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For the life of YOUNG, the world is obliged to Mr. Herbert Croft, the English lexicographer, formerly a barrister of Lincoln's-Inn, now a clergyman, who was the friend of his fon, and wifhed to vindicate him from fome very mistaken remarks to his prejudice. Mr. Croft's narrative, which exhibits a fuccessful imitation of Dr. Johnson's style, was fubjected to the revision of our great poetical biographer, who adopted it as an introduction to his critical examination of the genius and writings of Young.

The facts stated in the prefent account are chiefly taken from Mr. Croft's narrative, with the addition of such particulars as subsequent researches, or cafual information, have supplied.

Edward Young was born at Upham, near Winchester, in June 1681. He was the fon of Dr. Edward Young, at that time Fellow of Winchester College, and Rector of Upham. In 1682, he was collated to the prebend of Gillingham-Minor, in the church of Salisbury, by Bishop Ward. He was afterwards, in confequence of his merit and reputation, or of the interest of Lord Bradford, to whom, in 1702, he dedicated two volumes of fermons, appointed Chaplain to King Wil liam and Queen Mary, and preferred to the deanery of Salisbury. Jacob, who wrote in 1720, fays, “ he was Chaplain and Clerk of the Closet to the late Queen, who honoured him, by standing godmother to the poet." He died at Salisbury, in 1705. Burnet preached his funeral fermon, and bestowed upon him a handsome eulogium.

He was placed on the foundation at Winchefter College, where he remained till the election af. ter his eighteenth birth-day, the period at which thofe upon the foundation are fuperannuated; when, not being chofen to New College, Oxford, he, on the 13th of October 1703, was entered an independent member of that society, that he might live at little expence at the lodgings of the Warden, who was a particular friend of his father. In a few months, the Warden of New College died. He then removed to Corpus College. The prefident of this fociety, from a regard also to his father, invited him thither, in order to leffen his academical expences. In 1708, he was nominated to a law-fellowship at All Souls, by Archbishop Tenifon; into whofe hands it came by devolution. Such repeated patronages, while it justifies Burnet's praise of the father, reflects credit on the conduct of the fon. The manner in which it was exerted, feems to prove, that the father did not leave behind him much wealth.

It is reported, that when he firft found himself independent, and his own mafter, at All Souls, he was not the ornament to religion and morality which he afterwards became.

Pope is faid, by Ruffhead, to have told Warburton, that "Young had paffed a foolish youth, the spert of peers; but his having a very good heart, enabled him to fupport the clerical character, when he affsumed it, with decency, and afterwards with honour.”

The authority of his father, indeed, had ceafed fome time before by his death; and he was certainly not ashamed to be patronized by the Duke of Wharton," the scorn and wonder of his days." His father had been well acquainted with Mrs. Anne Wharton, the first wife of Thomas Wharton, Efq. afterwards Marquis of Wharton, a lady celebrated for her poetical talents, by Burner and by Waller. The father of the Duke of Wharton, had been the friend of his father; and, after he bécame ennobled, did not drop the son of his old friend: In him, during the fhort time he lived, Young found a patron, and in his eccentric and diffolute descendent, a friend and a companion. But the duke, it is to be supposed, did not at once fink into the depths of profligacy. That he had great and shining abilities, was acknowledged by his contemporaries, who entertained the greatest hopes of his becoming an honour to his country. It is not unreasonable to imagine, that the bare acquaintance with fuch a man as Wharton proved to be, might give rife to the report of his having relaxed, in early youth, from the frict and rigid rules of virtue; of the truth of which, there is not fufficient evidence.

The teftimony of Tindal, who spent much of his time at All Souls, is an unquestionable autho rity in favour of Young's warmth and ability in the cause of religion, in the early part of his life. "The other boys," faid he, " I can always anfwer, because I always know whence they have their

arguments, which I have read a hundred times; but that fellow Young, is continually peftering me with fomething of his own.".

