While he was in the Prince's fervice he published Muftapha, with a Prologue by Thomson, not mean, but far inferior to that which he had received from Mallet for Agamemnon. The Epilogue, faid to be written by a friend, was compofed in hafte by Mallet, in the place of one promised, which was never given. This tragedy was dedicated to the Prince his mafter. It was acted at Drury-Lane in 1739, and was well received, but was never revived.

In 1740, he produced, as has been already mentioned, the mafque of Alfred, in conjunction with Thomson.

For fome time afterwards he lay at reft. After a long interval, his next work was Amyntor and Theodora (1747), a long story in blank verfe; in which it cannot be denied that there is copioufnefs and elegance of language, vigour of fentiment, and ima gery well adapted to take poffeffion of the fancy. But it is blank verfe. This he fold to Vaillant for one hundred and twenty pounds.

pounds. The firft fale was not great, and it is now loft in forgetfulness.

Mallet, by addrefs or accident, perhaps by his dependance on the Prince, found his way to Bolingbroke; a man whose pride and petulance made his kindness difficult to gain, or keep, and whom Mallet was content to court by an act, which, I hope, was unwil lingly performed. When it was found that Pope had clandeftinely printed an unauthorised number of the pamphlet called The Patriot King, Bolingbroke, in a fit of useless fury, refolved to blast his memory, and employed Mallet (1747) as the executioner of his vengeance. Mallet had not virtue, or had not spirit, to refuse the office; and was rewarded, not long after, with the legacy of lord Bolingbroke's works.

Many of the political pieces had been written during the oppofition to Walpole, and given to Franklin, as he fuppofed, in perpetuity. These, among the rest, were claimed by the will. The question was referred to arbitrators; but when they de

cided

cided against Mallet, he refused to yield to the award; and by the help of Millar the bookfeller published all that he could find, but with fuccefs very much below his expectation.

In 1753, his mafque of Britannia was acted at Drury-Lane, and his tragedy of Elvira in 1763; in which year he was appointed keeper of the book of Entries for fhips in the port of London.

The

In the beginning of the laft war, when the nation was exafperated by ill fuccess, he was employed to turn the publick vengeance upon Byng, and wrote a letter of accusation under the character of a Plain Man. paper was with great industry circulated and dispersed; and he, for his seasonable intervention, had a confiderable penfion bestowed upon him, which he retained to his death.

Towards the end of his life he went with his wife to France; but after a while, finding his health declining, he returned alone to England, and died in April 1765.

He

He was twice married, and by his first wife had feveral children. One daughter, who married an Italian of rank named Cilefia, wrote a tragedy called Almida, which was acted at Drury-Lane. His fecond wife was the daughter of a nobleman's steward, who had a confiderable fortune, which she took care to retain in her own hands.

His ftature was diminutive, but he was regularly formed; his appearance, till he grew corpulent, was agreeable, and he fuffered it to want no recommendation that drefs could give it. His conversation was elegant and easy. The reft of his character may, without injury to his memory, fink into filence.

As a writer, he cannot be placed in any high clafs. There is no fpecies of compofition in which he was eminent. His Dramas had their day, a short day, and are forgotten; his blank verse seems to my ear the echo of Thomson. His Life of Bacon is known as it is appended to Bacon's volumes, but is no longer mentioned. His works are fuch as a VOL. IV. writer,

Ff

writer, bustling in the world, fhewing himfelf in publick, and emerging occafionally from time to time into notice, might keep alive by his perfonal influence; but which, conveying little information, and giving no great pleasure, muft foon give way, as the fucceffion of things produces new topicks of converfation, and other modes of amusement.

AKEN