ROSCOMMON.

WENTWORTH DILLON, Earl of Roscommon, | better evidence of a fact cannot easily be found was the son of James Dillon, and Elizabeth than is here offered; and it must be by preserving Wentworth, sister to the Earl of Strafford. He such relations that we may at last judge how was born in Ireland* during the lieutenancy of much they are to be regarded. If we stay to Strafford, who being both his uncle and his god-examine this account, we shall see difficulties father, gave him his own surname. His father, on both sides; here is the relation of a fact given the third Earl of Roscommon, had been con- by a man who had no interest to deceive, and verted by Usher to the protestant religion; who could not be deceived himself; and here is, and when the popish rebellion broke out, Straf- on the other hand, a miracle which produces no ford, thinking the family in great danger from effect; the order of nature is interrupted, to disthe fury of the Irish, sent for his godson, and cover not a future but only a distant event, the placed him at his own seat in Yorkshire, where knowledge of which is of no use to him to whom he was instructed in Latin; which he learned it is revealed. Between these difficulties what so as to write it with purity and elegance, way shall be found? Is reason or testimony to though he was never able to retain the rules of be rejected? I believe what Osborne says of an grammar. appearance of sanctity may be applied to such impulses or anticipations as this: "Do not wholly slight them, because they may be true; but do not wholly trust them, because they may be false."

Such is the account given by Mr. Fenton, from whose notes on Waller most of this account must be borrowed, though I know not whether all that he relates is certain. The instructor whom he assigns to Roscommon, is one Dr. Hall, by whom he cannot mean the famous Hall, then an old man and a bishop.

When the storm broke out upon Strafford, his house was a shelter no longer; and Dillon, by the advice of Usher, was sent to Caen, where the protestants had then a university, and continued his studies under Bochart.

Young Dillon, who was sent to study under Bochart, and who is represented as having already made great proficiency in literature, could not be more than nine years old. Strafford went to govern Ireland in 1633, and was put to death eight years afterwards. That he was sent to Caen is certain; that he was a great scholar may be doubted.

At Caen he is said to have had some preternatural intelligence of his father's death.

"The Lord Roscommon, being a boy of ten years of age, at Caen, in Normandy, one day was, as it were, madly extravagant in playing, leaping, getting over the tables, boards, &c. He was wont to be sober enough; they said, God grant this bodes no ill-luck to him! In the heat of this extravagant fit he cries out, 'My father is dead!' A fortnight after, news came from Ireland that his father was dead. This account I had from Mr. Knolles, who was his governor, and then with him—since secretary to the Earl of Strafford; and I have heard his Lordship's relations confirm the same."-AUBREY'S MIS

CELLANY.

The present age is very little inclined to favour any accounts of this kind, nor will the name of Aubrey much recommend it to credit; it ought not, however, to be omitted, because

*The Bing. Britan. says, probably about the year 1632; but this is inconsistent with the date of Strafford's viceroyalty in the following page.-C.

It was his grandfather, Sir Robert Dillon, second Earl of Roscommon, who was converted from popery,

and his conversion is recited in the patent of Sir James, the first Earl of Roscommon, as one of the grounds of his creation.-Malone.

The state both of England and Ireland was at this time such, that he who was absent from either country had very little temptation to return; and therefore Roscommon, when he left Caen, travelled into Italy, and amused himself with its antiquities, and particularly with medals, in which he acquired uncommon skill.

At the Restoration, with the other friends of monarchy, he came to England, was made captain of the band of pensioners, and learned so much of the dissoluteness of the court, that he addicted himself immoderately to gaming, by which he was engaged in frequent quarrels, and which undoubtedly brought upon him its usual concomitants, extravagance and distress.

After some time, a dispute about part of his estate forced him into Ireland, where he was made by the Duke of Ormond captain of the guards, and met with an adventure thus related by Fenton :

"He was at Dublin as much as ever distempered with the same fatal affection for play, which engaged him in one adventure that well deserves to be related. As he returned to his lodgings from a gaming-table, he was attacked in the dark by three ruffians, who were employed to assassinate him. The Earl defended himself with so much resolution, that he despatched one of the aggressors: whilst a gentleman, accidentally passing that way, interposed, and disarmed another: the third secured himself by flight. This generous assistant was a disbanded officer, of a good family and fair reputation; who, by what we call the partiality of fortune, to avoid censuring the iniquities of the times, wanted even a plain suit of clothes to make a decent appearance at the Castle. But his Lordship, on this occasion, presenting him to the Duke of Ormond, with great importunity prevailed with his Grace, that he might resign his post of captain of the guards to his friend; which for about three years the gentleman enjoyed, and, upon his death, the Duke returned the commission to his generous benefactor."

