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fton, he continued his alterations and improvements in the houfe and gardens at that place, many of the plans for which were defigned by Lord Boyle, who had a taste for architecture. In the mean while, the amufement of our'noble author's winter evenings was his Tranflation of the Letters of Pliny the Younger, with Obfervations on each Letter, and an Effay on Pliny's life, addrefffed to Charles Lord Boyle.' The Effay is dated Leicester-Fields, January 27, 1750 1; and, together with the Tranflation, was published at London, in the following April, in two volumes quarto. This work met with fo good a reception from the public, that three editions of it in octavo have fince been printed. In the fummer of the fame year Lord Ortery addreffed to his fecond fon, Hamilton, a Series of Letters, containing Remarks on the Life and Writings of Dr. Swift, Dean of St. Patrick's, Dublin.'* This performance, which is very entertaining, and went through five editions in little more than a year's time, gave occafion to many ftrictures and publications that will fall more properly under our notice when we come to the article of Swift. There too will be the fitteft place for confidering whether our noble author violated his friendship to the Dean, in fully reprefenting the defects, as well as the excellencies of his character.

"On the 3d of December, 1753, by the death of Richard, the third Earl of Burlington, and fourth Earl of Cork, without iffue male, Lord Orrery fucceeded to that nobleman's Irish titles. These were, Earl of Cork, Viscount Dungarvan, and Lord Boyle, Baron of Youghall. About this time Mr. Moore undertook the periodical publication called The World;' that bow of Ulyffes, fays M. Duncombe, in which it was the fashion for men of rank and genius to try their ftrength.' Among the reft, our noble author contributed three papers, viz. No. 47. 68, 161. The two firft are papers of fome humour, intended to ridicule the practice of duelling, as it prevailed in the laft age; and the third is a father's account of his fon, whofe weakness of temper was fuch, that he could not refift the temptation to indulgences for which, in himself, he had no inclination. The numbers 60 and 170, in the fame collection, were written by Mr. Hamilton Boyle. The defign of them is to expofe the folly of giving vails to fervants, and the abfurdity of an oftentatious and ill-directed charity to public hofpitals. These two papers, which are drawn up with vivacity, elegance, and humour, are a full proof that if this young nobleman's life had been continued, it would have been in his power to have added new literary honour to his illuftrious name and family. The Earl of Cork was a contributor likewife to the 'Connoiffeur,' carried on by Mr, Thornton and Mr. Colman. In the last number of this publication, G. K. which was his Lordfhip's fignature, is diftinguished by the ingenious authors as their

* Duncombe, p. xxiii. xxiv.

+ Collins's Peerage, vol. vii. p. 119. 145. Bbb 2

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• earliest and most frequent correfpondent;' and we are forry, they add, that he will not allow us to mention his name; fince it would reflect as much credit on our work as we are fure will redound to it from his compofitions.' His communications to the Connoiffeur' were the most part of No. 14 and 17; the letter figned Goliah English, in No. 19; great part of No. 33 and 40: and the letters figned Reginald Fitzworm,' Michael Krawbridge," • Mofes Orthodox,' and Thomas Vainall,' in No. 102, 107. 113, and 129. Thefe papers are chiefly of the humorous kind; and they confirm, in no Imall degree, Mr. Duncombe's character of our author, that for humour, innocent humour, no one had a truer tafte or better talent.' A On the 20th of September, 1754, the Earl and Countess of Cork, with their daughter, Lady Lucy Boyle, began a tour to Italy. His Lordship's chief object was Flerence, in which city and its neighbourhood he refided nearly a year. Whilst he was at that place, he prefented to the Academy della Crufca, his friend Dr. Samuel Johnson's English Dictionary. Lord Cork's inveterate enemy the gout, introduced by a fevere winter, overtook him even in Italy, and prevented his attendance on the exercises of the academy. He enjoyed at Florence a general esteem, and, by a free conversation with books and men, and the affiftance of manufcripts, collected materials for the History of Tufcany, which he intended to write in a series of letters, twelve of which only he lived to finish. In November, 1755, he ar rived at Marston, having, in his return to England, on account of the commencement of the war with France, gone through Germany and part of Holland. The fituation of public affairs in this country, at the beginning of the year 1757, being fuch as required, in our national councils, the utmolt exertion of wisdom and integrity, one of Lord Cork's friends urged him, in an ode, of which the following lines are the conclufion, to exchange his retirement for a more active scene:

• To Laureftinum's groves retir'd,

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Your Pliny fled from care,

Yet when his country's voice requir'd,

He fill'd the Conful's chair.

