mife his mistress, nor to use truth as an inftrument of torment and diforder. With him there remained no doubt that the mafs of mankind were, of abfolute neceffity, doomed to ignorance; and that the new mirrors of reafon might dazzle the populace by a few flafhing beams, but never could diftribute a regular, continual light. He highly approved a faying of Gibbon to the Editor, "Thofe tenets may make the people giddy, but cannot enlighten or invigorate them. You or I may venture on a fingle glafs of liqueur; but what would be the confequence if we opened hogfheads of it to the people in the street ?"

So much for Mr. Walpole's political opinions, which form an effential part of his boigraphy: and to have omitted them, even in this feeble sketch, might have been confidered as a parallel abfurdity to that of Mallet, who is faid to have written the life of Bacon, without reflecting that he was a philofopher.

Mr. Walpole's purfuits, as a connoiffeur, and as a man of letters, remain to be confidered.

In 1747 he purchased a small tenement at Strawberry-hill, near Twickenham, which he afterwards altered and enlarged in the Gothic taste of building; and crowd

ed

ed the apartments with fuch a profufion of paintings and curiofities, ancient and modern, that it may be regarded as one of the most interesting refidences in England. His fortune, unincumbered with matrimonial expences, or fafhionable extravagances, enabled him to erect a most laudable monument of his love of the arts. He ufed to term it a paper houfe, the walls being very flight, and the roof not the moft fecure in heavy rains; but in viewing the apartments, particularly the magnificent gallery, all fuch ideas vanifhed in admiration. The library, and the dining parlour, were built in 1753; the gallery, round tower, great cloifter, and cabinet, in 1760 and 1761; not to mention later additions.

I know not if Mr. Bateman's monaftery at Old Windfor were prior in order of time, but it has more uniformity of defign. Not to mention minute difcordances, there are feveral parts of Strawberry-hill which belong to the religious, and others to the caftellated form of Gothic architecture. But fuch is the general effect, that pleasure fuperfedes cenfure, and criticism wifhes to be deceived.

In 1757 Mr. Walpole here opened a printing prefs; the first publication being the two fublime odes of Gray, with whom

he

he had renewed his acquaintance in 1744. Their fubfequent letters, indeed, bespeak a complete intimacy. The next publications were the tranflation of a part of Hentzner's Travels-and Mr. Walpole's Catalogue of Royal and Noble Authors, and fugitive Pieces. So early as 1747 he had appeared as an author, in the des Walpolianæ, or defeription of his father's houfe at Houghton in Norfolk.

A catalogue of the Strawberry-hill publications will be found in the Appendix to this volume. But, in eftimating Mr. Walpole's literary character, it becomes indifpenfible to offer a brief review of his chief productions.

His poetry feldom rifes above the middling, but has feveral forcible lines, and elegant turns of expreffion. Thefe remarks are confined to his Fugitive Pieces, for in the Mysterious Mother he afpires to the praise of real genius, by the strong, characteristic, and appropriated language; by a skilful anatomy of the human heart and paffions; and by a ftriking originality, which pervades and animates the whole.

In

The name of the first printer, I fuppofe, was William Robinfon, who appears in "Spence's Parallel," S H 1758. The laft printer was Mr. Kirgate, whofe modeft merit was fupplanted in Lord Orford's will by intriguing impudence, as always happens.

In the fame clafs may be estimated the Caftle of Otranto, which, however, has rather the wildnefs of Savaltor Rofa, than the grand genius of Michael Angelo. It raises expectations which are not gratified-one reads it once-one is difappointed, and returns to it no more. It has nevertheless the merit of originality; and, if the spectres raifed fometimes injure the magician, they at leaft prove the power of his art. Two objections have been ftarted, that it first appeared as a literary forgery, as a tranflation from the Italian by one Marshall; and that it led the way to maney wild romances that have followed.

1. If a literary forgery pervert no real fact in hiftory or antiquities, but be merely calculated to please the reader, in the paths of poetry and romance, it is innocent. A rigid cenfor, at a time when he is perhaps himself indulging in "hatred, malice, and all uncharitablenefs," fhould ferioufly examine whether the blame be not more noxious than the offence. In the Spectator, No. 542, the reader may confult Mr. Addifon's vindication of fuch innocent frauds: and the morality of Addifon may be confidered as the reflection of a moft clear and unftained mirror.

2. The

2. The other objection fuppofes that novels, or representations of real life, are preferable to romances, or pictures of an imaginary existence. This it denied. Novels, both in France and England, have proved a public bane, deftructive of female duties and morals, fubverfive of every idea of the dull realities of life: and calculated, by falfe pictures of visionary happiness, to excite difcontent at the actual and trivial fcenes of human exiftence. While life itself prefents fo many cares and pangs, the mind, instead of being prepared to bear them with fortitude, is diffolved in imaginary fenfibilities-novels impart a kind of new sense of things, which fense of things, as it never can be gratified, is an infallible path to mifery, is the grand fecret of being unhappy. Pages might be written on this topic; but it is far from the present intention to cenfure all novels. Many are exquifite compofitions for minds already formed; and a few may even be entrusted to unfkilful youth. Romances, on the contrary, as they depict no scenes of real life, can never mislead. Young minds may feek, and find where they do not exift, cruel fathers, harfh hufbands and brothers, dying fwains, innocent adulteries, &c. &c. ; but even infancy will: rarely believe in flying horfes, magical

palaces,