hero. But his play, guiltless as it was, being prefented for a licence, no fooner had the cenfor caft his eyes on the hand-writing in which he had feen Edward and Eleonora, than he cried out, " Away with it!" and the author's profits were reduced to what his bookfeller could afford for a tragedy in diftress.

Mr. Thomfon's next dramatic performance was the Masque of Alfred; written, jointly with Mr. Mallet, by command of the Prince of Wales, for the entertainment of His Royal Highnefs's court, at his fummer-refidence. This piece, with fome alterations, and the mufic new, has been fince brought upon the ftage by Mr. Mallet: but the edition we give is from the original, as it was acted at Clifden, in the year 1740, on the birth-day of her Royal Highness the Princefs Augufta.

In the year 1745, his Tancred and Sigifmunda, taken from the novel in Gil Blas, was performed with applaufe; and from the deep romantic diftrefs of the lovers, continues to draw crouded houses. The fuccefs of this piece was indeed infured from the first by Mr. Garrick and Mrs. Cibber, their appearing in the principal characters; which they heighten and adorn with all the magic of their never-failing art.

C

He had, in the mean time, been finishing his Caftle of Indolence, in two Cantos. It was, at first, little more than a few detached stanzas, in the way of raillery on himself, and on fome of his friends, who would reproach him with indolence; while he thought them, at least, as indolent as himself. But he faw very foon, that the subject deferved to be treated more seriously, and in a form fitted to convey one of the most important moral leffons.

The ftanza which he ufes in this work is that of Spenfer, borrowed from the Italian poets; in which he thought rhymes had their proper place, and were even graceful: the compass of the stanza admitting an agreeable variety of final founds: while the fenfe of the poet is not cramped or cut short, nor yet too much dilated; as muft often happen, when it is parcelled out into rhymed couplets; the ufual measure indeed of our elegy and fatire; but which always weakens the higher poetry, and, to a true ear, will sometimes give it an air of the burlefque.

This was the last piece Mr. Thomfon himself publifhed; his tragedy of Coriolanus being only prepared for the theatre, when a fatal accident robbed the world of one of the best men, and best poets, that lived in it.

He had always been a timorous horseman; and more fo, in a road where numbers of giddy or unskilful riders are continually paffing: fo that, when the weather did not invite him to go by water, he would commonly walk the distance between London and Richmond, with any acquaintance that offered; with whom he might chat and reft himself, or perhaps dine, by the way. One fummer evening, being alone, in his walk from town to Hammersmith, he had overheated himself, and, in that condition, imprudently took a boat to carry him to Kew; apprehending no bad confequence from the chill air on the river, which his walk to his house, at the upper end of Kew-lane, had always hitherto prevented. But now the cold had so seized him, that next day he found himself in a high fever, so much the more to be dreaded that he was of a full habit. This, however, by the use of proper medicines, was removed, fo that he was thought to be out of danger: till the fine weather having tempted him to expofe himself once more to the evening dews, his fever returned with violence, and with fuch fymptoms as left no hopes of a cure. Two days had paffed before his relapfe was known in town; at last, Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Reid, with Dr. Armstrong, being informed of it, posted out at mid

night to his affistance: but, alas! came only to endure a fight of all others the most shocking to nature, the laft agonies of their beloved friend. This lamented death happened on the 27th day of August 1748.

His teftamentary executors were, the Lord Lyttelton, whose care of our poet's fortune and fame ceased not with his life; and Mr. Mitchell, a gentleman equally noted for the truth and conftancy of his private friendfhips, and for his address and spirit as a public minifter. By their united intereft, the orphan play of Coriolanus was brought on the stage to the best advantage from the profits of which, and the fale of manufcripts, and other effects, all demands were duly fatisfied, and a handfome fum remitted to his fifters. My Lord Lyttelton's prologue to this piece was admired as one of the best that had ever been written: the best spoken it certainly was. The fympathizing audience saw that then, indeed, Mr. Quin was no actor; that the tears he fhed were those of real friendship and grief.

Mr. Thomfon's remains were deposited in the church of Richmond, under a plain stone, without any infcription: nor did his brother poets at all exert themselves on the occafion, as they had lately done for one who had been the terror of poets all his life-time.

This filence furnished matter to one of his friends for an excellent fatirical epigram, which we are forry we cannot give the reader. Only one gentleman, Mr. Collins, who had lived fome time at Richmond, but forfook it when Mr. Thomfon died, wrote an Ode to his memory. This, for the dirge-like melancholy it breathes, and the warmth of affection that seems to have dictated it, we fhall fubjoin to the prefent ac

count.

Our author himself hints, fomewhere in his works, that his exterior was not the most promifing; his make being rather robust than graceful: though it is known that in his youth he had been thought handfome. His worst appearance was, when you faw him walking alone, in a thoughtful mood: but let a friend accost him, and enter into conversation, he would inftantly brighten into a moft amiable afpect, his features no longer the fame, and his eye darting a peculiar animated fire. The cafe was much alike in company; where, if it was mixed, or very numerous, he made but an indifferent figure: but with a few select friends, he was open, fprightly, and entertaining. His wit flowed freely, but pertinently, and at due intervals, leaving room for every one to contribute his fhare. Such was his extreme fenfibility, so