awhile with Juno and Pallas, Mars and Alcides, Caffiope, Niobe, and the Propetides, Hercules, Minos, and Rhadamanthus, at laft concludes its folly with profaneness.

His verfes to Mira, which are most frequently mentioned, have little in them of either art or nature, of the fentiments of a lover, or the language of a poet there may be found, now and then, a happier effort; but they are commonly feeble and unaffecting, or forced and extravagant.

:

His little pieces are seldom either sprightly or elegant, either keen or weighty. They are trifles written by idleness, and published by vanity. But his Prologues and Epilogues have a juft claim to praise.

The Progrefs of Beauty feems one of his moft elaborate pieces, and is not deficient in splendour and gaiety; but the merit of original thought is wanting. Its highest praise is the spirit with which he celebrates king James's confort, when she was a queen no longer.

The Effay on unnatural Flights in Poetry is not inelegant nor injudicious, and has fomething of vigour beyond most of his other performances: his precepts are juft, and his cautions proper; they are indeed not new, but in a didactic poem novelty is to be expected only in the ornaments and illuftrations. His poetical precepts are accompanied with agreeable and inftructive notes.

The Mafque of Peleus and Thetis has here and there a pretty line; but it is not always melodious, and the conclufion is wretched.

In his British Enchanters he has bidden defiance to all chronology, by confounding the inconfiftent manners of different ages; but the dialogue has often the

air of Dryden's rhyming plays; and his fongs are lively, though not very correct. This is, I think, far the beft of his works; for, if it has many faults, it has likewife paffages which are at least pretty, though they do not rise to any high degree of ex cellence.

YALDEN.

YAL DE N.

THOMAS YALDEN, the fixth son of Mr. John Yalden, of Suffex, was born in the city of Exeter in 1671. Having been educated in the grammar-school belonging to Magdalen College in Oxford, he was in 1690, at the age of nineteen, admitted commoner of Magdalen Hall, under the tuition of Jofiah Pullen, a man whose name is still remembered in the univerfity. He became next year one of the scholars of Magdalen College, where he was distinguished by a lucky accident.

It was his turn, one day, to pronounce a declamation; and Dr. Hough, the prefident, happening to attend, thought the compofition too good to be the speaker's. Some time after, the doctor finding him a little irregularly bufy in the library, fet him an exercise for punishment; and, that he might not be deceived by any artifice, locked the door. Yalden, as it happened, had been lately reading on the fubject given, and produced with little difficulty a compofition which so pleased the prefident, that he

told him his former fufpicions, and promised to fa

vour him.

Among his contemporaries in the college were Addifon and Sacheverell, men who were in those times friends, and who both adopted Yalden to their intimacy. Yalden continued, throughout his life, to think as probably he thought at first, yet did not forfeit the friendship of Addison.

When Namur was taken by king William, Yalden made an ode. There never was any reign more celebrated by the poets than that of William, who had very little regard for fong himself, but happened to employ minifters who pleased themselves with the praise of patronage.

Of this ode mention is made in a humourous poem of that time, called The Oxford Laureat; in which, after many claims had been made and rejected, Yalden is represented as demanding the laurel, and as being called to his trial, instead of receiving a reward.

His crime was for being a felon in verse,

And presenting his theft to the king;
The firft was a trick not uncommon or fcarce,
But the laft was an impudent thing:

Yet what he had ftol'n was fo little worth stealing,
They forgave him the damage and cost;

Had he ta'en the whole ode, as he took it piece-
mealing,

They had fin'd him but ten-pence at moft.

The poet whom he was charged with robbing was Congreve.

He wrote another poem on the death of the duke of Gloucefter.

In 1700 he became fellow of the college; and next year, entering into orders, was presented by the fociety with a living in Warwickshire *, confiftent with his fellowship, and chofen lecturer of moral philofophy, a very honourable office.

On the acceffion of queen Anne he wrote another poem; and is faid, by the author of the Biographia, to have declared himself of the party who had the honourable diftinction of High-churchmen,

In 1706 he was

duke of Beaufort.

received into the family of the Next year he became doctor in divinity, and foon after refigned his fellowship and lecture; and, as a token of his gratitude, gave the college a picture of their founder.

He was made rector of Chalton and Cleanville†, two adjoining towns and benefices in Hertfordshire; and had the prebends, or finecures, of Deans, Hains, and Pendles, in Devonshire. He had before been chofen, in 1698, preacher of Bridewell Hospital, upon the refignation of Dr. Atterbury §.

From this time he feems to have led a quiet and inoffenfive life, till the clamour was raised about Atterbury's plot. Every loyal eye was on the watch for abettors or partakers of the horrid confpiracy; and Dr. Yalden, having fome acquaintance with the bishop, and being familiarly converfant with Kelly his fecretary, fell under fufpicion, and was taken into cuftody.

*The vicarage of Willoughby, which he refigned in 1708. N. ↑ This preferment was given him by the duke of Beaufort. N. Not long after.

§ Dr. Atterbury retained the office of preacher at Bridewell till his promotion to the bishoprick of Rochefter. Dr. Yaldon fucceeded him as preacher in June 1713. N.,