Printed for F. Hyde in Dame-freet, R. Gunne in 3 T looks like no great Compliment to your Lordship, that I prefix Your Name to this Epiftle; when, in the Preface, I declare the Book is publifh'd almost against my Inclination. But, in all Cafes, My Lord, You have an Hereditary Right to whatever may be called Mine. Many of the following Pieces were written by the Com mand of your Excellent Father; and most of the reft, under His Protection and Patronage. The particular Felicity of Your Birth, My Lord, the natural Endowments of Your Mind, (which, without fufpicion of Flattery) I may tell You, are very Great; The good Education with which thefe Parts have been improved; and Your coming into the World, and feeing Men very early; make Us expect from Your Lord fhip all the Good, which our Hopes can form in Favour of a young Nobleman. Tu Marcellus eris,- Our Eyes and our Hearts are turned on You. You must be a judge and a Ma. Master of Polite Learning; a Friend and Patron to Men of Letters and Merit; a faithful and able Counsellor to Your Prince; a true Patriot to Your Countrey; an Orpament and Honour to the Titles You poffefs; and in one Word, a Worthy Son to the Great Earl of Dorfet. It is as impoffible to mention that Name, without defiring to Commend the Perfon; as it is to give Him the Commendations which His Virtues deferv'd: But I af fure my felf, the most agreeable Compliment I can bring Your Lordfhip, is to pay a grateful Refpect to Your Father's Memory And my own Obligations to Him were fuch; that the World muft pardon my Endeavoring at His Chara&er, however I may mifcarry in the Attempt. A Thousand Ornaments and Graces met in the Compofition of this Great Man; and contributed to make Him univerfally Belov'd and Efteem'd. The Figure of His Body was Strong, Proportionable, Beautiful and were His Picture well Drawn, it must deferve the Praife given to the Pourtraits of Raphael; and, at once, create Love and Refpect. While the Greatnefs of His Mein inform'd Men, they were approaching the Nobleman; the Sweetness of it invited them to come nearer to the Patron. There was in His Look and Gefture fomething that is éafier conceived than defcribed; that gain'd upon You in His Favor, before He fpake one Word. His Behavior was Eafie and Courteous to all; but Diftinguished and Adapted to each Man in particular, according to his Sta. tion and Quality. His Civility was free from the Formali. ty of Rule, and flowed immediately from his good Senfe. " Such were the Natural Faculties and Strength of His Mind, that he had occafion to borrow very little from Education and he owed thofe Advantages to his own Good Parts, which Others acquire by Study and Imitati on. His Wit was Abundant, Noble, Bold, Wit in moft Writers is like a Fountain in a Garden, fupply'd by feveral Streams brought thro' artful Pipes, and playing fometimes agreeably. But the Earl of Dorfer's was a Source Soarce rifing from the Top of a Mountain, which forced it's own way, and with inexhauftible Supplies, delighted and inriched the Country thro' which it pafs'd. This ex traordinary Genius was accompany'd with fotrue a Judg. ment in all Parts of fine Learning, that whatever Subjet was before him, He Difcours'd as properly of it, as if the peculiar Bent of his Study had been apply'd that way; and He perfected His Judgment by Reading and Dige. fting the beft Authors, tho He quoted them very feldom : Contenme bat potiùs literas, quam nefciebatt And rather feem'd to draw His Knowledge from his own Stories, than to owe it to any Foreign Affiftance. ? The Brightnefs of his Parts, the Solidity of His Judg ment, and the Candor and Generofity of His Temper diftinguith'd him in an Age of great Politeness, and at a Coure abounding with Men of the finest Senfe and Lear ning The molt eminent Mafters in their feveral Ways appeal'd to His Determination. Waller thought it an Ho nor to confult Him in the Softnefs and Harmony of his Verfe and Dr. Sprat, in the Delecacy and Turn of his Profe. Dryden determines by Him, under the Chara. Ger of Eugenius; as to the Laws of Dramatick Poetry. Butler ow'd it to Him, that the Court tafted his Hudibras. Wicherley, that the Town liked his Plain Dealer and the late Duke of Buckingham deferr'd to publifh his Rehearsal 'till He was fure (as He expreffed it) that my Lord Dorfet would not Rehearfe upon him again. If We wanted Foreign Teftimony; La Fontaine and St. Eoremont have acknowledg'd, that He was a perfect Mafter in the Beauty and Finenefs of their Language, and of All that they call les Belles Lettres. Nor was this Nicety of His Judgment confined only to Books and Literature but was the fame in Statuary, Painting, and, all other Parts of Art. Bernini would have taken His Opinion upon the Beauty and Attitude of a Figure; and King Charles did not agree with Lely, that my Lady : Clave. |