In 1746, he published a poem on Faith; the following lines will discover his fentiments on that elevated subject. What then must be believ'd?-Believe God kind, In 1747, he published the Art of Acting, a Poem. The fame year his Tragedy, called Merope, was brought on the ftage at Drury-lane. In his preface to this piece he fays, after very juftly cenfuring Voltaire for having reprefented the English as incapable of Tragedy, To fuch provoking stimulations I have owed the inducement to retouch, for Mr. Voltaire's ufe, the characters in his high boafted Merope; and I have done it on a plan as near his own as I could bring it with a fafe confcience, that is to fay, without distaste to English audiences. This piece, the last he ever wrote, he dedicated to Lord Bolingbroke. There is in it a melancholy thread of fatal prophecy of his own approaching diffolution. Cover'd in fortune's fhade, I reft reclin'd;' Fain wou'd my mind's weak offspring fhun to die. Whilft this play was in rehearsal, an illness feized him; from the tormenting pains of which he had scarce an hour's intermiffion; and after making trial of all he thought could be of fervice to him in medicine, he had recourfe to his native air of London, but was then paft all recovery, from what was believed to be an inflammation in the kidneys; of which his intense application to study might probably lay the foundation. — When in town, he had the comfort being honoured with the vifits of the moft worthy and esteemed among his friends; but he was not permitted many weeks to taste that bleffing. His Royal Highnefs the late Prince of Wales had the goodness to command the play of Merope to be per formed formed for the benefit of the Author, of which Mr. Hill juft lived fufficient time to exprefs his grateful acknowledgments.- -On the day before it was to be reprefented, he died, in the very minute of the earthquake, the 8th of February 1749, which he feemed fenfible of, though then deprived of utterance. Had he lived two days longer, he had been fixty-five years old.-He endured a twelve month's torment of body, with a calmnefs that confeffed a fuperiority of foul! He was interred in the fame grave with her the most dear to him when living, in the great cloifter of Weftminfter-Abbey, near the Lord Godolphin's tomb. In the later part of his life, Mr. Hill purpofed to make a general publication of his works, after he had finished fome pieces then in hand, which employed his time, till the ftroke of death put an end to his worldly cares. Amongst the dramatic pieces, he left the Tragedy of the Roman Revenge, which deferves to be firft mentioned; this the generous Lady Bab. Montague patronized and caused to be brought on the ftage at Bath, giving the profits to his family. This play a gentleman of eminence in the literary world, fays, is. founded on the ftory from which Shakespear wrote his Julius Cæfar, but has not one line or fentiment of Shakefpear, and yet every line and fentiment in it would do credit to Shakespear.' Nor is this gentlemen fingular in his opinion, witness the teftimony of the late Lord Bolingbroke, who in a letter to the Author has called it die • of the nobleft drama's that our language or any age can • boast.' Merlin in Love, a pantomime opera, Mr. Hill left in manufcript, which makes a part of the prefent publication, and seems calculated to please an English audience. The Muses in Mourning, one of his pofthumous pieces, is a comic opera poetically whimsical, has fome fatire in it, which appears levelled at the ftage, but not calculated fo much for representation as for clofet amusement. The Snake in the Grafs, is another dramatic piece, rather more fatirical than the former. Another performance he left, which is fingularly humorous, though fomething like the Chorus's of Shakespear; it was defigned as an interlude to Zara, which would make a variety, and turn it into a Tragi-comedy, but would rob the play of the majefty with which it appears as a Tragedy. Thus have I mentioned all I know of the late Mr. H, and shall take leave of the public with the words of Lad Clarendon, which with propriety cannot be more julbly a plied than to Mr. Hill. He that lives fuch a life, needs be lefs anxious at how fhort warning it is taken from him.' N. B. In 1753, were printed by Subfcription, 4 vols of Mr. His Poems and Letters; but thefe Dramatic Pieces were not included in that publication. The Original, Nature, and Immortality of the Soul, a Prem. With an Introduction concerning Human Knowlege. Written by Sir John Davis, Attorney-General in Ireland, to King James the first. 