have had fome little difcourfe with the fon. He feems much affected, and, I believe, really is fo. He earnestly wishes his father may be pleased to ask after him. For, you must know, he has not yet done this, nor is, in my opinion, likely to do it. And it has been said farther, upon a very late application made to him on the behalf of his fon, he defired that no more might be said to him about it. Mrs. H. has fitted up a fuitable apartment in the house for Mr. Young, where, I suppose, he will continue till fome farther event. I heartily with the ancient man's heart may grow tender towards his fon; though, knowing him fo well, I can scarce hope to hear fuch defirable news. He took to his bed yesterday, about eleven in the forenoon, and has not been up fince. I called foon after my coming home, but did not fee him: he was then in a dose."

Of his death, which happened April 5. 1765., in the eighty-fourth year of his age, the following account is given by Mr. Jones, in a letter to his friend, dated Welwyn, April 13. 1765.: “ Į have now the pleasure to acquaint you, that the late Dr. Young, though he had for many years kept his fon at a diftance, yet has now, at last, left him all his poffeffions, after the payment of certain legacies. So that the young gentleman, who bears a fair character, and behaves well, as far as I can hear or fee, will, I hope, soon enjoy, and make a prudent use of a very handsome fortune. The father, on his death-bed, and since my return from London, was applied to, in the tenderest manner, by one of his phyficians, and by another perfon, to admit the fon into his prefence, to make subuiffion, entreat forgiveness, and obtain his bleffing. As to an interview with his fon, he intimated, he chofe to decline it, as his fpirits were then low, and his nerves weak: with regard to the next particular, he said, "I heartily forgive him ;" and, upon mention of the last, he gently lifted up his hand, and gently letting it fall, pronounced these words" God bless him!" After about a fortnight's illness, and bearing exceffive pains, he expired a little before eleven of the clock, in the night of Good Friday last, the 5th instant, and was decently buried yesterday, about fix in the afternoon, in the chancel of this church, close by the remains of his lady, under the communion-table. The clergy, who are the trustees for his charity-school, and one or two more, attending the funeral, the laft office at interment being performed by me.

« I know it will give you pleasure to be farther informed, that he was pleased to make refpectful mention of me in his will, expreffing his fatisfaction in my care of his parish, bequeathing to me a handsome legacy, and appointing me one of his executors, next after his fifter's fon [Mr. Harris], a clergyman of Hampshire, who this morning fet out for London, in order to prove the will in Doctor's Commons. So that, much according to my wishes, I shall have little or nothing to do, in refpect of executorship."

In his will, dated February 1760., he defires of his executors, in a particular manner, that all his manufcript-books, and writings whatever, might be burned, except his book of accounts. In a codicil, dated September 1764., he made it his dying entreaty to his housekeeper, to whom he left Iccol., “that all his manuscripts might be destroyed as foon as he was dead, which would greatly oblige her deceased friend." The legacy was not more than might be due to one whom he had never degraded by paying her wages. She did not, however, ftrictly comply with his last injunctions, in destroying his manufcripts. He left also a legacy to his "friend Henry Stephens, a hatter at the Temple-Gate," who went before him.

The fame humility which had marked a hatter and a housekeeper for his friends, had before beftowed the fame title on his footman, in an Epitaph in Welwyn Church yard, upon James Barker, dated 1749.

The author of that Epitaph is not without a stone to mark the place of his duft. Though he inscribed no monument to the memory of his lamented wife, yet the piety of his fon has erected a monument, in Welwyn church, to the memory of his parents, with the following infcription; which “contains,” says Mr. Croft,“ none of that praise, which no marble can make the bad or the foolish merit; which, without the direction of a stone or a turf, will find its way, fooner or later, to the deferving:"

M. S.
Optimi parentes,

EDWARDI YOUNG, LL, D.

イ

Et Elizabethæ

Fæm. prænob.

Conjugis ejus amantiffimæ.

Pio et gratiffimo animo

Hoc marmor pofuit

F. Y.

Filius fuperftes.

