deplorable, can restore him to his legitimate pre-eminence among American theologians. GORDON, G. A., 1901, Jonathan Edwards, A Retrospect, ed. Gardiner. More and more, as I have returned from time to time to the study of Edwards' writings, have I been impressed with his intellectual powers and with the sanctity of his character. It is a pity that in this country so many of "the merely literary"-as Newman would style them appear to know nothing of his writings save passages in the Enfield sermon. They would find, if they looked for them, in Jeremy Taylor, "the Shakespeare of preachers," delineations of future torment which rival the pictures of terror in that sermon. It is beyond question that Edwards was a theological genius of the first order. He was, besides, an eminently holy man. He mixed, in his soul and in his writings, with the rigor of Calvin the sweetness of St. Francis. He is the Saint of New England.-FISHER, GEORGE P., 1901, Jonathan Edwards, A Retrospect, ed. Gardiner, p. 78. Theophilus Cibber 1703-1758 Theophilus Cibber, son of Colley Cibber (born 1703, died 1758), actor and dramatist, wrote "The Lover" (1730); "Pattie and Peggie" (an adaptation into English of Allan Ramsay's "Gentle Shepherd"), (1730); "The Mock Officer" (1733); and other pieces. "The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland from the time of Dean Swift" (1753), were attributed to his pen, but Dr. Johnson was of opinion that the work was written by Robert Shiels, a Scotchman.-ADAMS, W. DAVENPORT, 1877, Dictionary of English Literature, p. 152. PERSONAL Theo. Cibber was in his person far from pleasing, the features of his face were rather disgusting-his voice had the same. shrill treble, but without that musical harmony, which his father was master of -yet still an apparent good understanding and quickness of parts, a perfect knowledge of what he ought to represent, together with a vivacity in his manner, and a kind of effrontery, which was well adapted to the characters he represented, pretty amply compensated these deficiencies-(Biog. Dram.)-he had merit in a variety of characters, but he was so apt to mix false spirit and grimace with his acting that he often disgusted the judicious spectator-Ancient Pistol was his best character; in that part he assumed a ridiculous importance of deportment, with turgid action, long immeasurable strides, extravagant grimaces; and the sonorous cant of the old Tragedizers, so that it was impossible not to laugh at so extravagant a figure-(Davies and Dram. Censor) he must have been totally inadequate to many of the parts which he played in Tragedy.-GENEST, P., 1832, Some Account of the English Stage, 16601830, vol. IV, p. 532. It is recorded that Colley, taking the air one day, encountered his hopeful "I offspring, who was superbly attired. Cibber, knowing that Theophilus was penniless, surveyed him with contempt. pity you, sir!" He said. "Better pity my tailor!" was the reply. Theophilus was at least consistent. He conducted all his affairs on "pity my tailor" principles. This theory of life envolved him in perpetual embarrassments, but he lost nothing of his native audacity. He had talents, and amongst them was a capacity for abusive rhetoric, which was carefully cultivated. But the enterprise which established his fame was his attempt to obtain five thousand pounds for damages to his injured honour as a husband. The jury, having reason to believe that he had been a party to the intrigue, awarded him ten pounds. This sum did not enable him to satisfy his creditors, and he spent some little time in prison.-AUSTIN, L. F., 1878, Theophilus Cibber v. Garrick, The Theatre, N. S., vol. 1, p. 122. LIVES OF THE POETS He told us, that the book entitled "The Lives of the Poets," by Mr. Cibber, was entirely compiled by Mr. Shiels, a Scotchman, one of his amanuenses. "The bookseller (said he), gave Theophilus Cibber, who was then in prison, ten guineas, to allow Mr. Cibber to be put upon the title page, as the authour; by this, a double imposition was intended; in the first place, that it was the work of a Cibber at all; and, in the second place, that it was the work of old Cibber.-JOHNSON, SAMUEL, 1776, Life by Boswell, ed. Hill, vol. III, p. 34. This account is very inaccurate. The following statement of facts we know to be true, in every material circumstance: -Shiels was the principal collector and digester of the materials for the work: but as he was very raw in authourship, an indifferent writer in prose, and his language full of Scotticisms, Cibber, who was a clever, lively fellow, and then soliciting employment among the booksellers, was engaged to correct the style and diction of the whole work, then intended to make only four volumes, with power to alter, expunge, or add, as he liked. He was also to supply notes, occasionally, especially concerning those dramatic poets with whom he had been chiefly conversant. He also engaged to write several of the Lives: which, (as we are told), he, accordingly, performed. He was farther useful in striking out the Jacobitical and Tory sentiments, which Shiels had industriously interspersed wherever he could bring them in: and, as the success of the work appeared, after all, very doubtful, he was content with twenty-one pounds for his labour beside a few sets of the books, to disperse among his friends.