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It is related by Ruff head, that, when he determined on the church, he addreffed himself to Fope, for inftructions in theology; who, in a frolic, advised the diligent perufal of Thomas Aquinas. With this treafure, he retired from interruption, to an obscure place in the suburbs. Pope hearing nothing of him during half a year, and apprehending he might have carried the jeft too far, sought after tim, and found him just in time to prevent what Ruff head calls " an irretrieveable derangement." Not long after he took orders, he published, in profé, A True Estimate of Human Life, 1728, dedicated to the Queen; and a Sermon, preached before the House of Commons, January 30. 1729, in. tituled, An Apology for Princes, or the Reverence due to Government. The True Estimate of Human Life, exhibits only the dark side. Being asked, why he did not give, as he promised, the bright reprefentation; he is faid to have replied, that he could not. By others it has been said, that this was finish ed; but that, before there existed any copy, it was torn in pieces by a lady's monkey.

In 1730, he relapsed to poetry, and publifhed Imperium Pelagi, a Naval Lyric; written in imitation of Pindar's Spirit, occafioned by bis Majefly's return from Hanover, September 1729, and the fucceeding Peace. It is inscribed to the Duke of Chandos. In the preface he observes, that the ode is the most spirited kind of poetry, and that the Pindaric is the most spirited kind of ode. "This I speak," he adds, with fufficient candour," at my own very great peril. But truth has an eternal title to our confeflion, though we are fure to fuffer by it." It was one of the pieces which he deliberately refused to own. It was ridiculed in Fielding's "Tom Thumb."

Not long after this Pindaric attempt, he published Two Epifiles to Mr. Pope, concerning the Authors of the Age, 1730. In July the fame year, he was presented, by his college, to the rectory of Welwyn, in Hertfordshire, worth above 500l. a-year.

in May 1731, he married Lady Elizabeth Lee, daughter of the Earl of Litchfield, and widow of Colonel Lee, who left a son and two daughters. His connection with this lady, arose from his father's acquaintance with Mrs. Anne Wharton, who was the daughter and co-heirefs of Sir Henry Lee of Ditchley, in Oxfordshire, and sister of the Countess of Abingdon, celebrated by Dryden in à funeral panegyric, intituled, " Eleanora."

His next publication was The Sea-Piece, in two odes, with a poetical dedication to Voltaire, whom he had seen when he was in England, at Eastbury, the feat of Mr. Dodington, in Dorsetshire, which Thomson, in his " Autumn,” calls the "Seat of the Muses,"

Where in the fecret bower, and winding walk,

For virtuous Young and thee they twine the bay.

He enjoys the credit of an extempore Epigram on the French poet, who ridiculed, in the company of the jealous English poet, Milton's " Allegory of Sin and Death."

You are fo witty, profligate, and thin,

At once we think thee Milton, Death, and Sin.

From the following paffage in the poetical dedication of The Sea-Piece, it seems that this extemporaneous reproof was fomething more gentle than the diftich now quoted.

No ftranger, Sir, though born in foreign climes;

In Derfet downs, when Milton's page

With Sin and Death provok'd thy rage,

Thy rage provok'd, who footh'd with gentle rhymes.

In 1734, he published The Foreign Addrefs, or the beft Argument for Peace, occafioned by the Britifs. Fleet, and the Poffure of Affairs, written in the character of a failor. It is not to be found in his own edition of his works.

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In 1741, he was deprived of his wife. She brought him one child, Frederick, now living, to whom the Prince of Wales was godfather. The Night Thoughts, a fpecies of poetry altogether his own, were begun immediately after the mournful event of 1741.. The first Night appears in the books of the Company of Stationers, as the property of Dodley, in 1742. The preface to Night feventh, is dated July 7. 1744.

In the short preface to the Complaint, he tells us," that the occafion of the poem was real, not fictitious; and that the facts mentioned did naturally pour thefe reflections on the thought of the

writer."

