SHENSTONE.

ILLIAM SHENSTONE, the fon

WILL

of Thomas Shenftone and Anne Pen, was born in November 1714, at the Leafowes in Hales-Owen, one of thofe infulated districts. which, in the divifion of the kingdom, was appended, for fome reafon not now discoverable, to a diftant county; and which, though furrounded by Warwickshire and Worcestershire, belongs to Shropshire, though perhaps thirty miles diftant from any other part of it.

He learned to read of an old dame, whom his of the School-mistress has delivered to pofterity; and foon received fuch delight

poem

any

from books, that he was always calling for new entertainment, and expected that when of the family went to market a new book should be brought him, which, when it came, was in fondness carried to bed and laid him. It is faid, that when his request had been neglected, his mother wrapped up a piece of wood of the fame form, and pacified him for the night.

As he grew older, he went for a while to the Grammar-fchool in Hales-Owen, and was placed afterwards with Mr. Crumpton, an eminent school-mafter at Solihul, where he distinguished himself by the quickness of his progrefs.

When he was young (June 1724) he was deprived of his father, and foon after (August 1726) of his grandfather; and was, with his brother, who died afterwards unmarried, left to the care of his grandmother, who managed the estate.

From school he was fent in 1732 to Pembroke-College in Oxford, a fociety which for half a century has been eminent for English poetry

poetry and elegant literature. Here it appears that he found delight and advantage; for he continued his name there ten years, though he took no degree. After the first four years he put on the Civilian's gown, but without fhewing any intention to engage the profeffion.

in

About the time when he went to Oxford, the death of his grandmother devolved his affairs to the care of the reverend Mr. Dolman of Brome in Staffordshire, whose attention he always mentioned with gratitude.

At Oxford he employed himself upon English poetry; and in 1737 published a small Miscellany, without his name.

He then for a time wandered about, to acquaint himself with life; and was fometimes at London, fometimes at Bath, or any other place of publick refort; but he did not forget his poetry. He published in 1740 his fudgement of Hercules, addreffed to Mr. Lyttelton, whofe intereft he supported with great warmth at an election: this was two years afterwards followed by the School-mistress.

Mr. Dolman, to whofe care he was indebted for his ease and leifure, died in 1745, and the care of his own fortune now fell upon him. He tried to escape it a while, and lived at his house with his tenants, who were distantly related; but, finding that imperfect poffeffion inconvenient, he took the whole eftate into his own hands, more to the improvement of its beauty than the increase of its produce.

Now began his delight in rural pleasures, and his ambition of rural elegance: he began from this time to point his profpects, to diverfify his furface, to entangle his walks, and to wind his waters; which he did with fuch judgement and fuch fancy, as made his little domain the envy of the great, and the admiration of the skilful; a place to be vifited by travellers, and copied by defigners. Whether to plant a walk in undulating curves, and to place a bench at every turn where there is an object to catch the view; to make water run where it will be heard, or to stagnate where it will be feen; to leave intervals where the eye will be pleafed, and to thicken the plantation where there is fomething to be

hidden,