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THE LIFE OF HILL.

AARON HILL was the eldest son of George Hill, Efq. of Malmesbury Abbey, in Wiltshire, and born in Beaufort Buildings, in the Strand, London, February 10. 184-5.

His father having, by his mismanagement, deprived him of the fucceffion to the family estate of about 2000l. a-year, he was left to the care of Mrs. Gregory, his grandmother, " a woman of uncommon understanding, and great good nature."

At nine years old, he was fent to the school of Barnstaple in Devonshire, under the care of Mr. Rayner; from whence he was removed to Westminster school, under the care of Dr. Knipe, where his genius foon became confpicuous, and often made him ample amends for his very scanty allowance of pocket-money, by enabling him to perform the tasks of others who had not his capacity.

He left Westminster school, on account of his narrow circumstances, in 1699, at fourteen years of age. Soon after, he formed a resolution of paying a visit to his relation, Lord Paget, then ambaffador at Conftantinople; and meeting with no opposition from his grandmother, he accordingly embarked on board a veffel going there, March 2. 1700.

On his arrival, he was received with the utmost kindness and cordiality, by Lord Paget, who was no less pleased than surprised at that ardour for improvement, which could induce a youth of his tender years, to run the hazard of fuch a voyage, to visit a relation whom he only knew by character.

The ambaffador immediately provided him a tutor in his own house; under whose care he very foon fent him to travel through Egypt, Palestine, and the greatest part of the East, being defirous of gratifying that laudable curiofity, and thirst of knowledge, which feemed so strongly impressed on the amiable mind of his young relation.

He returned home with Lord Paget, about the year 1703; and, on his journey, had an opportunity of feeing great part of Europe, at most of the courts of which his Lordship made fome

little stay.

It is fuppofed that Lord Paget would have made fome provision for him at his death, had not the malevolence of a certain female, who had great influence with him, prevented his kind intentions towards him.

A few years after, his abilities and fobriety recommended him to Sir William Wentworth, Bart. of Yorkshire, who was then going to make the tour of Europe, with whom he travelled two or three years.

In 1709, he published a Hiftory of the Ottoman Empire, compiled from the materials which he had collected in his travels, and during his refidence at the Turkish court. This work, though it met with fuccefs, he afterwards very feverely criticifed, and with fome juftice; for there are in it a great number of puerilities. It is the production of youthful genius, rather choosing to indulge the imagination of the poet, than to make use of the plainnefs and perfpicuity of the historian, Sprat, however, used to obferve that "there is certainly in that book, the feeds of a great writer ! 3 prediction which was amply verified by the merit of his fubfequent writings.

The fame year, he published his first poetical piece, intituled Camillus, in vindication of the Ear! of Peterborough; who was fo well pleased with the compliment, that he appointed him his fecre tary, and introduced him to Harley, and St. John, and other leaders of the Tory party, of which he appears to have been an adherent.

In 1710, he quitted the service of Lord Peterborough, and married the only daughter of Edmand Morris, Efq. of Stratford, in Essex, a young lady of great merit and beauty, with whom he had a very handsome fortune.

The fame year, he was appointed Manager of the theatre in Drury Lane, and, at the defire of Booth the player, wrote his first tragedy of Elfrid, or, the Fair Inconftant, which was favourably received on the stage, though he has himself described it to be "an unpruned wilderness of fancy, with here and there a flower among the leaves, but without any fruit of judgment." To this phy was annexed, in the representation, a dramatic piece, called The Walking Statue; or, the Devil in the Wine Cellar: the plot of which is farcical, and the incidents beyond the limits of possibility.

The year following, he wrote the opera of Rinaldo, which was performed at the theatre in the Hay. Market, of which he was director, and met with very great fuccefs. The music was the first that Handel compofed after his arrival in England.

His genius seems to have been admirably adapted to the business of the stage; and while he held the management, he conducted both theatres, highly to the fatisfaction of the public; but having a misunderstanding with the Duke of Kent, then Lord Chamberlain, he relinquished it in a few months; and though he was not long after very earnestly folicited by a person of the firft diftinction, to refume the theatrical direction, he ftill declined it.