Whatever names belong to thefe facts, or if the names be thofe generally fuppofed; whatever Keightening a poet's forrow may have given the facts, it is generally understood, that he had really

felt domestic grief; and that disappointed profpects afforded him an oftenfible and sufficient cause of complaint.

The paffages refpecting Philander, Narcissa, Lucia, and Lorenzo, have been applied to his fon-inlaw, his daughter-in-law, his wife, and his fon. It is probable, that he had his wife and daughterin-law in view for the characters of Lucia and Narcia; but all the circumftances relating to Philan der, do not appear to fuit his fon-in-law. He thus deplores his lofs in an apostrophe to death.

Infatiate archer! could not one fuffice?

Thy fhaft flew thrice, and thrice my peace was flain;
And thrice, ere thrice yon moon had fill'd her horn.

It is probable, from the following circumstances, that, in these three contradictory lines, the poet complains more than the father-in-law, the friend, or the widower.

When Young married Lady Elizabeth Lee, she had a fon and two daughters living by her former hufband. The fon was an officer; he married, and died foon after, leaving no child. The eldest daughter was married to Mr. Temple, fon of Lord Palmerston. She fell into a declining state of health, and was accompanied by her mother, &c. to the south of France, and died at Lyons, on her way to Nice, in 1736, within a year after her marriage, and only seventeen years old. It is more than poetically true, that Young accompanied her to the Continent.

I flew, I fnatched her from the rigid north,

And bore her nearer to the fun.

Her funeral was attended with the difficulties painted in such animated colours in Night Third. She was fecretly buried in the King's Garden at Montpelier. "The fpot, a little gloomy grove, is known-1 faw it," fays Lord Gardenstone; " it is indeed a doleful shade." After her death, the renrainder of the party passed the ensuing winter at Nice. Mr. Temple married again, and left a fon by his fecond wife, a daughter of Sir John Barnard's, who, in 1757, fucceeded to his grandfather's title. He died in 1740, and the poet's wife seven months after, in 1741. How could the infatiate archer thrice flay his peace in these three persons, " ere thrice the moon had fill'd her horn !”

From the great friendship which conftantly fubfifted between Mr. Temple and Young, as well as from other circumstances, Mr. Croft feems to be of opinion, that Mr. Temple was the person whom he lamented under the name of Philander. It is not, however, very probable, that so young a man as Mr. Temple must have been, should have been the friend of twenty years, whom the poet mourned. Befides, Philander died before Mrs. Temple.

Narciffa follows ere his tomb is clos'd, &c.

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Perhaps thofe paffages refpe&ting Philander, which do not appear to fuit Mr. Temple, may be found applicable to Mrs. Temple's brother, the officer, who died before her;. and may, with more probability be reckoned the third victim over whom Young has hitherto been pitied, for having to pour the midnight forrows of his religious poetry.

Lady Elizabeth left her youngest daughter under the care of Young, with whom she lived till her marriage with Major Haviland, whom the accompanied to Ireland, and lived but a fhort time after. Mr. Croft has taken much pains to prove, that the character of Lorenzo, applied to the poet's fon in the "Biographia," could not be meant for him; nor, indeed, does it feem poffible. Mr. Frederick Young was not born till June 1733. In 1741, this Lorenzo, this finished infidel, this father, to whole education vice had, for fome years, put the laft hand, was only eight years old, Lorenzo is evidently a feigned character; and the readers of the Night Thoughts are much indebted to Mr. Croft, "for difcovering that no fuch character ever yet difgraced human nature, or broke a father's heart."

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This report, fo open to contradiction, and fo impoflible to be true, feems to have arisen from an unhappy misunderstanding Between Young and his fon; whofe boyish follies, it is faid, ", caft a gloon: over the evening of his father's days," and, at last, brought "his gray hairs with forrow to the grave.” On this accufation, and on the charge advanced in the “ Biographia," of his having been forbid den his college at Oxford for mifbehaviour, Mr. Croft obferves, " From juvenile follies who is free? But whatever the "Biographia" choose to relate, the fon of Young experienced no difmiffion from his college, either lafting or temporary. Yet, were nature to indulge him with a fe

cond youth, and to leave him, at the same time, the experience of that which is past, he would probably spend it differently-who would not? He would certainly be the occafion of lefs uneasiness to his father. But, from the fame experience, he would certainly, in the fame case, be treated differently by his father.

