greatest advantage....We wish they would acknowledge the publick claim to their communications, enforced by the authority of the great moral poet : "Heaven doth with us as we with torches do, Not light them for themselves." Perhaps the present state of society tends in a peculiar degree to foster general selfishness of character. A man's intellectual attainments appear to be regarded, as the means only of his personal advantage. Doubtless many men of sense ascribe to us a species of fanaticism, as the spring of that propensity we discover to enlighten, improve, and entertain a publick, which gives us for our pains neither fame nor money. We suggest to them a solution of our conduct, which does not assign us a place greatly below or above the standard of human nature. We are exposed to the influence of that "Esprit de corps," which animates literary association. The pleasures, found in composition and in the exercise of the mental powers, put some of us upon blotting paper. If the cause still appear inadequate to the effect, we must be supposed to feel a desire to be useful in the way, which our pursuits and studies direct; or if this seem too elevated a principle, let our services be deemed symptoms and effects of an impulse of more doubtful value....what a late writer on moral philosophy denominates the passion for reforming the world. We must confess, however, that we have a motive somewhat interested for wishing, that the pecuniary receipts of our publication may rise as high as possible above its demands, which is, that all the surplus funds are applied to the support and increase of a Publick Library ;...one of those institutions, of which every scholar in most parts of our country feels the want....which our government from its nature does not comprise within its cares....and which nothing but the industry and munificence of individuals will establish and supply. The respectable patronage now given to the Anthology is sufficient to encourage our perseverance. we wish its more extensive circulation; and hope its friends will speak in its favour. We wish this increase of patronage, not merely because this work is the object of our affection and partly the fruit of our industry and genius, such as they are; nor merely from an opinion that it may contribute to make its readers more wise, good, But and happy....but also, because its avails go to a general object of real importance. Every judicious effort to promote the love of Letters and Arts is entitled to countenance, for this, among other reasons,...that a progress in letters and arts corresponds to the progress of society in other respects, in our country. We are becoming familiar with wealth. Out of wealth grows luxury. If those enjoyments that flow from literature and taste are not emulated, we shall be exposed to that enervating and debasing luxury, the object of which is sensual indulgence...its immediate effect, vice...and its ultimate issue, publick degradation and ruin. With respect to the probable merit of this periodical work in future, we speak with caution; although we are determined to use our endeavours to make it worthy of the publick patronage. We have always wished to promise little and perform more. We hope it will not degenerate; we believe it will improve. At the close of the last year, it pleased the Supreme Disposer, in his inscrutable wisdom, to remove, by death, one of our associates, who often contributed to enrich and adorn our miscellany; who, in erudition, in genius, in taste; in honour, generosity, and humanity; in every liberal sentiment, and every liberal accomplishment, was surpassed by few. We sensibly feel, and we deeply deplore, this loss to ourselves, to society, and to our country. The number, however, of our fellow labourers and correspondents is increasing. We shall this year attempt to treat a few subjects in a systematick form. We may offer strictures on different modes of education. We hope to furnish American biography. In our reviews we shall generally confine ourselves to such works as may be interesting, either from their subjects or their execution; not wholly omitting those fugitive publications, which are worthy of notice merely as facts in the history of American literature, or as topicks of useful or pleasant animadversion. We may endeavour to portray the characters of various standard authors in several departments of science and taste, for the benefit of those, who would know what guides to choose in the conduct of their studies. We renew our request to the several booksellers in every part of the United States, to transmit to us a copy of all books, pamphlets, literary projects, &c. immediately after publication. BIOGRAPHY. SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF DR. JOSEPH WARTON, WITH AN ACCOUNT OF MR. WOOLL'S MEMOIRS OF HIM. THE Rev.John Wool, a Wykehamist, now master of Midhurst school, in Sussex, has just published, in a quarto volume, the Life, Poems, and Correspondence of Dr. Joseph Warton. It appears that Dr. Warton, was born at the house of his maternal grandfather, the Rev. Joseph Richardson, at Dunsfold in Surrey, in April 1722. His father, as it is well known, was Vicar of Basingstoke, in Hampshire, had been Professor of Poetry at Oxford, and was himself a poet as is proved by a posthumous volume, published by this, his eldest son, with the following title. Poems on several occasions, by the Rev. Mr. Thomas Warton, &c. It was published by subscription. The editor had it some time in hand. In a letter to his brother Thomas, dated 29 Oct. 1746, he says, "Since you left Basingstoke, I