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cafily lost, unless all the fyllables of every line co-operate together: this co-operation can be only obtained by the prefervation of every verfe uamingled with another as a diftinct fyftem of founds; and this diftinctaefs is obtained and preferved by the artifice of rhyme. The variety of paufes, fo much boafted by the lovers of blank verfe, changes the meafures of an English poet to the periods of a declaimer; and there are only a few fkilful and happy readers of Milton, who enable their audience to perceive where the lines end or begin. Blank verfe, faid an ingenious critick, feems to be verfe only to the eye.

Poetry may fubfift without rhyme, but English 24 poetry will not often pleafe; nor can rhyme ever be fafely fpared but where the fubject is able to fupport itfelf. Blank verfe makes fome approach to that which is called the lapidary ftyle; has neither the eafinefs of profe, nor the melody of numbers, and therefore tires by long continuance. Of the Italian writers without rhyme, whom Milton alleges as precedents, not one is popular; what reafon could urge in its defence, has been confuted by the ear.

But, whatever be the advantage of rhyme, I cannot prevail on myself to with that Milton had been a rhymer; for I cannot with his work to be other than it is; yet, like other heroes, he is to be admired rather than imitated. He that thinks himfelf capable of aftonishing, may write blank verfe; but thofe that hope only to please, muft condefcend to rhyme.

The highest praife of genius is original invention. Milton cannot be faid to have contrived the ftructure of an epick poem, and therefore owes reverence to that

vigour and amplitude of mind to which all generations

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must be indebted for the art of poetical narration, for the texture of the fable, the variation of incidents, the interpofition of dialogue, and all the ftratagems that furprise and enchain attention. But, of all the borrowers from Homer, Milton is perhaps the leaft indebted. He was naturally a thinker for himself, confident of his own abilities, and difdainful of help or hindrance: he did not refuse admiffion to the thoughts or images of his predeceffors, but he did not seek them. From his contemporaries he neither courted nor received fupport; there is in his writings nothing by which the pride of other authors might be gratified, or favour gained; no exchange of praife, nor folicitation of fupport. His great works were performed under discountenance, and in blindness, but difficulties vanifhed at his touch; he was born for whatever is arduous; and his work is not the greatest of heroick poems, only because it is not the firft.

BUTLER.

BUTLER.

F the great author of Hudibras there is a life

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prefixed to the latter editions of his poem, by an unknown writer, and therefore of difputable authority; and some account is incidentally given by Wood, who confeffes the uncertainty of his own narrative; more however than they knew cannot now be learned, and nothing remains but to compare and copy them.

SAMUEL BUTLER was born in the parish of Strenfham in Worcestershire, according to his biogra pher, in 1612. This account Dr. Nash finds confirmed by the register. He was christened Feb. 14.

His father's condition is variously represented. Wood mentions him as competently wealthy; but Mr. Longueville, the fon of Butler's principal friend, fays he was an honeft farmer with fome fmall eftate, who made a fhift to educate his fon at the grammar school of Worcester, under Mr. Henry Bright, from whose

care

*These are the words of the author of the fhort account of Butler, prefixed to Hudibras, which Dr. Johnson, notwithstanding what he fays above, feems to have fuppofed was written by Mr. Longueville, the father; but the contrary is to be inferred from a VOL. II.

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care he removed for a fhort time to Cambridge; but, for a want of money, was never made a member of any college. Wood leaves us rather doubtful whe*ther he went to Cambridge or Oxford; but at last makes him pafs fix or feven years at Cambridge, without knowing in what hall or college: yet it can hardly be imagined that he lived fo long in either university, but as belonging to one houfe or another; and it is ftill lefs likely that he could have fo long inhabited a place of learning with so little dictinction as to leave his refidence uncertain. Dr. Nafh has difcovered that his father was owner of a house and a little land, worth about eight pounds a year, still called Butler's tene

ment.

Wood has his information from his brother, whofe narrative placed him at Cambridge, in oppofition to that of his neighbours, which fent him to Oxford.

fubfequent paffage, wherein the author laments that he had neither Tuch an acquaintance nor intereft with Mr. Longueville, as to procure from him the golden remains of Butler there mentioned. He was probably led into this mistake by a note in the Biogr. Brit. p. 1077, fignifying, that the fon of this gentleman was living in 1736.

Of this friend and generous patron of Butler, Mr. William Longueville, I find an account, written by a person who was well acquainted with him, to this effect, viz. that he was a conveyancing lawyer, and a bencher of the Inner Temple, and had raised himself from a low beginning to very great eminence in that profeffion; that he was eloquent, and learned, of spotless integrity; that he supported an aged father who had ruined his fortunes by extravagance, and by his industry and application re-edified a ruined family; that he fup ported Butler, who, but for him, muft literally have ftarved, and received from him as a recompenfe the papers called his Remains. Life of the Lord-keeper Guilford, p. 289. These have fince been given to the public by Mr. Thyer of Manchester ; and the originals are now in the hands of the Rev. Dr. Farmer, mafter of Emanuel College, Cambridge.

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The brother's feems the best authority, till, by confeffIng his inability to tell his hall or college, he gives reafon to fufpect that he was refolved to bestow on him an academical education; but durft not name a college, for fear of detection.

He was for fome time, according to the author of his Life, clerk to Mr. Jefferys of Earl's-Croomb in Worcestershire, an eminent juftice of the peace. In his fervice he had not only leifure for ftudy, but for recreation: his amusements were musick and painting; and the reward of his pencil was the friendship of the celebrated Cooper. Some pictures, faid to be his, were fhewn to Dr. Nafh, at Earl's Croomb; but when he enquired for them fome years afterwards, he found them destroyed, to ftop windows, and owns that they hardly deferved a better fate.

He was afterwards admitted into the family of the Countess of Kent, where he had the use of a library; and fo much recommended himself to Selden, that he was often employed by him in literary bufinefs. Selden, as is well known, was fteward to the Countess, and is supposed to have gained much of his wealth by managing her estate.

In what character Butler was admitted into that Lady's fervice, how long he continued in it, and why he left it, is, like the other incidents of his life, utterly

unknown.

The viciffitudes of his condition placed him afterwards in the family of Sir Samuel Luke, one of Cromwell's officers. Here he obferved fo much of the character of the fectaries, that he is faid to have written or begun his poem at this time; and it is likely that fuch a defign would be formed in a place where

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