fpectator of the danger of his country. Firm to the revolution and the proteftant establishment, he unanfwerably expofed "The complicated guilt of the rebellion,” in a pamphlet so styled, written in the year 1716. But as that infurrection was foon after quelled, this tract was not published 'till the year 1745, when, at a like crisis, it was first printed, with a preface, by Mr. Duncombe. Actuated by the fame revolutional principles, in June, 1717, though then ill of a fever, he "could not" (as he expreffes it)" fit ftill and think himself "unconcerned, while a perfon whom he "much honoured, was barbaroufly trea"ted;" and therefore drew his in depen fence of bishop Hoadly, from the charge brought against him by Dr. Snape and others*. In the fame year, lord chancellor Cowper (to whom Mr. Hughes had been but lately known) without any folicitation, appointed him fecretary to the commiffions of the peace, was ever after

See letter xliv, p. 154.

wards

"

wards his moft fincere and cordial friend, and, in 1718, recommended him, and him only, to the fucceeding lord chancellor, lord Parker, who very readily continued him in his employment. His fatirical vifion, entitled "Charon, or the Ferry-boat," was published in the year 1708. The plan of this feems in fome measure adopted in the dramatic fatire ftyled "Lethe". The "dedication to Hei"degger" (the "Swifs count") is inferted in the appendix," having been omitted in the author's "works". Sir Godfrey Kneller having painted his picture a few weeks before his death, Mr. Hughes prefented it to earl Cowper. The value his lordship fet upon it will appear by his genteel letter on receiving it *. The dedication of our author's laft work, dictated to his brother when he was too weak to write, but ten days before his death, was his final acknowledgment to his noble patron. This laft work was his tragedy,

* Page 267.

"The

the "Siege of Damafcus," in which the rays of his genius are, as it were, collected to a point. But this tragedy is fo generally known and admired, and of the deviations, which, contrary to his judgment, the players obliged him to make from his original plan, fo much is occafionally faid in the following. letters, that I fhall only add, that it was brought upon the ftage February 17, 1719-20, a few hours only before the author died; a most affecting circumftance to his friends, and indeed to the whole audience. Sir Richard Steele, with the humanity that diftinguished his character, took the first opportunity of paying his debt of friendship and efteem, in a paper entitled "The Theatre," No. 15, which not being collected into a volume is here annexed. Mr. Hughes's philofophical ode called "The Ecftacy", in which there is a fine compliment to Sir Ifaac Newton, was published after his death. In 1726, his only fifter was married to William Duncombe, efq; who, in 1735, collected and published his poems in two volumes 12°. adding

VOL. I.

с

adding to thofe that had before been printed fome that were in the hands of the late Alexander Strahan, efq; the translator of the ' Æneid. Prefixed are some pathetic verfes by Mifs Judith Cowper* (now Mrs. Madan,) Mr. John Bunce, Mr. Lewis Duncombe, &c. Mrs. Duncombe died in 1735-6, leaving an only son, the editor of the prefent work. Of Mr. Hughes's brother, Jabez, a votary also of the Mufes, fome account is given in this volume, p. 160.

Thefe memoirs cannot be better closed than with the following fhort character, annexed by Dr. Campbell to his accurate life of this writer, in the ivth volume of "Biographia Britannica;"

"Mr. John Hughes was more follicitous to deserve fame than ambitious to enjoy "it. He was by nature addicted to study, "and with a great genius had a vast fund

*Daughter of Spencer Cowper, efq; one of the judges of the court of common-pleas, and niece to 'he lord chancellor.

" of

.

"of diligence, an exquisite taste, a correct judgment; but with all thefe qualities,

66

66

was modeft, and even diffident, to a fur

prifing degree, which hindered him from "collecting or publishing many valuable pieces of poetry, and fome of profe. How "well he was acquainted with the ancients, "and how proper a ufe he made of that

acquaintance, appears from his tranfla “tions and imitations of Orpheus, Tyrtæus, "Pindar, Anacreon, and Euripides, amongst "the Greeks; as well as of Horace, Ovid, "Lucan, and Claudian, amongst the Ro"mans. This did not, however, prejudice "him against the moderns: he translated "alfo from the French; and his Birth of "the Rofe,' from a writer of that country, "is not the leaft beautiful piece amongst "his works. His kill in music, which " was exquifite, gave him fuch an advantage over other poets, as might, with proper encouragement, have carried the English opera as high as the Italian. His "talent for lyric poetry was justly admired, "and his tragedy of The Siege of Damaf

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