were fpect of, and received continual marks of esteem from, men of genius and letters, without ever being involved in any of their quarrels, or drawing upon himfelf the least mark of dislaste, or even diffatisfaction. The greatest part of the last twenty years of his life fpent in ease and retirement, and he gave himfelf no trouble about reputation. When the celebrated Voltaire was in England, he waited upon Congreve, and paffed fome compliments upon him as to the reputation and merit of his Works; Congreve thanked him, but at the fame time told that ingenious foreigner he did not chufe to be confidered as an Author, but only as a private Gentleman, and in that light expected to he vifited. Voltaire answered, "That if he had never "been any thing but a private gentleman, in all probability he had never been troubled with that vifit." Mr. Voltaire, upon this occafion, obferves, that he was not a little difgusted with founfeasonable a piece of vanity:this was indeed the highest instance of it that perhaps can be produced. A man who owed to his wit and writings the reputation as well as the fortune he acquired, pretending to divest himself of human nature to fuch a degree as to have no confciousness of his own merit, was the most abfurd picce of vanity that ever entered into the heart of man;` and of all vanity that is the greatest which masks itfelf under the appearance of the opposite quality. Towards the clofe of his life he was much troubled with the gout, and for this reason, in the fummer of the year 1728, he made a tour to Bath, for the benefit of the waters, where he had the misfortune to be overturned in his chariot, from which time he complained of a pain in his fide, which was fuppofed to arife from fome inward bruise. Upon his return to London he perceived his health gradually decline, which he bore with fortitude and refignation. On January the 19th 1728-9, he yielded his laft breath, about five o'clock in the morning, at his house in Surrey-street in the Strand, in the 57th year of his age. On the Sunday following, January 26, his corpse lay in ftate in the Jerufalem-Chamber, from whence, the fame evening, between the hours of nine and ten, it was carried with great decency and folemnity to Henry the VIIth's Chapel; and after the funeral fervice was performed, it was interred in the Abbey. The pall was fupported by the Duke of Bridgewater, Earl of Godolphin, LordCobham, Lord Wilmington, the Hon. George Berkley, Esq and Brigadier-general Churchill, and Colonel Congreve followed his corpfe as chief mourner. Some time after a neat and elegant monument was erected to his memory by Henrietta Dutchefs of Marlborough, with this infcription, "Mr. William Congreve died Jan. 19. 1728, aged * fifty-fix, and was buried near this place; to whose "most valuable memory this monument is fet up "by Henrietta Dutchess of Marlborough, as a mark "how dearly fhe remembers the happiness and ho nour the enjoyed in the fincere friendship of fo worthy and honeft a man, whose virtue, candour, "and wit, gained him the love and esteem of the "prefent age, and whofe writings will be the admi❝ration of the future." Mr. Congreve's reputation is fo extensive, and his Works fo generally read, that any specimen of his poetry may be deemed fuperfluous.' We shall conclude the life of this eminent wit with the teftimony of Mr. Pope in his favour, from the clofe of his Poftfcript to the translation of Homer: it is in every refpect fo honourable, that it would be injurious to Mr. Congreve to omit it.His words are "Inftead of endeavouring to raise a vain monument to myfelf, let me leave behind me a memo"rial of my friendship with one of the most valuable 66 'men, as well as the finest writers, of my age and country: one who has tried, and knows by his own experience, how hard an undertaking it is to do justice to Homer, and one who I am fure fincercly "rejoices with me at the period of my labours. To "him, therefore, having brought this long work to a conclufion, I defire to dedicate it, and have the "honour and fatisfaction of placing together, in this 60 manner, the nan es of Mr. Congreve and of A. POPE." EPISTLES. TO THE RIGHT HON. CHARLES LORD HALIFAX, &c. To o you, my Lord, my Muse her tribute pays Of various verfe, in various rude essays: To you the first address'd her early voice, By inclination led, and fix'd by choice; To you, on whose indulgence the depends, Her few collected lays fhe now commends. By no one measure bound her numbers range, And unrefolv'd in choice, delight in change; Her fongs to no diftinguish'd fame aspire, For now fhe tries the reed, anon attempts the lyre. Io In high Parnaffus fhe no birthright claims, Nor drinks deep draughts of Heliconian streams; Yet near the facred mount she loves to rove, Vifits the springs, and hovers round the grove. She knows what dangers wait too bold a flight, IS And fears to fall from an Icarian height; Yet fhe admires the wing that fafely foars, At distance follows, and its track adores. She knows what room, what force, the swan requires Whole tow'ring head above the clouds afpires, 20 And knows as well it is your lowest praise Such heights to reach with equal strength and eafe. 25 And not more bound to aid us than adorn! loft: A true poetick ftate we had deplor'd, Had not your ministry our coin restor'd. 30 7 But fill, my Lord, tho' your exalted name بار The good receiv'd, the giver is forgot. 35 40. 44 |