fit, hour after hour, while his hair was combed fomebody, whofe fervice he found means to procure *. At fchool he became acquainted with the poets ancient and moden, and fixed his attention particularly on Milton. In 1694 he entered himself at Christ-church; a college at that time in the highest reputation; by the tranfmiffion of Bufby's fcholars to the care firft of Fell, and afterwards of Aldrich Here he was distinguished as a genius eminent among the eminent, and for friendship particularly intimate with Mr. Smith, the author * Ifaac Voffius relates that he alfo delighted in having his hair combed when he could have it done by barbers or other perfons skilled in the rules of profody. Of the paffage that contains this ridiculous fancy, the following is a translation: "Many people take delight in the rubbing of their limbs, and "the combing of their hair, but these exercises would delight "much more, if the fervants at the baths, and of the barbers, were fo fkilful in this art, that they could exprefs any meafures with their fingers. I remember that more than once I "have fallen into the hands of men of this fort, who could imi"tate any measure of fongs in combing the hair, fo as fome"times to exprefs very intelligibly Iambics, Trochees, Dactyls, "&c. from whence there arofe to me no fmall delight." See his Treatife De Poematum cantu & viribus Rythmi, Oxon. 1673, p. 62. H. .of of Phadra and Hippolytus. The profeffion which he intended to follow was that of Phyfick; and he took much delight in natural history, of which botany was his favourite part. His reputation was confined to his friends and to the university; till about 1703 he extended it to a wider circle by the Splendid Shilling, which ftruck the publick attention with a mode of writing new and unexpected. This performance raised him fo high, that when Europe refounded with the victory of Blenheim, he was, probably with an occult oppofition to Addifon, employed to deliver the acclamation of the Tories. It is faid that he would willingly have declined the task, but that his friends urged it upon him. It appears that he wrote this poem at the house of Mr. St. John. Blenheim was published in 1705. The next year produced his greatest work, the poem upon Cider, in two books; which was received with loud praises, and continued long to be read, as an imitation of Virgil's Georgic, which needed not thun the prefence of the original. He He then grew probably more confident of his own abilities, and began to meditate a poem on the Last day; a subject on which no mind can hope to equal expectation. This work he did not live to finifh; his difeases, a flow confumption and an asthma, put a ftop to his ftudies; and on Feb. 15, 1708, at the beginning of his thirty-third year, put an end to his life. He was buried in the cathedral of Hereford; and Sir Simon Harcourt, afterwards Lord Chancellor, gave him a monument in Westminster Abbey. The infcription at Westminster was written, as I have heard, by Dr. Atterbury, though commonly given to Dr. Freind. His Epitaph at Hereford: JOHANNES PHILIPS Offa fi requiras, hanc Urnam infpice; Templum adi Weftmonafterienfe: Quàm |