ous Author of a Poem just published, Entitled, An Ode to the Creator of the World, occafioned by the Fragments of Orpheus.

T is a Remark made, as I remember,

by a celebrated French Author, that no Man ever pushed his Capacity as far as it was able to extend, I fhall not enquire whether this Affertion be strictly true. It may fuffice to fay, that Men of the greatest Application and Acquirements can look back upon many vacant Spaces, and neglected Parts of Time, which have flipped away from them unemployed; and there is hardly any one confidering Perfon in the World, but is apt to fancy with himself, at fome time or other, that if his Life were to begin again, he could fill it up bet

ter.

THE Mind is most provoked to caft on it felf this ingenuous Reproach, when the Examples of fuch Men are prefented to it, as have far outshot the Generality of their Species, in Learning, Arts, or any valuable Improvements.

ONE of the most extenfive and improved Genius's we have had any Intance

ftance of in our own Nation, or in any other, was that of Sir Francis Bacon Lord Verulam. This great Man, by an extrordinary Force of Nature, Compafs of Thought, and indefatigable Study, had amaffed to himself fuch Stores of Knowledge as we cannot look upon without Amazement. His Capacity feems to have grafped All that was revealed in Books before his Time; and not fatisfied with that, he began to ftrike out new Tracks of Science, too many to be travelled over by any one Man, in the Compass of the longest Life. Thefe, therefore, he could only mark down like imperfect Coaftings in Maps, or fuppofed Points of Land, to be further difcovered, and ascertained by the Industry of After-Ages, who fhould proceed upon his Notices or Conjectures.

THE excellent Mr. Boyle was the Perfon, who seems to have been defigned by Nature to fucceed to the Labours and Enquiries of that extraordinary Genius I have juft mentioned. By innumerable Experiments he, in a great measure, filled up thofe Plans and Out-Lines of Science, which his Predeceffor had sketched out. His Life

was

was spent in the Pursuit of Nature, through a great Variety of Forms and Changes, and in the moft rational, as well as devout Adoration of its Divine Author.

IT would be impoffible to name many Perfons, who have extended their Capacities fo far as thefe two, in the Studies they pursued; but my learned Readers, on this Occafion, will naturally turn their Thoughts to a Third, who is yet living, and is likewife the Glory of our own Nation. The Improvements which others had made in Natural and Mathematical Knowledge have fo vaftly increased in his hands, as to afford at once a wonderful Inftance how great the Capacity is of a Human Soul, and how inexhaustible the Subject of its Enquiries; fo true is that Remark in Holy Writ, that, though a wife Man feek to find out the Works of God from the Beginning to the End, yet fhall be not be able to do it.

I cannot help mentioning here one Character more of a different kind indeed from these, yet such a one as may ferve to fhew the wonderful Force of Nature and of Application, and is the most fingular Inftance of an Uni

verfal Genius I have ever met with. The Perfon I mean is Leonardo da Vinci, an Italian Painter, defcended from a noble Family in Tuscany, about the beginning of the fixteenth Century. In his Profeffion of Hiftory-Painting he was fo great a Mafter, that fome have affirmed he excelled all who went before him. It is certain, that he raised the Envy of Michael Angelo, who was his Contemporary, and that from the Study of his Works Raphael himself learned his best manner of Defigning. He was a Mafter too in in Sculpture and Architecture, and skilful in Anatomy, Mathematicks, and Mechanicks. The Aqueduct from the River Adda to Milan, is mentioned as a Work of his Contrivance. He had learned feveral Languages, and was acquainted with the Studies of Hiftory, Philofophy, Poetry, and Mufick. Though it is not neceffary to my prefent Purpose, I cannot but take notice, that all who have writ of him mention likewife his Perfections of Body. The Inftances of his Strength are almoft incredible. He is defcribed to have

been

a

been a well-formed Perfon, and Master of all genteel Exercises. And laftly, we are told that his moral Qualities were agreeable to his natural and intellectual Endowments, and that he was of an honeft and generous Mind, adorned with great Sweetness of Manners. I might break off the Account of him here, but I imagine it will be an Entertainment to the Curiofity of my Readers, to find fo remarkable a Character diftinguished by as remarkable a Circumftance at his Death. The Fame of his Works having gained him an univerfal Efteem, he was invited to the Court of France, where, after fome time, he fell fick; and Francis the firft coming to fee him, he raised himself in his Bed to acknowledge the Honour which was done him by that Vifit. The King embraced him, and Leonardo fainting at the fame Instant, expired in the Arms of that great Monarch.

IT is impoffible to attend to fuch Inftances as thefe, without being raised into a Contemplation on the wonderful Nature of a Human Mind, which is capable of fuch Progreffions in Know

ledge,