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be derived from the easy sweetness of his diction: in his verses there is more happiness than pains; he is fprightly without effort, and always delights, though he never ravishes; every thing is proper, yet every thing feems cafual. If there is fome appearance of elaboration in the Hermit, the narrative, as it is less airy, is lefs pleafing. Of his other compofitions it is impoffible to fay whether they are the productions of Nature, fo excellent as not to want the help of Art, or of Art fo refined as to refemble Nature.

This criticifm relates only to the pieces published by Pope. Of the large appendages which I find in the last edition, I can only fay, that I know not whence they came, nor have ever enquired whither they are going. They ftand upon the faith of the compilers.

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GART H.

SAMUEL GARTH was of a good family in Yorkshire, and from fome school in his own country became a ftudent at Peter-house in Cambridge, where he refided till he became doctor of phyfick on July the 7th, 1691. He was examined before the College at London on March the 12th, 1691-2, and admitted fellow June 26th, 1693. He was foon fo much distinguished by his conversation and accomplishments, as to obtain very extenfive practice; and, if a pamphlet of thofe times may be credited, had the favour and confidence of one party, as Radcliffe had of the other.

He is always mentioned as a man of benevolence; and it is juft to fuppofe that his defire of helping the helpless difpofed him to fo much zeal for the Difpenfary; an undertaking, of which fome account, however short, is proper to be given.

Whether what Temple fays be true, that phyficians have had more learning than the other faculties, I will not ftay to enquire; but, I believe, every

man

man has found in phyficians great liberality and dignity of fentiment, very prompt effufion of beneficence, and willingness to exert a lucrative art where there is no hope of lucre. Agreeably to this character, the College of Phyficians, in July 1687, publifhed an edict, requiring all the fellows, candidates, and licentiates, to give gratuitous advice to the neighbouring poor.

This edict was fent to the court of aldermen; and, a queftion being made to whom the appellation of the poor should be extended, the College answered, that it should be fufficient to bring a teftimonial from the clergyman officiating in the parish where the patient refided.

After a year's experience, the phyficians found their charity fruftrated by fome malignant oppofition, and made to a great degree vain by the high price of phyfick; they therefore voted, in August 1688, that the laboratory of the College should be accommodated to the preparation of medicines, and another room prepared for their reception; and that the contributors to the expence fhould manage the charity.

It was now expected, that the apothecaries would have undertaken the care of providing medicines'; but they took another courfe. Thinking the whole defign pernicious to their intereft, they endeavoured to raise a faction against it in the College, and found some physicians mean enough to folicit their patronage, by betraying to them the counfels of the College. The greater part, however, enforced by a new edict, in 1694, the former order of 1687, and fent it to the mayor and aldermen, who appointed a committee to treat with the College, and fettle the mode of administering the charity.

It was defired by the aldermen, that the teftimonials of churchwardens and overfeers fhould be admitted; and that all hired fervants, and all apprentices to handicraftsmen, fhould be confidered as poor. This likewife was granted by the College.

It was then confidered who should diftribute the medicines, and who should fettle their prices. The phyficians procured fome apothecaries to undertake the difpenfation, and offered that the warden and company of the Apothecaries fhould adjust the price. This offer was rejected; and the apothecaries who had engaged to affift the charity were confidered as traitors to the company, threatened with the impofition of troublefome offices, and deterred from the performance of their engagements. The apothecaries ventured upon publick oppofition, and prefented a kind of remonstrance against the defign to the committee of the city, which the phyficians condefcended to confute and at least the traders feem to have prevailed among the fons of trade; for the propofal of the College having been confidered, a paper of approbation was drawn up, but poftponed and forgotten.

The phyficians ftill perfifted; and in 1696 a fubfcription was raised by themselves, according to an agreement prefixed to the difpenfary. The poor were, for a time, fupplied with medicines; for how long a time, I know not. The medicinal charity, like others, began with ardour, but foon remitted, and at last died gradually away.

About the time of the fubfcription begins the action of the Difpenfary. The Poem, as its fubject - was present and popular, co-operated with paffions

and

and prejudices then prevalent, and, with fuch auxiliaries to its intrinfick merit, was univerfally and liberally applauded. It was on the fide of charity against the intrigues of intereft, and of regular learning againft licentious ufurpation of medical authority, and was therefore naturally favoured by thofe who read and can judge of poetry.

In 1697, Garth spoke that which is now called the Harveian Oration: which the authors of the Biographia mention with more praise than the paffage quoted in their notes will fully juftify. Garth, fpeaking of the mischiefs done by quacks, has thefe expreffions: "Non tamen telis vulnerat ifta agyrtarum "colluvies, fed theriacâ quâdam magis perniciofâ, "non pyrio, fed pulvere nefcio quo exotico certat, non globulis plumbeis, fed pilulis æque lethalibus "interficit." This was certainly thought fine by the author, and is ftill admired by his biographer. In October 1702, he became one of the cenfors of the College.

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Garth, being an active and zealous Whig, was a member of the Kit-cat club, and, by confequence, familiarly known to all the great men of that denomination. In 1710, when the government fell into other hands, he writ to lord Godolphin, on his difmiffion, a fhort poem, which was criticifed in the Examiner, and fo fuccessfully either defended or excufed by Mr. Addison, that, for the fake of the vindication, it ought to be preferved.

At the acceffion of the prefent family his merits. were acknowledged and rewarded. He was knighted with the sword of his hero, Marlborough; and was

made

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