In 1712, when Queen Anne called up to the Houfe of Lords the fons of the Earls of Northampton and Aylesbury, and added, in one day, ten others to the number of peers, he published An Epitle to the Right Honourable George Lord Lanfdown; in order to reconcile the people to one, at least, of the new lords. It feems intended alfo to reconcile the public to the late peace,

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The affectionate mention of the death of his friend Harrifon, of New College, at the clofe of the poem, is an infance of his art, which difplayed itself fo wonderfully afterwards in the Night Thoughts, of making the public a party in his private forrow.

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Of this poem, there is no appearance in his own edition of his works, in 4 vols, Evo; and prefixed to an edition by Curll and Tonfon, in 1741, is a letter from Young to Curll, in which he advifes its I think," fays he, in the preface to the Works of the Author of the Night Thoughts “the following pieces, in four volumes, to be the most excufable of all that I have written; and I with lefs apology was needful for thefe. As there is no recalling what is got abroad, the pieces here repu blifhed I have revifed and corrected, and rendered them as pardonable as it was in my power to do." It is but justice to distinguish what the author of the Night Thoughts deliberately rejected. When Addison published “Cato," in 1713, Young prefixed to it a recommendatory copy of verfes. This is one of the pieces which he did not republish.

The Laft Day was published the fame year, The Vice-Chancellor's Imprimatur: for it was first printed at Oxford, is dated May 19. 1713. From the exordium, he appears to have spent some time in the compofition of it. While other bards with Britain's bero fet their fouls on fire, he draws, he fays, a deeper fcene. This ferious poem was finished by him as early as 1710; for part of it is printed in the " Tatler.". The " Englishman" of October 29. 1713, which was probably written by Addison, fpeaks handfomely of it. It was infcribed to the queen in a dedication; which, for fome reason, he did not admit into his works. It tells her, that the only title to the great honour he now does himself, is the obligation which he formerly received from her royal indulgence.

Of this obligation nothing is now known, unless he alluded to her being his godmother. He is said, indeed, to have been engaged at a fettled stipend, as a writer for the court. In Swift's Rhapfody on Poetry," are thefe lines, fpeaking of the court:

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Whence Gay was banish'd in difgrace,
Where Pope will never fhow his face,
Where Y muft torture his invention
To flatter knaves, or lofe his pension.

That Y———— means Young, feens clear from four other lines in the fame poem

Attend, ye Popes, and Youngs, and Gays,

1. And tune your harps, and ftrew your bays;

Your panegyrics here provide;

You cannot err on flattery's fide,

Of the dedication, the complexion is clearly political. It speaks in the highest terms of the peace of Utrecht. Mr. Croft doubts whether he had a right to withdraw the praife he had once given, and asks, “Was he conscious of the exaggeration of party? Then he should not have written it. If it contained only, the praise of truth, he should not have omitted it in his works." Surely this is denying a man the privilege of becoming wifer by his own experience! Young, in the warmth of party zeal, might very honestly and, fincerely write a panegyric, which time, and a clearer knowledge of characters, might convince him was undeserved; all he could then do, was filently to fupprefs, as far as he was able, thofe errors into which an upright heart had betrayed his judgment.

The poem itself, is not without a glance towards politics, notwithstanding the fubject. The cry, that the church was in danger, had not yet fubfided. The Last Day, written by a layman, was much approved by the Tory ministry, and their friends.

The Force of Religion, or Vanquisbed Love, was published before the queen's death. This poem is founded on the execution of Lady Jane Gray, and her husband, Lord Guildford Dudley, 1554; a flory chosen for the fubject of an epiftle by Cawthorn, a tragedy by Smith, and wrought into a

tragedy by Rowe. The flattering dedication of it to the Countess of Salisbury, does not appear in his own edition.

