too much affectation of delight, to Archibald Bower, a man of whom he had conceived an opinion more favourable than he seems to have deferved, and whom, having once efpoufed his intereft and fame, he never was perfuaded to difown. Bower, whatever was his moral character, did not want abilities; attacked as he was by an univerfal outcry, and that outcry, as it feems, the echo of truth, he kept his ground; at last, when his defences began to fail him, he fallied out upon his adverfaries, and his adverfaries retreated.

About this time Lyttelton published his Dialogues of the Dead, which were very eagerly read, though the production rather, as it feems, of leifure than of ftudy, rather effusions than compofitions. The names of his perfons too often enable the reader to anticipate their converfation; and when they have met, they too often part without any conclufion, He has copied Fenelon more than Fontenelle.

When they were first published, they were kindly commended by the Critical Reviewers; and poor Lyttelton, with humble gratitude, returned, in a note which I have read, acknowledgements which can never fince they must be paid either for flattery or

be

proper, for justice.

When, in the latter part of the last reign, the inaufpicious commencement of the war made the diffolution of the miniftry unavoidable, Sir George Lyttel ton, lofing with the reft his employment, was recompenfed with a peerage; and refted from political turbylence in the Houfe of Lords.

His laft literary production was his Hiftory of Henry the Second, elaborated by the fearches and deliberations of twenty years, and published with fuch anxiety as enly vanity can dictate.

The

The ftory of this publication is remarkable. The whole work was printed twice over, a great part of it three times, and many fheets four or five times. The bookfellers paid for the first impreffion; but the charges and repeated operations of the prefs were at the expence of the author, whofe ambitious accuracy is known to have coft him at leaft a thousand pounds. He began to print in 1755. Three volumes appeared in 1764, a fecond edition of them in 1767, a third edition in 1768, and the conclufion in 1771.

Andrew Reid, a man not without confiderable abili ties, and not unacquainted with letters or with life, undertook to perfuade Lyttelton, as he had perfuaded himself, that he was mafter of the fecret of punctua tion; and, as fear begets credulity, he was employed, I know not at what price, to point the pages of Henry the Second. The book was at laft pointed and printed, and fent into the world. Lyttelton took money for his copy, of which, when he had paid the Painter, he probably gave the reft away; for he was very li beral to the indigent.

When time brought the Hiftory to a third edition, Reid was either dead or difcarded; and the fuperintendence of typography and punctuation was committed to a man originally a comb-maker, but then known by the flyle of Doctor. Something uncommon was probably expected, and fomething uncommon was at left done; for to the Doctor's edition is apponded, what the world had hardly feen before, a lift of errors in nineteen pages.

But to politiks and literature there must be an end. Ford Lyttelton had never the appearance of a strong er of a hobby man; he had a flender uncompacted

flame,

frame, and a meagre face: he lafted however fixty years, and was then feized with his laft illness. Of his death a very affecting and inftructive account has been given by his phyfician, which will fpare me the task of his moral character,

"On Sunday evening the fymptoms of his lordship's "diforder, which for a week paft had alarmed us, "put on a fatal appearance, and his lordship believed "himself to be a dying man. From this time he fuffered by reftleffness rather than pain; though his nerves were apparently much fluttered, his mental faculties never feemed ftronger, when he was tho"roughly awake.

"His lordship's bilious and hepatic complaints feemed alone not equal to the expected mournful event; his long want of fleep, whether the confe"quence of the irritation in the bowels, or, which is "more probable, of causes of a different kind, ac"counts for his lofs of ftrength, and for his death, "very fufficiently.

Though his lordship wifhed his approaching dif"folution not to be lingering, he waited for it with "refignation. He faid, 'It is a folly, a keeping me "in mifery, now to attempt to prolong life; yet he "was easily perfuaded, for the fatisfaction of others, "to do or take any thing thought proper for him. "On Saturday he had been remarkably better, and we were not without fome hopes of his recovery.

"On Sunday, about eleven in the forenoon, his "lordship fent for me, and faid he felt a great hurry, "and wifhed to have a little converfation with me in "order to divert it. He then proceeded to open "the fountain of that heart, from whence goodness

"had

"had fo long flowed as from a copious fpring. Doc "tor,' faid he, you fhall be my confeffor: when I "first fet out in the world, I had friends who en "deavoured to fhake my belief in the Chriftian re"ligion. I faw difficulties which ftaggered me; but "I kept my mind open to conviction. The evidences "and doctrines of Chriftianity, ftudied with attention, "made me a moft firm and perfuaded believer of the "Chriftian religion. I have made it the rule of my "life, and it is the ground of my future hopes. I have erred and finned; but have repented, and never indulged any vicious habit. In politicks, and pub"lick life, I have made publick good the rule of my

conduct. I never gave counfels which I did not at "the time think the beft. I have feen that I was "fometimes in the wrong, but I did not err defign"edly. I have endeavoured, in private life, to do all "the good in my power, and never for a moment "could indulge malicious or unjust designs upon any "perfon whatfoever.

"At another time he faid, I muft leave my foul "in the fame ftate it was in before this illness; I find "this a very inconvenient time for folicitude about "any thing.'

"On the evening, when the fymptoms of death "came on, he faid, I fhall die; but it will not be

66

your fault.' When lord and lady Valentia came to "fee his lordship, he gave them his folemn benedic tion, and faid, Be good, be virtuous, my lord; you must come to this. Thus he continued giving "his dying benediction to all around him. On Monday morning a lucid interval gave fome finall hope, "but thefe vanished in the evening; and he continued " dying,

❝ dying, but with very little uneafinefs, till Tuesday morning, August 22, when between seven and eight "o'clock he expired, almoft without a groan."

His lordship was buried at Hagley; and the following infcription is cut on the fide of his lady's monu

ment :

"This unadorned ftone was placed here

By the particular defire and express "directions of the Right Honourable

"GEORGE Lord LYTTELTON,

"Who died Auguft 22, 1773, aged 64."

Lord Lyttelton's Poems are the works of a man of literature and judgement, devoting part of his time. to verfification. They have nothing to be defpifed, and little to be admired. Of his Progrefs of Love, it is fufficient blame to say that it is paftoral. His blank verfe in Blenheim has neither much force nor much elegance. His little performances, whether Songs or Epigrams, are fometimes fpritely, and fometimes infipid. His epiftolary pieces have a smooth equability, which cannot much tire, because they are short, but which feldom elevates or furprizes. But from this cenfure ought to be excepted his Advice to Belinda, which, though for the most part written when he was very young, contains much truth and much prudence, very elegantly and vigorously expreffed, and fhews a mind attentive to life, and a power of poetry which cultivation might have raifed to excellence.