The Reverend Mr. JOHN BRO O ME. A Young Gentleman now living, Educated at St. John's College in Cambridge, Author of feveral good Copies of Verfes in Mifcellanies, viz. I. Courage in Love. II. Poverty and Poetry. III. The Speech of the Goddess Philofophy. From Boetius. IV. ORPHEUS. From Boetius. V. A Paraphrafe on part of the 68th Pfalm. VI. ASTROPHEL and DAPHNIS. A Pa storal. VII. The Coy. A Sonnet. THIS Mr. THOMAS BROWN. HIS Poet, for Humour excell'd all of his Time, and many of his Writings, particularly his Dialogues, are Originals, which few Perfons can Copy. He was the Son of a confiderable Farmer of Shifnel in Shropshire; and Educated at Newport School, in that County, under the Reverend and Learned Dr Edwards, a Gentleman who has Qualified a great many Perfonages of Diftinction for the University, particularly the Lord Chancellor Parker, the Lord Gore and others. Here he attain'd a perfect knowledge in the Latin and Greek Languages, and his Exercises were generally fo Excellently perform'd, that his Master was furpriz'd and fill'd with Admi ration, ration. From Newport School he remov'd to Chrift Church College, in Oxford, and Diftinguish'd himself there for his great Learning, ready Wit, and un common Genius: But the Difadvantages of a narrow Fortune, and fome little Irregularities would not fuffer him to continue long at the University. Upon his coming to London, he foon became acquainted with the Wits of the Town; for he was a Facetious and Excellent Companion, tho' withal fometimes very Satirical, and what is too common with Great Wits, his belt Friends could not escape his Lampoons. Towards the latter part of his Life, I am inform'd he was in favour with the Earl of Dorfet, who invited him to Dinner on a ChistmasDay, with Mr. Dryden and fome other Gentlemen famous for Learning and Ingenuity (according to his Lordship's ufual Cuftom) when Mr Brown, to his agreeable furprize found a Bank Note of 501. under his Plate, and Mr. Dryden at the fame time was presented with another of an 100 l. Actions of this Nature, were very common and peculiar to this Great and Generous Spirited Nobleman. Mr. Brown wrote a great many pieces in Verfe and Profe, but the latter are most Numerous and indeed the best part of his Works. The first piece which made him known to the Town, was an Account of the Conversion of Mr. Bayes, in a Dialogue, which met with very great Applaufe. The chief Beauty of his Writings is Humorous Satire, with an agreeable mixture of Wit and Learning; but he has not always the greatest Delicacy. The most confiderable of his Poems are. I. The BEAUTIES. TO ARMIDA. II. A Satire against Woman. To a Lady who let a fine Gentlemen die for Love of her, III. A Satire upon Marriage. VI. A IV. A Satire upon the French King, on the Peace of Refwick. Being committed to Prifon for this Piece, he wrote a famous Petition to the Lords of the Council, which procured his Enlargement. V.A Satire upon an Ignorant Quack. VI. The Temperate Epicure, written in French by Monfieur De la Fontaine, imitated in English. VII. The Highlander. A Satire, which ends with this judicious and fevere Simile, So Rogues mistaking Scandal to be Fame, Deem that their Honour others think their Shame. VIII. A Cure for Cuckoldom. A Tale from Boc cace. IX. An Elegy in Memory of the Gallant Lord Vif count DUNDEE. X. The Mourning Poet in Confinement. Calculated for the Meridian of the King's-Bench, Marfhalfea, and the Fleet. XI. A Match for the Devil. XIII. Friendship. A Poem. XIV. On Flowers in a Ladies Bofom. Wherein are the following Lines. Behold the Promis'd Land where Pleasures flow ! And beat the Silken Skies; Behold the Valley Spread with Flow'rs below! Tell, tell me why, thou fruitful Virgin Breast, * give a collection of Mikellany Poems Lettertisc. by Mr Brown. Pagli tit. Surely fome Champion in the Cause of Love, While the foft God took pity from above, There are feveral other small Pieces of Poetry a mong his Works; viz. Tranflations from Ovid, Horace, Martial's Epigrams, Fables, &c. Soteria Ormondiana; an admirable Latin Poem, upon The Recovery of the Duke of Ormond: Some Satirical pieces on Sir Richard Blackmore, and others; wherein he has carried his Reflections to a very great height. His whole Works, confifting of Dialogues, Effays, Declamations, Satires, Letters from The Dead to the Living, Tranflations, Amufements, &c. Are printed in Four Volumes, 12mo. He died in the Year 1704. And lies Interred in the Cloyster of Westminster-Abbey, near the Remains of Mrs. Behn, with whom he was very intimate in his Life time: And Dr. Drake wrote the following Infcription for a Monument which was intended to have been Erected to his Memory. Fuxta depofita funt Reliquia Livore & Injuriis Malevolorum, quos Vivens expertus eft, Scurrorum Juridice panas dedit, Non Non quod Merito, fed quod impune. Lepidiffimos complures reliquit falibus, facetiifque refertos. Quin & Poematia & Epiftolas; Leviufcula quidem, fed qua Indolem Authoris redoleant. Tam Latiis, quam Britannis familiaris : Quod ob earum fautoribus honefte repofitus Agro Staffordinenfi oriundus,obiit.16 Die Junii An. 1704. A Mr. SAMUEL BUTLER. UTHOR of the Inimitable Hudibrafs, was born at Strenfham in Worcestershire, in the Year 1612. His Father was a Farmer, who had fome fmall Estate of his own, but Rented a much greater of the Lord of the Manor. He Educated his Son at the Free School of Worcester, where he became an Excellent Scholar, and afterwards was fome little time at the University of Cambridge; but was never Matriculated into that University, his Father's Abilities not being fufficient to bear the charge of an Academical Education; fo that our Author returned foon into his Native Country, and became Clerk to one Mr. Jeffreys of Earl's-Croom, an Eminent Justice of the Peace for that County, with whom he lived fome Years in an eafy and no contemptible Service. He was after this, Recommended to that great Encourager of Learning, Elizabeth C 2 |