fhew how worthy he was of high preferment. As he thought himself qualified to become a popular preacher, he displayed his elocution with great fuccefs in the pulpits of London; but the queen's death putting an end to his expectations, abated his diligence and Pope represents him as falling from that time into intemperance of wine. That in his latter life he was too much a lover of the bottle, is not denied ; but I have heard it imputed to a cause more likely to obtain forgiveness from mankind, the untimely death of a darling fon; or, as others tell, the lofs of his wife, who died (1712) in the midst of his expectations.

He was now to derive every future addition to his preferments from his personal interest with his private friends, and he was not long unregarded. He was warmly recommended by Swift to archbishop King, who gave him a prebend in 1713; and in May 1716 prefented him to the vicarage of Finglas in the diocese of Dublin, worth four hundred pounds a year. Such notice from fuch a man, inclines me to believe that the vice of which he has been accused was not grofs, or not notorious.

But his profperity did not last long. His end, whatever was its caufe, was now approaching. He enjoyed his preferment little more than a year; for in July 1717, in his thirty-eighth year, he died at Chester, on his way to Ireland.

He feems to have been one of thofe poets who take delight in writing. He contributed to the papers of that time, and probably published more than he owned. He left many compofitions behind him, of which Pope felected those which he

thought

thought beft, and dedicated them to the earl of Oxford. Of these Goldsmith has given an opinion, and his criticism it is feldom fafe to contradict. He beftows juft praise upon the Rife of Woman, the Fairy Tale, and the Pervigilium Veneris; but has very properly remarked, that in the Battle of Mice and Frogs the Greek names have not in English their original effect.

I

He tells us, that the Bookworm is borrowed from Beza; but he should have added, with modern applications: and when he discovers that Gay Bacchus is tranflated from Augurellus, he ought to have remarked, that the latter part is purely Parnell's. Another poem, When Spring comes on, is, he says, taken from the French. would add, that the defcription of Barrenness, in his verses to Pope, was borrowed from Secundus; but lately fearching for the paffage which I had formerly read, I could not find it. The Nightpiece on Death is indirectly preferred by Goldfmith to Gray's Church-yard; but, in my opinion, Gray has the advantage in dignity, variety, and originality of fentiment. He obferves that the ftory of the Hermit is in More's Dialogues and Howell's Letters, and fuppofes it to have been originally Arabian.

Goldsmith has not taken any notice of the Elegy to the old Beauty, which is perhaps the meaneft; nor of the Allegory on Man, the happiest of Parnell's performances. The hint of the Hymn to Contentment I fufpect to have been borrowed from Cleiveland.

The general character of Parnell is not great

extent

::

extent of comprehenfion, or fertility of mind. Of the little that appears still less is his own. His praise must be derived from the easy sweetness of his diction in his verses there is more happiness than pains; he is fpritely without effort, and always delights though he never ravishes; every thing is proper, yet every thing feems cafual. If there is fome appearance of elaboration in the Hermit, the narrative, as it is less airy, is lefs pleafing. Of his other compofitions it is impoffible to fay whether they are the productions of Nature, fo excellent as not to want the help of Art, or of Art fo refined as to refemble Nature.

This criticism relates only to the pieces pub lifhed by Pope. Of the large appendages which I find in the last edition, I can only fay that I know not whence they came, nor have ever enquired whither they are going. They ftand upon the faith of the compilers.

GARTH.

GARTH.

S

AMUEL GARTH was of a good family in Yorkshire, and from fome school in his own country became a student at Peter-house in Cambridge, where he refided till he commenced doctor of phyfick on July the 7th, 1691. He was examined before the College at London on March the 12th, 1691-2, and admitted fellow July 26th, 1692. He was foon fo much diftinguished, by his converfation and accomplishments, as to obtain very extenfive practice; and, if a pamphlet of those times may be credited, had the favour and confidence of one party, as Ratcliffe had of the other.

He is always mentioned as a man of benevolence; and it is just to suppose that his defire of helping the helpless, disposed him to fo much zeal for the Difpenfary; an undertaking of which fome account, however short, is proper to be given.

Whether what Temple fays be true, that physicians have had more learning than the other facultics, I will not stay to enquire; but, I believe,

every man has found in phyficians great liberality, and dignity of fentiment, very prompt effufion of beneficence, and willingness to exert a lucrative art, where there is no hope of lucre. Agreeably to this character, the College of Phyficians, in July 1687, published an edict, requiring all the fellows, candidates, and licentiates, to give gratuitous advice to the neighbouring poor.

This edict was fent to the Court of Aldermen ; and a question being made to whom the appellation of the poor fhould be extended, the College anfwered, that it should be fufficient to bring a teftimonial from a clergyman officiating in the parish where the patient refided.

After a year's experience the phyficians found their charity fruftrated by fome malignant oppofition, and made to a great degree vain by the high price of phyfick: they therefore voted in Auguft 1688, that the laboratory of the College should be accommodated to the preparation of medicines, and another room prepared for their reception; and that the contributors to the expence fhould manage the charity.

It was now expected that the Apothecaries would have undertaken the care of providing medicines; but they took another courfe. Thinking the whole defign pernicious to their intereft, they endeavoured to raise a faction against it in the College, and found fome physicians mean enough to folicit their patronage, by betraying to them the counfels of the College. The greater part, however, enforced by a new edict in 1694, the former order of 1687, and fent it to the mayor and alder VOL. II.

S

men,