lectual bankruptcy which he affects to fear, he will erect a Bank for Wit.

In this poem he justly cenfured Dryden's impurities, but praised his powers; though in a fubfequent edition he retained the fatire and omitted the praise. What was his reason, I know not; Dryden was then no longer in his way.

His head ftill teemed with heroick poetry, and (1705) he published Eliza in ten books. I am afraid that the world was now weary of contending about Blackmore's heroes; for I do not remember that by any author, ferious or comical, I have found Eliza either praised or blamed. She" dropped," as it seems, "dead"born from the prefs." It is never mentioned, and was never seen by me till I borrowed it for the present occafion. Jacob fays, "it is "corrected, and revised for another impref"fion;" but the labour of revision was thrown away.

From this time he turned fome of his thoughts to the celebration of living characters; and wrote a poem on the Kit-cat Club,

and

and Advice to the Poets how to celebrate the Duke of Marlborough; but on occafion of another year of fuccefs, thinking himself qualified to give more inftruction, he again wrote a poem of Advice to a Weaver of Tapestry. Steele was then publishing the Tatler; and looking round him for fomething at which he might laugh, unluckily lighted on Sir Richard's work, and treated it with fuch contempt, that, as Fenton obferves, he put an end to the fpecies of writers that gave Advice to Painters.

Not long after (1712) he published Creation, a philofophical Poem, which has been, by my recommendation, inferted in the late collection. Whoever judges of this by any other of Blackmore's performances, will do it injury. The praise given it by Addison (Spec. 339) is too well known to be tranfcribed; but fome notice is due to the teftimony of Dennis, who calls it a "philofophical Poem, which has equalled "that of Lucretius in the beauty of its verfi"fication, and infinitely furpassed it in the "folidity and strength of its reasoning."

Why an author furpaffes himself, it is natural to enquire. I have heard from Mr. Dra

per,

per, an eminent bookfeller, an account received by him from Ambrofe Philips, "That Black

more, as he proceeded in this poem, laid his "manufcript from time to time before a club "of wits with whom he affociated; and that

every man contributed, as he could, either "improvement or correction; fo that," faid Philips, "there are perhaps no where in the "book, thirty lines together that now stand as "they were originally written,'

The relation of Philips, I fuppofe, was true; but when all reasonable, all credible allowance is made for this friendly revifion, the author will still retain an ample dividend of praise; for to him muft always be affigned the plan of the work, the distribution of its parts, the choice of topicks, the train of argument, and, what is yet more, the general predominance of philofophical judgement and poetical spirit. Correction feldom effects more than the fuppreffion of faults: a happy line, or a fingle elegance, may perhaps be added; but of a large work the general character must always remain; the original conftitution can be very little helped by local remedies; inherent and

radical

radical dullness will never be much invigorated by extrinfick animation.

This poem, if he had written nothing else, would have tranfmitted him to pofterity among the first favourites of the English Muse; but to make verses was his tranfcendent pleasure, and as he was not deterred by cenfure, he was not fatiated with praise.

He deviated, however, fometimes into other tracks of literature, and condefcended to entertain his readers with plain profe. When the Spectator stopped, he confidered the polite world as deftitute of entertainment; and in concert with Mr. Hughes, who wrote every third paper, published three times a week the Lay Monaftery, founded on the supposition that fome literary men, whofe characters are described, had retired to a house in the country to enjoy philofophical leifure, and refolved to inftruct the publick, by communicating their difquifitions and amufements. Whether any real perfons were concealed under fictitious names, is not known. The hero of the club is one Mr. Johnfon; fuch a conftellation of excellence,

excellence, that his character shall not be fuppreffed, though there is no great genius in the defign, nor fkill in the delineation.

"The first I fhall name is Mr. Johnson, a "gentleman that owes to Nature excellent fa"culties and an elevated genius, and to in"duftry and application many acquired ac"complishments. His taste is diftinguishing, "juft, and delicate; his judgement clear, and "his reason ftrong, accompanied with an ima

gination full of spirit, of great compass, and "ftored with refined ideas. He is a critick of "the first rank; and what is his peculiar or66 nament, he is delivered from the oftentation, "malevolence, and fupercilious temper, that "fo often blemish men of that character. His "remarks refult from the nature and reason of "things, and are formed by a judgement free, " and unbiaffed by the authority of those who "have lazily followed each other in the fame. "beaten track of thinking, and are arrived "only at the reputation of acute grammarians "and commentators; men, who have been

copying one another many hundred years, "without any improvement; or, if they have "ventured farther, have only applied in a me"chanical