For the life of YOUNG, the world is obliged to Mr. Herbert Croft, the English lexicographer, formerly a barrister of Lincoln's-Inn, now a clergyman, who was the friend of his fon, and wifhed to vindicate him from fome very mistaken remarks to his prejudice. Mr. Croft's narrative, which exhibits a fuccefsful imitation of Dr. Johnson's ftyle, was fubjected to the revifion of our great poetical biographer, who adopted it as an introduction to his critical examination of the genius and writings of Young.

The facts stated in the prefent account are chiefly taken from Mr. Croft's narrative, with the addition of fuch particulars as fubsequent refearches, or cafual information, have supplied.

Edward Young was born at Upham, near Winchester, in June 1681. He was the fon of Dr. Edward Young, at that time Fellow of Winchester College, and Rector of Upham. In 1682, he was collated to the prebend of Gillingham-Minor, in the church of Salisbury, by Bishop Ward. He was afterwards, in confequence of his merit and reputation, or of the intereft of Lord Bradford, to whom, in 1702, he dedicated two volumes of fermons, appointed Chaplain to King Wil liam and Queen Mary, and preferred to the deanery of Salisbury. Jacob, who wrote in 1720, fays, " he was Chaplain and Clerk of the Clofet to the late Queen, who honoured him, by flanding godmother to the poet." He died at Salisbury, in 1705. Burnet preached his funeral fermon, and bestowed upon him a handsome eulogium.

He was placed on the foundation at Winchefter College, where he remained till the election after his eighteenth birth-day, the period at which thofe upon the foundation are fuperannuated; when, not being chofen to New College, Oxford, he, on the 13th of October 1703, was entered an independent member of that fociety, that he might live at little expence at the lodgings of the Warden, who was a particular friend of his father. In a few months, the Warden of New College died. He then removed to Corpus College. The prefident of this fociety, from a regard alfo to his father, invited him thither, in order to leffen his academical expences. In 1708, he was nominated to a law-fellowship at All Souls, by Archbishop Tenifon; into whofe hands it came by devolu tion. Such repeated patronages, while it justifies Burnet's praise of the father, reflects credit on the conduct of the fon. The manner in which it was exerted, feems to prove, that the father did not leave behind him much wealth.

It is reported, that when he first found himself independent, and his own master, at All Souls, he was not the ornament to religion and morality which he afterwards became.

Pope is faid, by Ruff head, to have told Warburton, that "Young had paffed a foolife youth, the Spart of peers; but his having a very good heart, enabled him to support the clerical character, when he affumed it, with decency, and afterwards with honour."

The authority of his father, indeed, had ceased fome time before by his death; and he was certainly not afhamed to be patronized by the Duke of Wharton," the feorn and wonder of his days.” His father had been well acquainted with Mrs. Anne Wharton, the first wife of Thomas Wharton, Efq, afterwards Marquis of Wharton, a lady celebrated for her poetical talents, by Burnet and by Waller. The father of the Duke of Wharton, had been the friend of his father; and, after he became ennobled, did not drop the son of his old friend: In him, during the short time he lived, Young found a patron, and in his eccentric and diffolute descendent, a friend and a companion. But the duke, it is to be fuppofed, did not at once fink into the depths of profligacy. That he had great and shining abilities, was acknowledged by his contemporaries, who entertained the greatest hopes of his becoming an honour to his country. It is not unreafonable to imagine, that the bare acquaintance with such a man as Wharton proved to be, might give rife to the report of his having relaxed, in early youth, from the ftrict and rigid rules of virtue; of the truth of which, there is not fufficient evidence.

The teftimony of Tindal, who spent much of his time at All Souls, is an unqueflionable authority in favour of Young's warmth and ability in the caufe of religion, in the early part of his life. "The other boys," said he, "I can always anfwer, because I always know whence they have their

arguments, which I have read a hundred times; but, that fellow Young, is continually peftering me with fomething of his own."

