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"the fame tranquillity of mind, and "the fame indifference for life, as "though he had been upon taking but

a fhort journey. He was twice mar"ried, first to a daughter of Mr. Par"fons, one of the auditors of the re“venue; and afterwards to a daughter "of Mr. Devenifh, of a good family "in Dorfetfhire. By the first he had a "fon; and by the fecond a daughter, "married afterwards to Mr. Fane. He "died the fixth of December, 1718, in "the forty-fifth year of his age; age; and "was buried the nineteenth of the fame "month in Weftminfter-abbey, in the "ifle where many of our English poets 66 are interred, over-againft Chaucer, "his body being attended by a felect

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"number of his friends, and the dean "and choir officiating at the funeral."

To this character, which is appa

rently given with the fondness of a friend, may be added the testimony of Pope; who fays, in a letter to Blount, "Mr. Rowe accompanied me, and

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paffed a week in the Foreft. I need

"not tell you how much a man of his "turn entertained me; but I must ac"quaint you, there is a vivacity and gaiety of difpofition, almoft peculiar

66

"to him, which make it impoffible to

66

part from him without that uneafi

"nefs which generally fucceeds all our "pleasure."

Pope has left behind him another mention of his companion, lefs advan

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tageous, which is thus reported by Dr.

Warburton:

"Rowe, in Mr. Pope's opinion, main"tained a decent character, but had no

"heart.

Mr. Addison was juftly of

"fended with fome behaviour which "arofe from that want, and eftranged "himself from him; which Rowe felt << very feverely. Mr. Pope, their com"mon friend, knowing this, took an "" opportunity, at fome juncture of Mr. "Addifon's advancement, to tell him. "how poor Rowe was grieved at "his difpleasure, and what fatisfaction. "he expreffed at Mr. Addifon's good "fortune; which he expreffed fo na"turally, that he (Mr. Pope) could not "but think him fincere. Mr. Addifon

"replied,

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66

replied, "I do not fufpect that he feigned; but the levity of his heart "is fuch, that he is ftruck with any "new adventure, and it would affect "him juft in the fame manner if he "heard I was going to be hanged." "Mr. Pope faid, he could not deny "but Mr. Addison understood Rowe "well."

This cenfure Time has not left us the power of confirming or refuting; but obfervation daily fhews, that much ftrefs is not to be laid on hyperbolical accufations, and pointed fentences, which even he that utters them defires to be applauded rather than credited. Addifon can hardly be supposed to have meant all that he faid. Few characters can

bear

bear the mifcrofcopick fcrutiny of wit quickened by anger; and perhaps the beft advice to authors would be, that they should keep out of the way of one another.

Rowe is chiefly to be confidered as a tragick writer and a tranflator. In his attempt at comedy he failed fo ignominiously, that his Biter is not inferted in his works; and his occafional poems and fhort compofitions are rarely worthy of either praise or cenfure; for they feem the casual sports of a mind fecking rather to amufe its leifure than to exer

cife its powers.

In the conftruction of his dramas, there is not much art; he is not a nice obferver of the Unities. He extends

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