When he had finished his business, he returned | fervent devotion, two lines of his own version of to London was made master of the horse to "Dies Iræ:"the Dutchess of York; and married the Lady Frances, daughter to the Earl of Burlington, and widow of Colonel Courteney.*

He now busied his mind with literary projects, and formed the plan for a society for refining our language and fixing its standard; "in imitation," says Fenton, "of those learned and polite societies with which he had been acquainted abroad." In this design his friend Dryden is said to have assisted him.

My God, my Father, and my Friend,
Do not forsake me in my end.

He died in 1684, and was buried with great pomp in Westminster Abbey.

His poetical character is given by Mr. Fen

ton:

the image of a mind which was naturally seri"In his writings," says Fenton, "we view ous and solid; richly furnished and adorned The same design, it is well known, was revi- disposed in the most regular and elegant order. with all the ornaments of learning, unaffectedly ved by Dr. Swift in the ministry of Oxford; but His imagination might have probably been more it has never since been publicly mentioned, fruitful and sprightly, if his judgment had been though at that time great expectations were less severe. But that severity (delivered in a formed, by some, of its establishment and its masculine, clear, succinct style) contributed to effects. Such a society might, perhaps, without make him so eminent in the didactical manner, much difficulty, be collected; but that it would that no man, with justice, can affirm he was ever produce what is expected from it may be doubted. The Italian academy seems to have obtained equalled by any of our nation, without confessits end. The language was refined, and so fixeding at the same time that he is inferior to none. In some other kinds of writing, his genius seems that it has changed but little. The French acato have wanted fire to attain the point of perdemy thought that they refined their language, fection; but who can attain it ?” and doubtless thought rightly; but the event has not shown that they fixed it; for the French of the present time is very different from that of the last century.

ances?

who would not imagine that they had been disFrom this account of the riches of his mind, played in large volumes and numerous performIn this country an academy could be expected this character, be surprised to find that all the Who would not, after the perusal of to do but little. If an academician's place were profitable, it would be given by interest; if attend-proofs of this genius, and knowledge, and judg ance were gratuitous, it would be rarely paid, ment, are not sufficient to form a single book, and no man would endure the least disgust. the works of some other writer of the same or to appear otherwise than in conjunction with Unanimity is impossible, and debate would sepetty size?* But thus it is that characters are parate the assembly. written : : we know somewhat, and we imagine the rest.

But suppose the philological decree made and promulgated, what would be its authority? In absolute governments, there is sometimes a general reverence paid to all that has the sanction of power, and the countenance of greatness. How little this is the state of our country needs not be told. We live in an age in which it is a kind of public sport to refuse all respect that cannot be enforced. The edicts of an English academy would probably be read by many, only that they might be sure to disobey them.

That our language is in perpetual danger of corruption cannot be denied; but what prevention can be found? The present manners of the nation would deride authority; and therefore nothing is left but that every writer should criticise himself.

All hopes of new literary institutions were quickly suppressed by the contentious turbulence of King James's reign; and Roscommon, foreseeing that some violent concussion of the state was at hand, purposed to retire to Rome, alleging, that "it was best to sit near the chimney when the chamber smoked;" a sentence, of which the application seems not very clear.

His departure was delayed by the gout; and he was so impatient, either of hinderance or of pain, that he submitted himself to a French empiric, who is said to have repelled the disease into his bowels.

At the moment which he expired, he uttered with an energy of voice that expressed the most

He was married to Lady Frances Boyle, in April, 1662. By this lady he had no issue. He married secon-lly, 10th Nov. 1674, Isabella, daughter of Matthew Boynton, of Barmston, in Yorkshire.- Malone.

would probably have been more fruitful and The observation, that his imagination sprightly, if his judgment had been less severe, may be answered by a remarker somewhat inclined to cavil, by a contrary supposition, that his judgment would probably have been less seIt is ridiculous to oppose judgment to imaginavere, if his imagination had been more fruitful. tion; for it does not appear that men have necessarily less of one as they have more of the

other.

They were published, together with those of Duke, in an octavo volume, in 1717. The editor, whoever he was, professes to have taken great care to procure and insert of all his Lordship's poems that are truly genuine. The truth of this assertion is flatly denied by the author of an account of Mr. John Pomfret, prefixed to his remains; who asserts, that the Prospect of Death was writ ten by that person many years after Lord Roscommon's decease; as, also, that the paraphrase of the Prayer of Jeremy was written by a gentleman of the name of Southcourt, living in the year 1724.-H.

