edly in favour with this age, and fo good a proof of its nice difcernment. His judgement, naturally good, foon ripened into an exquifite fineness and distinguishing fagacity, which as it was active and busy, so it was vigorous and manly, keeping even paces with a rich and ftrong imagination, always upon the wing, and never tired with aspiring. Hence it was, that, though he writ as young as Cowley, he had no puerilities; and his earliest productions were fo far from having any thing in them mean and trifling, that, like the junior compofitions of Mr. Stepney, they may make grey authors blufh. There are many of his firft effays in oratory, in epigram, elegy, and epique, ftill handed about the univerfity in manufcript, which fhew a masterly hand; and, though maimed and injured by frequent transcribing, make their way into our most celebrated mifcellanies, where they fhine with uncommon luftre. Befides thofe verfes in the Oxford books which he could not help fetting his name to, feveral of his compofitions came abroad under other names, which his own fingular modefty, and faithful filence, ftrove in vain to conceal. The Encænia and publick Collections of the Univerfity upon State Subjects were never in fuch efteem, either for elegy and congratulation, as when he contributed moft largely to them; and it was natural for thofe who knew his peculiar way of writing to turn to his fhare in the work, as by far the most relishing part of the entertainment. As his parts were extraordinary, fo he well knew how to improve them; and not only to polish the diamond, but enchafe it in the moft folid and durable metal. Though he was an academick the greatest

part

part of his life, yet he contracted no fournefs of temper, no spice of pedantry, no itch of difputation, or obftinate contention for the old or new philofophy, no affuming way of dictating to others, which are faults (though excufable) which fome are infenfibly led into who are conftrained to dwell long within the walls of a private college. His converfation was pleasant and inftructive; and what Horace said of Plotius, Varius, and Virgil, might juftly be applied to him:

"Nil ego contulerim jucundo fanus Amico."

Sat. v. 1.,1.

As correct a writer as he was in his moft elaborate pieces, he read the works of others with candour, and referved his greateft feverity for his own compofitions; being readier to cherish and advance, than damp or deprefs, a rifing genius, and as patient of being excelled himself (if any could excel him) as induftrious to excel others.

"Twere to be wished he had confined himself to a particular profeffion, who was capable of furpaffing in any; but, in this, his want of application was in a great measure owing to his want of due encourage

ment.

He paffed through the exercifes of the college and univerfity with unusual applause; and though he often fuffered his friends to call him off from his retirements, and to lengthen out those jovial avocations, yet his return to his ftudies were so much the more paffionate, and his intention upon thofe refined pleasures of reading and thinking fo vehement (to which his facetious and, unbended intervals bore no

proportion), that the habit grew upon him, and the feries of meditation and reflection being kept up whole weeks together, he could better fort his ideas, and take in the fundry parts of a science at one view, without interruption or confufion. Some indeed of his acquaintance, who were pleased to distinguish between the wit and the scholar, extolled him altogether on the account of thefe titles; but others, who knew him better, could not forbear doing him juftice as a prodigy in both kinds. He had fignalized himself, in the schools, as a philofopher and polemick of extenfive knowledge and deep penetration; and went through all the courses with a wife regard to the dignity and importance of each fcience. I remember him in the Divinity-school refponding and difputing with a perfpicuous energy, a ready exactnefs, and commanding force of argument, when Dr. Jane worthily prefided in the chair; whofe condefcending and difinterefted commendation of him gave him fuch a reputation as filenced the envious malice of his enemies, who durft not contradict the approbation of fo profound a master in theology. None of thofe felf-fufficient creatures, who have either trifled with philofophy, by attempting to ridicule it, or have encumbered it with novel terms and burdenfome explanations, understood its real weight and purity half fo well as Mr. Smith, He was too difcerning to allow of the character of unprofitable, rugged, and abftrufe, which fome fuperficial fciolifts (fo very smooth and polite as to admit of no impreffion), either out of an unthinking indolence, or an illgrounded prejudice, had affixed to this fort of ftudies. He knew the thorny terms of philosophy served

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well

well to fence-in the true doctrines of religion; and looked upon fchool-divinity as upon a rough but wellwrought army, which might at once adorn and defend the Chriftian hero, and equip him for the combat.

Mr. Smith had a long and perfect intimacy with all the Greek and Latin Clafficks; with whom he had carefully compared whatever was worth perufing in the French, Spanish, and Italian (to which languages he was no ftranger), and in all the celebrated writers of his own country. But then, according to the curious obfervation of the late Earl of Shaftefbury, he kept the poet in awe by regular criticism; and, as it were, married the two arts for their mutual fupport and improvement. There was not a tract of credit, upon that fubject, which he had not diligently examined, from Ariftotle down to Hedelin and Boffu; fo that, having each rule conftantly before him, he could carry the art through every poem, and at once point out the graces and deformities. By this means he feemed to read with a defign to correct, as imitate. well as imitate: $ 20.7

Being thus prepared, he could not but tafte every little delicacy that was fet before him; though it was impoffible for him at the fame time to be fed and nourished with any thing but what was fubstantial and lafting. He confidered the ancients and moderns not as parties or rivals for fame, but as Architects upon one and the fante plan, the Art of Poetry; according to which he judged, approved, and blamed, without flattery or detraction. If he did not always commend the compofitions of others, it was not. ill-nature (which was not in his temper), but ftrict juftice would not let him call a few flowers fet

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in ranks, a glib meafure, and fo many couplets, by the name of poetry: he was of Ben Jonfon's opinion, who could not admire.

Verfes as fmooth and foft as cream,

In which there was neither depth nor stream.

And therefore, though his want of complaifance for fome men's overbearing vanity made him enemies, yet the better part of mankind were obliged by the freedom of his reflections.

His Bodleian Speech, though taken from a remote and imperfect copy, hath fhewn the world how great a mafter he was of the Ciceronian eloquence, mixed with the concifenefs and force of Demofthenes, the elegant and moving turns of Pliny, and the acute and wife reflections of Tacitus.

Since Temple and Rofcommon, no man underftood Horace better, efpecially as to his happy diction, rolling numbers, beautiful imagery, and alternate mixture of the foft and the fublime. This endeared Dr. Hannes's odes to him, the fineft genius for Latin lyrick fince the Auguftan age. His friend Mr. Philips's ode to Mr. St. John (late Lord Bolingbroke), after the maner of Horace's Lufory or Amatorian Odes, is certainly a mafter-piece; but Mr. Smith's Pocockius is of the fublimer kind, though, like Waller's writings upon Oliver Cromwell, it wants not the moft delicate and furprifing turns peculiar to the person praised. I do not remember to have feen any thing like it in Dr. Bathurft, who had made fome attempts this way with applaufe.. He was an excellent judge of humanity; and fo good * Dr. Ralph Bathurst, whofe Life and Literary Remains were published in 1761, by Mr. Thomas Warton. C.

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