His verfes to Mira, which are most frequently mentioned, have little in them of either art or nature, of the fentiments of a lover, or the language of a poet: there may be found, now-and-then, a happier effort; but they are commonly feeble and unaffecting, or forced and extravagant.

His little pieces are feldom either fpritely or elegant, either keen or weighty. They are trifles written by idleness, and published by vanity. But his Prologues and Epilogues have a juft claim to praise.

The Progress of Beauty feems one of his moft elaborate pieces, and is not deficient in fplendor and gaiety; but the merit of original thought is wanting. Its highest praise is the spirit with which he celebrates king James's confort, when he was a queen no longer.

The Effay on unnatural Flights in Poetry is not inelegant nor injudicious, and has fomething of vigour beyond most of his other performances: his precepts are juft, and his cautions proper; they are indeed not new,

but in a didactick poem novelty is to be expected only in the ornaments and illustrations. His poetical precepts are accompanied with agreeable and inftructive notes.

The Mafque of Peleus and Thetis has here and there a pretty line; but it is not always melodious, and the conclufion is wretched.

In his British Enchanters he has bidden defiance to all chronology, by confounding the inconfiftent manners of different ages; but the dialogue has often the air of Dryden's rhyming plays; and the fongs are lively, though not very correct. This is, I think,

far the best of his works; for if it has many. faults, it has likewife paffages which are at leaft pretty, though they do not rise to any high degree of excellence.

YAL

YAL DE N.

THOMAS YALDEN, the fixth son of Mr. John Yalden of Suffex, was born in the city of Exeter in 1671. Having been educated in the grammar-school belonging to Magdalen College in Oxford, he was in 1690, at the age of nineteen, admitted commoner of Magdalen Hall, under the tuition of Jofah Pullen, a man whofe name is ftill remembered in the university. He became next year one of the scholars of Magdalen College, where he was diftinguished by a lucky accident.

It was his turn, one day, to pronounce a declamation; and Dr. Hough, the prefident, happening to attend, thought the compofition too good to be the fpeaker's. Some time after, the doctor finding him a little irregularly bufy in the library, fet him an exercife

for

for punishment; and, that he might not be deceived by any artifice, locked the door. Yalden, as it happened, had been lately reading on the fubject given, and produced with little difficulty a compofition which so pleased the president, that he told him his former fufpicions, and promifed to favour him.

Among his contemporaries in the college were Addison and Sacheverell, men who were in thofe times friends, and who both adopted Yalden to their intimacy. Yalden continued, throughout his life, to think as probably he thought at first, yet did not lofe the friendship of Addison.

When Namur was taken by king William, Yalden made an ode. There was never any reign more celebrated by the poets than that of William, who had very little regard for fong himself, but happened to employ minifters who pleased themselves with the praise of patronage.

Of this ode mention is made in an humorous poem of that time, called The Oxford Laureat; in which, after many claims had

been

been made and rejected, Yalden is reprefented as demanding the laurel, and as being called to his trial, inftead of receiving a reward.

His crime was for being a felon in verfe,
And prefenting his theft to the king;
The first was a trick not uncommon or fcarce,
But the laft was an impudent thing:

Yet what he had ftol'n was fo little worth ftealing,
They forgave him the damage and coft;

Had he ta'en the whole ode, as he took it piece-mealing,

They had fin'd him but ten pence at most.

The poet whom he was charged with robbing was Congreve.

He wrote another poem on the death of the duke of Gloucefter.

In 1710 he became fellow of the college; and next year, entering into orders, was presented by the fociety with a living in Warwickshire, confiftent with his fellowship, and chofen lecturer of moral philosophy, a very honourable office.

VOL. III.

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