Translated Verse,'" says Dryden, "which made Having disentangled himself from the diffime uneasy, till I tried whether or no I was ca-culties of rhyme, he may justly be expected to pable of following his rules, and of reducing the give the sense of Horace with great exactness, speculation into practice. For many a fair pre- and to suppress no subtlety of sentiment for the cept in poetry is like a seeming demonstration difficulty of expressing it. This demand, how in mathematics, very specious in the diagram, ever, his translation will not satisfy; what he but failing in the mechanic operation. I think found obscure, I do not know that he has ever I have generally observed his instructions: I am cleared. sure my reason is sufficiently convinced, both of their truth and usefulness; which, in other words, is to confess no less a vanity than to pretend that I have, at least in some places, made examples to his rules."

This declaration of Dryden will, I am afraid, be found little more than one of those cursory civilities which one author pays to another; for when the sum of Lord Roscommon's precepts is collected, it will not be easy to discover how they can qualify their reader for a better performance of translation than might have been attained by his own reflections.

Among his smaller works the "Eclogue of Virgil" and the "Dies Ira" are well translated; though the best line in the "Dies Ira" is borrowed from Dryden. In return, succeeding poets have borrowed from Roscommon.

In the verses on the Lap-dog, the pronouns thou and you are offensively confounded; and the turn at the end is from Waller.

His versions of the two odes of Horace are made with great liberty, which is not recompensed by much elegance or vigour.

His political verses are sprightly, and when they were written must have been very popular. Of the scene of "Guarini" and the prologue of "Pompey," Mrs. Philips, in her letters to Sir Charles Cotterel, has given the history.

He that can abstract his mind from the elegance of the poetry, and confine it to the sense of the precepts, will find no other direction than that the author should be suitable to the trans- "Lord Roscommon," says she, "is certainly lator's genius; that he should be such as may one of the most promising young noblemen in deserve a translation; that he who intends to Ireland. He has paraphrased a psalm admiratranslate him should endeavour to understand bly; and a scene of "Pastor Fido" very finely, him; that perspicuity should be studied, and in some places much better than Sir Richard unusual and uncouth names sparingly inserted; Fanshaw. This was undertaken merely in comand that the style of the original should be co-pliment to me, who happened to say that it was pied in its elevation and depression. These are the best scene in Italian, and the worst in Engthe rules that are celebrated as so definite and lish. He was only two hours about it. It beimportant; and for the delivery of which to gins thus:mankind so much honour has been paid. Roscommon has indeed deserved his praises, had they been given with discernment, and bestowed not on the rules themselves, but the art with which they are introduced, and the decorations with which they are adorned.

The "Essay," though generally excellent, is not without its faults. The story of the Quack, borrowed from Boileau, was not worth the importation; he has confounded the British and Saxon mythology ::

I grant that from some mossy idol oak,

In double rhymes, our Thor and Woden spoke. The oak, as I think Gildon has observed, belonged to the British druids, and Thor and Woden were Saxon deities. Of the double rhymes, which he so liberally supposes, he certainly had no knowledge.

His interposition of a long paragraph of blank verses is unwarrantably licentious. Latin poets might as well have introduced a series of iambics among their heroics.

His next work is the translation of the "Art of Poetry;" which has received, in my opinion, not less praise than it deserves. Blank verse, left merely to its numbers, has little operation either on the ear or mind: it can hardly support itself without bold figures and striking images. A poem frigidly didactic, without rhyme, is so near to prose, that the reader only scorns it for pretending to be verse.

"Dear happy groves, and you the dark retreat Of silent horror, Rest's eternal seat."

From these lines, which are since somewhat mended, it appears that he did not think a work of two hours fit to endure the eye of criticism

without revisal.

dies that had seen her translation of "Pompey," When Mrs. Philips was in Ireland, some laresolved to bring it on the stage at Dublin; and, to promote their design, Lord Roscommon gave them a prologue, and Sir Edward Dering an epilogue; "which," says she, "are the best is not criticism, it is at least gratitude. The performances of those kinds I ever saw." If this thought of bringing Cæsar and Pompey into Ireland, the only country over which Cæsar never had any power, is lucky.

public seems to be right. He is elegant, but not Of Roscommon's works the judgment of the great; he never labours after exquisite beauties, and he seldom falls into gross faults. His versirhymes are remarkably exact. He improved fication is smooth, but rarely vigorous; and his taste, if he did not enlarge knowledge, and may be numbered among the benefactors to English literature.*

*This Life was originally written by Dr. Johnson in the "Gentleman's Magazine" for May, 1748. It then had notes, which are now incorporated with the text.-C

OTWAY.

Of THOMAS OTWAY, one of the first names in the English drama, little is known; nor is there any part of that little which his biographer can take pleasure in relating.

