in imitation, fays Fento of thofe learned and polite focieties with which he had been ac quainted abroad. In this defign his friend Dryden is faid to have affifted him. The fame defign, it is well known, was revived by Dr. Swift in the miniftry of Oxford; but it has never fince been publickly mentioned, though at that time great expectations were formed by fome of its eftablifhment and its effects. Such a fociety might, perhaps, without much difficulty, be collected; but that it would produce what is expected from it, may be doubted. The Italian academy feems to have obtained its end. The language was refined, and fo fixed that it has changed but little. The French academy thought that they refined their language, and doubtlefs thought rightly; but the event has not fhewn that they fixed it; for the French of the prefent time is very different from that of the last century. In this country an academy could be expected to do but little. If an academician's X 3 place place were profitable, it would be given by intereft; if attendance were gratuitous, it would be rarely paid, and no man would endure the leaft difguft. Unanimity is impof fible, and debate would feparate the affembly. But fuppofe the philological decree made and promulgated, what would be its autho rity? In abfolute governments, there is fometimes a general reverence paid to all that has the fanction of power, and the countenance of greatnefs. How little this is the ftate of our country needs not to be told. We live in an age in which it is a kind of publick fport to refufe all refpect that cannot be en forced. The edicts of an English academy would probably be read by many, only that they might be fure to disobey them. That our language is in perpetual danger of corruption cannot be denied; but what prevention can be found? The prefent manners of the nation would deride authority, and therefore nothing is left but that every writer fhould criticife himself. All 1 ་ All hopes of new literary institutions were quickly fuppreffed by the contentious turbu lence of King James's reign; and Rofcommon, foreseeing that fome violent concuffion of the State was at hand, purpofed to retire to Rome, alleging, that it was best to fit near the chimney when the chamber smoaked; a fentence, of which the application fééms hot very clear. His departure was delayed by the gout; and he was so impatient either of hinderance or of pain, that he fubmitted himfelf to a French empirick, who is faid to have repelled the difeafe into his bowels. At the moment in which he expired, he uttered, with an energy of voice that expreffed the moft fervent devotion, two lines of his own verfion of Dies Iræ: My God, my Father, and my Friend, He died in 1684; and was buried with great pomp in Westminster-Abbey. His poetical character is given by Mr. Fenton: 1 “In his writings,” says Fenton, "we view "the image of a mind which was naturally “ferious and folid; richly furnished and "adorned with all the ornaments of learning, unaffectedly difpofed in the most regular and elegant order. His imagination 66 66 66 might have probably been more fruitful "and fprightly, if his judgement had been lefs fevere. But that feverity (delivered in 66 a mafculine, clear, fuccinct ftyle) contri"buted to make him fo eminent in the didac “tical manner, that no man, with juftice, "can affirm he was ever equalled by any of "our nation, without confeffing at the fame "time that he is inferior to none. In fome "other kinds of writing his genius feems to "have wanted fire to attain the point of per fection; but who can attain it?" From this account of the riches of his mind, who would not imagine that they had been difplayed in large volumes and numerous performances? Who would not, after the perusal perufal of this character, be surprised to find that all the proofs of this genius, and knowledge and judgement, are not fufficient to form a fingle book, or to appear otherwise than in conjunction with the works of fome other writer of the fame petty fize? But thus it is that characters are written: we know fomewhat, and we imagine the reft. The obfervation, that his imagination would probably have been more fruitful and fpritely if his judgement had been less severe, may be answered, by a remarker fomewhat inclined to cavil, by a contrary fuppofition, that his judgement would probably have been lefs fevere, if his imagination had been more fruitful. It is ridiculous to oppose judgement to imagination; for it does not appear that men have neceffarily lefs of one as they have more of the other. We must allow of Rofcommon, what Fenton has not mentioned fo diftinctly as he ought, and what is yet very much to his honour, that he is perhaps the only correct writer in verfe before Addifon; and that, if there are not fo many or fo great beauties in his compofitions as in those of some contem poraries, |