thought is wanting. Its highest praise is the spirit with which he celebrates king James's confort, when she was a queen no longer.

The Efay on unnatural Flights in Poetry is not inelegant nor injudicious, and has fomething of vigour beyond moft of his other performances: his precepts are just, and his cautions proper; they are indeed not new, but in a didactic poem novelty is to be expected only in the ornaments and illustrations. His poetical precepts are accompanied with agreeable and instructive notes.

The Mafque of Peleus and Thetis has here and there a pretty line; but it is not always. melodious, and the conclufion is wretched.

In his British Enchanters he has bidden defiance to all chronology, by confounding the inconfiftent manners of different ages; but the dialogue has often the air of Dryden's rhyming plays; and the fongs are lively, though not very correct. This is, I think, far the best of his works; for if it has many faults, it has likewife paffages which are at leaft pretty, though they do not rife to any high degree of excellence.

VOL, IV,

D

YAL.

YAL DE N.

ΤΗ

at the

age

HOMAS YALDEN, the fixth son of Mr. John Yalden of Suffex, was born in the city of Exeter in 1671. Having been educated in the grammar-fchool belonging to Magdalen College in Oxford, he was in 1690, of nineteen, admitted commoner of Magdalen Hall, under the tuition of Jofiah Pullen, a man whofe name is ftill remembered in the university. He became next year one of the fcholars of. Magdalen College, where he was distinguished by a lucky accident.

It was his turn, one day, to pronounce a declamation; and Dr. Hough, the prefident, happening to attend, thought the compofition too good to be the speaker's. Some time after, the doctor finding him a little irregularly busy

in

in the library, fet him an exercise for punishment; and, that he might not be deceived by any artifice, locked the door. Yalden, as it happened, had been lately reading on the subject given, and produced with little difficulty a compofition which so pleased the prefident, that he told him his former fufpicions, and promised to favour him.

Among his contemporaries in the college were Addison and Sacheverell, men who were in those times friends, and who both adopted Yalden to their intimacy. Yalden continued, throughout his life, to think as probably he thought at first, yet did not lose the friendship of Addifon.

When Namur was taken by king William, Yalden made an ode. There was never any reign more celebrated by the poets than that of William, who had very little regard for fong himself, but happened to employ ministers who pleased themselves with the praise of patronage.

Of this ode mention is made in an humorous poem of that time, called The Oxford Laureat; in which, after many claims had been made and rejected, Yalden is reprefented as demandD 2

ing

ing the laurel, and as being called to his trial, inftead of receiving a reward.

His crime was for being a felon in verfe,
And prefenting his theft to the king;
The first was a trick not uncommon or scarce,
But the last was an impudent thing:

Yet what he had ftol'n was fo little worth ftealing.
They forgave him the damage and cost:

Had he ta'en the whole ode, as he took it piecemealing,

They had fin'd him but ten-pence at most.

The poet whom he was charged with robbing was Congreve.

He wrote another poem on the death of the duke of Gloucester.

In 1710 he became fellow of the college; and next year, entering into orders, was prefented by the fociety with a living in Warwickfhire, confiftent with the fellowship, and chofen lecturer of moral philofophy, a very honourable office.

On the acceffion of queen Anne he wrote another poem; and is faid, by the author of the Biographia, to have declared himself of the party who had the honourable diftinction of High-churchmen.

In

In 1706 he was received into the family of the duke of Beaufort. Next year he became doctor in divinity, and foon after refigned his fellowship and lecture; and, as a token of his gratitude, gave the college a picture of their founder.

He was made rector of Chalton and Cleanville, two adjoining towns and benefices in Hertfordshire; and had the prebends, or finecures, of Deans, Hains, and Pendles, in Devonshire. He had before* been chofen, in 1698, preacher of Bridewell Hofpital, upon the refignation of Dr. Atterbury †.

From this time he feems to have led a quiet and inoffenfive life, till the clamour was raised about Atterbury's plot. Every loyal eye was on the watch for abettors or partakers of the horrid confpiracy; and Dr. Yalden, having fome acquaintance with the bishop, and being familiarly converfant with Kelly his fecretary, fell under fufpicion, and was taken into cuf tody.

*Not till long after. N.

+ Dr. Atterbury retained the office of preacher at Bridewell, till his promotion to the Bishoprick of Rochester. Dr. Yalden facceeded him as preacher in June, 1713. N.