In the edition of Young's works, published during his life, in 4 vols, 12mo, feveral pieces, which he judged to be of a temporary nature, or of inferior merit, were omitted. After his death, a fifth volume was published, with the design of completing his works. But feveral pieces, and fome of confiderable length, were omitted. These were collected in an additional volume, making the fixth, in 1778. The contents are-Epifle to Lord Lansdowne, 1712; Imperium Pelagi, a Naval Lyric, 1730; The Foreign Addrefs, 1734; Reflections on the Public Situation of the Kingdom, 1745; Miscellanies [in verfe], viz. on Michael Angelo's famous piece of the Crucifixion; To Mr. Addison, on the Tragedy of Cato; A Letter to Mr. Tickell, on the Dealb of Mr. Addison, 1719; Epitaph on Lord Aubrey Beauclere, killed at Carthagena, 1740; Miscellanies Profe, viz. Epitaph on Mr. James Barker, 1749; Oratio de Bibliotbeca Codringtoniana, babita in Sacello Coll. Omn. Amn. 1716; A Difcourfe on Lyric Poetry; A Sermon preached before the King at Kensington, June 1758; Preface to “ Mrs. Rowe's Friendship on Death;" Dedications to the Laft Day, to Vanquished Love, to the Paraphrafe on Job, to Bufiris, and the Revenge. The Merchant, an Ode on the Britif Trade and Navigation, is mentioned alfo in the contents as a feparate poem, though it feems only a fecond title to the Lyric, or, perhaps, only a part of it; and that more was intended, feems probable from its being ftyled Ode the Firf. The Epitaph on Lord Aubrey Beauclere, is improperly dated 1740. Lord Aubrey was killed at Carthagena, March 24. 1740-1. The epitaph, therefore, could not be written, at fooneft, till the year after. The fecond line of the fecond couplet is, on the monument, expreffed thus-O'er dauntless loyal, &c. The volume concludes with "fome thoughts on reading Mr. Young's Last Day," in a letter to Mrs. Rowe, by Dr. Bowden, a worthy physician and ingenious poet of Frome, the friend of Mrs. Rowe, Lord Orrery, &e. His Pactical Works have been frequently reprinted in 4 vols 12mo, and in 3 vols 8vo, 1792. Of the Night Thoughts, the editions are too numerous to be specified. The edition in 8vo 1794, is ornamented with engravings, and illuftrated with notes by Mr. de Coetlogon. A French tranflation of the Night Thoughts, by M. le Tourneur, was published in 2 vols 8vo, 1769. "Obfervations on the Night Thoughts," by Mr. Pratt, appeared in 8vo, 1776.

Of the private habits, and domestic manners of Young, whofe great genius, abilities, and piety, placed him in the foremost rank of literature for almost half a century, curiofity will require more ample information than is to be found in the few scattered notices which the diligence of his biographers has collected, or the zeal and veneration of his friends have supplied.

Singularity is faid to have predominated in his moft juvenile practices. The late Dr. Ridley remembered a report current at Oxford, that, when he was compofing, he would fhut up his windows, and fit by a lamp, even at mid-day; and that skulls, bones, and inftruments of death, were among the ornaments of his ftudy. Thus encouraging the habitual gloom that hung over his imagination, it foon became peopled with the phantoms of discontent. He indulged an early luxury in describing the miferies of a world, that did not immediately forward his defigns and gratify his expectations. It has been faid, that if he had been a bishop, he would never have written the Night Thoughts. But he was far advanced in the pathethic trains of complaint, at a time when hope is warm in the bofom of other men; and had he attained the mitre, a difappointment in the primacy might have produced the fame effects on a mind which feems to have been endued with much fenfibility, and to have been depreffed with temporary obftructions of his profpects, which every man ftruggling through life naturally expects to meet with; and, if he cannot furmount them, does not think himself juftified in retiring to the cloifter, or the hermitage. It cannot be fuppofed, that his difpofition brightened up when he had fuffered from real difappointments, and the weight of years fat heavier upon him. His difcourfe, even to the laft, it is faid, was rather expreffive of a restless than a fettled mind. In the character of Young, much of that melancholy caft of mind may be ob ferved which is ever attendant upon genius, but at the fame time fo tempered by the fober tints of fcience and philofophy, that it feldom breaks in upon the province of judgment and right ratioci

nation. The melancholy of Young was fo repreffed by the chaftening hand of reason and education, as never to infringe upon the duties of life. The fpirit, the energy of his foul, his rational and fublime piety, powerfully with-held the acceffion of a state of mind fo inimical to the rights of fociety.

