his Grace's benevolence we are not informed; but when Young collected his works, he did not think fit to perpetuate his praise. In the same year also appeared a poetical letter from our Author to Mr. Tickell, on the death of Addison.

The tragedy of Busiris is written in language of sufficient elegance, and many of the images and ideas are such as proceed from a truly poetical conception: but at the same time it is one, that, like the Cato of Addison, is composed after the artificial rules of criticism, and not from the inspirations of nature and genius. It has no resemblance to the old tragedies of the English stage, but partakes rather of the school of Corneille and Voltaire, and some of our writers who just preceded Young. The language is too often darkened by clouds of declamation; there is little diversity of character, or variety of incident. It is a drama that might have been written by a man only conversant with books, without any stores of observation, any experience of life, or any knowledge of mankind. Busiris is a fine example of the "fierce tyrant in tapestry;" whose speech is declamation, whose passions are his only guide, and whose will is the universal law. When

he appears, it is only to boast his unlimited power, to exaggerate the extent of his enormous rule, and to command obedience to his despotic sway. The whole of the sentiments are swollen into a style of Asiatic exaggeration. Violence is op

posed to violence, and one ungovernable passion is hurled against another. There are no delicate gradations of feeling, no fine connections of thought, no playful dalliances of the imagination. All is ambition, and jealousy, and hate, and cruelty, in their naked and uncontrolled forms; the mutual recriminations of the wretched accomplices in guilt, the shameless avowal of the most detestable designs, or the unnatural exhibition of the most guilty feelings. The plot is constructed without any great ingenuity of design, and the epilogue is very gross and indecent.

The Paraphrase on Part of the Book of Job was now given to the public; the dedication to the Lord Chancellor Parker appeared only in Tonson's edition. Young speaks in it with satisfaction of his retirement, but the flattering style of his dedication to a patron almost unknown to him, seems to prove that he would not have been very unwilling to leave it. The versification of this poem is flowing, copious, and elegant; but it has a defect which no poetic graces could supply: in dilating the descriptions and reflexions of the original, it has detracted much from its majestic eloquence; the greatness of the subject, and the sublimity of the thoughts required the most severe simplicity of style; every additional ornament is an injury; instead of expressing a sentiment, the poet is employed in painting an image, and the accumulation of figures, and the other poetic deco

rations, overwhelm the simple grandeur of the whole. How different from the language of the original are expressions like the following:

Exhausted woe had loft him nought to fear,

But gave him all to grief —

In 1721, Busiris was followed by the celebrated tragedy of the Revenge. In his dedication to the Duke of Wharton, which Young afterwards excluded from his works, he acknowledged great obligations. "Your Grace (he writes) has been pleased to make yourself accessary to the following scenes, not only by suggesting the most beautiful incident in them, but by making all possible provision for the success of the whole." And in another part he openly asserts that his present fortune is derived from the Duke's bounty.*

*I, my Lord, whose knowledge of your Grace lies more in private life, can tell them in return of one who can animate his country retirements with a kind of pleasures sometimes unknown to persons of distinction in that scene, who can divide the longest into a variety of polite and useful studies, and appoint the great men of antiquity their stated hours to receive, if I may so speak, their audience of him, who is an excellent master of their history in particular; and observing how Nature in a few years is apt to come round again, and tread in her own footsteps, has a happiness in applying the facts and characters of ancient to modern times, which requires a beautiful mixture of learning and genius, and a mind equally knowing in books and men; who can carry from his studies such a life into conversation, that wine seems only an interruption to wit, who has as many subjects to talk of as proper matter on those subjects, as much wit to adorn that

Whatever this may have been; that it was bestowed with liberality, and recommended by the delicacy with which it was given, appears on the authority of the legal reports. The Duke of Wharton's affairs being found much embarrassed at his death, among other legal questions, the Chancellor Hardwicke had to determine whether two annuities granted by the Duke to Young were for legal considerations. One was dated March 24th, 1719, and accounted for his Grace's bounty in a style that may well be called worthy of a prince" considering that the public good is advanced by the encouragement of learning and the polite arts, and being pleased therein by the attempts of Dr. Young; in consideration thereof, and of the love I bear him, &c." other was dated 10th July, 1722. Young, on his examination, swore that he quitted the family of Lord Exeter, and refused an annuity of £100 per annum, which had been offered him for life, if he would have continued tutor to Lord Burleigh, upon the urgent solicitations of the Duke and his assurance of providing for him.* It ap

The

matter, and as many languages to produce it so adorned as any in the age in which he lives; and yet so sweet his disposition, that no one ever wished his abilities less, but such as flattered themselves with the hope of shining when near him.

*At that time of life when the Duke of Wharton's most vehement ambition was to shine in the House as an orator, he found he had almost forgotten his Latin, and that it was necessary with his present views to recover it. He therefore

peared also that the Duke had given him a bond for £600, dated 15th March, 1721, in considera. tion of his taking several journeys and being at great expenses, in order to be chosen member of the House of Commons, at the Duke's desire; and in consideration of his not taking two livings of £200 and £400, in the gift of All-Souls' College, on his Grace's promises of advancing him in the world. Young's attempt to procure a seat in Parliament, alluded to in the document above, was made at Cirencester, where he stood a contested election. It is said that he possessed considerable talents for oratory, and that when he took orders, his sermons were distinguished for the grace and animation of their delivery, as well as for the elegance of the composition. An anecdote is mentioned of him, that when preaching in his turn at St. James's, he perceived that it was not in his power to command the attention of his audience:* this so affected the feelings of the preacher, that he leaned back in the pulpit and burst into tears. At one period of his life it appears that he was intimate with Tickell, and in

desired Dr. Young to go to Winchendon with him, where they did nothing but read Tully and talk Latin for six weeks, at the end of which the Duke talked Latin like that of Tully. The Doctor on some other occasions as well as this, called him a prodigious genius. Spence's Anecdotes, p. 351.

* Seward, in his anecdotes, in reporting this circumstance, says it was owing to the inattention of George the 2nd, and not of the audience in general, v. vol. ii.