tale, might, determine him to choose an action from English History, at no great distance from our own times, which was to end in a real event, produced by the operation of known charcters.

A fubject will not easily occur that can give more opportunities of informing the understanding, for which Smith was unqueftionably qualified, or for moving the paffions, in which I fufpect him to have had lefs power.

Having formed his plan, and collected materials, he declared that a few months would complete his defign; and, that he might purfue his work with fewer avocations, he was, in June 1710, invited by Mr. George Ducket to his house at Hartham in Wiltshire. Here he found fuch opportunities of indulgence as did not much forward his ftudies, and particularly fome ftrong ale, too delicious to be refifted. He eat and drank till he found himself plethorick and then, refolving to ease himself by evacuation, he wrote to an apothecary in the neighbourhood a prefcription of a purge fo forcible, that the apothecary thought it his duty to delay it till he had given notice of its danger. Smith, not pleafed with the contradiction of a shopman, and boastful of his own knowledge, treated the notice with rude contempt, and swallowed his own medicine, which, in July 1710, brought him to the grave. He was buried at Hartham.

Many years afterwards, Ducket communicated to Oldmixon the hiftorian an account, pretended to have been received from Smith, that Clarendon's History was, in its publica

tion, corrupted by Aldrich, Smalridge, and Atterbury; and that Smith was employed to forge and infert the alterations.

This story was published triumphantly by Oldmixon, and may be fuppofed to have been eagerly received: but its progress was foon checked; for finding its way into the Journal of Trevoux, it fell under the eye of Atterbury, then an exile in France, who immediately denied the charge, with this remarkable particular, that he never in his whole life had once spoken to Smith; his company being, as muft be inferred, not accepted by those who attended to their characters.

The charge was afterwards very diligently refuted by Dr. Burton of Eton; a man eminent for literature, and, though not of the fame party with Aldrich and Atterbury, too ftudious of truth to leave them burthened with a false charge, The teftimonies which he has collected, have convinced mankind that either Smith or Ducket were guilty of wilful and malicious falsehood.

This controverfy brought into view those parts of Smith's life, which with more honour to his name might have been concealed.

He

Of Smith I can yet fay a little more. was a man of such estimation among his companions, that the cafual cenfures or praises which he dropped in converfation were confidered, like thofe of Scaliger, as worthy of prefervation.

He had great readiness and exactness of criticism, and by a curfory glance over a new compofition

compofition would exactly tell all its faults and beauties.

He was remarkable for the power of reading with great rapidity, and of retaining with great fidelity what he fo eafily collected.

He therefore always knew what the present queftion required; and when his friends expreffed their wonder at his acquifitions, made in a state of apparent negligence and drunkennefs, he never difcovered his hours of reading or method of study, but involved himself in affected filence, and fed his own vanity with their admiration and conjectures.

One practice he had, which was easily obferved: if any thought or image was prefented to his mind, that he could ufe or improve, he did not fuffer it to be loft; but, amidst the jollity of a tavern, or in the warmth of converfation, very diligently committed it to paper.

Thus it was that he had gathered two quires of hints for his new tragedy; of which Rowe, when they were put into his hands, could make, as he says, very little use, but which the collector confidered as a valuable stock of materials.

When he came to London, his way of life connected him with the licentious and diffolute; and he affected the airs and gaiety of a man of pleasure; but his dress was always deficient: fcholaftick cloudinefs ftill hung about him, and his merriment was fure to produce the fcorn of his companions.

With all his careleffness, and all his vices, he was one of the murmurers at Fortune; and

wondered

wondered why he was fuffered to be poor, when Addison was careffed and preferred: nor would a very little have contented him; for he estimated his wants at fix hundred pounds a year.

In his course of reading it was particular, that he had diligently perufed, and accurately remembered, the old romances of knight errantry.

He had a high opinion of his own merit, and something contemptuous in his treatment of those whom he confidered as not qualified to oppofe or contradict him. He had many frailties; yet it cannot but be supposed that he had great merit, who could obtain to the fame play a prologue from Addison, and an epilogue from Prior; and who could have at once the patronage of Halifax, and the praise of Oldifworth.

For the power of communicating these minute memorials, I am indebted to my converfation with Gilbert Walmsley, late register of the ecclefiaftical court of Litchfield, who was acquainted both with Smith and Ducket; and declared, that, if the tale concerning Clarendon were forged, he should fufpect Ducket of the falfehood; for Rag was a man of great veracity.

Of Gilbert Walmfley, thus prefented to my mind, let me indulge myself in the remembrance. I knew him very early; he was one of the first friends that literature procured me, and I hope that at least my gratitude made me worthy of his notice.

He was of an advanced age, and I was only not a boy; yet he never received my notions

with contempt. He was a Whig, with all the virulence and malevolence of his party; yet difference of opinion did not keep us apart. I honoured him, and he endured me.

He had mingled with the gay world, without exemption from its vices or its follies, but had never neglected the cultivation of his mind; his belief of Revelation was unfhaken; his learning preferved his principles; he grew firft regular, and then pious.

His ftudies had been fo various, that I am not able to name a man of equal knowledge. His acquaintance with books was great; and what he did not immediately know, he could at least tell where to find. Such was his amplitude of learning, and fuch his copiousness of communication, that it may be doubted whether a day now paffes in which I have not fome advantage from his friendship.

At this man's table I enjoyed many chearful and instructive hours, with companions fuch as are not often found; with one who has lengthened, and one who has gladdened life; with Dr. James, whofe skill in phyfick will be long remembered; and with David Garrick, whom I hoped to have gratified with this character of our common friend: but what are the hopes of man! I am difappointed by that ftroke of death, which has eclipfed the gaiety of nations, and impoverished the publick stock of harmless pleasure.

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