quifhed Love, a poem, which also gave much pleasure, to most who read it, but more especially to the noble family for whofe entertainment it was principally written. Some charge the author with a ftiffnets of verfification in both these poems; but they met with fuch fuccefs as to procure him the particular friendship of several of the nobility, and among the reft the patronage of the Duke of Wharton, which greatly helped him in his finances. By his Grace's recommendation, he put up for member of Parliament for Cirencester,* but did not fucceed. His noble patron honoured him with his company to All Souls; and, through his inftance and perfuafion, was at the expence of erecting a confiderable part of the new buildings then carrying on in that college. The turn of his mind leading him to divinity, he quitted the law, which he had never practifed, and taking orders, was ap pointed chaplain in ordinary to King George II. April 1728. In that year he published a Vindication of Providence, in quarto, and foon after, his Eftimate of Human Life, in the fame fize, which have gone through feveral editions in 12mo. and thought by many to be the best of his profe performances. In 1730, he was prefented by his college to the Rectory of Welwyn, in Hertfordshire, reputed worth 300l. a year, befides the Lordship of the Manor annexed to it. He was married in 1731 to Lady Betty Lee, widow of Colonel Lee, and daughter to the Earl of Litchfield, (a lady of an eminent genius, and great poetical talents) who brought him a fon and heir not long after their marriage. Though always in high efteem with many of the first rank, he never rofe to great preferment. He was a favourite of the late Prince of Wales, his prefent Majesty's father; and, for fome years before his death, was a pretty conftant attendant at Court; but upon the Prince's decease, all his hopes of farther rifing in the church were at an end; and, towards the latter part of his life, his very defire of it feemed to be laid afide; for in his Night Thoughts, he obferves, that there was one, (meaning * He was naturally of an ambitious temper and difpofition. himself) in Britain born, with courtiers bred, who thought even wealth might come a day too late; however, upon the death of Dr. Hales, in 1761, he was made clerk of the closet to the Princefs Dowager of Wales. 6 About the year 1741, he had the unhappiness to lofe his wife and both her children, which she had by her first husband; a fon and a daughter, very promifing characters. They all died within a fhort time of each other: that he felt greatly for their lofs, as well as for that of his lady, may eafily be perceived by his fine poem of the Night Thoughts, occafioned by it. This was a fpecies of poetry peculiarly his own, and has been unrivalled by all who have attempted to copy him. His applause here was defervedly great. The unhappy bard, whofe griefs in melting numbers flow, and melancholy joys diffufe around,' has been often fung by the profane as well as pious. They were written, as before obferved, under the recent preffure of his forrow for the lofs of his wife, and his daughter and fon-in-law; they are addreffed to Lorenzo, a man of pleasure, and the world, and who, it is generally fuppofed, (and very probably,) was his own fon, then labouring under his father's difpleasure. His fon-in-law is faid to be characterized by Philander; and his daughter was certainly the perfon he speaks of under the appellation of Narciffa: See Night 3, line 62. In her laft illness he accompanied her to Montpelier, in the fouth of France, where fhe died foon after her arrival in the city.* After her death it feems fhe was denied Chriftian bu rial,t on account of being reckoned a heretic, by the * She died of a consumption, occafioned by her grief for the death of her mother. The priests refusing the Doctor leave to bury his daughter in one of their church-yards, he was obliged, with the affiftance of his fervant, to dig a grave in a field near Montpelier, where they deposited the body without the help of any of the inhabitants, who confider proteftants in the fame light as they do brutes. I take the liberty of inferting here a paffage from a letter written by Mr. W. Taylor, from Montpelier, to his fifter, Mrs. Mo ' inhabitants of the place; which inhumanity is juftly refented in the fame beautiful poem; See Night 3, 1. 165; in which his wife alfo is frequently mentioned; and he thus laments the lofs of all three in an apostrophe to death: cher, in the preceding year 1789, which may be confidered as curious, and will be interesting and affecting to the admirers of Dr. Young and his Narciffa: 'I know you, as well as myfelf, are not a little partial to Dr. Young. Had you been with me in a folitary walk the other day, you would have shed a tear over the remains of his dear Narciffa. I was walking in a place called the King's Garden; ' and there I faw the fpot where he was interred. Mr. J—, Mrs. H, and myself had fome conversation with the gardener refpecting it; who told us that about 45 years ago, Dr. Young was here with his daughter for her health; and that he used conftantly to be walking backward and forward in this garden (no doubt as he faw her gradually declining, to find the most folitary fpot, where he might fhew his laft token of affection, by leaving her remains as fecure as poffible from thofe favages, who would have denied her a chriftian burial: for at that time, an Englishman in this country was looked upon as an heretic, infidcl, and devil. They begin now to verge from their bigotry, and allow them at least to be men, though not chriftians, I believe ;) and that he bribed the under gardener, belonging to his father, to let him bury his daughter, which he did; pointed out the most folitary place, and dug the grave. The man through a private door, admitted the Doctor at midnight, bringing his beloved daughter wrapped up in a fheet, upon his fhoulder: he laid her in the hole, fat down, and (as the man expreffed it) 'rained tears !