foars fo high as to be almoft out of their view. I cannot therefore allow any admirer of the French to be a judge of Blenheim, nor any who takes Bouhours for a complete critick. He generally judges of the ancients by the moderns, and not the moderns by the ancients; he takes thofe paffages of their own authors to be really fublime which come the nearest to it; he often calls that a noble and a great thought which is only a pretty and a fine one: and has more inftances of the fublime out of Ovid de Triftibus, than he has out of all Virgil.

I fhall allow, therefore, only those to be judges of Philips, who make the ancients, and particularly Virgil, their standard.

But, before I enter on this fubject, I fhall confider what is particular in the ftyle of Philips, and examine what ought to be the ftyle of heroick poetry; and next inquire how far he is come up to that ftyle.

His ftyle is particular, because he lays afide rhyme, and writes in blank verse, and ufes old words, and frequently poftpones the adjective to the substantive, and the fubftantive to the verb; and leaves out little particles, a, and the; her, and his; and ufes frequent appofitions. Now let us examine, whether these alterations of style be conformable to the true fublime.

WALS H.

WILLIAM WALSH, the fon of Jofeph Walsh, Efq. of Abberley in Worcesterfhire, was born in 1663, as appears from the account of Wood, who relates, that at the age of fifteen he became, in 1678, a gentleman commoner of Wadham College.

He left the univerfity without a degree, and purfued his ftudies in London and at home; that he ftudied, in whatever place, is apparent from the effect, for he became, in Mr. Dryden's opinion, the beft critick in the nation,

He was not, however, merely a critick or a fcholar, but a man of fafhion, and, as Dennis remarks, oftentatioufly fplendid in his drefs. He was likewife a member of parliament and a courtier, knight of the fhire for his native county in feveral parliaments; in another the reprefentative of Richmond in Yorkfhire; and gentleman of the horse to Queen Anne, under the Duke of Somerset.

Some of his verfes fhew him to have been a zealous friend to the Revolution; but his political ardour did not abate his reverence or kindness for

Dryden,

Dryden, to whom he gave a Differtation on Virgil's Paftorals, in which, however ftudied, he difcovers fome ignorance of the laws of French verfification.

In 1705, he began to correfpond with Mr. Pope, in whom he difcovered very early the power of poetry. Their letters are written upon the paftoral comedy of the Italians, and thofe paftorals which Pope was then preparing to publish.

The kindneffes which are firft experienced are feldom forgotten. Pope always retained a grateful memory of Walth's notice, and mentioned him in one of his latter pieces among thofe that had encouraged his juvenile ftudies.

Granville the polite,

And knowing Walth, would tell me I could write.

In his Effay on Criticifm he had given him more fplendid praife; and, in the opinion of his learned commentator, facrificed a little of his judgement to his gratitude.

The time of his death I have not learned. It muft have happened between 1707, when he wrote to Pope; and 1711, when Pope praised him in his Effay. The epitaph makes him forty-fix years old: if Wood's account be right, he died in 1709.

He is known more by his familiarity with greater men, than by any thing done or written by himself.

His works are not numerous. In profe he wrote Eugenia, a Defence of Women; which Dryden honoured with a Preface.

Efculapius, or the Hofpital of Fools, published after

his death.

A Cel

A Colletion of Letters and Poems, amorous and gallant, was published in the volumes called Dryden's Mifcellany, and fome other occafional pieces.

To his Poems and Letters is prefixed a very judicious preface upon Epiftolary Compofition and Amorous Poetry.

In his Golden Age reftored, there was fomething of humour, while the facts were recent; but it now ftrikes no longer. In his imitation of Horace, the first stanzas are happily turned; and in all his writings there are pleafing paffages. He has, however, more elegance than vigour, and seldom rises higher than to be pretty.

DRY

D R

Y DE N.

OF the great poet whose life I am about to delineate, the curiofity which his reputation must excite will require a display more ample than can now be given. His contemporaries, however they reverenced his genius, left his life unwritten; and nothing therefore can be known beyond what cafual mention and uncertain tradition have fupplied.

JOHN DRYDEN was born Auguft 9, 1631, at Aldwinkle near Oundle, the fon' of Erafmus Dryden of Titchmerfh; who was the third fon of Sir Erafmus Dryden, baronet, of Canons Afhby. All these places are in Northamptonshire; but the original stock of the family was in the county of Huntingdon.

He is reported by his laft biographer, Derrick, to have inherited from his father an eftate of two hundred a year, and to have been bred, as was faid, an Anabaptift. For either of these particulars no authority is given. Such a fortune ought to have fecured him from that poverty which feems always to have oppreffed him; or, if he had wafted it, to have made him afhamed of publishing his neceffities. But

though