It is generally known that Young, after his first sleep, spent the greatest part of the night in meditation, and in the composition of his works; and that he had only to tranfcribe them when he rofe, which was at an early hour. Every night he read prayers to his family, and every morning when there was no public service.

While his health permitted him to walk abroad, he preferred a folitary ramble in his churchyard, to exercise with a companion on a more cheerful spot. He was moderate in his meals, and rarely drank wine, except when he was ill; being (as he faid) unwilling to waste the fuccours of fickness on the ftability of health.

After a flight refreshment, he retired to bed at eight in the evening, although he might have guefts in his house, who wished to prolong his ftay among them to a later hour. He lived at a moderate expence, rather inclining to parfimony than profufion, and yet continued anxious for increase of preferment, after it could have added nothing to his enjoyments; for he expended annually little more than half of his income.

"He appeared," fays the writer in the "Gentleman's Magazine," above quoted, Vol. LII, p. 72. "neither as a man of forrow," nor yet as "a fellow of infinite jeft." The dignity of a great and a good man appeared in all his actions and in all his words. He converfed on religious subjects with the cheerfulness of virtue. His piety was undebased by gloom or enthusiasm; he was regular in the performance of all its duties, both in public and in private. I have been told that, before his time, divine fervice was performed only on Sunday morning, but he likewife read prayers in the afternoon, and on Wednesdays, Fridays, and all holidays."

"In his domestic character, he was as amiable as he was venerable in the Chriftian. His politenefs was fuch as I never faw equalled; it was invariable; to his fuperiors in rank, to his equals, and to his inferiors, it differed only in the degrees of elegance. I never heard him speak with roughness to his meaneft fervant; yet he well knew how to keep up his dignity, and, with all the majesty of fuperior worth, to reprefs the bold and the forward. In converfation upon lively subjects, he had a brilliancy of wit which was peculiar to himself. I know not how to describe it, but by faying, that it was both heightened and foftened by the great and the amiablé qualities of his foul. I have seen him ill, and in pain, yet the serenity of his mind remained unruffled; I never heard a peevish expreffion fall from his lips; nor was he, at fuch times, less kindly and politely attentive to those around him, than when in the company of strangers, who came only to visit hini for the first time."

"Dr. Young," fays Dr. Warton, who knew him well," was one of the most amiable and bene volent of men; most exemplary in his life, and fincere in his religion: nobody ever faid more brilliant things in converfation. The late Lord Melcombe informed me, that when he and Voltaire were on a vifit to his Lordship at Eaftbury, the English poet was far fuperior to the French, in the variety and novelty of his bon-mots and repartees: and Lord Melcombe was himself a good judge of wit and humour, of which he had a large portion."

Tfcharner, a noble foreigner, in a letter to Count Haller, fays, he has lately spent four days with Young at Welwyn, where he tastes all the ease and pleasure man can defire. "Every thing about him fhows the man; each individual being placed by rule. All is neat without art. He is very pleasant in converfation, and extremely polite."

"That domestic grief," fays Mr. Croft," is, in the first inftance, to be thanked for these ornaments to our language [The Night Thoughts], it is impoffible to deny. Nor would it be common hardiness to contend, that worldly discontent had no hand in these joint productions of poetry and piety. Yet I am by no means fure that, at any rate, we should not have had something of the fame colour from Young's pencil, notwithstanding the liveliness of his fatires. In fo long a life, causes for difcontent, and occafions for grief, must have occurred. It is not clear to me that his mufe was not fitting upon the watch for the first which happened. Night Thoughts were not un