-ANON, 1792, Monthly Review, May. Cibber's lives are not ill-written, and deserve a better fame than they seem to have attained.-BRYDGES, SIR SAMUEL EGERTON, 1800, ed. Phillips's Theatrum Poetarum Anglicanorum, Preface, p. lvi. In 1753 appeared "An Account of the Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland," 5 vols. 12mo, with the name of "Mr. Cibber" on the title-page of the first volume, and with Theophilus Cibber's name attached to the later volumes. Dr. Johnson told Boswell that Cibber, who was then in the king's bench, accepted ten guineas from the booksellers for allowing them to prefix his name to the lives, and that he had no hand in the authorship of the book, which was mainly written by Robert Shiels (Johnson's amanuensis); but the truth is that Cibber revised and improved the whole work and wrote some of the lives himself, receiving from the booksellers an honorarium of twenty guineas. -BULLEN, A. H., 1887, Dictionary of National Biography, vol. x, p. 362. James Hervey 1714-1758 James Hervey, author of "Meditations among the Tombs," was born at Hardingstone, near Northampton, on 26th February 1714. The facts of his life are few. He was educated at Northampton and Lincoln College, Oxford, and was first curate and afterwards incumbent of Weston-Favel and Collingtree, both near Northampton. He died on Christmas-day 1758. Hervey adopted a Calvinistic creed, and in the 18th century his works, though not distinguished by any extraordinary qualities, enjoyed great favour with the people. The best of them are "Meditations and Contemplations" (1746), including his most famous production, "Meditations among the Tombs," and also "Reflections on a Flower Garden" and "A Descant on Creation;" "Contemplations on the Night and Starry Heavens" (1747); and "Theron and Aspasio, or a Series of Dialogues and Letters on the Most Important Subjects" (3 vols. 1755). This last gave rise to the Sandemanian controversy as to the nature of saving faith. A complete edition of his works, with a memoir, appeared in 1797. See also his Life and Letters (2 vols. 1760).-PATRICK, DAVID, ed., 1897, Chambers's Encyclopædia, vol. v, p. 696. PERSONAL A more gentle, pious, unworldly spirit than that of James Hervey it is difficult to conceive. He was never known to be in a passion; he made a solemn vow to dedicate all the profits of his literary work to pious and charitable uses, and scrupulously performed it. He was naturally disinclined to controversy, though from a sense of duty he threw himself into own powers; when it was at its height he frankly confessed that he was not a man of strong mind, and that he had not power for arduous researches.-OVERTON, J. H., 1891, Dictionary of National Biography, vol. XXVI, p. 283. GENERAL Have you met with two little volumes which contain four contemplations written by a Mr. James Hervey, a young Cornish or Devonshire clergyman? The subjects are upon walking upon the tombs, upon a flower-garden, upon night, and upon the starry heavens. There is something poetical and truly pious in them.-HERTFORD, LADY (DUCHESS OF SOMERSET), 1748, Letter to Lady Luxborough. He wished to have more books, and, upon inquiring if there were any in the house, was told that a waiter had some, which were brought to him; but I recollect none of them, except Hervey's "Meditations." He thought slightingly of this admirable book. He treated it with ridicule, and would not allow even the scene of the dying Husband and Father to be pathetick. I am not an impartial judge; for Hervey's "Meditations" engaged my affections in my early years. He read a passage concerning the moon, ludicrously, and shewed how easily he could, in the same style, make reflections on that planet, the very reverse of Hervey's representing her as treacherous to mankind. He did this with much humour; but I have not preserved the particulars.—JOHNSON, SAMUEL, 1773, Life by Boswell, Oct. 24, ed. Hill, vol. v, p. 400. Among serious readers, the estimate of their most excellent author, on points far more important than those that relate to the art of authorship, has been, and will ever remain, invariable. There can be very few individuals, whose opinion would be worth hearing, that will not speak with delight, of his exalted piety, of his zeal for such views of the Christian religion as animated our venerable and heroic reformers, and the worthiest of their successors, and of the exemplary purity of his life. In addition to this, his writings manifest an understanding of a respectable order; and have been exceeded, we believe, by very few books in extent of beneficial influence. His "Meditations," especially, have contributed more, it is probable, than any other