ls of Northampton and Aylesbury, and added, in
one day, ten others to the number of Peers. In order to reconcile the
people to one, at least, of the new lords, he published, in 1712,
"An Epistle to the Right Honourable George Lord Lansdowne." In this
composition the poet pours out his panegyric with the extravagance of
a young man, who thinks his present stock of wealth will never be
exhausted. The poem seems intended also to reconcile the public to the
late peace. This is endeavoured to be done by showing that men are slain
in war, and that in peace "harvests wave, and commerce swells her sail."
If this be humanity, for which he meant it, is it politics? Another
purpose of this epistle appears to have been to prepare the public for
the reception of some tragedy he might have in hand. His lordship's
patronage, he says, will not let him "repent his passion for the stage;"
and the particular praise bestowed on Othello and Oroonoko looks as
if some such character as Zanga was even then in contemplation. The
affectionate mention of the death of his friend Harrison of New
College, at the close of this poem, is an instance of Young's art,
which displayed itself so wonderfully some time afterwards in the "Night
Thoughts," of making the public a party in his private sorrow. Should
justice call upon you to censure this poem, it ought at least to be
remembered that he did not insert it in his works; and that in
the letter to Curll, as we have seen, he advises its omission.
The booksellers, in the late body of English poetry, should have
distinguished what was deliberately rejected by the respective authors.
This I shall be careful to do with regard to Young. "I think," says he,
"the following pieces in FOUR volumes to be the most excusable of all
that I have written; and I wish LESS APOLOGY was less needful for these.
As there is no recalling what is got abroad, the pieces here republished
I have revised and corrected, and rendered them as PARDONABLE as it was
in my power to do."

Shall the gates of repentance be shut only against literary sinners?

When Addison published "Cato" in 1713, Young had the honour of prefixing
to it a recommendatory copy of verses. This is one of the pieces which
the author of the "Night Thoughts" did not republish.

On the appearance of his poem on the "Last Day," Addison did not return
Young's compliment; but "The Englishman" of October 29, 1713, which was
probably written by Addison, speaks handso