MEMOIRS, &c.

THOMAS WARTON was defcended from an ancient and honourable family of Beverley in Yorkshire different from the Duke of Wharton's, but the fame with that of Sir Michael Warton, Bart. of Warton-hall, Lancashire. Antony Warton, who appears to have been the first of the family that fettled in Hampshire, was a member of Magdalen College in Oxford, and Rector of Breamore in the New Forest. He had three fons; of whom it is remarkable, that two were deaf and dumb. Of these one, who had been placed under the care of Mr. Lely, nephew to Sir Peter Lely, and promised to be a good painter, died young; the other lived to about 60. The third fon, Thomas, father of the fubject of the prefent sketch, was born at Godalming, Surrey, in 1687; and became fellow of Magdalen College in Oxford, and afterwards Vicar of Bafingstoke, Hants, and Cobham, Surrey. He appears to have been in politics a warm Tory; and is faid to be "the "reverend poetical Gentleman" spoken of in the 15th and 16th numbers of Amhurft's

Terræ Filius. It is to the credit of his, as it would be to that of any man's character, that he was an intimate friend of Mr. Digby, through whom he was acquainted with Pope; and to the public respect, in which he was held, the University bore teftimony by electing him to the office of Poetry-Profeffor, which he held from 1718 to 1728. He married Elifabeth, daughter of the Rev. Jofeph Richardfon, Rector of Dunsfold, Surrey; and had by her three children, Joseph, the late head-master of Winchefter College; Thomas, the fubject of these memoirs; and a daughter, Jane, now living unmarried at Wickham, Hants. He died in 1745; and is buried under the rails of the altar in his church at Basingstoke, where his fons placed an infcription to his memory. It does not appear that he published any thing himself; but in 1748 a volume of his poems, from which he feems to have been a man of fome poetical taste, was published by subscription by his eldest fon at the end of the volume are two pleasing elegies on his death, the one by his daughter, and the other by the editor. a He is alfo faid to have been the author of a well-known epigram, occafioned by a regiment of horse being fent to Oxford, by George the Second, at the

a This is afferted in the " Biographical Dictionary," edit. London, 1798. article " Warton." I have fcen it elsewhere afcribed to Dr. Trapp.

fame time that he gave a collection of books to the Univerfity of Cambridge.

His fon, Thomas, was born at Basingstoke in 1728, and is faid to have difcovered at a very early age a fondness for study, and a maturity of mental powers, unusual in a boy. As a proof of this, it has been mentioned, that in the exceffive cold winter of 1739-40, when he was but eleven years old, he would quit the family fire-fide, and retire to his chamber, and there apply himself affiduously to his books, not as a task, but an amusement.

He had commenced his poetical career at a ftill earlier age; and I fhall hope for the indulgence of my readers, if I here infert his first compofition, written in a letter to his fifter, when he was about nine years old, and by her kindly communicated to me. Dr. Jofeph Warton always preferved it as a literary curiosity.

"Dear Sifter,

"I thank you for your letter; and

" in return, I send you the first production of my little Mufe, which I wifh was now old "enough to make a fong for you to fet to "mufic; but at prefent I fend you these four " Verses.

"On Leander's fwimming over the Hellefpont to Hero. "Translated by me from the Latin of Martial.

"When bold Leander fought his distant Fair,
"(Nor could the fea a braver burthen bear)
"Thus to the fwelling waves he spoke his woe,
"Drown me on my return,-but spare me, as I go.

" I agree with you in thinking that Friendship, "like Truth, fhould be without form or orna"ment; and that both appear beft in their "difhabille. Let Friendship, therefore, and "Truth, Mufic and Poetry go hand in hand.

"The above Verfes I know are a trifle-but you will make good-natured allowances for 66 my little young Mufe; it will be my utmost "ambition to make fome verses, that you can fet to your harpfichord ;-and to fhew you all occafions

upon

"how fincerely I am your
"affectionate Brother,

"From the School,
"Nov. 7, 1737." S

"THOMAS WARTON."

It is afferted in a late life of Mr. Warton, that he was educated at Winchester College: and the affertion is made on the authority of a

He was always very fond of Mufic, which his fifter was then learning.

In Anderson's edition of the "British Poets." Edin. 1795. Life of Warton.

paffage in his "Description &c. of Winchester," and of his poem, intitled Mons Catharinæ." But whatever interpretation may be given to the former paffage, it is remarkable that, in the poem alluded to, he does not use a fingle expreffion, which might lead the reader to fuppofe that he was educated at the College. And the fact is, that, whatever interest Wykehamifts may take in the name of Warton, Winchester College had no fhare in his education. He was indeed, as might be expected, at all times extremely partial to a fchool, over which his brother fo honourably prefided; though he had never been a member of it, but had continued under the care of his father, till he was removed to Oxford.

On the 16th of March, 1743, in his 16th year, he was admitted a Commoner of Trinity College, and foon after was elected a Scholar of that fociety, to which he continued warmly attached till his death.

It has been ftated that he "

very early ex"erted his poetical talents:" and that in 1745

1

d Ego Thomas Warton, Filius Thoma Warton Clerici, de Bafingstoke in Com. Hanton. natus ibidem, annorum circiter 16, admiffus fum Commenfalis inferioris Ordinis fub Tutamine Magiftri Gearing Die Martii 16, 1743. Extract from the College register.

e Anderfon's Poets, and Biographical Dictionary.