tary to feveral commiffions for purchafing lands neceffary to fecure the royal docks at Chatham and Portsmouth; yet found time to acquaint himself with modern languages.

In 1697 he published a poem on the Peace of Ryf wick: and 1699 another piece, called The Court of Neptune, on the return of king William, which he addreffed to Mr. Montague, the general patron of the followers of the Mufes. The fame year he produced a fong on the duke of Gloucefter's birth-day. He did not confine himself to poetry, but cultivated other kinds of writing with great fuccefs; and about this time fhewed his knowledge of human nature by an Effay on the Pleasure of being deceived. In 1702 he published, on the death of king William, a Pindaric ode, called The House of Nassau; and wrote another paraphrase on the Otium Divos of Horace.

In 1703 his ode on Mufick was performed at Stationers' Hall; and he wrote afterwards fix cantatas, which were set to mufick by the greatest mafter of that time, and feem intended to oppofe or exclude the Italian opera, an exotick and irrational entertainment, which has been always combated, and always has prevailed.

His reputation was now fo far advanced, that the publick began to pay reverence to his name; and he was folicited to prefix a preface to the tranflation of Boccalini, a writer whofe fatirical vein coft him his life in Italy, and who never, I believe, found many readers in this country, even though introduced by fuch powerful recommendation,

He

He tranflated Fontenelle's Dialogues of the Dead; and his verfion was perhaps read at that time, but is now neglected; for by a book not neceffary, and owing its reputation wholly to its turn of diction, little notice can be gained but from thofe who can enjoy the graces of the original. To the Dialogues of Fontenelle he added two compofed by himself; and, though not only an honeft but a pious man, dedicated his work to the Earl of Wharton. He judged fkilfully enough of his own intereft; for Wharton, when he went lord lieutenant to Ireland, offered to take Hughes with him, and establish him; but Hughes, having hopes or promifes, from another man in power, of fome provifion more fuitable to his inclination, declined Wharton's offer, and obtained nothing from the other.

He tranflated the Mifer of Moliere, which he never offered to the ftage; and occafionally amufed himfelf with making verfions of favourite fcenes in other plays.

Being now received as a wit among the wits, he paid his contributions to literary undertakings, and affifted both the Tatler, Spectator, and Guardian. In 1712 he tranflated Vertot's Hiftory of the Revolution of Portugal; produced an Ode to the Creator of the World, from the Fragments of Orpheus; and brought upon the stage an opera called Calypfo and Telemachus, intended to fhew that the English language might be very happily adapted to mufick. This was impudently oppofed by thofe who were employed in the Italian opera; and, what cannot be told without indignation, the intruders had fuch intereft with the duke of Shrewsbury, then lord chamberlain, who had married

an

an Italian, as to obtain an obstruction of the profits, though not an inhibition of the performance.

There was at this time a project formed by Tonfon for a tranflation of the Pharfalia by feveral hands ; and Hughes englished the tenth book. But this defign, as must often happen when the concurrence of many is neceffary, fell to the ground; and the whole work was afterwards performed by Rowe.

His acquaintance with the great writers of his time appears to have been very general; but of his intimacy with Addison there is a remarkable proof. It is told on good authority, that Cato was finished and played by his perfuafion. It had long wanted the laft act, which he was defired by Addifon to fupply. If the request was fincere, it proceeded from an opinion, whatever it was, that did not laft long; for, when Hughes came in a week to fhew him his first attempt, he found half an act written by Addifon himself.

He afterwards published the works of Spenser, with his Life, a Gloffary, and a Difcourfe on Allegorical Poetry; a work for which he was well qualified as a judge of the beauties of writing, but perhaps wanted an antiquary's knowledge of the obfolete words. He did not much revive the curiofity of the publick; for near thirty years elapfed before his edition was reprinted. The fame year produced his Apollo and Daphne, of which the fuccefs was very earnestly promoted by Steele, who, when the rage of party did not misguide him, feems to have been a man of boundless benevolence.

VOL. X.

. L

Hughes

Hughes had hitherto fuffered the mortifications of a narrow fortune; but in 1717 the lord chancellor Cowper fet him at ease, by making him fecretary to the commiffions of the peace; in which he afterwards, by a particular requeft, defired his fucceffor lord Parker to continue him. He had now affluence; but fuch is human life, that he had it when his declining health could neither allow him long poffeffion, nor quick enjoyment.

His laft work was his tragedy, The Siege of Damafcus, after which a Siege became a popular title. This play, which still continues on the stage, and of which it is unneceffary to add a private voice to fuch continuance of approbation, is not acted or printed according to the author's original draught, or his fettled intention. He had made Phocyas apoftatize from his religion; after which the abhorrence of Eudocia would have been reasonable, his misery would have been juft, and the horrors of his repentance exemplary. The players, however, required that the guilt of Phocyas fhould terminate in defertion to the enemy; and Hughes, unwilling that his relations fhould lofe the benefit of his work, complied with the alteration.

He was now weak with a lingering confumption, and not able to attend the rehearsal, yet was fo vigorous in his faculties that only ten days before his death he wrote the dedication to his patron lord Cowper. On February 17, 1719-20, the play was represented, and the author died. He lived to hear that it was well received; but paid no regard to the intelligence, being then wholly employed in the meditations of a departing Chriftian.

A man

A man of his character was undoubtedly regretted; and Steele devoted an effay, in the paper called The Theatre, to the memory of his virtues. His life is writen in the Biographia with fome degree of favourable partiality and an account of him is prefixed to his works by his relation the late Mr. Duncombe, a man whofe blameless elegance deserved the fame respect.

The character of his genius I fhall transcribe from the correspondence of Swift and Pope.

66

"A month ago," fays Swift, "were sent me over, "by a friend of mine, the works of John Hughes, Efquire. They are in profe and verse. I never "heard of the man in my life, yet I find your name "as a fubfcriber. He is too grave a poet for me; " and I think among the Mediocrifts in profe as well

as verfe."

To this Pope returns: "To anfwer your question "as to Mr. Hughes; what he wanted in genius, he "made up as an honeft man; but he was of the clafs think him."

you

In Spence's Collection Pope is made to fpeak of him with still lefs refpect, as having no claim to poetical reputation but from his tragedy.