"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 follow- 3 ing inscription is cut on the fide of his lady's monu ment : "This unadorned stone was placed here "GEORGE Lord LYTTELTON, "Who died August 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 Progress of Love, it is fufficient blame to fay 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 fhort, 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 raised to excellence. 32 FATHER PAUL SARPI ATHER PAUL, whose name, before he entered FA into the monaftic life, was Peter Sarpi, was born at Venice, Auguft 14, 1552. His father followed merchandize, but with fo little fuccefs, that, at his death, he left his family very ill provided for, but under the care of a mother, whofe piety was likely to bring the bleffing of Providence upon them, and whose wife conduct fupplied the want of fortune by advantages of greater value. Happily for young Sarpi, fhe had a brother, mafter of a celebrated school, under whofe direction he was placed by her. Here he loft no time, but cultivated his abilities, naturally of the first rate, with unwearied application. He was born for study, having a natural averfion to pleasure and gaiety, and a memory fo tenacious, that he could repeat thirty verses upon once hear→ ing them. Proportionable to his capacity was his progrefs in literature at thirteen, having made himself master of school-learning, he turned his ftudies to philofophy and the mathematicks, and entered upon logick under : VOL. IV. Y Capella |