The Rhode Island American, And General Advertiser

The following curious anecdote of the manner
In which the celebrated Ode for St. Cecilia's
Day was composed, is taken from the "Essay
on the Genius and Writings of Pope :"

"Mr. St. John, afterwards Lord Boling-
broke, happening to pay a morning visit to
Dryden, whom he always respected, found
him in an unusual agitation of spirits, even to a
trembling. On inquiring the cause, "I have
been up all night," replied the bard; "my musical
friends made me promise them to write an ode
for their feast of St. Cecilia : I have been
so struck with the subject which occurred to
me, that I could not leave it : here it is, finished
at one sitting." And immediately he showed
him this ode, which places the British lyric
poetry above that of any other nation.

This anecdote, as true as it is curious, was
imparted by Lord Bolingbroke to Pope, by
Pope to Mr. Gilbert West, by him to the ingenious
friend who communicated it to me. The
rapidity, and yet the perspicuity of the
thoughts, the glow and the expressiveness of
the images, those certain marks of the first
sketch of a master, conspire to corroborate the
truth of the fact."