book, to the valuable object of prompting and guiding serious minds, of not the superior rank in point of taste, to draw materials of devotional thought from the scenery of nature. An immense number of persons, have been taught by him, to contemplate vicissitude and phænomena of the seasons, the flowers of the earth, and the stars of heaven, with such pious and salutary associations, as would not otherwise have been suggested to their minds: and the value of these associations is incalculable, on the double ground of enlargement of thought, and devotional tendency. Hervey ranks, therefore, among the high benefactors of his age. But in turning to the more strictly literary estimate of his writings, there is no averting the heavy charges which critics, without one dissenting voice, bring against his style. No one qualified in the smallest degree to judge of good writing, ever attempts to controvert the justice with which they pronounce that style artificial, timid, and gaudy, loaded with an inanimate mass of epithets, and in short, very fine, without being at all rich.-FOSTER, JOHN, 1811, Hervey's Letters, The Eclectic Review, vol. 14, p. 1021. The bloated style and peculiar rhythm of Hervey, which is poetic only on account of its utter unfitness for prose, and might as appropriately be called prosaic, from its utter unfitness for poetry.-COLERIDGE, SAMUEL TAYLOR, 1817, Biographia Literaria, ch. xxiii. The author of "The Doctor" says that some styles are flowery, but that the Meditationist's is a weedy style; alluding, I suppose, to its luxuriant commonplace, and vulgar showiness, as of corn-poppies and wild mustard. But Hervey seems to have been a simple earnest clergyman, with his heart in his parish.-COLERIDGE, SARA, 1847, ed. Coleridge's Biographia Literaria, ch. xxiii. Hervey's "Meditations" (1746-7), for example, was one of the most popular books of the century; and it bears to Shaftesbury the same kind of relation which Young bears to Pope. Hervey was an attached disciple of Wesley; and a man of some cultivation and great fluency of speech. He tried to eclipse the worldly writers in their own style of rhetoric. oric. The worship of nature might be combined with the worship of Jehovah. He admires the "stupendous orbs," and the immortal harmonies, but he takes care to remember that we must die, and mediates, in most edifying terms, amongst the tombs. Such works can hardly be judged by the common literary canons. Writings which are meant to sanctify imaginative indulgences by wresting the ordinary language to purposes of religious edification are often, for obvious reasons, popular beyond their merits. Sacred poetry and religious novels belong to a world of their own. To the profane reader, however, the fusion of deistical sentiment and evangelical truth does not seem to have thoroughly effected. There is the old falsetto note which affects us disagreeably in Shaftesbury's writings. Hervey, after all, lives in the eighteenth century, and though as his "Theron and Aspasia" proves, he could write with sufficient savour upon the true Evangelical dogmas, the imaginative symbolism of his creed is softened by the contemporary currents which blend with it.-STEPHEN, LESLIE, 1876, History of English Thought in the Eighteenth Century, vol. II, p. 438. John Dyer Poet, born near Llandilo, and educated at Westminster, abandoned law for art, and in 1727 published "Grongar Hill," remarkable for simplicity, warmth of feeling, and exquisite descriptions of scenery. He next travelled in Italy, returned in bad health to publish the "Ruins of Rome' (1740), took orders, and in 1741 became vicar of Catthorpe, Leicestershire, which he exchanged later for the Lincolnshire livings of Belchford, Coningsby, and Kirkby-on-Bain. "The Fleece" (1757), a didactic poem, is praised by Wordsworth in a sonnet.-PATRICK AND GROOME, eds., 1897, Chambers's Biographical Dictionary, p. 324. PERSONAL Dodsley, the bookseller, was one day mentioning it ["The Fleece"] to a critical visitor, with more expectation of success than the other could easily admit. In the coversation the author's age was asked; and being represented as advanced in life, "He will," said the critic, "be buried in woolen."-JOHNSON, SAMUEL, 1779-81, Dyer, Lives of the English Poet. Mr. Dyer was a man of uncommon understanding and attainments, but so modest and reserved, that he frequently sat silent in company for an hour, and seldom spoke unless appealed to; in which case he generally showed himself most intimately acquainted with whatever happened to be the subject.-MALONE, EDMOND, 1791, Maloniana, ed. Prior, p. 419. He is represented as a man of excellent private character, and of sweet and gentledispositions. He was beloved by, and he loved, a man who had latterly few friends, Richard Savage, and exchanged with him complimentary poems. He was the friend of Aaron Hill, of Hughes, of Akenside, and of various other contemporary authors.