NEW YORK: ALEXANDER V. BLAKE, PUBLISHER. THOMAS, COWPERTHWAIT, & CO., PHILADELPHIA. CONTENT S. OF VOLUME II. LIVES OF THE POETS . • 351 . SIR FRANCIS DRAKE 319 339 342 344 77 Marmor Norfolciense; or, an Essay on an ancient Prophetical Inscription in Monkish Rhyme, lately discovered near Lynn 385 120 Observations on the State of Affairs in 1756 392 121 An Introduction to the Political State of Great 124 Observations on the Treaty between his Britan- nic Majesty and his Imperial Majesty of 128 Introduction to the Proceedings of the Commit- tee appointed to manage the Contributions for Clothing French Prisoners of War, . 403 · 149 On the Bravery of the English Cominon Sol- : 158 The False Alarm, 1770 404 162 Thoughts on the late Transactions respocting 168 Falkland's Islands, 1771. 412 170 The Patriot: addressed to the Eleciors of Greai . 174 Britain, 1774 422 176 Taxation no Tyranny: an Answer to the Reso- 178 lutions and Address of the American Con- 180 . . • 181 224 The Plan of an English Dictionary 264 Preface to the English Dictionary 265 Advertisement to the Fourth Edition of the 271 Preface to the Octavo Edition of the English 275 Miscellaneous Observations on the Tragedy of 276 Macbeth, with Remarks on Sir T. Hanmer's 280 Proposals for Printing the Dramatic Works of 298 General Observations on the Plays of Shak- An Account of the Harleian Library. Preface to the Catalogue of the Harleian An Essay on the Origin and Importance of 305 Small Tracts and Fugitive Pieces, written • 496 3 8 X70 5 . . A view of the Controversy between Monsieur Crousaz and Mr. Warburton on the subject 499 Du Halde's History of China Preliminary Discourse to the London Chronicle 500 Account of the Conduct of the Dutchess of InĻroduction to the “World Displayed” Preface to the “Preceptor : containing a General Memoirs of the Court of Augustus, by Thomas 513 Four Letters from Sir I. Newton to Dr. Bentley 595 the Translation of Father Lobo's Journal of Eight Days' Journey from Portsmouth 515 to Kingston upon Thames, &c. To which 517 is added, An Essay on Tea. By Mr. H*** 596 Preface to "An Essay on Milton's use and imi Reply to a paper in the Gazetteer, May 26, 1757 599 tation of the Moderns in his Paradise Lost” 519 Essay on the Writings and Genius of Pope 601 Evil 604 521 History of the Royal Society of London, by Testimonies concerning Mr. Lauder An Account of an Attempt to ascertain the The General History of Polybius, translated by Considerations on the Plans offered for the Miscellanies on Moral and Religious Subjects, 614 Some Thoughts on Agriculture, both Ancient Historical and Critical Enquiry into Dr. Tytler's and Modern; with an Account of the “Evidence produced by the Earls of Moray Honour due to an English Farmer 533 and Morton against Mary Queen of Scots” 614 Further Thoughts on Agriculture Considerations on the Corn Laws JOURNEY TO THE WESTERN ISLANDS A complete Vindication of the Licensers of the Aberbrothic Stage from the malicious and scandalous Montrose Preface to the Gentleman's Magazine, 1738 544 Slanes Castle. The Buller of Buchan 622 An Appeal to the Public. From the Gentleman's Bamff Considerations on the Case of Dr. T(rapp]'s Fores. Calder. Fort George 624 Proposals for Printing by Subscription “Essays Fall of Fiers in Verse and Prose, by Anna Williams" 549 Fort Augustus 627 ib, Preface to the Literary Magazine, 1756 553 Glensheals. A Dissertation upon the Greek Comedy, trans The Highlands ib. General Conclusion on Brumoy's Greek Theatre 569 Sky, Armidel ib, Preface to Payne's New Tables of Interest. 