vage Saxon, talks of Venus, and the eagle that bears the thunder of Jupiter.

This play discovers its own date, by a prediction of the Union, in imitation of Cranmer's prophetick promises to Henry the Eighth. The anticipated bleffings of union are not very naturally introduced, nor very happily expreffed.

He once (1706) tried to change his hand. He ventured on a comedy, and produced the Biter ;; with which, though it was unfavourably treated by the audience, he was himself delighted; for he is faid to have fat in the house laughing with great. vehemence, whenever he had, in his own opinion, produced a jeft. But, finding that he and the publick had no fympathy of mirth, he tried at lighter fcenes no more.

After the Royal Convert (1714) appeared Jane Shore, written, as its author professes, in imitation of Shakspeare's style. In what he thought himself an imitator of Shakspeare, it is not easy to conceive. The numbers, the diction, the fentiments, and the conduct, every thing in which imitation can confift, are remote in the utmost degree from the manner of Shakspeare; whofe dramas it resembles only as it is an English ftory, and as fome of the perfons have their names in hiftory. This play, confifting chiefly of domestick scenes and private diftrefs, lays hold upon the heart. The wife is forgiven because the repents, and the hufband is honoured becaufe he forgives. This, therefore, is one of those pieces which we still welcome on the stage.

His last tragedy (1715) was Lady Jane Grey. This fubject had been chofen by Mr. Smith, whofe

papers

papers were put into Rowe's hands fuch as he describes them in his preface. This play has likewise funk into oblivion. From this time he gave nothing more to the ftage.

Being by a competent fortune exempted from any neceffity of combating his inclination, he never wrote in diftrefs, and therefore does not appear to have ever written in hafte. His works were finished to his own approbation, and bear few marks of negligence or hurry. It is remarkable, that his prologues and epilogues are all his own, though he fometimes fupplied others; he afforded help, but did not folicit it.

As his ftudies neceffarily made him acquainted with Shakspeare, and acquaintance produced veneration, he undertook (1709) an edition of his works, from which he neither received much praife, nor feems to have expected it; yet, I believe, those who compare it with former copies will find that he has done more than he promised; and that, without the pomp of notes or boafts of criticism, many paffages are happily restored. He prefixed a life of the author, such as tradition, then almost expiring, could fupply, and a preface; which cannot be faid to discover much profundity or penetration. He at leaft contributed to the popularity of his author.

He was willing enough to improve his fortune by other arts than poetry. He was under-fecretary for three years when the duke of Queensberry was fecretary of state, and afterwards applied to the earl of Oxford for fome publick employment. Oxford

*Mr. Rowe's Preface, however, is not diftinct, as it might be fuppofed from this paffage from the Life. R.

+ Spence. VOL. X.

F

enjoined

enjoined him to fludy Spanish; and when, fome time afterwards, he came again, and faid that he had maftered it, difmiffed him with this congratulation, "Then, Sir, I envy you the pleasure of reading Don "Quixote in the original."

This ftory is fufficiently attefted; but why Ox. ford, who defired to be thought a favourer of literature, fhould thus infult a man of acknowledged merit; or how Rowe, who was fo keen a Whig that he did not willingly converfe with men of the oppofite party, could afk preferment from Oxford; it is not now poffible to difcover. Pope, who told the ftory, did not say on what occafion the advice was given; and, though he owned Rowe's difappointment, doubted whether any injury was intended him, but thought it rather lord Oxford's odd way.

It is likely that he lived on difcontented through the rest of queen Anne's reign; but the time came at laft when he found kinder friends. At the acceffion of king George he was made poet-laureat; I am afraid by the ejection of poor Nahum Tate, who (1716) died in the Mint, where he was forced to feek shelter by extreme poverty. He was made likewife one of the land furveyors of the cuftoms of the port of London. The prince of Wales chofe him clerk of his council; and the lord-chancellor Parker, as foon as he received the feals, appointed him, unafked, fecretary of the prefentations. Such an accumulation of employments undoubtedly produced a very confiderable revenue.

Having already tranflated fome parts of Lucan's Pharfalia, which had been published in the Mifcel

lanies, and doubtlefs received many praifes, he undertook a verfion of the whole work, which he lived to finish, but not to publifh. It feems to have been printed under the care of Dr. Welwood, who prefixed the author's life, in which is contained the following character:

"As to his perfon, it was graceful and well made; “his face regular, and of a manly beauty. As his "foul was well-lodged, fo its rational and animal fa"culties excelled in a high degree. He had a quick "and fruitful invention, a deep penetration, and a large compafs of thought, with fingular dexterity "and eafiness in making his thoughts to be under"stood. He was mafter of moft parts of polite learning, especially the claffical authors, both "Greek and Latin; understood the French, Italian, "and Spanish languages; and spoke the first fluently, "and the other two tolerably well.

"He had likewife read most of the Greek and "Roman hiftories in their original languages, and "moft that are wrote in English, French, Italian, "and Spanish. He had a good tafte in philofophy; “and, having a firm impreffion of religion upon his "mind, he took great delight in divinity and eccle"fiaftical history, in both which he made great ad"vances in the times he retired into the country, "which was frequent. He expreffed, on all occa"fions, his full perfuafion of the truth of Revealed "Religion; and being a fincere member of the Efta"blished Church himfelf, he pitied, but condemned not, those that diffented from it. He abhorred the principles of perfecuting men upon the account of "their opinions in religion; and being ftrict in his

"own, he took it not upon him to cenfure thofe of "another perfuafion. His converfation was pleasant, "witty, and learned, without the leaft tincture of "affectation or pedantry; and his inimitable manner "of diverting and enlivening the company made it impoffible for any one to be out of humour when "he was in it. Envy and detraction feemed to be entirely foreign to his conftitution; and whatever, "provocations he met with at any time, he paffed "them over without the leaft thought of refentment. "or revenge. As Homer had a Zoilus, fo Mr.. "Rowe had fometimes his: for there were not want

ing malevolent people, and pretenders to poetry "too, that would now-and-then bark at his best per"formances; but he was fo much conscious of his own "genius, and had fo much good-nature, as to forgive "them; nor could he ever be tempted to return "them an answer.

"The love of learning and poetry made him not "the lefs fit for bufinefs, and nobody applied himself "clofer to it, when it required his attendance. The "late duke of Queensberry, when he was fecretary "of state, made him his fecretary for publick affairs; "and when that truly great man came to know him "well, he was never fo pleafed as when Mr. Rowe "was in his company. After the duke's death, all "avenues were stopped to his preferment; and, during the reft of that reign, he paffed his time "with the Muses and his books, and fometimes the "converfation of his friends.

"When he had just got to be easy in his fortune, "and was in a fair way to make it better, death "fwept him away, and in him deprived the world of

"one