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port its representation through a long work. A Paftoral of an hundred lines may be endured; but who will hear of fheep and goats, and myrtle bowers and purling rivulets, through five acts? Such foenes please Barbarians in the dawn of literature, and children in the dawn of life; but will be for the most part thrown away, as men grow wife, and nations grow learned.

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BROO ME,

WIL

VILLIAM BROOME was born in Cheshire, as is faid, of very mean parents. Of the place of his birth, or the firft part of his life, I have not been able to gain any intelligence. He was educated upon the foundation at Eaton, and was captain of the school a whole year, without any vacancy, by which he might have obtained a scholarship at King's College. Being by this delay, fuch as is faid to have happened very rarely, fuperannua A

ted,

ted, he was fent to St. John's College by the contributions of his friends, where he obtained a small exhibition.

At his College he lived for fome time in the fame chamber with the wellknown Ford, by whom I have formerly heard him defcribed as a contracted fcholar and a mere verfifyer, unacquainted with life, and unskilful in converfation. His addiction to metre was then fuch, that his companions familiarly called him Poet. When he had opportunities of mingling with mankind, he cleared himself, as Ford likewife owned, from great part of his fcholaftick ruft.

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He appeared early in the world as a tranflator of the Iliads into profe, in

con

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