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Has fix'd thee in the Mufes' faireft feat,

Where Aldrich reigns, and from his endless store Of univerfal knowledge ftill fupplies

His noble care: he generous thoughts inftils

Of true nobility, their country's love,

Chief end of life, and forms their ductile minds

613. Where Aldrich reigns.]

615

Dr. Henry Aldrich, a man of very extenfive literature and fuperior abilities, was made Dean of Chrift Church in Oxford at the Revolution, and, during more than twenty years that he held the Deanery, was the "decus et præfidium" of his college, where he zealously promoted in others that learning, religion and virtue, of which he was himself a bright and fingular example. A confiderable atteftation of his great and amiable qualities may be adduced from a paffage in T. Hearne's Preface to his third volume of Leland's ITINERARY.

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"When the fecond volume of this work was almost finished at the prefs, we received the melancholy and afflicting news of the lofs of the "Reverend Dr. Henry Aldrich, Dean of Chrift Church, who died at "London, on Thursday December 14, 1710, and was buried eight days "after (viz. on Friday, December 22,) in the Dormitory of the Cathe"dral of Chrift Church. If we confider him either as a Chriftian, a Gen"tleman, or a Scholar, he was one of the greateft men in England. And as he was a very learned man, fo, like Bishop Fell, he always encouraged "and promoted learning to the utmoft of his power. As foon as the first "volume of this Itinerary was put into his hands, he read it over with great care, and prefently after fent for me, fpoke very honorably of the performance, commended the defign and the method obferved by me, "and in the moft obliging terms (for he was eminent for modesty and humility) offered to aflift me with whatever money I should have occa"fion for in putting out the following volumes. I mention the authority "of this truly great man, not out of vanity or oftentation, or that I think the highest encomium can add any thing to the character of fo "illuftrious and extraordinary a perfon, but partly out of a due fense of gratitude, and partly by way of oppofition to the objections that have "been made against the undertaking.'

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Extract from T. Hearne's Preface to the 3d volume of Leland's

ITINERARY.

Dr. Aldrich was born in London in the year 1647; was educated at Westminster under Bulby; purfued his ftudies at Chrift Church under Dr. Fell; was made Canon of Christ Church in 1681, Dean in 1689, and died in 1710,

Το

3. Hanmer.] perfon here noticed was Sir Thomas Hanmer, of Hanmer in ire, fon of William Hanmer, Efq. and grandson of the second Barohe name, He was, at the fame time with our Poet, a member of Church in Oxford. He firft ferved in Parliament for Flintshire, rds in feveral fucceeding Parliaments for the county of Suffolk, and ofen Speaker of the Houfe of Commons in the twelfth year of Anne. He was Editor of a very pompous edition of Shakespear to, printed at the Clarendon Prefs at his expence and prefented by the University of Oxford: it is ridiculed in the Dunciad.

Bromley.]

family of Bromley of Baggington, in Warwickshire, defcended he Bromleys of Bromley, in the county of Stafford.-William ey, in the 16th of James I. purchased the eftate at Baggington family of Rainsford. His fon William took up arms for King s I. and, having suffered much for his caufe, was at the Restoration a Knight of the Bath. He married Urfula, daughter of Lord and by her was father of William Bromley, the gentleman here imented by our Author; which William Bromley was born in the 664, and at the age of fifteen was entered Gentleman Commoner of Church in Oxford, where he was fo generally refpected, that, after twice ferved for his native county, he was chofen in feveral fuc Parliaments to reprefent that Univerfity. He was a very able, member of Parliament, and a great leader of the Tory Party. In year of Queen Anne he was chofen Speaker, and, after the diffoof that Parliament, was made Secretary of State, from which office s difmiffed on the Acceffion of George I.

th

Refpect

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Respect Wintonia bows, and joyful owns
Thy mitred offspring, be for ever bleft
With like examples, and to future times
Proficuous, fuch a race of men produce,
As, in the cause of virtue firm, may fix

625

Her throne inviolate! Hear, ye Gods, this vow From one, the meanest in her numerous train; 630 Though meaneft, not leaft ftudious of her praife!

Wintonia

624. Thy mitred offsprings, and joyful owne

Peter Mew, or Mews, Bishop of Winchester, was born at Purfe Caundel, near Shireborne in Dorsetshire, in the year 1619. He was educated at Merchant Taylor's School, whence, at the age of eighteen, he was elected Fellow of St. John's College Oxford, On the breaking out of the Civil war he bore arms for the King; but proceeded as Master of Arts in the University in 1645. In 1648 he was ejected from his fellowship, when zeal, and perhaps neceffity, fent him again into the field. He was Secretary to Middleton, when he was fent to command the infurrection which the Highlanders of Scotland, made in favor of Charles II. in 1653; he also served under the Duke of York in Flanders. During the interregnum, he took orders and was prefented to the Rectory of Lambourn in Effex, which he was not fuffered to enjoy ; but after the Restoration he was foon preferred in the church, being made King's Chaplain and Canon of Windfor. In 1667 he was chofen Prefident of St. John's College, and appointed to the Deanery of Rochefter. On the death of Bishop Creighton, he was made Bishop of Bath and Wells, and in 1684 fucceeded Bishop Morley in the See of Winchefter.-The following year he attended King James's army against the Duke of Monmouth, where he displayed his military skill and fpirit, by directing the pofition of the cannon, and employing his coach-horfes in drawing them; for which fervice he was rewarded by the King with a gold medal.-He died No vember 9, 1706, and was fucceeded in the Bishoprick of Winchester by Sir Jonathan Trelawney. Bifhop Burnet fays," he knew very little of divinity or of any other learning, and was weak to a childish degree; "yet obfequioufnefs and zeal raised him through feveral fteps to the great fee he poffeffled."

