I cannot help inferting here a very fmart Epigram written on the putting up of this Monument:

At Dryden's Tomb, inscrib'd with Sheffield's Name, That Mite flow offer'd to eftablisht Fame,

Fill'd with raw Wonder, Tyro ftopt to gaze,
And bleft his bounteous Grace in kind Amaze.
The Guardian Genius, from the facred Duft
Rekindling upwards, wak'd the quick'ning Buft.
Glowing, from ev'ry awful Feature broke
Difdainful Life, and thus the Marble spoke :
Teach thy blind Love of Honefty to fee,
'Tis not my Monument tho' built on me.
Great Peers, 'tis known, can in Oblivion lie:
But no great Poet has the Pow'r to die.
At cheap Expence behold engrafted Fame;
The tackt Affociate of a buoyant Name.
This pompous Craft one lucky Lord shall fave;
Sheffield fhall borrow Life from Dryden's Grave.
Twas faid, and ere the short Sensation dy'd,
The stiff'ning Marble wreath'd its Form afide;
Back from the titled Waste of mouldring State,
He turn'd, neglectful of the Court too late!
And fadly-conscious of mifpointed Praise,
Frowns thro' the Stone, and fhrinks beneath the Bays.

Mr. Dryden had perfonal Qualities to challenge both Love and Efteem from all who were truly acquainted with him. He was of a Nature exceedingly humane and compaffionate, eafily forgiving Injuries, and capable of a prompt and fincere Reconciliation with them who had offended him. His Friendship, where he profeffed it, went much beyond his Profeffion; and he gave many ftrong and generous Inftances of it, tho' his hereditary Income was little more than a bare Competency. As his Reading had been very extenfive, fo he was very happy in a Memory tenacious of every thing, that he had read. He was not

more

more poffeffed of Knowlege, than he was communicative of it; but then his Communication of it was by no means pedantic, or impofed upon the Converfation, but just fuch, and went fo far, as, by the natural Turns of the Difcourfe in which he was engaged, it was neceffarily promoted or required. He was extremely ready and gentle in his Correction of the Errors of any Writer, who thought fit to confult him; and full as ready and patient to admit of the Reprehenfion of others, in refpect of his own Overfights or Mistakes. He was of very eafy, and indeed pleafing Accefs; but fomething flow, and, as it were, diffident in his Advances to others. He had fomething in his Nature that abhorred Intrusion into any Society whatsoever, and eafily difcountenanced in his Approaches either to his Superiors or his Equals. His Parts did not decline with his Years: But he was an improving Writer to the laft, even to near 70 Years; improving in Fire and Imagination as well as Judgment. He was equally excellent in Verfe and in Profe; and his Excellence in the latter he used to afcribe to his having often read Archbishop Tillotson's Works. His Verfification and his Numbers he could learn of no-body; for he firft poffeffed thofe Talents in Perfection in our Tongue. And it may be faid in general of his Writings, that what he did in any one Species or diftinct Kind, would have been fufficient to have acquired him a great Name.

CONGREVE,

To the

Memory of Lucy Lyttelton,
Daughter of Hugh Fortefcue, Efq;
Of Filley, in the County of Devon;
Father to the prefent Earl of Clinton,
By Lucy his Wife,

The

The Daughter of Matthew Lord Aylmer, Wo departed this Life the 19th of January, 1746-7, Aged 29,

Having employ'd the short time allow'd to her here, In the uniform Practice of Religion and Virtue. Made to engage all Hearts, and charm all Eyes; Tho' meek, magnanimous; tho' witty, wife; Polite, as all her Life in Courts had been; Yet good as the the World had never feen. The noble Fire of an exalted Mind, With gentleft female Tenderness combin'd: Her Speech was the melodious Voice of Love, Her Song, the Warbling of the vernal Grove; Her Eloquence was fweeter than her Song, Soft as her Heart, and as her Reason strong; Her Form each Beauty of her Mind expreft; Her Mind was Virtue by the Graces drest.

Sir G. LYTTELTON.

Here lies a Youth who fell a Sacrifice,
In his firft Bloom, to fair Aurelia's Eyes.
Whom shall we blame? Her Duty was her Guard,
And his Injustice was its own Reward :
If he's unjust, whofe Reason cannot prove
Of Force enough against imperious Love.
Th' afpiring Boy who fcorn'd to floop fo low,
To take what Pity only could bestow;
Still wifh'd for more, till in the fatal Strife
He fell beneath the Virtue of a Wife:
Refign'd his Blood to quench his guilty Flame:
But Crimes of Love deferve a gentler Name;
And I muft neither praise him, nor condemn,
For I would die to be bewail'd like him :
Since fhe, whofe Piety deny'd to fave,
Now pours her fruitlefs Tears upon his Grave.

*******

Westminster

Westminster Abbey.

In the Year of our Lord Chrift
One thousand Seven hundred and Thirty-feven
This Buft

Of the Author of PARADISE LOST
Was placed here by WILLIAM BENSON, Efquire;
One of the two Auditors of the Imprefts
To his Majefty King George the Second.
Formerly

Surveyor-General of the Works
To his Majefty King George the First.
RYSBRACK

Was the Statuary who cut it.

In this Infcription (which is under the Buft) Mr. Benfon and Mr. Rybrack make a much greater Show than Milton.

Upon the Removal of the Fence before this Monument, the whole Town was difappointed, to find the Six beautiful Verfes, which were written by Mr. Dryden omitted; and, more especially, feeing they are fo just an Elogium upon the Poet, fo concife and comprehenfive, and fo univerfally known and approved, that the Cause of their Ömiffion could not be attributed to the Ignorance of the Founder:

Three Poets in three diftant Ages born,
Greece, Italy, and England did adorn :
The First in Loftiness of Thought furpaft;
The next in Majefty; in both, the Last.
The Force of Nature could no farther go;
To make a Third, the join'd the former Two.

However, this Infcription introduced the Auditor into the Dunciad;

On Poets' Tombs fee Benfon's Titles writ! &c.

Dunciad, B. iii. L. 326.

Milton

Milton died of the Gout, A. D. 1674. in the 67th Year of his Age; and his Body was depofited in the Chancel of St. Giles's, Cripplegate, Church.

On Sir Edward Giles and his Lady, at Dean Prior, Devon.

No Truft to Metals nor to Marbles, when These have their Fate, and wear away as Men; Times, Titles, Trophies, may be loft and spent ; But Virtue rears th' eternal Monument.

What more than thefe can Tombs and Tombftones pay?

But here's the Sunfet of a tedious Day ;.

These two afleep are, I'll but be undreft, And fo to Bed; pray with us all good Reft. 1642.

HERRICK,

St. John and Paul's, at Rome.

Hocce puellæ jacet tumulo corpus Elifabeth,
Quod manet in fanctâ aulâ nunc Battista Johannis.
Ildibrandus ejus genitor Theodoraque mamma.
Orta puella ideo fuit ardua ftemmate Romæ.
Bis annos habuit fenis et menfibus decem,
Ducta Johannes veftra Pauleque jure fub alma:
Pro qua vos Dominum depofcite Martyres almi,
Et fibi det requiem fanctam poft funere femper.
Hoc fi quis tumulum violaverit at reque parvum,
Subjaceat nexum dum vivit in orbem anathema.
Dep. V Kal. Sept. ind. 5.

Stoke,