BY JOHN DYER, L.L.B. VIZ. I. GRONGAR HILL. II. The RUINS of ROME. III. The FLEECE, in Four Books. LONDON: Printed by JOHN HUGHS, MDCCLXI, ADVERTISEMENT. MR. JOHN DYER was born in Carmarthenshire, and educated at Westminster school. His father, an attorney of great practice and reputation, intended to introduce this his fecond fon into his own business: but his genius led him a different way; befides his early tafte for Poetry, he had a paffion no less strong for the Arts of Design; and he determined to make Painting his profeffion. With this view he made the voyage of Italy, where befides the usual study of the remains of Antiquity, and the works of the great Masters, he frequently spent whole days in the country about Rome and Florence, sketching thofe pittorefque profpects with facility and fpirit. Images from hence naturally tranfported themfelves into his Poetical Compofitions. The principal A 2 principal beauties of the Ruins of Rome are perhaps of this kind, and the various landscapes in the Fleece have been particularly admired. On his return to England, he foon found, he could-not relish a town life, nor fubmit to the affiduity required in his profeffion his talent indeed was rather for Sketching than Finishing. So he contentedly fat down in the country with his little fortune, painting now and then a Portrait or a Landscape, as his fancy led him. As his turn of mind was rather serious, and his conduct had been irreproachable, he very properly followed the opinion of his friends, who advised him to enter into Orders. And after fome time spent upon a fmall cure in Warwickshire, his worthy character, and the merit of his Poetical Performances recommended him to the notice of the Ld Chancellor HARDWICKE, who prefented him fucceffively to the rectories of Belchford and Kerkby in Lincolnshire; 4 colnshire; as did Sir JOHN HEATHCOTE to that of Coningsby in the same county. Upon this latter preferment he refided till the end of 1757, when a confumptive diforder with which he had long ftruggled, carried him off at laft in the 59th year of his age. His character as a Writer has been fixed by the following pieces published by himfelf, and now firft collected: wherein a Poetical Imagination perfectly original, a Natural Simplicity, connected with and often productive of the True Sublime, and the warmest fentiments of Benevolence and Virtue, have been univerfally taken notice of. As a Member of Society, the fame Simplicity appeared in his Manners, joined with a liberal turn of Thinking, which feldom follicited a Favor, and never loft a Friend. |