the company, notwithstanding the clamour and malice
of some unthinking adventurers: And for the truth of all this, I appeal
to their own _Office-Books_, and defy the most angry among them to deny
any article of it. See then what a grateful and generous encouragement
may be expected by men, who would dedicate their labours to the profit
of others.

November the 30th. 1716. A. HILL.'

This, and much more, too tedious to insert, serves to demonstrate that
it was a great misfortune, for a mind so fertile of invention and
improvement, to be embarrassed by a narrow power of fortune; too weak
alone to execute such undertakings.

About the same year he wrote another Tragedy, intitled [Transcriber's
note: 'intiled' in original] the Fatal Vision[2], or the Fall of Siam
(which was acted the same year, in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields) to which he
gave this Motto out of Horace.

I not for vulgar admiration write;
To be well read, not much, is my delight.

And to his death he would declare in favour of that choice.--That year,
he likewise published the two first books of an Epic Poem, called Gideon
(founded on a Hebrew Story) which like its author, and all other
authors, had its enemies; but many more admirers.

But his poetic pieces were not frequent in their appearance. They were
the product of some leisure hours, when he relaxed his thoughts from
drier study; as he took great delight in diving into every useful
science, viz. criticism, history, geography, physic, commerce in
general, agriculture, war, and law; but in particular natural
philosophy, wherein he has made many and valuable discoveries.

Concerning poetry, he says, in his preface to King Henry the Vth, where
he laments the want of taste for Tragedy,

'But in all events I will be easy, who have no better reason to wish
well to poetry, than my love for a mistress I shall never be married to:
For, whenever I grow ambitious, I shall wish to build higher; and owe my
memory to some occasion of more importance than my writings.'

He had acquired so deep an insight in law, that he has from his
arguments and demonstrations obliged some of the greatest council
(formally) under their hands, to retract their own first-given opinions.

He wrote part of a Tract of War; another upon Agriculture; but they are
left unfinished, with several other pieces.

In his younger days he bought a grant of Sir Robert Montgomery (who had
purchas'd it of the lords proprietors of Carolina) w