riage. He never recovered the blow which this loss dealt him; and unhappily he strove to mitigate its severity by acts of intemperance, which precipitated his malady into a fatal disease. He died at Chester, when on his way to Ireland, in 1718. Parnell was an accomplished scholar, and as such considerably trusted by Pope, for whom he wrote the Life prefixed to the translation of the Iliad of Homer. Goldsmith, his countryman, who wrote his life, was proud of Parnell as being the last of the great school that had modelled "itself upon the ancients." His versification is pleasing, simple, and harmonious. Of his works, which are miscellaneous in character translations, songs, hymns, epistles—“ The Hermit" is at once the most celebrated and the most familiarly known. Pope pronounced it to be "very good;" and the ease and melody of its rhythm, the gracefulness of its movement, and its cheery way of exhibiting the workings of a departmental Providence, deserve this encomium. It is only when it is estimated according to what it professes to be, or else professes nothing-an exhaustive and philosophical explanation of God's government of the world-that it becomes inevitably obnoxious to the charge of impertinent quackery. A DESIRE TO PRAISE. Propitious Son of God, to Thee With things that hurt him fondly plays, Thy servant soon the loss would know, Resting on the Father's breast, How bright thy glorious honours rise, And with new lustre grace the skies! For Thee the sweet seraphic choir HYMN FOR NOON. The sun is swiftly mounted high, Warm the cold, the dead desire, And make the sacred love of Thee Within my soul a sun to me! Let it shine so fairly bright That nothing else be took for light; Let it strongly shine within, That drive when gusts of passion rise, Mount with that, and leave it there; From my soul I send my prayer— Loose from them and move to Thee: And then my days shall shine the more, THE birth of Prior is variously referred to the city of London and to Wimborne, in Dorsetshire. What is ascertained is, that his father died early, and that he owed his first training to his uncle, a vintner at Charing Cross, who sent him to Westminster School. He went to Cambridge at the expense of the Earl of Dorset, who further, after his publication, jointly with Charles Montague, of the " City Mouse and the Country Mouse," written in ridicule of Dryden's "Hind and Panther," caused him to be appointed secretary to the English embassy at the Hague. In 1697 he was Secretary of Legation at the treaty of Ryswick; and in the following year was appointed ambassador at the court of Versailles. On his return he was made Under-secretary of State, and on losing his place at the Earl of Jersey's removal, he was made, in 1701, a commissioner of trade. Soon after this he went over to the Tory party, and was employed by the Government during the reign of Queen Anne in high political and diplomatic functions. Upon the accession of the House of Hanover, he was impeached by the Whigs for his conduct in reference to the peace of Utrecht, and committed to custody for two years. After his release, he found a refuge from pecuniary distress in the publication of his poems by subscription, and in the patronage of Lord Harley, who purchased an estate for him. He died in 1721, at Wimpole, a seat of the Earl of Oxford. His poems consist of epistles, humorous tales, fables, epigrams, and other miscellaneous works. His style is graceful and sparkling, and full of a pleasant banter. "Dear Mat Prior's easy jingle," celebrated by Cowper, is not more loose than the average morals of his pieces. Perhaps the occurrence of the name of the author of "Hans Carvel" and "Paulo Purganti" on the scroll of sacred poets is to be attributed to the fact that man, as man, cannot live without a recognition of religious obligation, which, if circumstances favour such a method of exhibition, may assume a vocal or a rhythmical form. CHARITY. A PARAPHRASE ON THE 13TH CHAPTER OF THE FIRST EPISTLE Did sweeter sounds adorn my flowing tongue Q |