He tranflated Fontenelle's Dialogues of the Dead ; and his version was perhaps read at that time, but is now neglected; for by a book not neceffary, and owing its reputation wholly to its turn of diction, little notice can be gained but from those who can enjoy the graces of the original. To the Dialogues of Fontenelle he added two compofed by himself; and, though not only an honeft but a pious man, dedicated his work to the Earl of Wharton: He judged fkilfully enough of his own intereft; for Wharton, when he went lord lieutenant to Ireland, offered to take Hughes with him, and establish him; but Hughes, having hopes or promises, from another man in power, of fome provifion more fuitable to his inclination, declined Wharton's offer, and obtained nothing from the other.

He tranflated the Mifer of Moliere, which he never offered to the stage; and occafionally amufed himself with making verfions of favourite fcenes in other plays.

Being now received as a wit among the wits, he paid his contributions to literary undertakings, and affifted both the Tatler, Spectator, and Guardian. In 1712 he tranflated Vertot's Hiftory of the Revolution of Portugal; produced an Ode to the Creator of the World, from the Fragments of Orpheus; and brought upon the frage an opera called Calypfo and Telemachus intended to fhew that the English language might be very happily adapted to mufick. This was impudently oppofed by those who were employed in the Italian opera; and, what cannot be told without indignation, the intruders had fuch intereft with the Duke of Shrewsbury, then lord chamberlain, who had married

an Italian, as to obtain an obstruction of the profits, though not an inhibition of the performance.

There was at this time a project formed by Tonfon for a tranflation of the Pharfalia by several hands; and Hughes englished the tenth book. But this defign, as muft often happen when the concurrence of many is neceffary, fell to the ground; and the whole work was afterwards performed by Rowe.

His acquaintance with the great writers of his time appears to have been very general; but of his intimacy with Addison there is a remarkable proof. It is told on good authority, that Cato was finished and played by his perfuafion. It had long wanted the last act, which he was defired by Addison to fupply. If the request was fincere, it proceeded from an opinion, whatever it was, that did not last long; for, when Hughes came in a week to fhew him his first attempt, he found half an act written by Addifon himself.

He afterwards published the works of Spenfer, with his Life, a Gloffary, and a Difcourfe on Allegorical Poetry; a work for which he was well qualified as a judge of the beauties of writing, but perhaps wanted an antiquary's knowledge of the obfolete words. He did not much revive the curiofity of the publick; for near thirty years elapfed before his edition was reprinted. The fame year produced his Apollo and Daphne, of which the fuccefs was very earneftly promoted by Steele, who, when the rage of party did not mifguide him, feems to have been a man of boundlefs benevolence.

VOL. II.

L

Hughes

Hughes had hitherto suffered the mortifications of a narrow fortune; but in 1717 the lord chancellor Cowper fet him at eafe, by making him fecretary to the commiffions of the peace; in which he afterwards, by a particular requeft, defired his fucceffor lord Parker to continue him. He had now affluence; but fuch is human life, that he had it when his declining health could neither allow him long poffeffion, nor quick enjoyment.

His laft work was his tragedy, The Siege of Damafcus, after which a Siege became a popular title. This play, which still continues on the stage, and of which it is unnecessary to add a private voice to fuch continuance of approbation, is not acted or printed according to the author's original draught,or his fettled intention. He had made Phocyas apoftatize from his religion; after which the abhorrence of Eudocia would have been reasonable, his misery would have been juft, and the horrors of his repentance exemplary.. The players, however, required that the guilt of Phocyas fhould terminate in defertion to the enemy and Hughes, unwilling that his relations fhould lofe the benefit of his work, complied with the alteration.

He was now weak with a lingering confumption, and not able to attend the rehearsal, yet was fo vigorous in his faculties that only ten days before his death he wrote the dedication to his patron lord Cowper. On February 17, 1719-20, the play was reprefented, and the author died. He lived to hear that it was well received; but paid no regard to the intelligence, being then wholly employed in the meditations of a departing Chriftian.

A man of his character was undoubtedly regretted; and Steele devoted an effay, in the paper called The Theatre, to the memory of his virtues. His life is written in the Biographia with fome degree of favourable partiality and an account of him is prefixed to his works by his relation the late Mr. Duncombe, a man whose blameless elegance deserved the fame respect.

The character of his genius I shall transcribe from the correfpondence of Swift and Pope.

66

"A month ago," fays Swift, "were fent me over, by a friend of mine, the works of John Hughes, Efquire. They are in profe and verfe. I never "heard of the man in my life, yet I find your name as a subscriber. He is too grave a poet for me; " and I think among the mediocrifis in profe as well "as verfe."

To this Pope returns: "To anfwer your question as to Mr. Hughes; what he wanted in genius, he "made up as an honeft man; but he was of the class you think him *.”

66

In Spence's Collection Pope is made to fpeak of him with still less refpect, as having no claim to poetical reputation but from his tragedy.

This, Dr. Warton afferts, is very unjuft cenfure; and in a note in his late edition of Pope's Works, afks if "the author of "fuch a tragedy as The Siege of Damafcus, was one of the medi"ocribus? Swift and Pope feem not to recollect the value and "rank of an author who could write fuch a tragedy." C.

SHEFFIELD,

DUKE OF

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE.

JOHN SHEFFIELD, defcended from a long feries of illuftrious ancestors, was born in 1649, the fon of Edmund earl of Mulgrave, who died in 1658. The young lord was put into the hands of a tutor, with whom he was fo little fatisfied, that he got rid of him in a fhort time, and at an age not exceeding twelve years refolved to educate himself. Such a purpose, formed at fuch an age, and fuccessfully profecuted, delights as it is ftrange, and inftructs as it is real.

His literary acquifitions are more wonderful, as thofe years in which they are commonly made were spent by him in the tumult of a military life, or the gaiety of a court. When war was declared against the Dutch, he went at seventeen on-board the ship

in