Leghorn, configned to Mr. Peter and Mr. Tho. Ball, "merchants. I am of your opinion, that by Ton"fon's means almost all our letters have miscarried "for this last year. But, however, he has miffed of "his defign in the Dedication, though he had pre"pared the book for it; for in every figure of Eneas "he has caufed him to be drawn like King William, "with a hooked nofe. After my return to town, I "intend to alter a play of Sir Robert Howard's, writ"ten long fince, and lately put by him into my hands: "'tis called The Conquest of China by the Tartars. It "will coft me fix weeks ftudy, with the probable be"nefit of an hundred pounds. In the mean time I "am writing a fong for St. Cecilia's Feaft, who, you "know, is the patronefs of mufick. This is trouble. "fome, and no way beneficial; but I could not deny "the Stewards of the Feaft, who came in a body to "me to defire that kindnefs, one of them being Mr. Bridgman, whofe parents are your mother's friends, "I hope to fend you thirty guineas between Michael; "mafs and Chriftmafs, of which I will give you an "account when I come to town. I remember the "counsel you give me in your letter; but diffembling, "though lawful in fome cafes, is not my talent; yet, "for your fake, I will ftruggle with the plain open"nefs of my nature, and keep-in my just refentments against that degenerate order. In the mean time, I "flatter not my felf with any manner of hopes, but "do my duty, and fuffer for God's fake; being af, fured, beforehand, never to be rewarded, though "the times fhould alter. Towards the latter end of "this month, September, Charles will begin to reco"ver his perfect health, according to his nativity, "which, "which, cafting it myself, I am fure is true, and all things hitherto have happened accordingly to the 66 very time that I predicted them :. I hope at the fame "time to recover more health, according to my age. "Remember me to poor Harry, whofe prayers I ear"neftly defire. My Virgil fucceeds in the world be yond its defert or my expectation. You know the "profits might have been more; but neither my con"fcience nor my honour would fuffer me to take them? "but I never can repent of my conftancy, fince I am "thoroughly perfuaded of the justice of the cause for "which I fuffer. It has pleafed God to raise up many "friends to me amongst my enemies, though they who "ought to have been my friends are negligent of me. "I am called to dinner, and cannot go on with this "letter, which I deûre you to excufe; and am "Your most affectionate father, **As many of Dryden's dramatic compofitions were operas, or rather they fo far refembled the Italian and French opera by an intermixture of mufic with the dialogue as to be called by that name, it was a fingular felicity that they were fet to mufic by Purcell, who, though bred in a choir, and a church musician, was at that time, like fome others of his profeffion, equally at the fervice of the theatre. The dramas called Dryden's, to which he compofed the mufic, were King Arthur; Oedipus, written in conjunction with Lee; the Indian Queen, in which Sir Robert Howard had a hand; and the Tempest, altered from Shakespeare by himself, and Sir William Davenant. In the first is a frost scene, the mufic to which, besides that it is intrinfically excellent, is admirably fuited to the words. In the Indian Queen, is that celebrated bafs fong Ye twice ten hundred deities;' and in the Tempest are fome of the finest airs and sweetest harmonies that ever delighted the human ear. Dryden had no fkill in mufic. His wife, lady Elizabeth Howard, had been a scholar of Purcell. Mrs. Purcell, in the dedication of the Orpheus Britannicus, returns her thanks to that lady for her having erected erected a fair monument over his afhes, and gracing it with an in fcription. Dryden being living at the time, it is highly probable that the infcription was of his compofing. He wrote an ode on the death of Purcell, and Dr. Blow fet it to mufic. It was published in fcore by one of the Playfords, but is not to be found in Dryden's Mifcellany; and we owe it to the Reverend Mr. Broughton of the Temple, that it now appears in a collection of Dryden's poems, in two volumes 12mo. 1743. The initial line, Mark how the lark and linnet fing,' hould read, < Hark how the lark and linnct fing.' S MIT H. DMUND SMITH is one of thofe lucky writers who have, without much labour, attained high reputation, and who are mentioned with reverence rather for the poffeffion than the exertion of uncommon abilities. Of his life little is known; and that little claims no praife but what can be given to intellectual excellence, feldom employed to any virtuous purpose. His character, as given by Mr. Oldifworth, with all the partiality of friendship, which is faid by Dr. Burton to show what fine things one man of parts can say to another, and which, however, comprifes great part of what can be known of Mr. Smith, it is better to tranfcribe at once, than to take by pieces. I fhall fubjoin fuch little memorials as accident has enabled me to collect. Mr. EDMUND SMITH was the only fon of an eminent merchant, one Mr. Neale, by a daughter of the famous baron Lechmere. Some misfortunes of VOL. II. G g his his father, which were foon after followed by his death, were the occafion of the fon's being left very young in the hands of a near relation (one who married Mr. Neale's fifter), whofe name was Smith. This gentleman and his lady treated him as their own child, and put him to Weftminster-fchool under the care of Dr. Buíby; whence, after the lofs of his faithful and generous guardian (whofe name he affumed and retained), he was removed to Chrift-church in Oxford, and there by his aunt handfomely maintained till her death; after which he continued a member of that learned and ingenious fociety, till within five years of his own; though, fome time before his leaving Christchurch, he was fent for by his mother to Worcester, and owned and acknowledged as her legitimate fon; which had not been mentioned, but to wipe off the afperfions that were ignorantly caft by fome on his birth. It is to be remembered for our author's honour, that, when at Weftminfter election he stood a candidate for one of the univerfities, he fo fignally dif tinguifhed himself by his confpicuous performances, that there arofe no fmail contention between the reprefentative electors of Trinity-college in Cambridge and Chrift-church in Oxon, which of thofe two royal fọcieties fhould adopt him as their own. But the electors of Trinity-college having the preference of choice that year, they refolutely elected him; who yet, being invited at the fame time to Chrift-church, chofe to accept ct a ftudentfhip there. Mr. Smith's perfections, as well natural as acquired, feem to have been formed upca Horace's plan; who fays, in his Art of Poetry, -Ego nec ftudium fine divite venâ, "Nec rude quid profit video ingenium: alterius fic He |