579 Talisker in Sky Thoughts on the Coronation of his present Ostig in Sky Majesty King George the Third . Preface to the Artists' Catalogue for 1762 583 Grissipol in Col On School Chastisement 584 585 On Lay-Patronage in the Church of Scotland 586 PRAYERS AND MEDITATIONS, with LIVES OF THE ENGLISH POETS CO.W L E Y. THE Life of Cowley, notwithstanding the pen- time, that his teachers never could bring it 10 ré ury of English biography, has been written by tain the ordinary rules of grammar.” Dr. Sprat, an author whose pregnancy of imagin This is an instance of the natural desire of man ation and elegance of language have deservedly to propagate a wonder. It is surely very difficult set him high in the ranks of literature ; but his to tell any thing as it was heard, when Sprat zval of friendship, or ambition of eloquence, has could not refrain from amplifying a commodious produced a funeral oration rather than a history: incident, though the book to which he prefixLe has given the character, not the life, of Cow- ed his narrative contained his confutation. A ley; for he writes with so little detail, that scarcely memory admitting some things, and rejecting any thing is distinctly known, but all is shown others, an intellectual digestion that concocted confused and enlarged through the mist of pane the pulp of learning, but refused the husks, had Eyric. the appearance of an instinctive elegance, of a ABRAHAM COWLEY was born in the year one particular provision made by Nature for literary thousand six hundred and eighteen. His father was politeness. But in the author's own honest relaa grocer, whose condition Dr. Sprat conceals un- tion, the marvel vanishes : he was, he says, such der the general appellation of a citizen; and, whats“ an enemy to all constraint, that his master would probably not have been less carefully sup never could prevail on him to learn the rules pressed, the omission of his name in the register without book.” He does not tell that he could of St. Dunstan's parish gives reason to suspect not learn the rules; but that, being able to perthat his father was a sectary;. Whoever he was, form his exercises without them, and being an he died before the birth of his son, and conse enemy to constraint,” he spared himself the quently left him to the care of his mother; whom labour, Wood represents as struggling earnestly to pro Among the English poets, Cowley, Milton, and cure him a literary education, and who, as she Pope, might be said “to lisp in numbers," and lived to the age of eighty, had her solicitude re- have given such early proofs, not only of powers warded by seeing her son eminent, and I hope, by of language, but of comprehension of things, as seeing him fortunate, and partaking his prosperity. to more tardy minds seem scarcely credible. But We know, at least, from Sprat's account, that of the learned puerilities of Cowley there is no he always acknowledged her care, and justly paid doubt, since a volume of his poems was not only the dues of filial gratitude. written, but printed in his thirteenth year ;* conIn the window of his mother's apartment lay taining, with other poetical compositions, “The Spenser's Fairy Queen; in which he very early tragical History of Pyramus and Thisbe," writtook delight to read, till, by feeling the charms often when he was ten years old; and “Constantia verse, he became, as he relates, irrecoverably a and Philetus," written two years after. poet. Such are the accidents which, sometimes While he was yet at school he produced a coremembered, and perhaps sometimes forgotten, medy called “Love's Riddle,” though it was not produce that particular designation of mind, and published till he had been some time at Campropensity for some certain science or employ- bridge. This comedy is of the pastoral kind, ment, which is commonly called genius. "The which requires no acquaintance with the living true genius is a mind of large general powers, world, and therefore the time at which it was accidentally determined to some particular direc-composed adds little to the wonders of Cowley's tion. Sir Joshua Reynolds, the great painter of minority. the present age, had the first fondness for his art excited by the perusal of Richardson's treatise, By his mother's solicitation he was admitted * This volume was not published before 1633, when into Westminster School, where he was soon dis- Cowley was fifteen years old. Dr. Johnson, as well as tinguished. He was wont, says Sprat, to relate, portrait of Cowley being by mistake inarked with ibe “That he had this defect in his memory at that ! age of thirteen years.-R. |