"Young was a poet-: poets, with reverence be it spoken, do not make the best parents. Fancy and imagination seldom deign to stoop from their heights; always stoop unwillingly to the low level of common duties.

"But the fon of Young would fooner, I know, pass for a Lorenzo, than fee himself vindicated at the expence of his father's memory; from follies which, if it may be thought blameable in a boy to have committed them, it is furely praiseworthy in a man to lament, and certainly not only unnecef fary, but cruel in a biographer to record.

The famous De mortuis nil nifi banum, always appeared to me to favour more of female weaknefs than of manly reason. He that has too much feeling to speak ill of the dead (who, if they cannot defend themselves, are at least ignorant of his abuse), will not hesitate, by the most wanton calumny, to deftroy the quiet, the reputation, and the fortune of the living. Yet cenfure is not heard beneath the tomb, any more than praise. De mortuis nil nifi verum- -De vivis nil nifi bonum, would be nearer

to the truth."

The elaborate zeal Mr. Croft exhibits in defence of his injured friend, does equal credit to his genius and humanity; but the traits and refemblances in the picture of Lorenzo, were not fufficiently frong to render fo much industry and effort neceffary to prevent our mistaking it for a family like

nefs.

Of the Night Thoughts, all, except the Seventh and eighth, are infcribed to great, or to growing names-Mr. Onflow, Lord Wilmington, the Duke of Portland, the Earl of Litchfield, Mr. Pelham, and the Duke of Newcastle.

The fourth Night was addreffed, by " a much-indebted mufe," to the Honourable Mr. Yorke, the late Lord Hardwicke, who meant to have laid the mufe under ftill greater obligations, by the living of Shenfield in Effex, if it had become vacant.

The five first Nights have been perused, perhaps, more eagerly and more frequently than the rest. Philander and Narciffa, are often mentioned and often lamented. He feems, perhaps, to dwell with more melancholy on the death of Philander and Narcissa, than of his wife. When he got as far as the fixth or feventh, his original motive for taking up the pen was anfwered; his grief was naturally either diminished or exhausted. We ftill find the fame pious poet; but we hear lefs of Philander and Narciffe, and lefs of the mourner whom he loved to pity.

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By thefe extraordinary pocms, written after he was fixty, it was the desire of Young to be principally known. He intituled the four volumes which he published himself, The Works of the Author of the Night Thoughts. From these he excluded many of his writings; but the rejected pieces contained nothing prejudicial to the cause of virtue, or of religion,

In them he would only appear, perhaps, in a lefs refpectable light as a poet; and though defpicable as a dedicator, he would not pass for a worfe Chriftian, or for a worse man. This enviable praife, which cannot be claimed by every writer, is due to the author of the Night Thoughts.

Notwithstanding the farewell which he seemed to have taken in the Night Thoughts, of ambition, he relapfed into politics. In 1745, he wrote Some Thoughts, occafioned by the Prefent Functure, infcribed to the Duke of Newcastle. This political poem might be called a Night Thought. Indeed it was originally printed as the conclufion of the Night Thoughts, though he omitted it in his works.

