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HUGH E S.

JOHN

OHN HUGHES, the son of a citizen of London, and of Anne Burgess, of an ancient family in Wiltshire, was born at Marlborough, July 29, 1677. He was educated at a private fchool; and though his advances in literature are in the Biographia very oftentatiously displayed, the name of his master is somewhat ungratefully concealed.

To

At nineteen he drew the plan of a tragedy; and paraphrafed, rather too diffufely, the ode of Horace which begins Integer Vita. poetry he added the fcience of mufick, in which he feems to have attained confiderable skill, together with the practice of defign, or rudiments of painting.

His ftudies did not withdraw him wholly from bufinefs, nor did bufinefs hinder him from study. He had a place in the office of ordnance, and was fecretary to several commiffions for purchafing lands necessary to secure the royal docks at Chatham and Portfmouth; yet found time to acquaint himself with modern languages.

In 1697 he published a poem on the Peace of Ryfwick; and in 1699 another piece, called the Court of Neptune, on the return of king William, which he addreffed to Mr. Montague, the general patron of the followers of the Mufes. The fame year he produced a fong on the duke of Gloucester's birth-day.

He did not confine himself to poetry, but cultivated other kinds of writing with great fuccefs; and about this time fhewed his knowledge of human nature by an Essay on the pleafure of being deceived. In 1702 he publifhed, on the death of king William, a Pindarick ode called the Houfe of Nallau; and wrote another paraphrafe on the Otium Divos of

Horace.

In 1703 his ode on Mufick was performed at Stationer's Hall; and he wrote afterwards fix cantatas, which were fet to mufick by the greatest mafter of that time, and feem intended to oppofe or exclude the Italian opera, an exotick and irrational entertainment, which has been always combated, and always has prevailed.

His reputation was now fo far advanced, that the publick began to pay reverence to his name; and he was folicited to prefix a preface to the tranflation of Boccalini, a writer whose fatirical vein coft him his life in Italy; but who never, I believe, found many readers in this country, even though introduced by fuch powerful recommendation.

He tranflated Fontanelle's Dialogues of the Dead; and his verfion was perhaps read at that time, but is now neglected; for by a book not

neceffary,

neceffary, and owing its reputation wholly to its turn or diction, little notice can be gained but from those who can enjoy the graces of the original. To the dialogues of Fontanelle he added two compofed by himself; and, though not only an honeft but a pious man, dedicated his works to the earl of Wharton. He judged skilfully enough of his own interest ; for Wharton, when he went lord lieutenant to Ireland, offered to take Hughes with him, and establish him; but Hughes, having hopes or promises from another man in power, of fome provifion more fuitable to his inclination, declined Wharton's offer, and obtained nothing from the other.

He tranflated the Mifer of Moliere; but never offered it to the Stage; and occafionally amused himself with making verfions of favourite scenes in other plays.

Being now received as a wit among the wits, he paid his contributions to literary undertakings, and affifted both the Tatler, Spectator, and Guardian. In 1712 he tranflated Vertot's History of the Revolution of Portugal; produced an Ode to the Creator of the World, from the Fragments of Orpheus; and brought upon the Stage an opera called Calypfo and Telemachus, intended to fhew that the English language might be very happily adapted to mufick. This was impudently oppofed by those who were employed in the Italian opera; and, what cannot be told without indignation, the intruders had fuch intereft with the duke of Shrewsbury, then lord chamberlain, who had married an Italian, as to obtain an obftruction

of

of the profits, though not an inhibition of the performance.

There was at this time a project formed by Tonfon for a tranflation of the Pharfalia, by feveral hands; and Hughes englished the tenth book. But this defign, as must often happen where the concurrence of many is neceffary, fell to the ground; and the whole work was afterwards performed by Rowe.

His acquaintance with the great writers of his time appears to have been very general; but of his intimacy with Addison there is a remarkable proof. It is told, on good authority, that Cato was finished and played by his perfuafion. It had long wanted the last act, which he was defired by Addison to fupply. If the request was fincere, it proceeded from an opinion, whatever it was, that did not laft long; for when Hughes came in a week to fhew him his first attempt, he found half the act written by Addison himself.

He afterwards publifhed the works of Spenfer, with his Life, a Gloffary, and a Difcourfe on Allegorical Poetry; a work for which he was well qualified, as a judge of the beauties of writing, but perhaps wanted an antiquary's knowledge of the obfolete words. He did not much revive the curiofity of the publick; for near thirty years elapfed before his edition was reprinted. The fame year produced his Apollo and Daphne, of which the fuccefs was very earnestly promoted by Steele, who, when the rage of party did not mifguide him, feems to been a man of boundless benevolence.

Hughes

Hughes had hitherto fuffered the mortifications of a narrow fortune; but in 1717, the lord chancellor Cowper fet him at eafe, by making him fecretary to the Commiffions of the Peace; in which he afterwards, by a particular request, desired his fucceffor lord Parker to continue him. He had now affluence; but fuch is human life, that he had it when his declining health could neither allow him long poffeffion nor quick enjoy

ment.

His last work was his tragedy, The Siege of Damafcus; after which a Siege became a popular title. This play, which still continues on the Stage, and of which it is unneceffary to add a private voice to fuch continuance of approbation, is not acted or printed according to the author's original draught, or his fettled intention. He had made Phocyas apoftatize from his religion; after which the abhorrence of Eudocia would have been reasonable, his mifery would have been just, and the horrours of his repentance exemplary. The players, however, required that the guilt of Phocyas fhould terminate in desertion to the enemy; and Hughes, unwilling that his relations fhould lofe the benefit of his work, complied with the alteration.

He was now weak with a lingering confumption, and not able to attend the rehearfal; yet was fo vigorous in his faculties, that only ten days before his death he wrote the dedication to his patron lord Cooper. On February 17, 1719-20, the play was repre

fented,

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