In 1712, when Queen Anne called up to the House of Lords the fons of the Earls of Northamp❤ ton and Aylesbury, and added, in one day, ten others to the number of peers, he published An Epiftle to the Right Honourable George Lord Lanfdown; in order to reconcile the people to one, at least, of the new lords. It feems intended alfo to reconcile the public to the late peace.

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The affectionate mention of the death of his friend Harrison, of New College, at the close of the poem, is an instance of his art, which difplayed itself fo wonderfully afterwards in the Night Thoughts, of making the public a party in his private forrow.

Of this poem, there is no appearance in his own edition of his works, in 4 vols, 8vo; and prefixed to an edition by Curll and Tonfon, in 1741, is a letter from Young to Curll, in which he advises its omiffion. "I think," fays he, in the preface to the Works of the Author of the Night Thoughts “the following pieces, in four volumes, to be the most excufable of all that I have written; and I wish less ' apology was needful for these. As there is no recalling what is got abroad, the pieces here repu- › blished I have revifed and corrected, and rendered them as pardonable as it was in my power to do.” It is but juftice to distinguish what the author of the Night Thoughts deliberately rejected.

When Addison published "Cato," in 1713, Young prefixed to it a recommendatory copy of verfes. This is one of the pieces which he did not republish.

The Last Day was published the fame year. The Vice-Chancellor's Imprimatur ; for it was first › printed at Oxford, is dated May 19. 1713. From the exordium, he appears to have spent some time in the composition of it. While other bards with Britain's hero fet their fouls on fire, he draws, he fays, a deeper feene. This ferious poem was finished by him as early as 1710; for part of it is printed in the " Tatler." The "Englishman" of October 29. 1713, which was probably writ ten by Addison, speaks handsomely of it. It was infcribed to the queen in a dedication; which, for some reason, he did not admit into his works. It tells her, that the only title to the great honour he now does himself, is the obligation which he formerly received from her royal indulgence.

Of this obligation nothing is now known, unless he alluded to her being his godmother. He is faid, indeed, to have been engaged at a fettled ftipend, as a writer for the court. In Swift's Rhaplody on Poetry," are thefe lines, fpeaking of the court:

Whence Gay was banish'd in difgrace,

Where Pope will never fhow his face,
Where Y muft torture his invention,

To flatter knaves, or lofe his penfion.

That Y-- means Young, feems clear from four other lines in the fame poem:

Attend, ye Popes, and Youngs, and Gays,

And tune your harps, and ftrew your bays;

Your panegyrics here provide;

You cannot err on flattery's fide.

Of the dedication, the complexion is clearly political. It speaks in the highest terms of the peace of Utrecht. Mr. Croft doubts whether he had a right to withdraw the praise he had once given, and asks, "Was he conscious of the exaggeration of party? Then he should not have written it." If it contained only the praise of truth, he should not have omitted it in his works." Surely this is denying a man the privilege of becoming wifer by his own experience! Young, in the warmth of party zeal, might very honeftly and fincerely write a panegyric, which time, and a clearer knowledge of characters, might convince him was undeserved; all he could then do, was silently to fupprefs, as far as he was able, thofe errors into which an upright heart had betrayed his judgment.

The poem itself, is not without a glance towards politics, notwithstanding the fubject. The cry, that the church was in danger, had not yet fubfided. The Laft Day, written by a layman, was much approved by the Tory ministry, and their friends.

The Force of Religion, or Vanquisbed Love, was published before the queen's death. This poem is founded on the execution of Lady Jane Gray, and her husband, Lord Guildford Dudley, 1554; a Rory chofen for the fubject of an epiftle by Cawth tra Smith, and wrought into

tragedy by Rowe. The flattering dedication of it to the Countess of Salisbury, does not appear in his own edition.

On the 23d of April 1714, he took his degree of Bachelor of Civil Law; and, the fame year, he published a poem on the Queen's death, and his Majefty's acceflion to the throne. It is infcribed to Addison, then Secretary to the Lords Juftices. This poem he did not admit into his works.