He was born at Trottin, in Sussex, March 3, 1651, the son of Mr. Humphry Otway, rector of Woolbeding. From Winchester-school, where he was educated, he was entered, in 1669, a commoner of Christ-church; but left the university without a degree, whether for want of money, or from impatience of academical restraint, or mere eagerness to mingle with the world, is not known.

It seems likely that he was in hope of being busy and conspicuous; for he went to London, and commenced player; but found himself unable to gain any reputation on the stage.*

:

in himself, those whom Otway frequented had no purpose of doing more for him than to pay his reckoning. They desired only to drink and laugh their fondness was without benevolence, and their familiarity without friendship. Men of wit, says one of Otway's biographers, received at that time no favour from the great, but to share their riots; "from which they were dismissed again to their own narrow circumstances. Thus they languished in poverty, with out the support of eminence."

London in extreme indigence; which Rochester
mentions with merciless insolence in the "Ses-
sion of the Poets:"-

Tom Otway came next, Tom Shadwell's dear zany,
And swears for heroics he writes best of any;
Don Carlos his pockets so amply had fill'd,

Some exception, however, must be made. The Earl of Plymouth, one of King Charles' natural sons, procured for him a cornet's commission in some troops then sent into Flanders. But Otway did not prosper in his military cha racter: for he soon left his commission behind This kind of inability he shared with Shak-him, whatever was the reason, and came back to speare and Jonson, as he shared likewise some of their excellencies. It seems reasonable to expect that a great dramatic poet should without difficulty become a great actor; that he who can feel, could express; that he who can excite passion, should exhibit with great readiness its external modes: but since experience has fully proved, that of these powers, whatever be their affinity, one may be possessed in a great degree by him who has very little of the other; it must "Don Carlos," from which he is represented be allowed that they depend upon different faas having received so much benefit, was played culties, or on different use of the same faculty; in 1675. It appears, by the lampoon, to have that the actor must have a pliancy of mien, a had great success, and is said to have been flexibility of countenance, and a variety of tones, played thirty nights together. This, however, which the poet may be easily supposed to want; it is reasonable to doubt ; as so long a continu or that the attention of the poet and the player have been differently employed: the one has been considering thought, and the other action; one has watched the heart, and the other contemplated the face.

Though he could not gain much notice as a player, he felt in himself such powers as might qualify for a dramatic author; and in 1675, his twenty-fifth year, produced "Alcibiades," a tragedy; whether from the Alcibiade of Palaprat, have not means to inquire. Langbaine, the great detector of plagiarism, is silent.

In 1677, he published "Titus and Berenice," translated from Rapin, with the "Cheats of Scapin," from Moliere; and in 1678, "Friendship in Fashion," a comedy, which, whatever might be its first reception, was, upon its revival at Drury-lane, in 1749, hissed off the stage for immorality and obscenity.

Want of morals, or of decency, did not in those days exclude any man from the company of the wealthy and the gay, if he brought with him any powers of entertainment; and Otway is said to have been at this time a favourite com

panion of the dissolute wits. But as he who desires no virtue in his companion has no virtue

* In "Roscius Anglicanus," by Downes the prompter. p. 34, we learn that it was the character of the King, in Mrs. Behn's "Forced Marriage, or the Jealous Bridegroom," which Mr. Otway attempted to perform, and failed in. This event appears to have happened in the year 1672.-R.

That his mange was quite cur'd, and his lice were all
kill'd.
But Apollo had seen his face on the stage,
And prudently did not think fit to engage
The scum of a play-house, for the prop of an age.

}

ance of one play upon the stage is a very wide deviation from the practice of that time; when the ardour for theatrical entertainments was not yet diffused through the whole people, and the audience, consisting nearly of the same persons, could be drawn together only by variety.

The "Orphan" was exhibited in 1680. This is one of the few plays that keep possession of the stage, and has pleased for almost a century, through all the vicissitudes of dramatic fashion. Of this play nothing new can easily be said. It is a domestic tragedy drawn from middle life. Its whole power is upon the affections; for it is not written with much comprehension of thought, or elegance of expression. But if the heart is interested, many other beauties may be wanting, yet not be missed.

bor

The same year produced "The History and Fall of Caius Marius ;" much of which rowed from the "Romeo and Juliet" of Shak

speare.

In 1683 was published the first, and next year the second, parts of "The Soldier's For tune," two comedies now forgotten; and in 1685§ his last and greatest dramatic work,

This doubt is indeed very reasonable. I know not where it is said that "Don Carlos" was acted thirty nights together. Wherever it is said, it is untrue. Downes, who is perfectly good authority on this point, informs us that it was performed ten days successive. ly.- Malone. 1684. § 1682 +1681

Together with those plays he wrote the poems which are in the present collection, and translated from the French the "History of the Tri-mits, the longest is the "Poet's Complaint of umvirate."

WALLER.