785,
there is an agreeable combination of learning, sprightliness, and arch
humour. He now and then approaches to irreverence on sacred subjects,
but, as I am persuaded without any ill intention; the dedication of the
book to Mrs. Carter gave much offence to that lady. His Dialogues on
Johnson and Chesterfield, in 1787, contrast the character of these
writers in a lively manner and with some power of discrimination, but
the partiality of the author is very evident. He had himself
"sacrificed" too successfully to the Graces to be a fair umpire between
the rough scholar and the polished nobleman. The Young Widow, or the
History of Cornelia Sedley, a novel, was published without his name (as
the last-mentioned two books had also been) in 1789. For this he
received 200_l_. from Mr. Nichols. The purchaser found his bargain a
hard one: for the novel had little to recommend it, being deficient in
probability of incident and character. He made up for the loss by
presenting his bookseller with another anonymous work entitled the
"Eulogies of Howard, a Vision," in prose.[1] His "Life of Milton," was
intended for an edition of the poet to be published by Nichols the
King's printer; but an abridgement of it only was employed in 1794, for
the purpose, some passages being not thought courtly enough for the
royal eye. He afterwards published it without mutilation. The design of
this work, to which he devoted two years of diligent application, was to
vindicate Milton from the asperity of Johnson--a task, which according
to the general opinion, has since been more ably executed by Doctor
Symmons. He had, however, reason to be satisfied with this undertaking,
as it led to an acquaintance and friendship with Cowper, who was at the
same time engaged in writing notes to Milton. Eight years after, it fell
to his lot to write a Life of Cowper himself. This proved to him the
most lucrative of all his literary engagements; but its success was
owing principally not to the narrative but to the private letters of
Cowper which accompanied them. Of the Life and Letters he added another
volume in 1804; and in 1809 wrote the Life of Romney, which, having no
such attraction, did not recommend itself to the public notice.

From the time that he left London, in 1774, till his death, a period of
46 years, he was seldom long absent from his home, first at Eartham, and
afterwards at Felpham, a pleasant village on the sea-shore, distant only
a few miles from