to
others; and I think I may truly affirm he did the world as much good
by a right application of satire, as he hurt himself by a wrong
pursuit of pleasure.'

In this amiable light has Mr. Wolsely drawn our author, and nothing is
more certain, than that it is a portraiture of the imagination, warmed
with gratitude, or friendship, and bears but little or no resemblance
to that of Rochester; can he whose satire is always levelled at
particular persons, be said to be the terror of knaves, and the public
foe of vice, when he himself has acknowledged that he satirized only
to gratify his resentment; for it was his opinion, that writing
satires without being in a rage, was like killing in cold blood. Was
his conversation instructive whose mouth was full of obscenity; and
was he a friend to his country, who diffused a dangerous venom thro'
his works to corrupt its members? in which, it is to be feared he has
been but too successful. Did he never smooth the face of prosperous
villainy, as, Mr. Wolsely expresses it, the scope of whose life was to
promote and encourage the most licentious debauchery, and to unhinge
all the principles of honour?--Either Mr. Wolsely must be strangely
mistaken? or all other writers who have given us accounts of Rochester
must be so; and as his single assertions are not equal to the united
authorities of so many, we may reasonably reject his testimony as a
deviation from truth.

We have now seen these scenes of my lord Rochester's life, in which he
appears to little advantage; it is with infinite pleasure we can take
a view of the brighter side of his character; to do which, we must
attend him to his death-bed. Had he been the amiable man Mr. Wolsely
represents him, he needed not have suffered so many pangs of remorse,
nor felt the horrors of conscience, nor been driven almost to despair
by his reflexions on a mispent life.

Rochester lived a profligate, but he died a penitent. He lived in
defiance of all principles; but when he felt the cold hand of death
upon him, he reflected on his folly, and saw that the portion of
iniquity is, at last, sure to be only pain and anguish.

Dr. Burnet, the excellent bishop of Sarum (however he may be reviled
by a party) with many other obligations conferred upon the world, has
added some account of lord Rochester in his dying moments. No state
policy in this case, can well be supposed to have biased him, and when
there are no motives to falsehood, it is somewh