gant. His rhymes are fometimes unfuitable; in his Melancholy he makes breath rhyme to birth in one place, and to carth in another. Thofe faults occur but feldom; and he had fuch power of words and numbers as fitted him for tranflation; but, in his original works, recollection feems to have been his bufinefs more than invention. His imitations are fo apparent, that it is part of his reader's employment to recal the verfes of fome former poet. Sometimes he copies the most popular writers, for he feems fcarcely to endeavour at concealment; and fometimes he picks up fragments in obfcure corners.

to Fenton,

His lines

Sercne,

Serene, the fting of pain thy thoughts

beguile,

And make afflictions objects of a fimile; brought to my mind fome lines on the death of queen Mary, written by Barnes, of whom I should not have expected to find an imitator;

But thou, O Mufe, whofe fweet nepenthean tongue

Can charm the pangs of death with deathlefs fong;

Canft ftinging plagues with eafy thoughts beguile,

Make pains and tortures objects of a Smile

To detect his imitations were tedious and useless. What he takes he feldom

makes

makes worfe; and he cannot be justly thought a mean man whom Pope chofe for an affociate, and whofe co-operation was confidered by Pope's enemies as fo important, that he was attacked by Henley with this ludicrous diftich:

Pope came off clean with Honer; but they fay

Broome went before, and kindly fwept the way.

PIT T.

HRISTOPHER PITT, of

CH

whom whatever I fhall relate, more than has been already published, I owe to the kind communication of Dr. Warton, was born in 1699 at Blandford, the fon of a physician much esteemed.

He

was, in 1714, received as a scholar into Winchester College, where he was diftinguished by exercises of uncommon elegance; and, at his removal to New College in 1719, prefented to the elec-; tors, as the product of his private and

voluntary ftudies, a compleat verfion of Lucan's poem, which he did not then know to have been tranflated by Rowe.

This is an inftance of early diligence which well deferves to be recorded. The fuppreffion of fuch a work, recommended by fuch uncommon circumftances, is to be regretted. It is indeed culpable, to load libraries with fuperfluous books; but incitements to early excellence are never fuperfluous, and from this example the danger is not great of many imitations.

When he had refided at his College three years, he was prefented to the rectory of Pimpern in Dorsetshire (1722), by his relation, Mr. Pitt of Stratfeildfea in Hampshire; and, refigning his fellowship,

con