If therefore, We fet the Piece in it's worft Pofition; if it's Faults be most exposed, the Shades will ftill appear very finely join'd with their Lights; and every Imperfection will be diminished by the Luftre of fome Neighb'ring Virtue. But if We turn the great Drawings and wonderful Colourings to their true Light; the Whole must appear Beautiful, Noble, Admirable. He poffeffed all those Virtues in the highest Degree, upon which the Pleasure of Society, and the Happiness of Life depend: and He exercised them with the greateft Decency, and best Manners. As good Nature is faid, by a great * Author, to belong more particularly to the ENGLISH, than any other Nation; it may again be faid, that it belonged more particularly to the late Earl of DORSET, than to any other ENGLISH Man. A kind Husband He was, without Fondness: and an indulgent Father without Partiality. So extraordinary good a Master, that This Quality ought indeed to have been number'd among his Defects: for He was often worse served than became his Station; from his Unwillingness to assume an Authority too Severe. And, during those little Transports of Paffion, to which I just now faid He was fubject; I have known his Servants get into his way, that They might make a Merit of it immediately after: for He that had the good Fortune to be Chid, was fure of being Rewarded for it. His Table was one of the Laft, that gave Us an Example of the Old House-keeping of an ENGLISH Nobleman. A Freedom reigned at it, which made every one of his Guests think Himfelf at Home: and an Abundance, which fhewed that the Master's Hospitality extended to * Sprat. Hift. of the Royal Society. many many More, than Those who had the Honor to fit at Table with Him. In his Dealings with Others; his Care and Exactness, that every Man fhould have his Due, was such, that you would think He had never seen a Court: the Politeness and Civility with which this Juftice was adminiftred, would convince You He never had lived out of One. He was fo ftrict an Obferver of his Word, that no Confideration whatever, could make him break it: yet fo cautious, left the Merit of his Act should arise from that Obligation only; that He ufually did the greatest Favors, without making any previous Promise. So inviolable was He in his Friendship; and fo kind to the Character of Thofe, whom He had once Honored with a more intimate Acquaintance; that nothing less than a Demonftration of fome Effential Fault, could make Him break with Them: and then too, his good Nature did not consent to it, without the greatest Reluctance and Difficulty. Let me give one Inftance of this amongst many. When, as Lord Chamberlain, He was obliged to take the King's Penfion from Mr. DRYDEN, who had long before put Himself out of a Poffibility of Receiving any Favor from the Court: my Lord allowed Him an Equivalent, out of his own Eftate. However difpleased with the Conduct of his old Acquaintance, He relieved his Neceffities; and while He gave Him his Affiftance in Private; in Public, He extenuated and pitied his Error. "The Foundation indeed of these Excellent Qualities, and the Perfection of my Lord DORSET's Character, was, That unbounded Charity which ran through the whole Tenor of his Life; and fat as vifibly Predominant over over the other Faculties of his Soul; as She is faid to do in Heaven, above Her Sifter Virtues. Crouds of Poor daily thronged his Gates, expecting thence their Bread: and were still leffened by His fending the most proper Objects of his Bounty to Apprenticeships, or Hospitals. The Lazar and the Sick, as He accidentally faw them, were removed from the Street to the Phyfician: and Many of Them not only reflored to Health; but fupplied with what might enable Them to resume their former Callings, and make their future Life happy. The Prisoner has often been releafed, by my Lord's paying the Debt; and the Condemned has been faved by his Interceffion with the Sovereign; where He thought the Letter of the Law too rigid. To Those whose Circumftances were fuch as made Them afhamed of their Poverty; He knew how to bestow his Munificence, without offending their Modefty: and under the Notion of frequent Prefents, gave Them what amounted to a Subfiftance. Many yet alive know This to be true, though He told it to None, nor ever was more uneafy, than when any one mentioned it to Him. We may find among the Greeks and Latins, TIBULLUS, and GALLUS; the Noblemen that writ Poetry: AUGUSTUS and MECENAS; the Protectors of Learning: ARISTIDES, the good Citizen; and ATTICUS, the well-bred Friend: and bring Them in, as Examples, of my Lord DORSET's Wit; His Judgment; His Justice; and His Civility. But for His Charity, My Lord, We can scarce find a Parallel in History it self. TITUS was not more the Delicia Humani generis, on this Account, than my Lord DORSET was. And, without any Exageration, that Prince did not do more good in Proportion Proportion out of the Revenue of the Roman Empire, than Your Father out of the Income of a private Estate. Let this, my Lord, remain to You and Your Pofterity a Poffeffion for ever; to be Imitated, and if poffible, to be Excelled. As to my own Particular, I fcarce knew what Life was, sooner than I found my felf obliged to His Favor; nor have had Reason to feel any Sorrow, fo fenfibly as That of His Death. Ille dies—quem femper acerbum Semper honoratum (fic Di voluiftis) habebo. ENEAS could not reflect upon the loss of His own Father with greater Piety, My Lord, than I must recall the Memory of Yours: and when I think whose Son I am writing to, the least I promise my self from Your Goodness is an uninterrupted Continuance of Favor, and a Friendship for Life. To which, that I may with fome Justice Intitle my self, I fend Your Lordship a Dedication, not filled with a long Detail of Your Praises, but with my fincerest Wishes that You may Deserve them. That You may Imploy those extraordinary Parts and Abilities with which Heaven has bleffed You, to the Honor of Your Family, the Benefit of Your Friends, and the Good of Your Country; That all Your Actions may be Great, Open and Noble, such as may tell the World whose Son and whofe Succeffor You are. What I now offer to Your Lordship is a Collection of Poetry, a kind of Garland of Good Will. If any Verses of My Writing fhould appear in Print, under another Name and Patronage, than That of an Earl of DORSET, People might suspect them not to be Genuine. I have attained C attained my present End, if these Poems prove the Diverfion of fome of Your Youthful Hours, as they have been occafionally the Amusement of fome of Mine; and I humbly hope, that as I may hereafter bind up my fuller Sheaf, and lay fome Pieces of a very different Nature (the Product of my severer Studies) at Your Lordship's Feet, I fhall engage Your more ferious Reflection: Happy, if in all my Endeavors I may contribute to Your Delight, or to Your Inftruction. I am, with all Duty and Respect, MY LORD, Your Lordship's moft Obedient, and moft Humble Servant, MAT. PRIOR. |