On the 23d of April 1714, he took his degree of Bachelor of Civil Law; and, the fame year, he published a poem on the Queen's death, and his Majesty's acceffion to the throne. It is infcribed to Addifon, then Secretary to the Lords Juftices. This poem he did not admit into his works.

la 1716, when the foundation of the Codrington Library was laid, he was appointed to speak the Latin Gration. In his letter to Curll, he fays, "If you will take my advice, I would have you omit the Oration on Codrington. I think the collection will fell better without it." This oration he did not admit into his works.

In 1717, when Wharton, after his return from his travels, went to Ireland, it is not unlikely that Young accompanied his avowed friend and patron. From a paffage relating to Swift, in his letter to Richardson, ea original compofition, it is clear he was, at fome period of his life, in that country.. In 1719, he was received into the Earl of Exeter's family, as tutor to Lord Burleigh, which he foon quitted, upon the prefling folicitations of Wharton, and his promiles of ferving and advancing him in the world.

The fame year, his Bufiris, King of Egypt, was acted at the theatre in Drury-Lane, and met with fuccefs. The plot is of his own contrivance. The haughty meffage fent by Bufiris to the Perfian Ambafador, is copied from that returned by the Ethiopian Prince to Cambyfes, in the third book of Herodotus. The dialogue contains many ftriking beauties of fentiment and defcription, but it is written in a glaring ambitious ftyle; the pride of Bafiris is fuch as no other man can have; and the whole is too remote from human life, to raise either grief, horror, or indignation. It was infcribed. to the Duke of Newcastle," because the late inftances he had received of his Grace's undeserved and uncommon favour, in an affair of fome confequence, foreign to the theatre, had taken from him the privilege of choosing a patron." The dedication he afterwards suppressed.

He took the degree of Doctor of Laws on the 10th of June 1719. The fame year, he lamented the death of Addifon, in a letter addreffed to their common friend, Tickell. According to Spence's MSS, they used to "communicate to each other whatever verfes they wrote, even to the kaft things."

The fame year appeared A Paraphrafe on part of the Book of Job, which he dedicated, in no commen ftrain of flattery, to Lord Chancellor Parker. Of this work, his opinion may be known from his letter to Curll:-" You seem, in the collection you propofe, to have omitted what I think may claim the first place in it; I mean, " A Tranflation from part of Job, printed by Mr. Tonson." The dedication was only fuffered to appear in Tonfon's edition.

In 1721, The Revenge, a tragedy, was acted at the theatre in Drury-Lane, and met with very great fuccefs. This is his beft dramatic performance. It approaches much nearer to human practices and manners than Bufiris, and therefore keeps poffeffion of the stage. The first design seems fuggefted by "Othello" and " Abdelazar," but he has, in fome refpects, greatly improved on both. The reflections, the incidents, and the diction, are original. The moral obfervations are fo introduced and so expreffed, as to have all the novelty that can be required.

He dedicated this famous tragedy to Wharton. "Your Grace," fays the dedication," has been pleafed to make yourself acceffary to the following feènes, not only by fuggesting the most beautifulitcident in them, but by making all poffible provifion for the fuccefs of the whole." That Wharton should have suggested the incident to which he alludes, is not unlikely, as his laft mental exertion, in his quarters at Lerida in Spain, was fome fcenes of a tragedy, on the ftory of "Mary Queen of Scots;" to which Lady Mary Wortley Montague wrote an epilogue, which is preferved in Dodsley's Collection."

He concludes his address to Wharton, whom he acknowledges not only as the defender of his postry, but as the promoter of his fortune, thus:** My prefent fortune is his bounty, and my future his care; which, I will venture to say, will be always remembered to his honour; fince he, I know, intended his generofity as an encouragement to merit; though, through his very pardonable partiality to one who bears him fo fincere a duty and refpect, I happen to receive the benefit of it." He erduded this dedication from his own edition of his works.

