was to fit, hour after hour, while his hair was combed by fomebody, whofe fervice he found means to procure*. At fchool he became acquainted with the poets ancient and modern, and fixed his attention particularly on Milton. In 1694 he entered himself at Chriftchurch; a college at that time in the highest reputation, by the tranfmiffion of Busby's fcholars to the care firft of Fell, and afterwards of Aldrich. Here he was distinguished 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 tranflation: "Many people take delight in the rubbing of their limbs, and the combing of their hair; but thefe "exercifes would delight much more, if the fervants at the baths, and of the barbers, were so skilful in this art, that they could exprefs any meafures with their fingers. "I remember that more than once I have fallen into the hands de d of men of this fort, who could imitate any mea"fure of fongs in combing the hair, fo as fometimes to exprefs very intelligibly lambics, Trochees, Dactyls, &c. "from whence there arofe to me no fmall delight." See his Treatife De Poematum cantu & viribus Rythmi. Oxon. 1673, p. 62.7% Homong end, bsonborg, skov Skhi saw doliw 2doodowi ar jebi mogu meas as a genius eminent among the eminent, and for friendship particularly intimate with Mr. Smith, the author of Phædra and Hippolytus. The profeffion which he intended to follow was that of Phyfick; and he took much delight in Natural Hiftory, of which Botany was his favourite part. His reputation was confined to his friends and to the univerfity; 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. bob send Dizoo od nadw badmost 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 tafk, but that his friends urged it upon him. It appears that he wrote this poem at the house of Mr. St. John. Brand „Vidmat yldıgilbɔtei yav donq "adylab lamt bd am or dlose body woody arou) * Blenheim was published in 1705. The next year produced his greatest work, the poem upon Cider, in two books; which was 438 J. PHILIPS. received with loud praifes, and continued long to be read, as an imitation of Virgil's Georgick, which needed not fhun the prefence of the original. He then grew probably more confident of his own abilities, and began to meditate a poem on the Laft Day; a fubject on which no mind can hope to equal expectation. This work he did not live to finish; his diseases, a flow confumption and an asthma, put a stop 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. 291 J LH 1 His Epitaph at Hereford: testing bool dtiw bevisɔ81 JOHANNES PHILIPS DESTad of 15 Obit die Feb. Anno. Dom. m. 1708 on doider Etat. fuæ 32. dsnigno Cujus to Offa fi requiras, hanc Urnam infpice: aid Templum adi Westmonafterienfe : Qualis quantufque Vir fuerit, so bhim on Quæ cenotaphium ibi decorat, how aidT. sindits in bus Infcriptio. well Quàm interim erga Cognatos pius & officiofus, A MARIA PHILIPS Matre ipfius pientiffimâ, vadd. His Epitaph at Westminster: Popoy.II Herefordiæ conduntur Offa, Hoc in Delubro ftatuitur Imago, Britanniam omnem pervagatur Fama I as JOHANNIS vagatur 1 PHILIPS MOS Qui Viris bonis doctifque juxta charus, Immortale fuum Ingenium, Miro animi candore, Eximiâ morum fimplicitate Litterarum Amoniorum fitim, Quam Wintonia Puer fentire coeperat, Inter Edis Chrifti Alumnos jugiter explevit. In illo Mufarum Domicilio Præclaris Emulorum ftudiis excitatus, A Græcis Latinifque fontibus feliciter deducta, Rythmo didicerat. and agilid¶ Antiquo illo, libero multiformi Ad res ipfas apto prorfus, & attemperato, bns Non numeris in eundem ferè orbem redeuntibu Non Claufularum fimiliter cadentium fono Soil yd beveled Metiri: Juodren asiholars Uni in hoc laudis genere Miltono fecundus, ** not homo Primoque pone Par. Havin Res feu Tenues, feu Grandes, feu Mediocrester syed or em Ornandas fumferat, has do Nufquam, non quod decuit, o Busto di Et videt, & affecutus eft, bio need Egregius, quocunque Stylum verteret, and Fandi author, & Modorum artifex. Fas fit Huic, varende arm to and ad bsnott Auso licèt à tuâ Metrorum Lege difcedere O Poefis Anglicana Pater, atque Conditor, Chaucere, Cabo do Alterum tibi latus claudere, Vatum certe Cineres, tuos undique ftipantium drely o Non dedecebit Chorum.dog saw od |