Nunquam fefellerit, Haud raro fuperavit.. Poft longum honorum Curfum Brevi Temporis Spatio confectum, Cum Naturæ parvæ Fama fatis vixerat, Animam ad altiora afpirantem placide effluvit. On the Left Hand: G. S. Ex Equeftri Familia Stepneiorum, Weftmonafterii natus eft, A. D. 1663. Sancti Petri Weftmonaft. A. 1676. Sancti Trinitatis Cantab. 1682. Confiliariorum quibus Commercii Cura commiffa eft 1697. Chel Chelfeia mortuus, & comitante Magna Procerum Frequentia huc elatus, 1707. It is reported that the juvenile compofitions of Stepney made grey authors blufb. I know not whether his poems will appear fuch wonders to the present age. One cannot always eafily find the reafon for which the world has fometimes confpired to fquander praife. It is not very unlikely that he wrote very early as well as he ever wrote; and the performances of youth have many favourers, because the authors yet lay no claim to publick honours, and are therefore. not confidered as rivals by the dif tributors of fame. He He apparently profeffed himself a poet, and added his name to thofe of the other wits in the verfion of Juvenal; but he is a very licentious tranflator, and does not recompenfe his neglect of the author by beauties of his own. In his original poems, now and then, a happy line may perhaps be found, and now and then a fhort compofition may give pleasure. But there is in the whole little either of the grace of wit, or the vigour of nature. (r) WA LS H. W ILLIAM WALSH, the fon of Jofeph Walsh, Efq; of Abberley in Worcesterfhire, was born in 1663, as appears from the account of Wood; who relates, that at the age of fifteen he became, in 1678, a gentleman commoner of Wadham college. He left the univerfity without a degree, and pursued his ftudies in London and at home; that he ftudied, in whatever place, is apparent from the effect; for for he became, in Mr. Dryden's opinion, the beft critick in the nation. He was not, however, merely a critick or a fcholar. He was likewife a member of parliament and a courtier, knight of the fhire for his native county in feveral parliaments; in another the reprefentative of Richmond in Yorkfhire, and gentleman of the horse to Queen Anne under the duke of Somerfet. Some of his verfes fhew him to have been a zealous friend to the Revolution; but his political ardour did not abate his reverence or kindness for Dryden, to whom he gave a Differtation on Virgil's Paftorals, in which, however studied, he difcovers fome ignorance of the laws of French verfification. |