In the edition of Young's works, published during his life, in 4 vols, 12mo, feveral pieces, which he judged to be of a temporary nature, or of inferior merit, were omitted. After his death, a fifth volume was published, with the design of completing his works. But feveral pieces, and some of confiderable length, were omitted. These were collected in an additional volume, making the fixth, in 1778. The contents are-Epifle to Lord Lansdowne, 1712; Imperium Pelagi, a Naval Lyric, 1730; The Foreign Address, 1734; Reflections on the Public Situation of the Kingdom, 1745; Miscellanies [in verfe], viz. on Michael Angelo's famous piece of the Crucifixion; To Mr. Addifon, on the Tragedy of Cato; A Letter to Mr. Tickell, on the Dealb of Mr. Addison, 1719; Epitaph on Lord Aubrey Beauclerc, killed at Carthagena, 1740; Miscellanies in Profe, viz. Epitaph on Mr. James Barker, 1749; Oratio de Bibliotheca Codringtoniana, babita in Sacello Coll. Omn. Amn. 1716; A Difcourfe on Lyric Poetry; A Sermon preached before the King at Kenfington, June 1758; Preface to " Mrs. Rowe's Friendship on Death;" Dedications to the Laft Day, to Vanquished Love, to the Paraphrafe on Job, to Bufiris, and the Revenge. The Merchant, an Ode on the British Trade and Navigation, is mentioned alfo in the contents as a feparate poem, though it feems only a fecond title to the Lyric, or, perhaps, only a part of it; and that more was intended, seems probable from its being styled Ode the Firft. The Epitaph on Lord Aubrey Beauclere, is improperly dated 1740. Lord Aubrey was killed at Carthagena, March 24, 1740-1. The epitaph, therefore, could not be written, at fooneft, till the year after. the fecond couplet is, on the monument, expreffed thus-O'er dauntless loyal, &c. cludes with " some thoughts on reading Mr. Young's Laft Day," in a letter to Mrs. Rowe, by Dr. Bowden, a worthy physician and ingenious poet of Frome, the friend of Mrs. Rowe, Lord Orrery, &e. His Pactical Works have been frequently reprinted in 4 vols 12mo, and in 3 vols 8vo, 1792. Of the Night Thoughts, the editions are too numerous to be specified. The edition in 8vo 1794, is ornamented with engravings, and illuftrated with notes by Mr. de Coetlogon. A French tranfiation of the Night Thoughts, by M. le Tourneur, was published in 2 vols 8vo, 1769. "Obfervations on the Night Thoughts," by Mr. Pratt, appeared in 8vo, 1776.

The second line of
The volume con-

Of the private habits, and domeftic manners of Young, whofe great genius, abilities, and piety, placed him in the foremost rank of literature for almost half a century, curiofity will require more ample information than is to be found in the few scattered notices which the diligence of his biographers has collected, or the zeal and veneration of his friends have fupplied.

Singularity is faid to have predominated in his moft juvenile practices. The late Dr. Ridley remembered a report current at Oxford, that, when he was compofing, he would fhut up his windows, and fit by a lamp, even at mid-day; and that skulls, bones, and inftruments of death, were among the ornaments of his study. Thus encouraging the habitual gloom that hung over his imagination, it foon became peopled with the phantoms of difcontent. He indulged an early luxury in defcrib ing the miferies of a world, that did not immediately forward his designs and gratify his cxpectations. It has been faid, that if he had been a bishop, he would never have written the Night Thoughts. But he was far advanced in the pathethic ftrains of complaint, at a time when hope is warm in the bofom of other men; and had he attained the mitre, a disappointment in the primacy might have produced the fine effects on a mind which feems to have been endued with much fensibility, and to have been deprelled with temporary obftructions of his profpects, which every man struggling through life naturally expects to meet with; and, if he cannot furmount them, does not think himself juftified in retiring to the cloister, or the hermitage. It cannot be fuppofed, that his difpofition brightened up when he had fuffered from real difappointments, and the weight of years fat heavier upon him. His difcourfe, even to the laft, it is faid, was rather expreffive of a reflefs than a fettled mind. In the character of Young, much of that melancholy caft of mind may be ob ferved which is ever attendant upon genius, but at the fame time fo tempered by the fober tints of science and philofophy, that it feldom breaks in upon the province of judgment and right ratioci

nation. The melancholy of Young was fo repreffed by the chaftening hand of reafon and education, as never to infringe upon the duties of life. The fpirit, the energy of his foul, his rational and/ fublime piety, powerfully with-held the acceffion of a state of mind so inimical to the rights of fociety.

