phon's Cyropædia. This was afterwards transformed into a poem, a juvenile work, so long, that with two other efforts which his partiality for his early productions afterwards induced him to publish, it was thought prudent to omit in the collection of his Poetical Works recently published.

Music was the only amusement which could induce him to relax from his study of books: the love of that enchanting science seems to have been naturally united with his disposition, even from an infant. As he advanced in life, he became a proficient upon almost every musical instrument: but the organ appears to have been his favourite; and during the time of his being at school, he nearly completed the building of a small one: a work interrupted by his quitting. school for Oxford.

In 1780 he was entered a Commoner of St. Mary Hall, Oxford: and at the election in 1782 he was chosen a Demy of St. Mary Magdalen College. Now finding himself freed from the restrictions of a school-boy, and a more ample field opening to the encouragement of his poetical taste, his application to books and poesy became almost unlimited.

His friends in Oxford were few and select, and only such as were endeared to him by goodnature, conformity of opinion, and fellowship in study. Among those who contributed to his support and encouragement, we must not omit to mention, with much respect, the Right Rev. George Horne, D. D. late Bishop of Norwich, and President of Magdalen College; the Rev. Dr. Routh, President of the same College; the Rev. Dr. Sheppard, of Amport and Basingstoke; and his esteemed friend and tutor at St. Mary Hall, the Rev. Dr. Rathbone, of Buckland.

At the commencement of every vacation, he returned to his mother at Bishopstone, and devoted this interval of relaxation from his own studies, to the assiduous instruction of his four younger sisters in those branches of literature which he thought might be most beneficial to them. To his applica tion and industry they owe all which they have ever acquired..

About the year 1784 he went to Stanmer in Sussex, where he resided for some considerable time, as tutor to the late Earl of Chichester's youngest son, Mr. George Pelham, since Lord Bishop of Bristol, and latterly of Exeter; of whose literary attainments, and good qualities, I cannot more justly express his opinion, than by making

the following extract from one of his letters, written to William Cowper, Esq. dated 1792. • Mr. George Pelham is preferred to the valuable living of Bexhill, about twelve miles from Burwash. He is just turned of five and twenty, and is already in possession of two livings. If he mount with such rapidity, it cannot be long before he obtains, what his good qualities cannot fail to adorn, a mitre. Whatever his fortune, I am satisfied I shall never feel myself less than proud to own he was once my pupil. Indeed, of the whole family I could draw a picture, which even the most cynical judgment would allow had traits of the truest nobility.'

In May 1785, having obtained the degree of Bachelor of Arts, he retired to the curacy of Burwash in Sussex; his Rector being the Rev. John Courtail, Archdeacon of Lewes. In this situation he resided six years.

In 1786, he was elected Probationer Fellow of Magdalen College; and the following year took his Master of Arts degree. Now finding himself sufficiently enabled to assist his mother in the support of her family, he hired a small house, and took three of his sisters to reside with him.

It is the general custom of those who describe the life of an Author, to deliver a critical opinion

upon each of his works. Many reasons induce me not to attempt what I trust I may with propriety decline. Yet in my zeal to promote the reputation of a dear departed brother, I hope it may not be improper for me to cite in this memoir a most respectable authority in his favour. I mean those expressions of friendly praise on several of his publications, which I have selected from the letters addressed to him by his favourite friend, the late Mr. Cowper; because he himself used to consider the praise of that excellent person, as the most delightful reward of his literary labour.

It was at this time that our Author first appeared before the public as a poet. In 1788 he published his Village Curate, the reception of which far exceeded his expectations; a second edition being called for the following year, and afterwards a third, and a fourth, which last he considerably improved.

I shall here quote a passage from a letter which he afterwards received from Mr. Cowper.

'I have always entertained, and have occasionally avowed, a great degree of respect for the abilities of the unknown author of the Village Curate, unknown at that time, but now well known, and not to me only, but to many. You will

per

ceive, therefore, that you are no longer an Author incognito: the writer, indeed, of many passages which have fallen from your pen could not long continue so. Let genius, true genius, conceal itself where it may, we may say of it, as the young man in Terence of his beautiful mistress, diu latere non potest?'

His second production was, a Poem entitled Adriano; or, the first of June; which was followed in a short time by the three other Poems already alluded to, Panthea, Elmer and Ophelia, and the Orphan Twins. He next proceeded on a biblical research, in comparing the Hebrew with the English version of the Bible, and published in 1790 A critical Dissertation on the true Meaning of the Hebrew Word or found in Genesis i. 21.

In 1791, through the interest of the Earl of Chichester, he was appointed to the living of Bishopstone. In this year he wrote the Tragedy of Sir Thomas More; and his select critical Remarks upon the English version of the first ten Chapters of Genesis.

I shall here again cite a short passage found in a letter from Mr. Cowper to Lady Hesketh, relative to this tragedy.