W ALS H W ILLIAM WALSH, the fon of Jofeph Walsh, Efq; of Abberley in Worcestershire, 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 univerfity without a degree, and purfued his ftudies in London and at home; that he studied, 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, but a man of fashion, and, as Dennis remarks, oftentatioufly fplendid in his drefs. He was likewife a member of parliament and a courtier, knight of the fhire for his native county in feveral parliaments; in another the reprefentative of Richmond in Yorkfhire; and gentleman of the horfe to Queen Anne under the duke of Somerset. 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 kindnefs for Dryden, to whom he gave a Differtation on Virgil's Paftorals, in which, however ftudied, he discovers fome ignorance of the laws of French verfification. . In 1705, he began to correfpond with Mr. Pope, in whom he discovered very early the power of poetry. Their letters are written upon the paftoral comedy of the Italians, and those pastorals which Pope was then preparing to publish. The kindneffes which are first experienced are seldom forgotten. Pope always retained a grateful memory of Walsh's notice, and mentioned him in one of his latter pieces among those that had encouraged his juvenile ftudies: Granville the polite, And knowing Walsh, would tell me I could write. In his Effay on Criticism he had given him more fplendid praise; 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 1721, when Pope praised him in his Effay. The epitaph makes him forty-fix years old: if Wood's ac count 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, 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 Epiftolary Compofition and Amorous Poetry. In his Golden Age restored, there was fomething of 4 humour, while the facts were recent; but it now ftrikes no longer. In his imitation of Horace, the first stanzas are happily turned; and in all his writings there are pleafing paffages. He has however more elegance than vigour, and feldom rifes higher than to be pretty. DRY DE N. F the great poet whofe life I am about to deli neate, the curiofity which his reputation muft excite, will require a difplay more ample than can now be given. His contemporaries, however they reverenced his genius, left his life unwritten; and nothing therefore can be known beyond what cafual mention and uncertain tradition have fupplied. JOHN DRYDEN was born August 9, 1631, at Aldwincle near Oundle, the fon of Erafmus Dryden of Tichmerfh; who was the third fon of Sir Erafmus Dryden, Baronet, of Canons Afhby. All thefe places are in Northamptonshire; but the original ftock of the family was in the county of Huntingdon. He is reported by his laft biographer, Derrick, to have inherited from his father an eftate of two hundred a year, and to have been bred, as was faid, an Anabaptist. For either of these particulars no authority is given. Such a fortune ought to have fecured him from that poverty which feems always to have oppreffed him; or if he had wafted it, to have made him afhamed of publishing his neceffities. But though he had many enemies, who undoubtedly examined his life with a fcrutiny fufficiently malicious, I do not remember that he is ever charged with waste of his patrimony. He was indeed fometimes reproached for his firft religion. I am therefore inclined to believe that Derrick's intelligence was partly true, and partly erroneous. From Westminster School, where he was inftructed し as one of the king's fcholars by Dr. Busby, whom he long after continued to reverence, he was in 1650 elected to one of the Westminster fcholarships at Cambridge *. Of his fchool performances has appeared only a poem on the death of Lord Haftings, compofed with great ambition of fuch conceits as, notwithstanding the reformation begun by Waller and Denham, the example of Cowley ftill kept in reputation. Lord Haftings died of the fall-pox; and his poet has made of the puftules first rosebuds, and then gems; at laft exalts them into ftars; and fays, No comet need foretell his change drew on, At the univerfity he does not appear to have been eager of poetical diftinction, or to have lavished his early wit either on fictitious fubjects or public occafions. He probably confidered that he who purposed to be an author, ought firft to be a ftudent. He obtained, whatever was the reafon, no fellowship in the *He went off to Trinity College, and was admitted to a Bachelor's Degree in 1653. X 3 College. |