627. Proficuous.]

This is one of thofe exotic words which Philips has been cenfured for ufing. It is not eafy to fay what induced him to tranfplant it; as we do not find proficuus used by any Latin author of the purer age.

Mufe,

BOOK I.

CIDER.

7x

635

Muse, raise thy voice to Beaufort's fpotlefs fame; To Beaufort, in a long defcent deriv'd From royal ancestry, of kingly rights Faithful afferters: in him centering meet Their glorious virtues, high defert from pride Disjoin'd, unfhaken honor, and contempt Of strong allurements. O illuftrious Prince! O thou of ancient faith! exulting, thee, In her fair lift, this happy land inrols.

633.- Beaufort, in a long defcent deriv'd

From royal ancestry, of kingly rights
Faithful afferters]

640.

The Dukes of Beaufort may be described, atavis editi regibus," derived" "from royal ancestry," being lineally defcended from John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and fon of Edward III. who caused all his natural children by Catharine Swinford (whom he afterwards married, and which children were ligitimated by an Act of Parliament, 20th Richard II.), to take the name of Beaufort, from the castle of Beaufort, in the province of Anjou, the place of their nativity.

The nobleman here noticed was Henry, the fecond Duke of Beaufort, fon of Charles Marquis of Worcester, and grandfon of Henry firft Duke of Beaufort. He was born in April 1684. The year Philips died, he was on his travels, as we learn from Edmund Smith's Verses, where he is mentioned among those friends of our Poet who particularly lamented his death:

Thee, on the Po, kind Somerset deplores.

He was ftrong in the political principles of our Poet and his friends, and did not go to Court till after the change of the Ministry in the year 1710, when he is faid to have told the Queen he could then call her Queen in reality." The Duke of Beaufort has fome eftates in Herefordshire; his property in the adjoining county of Monmouth is very confiderable.

637. Unfbaken honor.]

Lucan has the oppofite phrafe of CONCUSSA FIDES,

PHARS. I. 182.

639. of ancient faith.] The Goddefs Fides, or Faith, is commonly ftiled cana and prifca by the Roman Poets. The antiquity of her temple, which was built by

Numa,

Who can refufe a tributary verse

To Weymouth, firmest friend of flighted worth
In evil days, whofe hofpitable gate,

Unbarr'd to all, invites a numerous train

Of daily guests, whofe board, with plenty crown'd, Revives the feast-rites old? Meanwhile his care 646 Forgets not the afflicted, but, content

In acts of fecret goodness, fhuns the praise

Numa, is affigned as a reafon for the use of these epithets.
Italicus defcribes Faith as a Deity of primitive times.

Heu PRISCIS numen populis, et nomine folo
Terris nota FIDES!

642. Weymouth.]

i. 329.

Silius

The family of Thynne, Viscount Weymouth, now Marquis of Bath, defcended from the Bottevilles of Poictou in France. Jeoffery and Oliver Botteville, gentlemen of confiderable rank in Poitou, came over in the reign of King John to affift the King against the Barons, and were rewarded with lands at Stretton in Shropshire. From this family defcended John Botteville, who in the time of Edward IV. having taken up his refidence in one of the Inns of Court, was called John of th' Inn, whence he acquired the firname of Th' inn, or Thynne, which his defcendants have retained. Thomas Thynne, grandfon of John of th' Inn, married the heiress of the family of Eynes, or Heynes, of Stretton, in right of whom he poffeffed confiderable Shropshire and Herefordshire property.Thomas Thynne of Draiton, in the county of Salop, the perfon to whom thefe compliments were most deservedly paid by our Poet, was born in 1640, and was elected Member of Parliament for the University of Oxford in 1673. He fucceeded to the property of the elder branch of the family, with the manfion and estate at Longleat in Wiltshire, on the death of Thomas Thynne, Efq. (who was murdered February 12, 1681, by three affaffins, at the inftigation of Count Coningsmark), and the fame year was created Baron Thynne of Warminster in Wiltshire, and Viscount Weymouth in the county of Dorfet. He was a nobleman of great piety, honor, integrity and hofpitality; and, dying without iffue July 28, 1714, was fucceeded by his great nephew, Thomas Viscount Weymouth, father to the prefent Marquis of Bath, who has a good property in and near the borough of Weobley in Herefordshire.

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