Whigs, under whose patronage he first entered the world, he became a Tory fo ardent and determinate, that he did not willingly confort with men of different opinions. He was one of the fixteen Tories who met weekly, and agreed to addrefs each other by the title of Brother; and feems to have adhered, not only by concurrence of political defigns, but by peculiar affection, to the earl of Oxford and his family. With how much confidence he was trufted, has been already told.

He was however, in Pope's opinion, fit only to make verfes, and lefs qualified for business than Addison himself. This was furely faid without confideration. Addison, exalted to a high place, was forced into degradation by the sense of his own incapacity; Prior, who was employed by men very capable of estimating his value, having been fecretary to one embaffy, had, when great abilities were again wanted, the fame office another time; and was, after fo much experience of his knowledge and dexterity, at last sent to tranfact a negotiation in the higheft degree arduous and important; for which he was quali

• Spence,

fied, among other requifites, in the opinion of Bolingbroke, by his influence upon the French minifter, and by skill in queftions of commerce above other men.

Of his behaviour in the lighter parts of life, it is too late to get much intelligence. One of his anfwers to a boaftful Frenchman has been related, and to an impertinent he made another equally proper. During his embaffy, he fat at the opera by a man, who, in his rapture, accompanied with his own voice the principal finger. Prior fell to railing at the performer with all the terms of reproach that he could collect, till the Frenchman, ceafing from his fong, began to expoftulate with him for his harsh cenfure of a man who was confeffedly the ornament of the ftage. "I know all "that," fays the ambaffador," mais il chante fi “baut, que je ne feaurois vous entendre."

In a gay French company, where every one fung a little fong or ftanza, of which the burden was, Banniffons la Melancholie; when it came to his turn to fing, after the performance of a young lady that fat next him, he produced thefe extemporary lines :

Mais celle voix, et ces beaux yeux,
Font Cupidon trop dangereux,

Et je fuis trifte quand je crie
Banniffons la Melancholie.

Tradition reprefents him as willing to descend from the dignity of the poet and the statesman to the low delights of mean company. His Chloe probably was sometimes ideal; but the woman with whom he cohabited was a despicable drab * of the lowest species. One of his wenches, perhaps Chloe, while he was abfent from his house, ftole his plate, and ran away; as was related by a woman who had been his fervant. Of this propensity to fordid converse I have feen an account fo seriously ridiculous, that it seems to deferve insertion.

"I have been affured that Prior, after hav"ing spent the evening with Oxford, Boling"broke, Pope, and Swift, would go and smoke

a pipe, and drink a bottle of ale, with a “ common foldier and his wife, in Long66 Acre, before he went to bed; not from any remains of the lownefs of his original, as one faid, but, I fuppofe, that his faculties

-Strain'd to the height,

"In that celeftial colloquy fublime,
"Dazzled and spent, funk down, and fought
repair."

Poor Prior! why was he fo ftrained, and in fuch want of repair, after a conversation with men not, in the opinion of the world, much wifer than himself? But fuch are the conceits of fpeculatifts, who strain their faculties to find in a mine what lies upon the furface.

His opinions, fo far as the means of judging are left us, feem to have been right; but his life was, it feems, irregular, negligent, and fenfual.

PRIOR

PRIOR has written with great variety, and his variety has made him popular. He has tried all ftyles from the grotesque to the folemn, and has not fo failed in any as to incur derifion or disgrace.

His works may be diftinctly confidered as comprising Tales, Love-verfes, Occafional Poems, Alma, and Solomon.

His Tales have obtained general approbation, being written with great familiarity and great fpritelinefs the language is eafy, but feldom grofs, and the numbers fmooth, without appearance of care. Of these Tales there are only four. The Ladle; which is introduced by a Preface, neither neceffary nor pleasing, neither grave nor merry. Paulo Purganti; which has likewise a Preface, but of more value than the Tale. Hans Carvel, not overdecent; and Protogenes and Apelles, an old ftory, mingled, by an affectation not disagreeable, with modern images. The Young Gen

tleman