his interment. As he died without male iffue, his eftate devolved to his only nephew, Sir John Parhell, baronet, whofe father was younger brother to the archdeacon, and one of the juftices of the King's Bench in Ireland.

Such is the very unpoetical detail of the life of a poet. Some dates, and a few facts fcarce more interefting than those that make the ornaments of a country tomb-ftone, are all that remain of one whofe labours now begin to excite univerfal curiofity. A poet, while living, is feldom an object sufficiently great to attract much attention; his real merits are known but to a few, and these are generally fparing in their praifes. When his fame is increafed by time, it is then too late to inveftigate the peculiarities of his difpofition; the dews of the morning are paft, and we vainly try to continue the chace by the meridian fplendour.

There is fcarce any man but might be made the fubject of a very interefting and amufing hiftory, if the writer, befide a thorough acquaintance with the character he draws, were able to mark thofe nice diftinctions which feparate it from all others. The ftrongest minds have ufually the moft ftriking peculiarities, and would confequently afford the richest materials: but in the present inftance, from not knowing Doctor Parnell, his peculiarities are gone to the grave with him, and we are obliged to take his character from fuch as knew but little of him; or who, perhaps, could

[ ]

have given very little information if they had known

more,

PARNELL, by what I have been able to collect from my father and uncle, who knew him, was the most capable man in the world to make the happinefs of thofe he converfed with, and the leaft able to fecure his own. He wanted that evennefs of difpofition which bears difappointment with phlegm, and joy with indifference. He was ever very much elated or depreffed; and his whole life fpent in agony or rapture. But the turbulence of thefe paffions only affected himself, and never thofe about him, he knew the ridicule of his own character, and very effectually raifed the mirth of his companions, as well at his vexations as at his triumphs.

How much his company was defired, appears from the extenfivenefs of his connexions, and the number of his friends. Even before he made any figure in the literary world, his friendship was fought by perfons of every rank and party. The wits at that time differed a good deal from thofe who are moft eminent for their understanding at prefent. It would now be thought a very indifferent fign of a writer's good fenfe to difclaim his private friends for happening to be of a different party in politics; but it was then otherwife; the Whig wits held the Tory wits in great contempt," and these retaliated in their turn. At the head of one party were Addifon, Steele, and Congreve; at that of the other, Pope, Swift, and Arbuthnot.

Parnell was a friend to both fides, and with a libe rality becoming a scholar, fcorned all thofe trifling distinctions, that are noify for the time, and ridiculous to pofterity. Nor did he emancipate himself from thefe without fome oppofition from home. Having been the fon of a commonwealth's-man, his Tory connexions on this fide of the water, gave his friends in Ireland great offence; they were much enraged to see him keep company with Pope, and Swift, and Gay; they blamed his undistinguishing tafte, and wondered what pleasure he could find in the converfation of men who approved the Treaty of Utrecht and difliked the duke of Marlborough."

His converfation is faid to have been extremely pleafing, but in what its peculiar excellence confifted is now unknown. The letters which were written to him by his friends, are all full of compliments upon his talents as a companion, and his good nature as a man. I have feveral of them now before me. Pope was particularly fond of his company, and feems to regret his abfence more than any of the reft. A letter from him follows thus:

Dear SIR,

London, July 29.

Wish it were not as ungenerous as vain to complain too much of a man that forgets me, but I could expoftulate with you a whole day upon your inhuman filence; I call it inhuman; nor would you think it lefs, if you were truly fenfible

⚫ of

of the uneafinefs it gives me. Did I know you fo ill as to think you proud, I would be much less 'concerned than I am able to be, when I know < one of the best natured men alive neglects me ot ⚫ and if you know me fo ill as to think amifs of me, with regard to my friendship for you, you really 'do not deserve half the trouble you occafion me. I need not tell you, that both Mr. Gay and myfelf have written feveral letters in vain; that we are conftantly enquiring of all who have feen Ire land, if they faw you, and that (forgotten as we are) we are every day remembering you in our moft agreeable hours. All this is true, as that we are fincerely lovers of you, and deplorers of 'your absence, and that we form no wish more ardently than that which brings you over to us, and places you in your old feat between us. Weld have lately had fome diftant hopes of the Dean's i 'defign to revifit England; will not you accom £ pany him? or is England to loofe everything that has any charms for us, and muft we pray for • banishment as a benediction.I have once been witness of fome, I hope all of your fplenetic hours, come and be a comforter in your turn to me, in mine. I am in fuch an unfettled ftate, that I can't tell if I fhall ever fee you, unless it be this year; whether I do or not, be ever affured, you have as large a fhare of my thoughts and good wifhes as any man, and as great a portion of gratitude in my heart as would enrich a monarch,.

• could

• could he know where to find it. I fhall not die • without testifying something of this nature, and leaving to the world a memorial of the friendship that has been fo great a pleasure and pride to me. • It would be like writing my own epitaph, to ac• quaint you what I have loft fince I faw you, what I have done, what I have thought, where I have lived, and where I now repofe in obfcurity. My friend Jervas, the bearer of this, will inform you of all particulars concerning me, and Mr. Ford is charged with a thousand loves, and a thousand complaints, and a thousand commiffions to you on my part. They will both tax you with the neglect of fome promifes which were too agreeable to us all to be forgot; if you care for any of us tell them fo, and write so to me. I can fay no more, but that I love you, and am in spite of the longest neglect or abfence,

Dear Sir,

Your most faithful affectionate friend

And fervant,

A. POPE.

Gay is in Devonshire, and from thence goes to Bath; my father and mother never fail to comme

'morate you.'

Among