought, which they would persuade us to be poetry. The Taper Soup by Fitz-gravy we hope will be received with indulgence as forgetfullness is often the consequence of too much thinking.
We shall produce to our auditors, two of the poems, occasioned by the fair Maria’s Misfortune, which we mentioned in our last number, namely “The Lady’s Lament” and “The Complaint of the Sylphs,” but we must defer “The Impatient Gnome” to some future evening, as the exuberant wildness of the verses require some pruning. The Epistle to a Lady written on the 4th of June is inspired by the lays of a poet, very different from those tutored in the modern school of Simplicity. We hope it will be heard with approbation and if it has not other merit than that of describing in decent verse the pleasures of attending literary amusement among friends of congenial dispositions, that merit may not be unuseless if it incites others to occupy their vacant hours in a like manner.
After reading the pieces above mentioned, we shall conclude the evening’s amusement with an address from the spirit of the Attic Chest and another from the Attic Chest itself which we may suppose are the soul and body of the Attic Chest. The verses by the spirit rival in delicacy of thought, and diction, the lays of our correspondents most favoured by Phoebus, and convey elegant and appropriate compliments to the Editress and many of our much valued friends. We have in the course of our reading met with golden verses, and brazen verses all brass, and we have frequently heard of Attic Verses but we have never seen a genuine Attic Stanza till we read the last of this poem. The address from the Chest itself we hope will be received by our benevolent Circle with the usual indulgence.