In 1716, when the foundation of the Codrington Library was laid, he was appointed to speak the Latin Oration. In his letter to Curll, he fays, "If you will take my advice, I would have you omit the Oration on Codrington. I think the collection will fell better without it." This oration he did not admit into his works.

In 1717, when Wharton, after his return from his travels, went to Ireland, it is not unlikely that Young accompanied his avowed friend and patron. From a paffage relating to Swift, in his letter to Richardson, en original composition, it is clear he was, at some period of his life, in that country. In 1719, he was received into the Earl of Exeter's family, as tutor to Lord Burleigh; which he foon quitted, upon the preffing folicitations of Wharton, and his promises of serving and advancing him in the world.

The same year, his Bufiris, King of Egypt, was acted at the theatre in Drury-Lane, and met with fuccefs. The plot is of his own contrivance. The haughty message sent by Bufiris to the Perfian Ambafador, is copied from that returned by the Ethiopian Prince to Cambyfes, in the third book of Herodotus. The dialogue contains many ftriking beauties of fentiment and description, but it is written in a glaring ambitious style; the pride of Bufiris is such as no other man can have; and the whole is too remote from human life, to raise either grief, horror, or indignation. It was infcribed to the Duke of Newcastle, "because the late instances he had received of his Grace's undeserved and uncommon favour, in an affair of fome confequence, foreign to the theatre, had taken from him the privilege of choofing a patron." The dedication he afterwards suppressed.

He took the degree of Doctor of Laws on the 10th of June 1719. The fame year, he lament ed the death of Addison, in a letter addressed to their common friend, Tickell. According to Spence's MSS, they used to "communicate to each other whatever verses they wrote, even to the leaft things."

The fame year appeared A Paraphrase on part of the Book of Job, which he dedicated, în no com mon ftrain of flattery, to Lord Chancellor Parker. Of this work, his opinion may be known from bis letter to Curil :-" You seem, in the collection you propose, to have omitted what I think may claim the first place in it; I mean, "A Tranflation from part of Job, printed by Mr. Tonfon." The dedication was only fuffered to appear in Tonfon's edition.

In 1721, The Revenge, a tragedy, was acted at the theatre in Drury-Lane, and met with very great fuccefs. This is his best dramatic performance. It approaches much nearer to human prac tices and manners than Bufiris, and therefore keeps poffeffion of the stage. The first design seems fuggefted by "Othello” and “ Abdelazar;" but he has, in fome refpects, greatly improved on both. The reflections, the incidents, and the diction, are original. The moral obfervations are so introduced and fo expreffed, as to have all the novelty that can be required.

He dedicated this famous tragedy to Wharton. "Your Grace," fays the dedication," has been pleafed to make yourself acceffary to the following fcenes, not only by fuggesting the most beautiful incident in them, but by making all possible provision for the success of the whole." That Wharton fhould have fuggefted the incident to which he alludes, is not unlikely, as his last mental exertion, in his quarters at Lerida in Spain, was fome scenes of a tragedy, on the story of " Mary Queen of Scots;" to which Lady Mary Wortley Montague wrote an epilogue, which is preferved in Dodfley's "Collection."

He concludes his addrefs to Wharton, whom he acknowledges not only as the defender of his poetry, but as the promoter of his fortune, thus: "My prefent fortune is his bounty, and my future his care, which, I will venture to say, will be always remembered to his honour; fince he, I know, intended his generofity as an encouragement to merit; though, through his very pardonable partiality to one who bears him fo fincere a duty and respect, I happen to receive the benefit of it." Ho excluded this dedication from his own edition of his works.

To the patronage of this unhappy character, he was certainly, however, indebted for fomething material. Wharton's regard for Young, added to his "luft of praife," procured to All Souls College a donation, which was not forgotten when he dedicated The Revenge.

