J. PHILIPS. JOHN PHILIPS was born on the 30th of December, 1676, at Bampton in Oxfordshire; of which place his father, Dr. Stephen Philips, archdeacon of Salop, was minifter. The first part of his education was domeftick; after which he was fent to Winchester, where, as we are told by Dr. Sewel, his biographer, he was foon diftinguithed by the fuperiority of his exercifes; and, what is lefs eafily to be credited, fo much endeared himfelf to his fchoolfellows by his civility and good-nature, that they, without murmur or illwill, faw him indulged by the master with particular immunities. It is related, that, when he was at fchool, he feldom mingled in play with the other boys, but retired to his chamber; where his fovereign pleafure was to fit, hour after hour, while his hair was combed by fomebody, whofe fervice he found means to procure * At Ifaac Voffius relates, that he alfo delighted in having his hair combed when he could have it done by barbers or other perfons fkilled in the rules of profody. Of the paffage that contains this ridiculous fancy, the following is a tranflation: "Many people "take delight in the rubbing of their limbs, and the combing of "their hair; but thefe exercifes would delight much more, if the "fervants at the baths, and of the barbers, were fo kilful in this At school he became acquainted with the poets ancient and modern, and fixed his attention particularly on Milton. In 1694 he entered himself at Chrift-church; a college at that time in the highest reputation, by the tranfmiffion of Bufby's fcholars to the care first of Fell, and afterwards of Aldrich. Here he was distinguished as a genius eminent among the eminent, and for friendship particularly intimate with Mr. Smith, the author of Phedra and Hippolytus. The profeffion which he intended to follow was that of Phyfick; and he took much delight in Natural History, of which Botany was his favourite part. His reputation was confined to his friends and to the univerfity; till about 1703 he extended it to a wider circle by the Splendid Shiling, which struck the publick attention with a mode of writing new and unexpected. This performance raised him fo high, that when Europe refounded with the victory of Blenheim, he was, probably with an occult oppofition to Addifon, employed to deliver the acclamation of the Tories. It is faid that he would willingly have declined the task, but that his friends urged it upon him. It appears that he wrote this poem at the houfe of Mr. St. John. Blenheim was published in 1705. The next year produced his greatest work, the poem upon Gider, "art, that they could express any measures with their fingers. I re"member that more than once I have fallen into the hands of men of this fort, who could imitate any measure of fongs in combing "the hair fo as fometimes to exprefs very intelligibly lambics, "Trochees, Dactyls, &c. from whence there arose to me no fmall "delight." See his Treatife De Poematum cantu & viribus Rythmi. Oxon. 1673, p. 62., H. in two books; which was received with loud praises, and continued long to be read, as an imitation of Virgil's Georgick, which needed not shun the prefence of the original. He then grew probably more confident of his own abilities, and began to meditate a poem on the Last Day; a fubject on which no mind can hope to equal expectation. This work he did not live to finifh; his diseases, a flow confumption and an afthma, put a stop to his studies; and on Feb. 15, 1708, at the beginning of his thirty-third year, put an end to his life. He was buried in the cathedral of Hereford; and Sir Simon Harcourt, afterwards Lord Chancellor, gave him a monument in Weftminster Abbey. The infcription at Westminster was written, as I have heard, by Dr. Atterbury, though commonly, given to Dr. Freind. His Epitaph at Hereford : Offa fi requiras, hanc Urnam infpice: Quàm interim erga Cognatos pius & officiofus, A MARIA PHILIPS Matre ipfius pientiffimâ, Dilecti Filii Memoriæ non fine Lacrymis dicatum. His Epitaph at Westminster: Herefordiæ conduntur Offa, Litterarum Amoniorum fitim, Præclaris Emulorum ftudiis excitatus, Antiquo illo, libero, multiformi Ad res ipfas apto prorfus, & attemperato, Non Numeris in eundem ferè orbem redeuntibus, Non Claufularum fimiliter cadentium fono Metiri : Uni in hoc laudis genere Miltono fecundus, Res feu Tenues, feu Grandes, feu Mediocres Nufquam, non quod decuit, Et videt, & affecutus eft, Aufo licèt à tuâ Metrorum Lege difcedere, Vatum certe Cineres, tuos undique ftipantium SIMON HARCOURT Miles, Poft Obitum piè memor, J. PHILIPS, STEPHANI, S. T. P. Archidiaconi Philips has been always praifed, without contradiction, as a man modeft, blameless, and pious; who bore narrowness of fortune without difcontent, and tedious and painful maladies without impatience; beloved by those that knew him, but not ambitious to be known. He was probably not formed for a wide circle. His converfation is commended for its innocent gaiety, which feems to have flowed only among his intimates, for I have been told, that he was in company filent and barren, and employed only upon the pleafures of his pipe. His addiction to tobacco is mentioned by one of his biographers, who remarks that in all his writings, except Blenheim, he has found an opportunity of celebrating the fragrant fume. common life he was probably one of thofe who please not by offending, and whose person was loved because his writings were admired. He died honoured and lamented, before any part of his reputation had withered, and before his patron St. John had difgraced him. In His works are few. The Splendid Shilling has the uncommon merit of an original defign, unless it may be thought precluded by the ancient Centos. To |