XI. On Mr. GAY. In Westminster-Abbey, 1732. And uncorrupted, even among the Great: As Gay was the Favourite of our Authour, this Epitaph was probably written with an uncommon Degree of Attention; yet it is not more happily executed than the reft, for it does not always happen that the Succefs of a Poet is proportionate to his Labour. The fame Obfervation may be extended to all Works of Imagination, which are often influenced by Caufes wholly out of the Performer's Power, by Hints of which he perceives not the Origin, by fudden Elevations of Mind which he cannot produce in himself, and which fometimes rife when he expects them least. The two Parts of the firft Line are only Echoes of each other, gentle Manners and mild Affections, if they mean any Thing, muft mean the fame. That Gay was a Man in Wit is a very frigid Commendation; to have the Wit of a Man is not much for a Poet. The Wit of Man, and the Simplicity of a Child, make a poor and vulgar Contraft, and raise no Ideas of Excellence, either Intellectual or Moral. In the next Couplet Rage is lefs properly introduced after the Mention of Mildness and Gentleness, which are made the Conftituents of his Character, for a Man fo mild and gentle to temper his Rage was not difficult. The next Line is unharmonious in its Sound, and mean in its Conception, the Oppofition is obvious, and the Word lafh ufed abfolutely, and without any Modification, is grofs and improper. To be above Temptation in Poverty, and free from Corruption among the Great, is indeed fuch a Peculiarity as deferved Notice. But to be a fafe Companion is Praise merely negative, arifing not from the Poffeffion of Virtue, but the Absence of a Vice, and that one of the most odious. As little can be added to his Character, by afferting that he was lamented in his End. Every Man that dies is at leaft, by the Writer of his Epitaph, fuppofed to be lamented, and therefore this general Lamentation does no Honour to Gay. The eight firft Lines have no Grammar, the Adjectives are without any Subftantive, and the Epithets without a Subject. The Thought in the laft Line, that Gay is buried in the Bofoms of the Worthy and the Good, who are diftinguished only to lengthen the Line, is fo dark that few understand it; and fo harsh, when it is explained, that ftill fewer approve. XII. Intended for Sir ISAAC NEWTON. In WeftminfterAbbey. ISAACUS NEWTONIUS: Quem Immortalem Teftantur, Tempus, Natura, Cœlum: Hoc marmor fatetur. Nature, and Nature's Laws, lay hid in Night: Gon faid, Let Newton be! And all was Light.' Of Of this Epitaph, fhort as it is, the Faults feem not to be very few. Why Part should be Latin and Part English, it is not eafy to difcover. In the Latin, the Oppofition of Immortalis and Mortalis, is a mere Sound, or a mere Quibble, he is not Immortal in any Senfe contrary to that in which he is Mortal. In the Verfes the Thought is obvious, and the Words Night and Light are too nearly allied. XIII. On EDMUND Duke of Buckingham, who died in the 19th Year of his Age, 1735. If modeft Youth, with cool Reflection crown'd, This weeping Marble had not ask'd thy Tear, The living Virtue now had fhone approv'd, The Senate heard him, and his Country lov'd. To This Epitaph Mr. Warburton prefers to the reft, but I know not for what Reafon. Crown with Reflection is furely a Mode of Speech approaching to Nonfenfe. Opening Virtues blooming round, is fomething like Tautology; the fix following Lines are Poor and Profaic. Art is in another Couplet used for Arts, that a Rhyme may be had to Heart. The fix laft Lines are the best, but not excellent. The The reft of his fepulchral Performances hardly deferve the Notice of Criticifm. The contemptible Dialogue between HE and SHE, fhould have been fuppreffed for the Author's Sake. In his laft Epitaph on himself, in which he attempts to be jocular upon one of the few Things that make wife Men-ferious, he confounds the living Man with the Dead: Under this Stone, or under this Sill, When a Man is once buried, the Queftion, under what he is buried, is easily decided. He forgot that though he wrote the Epitaph in a State of Un--certainty, yet it could not be laid over him till his Grave was made. Such is the Folly of Wit when: it is ill employed. THE HERMAN BOERHAAVE. HERMAN BOERHAAVE was born on the laft Day of December, 1668, about One in the Morning, at Voorhout, a Village two Miles diftant from Leyden. His Father, James Boerhaave, was Minister of Voorhout, of whom his Son, in a fmall Account of his own Life, has given a very amiable Character, for the Simplicity and Openness of his Behaviour, for his exact Frugality, in the Management of a narrow Fortune, and the Prudence, Tenderness, and Diligence with which he educated a numerous Family of nine Children. He was eminently skilled in Hiftory and Genealogy, and well versed in the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew Languages. His Mother was Hagar Daelder, a Tradefman's Daughter of Amsterdam, from whom he might perhaps derive an hereditary Inclination to the Study of Phyfic; in which fhe was very inquifitive, and had obtained a Knowledge of it, not common in female Students. This Knowledge, however, fhe did not live to communicate to her Son; for fhe died in 1673, ten Years after her Marriage. His Father finding himself incumbered with the Care of feven Children, thought it neceffary to take 5 a fecond |