D° ORSET, the Grace of Courts, the Mufes' Patron of Arts, and Judge of Nature, dy'd. Epitaphs.] Thefe little compofitions far exceed any thing we have of the fame kind from other hands; yet, if we except the Epitaph on the young Duke of Buckingham, and perhaps one or two more, they are not of equal force with the rest of our Author's writings. The nature of the Compofition itself is delicate, and generally it was a task impofed upon him: tho' he rarely complied with requests of this nature but where the fubject was worthy of him. F 4 Bleft Bleft Satʼrift! who touch'd the Mean so true, Where other BUCKHURSTS, other DORSETS fhine, NoFES. For random praise the Work would ne'er be done : Yet when these elegiac movements came freely from the heart, he mourns in such strains as fhew he was equally a master of this kind of Compofition with every other he undertook (and in all he greatly excelled ;) witness these lines in the Epifile to fervas, which would have made the finest Epitaph ever written : Call round her Tomb each object of defire, II. On II. On Sir WILLIAM TRUMBAL, One of the Principal Secretaries of State to King WILLIAM III. who having refigned his Place, died in his Retirement at Easthamsted in Berkshire, 1716. A Pleasing Form; a firm, yet cautious Mind; Sincere, tho' prudent; conftant, yet refign'd; Honour unchang'd, a Principle profest, Fix'd to one fide, but mod'rate to the reft: An honeft Courtier, yet a Patriot too ; A love to Peace, and hate of Tyranny; Such this Man was; who now, from earth remov'd, At length enjoys that Liberty he lov’d. III. On III. On the Hon. SIMON HARCourt, Only Son of the Lord Chancellor HARCOURT; at the Church of Stanton-Harcourt in Oxfordshire, 1720. O this fad Shrine, whoe'er thou art! draw near, Here lies the Friend most lov'd, the Son most dear : Who ne'er knew Joy, but Friendship might divide, Or gave his Father Grief but when he dy'd. How vain is Reafon, Eloquence how weak! If Pope must tell what HARCOURT cannot speak. Oh let thy once-lov'd Friend infcribe thy Stone, And, with a Father's forrows, mix his own! IV. On 1 IV. On JAMES CRAGGS, Efq. In Westminster-Abbey. JACOBUS CRAG G S REGI MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ A SECRETIS ET CONSILIIS SANCTIORIBUS, PRINCIPIS PARITER AC POPULI AMOR ET DELICIÆ : VIXIT TITULIS ET INVIDIA MAJOR ANNOS, HEU PAUCOS, XXXV. OB. FEB. XVI. MDCCXX. Statesman, yet Friend to Truth! of Soul fincere, Prais'd, wept, and honour'd, by the Mufe he lov'd. |