1 the Rife of Woman, the Fairy Tale, and the Pervigilium He tells us, that the Bookworm is borrowed from Beza; but he should have added, with modern applications and when he discovers that Gay Bacchus is tranflated from Augurellus, he ought to have remarked that the latter part is purely Parnell's. Another poem, When Spring comes on, is, he fays, taken from the French. I would add, that the defcription of Barrenness, in his verfes to Pope, was borrowed from Secundus; but lately fearching for the paffage which I had formerly read, I could not find it. The Nightpiece on Death is indirectly preferred by Goldfmith to Gray's Church-yard; but, in my opinion, Gray has the advantage in dignity, variety, and originality of fentiment. He obferves that the ftory of the Hermit is in More's Dialogues and Howell's Letters, and fupposes it to have been originally Arabian. Goldsmith has not taken any notice of the Elegy to the old Beauty, which is perhaps the meaneft; nor of the Allegory on Man, the happiest of Parnell's perfor mances. The hint of the Hymn to Contentment I fufpect to have been borrowed from Cleiveland. The general character of Parnell is not great extent of comprehenfion, or fertility of mind. Of the little that appears still lefs is his own. His praise must be derived from the eafy fweetnefs of his diction: in his verfes there is more happiness than pains; he is fpritely without effort, and always delights, though he never ravishes; every thing is proper, yet every thing feems cafual. If there is fome appearance of elaboration in the Hermit, the narrative, as it is lefs airy, is lefs pleaf ing. Of his other compofitions it is impoffible to say whether they are the productions of Nature, fo excellent as not to want the help of Art, or of Art fo refined as to refemble Nature. This criticism relates only to the pieces published by Pope. Of the large appendages which I find in the last edition, I can only fay that I know not whence they came, nor have ever enquired whither they are going. They ftand upon the faith of the compilers. GART H. AMUEL GARTH was of a good family in SA Yorkshire, and from fome school in his own country became a ftudent at Peter-houfe in Cambridge, where he refided till he commenced doctor of phyfick on July the 7th, 1691. He was examined before the College at London on March the 12th, 1691-2, and admitted fellow July 26th, 1692. He was foon sa much diftinguished by his converfation and accomplishments, as to obtain very extenfive practice; and, if a pamphlet of thofe times may be credited, had the favour and confidence of one party, as Ratcliffe had of the other. He is always mentioned as a man of benevolence ; and it is juft to fuppofe that his defire of helping the helplefs difpofed him to fo much zeal for the Difpenfary; an undertaking of which fome account, however fhort, is proper to be given, Whether what Temple fays be true, that phyficians have had more learning than the other facul cies, I will not ftay to enquire; but, I believe, every man has found in phyficians great liberality, and dignity of fentiment, very prompt effufion of beneficence, and willingness to exert a lucrative art, where there is no hope of lucre. Agreeably to this character, the College of Physicians, in July 1687, published an edict, requiring all the fellows, candidates, and licentiates, to give gratuitous advice to the neighbouring poor.. This edict was fent to the Court of Aldermen; and a queftion being made to whom the appellation of the poor fhould be extended, the College answered, that it fhould be fufficient to bring a teftimonial from a clergyman officiating in the parifh where the patient refided. After a year's experience, the phyficians found their charity frustrated by fome malignant oppofition, and made to a great degree vain by the high price of phyfick; they therefore voted, in Auguft 1688, that the laboratory of the College fhould be accommodated to the preparation of medicines, and another room prepared for their reception; and that the contributors to the expence fhould manage the charity. It was now expected that the Apothecaries would have undertaken the care of providing medicines; but they took another courfe. Thinking the whole defign pernicious to their intereft, they endeavoured to raise a faction against it in the College, and found fome physicians mean enough to folicit their patronage, by betraying to them the counfels of the College. The greater part, however, enforced by a new edict, in 1694, the former order of 1687, and fent it to the mayor and aldermen, who appointed a committee to treat with the College, and fettle the mode of adminiftring the charity. It was defired by the aldermen, that the teftimonials of churchwardens and overfeers fhould be admitted; and that all hired fervants, and all apprentices to handicraftfimen, fhould be confidered as poor. This likewife was granted by the College. It was then confidered who fhould diftribute the medicines, and who fhould fettle their prices. The Phyficians procured fome apothecaries to undertake the difpenfation, and offered that the Warden and Company of the apothecaries fhould adjust the price. This offer was rejected; and the apothecaries who had engaged to affift the charity were confidered as traytors to the company, threatened with the impofition of troublefome offices, and deterred from the performance of their engagements. The apothecaries ventured upon public oppofition, and prefented a kind of remonftrance against the defign to the committee of the city, which the physicians condefcended to confute: and at least the traders feem to have prevailed among the fons of trade; for the propofal of the college having been considered, a paper of approbation was drawn up, but poftponed and forgotten. The phyficians ftill perfifted; and in 1696 a fubfcription was raifed by themfelves, according to an agreement prefixed to the Difpenfary. The poor were for a time fupplied with medicines; for how long a time, I know not. The medicinal charity, like others, began with ardour, but foon remitted, and at laft died gradually away. About the time of the fubfcription begins the action of the Difpenfary. The Poem, as its fubject was prefent |