Difpenfary. The poor were for a time fupplied with medicines; for how long a time, I know not. The medicinal charity, like others, began with ardour, but foon remitted, and at last died gradually away. About the time of the fubfcription begins the action of the Difpenfary. The Poem, as its fubject was prefent and popular, cooperated with paffions and prejudices then prevalent, and, with fuch auxiliaries to its intrinsick merit, was univerfally and liberally applauded. It was on the fide of charity against the intrigues of intereft, and of regular learning against licentious ufurpation of medical authority, and was therefore naturally favoured by those who read and cam judge of poetry. In 1697, Garth spoke that which is now called the Harveian Oration; which the authors of the Biographia mention with more praife than the paffage quoted in their notes will fully justify. Garth, fpeaking of the mifchiefs done by quacks, has thefe expreffions: "Non tamen telis vulnerat ifta agyr"tarum colluvies, fed theriacâ quadam magis perniciofa, non pyrio, fed pulvere 3 "nefcio, "nefcio quo exotico certat, non globulis 66 plumbeis, fed pilulis æque lethalibus in"terficit." This was certainly thought fine by the author, and is ftill admired by his biographer. In October 1702 he became one of the cenfors of the College. Garth, being an active and zealous Whig, was a member of the Kit-cat club, and by confequence familiarly known to all the great men of that denomination. In 1710, when the government fell into other hands, he writ to lord Godolphin, on his difmiflion, a short poem, which was criticised in the Examiner, and fo fuccefsfully either defended or excufed by Mr. Addison, that, for the fake of the vindication, it ought to be preferved. At the acceffion of the prefent Family his merits were acknowledged and rewarded. He was knighted with the sword of his hero, Marlborough; and was made physician in ordinary to the king, and phyfician-general to the army. He then undertook an edition of Ovid's Metamorphofes, tranflated by feveral hands; which he recommended by a Preface, written with more oftentation than ability: his notions are half-formed, and his materials immethodically confused. This was his last He died Jan. 18, 1717-18, and was buried at Harrow-on-the-Hill. work. His perfonal character feems to have been focial and liberal. He communicated himself through a very wide extent of acquaintance; and though firm in a party, at a time when firmness included virulence, yet he imparted his kindness to those who were not supposed to favour his principles. He was an early encourager of Pope, and was at once the friend of Addison and of Granville. He is accused of voluptuousness and irreligion; and Pope, who says that "if ever there was ❝ a good Christian, without knowing him"self to be so, it was Dr. Garth," seems not able to deny what he is angry to hear and loth to confefs. His poetry has been praised at least equally to its merit. In the Difpenfary there is a ftrain of fmooth and free verfification; but few lines are eminently elegant. No paf fages fages fall below mediocrity, and few rife much above it. The plan feems formed without juft proportion to the fubject; the means and end have no neceffary connection. Refnel, in his Preface to Pope's Elay, remarks, that Garth exhibits no difcrimination of characters; and that what any one fays might with equal propriety have been faid by another. The general defign is perhaps open to criticism; but the composition can feldom be charged with inaccuracy or negligence. The author never flumbers in felfindulgence; his full vigour is always exerted; fcarce a line is left unfinished, nor is it easy to find an expreffion ufed by conftraint, or a thought imperfectly expreffed. It was remarked by Pope, that the Difpenfary had been corrected in every edition, and that every change was an improvement. It appears, however, to want fomething of poetical ardour, and fomething of general delectation; and therefore, fince it has been no longer supported by accidental and extrinfick popularity, it has been scarcely able to support itself. ROWE. |