Prefixed to the fecond edition of "Rowe's Devout Meditations," is a letter from Young, addrefied to Archibald Macaulay, Efq., thanking him for the books; which, he fays, "he fhall never lay far out of his reach; for a greater demonftration of a found head, and a fincere heart, he never faw." In 1753, his tragedy of The Brothers, when it had lain by him above thirty years, was acted at the theatre in Drury-Lane. The plot is taken from the hiftory of Macedonia, in the reign of the last Philip. The two characters of Demetrius and Perfeus, are well drawn, and the conteft before their father, in the third act, is a fine piece of oratory; but their fpeeches are, in a great mealure, tranflations from Livy. The play itself, though the profits were generously bestowed on the Society for the Propaga tion of the Gospel, was but coldly received, being undrammatical in its conduct, and imperfect in its

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catastrophe. This latter defect is acknowledged in his own epilogue, which was never ufed; the place of it being fupplied by one furnished by Mallet, at the inftigation of Garrick. Some indelicate allufions in it to the author's charity, gave just offence. Young was much offended by it; nor would he suffer it to be printed at the end of his piece.

The profits of The Brothers, he hoped, would aniount to a thousand pounds. In his calculation he was deceived; but, by the bad fuccefs of his play, the fociety was not a lofer. He made up the fum he originally intended, from his own pocket. While it failed to increase his reputation for genias, it added to the character of his humanity.""

His next publication was, The Centaur not fabulous, in fix Letters to a Friend, on the Life in Vogue. In the third letter, is described the death-bed of the "gay, young, noble, ingenious, accomplished, and most wretched Altamont." His laft words were: "My principles have poifoned my friend, my extravagance has beggared my boy, and my unkindness has murdered my wife." The character of Altamont bears no little refemblance, in the perfection of wickednefs, to the Lorenzo of the Night Thoughts. Report has been accustomed to call Altamont Lord Eufton.

In 1756, Dr. Warton dedicated the firft volume of his admirable "Effay on the Writings and Genius of Pope," to Young; who appears," fays Mr. Croft, "in his old age, to have bartered for a dedication an opinion entertained of his friend, through all that part of life, when he muft have been beft able to form opinions."

I know not," fays an intelligent writer in the "Gentleman's Magazine,” Vol. LII. p. 71, "why it fhould be fuppofed, becaufe Dr. Warton dedicated his "Effay" to Young, that, therefore, he muft either have changed his opinion of Pope, or have bartered his opinion for a dedication. He was neither greedy of praife, nor was he reduced to the neceffity of bartering any thing to procure it. The compliment paid him, I have no doubt, was a voluntary compliment."

In 1758, he again became a dedicator, and published A Sermon, preached before their Májèsties at Kenfington, addreffed to the King. If he compofed many sermons, he did not oblige the public with many. The following letter, from Secker to Young, dated July 8. 1758., given by Mr. Croft, ferves to fhow at what a late period of life the author of the Night Thoughts folicited preferment.

"I have long wondered, that more fuitable notice of your great merit hath not been taken by perfons in power. But how to remedy the omiffion, I fee not. No encouragement hath ever been given me to mention things of this nature to his Majefty; and, therefore, in all likelihood, the only confequence of doing it, would be weakening the little influence, which elfe I may poffibly have on fome other occafions. Your fortune and your reputation, fet you above the need of advancement; and your fentiments above that concern for it, on your own account, which, on that of the public, is fincerely felt by your, &c."

The neglect of Young is, by fome, afcribed to his having attached himself to the Prince of Wales, and to his having preached an offenfive fermon at St. James's. It is faid, however, that he had two hundred a-year in the late reign, by the patronage of Walpole; and that whenever any one reminded the King of Young, his only answer was, he has a pènfion.”

One obftacle must have stood not a little in the way of that preferment, after which his whole life feems to have panted. Though he took orders, he never entirely fhook off politics. By this conduct, if he gained fome friends, he made many enemies. Befides, in the latter part of his life, he was fond of holding himfelf out for a man retired from the world. He who retires from the world, will find himself in reality deferted as fast, if not faster, by the world. Young feems to have been taken at his word. Notwithstanding his frequent complaints of being neglected, no hand was reached out to pull him from that retirement, of which he declared himfelf enamoured.

