oo often in blank verse; the rhymes are
not always sufficiently correspondent. He is particularly unhappy in
coining names expressive of characters. His lines are commonly smooth
and easy, and his thoughts always religiously pure; but who is there
that, to so much piety and innocence, does not wish for a greater
measure of sprightliness and vigour? He is at least one of the few poets
with whom youth and ignorance may be safely pleased; and happy will
be that reader whose mind is disposed, by his verses or his prose, to
imitate him in all but his non-conformity, to copy his benevolence to
man, and his reverence to God.

A. PHILIPS.

Of the birth or early part of the life of Ambrose Philips I have not
been able to find any account. His academical education he received at
St. John's College in Cambridge, where he first solicited the notice
of the world by some English verses, in the collection published by
the University on the death of Queen Mary. From this time how he was
employed, or in what station he passed his life, is not yet discovered.
He must have published his "Pastorals" before the year 1708, because
they are evidently prior to those of Pope. He afterwards (1709)
addressed to the universal patron, the Duke of Dorset, a "Poetical
Letter from Copenhagen," which was published in the Tatler, and is by
Pope, in one of his first Letters, mentioned with high praise as the
production of a man "who could write very nobly."

Philips was a zealous Whig, and therefore easily found access to Addison
and Steele; but his ardour seems not to have procured him anything more
than kind words, since he was reduced to translate the "Persian Tales"
for Tonson, for which he was afterwards reproached, with this addition
of contempt, that he worked for half-a-crown. The book is divided into
many sections, for each of which, if he received half-a-crown, his
reward, as writers then were paid, was very liberal; but half-a-crown
had a mean sound. He was employed in promoting the principles of his
party, by epitomising Hacket's "Life of Archbishop Williams." The
original book is written with such depravity of genius, such mixture
of the fop and pedant, as has not often appeared. The epitome is free
enough from affectation, but has little spirit or vigour.

In 1712 he brought upon the stage The Distressed Mother, almost a
translation of Racine's Andromaque. Such a work requires no uncommon
powers, but the friends of Philips exert