established his health, that his friends began to hope he might laft for many years; but (whether it were from a life too fedentary, or from his natural conftitution, in which was one circumstance very remarkable that from his cradle, he never had a regular pulfe) a long and painful relapfe into an asthma anddropfy, deprived the world of this great man, on the seventeenth of June 1719. He left behind him only one daughter, by the Countess of Warwick, to whom he was married in the year 1716,

Not many days before his death, he gave me directions to collect his writings, and at the fame time committed to my care the letter addrest to Mr. Craggs (his fucceffor as Secretary of State) wherein he bequeaths them to him as a token of friendship. Such a testimony from the first man of our age, in fuch a point of time, will be perhaps as great and lasting an honour to that gentleman, as any even he could acquire to himself; and yet is no more

than

than was due from an affection, that justly increased towards him, through the intimacy of feveral years. I cannot, without the utmost tenderness, reflect on the kind concern, with which Mr. Addifon left me as a fort of incumbrance upon this valuable legacy. Nor must I deny myself the honour to acknowledge, that the goodness of that great man to me, like many other of his amiable qualities, feemed not fo much to be renewed as continued in his fucceffor; who made me an example, that nothing could be indifferent to him, which came recommended by Mr. Addifon.

Could any circumftance be more severe to me, while I was executing these laft commands of the Author, than to see the person to whom his works were prefented, cut off in the flower of his age, and carried from the high office. wherein he had fucceeded Mr. Addifon, to be laid next him in the fame grave! I might dwell upon fuch thoughts, as naturally rife from these minute refem

blances in the fortune of two perfons, whose names probably will be seldom mentioned afunder, while either our language or ftory fubfift, were I not afraid of making this preface too tedious; especially fince I fhall want all the patience of the reader for having. enlarged it with the following verfes.

20

To

To the RIGHT HONOURABLE the

EARL of WARWICK, &c..

F, dumb too long, the drooping mufe hath stay'd,,

IF

་ ་ ་

And left her debt to Addison unpaid;
Blame not her filence, Warwick, but bemoan,
And judge, oh judge, my bofom by your own..
What mourner ever felt poetic fires!

Slow comes the verse, that real woe inspires::
Grief unaffected fuits but ill with art,

Or flowing numbers with a bleeding heart.
Can I forgive the difmal night, that gave
My foul's best part for ever to the grave!
How filent did his old companions tread,,
By mid-night lamps, the manfions of the dead,',
Thro' breathing ftatues, then unheeded things,,
Thro' rows of warriors, and thro' walks of kings!!
What awe did the flow folemn knell inspire ;
The pealing organ, and the pausing choir;
The duties by the lawn-rob'd prelate paid ; ·
And the last words, that duft to duft convey'd!

While fpeechlefs o'er thy clofing grave we bend,
Accept these tears, thou dear departed friend,
Oh gone for-ever, take this long adieu;
And sleep in peace, next thy lov'd Montagu !

To ftrew fresh laurels let the task be mine,
A frequent pilgrim at thy facred fhrine,
Mine with true fighs thy absence to bemoan,
And grave with faithful epitaphs thy ftone.
If e'er from me thy lov'd memorial part,
May shame afflict this alienated heart;
Of thee forgetful if I form a fong,

My lyre be broken and untun'd my tongue,
My grief be doubled from thy image free,
And mirth a torment unchaftis'd by thee.
Oft let me range the gloomy iles alone
(Sad luxury to vulgar minds unknown)
Along the walls where fpeaking marbles show
What worthies form the hallow'd mold below:
Proud names, who once the reins of empire held;
In arms who triumph'd, or in arts excell'd;
Chiefs, grac'd with fcars, and prodigal of blood;
Stern patriots, who for facred freedom stood;
Juft men, by whom impartial laws were given;
And faints, who taught, and led, the way to heav'n.
Ne'er to these chambers where the mighty reft,
Since their foundation, came a nobler guest,

Nor