Then, like that Conful, lend your aid,

To prop our tott'ring walls,

For Rome demands you from the fhade,
And hoary Nerva calls.'

"When Dr. Swift's Hiftory of the four laft Years of Queen Ann' appeared in 1758, and it was reported that our noble Lord had confented to the publication of that pernicious piece, he requefted his friends to contradict the report. His opinion was, that

*Duncombe's preface, ubi sapra, p. xxv. xxvii. Connoiffeur, iv. p. 270, 6th edition.

+ Letters from Italy, p. 180. Preface, p. xxvii. xxviii.

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the more the work was examined, the less it would anfwer the end either of the author or of the publisher 1. In that year, his Lordfhip fuftained, by the death of his excellent Lady, Margaret, Countess of Cork and Orrery, the fevereft domestic affliction which could befal him. She departed this life, after a short illness, on the 24th of November, in lodgings at Knightsbridge, to which she had been removed, at her own request, a few days before, from a tender apprehenfion that her Lord would quit his houfe, just taken, in Marlborough-street, if he died there. This shock, however, he fupported with the refignation becoming a man and a' chriftian. We have already feen the high opinion which Dr. Swift entertained of her Ladyfhip. Mr. and Mrs. Griffiths, in a valuable collection, entitled, Letters between Henry and Frances,' have given the following most pleasing, and yet true character of the Countefs. Her affability and unaffected manners, fays Henry, not less than her food, which is little more than bread and pulfe, milk and water, would befit a cabin; while her taste, fpirit, and politeness, might become a palace.' Frances as juftly obferves, dignity without pride, good humour without folly, wit without fatire, charity without oftentation, and philosophy with the extremeft quickness of understanding and tenderness of heart, are all joined in the amiable compofition of that unaffectedly good woman.' The Earl of Cork, in his diftrefs, took refuge, like Pliny, in his ftudies, as the best retreat from grief, and published, in the beginning of the year 1759, in one volume octavo, from an original manufcript prefented to him by a relation, † Memoirs of the Life of Robert Cary, Earl of Monmouth.' Our author accompanied the memoirs with a preface, and explanatory notes, and prefixed a fhort but tender dedication to his youngest son, though last not least in love.' It is dated Marlborough-ftreet, January 13, 1759, and figned, Now, alas! your only parent. There is alfo, as a frontifpiece, engraved from an old painting by Marc Garrard, the royal proceffion of Queen Elizabeth to visit her coufin german Henry Lord Hunfdon, Governor of Berwick.' A fecond edition of the memoirs appeared in 1760. | Mrs. Lennox was confiderably indebted to Lord Cork, in her tranflation of Brumoy's Greek Theatre, published in 1759. The preface was write ten by him and he also tranflated The Difcourfe upon the Theatre of the Greeks, 'The Original of Tragedy,' and 'The Parallel of the Theatres.' On September the 16th, 1759, the Earl of Cork had the calamity of lofing his eldest fon, Charles, Lord Viscount Dungarvan. Though the declining state of health under which this young nobleman long laboured had prepared his family and friends for the ftroke, yet it could not avoid being deeply felt

:

Preface, p. xxix.

*Preface, p. xxiv. xxv.

6

+ Lady Elizabeth Spelman, daughter to the Earl of Middleton.
Duncombe's preface, ubi fupra, p. xxx, xxxi.

