might exprefs a resemblance by which their pictures might be known, but never reach that perfection of beauty, which nothing but an omnipotent hand could form.

My lord Rochefter, in his imitation of one of Horace's Epiftles, thus mentions this author:

Of all our modern wits, none feems to me
Once to have touch'd upon true Comedy,
But hafty Shadwell, and flow Wycherley.
Shadwell's unfinifh'd works do yet impart
Great proofs of Nature's force, though none
of Art:

But Wycherley earns hard whate'er he gains; He wants no judgement, and he fpares no pains.

The noble author, however juft in other particulars, I am perfuaded was led into that part of the character of a laborious writer, merely for the fake of the verfe. If hafty would have tood as an epithet for Wycherley, and flow for Shadwell, they would in all probability have been fo applied; but the verfe would have been

fpoiled,

fpoiled, and to that it was neceffary to fub

mit.

Those who would form their judgement only from Mr. Wycherley's writings, without any perfonal acquaintance with him, might indeed be apt to conclude that fuch a diverfity of images and characters; fuch ftrict enquiries into nature; fuch close observations on the feveral humours, manners, and affections of all ranks and degrees of men, and, as it were, so true and fo perfect a diffection of human kind, delivered with fo much pointed wit, and force of expreffion; could be no other than the work of extraordinary diligence, labour, and application but, in truth, we owe the pleafure and advantage of having been fo well entertained and instructed by him, to his facility of doing it if it had been a trouble to him to write, I am much mistaken if he would not have spared himself that trouble: what he has performed, would have been difficult for another; but the club which a man of an ordinary fize could not lift, was but a walking-ftaff for Hercules.

:

To judge by the sharpness and spirit of his fatyr, you might be led into another mistake, and imagine him an ill-natured man: but what my lord Rochester said of lord Dorfset, is as applicable to him-The best good man, with the worft-natur'd Mufe. As pointed and fevere as he is in his writings, in his temper he has all the foftness of the tendereft difpofition; gentle and inoffenfive to every man in his particular character; he only attacks vice as a publick enemy, compaffionating the wound he is under a neceffity to probe, or grieving like a good-natured conqueror at the occafions that provoke him to make fuch havock.

King Charles the Second, a nice difcerner of men, and himself a man of wit, often chofe him for a companion at his leifure hours, as Auguftus did Horace, and had very advantageous views for him; but, unluckily, an amorous inclination interfered, the lover got the better of the courtier, and ambition fell a facrifice to love, the predominant paffion of the nobleft minds..

In the fubfequent reign, it was his misfortune to fall under the lafh of merciless creditors: he was arrested, and put in prison; the king himfelf condefcended to inquire into the ftate of his debts, paid them, and released him. An action worthy of a monarch.

In the turn of times which has fince happened, it is not for want of friends, or powerful folicitations, that he remains in obfcurity; he can never forget the generofity of that unfortunate prince; and as in another reign he chofe to be a victim to love, he now chufes to be a facrifice to gratitude. I give you thefe inftances, to fhew him to you as lovely in his nature as in his poetical productions.

There are who object to his verfification: it is certain he is no, mafler of numbers; but a diamond is not lefs a diamond, for not being polished. In poetry, a smooth and harmonious versification is the fame with a fine colouring in painting; but if the proportions are right, the posture just, the figure bold, and the refemblances true to nature, fuch a piece may give in

finite

finite delight, and be of inestimable value, tho' the colours fhould happen to be rough or carelefsly laid on. A beautiful face may charm, without the help of complexion; but the fairest skin, with all its lilies and rofes, makes uglinefs but more remarkable. Where juftnefs is wanting in the defign, and spirit in the execution, the finest colouring Art can invent is but paint upon a frightful face: yet many of our modern writers look no farther; they lay the whole ftrefs of their endeavours upon the harmony of words; like eunuchs, they facrifice their manhood to a voice, and reduce poetry, like echo, to be nothing but found.

In my friend, every fyllable, every thought, is mafculine his Mufe is not led forth as to a review, but as to a battle; not adorned for parade, but execution; he would be tried by the sharpness of his blade, and not by the finery: like your heroes of antiquity, he charges in iron, and feems to despise all ornament but intrinfick merit.

Con