In 1759, he employed his pious pen for almoft the last time, in doing juftice to the death bed of Addison, in a Letter, on Original Compofition, addressed to Richardfon, the author of " Clariffa." His chief inducement to write it, was, as he confeffes, that he might " erect a monumental marble to the memory of an old friend." In this lively letter, Pope is feverely cenfured for his "fall from Homer's numbers, free as air, lofty and harmonious as the fpheres, into childish shackles and tinkling founds; for putting Achilles into petticoats a fecond time." But we are told, that' our English Homer talked over an epic plan with Young a few weeks before his death.

In the

poftfcript, he writes to Richardfon, that he will fee, in his next, how far Addison is an original. But no other letter appears.

In 1961, his friend Lord Melcombe, not long before his death, fent him an "Ode," which he called "The Mufe's Latest Spark," accompanied by a letter; in which he says, " if you are willing that our friendship should be known when we are gone, you will be pleased to leave this among those of your papers that may possibly see the light by a pofthumous publication.”

At the acceffion of his present Majesty, his name was ftruck out from the lift of Court-Chap. lains; but he was almost immediately after, upon the death of Dr. Hales, appointed Clerk of the Closet to the Princess-Dowager of Wales.

In 1762, he published Resignation, in trvo parts, and A Poßscript to Mrs. B, 4to. It was! written at the request of Mrs. Montague, the famous champion of Shakspeare, and is addressed to the Hon. Mrs. Bofcawen, the Admiral's widow, to teach her refignation under the affliction caused by the death of her husband. Notwithstanding he administered confolation to his own grief in blank verse-" verse unfallen, uncurft; verse reclaimed, re-inthroned in the true language of the gods;" he comforted Mrs. Bofcawen in rhyme.

While the poet and the Christian were applying this comfort, Young had himself occafion for comfort, in confequence of the fudden death of Richardfon, who was engaged in printing the first, edition of the poem. He laments him as a friend, and has given some sketches of his genius.

To touch our paflions' fecret fprings,

Was his peculiar care;

And deep his happy genius div'd

In bofoms of the fair.

Nature, which favours to the few,

All art beyond imparts,

To him prefented, at his birth,

The key of human hearts.

To Refignation was prefixed an apology for its appearance; to which more credit is due, than to the generality of such apologies, from Young's unusual anxiety, that no more productions of his old age fhould disgrace his former fame.

"This was not intended for the public: there were many and strong reasons against it, and are fo ftill; but fome extracts of it, from the few copies which were given away (a few copies were printed, and given to the author's friends), being got into the printed papers; it was thought ne ceffary to publish fomething, left a copy fill more imperfect than this should fall into the prefs; and, it is hoped, that this unwelcome occafion of publication may be fome excuse for it."

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It must be owned, that the reasons were fufficient for reprinting the poem; but then it may be afked, why did he ever fuffer fo imperfect a performance to pafs through the prefs? He should have, confidered that true obfervation of Horace :

Semel emiffum, volat irrevocabile verbum.

With great propriety, too, he might have answered the importunity of his friends, in the lan guage of the fame poct, who had not then seen many more than half the years of Young :

Spectatum fatis, et donatum jam rude, quæris
Mæcenas iterum antiquo me includere ludo?
Non eadem eft ætas, non mens-

The Refignation was the last publication which Young gave to the world. From this time, the infirmities of age rendered him incapable of performing any duty; and he suffered himself to be in pupilage to his housekeeper Mrs. Hallows, whofe afcendency in his family is ridiculed with more ill-nature than wit, in a novel published by Kidgell, in 1755, called " The Card," under the name of Mrs. Fuby. Young is characterised under the name of Dr. Elwes.

Of Mrs. Hallows, the writer in the "Gentleman's Magazine," above quoted, tells us, that The was the daughter of a Rector of All-Hallows, Hertford; and that, upon the marriage of Miss Caroline Lee, he was invited by Young, who knew her family, to his houfe; that she had some fortune of her own, perhaps very small, as her father left many children; that she was advanced in years, and was a woman of piety, improved by reading; and that he was always treated by him and by his guests, even thofe of the highest rank, with the politeness and respect due to a gentle

woman.

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