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ROSCOMMON.

WE

ENTWORTH DILLON, earl of Rofcommon, was born in Ireland, during the lieutenancy of Strafford, who, being his godfather, gave him his own furname. His father had been converted by Ufher to the protestant religion; and when the popish rebellion broke out, Strafford, thinking the family in great danger from the fury of the Irish, fent for his godfon, and placed him at his own feat in Yorkshire, where he was inftructed in Latin; which he learned so as to write it with purity and elegance, though he was never able to retain the rules of grammar.

Such is the account given by Mr. Fenton, from whofe notes on Waller most of this account must be borrowed, though I know not whether all that he relates is certain. The instructer whom he affigns to Rofcommon is one Dr. Hall, by whom he cannot mean the famous Hall, then an old man and a bishop.

When the ftorm broke out upon Strafford, his house was a shelter no longer; and Dillon, by the advice of Ufher, went to Caen, where the Proteftants had then an university, and continued his ftudies under Bochart.

Young Dillon, who was fent to study under Bochart, and who is represented as having al

ready

ready made great proficiency in literature, could not be more than nine years old. Strafford went to govern Ireland in 1633, and was put to death eight years afterwards. Tha the was sent to Caen is certain; that he was a great fcholar may be doubted.

At Caen he is faid to have had some preternatural intelligence of his father's death.

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"The lord Rofcommon, being a boy of ten years of age, at Caen in Normandy, one day was, as it were, madly extravagant, in playing, leaping, getting over the tables, boards, "&c. He was wont to be fober enough; they "faid, God grant this bodes no ill-luck to him. "In the heat of this extravagant fit, he cries

out, My father is dead. A fortnight after

news came from Ireland that his father was "dead. This account I had from Mr. Knolles, "who was his governor, and then with him, "-fince secretary to the earl of Strafford; " and I have heard his lordship's relations con"firm the fame." Aubrey's Mifcellany.

The prefent age is very little inclined to favour any accounts of this kind, nor will the name of Aubrey much recommend it to credit: it ought not, however, to be omitted, because better evidence of a fact cannot easily be found than is here offered, and it must be by preferving fuch relations that we may at last judge how much they are to be regarded. If we ftay to examine this account, we shall see difficulties on both fides: here is a relation of a fact given by a man who had no interest to deceive, and who could not be deceived himfelf; and here is, on the other hand, a miracle which produces no effect; the order of nature is inter

rupted

rupted to discover not a future, but only a distant event, the knowledge of which is of no use to him to whom it is revealed. Between these difficulties, what way fhall be found? Is reason or testimony to be rejected? I believe what Osborne fays of an appearance of fanctity, may be applied to fuch impulfes or anticipations as this: Do not wholly flight them, becaufe they may be true; but do not easily trust them, because they may be falfe.

The state both of England and Ireland was at this time such, that he who was abfent from either country had very little temptation to return: and therefore Rofcommon, when he left Caen, travelled into Italy, and amused himself with its antiquities, and particularly with medals, in which he acquired uncommon skill.

At the Restoration, with the other friends of monarchy, he came to England, was made captain of the band of penfioners, and learned fo much of the diffolutenefs of the court, that he addicted himself immoderately to gaming, by which he was engaged in frequent quarrels, and which undoubtedly brought upon him its ufual concomitants, extravagance and distress,

After fome time a difpute about part of his eftate forced him into Ireland, where he was made by the duke of Ormond captain of the guards, and met with an adventure thus related by Fenton:

"He was at Dublin as much as ever diftempered with the fame fatal affection for play, "which engaged him in one adventure that "well deferves to be related. As he returned to his lodgings from a gaming table, he was "attacked in the dark by three ruffians, who E e

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were employed to affaffinate him. The earl "defended himself with fo much refolution, "that he difpatched one of the aggreffors; "whilft a gentleman, accidentally paffing that way, interpofed and difarmed another: the "third fecured himself by flight. This generous affiftant was a difbanded officer, of a "good family and fair reputation; who, by "what we call partiality of fortune, to avoid cenfuring the iniquities of the times, wanted even a plain fuit of cloaths to make a decent appearance at the Caftle. But his lordship, on this occafion, prefenting him to the duke "of Ormond, with great importunity prevail"ed with his grace, that he might refign his poft of captain of the guards to his friend;

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which for about three years the gentleman enjoyed, and, upon his death, the duke re"turned the commiffion to his generous bene"factor."

When he had finifhed his bufinefs, he returned to London; was made master of the horfe to the dutchefs of York; and married the lady Frances, daughter of the earl of Burlington, and widow of colonel Courteney.

He now bufied his mind with literary projects, and formed the plan of a fociety for refining our language, and fixing its standard; in imitation, fays Fenton, of thofe learned and polite focieties with which he had been acquainted abroad. In this defign his friend Dryden is said to have affifted him.

The fame defign, it is well known, was revived by Dr. Swift in the miniftry of Oxford; but it has never fince been publickly mentioned, though at that time great expectations

were

were formed by fome at least of its establishment and its effects. Such a fociety might, perhaps, without much difficulty be collected; but that it would produce what is expected from it, may be doubted.

The Italian academy feems to have obtained its end. The language was refined, and fo fixed that it has changed but little. The French academy thought that they refined their language, and doubtless thought rightly; but the event has not fhewn that they fixed it; for the French of the prefent time is very different from that of the last century.

In this country an academy could be expected to do but little. If an academician's place were profitable, it would be given by interest; if attendance were gratuitous, it would be rarely paid, and no man would endure the least difguft. Unanimity is impoffible, and debate would separate the affembly.

But fuppofe the philological decree made and promulgated, what would be its authority? In abfolute governments, there is fometimes a general reverence paid to all that has the fanction of power, and the countenance of greatnefs. How little this is the ftate of our country needs not to be told. We live in an age in which it is a kind of publick sport to refuse all respect that cannot be enforced. The edicts of an English academy would probably be read by many, only that they might be fure to dif obey them.

That our language is in perpetual danger of corruption cannot be denied; but what prevention can be found? The prefent manners of the nation would deride authority, and therefore

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