Two annuities were alfo granted by the Duke to Young; one of which was dated March 24. 1719, and accounted for his Grace's bounty in a ftyle princely and commendable, if not legal:"Confidering that the public good is advanced by the enouragemcent of learning, and the polite arts, and being pleased therein with the attempts of Dr. Young; in confideration thereof, and of the love I bear him, &c." The other was dated July 10. 1722.

When Lord Chancellor Hardwicke was to determine, March 14. 1740, whether thefe annuities were for legal confiderations, Young, on his examination, fwore, that he quitted the Exeter family, and refused an annuity of 100 l., which had been offered him for life, if he would continue tutor to Lord Burleigh, upon the folicitations of the Duke of Wharton, and his Grace's affurances of providing for him in a much more ample manner.

It also appeared, that the Duke had given him a bond for 600l., dated March 15. 1721, in confideration of his taking feveral journeys, and being at great expences, in order to be chofen Member of Parliament, at the Duke's defire; and in confideration of his not taking two livings of 2001. and 400l, in the gift of All Souls College, on his Grace's promifes of ferving and advancing him in the world. The attempt to get into Parliament was at Cirencester, where Young stood a contefted election, about 1721, in which he was unfuccefsful.

His Satires were originally published feparately, under the title of The Love of Fame, or The Univerfal Paffion. The first appeared in 1725. The fifth was not published till 1727, and the fixth not till 1728; when he gathered them into one publication," corrected and enlarged," and prefixed a preface, decifive in favour of laughing at the world; which he preferved, without any palliation, in the collection of his works. They were infcribed to the Duke of Dorfet, Mr. D.dington, afterwards Lord Melcombe, Mr. Spencer Compton, afterwards Lord Wilmington, Lady Elizabeth Germain, Sir Robert Walpole, &c.

By the Universal Paffion, according to Mr. Croft, he acquired more than three thousand pounds, His fon informed Dr. Johnfon and Mr. Bofwell, in 1781, "that his father had received feveral thousand pounds of fubfcription-money for his Universal Paffion, but had lost it in the South Sea. Dr. Johnfon thought this must be a mistake; for he had never feen a fubfcription-book,"

It is related by Spence, in his MSS., on the authority of Mr. Rawlinfon, that Young, upon the publication of his Univerfal Paffion, received from the Duke of Grafton two thousand pounds; and that, when one of his friends exclaimed " two thoufand pounds for a poem," he said it was the best bargain he ever made in his life; for the poem was worth four thoufand. This story may be true; but it seems to have been raised from the two answers of Sidney and Lord Burleigh, refpecting the "Faery Queene."

In 1726, he addreffed a poem, called The Inftallment, to Sir Robert Walpole, of which the title fufficiently explains the intention. It is among the pieces he did not admit into the number of his pardonable writings.

At the acceffion of George II., he published Ocean, An Ode, concluding with a Wib. The hint of it was taken from the Royal Speech: which recommended the increase and the encouragement of the feamen; that they might be invited, rather than compelled by force and violence, to enter into the fervice of their country; a plan which humanity must lament that policy has not even yet. been able or willing to carry into execution. Prefixed to the original publication, were An Ode to the King, Pater Patrie, and an Eay on Lyric Poetry. He preferved neither of them in his own edition. The Ode itself, which in the first edition, and in the last, confits of feventy-three ftanzas, in his own edition is reduced to fifty-nine. Among the omitted paffages, is the Wib. The Elay

on Lyric Poetry is so just and impartial, as to condemn himself.

Soon after the appearance of Ocean, when he was almost fifty, he entered into orders; and, in April 1728, not long after he put on the gown, he was appointed Chaplain to the King.

The tragedy of The Brothers, which was already in rehearsal, he immediately withdrew from the, ftage, as unbecoming his new profeffion.

