Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/533

Rh ticular regard to Blacklock, who in return communicated to him all the occasional rough sketches of his poetry.

Among other pieces done by Mr. Blacklock, while under Mr. Beveridge's care, his celebrated paraphrase of Psalm CIV, was one, which is printed in the Lives of the Poets, Vol. IV., with the following extraordinary character:

"This Psalm (say the authors of that work) is one of the sublimest in the whole book of Psalms, and there have been no less than forty different versions and paraphrases of it by poets of considerable eminence, who seem to have vied with one another for superiority. But of all these, if we may trust our own judgment, none have succeeded so happily, as Mr. Blacklock, a young gentleman now resident at Dumfries in Scotland. This paraphrase is the more extraordinary as the author of it has been blind from his craddle &c. It carries in it such elevated strains of poetry, such picturesque descriptions, and such a mellifluent flow of numbers, that we are persuaded the reader cannot be displeased at seeing it here, &c.

This performance Mr. Blacklock also shew'd to Mr. Beveridge for his judgment, who told him that he admired it much, but would be still better pleased with it, if it could be made shorter, and brought nearer the original. Mr. Blacklock replied that he could not make it shorter, and begged Mr. Beveridge to try if he could do it. The latter answered that he could not write English verse, but he would do a little of it in Latin for a trial. He accordingly set about it, and was so much inspired with the subject, that, instead of a Part, he soon did the Whole, in the compass of about 100 lines, which are one half fewer than are in Blacklock 's Paraphrase. As this of Mr. Beveridge' s has never yet appeared in print, I am persuaded that not only the readers of your magazine who understand Latin, but the learned world in general will be glad to see it. I shall therefore subjoin it, and therewith close my account of this useful institution, as well as of the Professors and Masters in it; only adding that what is here done is from authentic Materials, and without the privity and advice of them or any other persons whatsoever.

POETICAL