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Magna Procerum

Frequentia huc elatus, 1707.

It is reported that the juvenile compofitions of Stepney made grey authors blush. I know not whether his poems will appear such wonders to the prefent age. One cannot always eafily find the reason for which the world has sometimes confpired to fquander praise. It is not very unlikely that he wrote very early as well as he ever wrote; and the performances of youth have many favourers, because the authors yet lay no claim to publick honours, and are therefore not confidered as rivals by the diftributors of fame.

He apparently profeffed himself a poet, and added his name to those of the other wits in the version of Juvenal; but he is a very licentious tranflator, and does not recompenfe his neglect of the author by beauties of his own. In his original poems, now and then, a happy line may perhaps be found, and now and then a fhort compofition may give pleasure. But there is in the whole little either of the grace of wit, or the vigour of nature.

WALSH.

WAL

S H.

WILLIAM WALSH, the fon of

Jofeph Walsh, Efq; of Abberley in Worcesterfhire, was born in 1663, as appears from the account of Wood; who relates, that at the age of fifteen he became, in 1678, a gentleman commoner of Wadham college.

He left the university without a degree, and purfued his ftudies in London and at home; that he ftudied, in whatever place, is apparent from the effect; for he became, in Mr. Dryden's opinion, the best critick in the nation,

He was not, however, merely a critick or a scholar. He was likewise a member of parliament and a courtier, knight of the fhire for his native county in several parliaments; in another the reprefentative of Richmond in Yorkshire, and gentleman of the horse to Queen Anne under the duke of Somerfet.

Some of his verfes fhew him to have been a zealous friend to the Revolution; but his political ardour did not abate his reverence or kindness for Dryden, to whom he gave a Dissertation on Virgil's Paftorals, in which, however studied, he discovers fome ignorance of the laws of French verfification.

In 1705, he began to correfpond with Mr. Pope, in whom he difcovered very early the power of poetry. Their letters are written Hh

upon

upon the paftoral comedy of the Italians, and thofe paftorals which Pope was then preparing to publish.

The kindnesses which are first experienced are feldom forgotten. Pope always retained a grateful memory of Walfh's notice, and mentioned him in one of his latter pieces among those that had encouraged his juvenile ftudies;

-Granville the polite,

And knowing Walfh, would tell me I could write.

In his Effay on Criticism he had given him more fplendid praife, and, in the opinion of his learned commentator, facrificed a little of his judgement to his gratitude.

The time of his death I have not learned. It must have happened between 1707, when he wrote to Pope, and 1711, when Pope praifed him in the Effay. The epitaph makes him forty-fix years old: if Wood's account be right, he died in 1709.

He is known more by his familiarity with greater men, than by any thing done or written by himself.

His works are not numerous. In profe he wrote Eugenia, a defence of women; which Dryden honoured with a Preface.

Efculapius, or the Hofpital of Fools, published after his death.

A Collection of Letters and Poems, amorous and gallant, was published in the volumes called Dryden's Mifcellany, and fome other. occafional pieces.

To his Poems and Letters is prefixed a very judicious preface upon Epistolary Compofition and Amorous Poetry.

In

In his Golden age reftored, there was something of humour, when the facts were recent ; but it now strikes no longer. In his imitation of Horace, the first stanzas are happily turned; and in all his writings there are pleasing paffages. He has however more elegance than vigour, and seldom rifes higher than to be pretty.

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