` With pious facrilege a grave I stole.' The man who was thus bribed is dead, but the master is ftill living. Before the man 'died, they were one day going to dig, and fct fome flowers, &c. in this fpot where fhe was buried. The man faid to his master, Don't dig there; for, fo many years ago, I buried an English lady there. The master was much fuprized; and as Dr. Young's book had made much noise in France, it led him to inquire into 'the matter; and only two years ago it was known for a certainty that that was the place, and in this way: There was an English ' nobleman here, who was acquainted with the governor of this place; and wishing to ascertain the fact, he obtained permission to dig up the ground, where he found fome bones, which were examined by a furgeon, and pronounced to be the remains of a human body: this, therefore, puts the authenticity of it beyond a doubt.'-See Evan. Mag. for 1797, p. 444. ་ . Infatiate Archer! could not one fuffice? Thy fhaft flew thrice, and thrice my peace was flain; He wrote his Conjectures on Original Compofition when he was turned of 80; if it has blemishes mixed with its beauties, it is not to be wondered at, when we confider his great age, and the many infirmities which generally attend fuch an advanced period of life. However, the many excellent remarks this work abounds with make it justly esteemed as a brightening before death. The Refignation, a poem, the laft, and least esteemed of all Dr. Young's works, was published a short time before his death, and only ferved to manifeft the taper of genius, which had fo long fhone with peculiar brightness in him, was now glimmering in the focket. He died in his Parfonage-houfe, at Welwyn, April 12th, 1765, and was buried, according to his own defire, (attended by all the poor of the parish) under the alter piece of that church, by the fide of his wife. This altar-piece is reckoned one of the most curious in the kingdom, being adorned with an elegant piece of needle work by the late Lady Betty Young.t to be burnt. Before the Doctor died, he ordered all his manufcripts Those that knew how much he expressed in a small compass, and that he never wrote on trivial fubjects, will lament both the excefs of his modefty (if I may fo term it) and the irreparable lofs to pofterity; efpecially when it is confidered, that he was the intimate" acquaintance of Addison, and was himself one of the writers of the Spectator. In his lifetime he published two or three fermons, one of which was preached before the Houfe of Commons. * The bell did not toll at his funeral, nor was any person allowed to be in mourning. In the middle of it are infcribed these words, I am the bread of life. On the north fide of the chancel is this infcription, as fuppofed by the Doctor's orders, VIRGINIBUs-Increase in Wifdom and Understanding;' and oppofite, on the fouth fide, PUE RISQUE--and in favour with God and Man.' See App. to Biog. Brit. He left an only fon and heir, Mr. Frederick Young, who had the first part of his education at Winchester school, and became a scholar upon the foundation; was fent, in confequence thereof, to New College, in Oxford; but there being no vacancy, (though the Society waited for one no less than two years,) he was admitted in the mean time in Baliol College, where he behaved fo imprudently as to be forbidden the College. This mifconduct disobliged his father fo much that he never would fuffer him to come into his fight afterwards: however, by his will, he bequeathed to him, after a few legacies, his whole fortune, which was confiderable. As a Chriftian and Divine, he might be faid to be an example of primeval piety: he gave a remarkable instance of this one Sunday, when preaching in his turn at St. James's; for, though he ftrove to gain the attention of his audience, when he found he could not prevail, his pity for their folly got the better of all decorum; he fat back in the pulpit, and burst into a flood of tears. ་ The turn of his mind was naturally folemn; and he, ufually, when at home in the country, fpent many hours in a day walking among the tombs in his own churchyard: his converfation, as well as writings, had all a reference to a future life; and this turn of mind mixed it-felf even with his improvements in gardening; he had, for instance, an alcove, with a bench fo well painted in it, that, at a distance, it seemed to be real, but, upon a earer approach, the deception was perceived, and this motto appeared, INVISIBILIA NON DECIPIUNT. The things unfeen do not deceive us. Yet, notwithstanding this gloominefs of temper, he was fond of innocent fports and amufements. He instituted an affembly and a bowling-green in his parish, and often promoted the mirth of the company in perfon. His wit was ever poignant,* and always levelled at those who In his laft illness, a friend of the Doctor's calling to know how he did, and mentioning the death of a person, who had been in a decline a long time, faid he was quite worn to a fhell, by the time he died; very likely, replied the Doctor, but what has be come of the kernel ? |