犬の MEMOIRS OF THE LATE DR. EDWARD YOUNG, COLLECTED FROM VARIOUS AUTHORS, AS WELL AS PRIVATE FRiends. E DWARD YOUNG, L. L. D. Author of the Night Thoughts, and many other excellent pieces, was the only fon of Dr. Edward Young, an eminent, learned, and judicious Divine, Dean of Sarum, Fellow of Winchefter College, and Rector of Upham, in Hampshire. He was born in the year 1684, at Upham; and, after being educated in Winchester College, was chofen on the Foundation of New College at Oxford, October 13, 1703, when he was nineteen years of age; but being fuperannuated*, and there being no vacancy of a fellowship, he removed before the expiration of the year to Corpus Christi, where he entered himfelf a Gentleman Commoner. In 1708, he was put into a law fellowship, at All Souls, by Archbishop Tennifon. Here he took the degree of B. C. L. in 1714, and, in 1719, D. C. L. In this year he published his Tragedy of Bufiris; in 1721, the Revenge; and, in 1723, the Brothers: About this * Disqualified on account of his years. time he published his elegant poem on the Laft Day, which being wrote by a Layman, gave the more fatisfaction. He foon after published the Force of Religion. or Vanquish'd Love, a poem, which alfo gave much pleasure, to most who read it, but more especially to the noble family for whofe entertainment it was principally written. Some charge the author with a stiffness of verfification in both thefe poems; but they met with fuch fuccefs as to procure him the particular friendship of feveral of the nobility, and among the reft the patronage of the Duke of Wharton, which greatly helped. him in his finances. By his Grace's recommendation, he put up for member of parliament for Cirencester*, but did not fucceed. His noble patron honoured him with his company to All Souls; and, through his inftance and perfuafion, was at the expence of erecting a confiderable part of the new buildings then carrying on in that college. The turn of his mind leading him to divinity, he quitted the law, which he had never practifed, and taking orders, was appointed chaplain in ordinary to King George II. April 1728., In that year he published a Vindication of Providence, in quarto, and foon after his Eftimate of Human Life, in the fame fize, which have gone through feveral editions in 12mo, and thought by many to be the beft of his profe performances. In 1730, he was prefented by his college to the rectory of Welwyn, in Hertfordshire, reputed worth 300l. a year, befides the Lordfhip of the Manor annexed to it. He was married in 1731, to Lady Betty Lee, widow of Colonel Lee, and daughter to the Earl of Litchfield, (a lady of an eminent genius and great poetical talents), who brought him a fon and heir not long after their marriage. Though always in high efteem with many of the first rank, he never rofe to great preferment. He was a favourite of the late Prince of Wales, his prefent Majefty's" * He was naturally of an ambitious Temper and Disho. sition. father; and, for fome years before his death, was a pretty constant attendant at Court; but, upon the Prince's decease, all his hopes of farther rifing in the church were at an end; and, towards the latter part of his life, his very defire of it seemed to be laid afide; for, in his Night Thoughts, he obferves, that there was one, (meaning himself), in Britain born, with courtiers bred, who thought even wealth might come a day too late; however, upon the death of Dr. Hales, in 1761, he was made Clerk of the Closet to the Princefs Dowager of Wales. About the year 1741, he had the unhappiness to lofe his wife, and both her children, which fhe had by her first hufband; a fon and a daughter, very promifing characters. They all died within a fhort time of each other: That he felt greatly for their lofs, as well as for that of his lady, may easily be perceived by his fine poem of the Night Thoughts, occafioned by it. This was a fpecies of poetry peculiarly his own, and has been unrivalled by all who have attempted to copy him. His applaufe here was defervedly great. The unhappy Bard," whose griefs in melting numbers flow, and melancholy joys diffufe around," has been often fung by the profane as well as pious. They were written, as before obferved, under the recent preffure of his forrow for the lofs of his wife, and his daughter and fon-in-law; they are addreffed to LORENZO, a man of pleasure, and the world, and who, it is generally fuppofed, (and very probably), was his own fon, then labouring under his father's difpleasure. His fon-in-law is faid to be characterized by Philander ; and his daughter was certainly the perfon he fpeaks of under the appellation of Narciffa: See Night 3, 1. 62. In her laft illness he accompanied her to Montpelier, in the fouth of France, where he died foon after her arrival in the city*. * She died of a consumption, occasi、ned by her grief for the death of her mother. After her death it feems fhe was denied chriftian burial †, on account of being reckoned a heretic, by the inhabitants of the place; which inhumanity is justly refented in the fame beautiful poem: See Night 3, line 165; in which his wife alfo is frequently mentioned; and he thus laments the lofs of all three in an apoftrophe to death Infatiate Archer! could not one fuffice? Thy Shaft flew thrice and thrice my peace was flain; And thrice, ere thrice yon moon had fill'd her horn. :: He wrote his conjectures on Original Compofition when he was turned of 80. If it has blemishes mixed. with its beauties, it is not to be wondered at, when we confider his great age, and the many infirmities which generally attend fuch an advanced period of life. However, the many excellent remarks this work abounds with,. make it juftly esteemed as a brightening before death : The Refignation, a poem, the last and leaft efteemed of all Dr. Young's works, was published a fhort time before his. death, and only ferved to manifeft the taper of genius, which had fo long fhone with peculiar brightness in him,. was now glimmering in the focket. He died in his parfonage-houfe, at Welwyn, April 12th, 1765, and was buried, according to his own defire, (attended by all the poor of the parish), under the altar-piece of that church, by the fide of his wife*. This altar-piece is reckoned one of the most curious in the kingdom, being a The Priests refusing the Doctor leave to bury his daughter in one of their church-yards, he was obliged, with the assistance of bis servant, to dig a grave in a field near Montpelier, where they deposited the body without the help of any of the inhabitants, who consider protestants in the same light as they do brutes. *The bell did not toll at bis funeral, nor was any person allowed to be in mourning. |