the living, I should have had lefs to fay about Lorenzo. They who lament that

thefe misfortunes happened to Young,

forget the praise he beftows upon Socrates, in the Preface to Night Seven, for refenting his friend's requeft 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, though he lived almoft forty years after he took Orders, which included one whole reign uncommonly long, and part of another, he was never thought worthy of the leaft preferment. The author of the Night Thoughts ended his days upon a Living which came to

him

him from his College without any favour, and to which he probably had an eye when he determined on the Church. To fatisfy curiofity of this kind is, at this distance of time, far from easy. The parties themselves know not often, at the inftant, why they are neglected. The neglect of Young is by fome afcribed 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

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 "fuitable notice of your great merit "hath not been taken by persons in

power. But how to remedy the omif

fion, I fee not. No encouragement "hath ever been given me to mention "things of this nature to his Majefty. "And therefore, in all likelihood, the "only confequence of doing it would be (C weakening the little influence, which "elfe I may poffibly have on fome other "occafions. Your fortune and your re

putation fet you above the need of "advancement; 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 Princess Dowager.

One obstacle muft 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. He was always the Lion of his master Milton, pawing to get free his binder parts. By this conduct, if he gained fome friends, he made many ene

mies.

Befides,

Befides, 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 friendfhip 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 also recedes; in life it is truly thus. He who retires from the world, will find himself, in reality, deferted as fast, if not fafter, by the world. The public is not to be treated as the vain coxcomb treats his miftrefs-to be threatened with defertion, in order to increafe fondness.