SOMERVILE

OF

F. Mr. SOMERVILE's life I am not able to fay any thing that can

fatisfy curiofity.

He was a gentleman whofe eftate was in Warwickshire; his houfe is called Edfton, a feat inherited from a long line of ancestors; for he was faid to be of the first family in his county. He tells of himself, that he was born near the Avon's banks. He was bred at Winchefter-school, but I know not whether he was of any univerfity. I have never heard

A

heard of him but as of a poet, a country gentleman, and a skilful and useful Juftice of the Peace.

Of the clofe of his life, thofe whom his poems have delighted will read with pain the following account, copied from the Letters of his friend Shenftone, by whom he was too much resembled.

"Our old friend Somervile is "dead! I did not imagine I could have "been fo forry as I find myfelf on this "occafion.-Sublatum quærimus. I can "now excufe all his foibles; impute "them to age, and to diftrefs of cir"cumftances: the laft of these confi

"derations wrings my very foul to think

66

on. For a man of high spirit, con

"scious of having (at least in one pro

❝duction)

"duction) generally pleafed the world, "to be plagued and threatened by "wretches that are low in every sense; "to be forced to drink himself into

pains of the body, in order to get "rid of the pains of the mind, is a "mifery.”—He died July 14, 1743.

It is with regret that I find myself not better enabled to exhibit memorials of a writer, who at least must be allowed to have fet a good example to men of his own clafs, by devoting part of his time to elegant knowledge; and who has fhewn, by the fubjects which his poetry has adorned, that it is practicable to be at once a fkilful fportfman and a man of

letters.

A 2

The

The compilers of this collection have neglected the order of time, and placed those pieces firft which were written last. The Occafional Poems were published long before his Chafe.

Somervile has tried many modes of poetry; and though perhaps he has not in any reached fuch excellence as to raife much envy, it may commonly be faid at least, that he writes very well for a gentleman. His ferious pieces are fometimes elevated, and his trifles are fometimes elegant. In his verfes to Addison the couplet which mentions Clio is written with the most exquifite delicacy of praife; it exhibits one of thofe happy ftrokes that are feldom attained. In his Odes to Marlborough there are beauti