It is generally known that Young, after his first sleep, spent the greatest part of the night in meditation, and in the composition of his works; and that he had only to transcribe them when he rose, which was at an early hour. Every night he read prayers to his family, and every morning when there was no public fervice.

While his health permitted him to walk abroad, he preferred a folitary ramble in his churchyard, to exercife with a companion on a more cheerful spot. He was moderate in his meals, and rarely drank wine, except when he was ill; being (as he faid) unwilling to waste the fuccours of fickness on the stability of health.

After a flight refreshment, he retired to bed at eight in the evening, although he might have guests in his house, who wished to prolong his stay among them to a later hour. He lived at a moderate expence, rather inclining to parfimony than profufion, and yet continued anxious for increase of preferment, after it could have added nothing to his enjoyments; for he expended annually little more than half of his income.

"He appeared," fays the writer in the "Gentleman's Magazine," above quoted, Vol. LII, p. 72. "neither as a man of forrow," nor yet as " a fellow of infinite jeft." The dignity of a great and a good man appeared in all his actions and in all his words. He converfed on religious subjects with the cheerfulness of virtue. His piety was undebased by gloom or enthusiasm; he was regular in the performance of all its duties, both in public and in private. I have been told that, before his time, divine fervice was performed only on Sunday morning, but he likewise read prayers in the afternoon, and on Wednesdays, Fridays, and all holidays."

"In his domestic character, he was as amiable as he was venerable in the Chriftian. His politenefs was such as I never faw equalled; it was invariable; to his fuperiors in rank, to his equals, and to his inferiors, it differed only in the degrees of elegance. I never heard him speak with roughnefs to his meaneft fervant; yet he well knew how to keep up his dignity, and, with all the majefty of fuperior worth, to reprefs the bold and the forward. In converfation upon lively subjects, he had a brilliancy of wit which was peculiar to himself. I know not how to defcribe it, but by faying, that it was both heightened and foftened by the great and the amiablé qualities of his foul. I have seen him ill, and in pain, yet the ferenity of his mind remained unruffled: I never heard a peevish expreffion fall from his lips; nor was he, at fuch times, less kindly and politely attentive to those around him, than when in the company of strangers, who came only to visit hini for the first time."

"Dr. Young," fays Dr. Warton, who knew him well," was one of the most amiable and bene volent of men; moft exemplary in his life, and fincere in his religion: nobody ever faid more brilliant things in converfation. The late Lord Melcombe informed me, that when he and Voltaire were on a vifit to his Lordship at Eaftbury, the English poet was far fuperior to the French, in the variety and novelty of his bon-mots and repartees: and Lord Melcombe was himself a good judge of wit and humour, of which he had a large portion."

Tícharner, a noble foreigner, in a letter to Count Haller, fays, he has lately spent four days with Young at Welwyn, where he tastes all the ease and pleasure man can defire. "Every thing about He is very him fhows the man; each individual being placed by rule. All is neat without art. pleasant in converfation, and extremely polite."

"That domestic grief," fays Mr. Croft," is, in the first instance, to be thanked for thefe or naments to our language [The Night Thoughts], it is impoffible to deny. Nor would it be common hardiness to contend, that worldly discontent had no hand in these joint productions of poetry and piety. Yet I am by no means fure that, at any rate, we should not have had fomething of the fame colour from Young's pencil, notwithstanding the livelinefs of his fatires. In fo long a life, caufes for difcontent, and occafions for grief, must have occurred. It is not clear to me that his mufe was not fitting upon the watch for the first which happened. Night Thoughts were not uncommon to her, even when firft she visited the poet; and, at a time when he himself was remarkable,