may at laft judge how much they are to be regarded. If we stay to examine this account, we fhall fee difficulties on both fides: here is the relation of a fact given by a man who had no intereft to deceive, and who could not be deceived himself; and here is, on the other hand, a miracle which produces no effect; the order of nature is interrupted to difcover not a future but only a diftant event, the knowledge of which is of no ufe to him to whom it is revealed. Between these difficulties, what way fhall be found? Is reafon or teftimony to be rejected? I believe what Ofborne fays of an appearance of fanctity may be applied to fuch impulfes or anticipations as this: Do not wholly flight them, because they may be true; but do not easily trust them, because they may be false.

The state both of England and Ireland was at this time fuch, that he who was absent from either country had very little temptation to return; and therefore Rofcommon, when he left Caen, travelled into Italy, and amused himself with its antiquities, and particularly with medals, in which he acquired uncommon skill.

At the Restoration, with the other friends of monarchy, he came to England, was made captain of the band of penfioners, and learned fo much of the diffoluteness of the court, that he addicted himself immoderately to gaming, by which he was engaged in frequent quarrels, and which undoubtedly brought upon him its ufual concomitants, extravagance and

diftrefs.

After fome time, a difpute about part of his cftate forced him into Ireland, where he was made by the duke

P 3

duke of Ormond captain of the guards, and met with an adventure thus related by Fenton:

"He was at Dublin as much as ever diftempered "with the fame fatal affection for play, which en

gaged him in one adventure that well deferves to "be related. As he returned to his lodgings from a ❝gaming-table, he was attacked in the dark by three ❝ruffians, who were employed to affaffinate him. "The Earl defended himself with fo much refolution, "that he dispatched one of the aggreffors: whilft a gentleman, accidentally paffing that way, inter"pofed, and difarmed another: the third fecured "himself by flight. This generous affiftant was a "difbanded officer, of a good family and fair repu. "tation; who, by what we call the partiality of "fortune, to avoid cenfuring the iniquities of the "times, wanted even a plain fuit of cloaths to make "a decent appearance at the caftle. But his lord

fhip, on this occafion, prefenting him to the duke "of Ormond, with great importunity prevailed with "his grace, that he might refign his poft of captain "of the guards to his friend; which for about "three years the gentleman enjoyed, and, upon his "death, the duke returned the commiffion to his 66 generous benefactor."

When he had finished his bufinefs, he returned to London; was made Mafter of the Horfe to the Duchefs of York; and married the Lady Frances, daughter of the Earl of Burlington, and widow of Colonel Courteney.

He now bufied his mind with literary projects, and formed the plan of a fociety for refining our language and fixing its ftandard; in imitation, fays Fenton, of

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thofe

thofe learned and polite focieties with which he had been acquainted abroad. In this defign his friend Dryden is faid to have affifted him.

The fame defign, it is well known, was revived by Dr. Swift in the miniftry of Oxford; but it has never fince been publicly mentioned, though at that time great expectations were formed by fome of its estab.. lishment and its effects. Such a fociety might, perhaps, without much difficulty, be collected; but that it would produce what is expected from it may be doubted.

.

The Italian academy feems to have obtained its end. The language was refined, and fo fixed that it has changed but little. The French academy thought that they refined their language, and doubtlefs thought rightly; but the event has not fhewn that they fixed it; for the French of the present time is different from that of the last century. very

In this country an academy could be expected to do but little. If an academician's place were profitable, it would be given by intereft; if attendance were gratuitous, it would be rarely paid, and no man would endure the least disguft. Unanimity is impoffible, and debate would separate the affembly.

But fuppofe the philological decree made and promulgated, what would be its authority? In abfolute governments, there is fometimes a general reverence paid to all that has the fanction of power, and the countenance of greatnefs. How little this is the ftate of our country needs not to be told. We live in an age in which it is a kind of publick sport to refuse all respect that cannot be enforced. The edicts of

an English academy would probably be read by many, only that they might be fure to disobey them.

That our language is in perpetual danger of corruption cannot be denied; but what prevention can be found? The prefent manners of the nation would deride authority; and therefore nothing is left but that every writer fhould criticife himself.

All hopes of new literary inftitutions were quickly fuppreffed by the contentious turbulence of King James's reign; and Rofcommon, foreseeing that fome violent concuffion of the State was at hand, purposed to retire to Rome, alleging, that it was beft to fit near the chimney when the chamber fmoaked; a fentence, of which the application feems not very clear.

His departure was delayed by the gout; and he was fo impatient either of hindrance or of pain, that he submitted himself to a French empirick, who is faid to have repelled the difeafe into his bowels.

At the moment in which he expired, he uttered, with an energy of voice that expreffed the most fervent devotion, two lines of his own version of Dies Ira:

My God, my Father, and my Friend,

Do not forfake me in my end.

He died in 1684; and was buried with great pomp in Westminster-Abbey.

His poetical character is given by Mr. Fenton : "In his writings," fays Fenton, "we view the "image of a mind which was naturally ferious and "folid richly furnished and adorned with all the ornaments of learning, unaffectedly difpofed in the

66

"moft

"most regular and elegant order. His imagination might have probably been more fruitful and fprightly, if his judgement had been lefs fevere. "But that feverity (delivered in a masculine, clear, "fuccinct style) contributed to make him fo emi"nent in the didactical manner, that no man, with 'juftice, can affirm he was ever equalled by any of "our nation, without confeffing at the fame time "that he is inferior to none. In fome other kinds "of writing his genius feems to have wanted fire "to attain the point of perfection; but who can " attain it?"

From this account of the riches of his mind, who would not imagine that they had been difplayed in large volumes and numerous performances? Who would not, after the perufal of this character, be furprised to find that all the proofs of this genius, and knowledge, and judgement, are not fufficient to form a fingle book, or to appear otherwife than in conjunction with the works of fome other writer of the fame pretty fize? But thus it is that characters are written: we know fomewhat, and we imagine the reft. The obfervation, that his imagination. would probably have been more fruitful and sprightly,

* They were published, together with those of Duke, in an octavo volume, in 1717. The editor, whoever he was, profeffes to have taken great care to procure and infert all of his lordship's poems that are truly genuine. The truth of this affertion is flatly denied by the author of an account of Mr. John Pomfret, prefixed to his Remains; who afferts, that the Profpect of Death was written by that perfon many years after Lord Rofcommon's decease; as alfo, that the paraphrafe of the Frayer of Jeremy was written by a gentleman of the name of Southcourt, living in the year 1724. H.