cannot but think the people in the right. The fable is mythological, a story which we are accustomed to reject as falfe, and the manners are fo diftant from our own, that we know them not from fympathy, but by ftudy the ignorant do not understand the action, the learned reject it as a school-boy's tale; incredulus odi. What I cannot for a moment believe, I cannot for a moment behold with intereft or anxiety. The fentiments thus remote from life, are removed yet further by the diction, which is, too luxuriant and fplendid for dialogue, and envelopes the thoughts rather than difplays them. It is a fcholar's play, such as may please the reader rather than the spectator; the work of a vigorous and elegant mind, accustomed to please itself with its own conceptions, but of little acquaintance with the courfe of life.

Dennis tells, in one of his pieces, that he had once a defign to have written the tragedy of Phadra; but was convinced that the action was too mythological.

In 1709, a year after the exhibition of Phædra, died John Philips, the friend and fellow-collegian of Smith, who, on that ocR 3 cafion,

cafion, wrote a poem, which justice must place among the beft elegies which our language can shew, an elegant mixture of fondness and admiration, of dignity and softness. There are some paffages too ludicrous; but every human performance has its faults.

This elegy it was the mode among his friends to purchase for a guinea; and, as his acquaintance was numerous, it was a very profitable poem.

Of his Pindar, mentioned by Oldifworth, I have never otherwife heard. His Longinus he intended to accompany with fome illustrations, and had felected his inftances of the falfe Sublime from the works of Blackmore.

He refolved to try again the fortune of the Stage, with the ftory of Lady Jane Grey. It is not unlikely that his experience of the inefficacy and incredibility of a mythological tale, might determine him to choose an action from English History, at no great distance from our own times, which was to end in a real event, produced by the operation of known characters.

A fubject

A fubject will not eafily occur that can give more opportunities of informing the understanding, for which Smith was unquestionably qualified, or for moving the paffions, in which I fufpect him to have had lefs power,

Having formed his plan, and collected materials, he declared that a few months would complete his defign; and, that he might pursue his work with less frequent avocations, he was, in June 1710, invited by Mr. George Ducket to his house at Gartham in Wiltshire. Here he found fuch opportunities of indulgence as did not much forward his studies, and particularly some strong ale, too delicious to be refifted. He eat and drank till he found himself plethorick: and then, refolving to ease himself by evacuation, he wrote to an apothecary in the neighbourhood a prescription of a purge fo forcible, that the apothecary thought it his duty. to delay it till he had given notice of its danger. Smith, not pleased with the contradiction of a shopman, and boastful of his own knowledge, treated the notice with rude contempt, and fwallowed his own medicine, which,

R 4

which, in July 1710, brought him to the grave. He was buried at Gartham.

Many years afterwards, Ducket communicated to Oldmixon the hiftorian, an account, pretended to have been received from Smith, that Clarendon's Hiftory was, in its publication, corrupted by Aldrich, Smalridge, and Atterbury; and that Smith was employed to forge and infert the alterations.

This story was published triumphantly by Oldmixon, and may be fuppofed to have been eagerly received: but its progress was foon checked; for finding its way into the Journal of Trevoux, it fell under the eye of Atterbury, then an exile in France, who immediately denied the charge, with this remarkable particular, that he never in his whole life had once spoken to Smith; his company being, as must be inferred, not accepted by those who attended to their cha

racters.

The charge was afterwards very diligently refuted by Dr. Burton of Eaton; a man eminent for literature, and, though not of the fame party with Aldrich and Atterbury, too

ftudious

ftudious of truth to leave them burthened with a falfe charge. The teftimonies which he has collected, have convinced mankind that either Smith or Ducket were guilty of wilful and malicious falfehood.

This controverfy brought into view thofe parts of Smith's life, which with more honour to his name might have been concealed,

Of Smith I can yet say a little more. He was a man of fuch estimation among his companions, that the cafual cenfures or praises which he dropped in converfation were confidered, like thofe of Scaliger, as worthy of prefervation.

He had great readiness and exactness of criticism, and by a curfory glance over a new compofition would exactly tell all its faults and beauties.

He was remarkable for the power of reading with great rapidity, and of retaining with great fidelity what he so easily collected.

He