It is related by Ruff head, that, when he determined on the church, he addressed himself to Fope, for instructions in theology; who, in a frolic, advised the diligent perufal of Thomas Aquinas. With this treasure, he retired from interruption, to an obscure place in the suburbs. Pope hearing nothing of him during half a year, and apprehending he might have carried the jeft too far, fought after him, and found him just in time to prevent what Ruff head calls " an irretrieveable derangement." Not long after he took orders, he published, in prose, A True Eftimate of Human Life, 1728, dedicated to the Queen; and a Sermon, preached before the Houfe of Commons, January 30. 1729, in-` tituled, An Apology for Princes, or the Reverence due to Government. The True Eftimate of Human Life, exhibits only the dark fide. Being asked, why he did not give, as he promised, the bright representation; he is faid to have replied, that he could not. By others it has been faid, that this was finished; but that, before there exifted any copy, it was torn in pieces by a lady's monkey.

In 1730, he relapsed to poetry, and published Imperium Pelagi, a Naval Lyric; written in imitation of Pindar's Spirit, occafioned by bis Majesty's return from Hanover, September 1729, and the fucceeding Peace. It is infcribed to the Duke of Chandos. In the preface he obferves, that the ode is the most spirited kind of poetry, and that the Pindaric is the moft fpirited kind of ode. "This I fpeak," he adds, with fufficient candour," at my own very great peril. But truth has an eternal title to our confeffion, though we are fure to fuffer by it." It was one of the pieces which he deliberately refufed to own. It was ridiculed in Fielding's " Tom Thumb."

Not long after this Pindaric attempt, he published Two Epifiles to Mr. P pe, concerning the Authors of the Age, 1730. In July the fame year, he was presented, by his college, to the rectory of Welwyn, in Hertfordshire, worth above 5ool a-year.

In May 1731, he married Lady Elizabeth Lee, daughter of the Earl of Litchfield, and widow of Colonel Lee, who left a son and two daughters. His connection with this lady, arose from his father's acquaintance with Mrs. Anne Wharton, who was the daughter and co-heirefs of Sir Henry Lee of Ditchley, in Oxfordshire, and fifter of the Countess of Abingdon, celebrated by Dryden in a funeral panegyric, intituled, "Eleanora."

His next publication was The Sea-Piece, in two odes, with a poetical dedication to Voltaire, whom he had seen when he was in England, at Eastbury, the feat of Mr. Dodington, in Dorfetfhire, which Thomson, in his " Autumn," calls the "Seat of the Mufes,"

Where in the fecret bower, and winding walk,

For virtuous Young and thee they twine the bay.

He enjoys the credit of an extempore Epigram on the French poet, who ridiculed, in the company of the jealous English poet, Milton's " Allegory of Sin and Death.".

You are so witty, profligate, and thin,

At once we think thee Milton, Death, and Sin.

From the following paffage in the poetical dedication of The Sea-Piece, it seems that this extempos raneous reproof was fomething more gentle than the distich now quoted.

No ftranger, Sir, though born in foreign climes;

In Dorfet downs, when Milton's page

With Sin and Death provok'd thy rage,

Thy rage provok'd, who footh'd with gentle rhymes.

In 1734, he published The Foreign Addrefs, or the beft Argument for Peace, occafioned by the Britis Fleet, and the Pofture of Affairs, written in the character of a failor. It is not to be found in his own edition of his works.

In 1741, he was deprived of his wife. She brought him one child, Frederick, now living, to whom the Prince of Wales was godfather. The Night Thoughts, a fpecies of poetry altogether his own, were begun immediately after the mournful event of 1741. The first Night appears in the books of the Company of Stationers, as the property of Dodfley, in 1742. The preface to Night feventh, is dated July 7. 1744.

In the fhort preface to the Complaint, he tells us, " that the occafion of the poem was real, not fictitious; and that the facts mentioned did naturally pour these reflections on the thought of the writer."

Whatever names belong to thefe facts, or if the names be thofe generally fuppofed; whatever heightening a poet's forrow may have given the facts, it is generally understood, that he had really