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VII.

On the Monument of the Hon. ROBERT DIGBY, and of his Sifter MARY, erected by their Father the Lord DIGBY, in the Church of Sherborne in Dorfetfhire, 1727.

Go! fair example of untainted youth, Of modeft wifdom, and pacifick truth: Compos'd in fufferings, and in joy fedate, Good without noife, without pretenfion great. Juft of thy word, in every thought fincere, Who knew no wish but what the world might hear:

Of foftest manners, unaffected mind,

Lover of peace, and friend of human kind:
Go, live! for Heaven's eternal year is thine,
Go, and exalt thy moral to divine.

And thou, bleft maid! attendant on his doom,
Penfive haft follow'd to the filent tomb,
Steer'd the fame courfe to the fame quiet fhore,
Not parted long, and now to part no more!

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Go, then, where only blifs fincere is known!
Go, where to love and to enjoy are one!

Yet take thefe tears, Mortality's relief,
And till we fhare your joys, forgive our grief:
Thefe little rites, a flone, a verfe receive,
'Tis all a father, all a friend can give!

This epitaph contains of the brother only a general indifcriminate character, and of the fifter tells nothing but that fhe died. The difficulty in writing epitaphs is to give a particular and appropriate praife. This, however, is not always to be performed, whatever be the diligence or ability of the writer; for the greater part of mankind have no cha rafter at all, have little that diftinguishes them from others equally good or bad, and therefore nothing can be faid of them which may not be applied with equal propriety to a thousand more. It is indeed no great panegyrick, that there

is inclofed in this tomb one who was born in one year, and died in another; yet many ufeful and amiable lives have been spent which yet leave little materials for other memorial. Thefe are any

however not the proper fubjects of poetry; and whenever friendfhip, or any other motive, obliges a poet to write on fuch fubjects, he must be forgiven if he fometimes wanders in generalitics, and utters the fame praifes over different tombs.

The fcantinefs of human praifes can fcarcely be made more apparent, than by remarking how often Pope has, in the few epitaphs which he compofed, found it neceffary to borrow from himfelf. The fourteen epitaphs, which he has written, comprife about an hundred and forty lines, in which there are more repetitions than will eafily be found in Z 4

all

all the rest of his works. In the eight lines which make the character of Digby, there is fcarce any thought, or word, which may not be found in the other epitaphs.

The ninth line, which is far the ftrongest and most elegant, is borrowed. The conclufion is the fame with that on Harcourt, but is here more elegant and better connected.

VIII.

On Sir GODFREY KNELLER. In Weftminfler-Abbey, 1723.

Kneller, by heaven, and not a master taught, Whofe art was nature, and whose pictures

thought;

Now for two ages, having fnatch'd from fate Whate'er was beauteous, or whate'er was great, Lies crown'd with Princes honours, Poets lays, Due to his merit, and brave thirst of praise.

Living,

Living, great Nature fear'd he might outvie Her works; and, dying, fears herself may die..

Of this epitaph the first couplet is good, the fecond not bad, the third is deformed with a broken metaphor, the word crowned not being applicable to the honours or the lays, and the fourth is not only borrowed, but of very harsh conftruction.

IX.

On General HENRY WITHERS. In Weftminfter-Abbey, 1729.

Here, Withers, reft! thou braveft, gentleft mind,

Thy country's friend, but more of human kind, O! born to arms! O! worth in youth approv'd! O! foft humanity in age belov'd!

For thee the hardy veteran drops a tear,

And the gay courtier feels the figh fincere.
Withers, adieu! yet not with thee remove
Thy martial spirit, or thy focial love!

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