On the Monument of the Honourable ROBERT DIGBY, and of his Sifter MARY, erected by their Father the Lord DIGBY, in the Church of Sherborne in Dorfet fhire, 1727.

Go! fair example of untainted youth,

Of modest wisdom, and pacific truth:
Compos'd in fuff'rings, and in joy fedate,
Good without noise, without pretenfion great,
Just of thy word, in ev'ry thought fincere,
Who knew no Wish but what the world might hear;
Of softest manners, unaffected mind,

5

Lover of peace, and friend of human kind;
Go live! for Heav'n's Eternal year is thine,
Go, and exalt thy Moral to Divine.

And thou, bleft Maid! attendant on his doom,
Penfive haft follow'd to the filent tomb,

10

Steer'd

NOTES.

VER. 11. And thou, bleft Maid!] Mr. Robert Digby, third fon of Lord Digby, who is yet remembered with refpect at Sherborne, died of a confumption, and was, foon after followed by the amiable and affectionate fifter, who hung over his fick bed. The following letter from her fifter to Pope, on the fubject of their brother's illness, is in the British Museum, with part of the tranflation of the Odyffey on the back of it :

"Dear Sir, Sherborne, July 18, 1724. "I am fure this will want no excufe to you, and it carries good news of a friend. My brother has not had any fit of his

ague

Steer'd the fame course to the fame quiet fhore,
Not parted long, and now to part no more!
Go then, where only bliss fincere is known!
Go, where to love and to enjoy are one!

Yet take these Tears, Mortality's relief,
And till we share your joys, forgive our grief:
These little rites, a Stone, a Verse receive;
'Tis all a Father, all a Friend can give!

15

£20

NOTES.

ague fince Sunday; he has flept a little every night, but with fome interruptions by the cramp. Last night he began to drink affes' milk, which had its usual effect, in giving him a good night's reft, and free from pain. I am, dear Sir, in great hafte, but with great truth, your friend and fervant, E. DIGBY.

"All here are your fervants."

MY father, who was an intimate friend and contemporary at Magdalen College, Oxford, with Mr. Robert Digby, was always saying that this excellent character was not over-drawn, and had every virtue in it here enumerated; and that Mr. Digby had more of the initis fapientia, as Horace finely expreffes it, than any man he had ever known. The fame faid the amiable Mr. Holdsworth, author of Mufcipula. They were all three pupils of Dr. Sacheverell, who at that time was the friend of Addison, and was in great vogue as an able tutor, before he entered fo violently into those abfurd politics that fo much disgraced him. WARTON.

VIII.

ON SIR GODFREY KNELLER,

IN WESTMINSTER-ABBEY, 1723.

KNELLER, by Heav'n and not a Master taught,

Whose Art was Nature, and whofe Pictures
Thought;

Now for two Ages having fnatch'd from fate
Whate'er was beauteous, or whate'er was great,
Lies crown'd with Princes honours, Poets lays,
Due to his Merit, and brave Thirst of Praise.

Living, great Nature fear'd he might outvie Her works; and, dying, fears herself may die.

IMITATIONS.

VEK. 7. Imitated from the famous Epitaph on Raphael.
Raphael, timuit, quo sospite, vinci

Rerum magna parens, et moriente, mori.”

NOTES.

5

"Here Raphael lies, by whofe untimely end
Nature both loft a rival and a friend "

POPE.

VER. 7. Living, great Nature] Much better tranflated by Mr. W. Harrison, of New College, a favourite of Swift, communicated to me by Dr. Lowth:

Notwithstanding the partiality of Pope, this artift little deserved to be confulted by our Poet, as he was, concerning the arrangements of the fubjects represented on the shield of Achilles. Thefe required a genius of a higher order. Mr Flaxman, lately arrived from Italy, by a diligent Audy of the antique, and the force of his

genius, has given defigns from Homer far beyond any that have yet appeared. WARTON.

There are some very good pictures by Kneller, at Donhead Hall, near Shaftesbury, Wilts, the seat of his descendant John Kneller, Efq. particularly a St. Cecilia, and the Conversion of St. Paul; his natural daughter is painted in the character of Cecilia, which, in action and attitude, is very like that of the late Mrs. Sheridan, by Sir Joshua Reynolds. I fhould have imagined Sir Joshua must have seen it, or perhaps a copy of it. There is a painting by Sir Godfrey, at Donhead Hall, of Pope.

I take this opportunity of explaining a ridiculous anecdote, which Warton has admitted of Kneller's vanity. Walpole has related it in this manner: "Sir Godfrey," fays Pope, "if God had confulted you, the world would have been made more perfect." "'Fore God," replies Kneller, "I think fo." Now the real story is this: When Pope, with an affected and pert fuperiority, faid, "If Sir Godfrey had been confulted, the world would have been made more perfect ;” Kneller immediately turned the laugh upon Pope, by looking at his diminutive person, and faying, with a good-humoured smile, "Fore God, there are fome little things in it, I think I COULD have mended." This is humourous and pleasant; whereas, as the wits have told the flory themfelves, Sir Godfrey's fupidity appears equal to his vanity.

IX.

ON GENERAL HENRY WITHERS.

IN WESTMINSTER-ABBEY, 1729.

HERE,

WITHERS, reft! thou braveft, gentleft mind,
Thy Country's friend, but more of human kind.
Oh born to Arms! O Worth in Youth approv❜d!
O foft Humanity, in Age belov'd!

For thee the hardy Vet'ran drops a tear,
And the gay Courtier feels the figh fincere.

WITHERS, adieu! yet not with thee remove
Thy Martial fpirit, or thy focial love!
Amidft Corruption, 'Luxury, and Rage,
Still leave fome ancient Virtues to our age:
Nor let us fay (thofe English glories gone)
The last true Briton lies beneath this stone.