To the patronage of this unhappy character, he was certainly, however, indebted for fomething material. Wharton's regard for Young, added to his " luft of praife," procured to All Souls College a donation, which was not forgotten when he dedicated The Revenge.

Two annuities were alfo granted by the Duke to Young; one of which was dated March 24. 1719, and accounted for his Grace's bounty in a ftyle princely and commendable, if not legal:"Confidering that the public good is advanced by the enouragemcent of learning, and the polite arts, and being pleased therein with the attempts of Dr. Young; in confideration thereof, and of the love I bear him, &c." The other was dated July 10. 1722.

When Lord Chancellor Hardwicke was to determine, March 14 1740, whether these annuities were for legal confiderations, Young, on his examination, swore, that he quitted the Exeter family, and refused an annuity of 1001., which had been offered him for life, if he would continue tutor to Lord Burleigh, upon the folicitations of the Duke of Wharton, and his Grace's affurances of providing for him in a much more ample manner.

It also appeared, that the Duke had given him a bond for 600l., dated March 15. 1721, in confideration of his taking several journeys, and being at great expences, in order to be chofen Member of Parliament, at the Duke's defire; and in confideration of his not taking two livings of 2001. and 4001., in the gift of All Souls College, on his Grace's promises of serving and advancing him in the world. The attempt to get into Parliament was at Cirencester, where Young stood a contefted election, about 1721, in which he was unfuccefsful.

His Satires were originally published separately, under the title of The Love of Fame, or The Univerfal Paffion. The first appeared in 1725. The fifth was not published till 1727, and the fixth not till 1728; when he gathered them into one publication, " corrected and enlarged," and prefixed a preface, decifive in favour of laughing at the world; which he preferved, without any palliation, in the collection of his works. They were infcibed to the Duke of Dorfet, Mr. Dedington, afterwards Lord Melcombe, Mr. Spencer Compton, afterwards Lord Wilmington, Lady Elizabeth Germain, Sir Robert Walpole, &c.

By the Univerfal Pafion, according to Mr. Croft, he acquired more than three thousand pounds. His fon informed Dr. Johnfon and Mr. Bofwell, in 1781, "that his father had received feveral thousand pounds of fubfcription-money for his Universal Paffion, but had loft it in the South Sea. Dr. Johnson thought this must be a mistake; for he had never seen a fubfcription-book."

It is related by Spence, in his MSS., on the authority of Mr. Rawlinson, that Young, upon the publication of his Universal Passion, received from the Duke of Grafton two thousand pounds; and that, when one of his friends exclaimed "two thoufand pounds for a poem," he said it was the best bargain he ever made in his life; for the poem was worth four thousand. This story may be true; but it feems to have been raised from the two anfwers of Sidney and Lord Burleigh, respecting the "Faery Queene."

In 1726, he addressed a poem, called The Inftallment, to Sir Robert Walpole, of which the title fufficiently explains the intention. It is among the pieces he did not admit into the number of his pardonable writings.

At the acceffion of George II, he published Ocean, An Ode, concluding with a Wib. The hint of it was taken from the Royal Speech; which recommended the increafe and the encouragement of the feamen; that they might be invited, rather than compelled by force and violence, to enter into the fervice of their country; a plan which humanity muft lament that policy has not even yet been able or willing to carry into execution. Prefixed to the original publication, were An Ode to the King, Pater Patria, and an Effay on Lyric Poetry. He preferved neither of them in his own edition. The Ole itself, which in the first edition, and in the laft, confifts of feventy-three ftanzas, in his own edition is reduced to fifty-nine. Among the omitted paffages, is the Wib. The Ejay on Lyric Poetry is fo juft and impartial, as to condemn himself.

Soon after the appearance of Ocean, when he was almoft fifty, he entered into orders; and, in April 1728, not long after he put on the gown, he was appointed Chaplain to the King,

The tragedy of The Brothers, which was already in rehearsal, he immediately withdrew from the flage, as unbecoming his new profeflion.

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