12mo. 2s. fewed. Browne. I Tis obferved, in a fenfible preface to this work, that there is a natural love and fondnefs in Englishmen, for whatever was done in the reign ef Queen Elizabeth: that we look upon her time as our golden age; and the great men who lived in it, as our greatcft examples of wildom, courage, integrity, and learning. Among these alfo it is remarked, that Sir John Davis ftands not in the lowest degree of eminence; altho' as a Writer, it is certain that this piece muft be confidered as his principal performance. It was firft printed, as we are informed, in the year 1599, and again in 1619; and repubHifhed by Tate in 1697: from whofe edition another was printed in the year 1714, as well as that which is here prefented to the public: the prefent being augmented, however, with fome account of the Author and his family. Tho', in this, there is little, if any thing, added to the particulars mentioned by Mrs. Cooper, Author of the Mufes Library; and, after her, by Cibber and Co. in their Lives of the Poets. ་ In this account we are told, that Sir John Davis was born at Chifgrove, in the parish of Tyfbury near Hindon in Wilts; and was the fon of a wealthy Tanner of that place, who fent him to Oxford; where, in the fifteenth < year of his age, in Michaelmas Term, 1585, he became a Commoner of Queen's College. Having, by his excellent natural parts, and the help of a Tutor, laid a good foundation of academical learning, and taken the degree of Batchelor of Arts; he was removed to the MiddleTemple, and applied himself to the fudy of the Common Law; but being a paffionate young man, he was fometime after expelled that fociety for beating a Gentleman at 5 ⚫ dinner dinner in the common-hall, yiz. Mr. Richard Martin, afterwards Recorder of London. From thence he went to Oxford again, lived private, and in his ferious mood here wrote the following Poem, printed first anno 1599, with the title of Nofce Teipfum. Being by the favour of Thomas Lord Ellefimere, Lord-Keeper of the Great-Seal, re<inftated in the Temple, he was called to the Bar, where he practifed as a Counfellor, and was chofen a Burgess for Corf-Caftle, in the Parliament held at Westminster in ← 1601, the laft of the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Upon her Majefty's death he went to Scotland, along with Lord Hunfdon, to congratulate King James I. upon his acceffion to the Crown; and being introduced with him into his Majefty's prefence, the King afked his Lordfhip the names of the Gentlemen that accompanied him; and his Lordfhip naming among them John Davis, who ftood behind, the King prefently afked, whether he was Nofce Teipfum; and being answered, he was the very fame perfon, his Majefty graciously embraced him, and affured him of his favour. Accordingly he first preferred him to be his Sollicitor, and then his Attorney-General in Ireland, where, in Trinity-Term, 1606, he was made one of his Majesty's Serjeants at Law, (the Motto of the Ring he gave upon that occafion being Lex publica lux eft) and was afterwards Speaker of the House of Commons in that kingdom.' On his return to England, he was chofen Member of Parliament, made Serjeant at Law, and at length promoted to be Lord Chief-Juftice of the King's-Bench; but died of an apoplexy before his inftalment. As to his family; a very fingular character is given of his Lady, who was the youngest daughter to George, Lord Audley, afterwards Earl of Caftlehaven, and pretended to be endowed with the fpirit of prophefy. It was commonly reported, that on the Sunday before Sir John's death, as fhe was fitting at dinner with him, fhe fuddenly burst into tears; and that upon his afking her the occafion, fhe answered, "Husband, these are your funeral tears:" to which he replied, "Pray, fpare your tears now; and I will be content "that you fhall laugh when I am dead." An account of the ftrange and wonderful prophecies of this extraordinary Lady, was published in the year 1649. But to return to Sir John; of whofe character in general we have the following sketches. He was a man of fine abilities, and uncommon eloquence, and had a moft happy ⚫ talent for writing both in profe and verfe. He tempered the 、 feverity feverity of the Lawyer with the politeness and learning of the Gentleman. He was a faithful Advocate, an uncor← rupt Judge, and equally remarkable for a love of ingenuous piety, and a contempt of anxious superstition.' With respect to the performance before us; it undoubtedly contains a great deal of folid argument, as well as many inftances of good poetry; but, on the whole, it is extremely diffufe, and abounds with too much quaintnefs and puerility, to give fatisfaction to the critical Reader. If we reflect, however, on the times in which this philofophical poem was written, we can very readily afcribe a great fhare of literary merit to its Author. The following verfes, extracted from the clofe of the Introduction, may ferve as a fpecimen of this Writer's manner and verfification. If ought can teach us ought, Affliction's looks This Mistress lately pluck'd me by the ear, And many a golden leffon hath me taught; Nor rules of art, nor precepts of the wife, As but the glance of this dame's angry eyes. I know my Body's of so frail a kind, As force without, fevers within can kill: I know my Soul hath pow'r to know all things, I know |