for his native county in feveral parliaments; in another the reprefentative of Richmond in Yorkshire; and gentleman of the hoffe 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 Differtation on Virgil's Paftorals, in which, however ftudied, he difcovers fome ignorance of the laws of French verfification.

In 1705, he began to correspond 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 thofe paftorals which Pope was then preparing to publifh.

The kindneffes which are firft 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 Atudies:

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 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 publifhed in the volumes called Dryden's Mifcellany, and fome other occafional pieces.

Gg 3

To

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

In his Golden Age reflored, there was fomething of 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 rises higher than to be pretty.