lived to be convinced that the effence of verse is order and confonance. His numbers are fuch as mere diligence may attain; they feldom offend the ear, and feldom footh it; they commonly want airinefs, lightness, and facility; what is smooth, is not foft. His verfes always roll, but they feldom flow. A furvey of the life and writings of Prior may exemplify a fentence which he doubtlefs understood well, when he read Horace at his uncle's; the veel long retains the scent which it firft receives. In his private relaxation he revived the tavern, and in his amorous pedantry he exhibited the college. But on higher occafions, and nobler fubjects, when habit was overpowered by the neceffity of reflection, he wanted not wifdóm as a statesman, nor elegance as a-poet. CON CONGRE VE. WILLIAM CONGREVE descended from a family in Staffordshire, of so great antiquity that it claims a place among the few that extend their line beyond the Norman Conqueft; and was the fon of William Congreve, fecond fon of Richard Congreve of Congreve and Stratton. He vifited, once at least, the residence of his ancestors; and, I believe, more places than one are still shewn, groves and gardens, where he is related to have written his Old Batchelor. in Neither the time nor place of his birth are certainly known: if the infcription upon his monument be true, he was born in 1672. For the place; it was said by himself that he owed his nativity to England, and by every body elfe that he was born in Ireland. South ern ern mentioned him with sharp cenfure, as a man that meanly disowned his native country. The biographers affign his nativity to Bardfa*, near Leeds in Yorkshire, from the account given by himself, as they suppose, to Jacob. To doubt whether a man of eminence has told the truth about his own birth, is, in appearance, to be very deficient in candour; yet nobody can live long without knowing that falfehoods of convenience; or vanity, falfehoods from which no evil immediately vifible enfues, except the general degradation of human teftimony, are very lightly uttered, and, once uttered, are fullenly fupported. Boileau, who defired to be thought a rigorous and steady moralift, having told a petty, lie to Lewis XIV. continued it afterwards by false dates; thinking himself obliged in honour, fays his admirer, to maintain what, when he faid it, was fo well received. Wherever Congreve was born, he was educated first at. Kilkenny, and afterwards at Dublin, his father having fome military employment that ftationed him in Ireland: but The Villare has no Bardfa, nor a Bardfey, in Yorkshire. after |