DORSET, the Grace of Courts, the Muses” Pride,
Patron of Arts, and Judge of Nature, dy'd.
The fcourge of Pride, tho' fanctify'd or great,
Of Fops in Learning, and of Knaves in State:
Yet foft his Nature, tho' severe his Lay,
His Anger moral, and his Wisdom gay.
Bleft Satirift! who touch'd the Mean fo true,
As fhow'd, Vice had his hate and pity too.
Bleft Courtier! who could King and Country please,
Yet facred keep his Friendships, and his Ease.
Bleft Peer! his great Forefathers ev'ry grace
Reflecting, and reflected in his Race;

Where other BUCKHURSTS, other DORSETS fhine,
And Patriots ftill, or Poets, deck the line.

NOTES.

Epitaphs.] These Epitaphs are in general over-run with point and antithefis, and are a kind of panegyrical epigrams; they are confequently very different from the fimple fepulchral infcriptions of the ancients; of which that of Meleager on his Wife, in the Greek anthology, is a model and master piece. WARTON.

Dr. Johnfon has been particularly fevere on thefe Epitaphs. Some of his obfervations are very just, and his definition of the fpecies of writing is accurate. There are very few things, how. ever, that would ftand the teft of fuch feverity of investigation.

II.

ON SIR WILLIAM TRUMBAL,

One of the principal Secretaries of State to King WILLIAM III. who having refigned his Place, died in his Retirement at Easthamfted, in Berkshire, 1716.

A

PLEASING Form; a firm, yet cautious Mind;
Sincere, tho' prudent; conftant, yet refign'd:

Honour unchang'd, a Principle profest,

Fix'd to one fide, but mod'rate to the reft:
An honest Courtier, yet a Patriot too;

Just to his Prince, and to his Country true:
Fill'd with the Senfe of Age, the Fire of Youth,
A Scorn of Wrangling, yet a Zeal for Truth:
A gen'rous Faith, from Superftition free;

A Love to Peace, and Hate of Tyranny;

5

10

Such this Man was; who now, from earth remov'd, At length enjoys that Liberty he lov'd.

NOTES.

VER. . 5. a Patriot too;] It was unfuitable to the nicety required in fhort compofitions, to close his verfe with the word too; every rhyme fhould be a word of emphafis, nor can this rule be safely neglected, except where the length of the poem makes flight inaccuracies excufable, or allows room for beauties fufficient to overpower the effects of petty faults,

At the beginning of the feventh line the word filled is weak and profaic, having no particular adaptation to any of the words that

follow it.

JOHNSON.

III.

ON THE HON. SIMON HARCOURT, ONLY SON OF THE LORD CHANCELLOR HARCOURT; At the Church of Stanton-Harcourt in Oxfordshire,

1720.

this fad Shrine, whoe'er thou art! draw near, Here lies the Friend moft lov'd, the Son moft dear:

Who ne'er knew Joy, but Friendship might divide, Or gave his Father Grief but when he dy'd.

How vain is Reafon, Eloquence how weak!
If Pope must tell what HARCOURT cannot speak.
Oh let thy once-lov'd Friend infcribe thy Stone,
And, with a Father's forrows, mix his own!

5

NOTES.

VER. 4. but when he dy'd.] These were the very words used by Louis XIV. when his Queen died, 1633; though it is not to be imagined they were copied by Pope. Such coincidences in writers WARTON.

are not uncommon.

VER. 6 If Pope must tell ] Whoever ufed the words, they were contemptible, and almost burlesque.

IV.

ON JAMES CRAGGS, ESQ.

In Westminster-Abbey.

JACOBUS CRAGGS
CRAGGS

REGNI MAGNE BRITANNIE A SECRETIS

ET CONSILIIS SANCTIORibus,

PRINCIPIS PARITER AC POPULI AMOR ET DELICIA:

VIXIT TITULIS ET INVIDIA MAJOR

ANNOS, HEU PAUCOS, XXxv.

OB. FEB. XIV. MDCCXX.

Statesman, yet Friend to Truth! of Soul fincere,
In Action faithful, and in Honour clear!
Who broke no Promise, ferv'd no private End,
Who gain'd no Title, and who loft no Friend,
Ennobled by Himfelf, by All approv'd,

Prais'd, wept, and honour'd, by the Muse he lov'd.

NOTES.

* He was the only fon of James Craggs, who has been before mentioned. He had his education at a French feminary in Chelfea; from thence he went to Hanover, thence to the Court of Turin. He removed to Barcelona, and, in the abfence of Lord Stanhope, he afterwards ferved as Under-Minister to the Emperor. Upon the death of Queen Ann, he was

fent

fent to Hanover, for which he was made, by the affiftance of the Duke of Marlborough, Cofferer to the Prince, and afterwards Principal Secretary of State. Confidering the violent ftate of parties, no one had fewer enemies. His generofity, good-nature, pleafing manners, and liberal heart, were acknowledged by all. Though the friend of Addison, and raised by the Whigs, yet his manly generofity to Pope is well-known. The only thing that has appeared to caft a momentary shade, if I may fay fo, on his character, was his connection with the unfortunate South-Sea bufinefs. According to the Committee of Secrecy, no lefs a fum than 36,000l. fictitious stock was held for him and his father. Upon the great alarm and fubfequent diftrefs of the public, the elder Craggs died fuddenly, not without suspicion that he had haftened his own diffolution. Poffibly the violent agitation of his fpirits produced a fever, which terminated fatally. The late Lord Orford informed Mr. Coxe, that he had an interview with Sir Robert Walpole, just at the time of the rupture of the scheme, and he appeared in fuch a state of violent agitation and distress, that Sir Robert expreffed little furprise when he heard afterwards of his death. He left three daughters, all married, and connected with families whofe defcendants are at this day as high in station, as most amiable in life.

Craggs, notwithstanding he was a pleasant companion, and a particular favourite, it is faid, with the Ladies, was very attentive to bufinefs. I have a letter now before me, from Methuen to Doddington, in which he fays, "Mr. Walpole minds his hunting "in Norfolk, but Mr. Secretary Craggs, and your humble fer"vant, with fome few of his brethren of the Privy Council, stick "clofe to business."

"October 27."

Johnson with justice objects to an Epitaph, partly in Latin, and partly in English.