uncle, by the Mother's fide, had, formerly, been fervitor at Maudlin-college, where the glorious Sacheverel was educated.

Now were the eyes of all the parish upon these our weekly councils. In a fhort fpace, the Minifter came among us; he spake concerning us and our councils to a multitude of other Minifters at the Vifitation, and they fpake thereof unto the Minifters at London, fo that even the bishops heard and marvelled thereat, Moreover, Sir Thomas, member of Parliament, fpake of the fame to other members of parliameut, who fpake thereof unto the Peers of the Realm. Lo! thus did our counfels enter into the hearts of our Generals and our Lawgivers; and from henceforth, even as we devised, thus did they.

After this, the whole book is turned on a fudden, from his own life, to a Hiftory of all the publick Tranfactions of Europe, compiled from the News-papers of thofe times. I could not comprehend the meaning of this, till I perceived at laft (to my no Small astonishment) that all the Measures of the four last years of the Queen, together with the peace at Utrecht, which have been usually attributed to the E-of O————, D— of O0Lords Hand B, and other great men; do here most plainly appear, to have been wholly owing to Robert Jenkins, Amos Turner, George Pilcocks, Thomas White, but above all, to P. P.

The reader may be fure I was very inquifitive after this extraordinary writer, whofe work I have here abftracted. I took a journey into the Country on purpose; but could not find the leat trace of him: till by accident I met an old Clergyman, who faid he could not be positive, but thought it might be one Paul Philips, who had been dead about twelve years. And upon enquiry, al he could learn of that person from the neighbourhood was, That he had been taken notice of for swallowing Loaches, and remembered by fome people by a black and white Cur with one Eas, that conftantly followed bim. D d 2

In

In the Church-yard, I read his Epitaph, faid to be written by

OF THE

POET LAUREATE.

November 19, 1729,

THE time of the clection of Poet Laureate being now at hand, it may be proper to give fome account of the rites and ceremonies anciently used at that folemnity, and only discontinued through the neglect and degeneracy of later times. Thefe we have extracted from an hiftorian of undoubted credit, a reverend bishop, the learned Paulus Jovius; and are the fame that were practised under the pontificate of Leo X. the great restorer of learning.

As we now fee an age and a court, that for the encouragement of poetry rivals, if not exceeds that of this famous Pope, we cannot but wish a restoration of all its bonours to poefy; the rather, fince there are fo many parallel circumftances in the perfon who was then honoured with the laurel, and in him, who (in all probability) is now to wear it.

I fhall translate my author exactly as I find it in the 82d chapter of his Elogia Vir. Doct. He begins with the character of the poet himself, who was the original and father of all Laureates, and called Camillo. He was a plain countryman of Apulia, (whether a shepherd or thresher, is not material.) "This man (fays Jovius) ex"cited by the fame of the great encouragement given "to poets at court, and the high honour in which they << were held, came to the city, bringing with him a strange "kind of lyre in his hand, and at leaft fome twenty

thousand of verfes. All the wits and critics of the court "flocked about him, delighted to fee a clown, with a ruddy, ❝hale complexion, and in his own long hair fo top-full of

poetry; and at the first fight of him all agreed he was

" born

"born to be Poet-Laureate *. He had a moft hearty wel"come in an island of the river Tiber (an agreeable place "not unlike our Richmond), where he was firft made to eat " and drink plentifully, and to repeat his verses to every body. "Then they adorned him with a new and elegant garland,

composed of vine leaves, laurel, and braffica (a fort of "cabbage) fo compofed, fays my author, emblematically, "Ut tam falfe quam lepide ejus temulentia, brafficae remedio « cohibenda, notaretur. He was then faluted by common "confent with the title of archi-poeta, or arch-poet, in the "style of those days, in ours Poet Laureate. This honour "the poor man received with the most fenfible demonftrations of joy, his eyes drank with tears and gladness †, "Next, the public acclamation was expreffed in a can ticle, which is tranfmitted to us, as follows:

Salve, brafficae virens corona,

Et lauro, arch-ipoeta, pampinoque!
Dignus principis auribus Leonis.

All hail, arch-poet, without peer!
Vine, bay, or cabbage, fit to wear,
And worthy of the Prince's ear.

"From hence he was conducted in pomp to the Capitol "of Rome, mounted on an elephant, through the fhouts "of the populace, where the ceremony ended."

The hiftorian tells us further, "That at his introduc❝tion to Leo, he not only poured forth verses innumera«ble, like a torrent, but also sung them with open mouth. Nor "was he only once introduced, or on flated days (like our "Laureates) but made a companion to his mafter, and en"tertained as one of the inftruments of his most elegant

pleasures. When the prince was at table, the poet had his place at the window. When the prince had half

Apulus præpingui vultu alacer, et prolixe comatus, omnino dignus fefta laurea videretur.

† Menantibus præ gaudio oculis.

caten

** eaten * his meat, he gave with his own hands the reft ❝to the poet. When the poet drank, it was out of the "prince's own flaggon, infomuch (fays the hiftorian) "that, through fo great good eating and drinking, he "contracted a moft terrible gout." Sorry I am to relate what follows, but that I cannot leave my reader's curiofity unfatisfied in the catastrophe of this extraordinary man. To ufe my author's words, which are remarkable, mortuo Leone, profligatisque poetis, etc. "When Leo died, << and poets were no more :" (for I would not understand profligatis literally, as if poets then were profligate) this unhappy Laureate was forthwith reduced to return to his country, where, oppreffed with old age and want, he miferably perished in a common hospital.

We fee from this fad conclufion (which may be of example to the poets of our time) that it were happier to meet with no encouragement at all, to remain at the plough, or other lawful occupation, than to be elevated above their condition, and taken out of the common means of life, without a furer support than the temporary, or, at best mortal favours of the great. It was doubtless for this confideration, that when the Royal Bounty was lately extended to a rural genius, care was taken to settle it upon him for life. And it hath been the practice of our Princes, never to remove from the station of Poet Laureate any man who hath once been chosen, though never so much greater Geniuses might arife in his time. A noble inftance, how much the charity of our monarchs hath exceeded their love of fame.

To come now to the intent of this paper. We have here the whole ancient ceremonial of the Laureate. In the first place the crown is to be mixed with vine-leaves, as the vine is the plant of Bacchus, and full as effential to the honour, as the butt of fack to the salary.

Secondly, the braffica must be made use of as a qualifier

Semefis opfoniis,

of