-GILFILLAN, GEORGE, 1858, ed., The Poetical Works of Armstrong, Dyer and Green, p. 107. GRONGAR HILL 1727 "Grongar Hill" is the happiest of his productions: it is not indeed very accurately written; but the scenes which it displays are so pleasing, the images which they raise so welcome to the mind, and the reflections of the writer so consonant to the general sense or experience of mankind, that when it is once read, it will be read again.-JOHNSON, SAMUEL, 177981, Dyer, Lives of the English Poets. Of English poets, perhaps none have excelled the ingenuous Mr. Dyer in this oblique instruction, into which he frequently steals imperceptibly in his little. descriptive poem entitled "Grongar Hill," where he disposes every object so as it may give occasion for some observation on human life. Denham himself is not superior to Mr. Dyer in this particular.WARTON, JOSEPH, 1782, Essay on Pope, vol. 1, p. 35. In the "Grongar Hill" of Dyer we have, likewise, a lyric effusion equally spirited and pleasing, and celebrated for the fidelity of its delineation; the commencement, however, is obscure and even ungrammatical, and his landscape not sufficiently distinct, wanting what the artist would term proper keeping. It is nevertheless a very The woolcomber and the poet appear to me such discordant natures, that an attempt to bring them together is to couple the serpent with the fowl. Let me, however, honestly report whatever may counterbalance this weight of censure. I have been told that Akenside, who, upon a poetical question, has a right to be heard, said, "That he would regulate his opinion of the reigning taste by the fate of Dyer's 'Fleece,' for, if that were ill received, he should not think it any longer reasonable to expect fame from excellence."-JOHNSON, SAMUEL, 177981, Dyer, Lives of the English Poets. This beautiful, but too much neglected poem, had ere this attracted the admiration it so justly merits, had not the stearn critique of Dr. Johnson intervened to blast its rising fame. A juster relish of the excellences of poetry, and a more candid style of criticism, may be considered as a characteristic of several of the first literary men of the present day; and, but for the hard censure of the author of the Rambler, the pages of Dyer would now, perhaps, have been familiar to every lover and judge of nervous and highly finished description. As it is, however, they are seldom consulted, from an idea, that little worthy of applause would gratify the inquirer.-DRAKE, NATHAN, 1798-1820, Literary Hours, vol. 1, No. xii, p. 160. The witticism on his "Fleece," related by Dr. Johnson, that its author, if he was an old man, would be buried in wollen, has, perhaps, been oftener repeated than any passage in the poem itself.-CAMPBELL, THOMAS, 1819, Specimens of the British Poets. There is a sluggishness in the general motion of the verse which has injured the popularity of the poem. Milton's blank verse is sometimes heavy, but whenever he gets great, his lines become wheels instinct with spirit, and they bicker and burn, to gain the expected goal. Thomson, too, in his higher moods, shakes off his habitual sleepiness, and you have the race of an elephant, if not the swiftness of an antelope. But Dyer, even when bright, is always slow, and, in this point, too, resembles Wordsworth, whose "Excursion" often glows, but never rushes, like a chariot wheel. On the whole, to recur to the figure of Gideon's Fleece, Dyer's poem is by turns very dry and very dewy; now very dark, and anon sparkling with genuine poetry. . . . On the whole, we think "the Fleece" rather an unfortunate subject for a poem, although the fact that Dyer has made so much of it, and won praise from even fastidious critics, is no slight evidence that he possessed a strong and vivid genius.-GILFILLAN, GEORGE, 1858, ed., The Poetical Works of Armstrong, Dyer and Green, pp. 113, 114. GENERAL Has more of poetry in his imagination than almost any of our number; but rough and injudicious.-GRAY, THOMAS, 1751, Letter to Horace Walpole; Works, ed. Gosse, vol. II, p. 220. Though hasty Fame hath many a chaplet culled For worthless brows, while in the pensive shade Of cold neglect she leaves thy head ungraced, Yet pure and powerful minds, hearts meek and still, A grateful few, shall love thy modest Lay, Long as the shepherd's bleating flock shall stray O'er naked Snowdon's wide aërial waste; Long as the thrush shall pipe on Grongar Hill! -WORDSWORTH, WILLIAM, 1810-15, To the Poet, John Dyer. Dyer's is a natural and true note, though not one of much power or compass. What he has written is his own; not borrowed from or suggested by "others' books," but what he has himself seen, thought, and felt. He sees, too, with an artistic eye, while at the same time his pictures are full of the moral inspiration which alone makes description poetry. CRAIK, GEORGE L., 1861, A Compendious History of English Literature and of the English Language, vol. II, p. 276. Is, or was, known as the author of "Grongar Hill" "Grongar Hill" (1727), and "The Fleece" (1757). 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