It is probable, however, that neither pride nor refentment were the motives of this refufal, but a ardent zeal for general improvement, and the public good, which seems to have been his darling paffion, and to which, on different occafions, he facrificed not only his cafe, but large fums of money.

In 1713, he undertook to make an oil as fweet as that from olives, from beech nuts, and ob tained a patent for the purpose; but being an undertaking of too great extent for his private fortune, he took a subscription of 25,000l. on shares and annuities, in fecurity of which, he afligned over his patent in trust for the subscribers, forming a Company who were to act in concert with the patentee, under the denomination of The Beech Oil Company.

The fuccefs of this undertaking, at a time when profits were already arifing from it, was fruftrated, by the erroneous warmth and impatience of those persons with whom he was obliged to unite himself; and after three years labour and application, came to nothing.

In 1716, he published An Impartial State of the Cafe between the Patentee, Annuitants, and Sharers is the Beach Oil Company, by which it appeared that all the money that had been employed, had been fairly expended for the benefit of the Company, and that the patentee had not availed himself of the advantages to which, by the agreement, he had been entitled.

After the failure of this project, he was concerned with Sir Robert Montgomery, in a design for establishing a plantation in that part of South Carolina, which has fince been extensively cultivated under the name of Georgia; yet, through inequality of his fortune, it never proved of any advantage to him.

In 1716, he brought on the stage at Lincoln's Inn-fields, The Fatal Vifion; or, The Fall of Siam, a tragedy; which was acted with fuccefs. The scene is laid in Siani, but the fable is fictitious, and the characters imaginary. The moral is to expofe the dangerous confequences of giving way to rage and rashness of determination. It is dedicated to the two critics, Dennis, and Gildon. He prefixed to it this motto from Horace, to which he declared his conftant adherence.

I not for vulgar admiration write,

To be well read, not much, is my delight.

The fame year, he published the two first books of an epic poem, called Gideon, in twelve books, on the foundation of the story of the redemption of Ifrael by Gideon, in the book of Judges; of which he afterwards wrote fix books more, which made eight; but did not finish it.

In 1718, he wrote a poem called The Northern Star, a panegyric on Peter the Great; for which he was afterwards complimented with a gold medal from the Empress, Catherine, according to the - Emperor's defire before his death. By an advertisement to the fifth edition of this poem, printed in 1739, it appears that he was to have wrote the life of Peter, from his papers which were to have been fent to him; but the death of the Empress prevented it.

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In 1720, he wrote The Fatal Extravagance, a tragedy in one act, which he gave to Mr. Joseph Mitchell, at that time in great distress, and got it acted at the theatre in Lincoln's Inn-fields, and supported it on the supposed author's third night, with all that ardour of benevolence which contituted his character. It was afterwards enlarged into five acts, and exhibited at Drury Lane, in 1726, with great fuccefs. It is one of the most interesting dramas in the English language.

In 1723, he brought on the stage, at Drury Lane, his tragedy of Henry V. or, The Conquest of France by the Englife; which is justly esteemed a very good play. The plot and language are in fome places borrowed from Shakspeare; yet, on the whole, it is greatly altered, and a second plot is introduced by the addition of a new female character, a niece to Lord Scroope, who has been formerly feduced by the king.

In 1724, for the benefit of a distressed officer in the army, he began a periodical paper, called, The Plain Dealer, in conjunction with William Bond, Efq. whom Savage called the two contending powers of light and darkness. They wrote by turns, each fix essays; and the character of the work was obferved regularly to rife in Hill's weeks, and fall in Mr. Bond's.

"I am particularly indebted" fays Savage, in the preface to his Miscellany,' " to the author of The Plain Dealer,' who was pleased, in two of his papers (which I entreat his pardon for reprinting before my Miscellany), to point out my unhappy story to the world, with so touching a humanity, and so good an effect, that many persons of quality, of all ranks, and of both sexes, diftinguished themselves with the promptness he here hinted to the noble minded, and not staying till they were applied to, fent me the honour of their fubfcriptions, in the most liberal and handsome manner. I ought here to acknowledge several favours from Mr. Hill, whose writings are a shining ornament of this Mifcellany; but I wave detaining my readers, and beg leave to refer them to a copy of verses called "The Friend," which I have taken the liberty to address to that gentleman."

