He was now weak with a lingering confumption, and not able to attend the rehearsal, yet was fo vigorous in his faculties, that only ten days before his death he wrote the dedication to his patron lord Cowper. On February 17, 1719-20, the play was represented, and the author died. He lived to hear that it was well received; but paid no regard to the intelligence, being then wholly employed in the meditations of a departing Chriftian.

A man of his character was undoubtedly regretted; and Steele devoted an essay, in the paper called The

Theatre, to the me

His life is written in

mory of his virtues. the Biographia with fome degree of favourable partiality; and an account of him is prefixed to his works, by his relation. the late Mr. Duncombe, a man whose blameless elegance deferved the fame refpect.

The character of his genius I shall transcribe from the correfpondence of Swift and Pope.

"A month

"A month ago," fays Swift, "was fent "me over, by a friend of mine, the works "of John Hughes, Efquire. They are in

66

profe and verse. I never heard of the man

"in my life, yet I find your name as a fubfcriber. He is too grave a poet for me; "and I think among the Mediocrifts in profe "as well as verfe."

To this Pope returns: "To answer your "queftion as to Mr. Hughes; what he wanted

in genius, he made up as an honest man; "but he was of the clafs you think him.”

In Spence's Collections Pope is made to fpeak of him with ftill less respect, as having no claim to poetical reputation but from his tragedy.

SHEFFIELD,

DUKE OF

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE,

JOHN SHEFFIELD, defcended from

a long feries of illuftrious ancestors, was born in 1649, the fon of Edmund earl of Mulgrave, who died 1658. The young lord was put into the hands of a tutor, with whom he was fo little fatisfied, that he got rid of him in a fhort time, and at an age not exceeding twelve years, refolved to educate himself. Such a purpose, formed at such an age, and fuccessfully profecuted, delights as it is strange, and inftructs as it is real.

His literary acquifitions are more wonderful, as thofe years in which they are com monly

monly made were spent by him in the tumult of a military life, or the gaiety of a court. When war was declared against the Dutch, he went at seventeen on board the ship in which prince Rupert and the duke of Albemarle failed, with the command of the fleet; but by contrariety of winds they were reftrained from action. His zeal for the king's fervice was recompenfed by the command of one of the independent troops of horse, then raised to protect the coaft.

Next year he received a fummons to parliament, which, as he was then but eighteen years old, the earl of Northumberland cenfured as at least indecent, and his objection was allowed. He had a quarrel with the earl of Rochester, which he has perhaps too oftentatiously related, as Rochefter's furviving fifter, the lady Sandwich, is faid to have told him with very sharp reproaches.

When another Dutch war (1672) broke out, he went again a volunteer in the ship which the celebrated lord Offory commanded; and there made, as he relates, two curious remarks:

"I have

"I have obferved two things, which I ❝ dare affirm, though not generally believed. "One was, that the wind of a cannon bullet, "though flying never so near, is incapable of "doing the leaft harm; and indeed, were "it otherwise, no man above deck would

escape. The other was, that a great shot 66 may be fometimes avoided, even as it flies, "by changing one's ground a little; for, "when the wind fometimes blew away the

66

fmoke, it was fo clear a fun-fhiny day, that "we could easily perceive the bullets (that "were half-fpent) fall into the water, and "from thence bound up again among us, "which gives fufficient time for making a "a step or two on any fide; though, in fo "fwift a motion, 'tis hard to judge well in "what line the bullet comes, which, if mif"taken, may by removing cost a man his "life, instead of faving it."

His behaviour was fo favourably represented by lord Offory, that he was advanced to the command of the Katherine, the beft fecondrate fhip in the navy.

He