empty space, and did not confider that though fpace might be without matter, yet matter being extended, could not be without space.

Few books have been perused by me with greater pleasure than his Improvement of the Mind, of which the radical principles may indeed be found in Locke's Conduct of the Understanding, but they are fo expanded and ramified by Watts, as to confer upon him the merit of a work in the highest degree ufeful and pleafing. Whoever has the care of inftructing others, may be charged with › deficience in his duty if this book is not recommended.

I have mentioned his treatifes of Theology as diftinct from his other productions; but the truth is, that whatever he took in hand was, by his inceffant folicitude for fouls, converted to Theology. As piety predominated in his mind, it is diffused over his works: under his direction it may be truly said, Theologia Philofophia ancillatur, philosophy is fubfervient to evangelical inftruction; it is difficult to read a page without learning, or at least wishing, to be better. The attention

3

is caught by indirect inftruction, and he that fat down only to reason is on a fudden compelled to pray.

It was therefore with great propriety that, in 1728, he received from Edinburgh and Aberdeen an unsolicited diploma, by which he became a Doctor of Divinity. Academical honours would have more value, if they were always bestowed with equal judgement.

He continued many years to ftudy and to preach, and to do good by his inftruction and example; till at laft the infirmities of age difabled him from the more laborious part of his minifterial functions, and, being no longer capable of publick duty, he offered to remit the falary appendant to it; but his congregation would not accept the refignation,

By degrees his weakness increased, and at laft confined him to his chamber and his bed; where he was worn gradually away without pain, till he expired Nov. 25, 1748, in the feventy-fifth year of his age.

Few

Few men have left behind fuch purity of character, or fuch monuments of laborious piety. He has provided instruction for all ages, from thofe who are lifping their firft leffons, to the enlightened readers of Malbranche and Locke; he has left neither corporeal nor fpiritual nature unexamined; he has taught the art of reafoning, and the fcience of the ftars.

His character, therefore, must be formed from the multiplicity and diverfity of his attainments, rather than from any fingle performance; for it would not be fafe to claim for him the highest rank in any fingle denomination of literary dignity; yet perhaps

there was nothing in which he would not have excelled, if he had not divided his powers to different pursuits.

As a poet, had he been only a poet, he would probably have stood high among the authors with whom he is now affociated. For his judgement was exact, and he noted beauties and faults with very nice difcernment; his imagination, as the Dacian Battle proves,

proves, was vigorous and active, and the ftores of knowledge were large by which his fancy was to be fupplied. His ear was well-tuned, and his diction was elegant and copious. But his devotional poetry is, like that of others, unfatisfactory. The paucity of its topicks enforces perpetual repetition, and the fanctity of the matter rejects the ornaments of figurative diction. It is fufficient for Watts to have done better than others. what no man has done well.

His poems on other fubjects feldom rise higher than might be expected from the amufements of a Man of Letters, and have different degrees of value as they are more or lefs laboured, or as the occafion was more or lefs favourable to invention.

He writes too often without regular meafures, and too often in blank verfe; the rhymes are not always fufficiently correspondent. He is particularly unhappy in coining names expreffive of characters. His lines are commonly fmooth and eafy, and his thoughts always religiously pure; but who is there that, to fo much piety and innocence,

does

does not wish for a greater measure of spriteliness and vigour? He is at least one of the few poets with whom youth and ignorance may be fafely pleafed; and happy will be that reader whofe mind is difpofed by his verses, or his profe, to imitate him in all but his non-conformity, to copy his benevolence to man, and his reverence to God.

A. PHILIPS.