Mallet communicated to Hill the first sketch of his beautiful ballad of " William and Margaret," originally printed in The Plain Dealer.

In 1728, he made a journey into the north of Scotland, where he had been about two years before, having contracted with the York-Buildings Company, to apply the timber upon their eftates, on the river Spey, to the ufes of the navy. In this undertaking, however, he found various obstacles; for when the trees were by his order chained together into floats, the ignorant Highlanders refused to venture themselves on them down the Spey, till he first went himself, to show there was no danger.

The rocks in the river were another impediment, which his fagacity and perfeverance overcame by ordering fires to be made on them, where they were most exposed, and throwing great quantities of water on them, they were, by the help of proper tools, broken to pieces, and a free passage opened for the floats.

"The shore of the Spey," fays he, in a letter to his wife, from the Golden Groves of Abernethy, August 18. 1728," is all covered with mafts, from 50 to 70 feet long, which they are daily bringing out of the wood, with ten carriages, and above a hundred horses, and bring down from forty to fifty trees a day, one day with another.

"In the middle of the river lie at anchor, a little fleet of our rafts, which are just putting off for Findhorn harbour; and it is one of the pleasanteft fights poffible, to obferve the little armies of men, women, and children, who pour down from the Highlands, to ftare at what we have been doing."

The undertaking was for fome time carried on with great vigour, and confiderable advantage, till the directors thought proper to call off the men and horfes from the woods of Abernethy, te work their lead mines.

What private emolument he received from this project, is not certainly known; but, during his refidence in the Highlands, the Magistrates of Aberdeen, Inverness, &c. complimented him with the freedom of their respective towns; and he met with diftinguished civilities from the Duke of Gordon, and other persons of rank in that part of the country. His prophetic Verses, in compliment to Scotland, are generally known

In his return from the north, he spent some time in Yorkshire, where his wife then was, with fome relations, for the recovery of her health; which afforded an opportunity to fome persons to be guilty of a breach of trust, that would have been of very unhappy consequence to his fortune; bu he returned time enough to frustrate their villainous intentions.

During his peregrination in the north, he wrote an allegorical poem, intituled, The Progre Wit, a Caveat for the use of an eminent Writer, which gave great uneafiness to Pope, who had ben the aggreffor in "The Dunciad.”

About the fame time, he wrote his Advice to the Peets, in which he praises worthy poetry, c fares the mifapplication of poetry in general, and reproves Pope for descending below his genius

While every meaner art exerts her aim,

O'er rival arts to lift her queftion'd fame;
Let half foul'd poets' ftill on poets fall,

And teach the willing world to fcorn them all.
But let no mufe, pre-eminent as thine,

Of voice melodious, and of force divine,

Stung by wits, wafps, all rights of rank forego,
And turn and fnarl, and bite at every foe;
No-like thy own Ulyffes make no stay,
Shun monsters-and pursue thy streamy way.

In 1731, he had the affliction to lofe his wife, to whom he had the fincereft and tendereft z tachment. By her he had nine children; four of whom (a fon and three daughters) furvived him.

Her amiable worth and elegant accomplishments are finely delineated by Savage, in his veria To the Excellent Miranda, Confort of aron Hill, Efq. on reading ber Poems.

Each foftening charm of Clio's failing fong,
Montague's foul, which fhines divinely ftrong;
Thefe blend, with graceful eafe, to form thy rhyme,
Tender, yet chafte, fweet-founding, yet fublime,
Wisdom and wit have made thy works their care,
Each paffio glows, refin'd by precept there;
To fair Miranda's form each grace is kind,
The mufes and the virtues tune thy mind.

The thought of the following epitaph for a monument he defigned to erect over her grave, though Bot original, is truly poetical.

Enough, cold ftone fuffice her long-liv'd name,
Words are too weak to pay her virtue's claim:
Temples, and tombs, and tongues, fhall wafte away,
And power's vain pomp in mould'ring duft decay,
But e'er mankind a wife more perfect fee,
Eternity, Olime fhall bury thee.

