Thou art fo witty, profligate, and thin, Thou feem'ft a Milton with his Death and Sin. As to his Character as a Poet, his Compofition was Inftinct in his Youth, with as much Vanity as was neceflary to excel in that Art. He pub lifhed a Collection of fuch of his Works as he thought the best, in 1761, in four Volumes in Duodecimo, and another was published fince. Among thefe, his Satires intitled the Love of Fame, or the Univerfal Paffion, are by moft confidered as his principal Performance. They are finely characteristic of that exceffive Pride, or rather Folly of following prevailing Fashions, and aiming to be more than we really are, or can poffibly be. They were written in early Life; and if Smoothness of Stile, Brilliancy of Wit, and Simplicity of Subject can enfure Applaufe, our Author may demand it on this Occafion. After the Death of his Wife, as he had never given any Attention to domeftic Affairs, so knowing his Unfitnefs for it, he referred the whole Care and Management of his Family to his Housekeeper, to whom he left a handfome Legacy. It is obferved by Dean Swift, that if Dr. Young, in his Satires, had been more merry or fevere, they would have been. more generally pleafing; because Mankind are more apt to be pleased with Illnature and Mirth than with folid Senfe and Inftruction. It is also observed of his Night Thoughts, that though they are chiefly Flights of Thinking almost super-human, such as the Description of Death, from his fecret Stand, noting down the Follies of a Bacchanalian Bacchanalian Society, the Epitaph upon the departed World; and the iffuing of Satan from his Dungeon; yet these, and a great Number of other remarkable fine Thoughts, are fometimes overcaft with an Air of Gloominefs and Melancholy, which have a difagreeable Tendency, and must be unpleafing to a chearful Mind; however it must be acknowledged by all, that they evidence a fingular Genius, a lively Fancy, an extenfive Knowledge of Men and Things, especially of the Feelings of the human Heart, and paint in the ftrongest Colours the Vanity of Life with all its fading Honours and Emoluments, the Benefits of true Piety especially in the Views of Death, and the most unanswerable Arguments in fupport of the Soul's Immortality and a future State. G. W. *The Night Thoughts undoubtedly have their Defects, as well as Beauties, but 'tis generally allowed the latter are far more numerous, and fo remarkably ftriking and confpicuous to the difcerning Reader, as in his View to eclipfe the Failings which otherwise might be difcovered therein. Dr. YOUNG was convinced of the Impropriety of writing the Night Thoughts in a Stile fo much above the Understanding of common Readers, and faid to a Friend, a Week or two before he died, that was he to publish fuch another Treatife (refpecting Subjects) it fhould be in lefs elevated Language, and more fuited to the Capacities of all. THE THE COMPLAINT. NIGHT the FIRST. ON Life, Death, and Immortality. To the RIGHT HONOURABLE ARTHUR ON SLOW, Efq; SPEAKER of the House of COMMONS. T IR'D Nature's fweet Reftorer, balmy Sleep! Where Fortune fmiles; the Wretched he forfakes: Swift on his downy Pinions flies from Woe, From fhort (as ufual) and disturb'd Repofe Tumultuous; where my wreck'd defponding Thought, 10 At Random drove, her Helm of Reason loft: (A (A bitter Change!) feverer for severe. The Day too fhort for my Diftrefs; and Night, Night, fable Goddefs! from her Ebon Throne, 15 20 25 Fate! drop the Curtain; I can lose no more. From ancient Night, who nurfe the tender Thought 30 Affift me: I will thank you in the Grave; ́ The Grave, your Kingdom: There this Frame fhall fall A Victim facred to your dreary Shrine. But what are Ye? THOU, who didft put to Flight Primæval Silence, when the Morning Stars Exulting, fhouted o'er the rifing Ball; 35 O THOU! whofe Word from folid Darkness ftruck Thro' this Opaque of Nature and of Soul, 45 Nor |