and a hatter, to mention in his will; and it may serve to reprefs that teftamentary pride, which too often feeks for founding names and titles, to be informed that the author of the Night Thoughts did not blush to leave a legacy to his " friend Henry Stevens, a hat"ter at the Temple-gate." Of these two remaining friends, one went before Young. But, at eighty-four, where," as he fays in The Centaur," is that world into which we "were born?"

The fame humility which marked a housekeeper and a hatter for the friends of the author of the Night Thoughts, had before beftowed the fame title on his footman, in an epitaph in his Church-yard upon James Barker, dated 1749, which I am glad to find in the late collection of his works.

Young and his houfekeeper were ridiculed, with more ill-nature than wit, in a kind of novel published by Kidgell in 1755, called The Card, under the names of Dr. Elwes and Mrs. Fufby. Kidgell had been Young's

curate.

VOL. IV.

E e

In

In April 1765, at an age to which few attain, a period was put to the life of Young. Much is told in the Biographia, which I know not to have been true, of the manner of his burial-of the mafter and children of a charity-school, which he founded in his parish, who neglected to attend their benefactor's corpfe; and of a bell which was not caused to toll fo often as bells ufually toll. Had that humanity, which is here lavished upon things of little confequence either to the living or to the dead, been fhewn in its proper place to the living, I fhould have had lefs to say about Lorenzo. They who lament that these misfortunes happened to Young, forget the praise he bestows upon Socrates, in the Preface to Night Seven, for resenting his friend's request about his funeral.

After his death, Dodfley published a novel called Eliza, of which I have been told that Young was the author.

The curious reader of Young's Life will naturally inquire to what it was owing, that,

5

though

To

though he lived almost forty years after he took Orders, which included one whole reign uncommonly long, and part of another, he was never thought worthy of the least preferment. The author of the Night Thoughts ended his days upon a Living which came to him from his College without any favour, and to which he probably had an eye when he determined on the Church. fatisfy curiofity of this kind is, at this distance of time, far from easy. The parties themfelves know not often, at the inftant, why they are neglected. The neglect of Young is by some ascribed to his having attached himself to the Prince of Wales, and to his having preached an offenfive fermon at St. James's. It has been told me, that he had two hundred a year in the late reign, by the patronage of Walpole; and that, whenever the King was reminded of Young, the only answer was, he has a penfion. All the light thrown on this inquiry, by the following Letter from Secker, only ferves to fhew us at what a late period of life the author of the Night Thoughts folicited preferment.

Deanry of St. Paul's, July 8, 1758.

"Good Dr. Young,

"I have long wondered, that more fuit"able notice of your great merit hath not

been taken by perfons in power. But "how to remedy the omiffion, I fee not. "No encouragement hath ever been given ""me to mention things of this nature to "his Majefty. And therefore, in all likeli"hood, the only confequence of doing it "would be weakening the little influence, which elfe I may poffibly have on fome "other occafions. Your fortune and your

reputation fet you above the need of ad<c vancement; and your fentiments, above "that concern for it, on your own account, which, on that of the Public, is fincerely felt by

"Your loving Brother,

"THOS. CANT."

At laft, at the age of fourfcore, he was appointed, in 1761, Clerk of the Closet to the Princefs Dowager.

One obftacle must have stood not a little in the way of that preferment after which' his whole life panted. Though he took Orders he never intirely fhook off Politics. Hel was always the Lion of his mafter Milton, pawing to get free his hinder parts. By this conduct, if he gained fome friends, he made many enemies.

Besides, in the latter part of life, Young was fond of holding himself out for a man retired from the world. The fame line which contains oblitus meorum, contains alfo oblivifcendus & illis. The brittle chain of worldly friendship and patronage is broken as effectually, when one goes beyond the length of it, as when the other does. To the veffel which is failing from the fhore, it only appears that the fhore alfo recedes; in life it is truly thus. He who retires from the world, will find himself, in reality, deferted as fast, if not faster, by the world. The publick is not to be treated as the vain coxcomb treats his mistress-to be threatened with defertion,

in order to increase fondnefs.