nefs. 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 refufe all refpect 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 should criticife himself.

All hopes of new literary inftitutions were quickly fuppreffed by the contentious turbulence of king James's reign;

and

and Rofcommon, forcfeeing that fome violent concuffion of the State was at hand, purposed to retire to Rome, alleging, that it was best to fit near the chimney when the chamber Smoaked; a fentence of which the application feems not very clear.

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

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

My

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 furnifhed and adorned with all the ornaments of learning, unaffectedly difpofed "in the most regular and elegant order. "His imagination might have probably "been more fruitful and fprightly, if his ແ "judgement had been lefs fevere. But *that severity (delivered in a masculine, "clear, fuccinct file) contributed to

"make

"make him fo eminent in the didactical "manner, that no man, with justice, 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

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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 perusal of this character, be furprised to find that all the proofs of this genius, and know ledge and judgement, are not fufficient to form a fingle book, or to appear

other

otherwife than in conjunction with the

petty fize?

works of fome other writer of the fame 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 if his judgement had been lefs fevere, may be answered, by a remarker fomewhat inclined to cavil, by a contrary fuppofition, that his judgement would probably have been lefs fevere, if his imagination had been more fruitful. It is ridiculous to oppofe judgement to imagination; for it does not appear that men have neceffarily lefs of one as they have more of the other.