by his affectionate father. The Earl furvived the lofs of his fon about three years, during which he divided his time between his houfe in Great George-ftreet, Westminster, and his feat in Somerfetfhire. An hereditary gout, which all his temperance could only parry, not fubdue, put a comparatively early period to his earthly existence, at Marston House, on the 16th of November, 1762, in the 56th year of his age. His remains were depofited near to thofe of his fecond lady, in the burial-place of his family in Frome church. * By his first Countefs his Lordship had three children, Charles, born January 27, 1728-9; Hamilton, born February 23, 1729-30; and Elizabeth, born May 7, 1731. Charles, Lord Vifcount Dungarvan, died, as we have feen, before his father. He married, on the 4th of May, 1754, Mifs Sufannah Hoare, eldest daughter of Henry Hoare, Efq; of Stourhead, in Wiltshire, by whom he left one daughter. His relict was afterwards married to Thomas Lord Bruce, now Earl of Aylenury. Hamilton, Lord Cork's fecond fon, was matriculated at Oxford, on the 14th of June, 1748; and was admitted ftudent of Chrift Church in December following. On the 15th of May, 1755, he proceeded regularly to the degree of L. L. B. At his father's decease he fucceeded him as Earl of Cork and Orrery. In 1763 he was created L. L. D. by diploma, and at the fame time was appointed high fteward of the university of Oxford, by the Earl of Litchfield, the chancellor. He continued ftudent of Christ Church, on a faculty, till his death, which happened at Marston House on the 17th of January, 1764. He died unmarried. The masterly manner in which he acted the part of Ignoramus, and spoke the epilogue, in the Dormitory at Westminster, in December, 1747, did. great credit to his genius, and will long be remembered by his friends and contemporaries. Lady Elizabeth Boyle was married in March, 1750, to Thomas Wortley, Efq; afterwards Sir Thomas Worfley, Bart. by whofe decease the hath become a widow. John Earl of Cork had, by his fecond lady, two children, Edmund, born November 21, 1742, and Lucy, born May 27, 1744. Edmund, on the death of his brother Hamilton, fucceeded to the titles and estate of his family, and is the feventh Earl of Cork and Orrery. He married, on the 25th of August, 1764, Mifs Anne Courtenay, one of the daughters and co-heirs of Kellond Courtenay, Efq; knight of the fhire for the county of Huntingdon, by which lady his Lordship hath feveral children. Lady Lucy Boyle was married on July the 10th, 1765, to George Lord Viscount Torrington. †.

"The last work of the noble author who is the fubject of the prefent article was posthumous. It is his Letters from Italy,' written in the years 175 and 1755, to William Duncombe, Efq: and published in 1774, by the Rev. Mr. John Duncombe, who

* Duncombe's preface, ubi supra, p.xxxi. xxxii.

+ Duncombe's preface, ubi fupra, p. xi. xxi. xxiii, xxiv. xxxii, xxxiii.

25, XXX.

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well knew, and highly esteemed Lord Cork's talents and virtues. * Mr. Duncombe hath prefixed a life of his Lordfhip, to which we have been principally indebted for being enabled to do justice to and with the conclufion of which we fhall close our account of this ingenious, accomplished, and virtuous nobleman. The character of John Earl of Cork, as a writer and as a man, may partly be collected from his own works, and partly from the ' teftimonies which have been given of him by fome of the most • diftinguished among his contemporaries. I fhall only beg leave to add, that in every domeftic and focial relation, in all the endearing connections of life, as a husband, a father, a friend, a mafter, he had few equals. The luftre which he received from • rank and title, and from the perfonal merit of his family, he ⚫ reflected back, unimpaired and undiminished; and though the "poft of honour" which he chofe and preferred was a private "tation," though he was neither a statesman nor a foldier, like the firft Lord Cork, the first Lord Orrery, and his own father; the rival of Palladio, like the late Lord Burlington; or the rival of Bacon, like Mr. Robert Boyle; yet in a general tafte for literature, or, as they are commonly called, polite studies, he was by no means inferior to his ancestors. "Being much in the great world at the beginning of his life, he defpifed and detefted "it when he arrived at the years of reflection. His conftitution 66 was never strong, and he was very thankful that it was not fo, 66 as his health was a true and no very irksome excuse to avoid "those scenes by which his body would have been hurt and his "mind offended. He loved truth even to a degree of adoration. "He was a real chriftian ;" and as such conftantly hoped for a "better life, there trusting to know the real caufes of those effects "which here ftruck him with wonder but not with doubt."† On the whole, it may be eafy to trace, in feveral inftances, a striking refemblance between him and his favourite Roman. Though they both had feats in the fenates in their refpective countries, the one by his employments, being a magistrate and a judge, and the other by birth a judge and a legiflator, yet in privacy • and retirement, at Tufculum and Marfton, among their families, their books, and their friends, they paffed their happiest hours. Irreproachable were their morals: for temperance in particular and fweetnefs of nature they were both diftinguished. The early impreffion which was made on the mind of the nephew, by his uncle's catastrophe at Vefuvius, could not exceed the fhock which the son received from his father's will. Fond as they both were of rural eafe, for rural sports they had ⚫ neither inclination nor leifure. In conjugal love they were both twice happy. Great as were the taste, the judgment, the virtue, and affection of Calpurnia, the late Countefs of Cork was in every respect her equal. Pliny treated his domeftics as his

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*Duncombe's pref. p. xxxvii.

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+ His Lordship's own words, in feveral private letters.

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