The fame year, he brought his tragedy of Atbelwold upon the stage in Drury Lane, written on the fubject of his Elfrid; or, The Fair Inconftant. The difference of time and judgment is visible in favour of Athelwold. The language is poetical and spirited, the characters chaste and genuine, and the defcriptions affecting and picturesque.

In 1733, his tragedy of Zara, taken from Voltaire, was acted for the benefit of Mr. Bond, at the Long-room in Villars Street, York Buildings, who performed the part of Lufignan, but died before the run of the play was over. It was afterwards brought on the stage at Drury Lane, 1735, where the part of Zara was played by Mrs. Cibber, being her first attempt in tragedy. This is juftly esteemed one of his best plays.

In 1735, he projected a periodical paper, called The Prompter, defigned to correct the imperfections of the stage, to which he contributed the papers signed B.

In 1736, his Alzira, or, The Spanish Infult Repented, a tragedy, taken from Voltaire, was acted at Lincoln's Inn-fields. This play has been much improved in the English verfion; as was generously acknowledged by Voltaire himself: the language is nervous and forcible, but it abounds in declamation, rather than paffion, which, however strongly it may be supported, renders it tedious to an English audience.

In 1737, he published The Tears of the Mufes, a fatire, which he calls a "Species of Poetry that can only be reconciled to humanity by the general benevolence of its purpose, attacking particulars for the public advantage."

In 1738, he published An Inquiry into the merit of ¿ffaffination, with a view to the Character of Cæfar; on whose death he had written a tragedy the year before, named The Roman Revenge, which was acted at the theatre in Bath, 1753, with fuccefs. "The tragedy," fays Bolingbroke, to whom it was dedicated, " is finely wrote; the characters are admirably well drawn, the fentiments are noble, beyond the power of words, and the expreffion, dignified as it is, can add nothing to their fublime. By infcribing to me one of the nobleft dramas that our language, or any age can boast, you tranfnit my character to pofterity with greater advantage, than any I could have given it."

About this time, he withdrew himfelf from the world, and fettled at Plaistow in Effex, where e devoted himself entirely to his ftudy, family, and garden; and the perfection of many profitable mprovements; one of which only he lived to complete, though not to reap any benefit from it imself, the Art of making Pot Afb, equal to that brought from Russia.

In his folitude he wrote an heroic poem, called The Fanciad, infcribed to the Duke of Marlorough, 1743, The Impartial, a poem, infcribed to Lord Carteret; a poem upon Faith, 1746, he Art of Acting, a poem, dedicated to Lord Chesterfield, 1747; a tract on War, and another on Agriculture, which he left unfinished, with several other pieces.

la 1749, he revised the eight books he had finished of his epic poem, called Gideon, and published hree of the books to which he gave the title of Gideon, or, The Patriot, with a dedication to Lord Bolingbroke; in which he accounts for the alterations he had made fince the firft publication of wo books.

He also adapted to the English stage, Voltaire's tragedy of Merope, which was acted at DruryLane, 1749, with great applause, and was the last work he lived to complete.

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This play, which he has made entirely his own, by his manner of tranflating it, fill continues to Barbaroffa, Creufa, be acted with applaufe, and the ufe which has been made of the defign, in Douglas," &c. affords a ftrong evidence in its favour.

He just lived to fee his tragedy introduced to the public, and to write a dedication to Lord Bolingbroke, in which there is a melancholy prefage of his approaching diffolution.

Cover'd in fortune's fhade I reft reclin'd,
My griefs all filent, and my joys refign'd;
With patient eye life's evening gloom furvey,
Nor shake th' out hafting fands, nor bid them ftay;
Yet while from life my fetting profpects fly,

Fain would my mind's weak offspring fhun to die;
Fain would their hope fome light through time explore,
The name's kind palport, when the man's no more;

Mallet had made intereft with the Prince of Wales, to have it performed for his benefit; but the day before it was, by the command of the Prince, to have been represented, he died, Feb. 8. 1749-50, before he had completed his 68th year, as it is faid, in the very minute of the earthquake, after enduring a twelvemonth's torment of body, with great fortitude and refignation.

He was buried in the same grave with his wife, in the great cloister of Westminster Abbey, near Lord Godolphin's tomb.

VOL. VI!!.

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