have found a great many poems of my father's, much better than any we read together. These I am strongly advised to publish by subscription, by Sir Stukely Shuckburgh, Dr. Jackson, and other friends. These are sufficient to make a six shilling octavo volume; and they imagine, as my father's acquaintance was large, it would be easy to raise two or three hundred pounds; a very solid argument in our present situation. It would more than pay all my father's debts. Let me know your thoughts upon this subject; but do not yet tell Hampton, or Smythe, who would at first condemn us, without knowing the prudential reasons, which induce us to do it." The author died in the preceding year, 1745. But Joseph Warton had already published a quarto pamphlet of his own poems, as I shall particularize presently. He was admitted on the foundation of Winchester college, 1736, and soon distinguished himself for his poetical talents. As early as Oct. 1739, he became a contributor to the poetry of the Gentleman's Magazine, in conjunction with his friend Collins, and another; by some verses entitled "Sappho's Advice," signed Monitorius, and printed at p. 545.* In 1740, he was removed from Winchester, and being superannuated, was entered of Oriel College, Oxford. How he spent his time at Oxford may be guessed from the following interesting and eloquent passages of a letter to his father. "To help me in some parts of my last collections from Longinus, I have read a good part of Dionysius Halicarnassus : so that I think by this time I ought fully It is worth remarking how many this Magazine has ushered into the first productions of persons of genius world. In the same month appears Akenside's "Hymn to Science," dated from "Newcastle upon Tyne," 1739; in the next page appears a Juvenile son. in the next month, p. 599, is inserted net by Collins, signed Delicatulus; and Mrs. Carter's beautiful Ode to Melanchoty. to understand the structure and disposition of words and sentences. I shall read Longinus as long as I live it is impossible not to catch fire and raptures from his glowing style. The noble causes he gives at the conclusion for the decay of the sublime amongst men, to wit, the love of pleasure, riches and idleness, would almost make one look down upon the world with contempt, and rejoice in, and wish for toils, poverty, and dangers, to combat with. For me, it only serves to give me a greater distaste, contempt, and hatred of the Profanum Vulgus, and to tread under foot this ἀγεννέστατον πάθος as thoroughly below, and unworthy of man. It is the freedom, you give me, of unburdening my soul to you, that has troubled you so long but so it is that the next pleasant thing to conversing with you is writing to you: I promise myself a more exalted degree of pleasure next vacation, by being in some measure better skilled to converse with you than formerly." In 1744 he took his degree of A. B. was ordained on his father's curacy, and officiated there,' till Feb. 1746. In this year he published "Odes on various subjects. By Joseph Warton, B. A.," &c. The first of T. Warton's son. nets is also addressed to Wynslade: and the images in several of his other poems are drawn from this neighbourhood.* In about six months, when they had advanced no farther than Montauban, Dr. Warton left his patron, and returned to his family. He now dedicated his whole time to the translation of Virgil's Eclogues and Georgics: which he soon afterwards published, with Pitt's Translation of the Æneid, and the original Latin of the whole; accompanied by notes, dissertations, commentaries, and essays. This work was well received; and Oxford conferred the degree of A. M. by diploma on the Editor. The greater part of these have been republished by Mr. Wooll. There seems no sufficient reason for what he has omitted. The whole have been lately reprinted for Sharpe's edition of the Poets. In the following year he was presented by the Duke of Bolton to the small rectory of Wynslade, at the back of Hackwood Park, a pleasing and picturesque retirement, which gave him an opportunity at once of gratifying an ardent attachment by marriage, and pursuing his poetical studies. Two years afterwards he was called to I At this time Dr. Johnson, in a letter dated 8 March 1753, applied to him from Hawksworth to assist in the Adventurer. "Being desired," says he, "to look out for another hand, my thoughts necessarily fixed on you, whose fund of literature will enable you to assist them, with very little interruption of your studies," &c. &c. "The province of Criticism they are desirous to assign to the Commentator on Virgil."* His first paper, I believe, is No. 49, 24 April, 1753, containing " a Parallel between ancient and modern learning." His communications are undoubtedly the best of the whole work; and are written with an extent of erudition, a force of thought, and a purity, elegance, and vigour of language, which demand very high praise. He now planned to unite in a volume, and publish "Select Epistles of Angelus Politianus, Desiderius Erasmus, Hugo Grotius, and others," a part of a design for a History of the Revival of Learn ing, which had also been agitated by his brother, and his friend Collins; but which unfortunately none of them executed. In 1754 he obtained the living of Tunworth, near Wynslade; and in 1755 was elected second Master of Winchester school. In 1756 he published the first volume of his "Essay on the genus and writings of Pope :" " A book," says the supercilious Johnson, "which teaches how the brow of criticism may be smoothed, and how she may be enabled, with all her severity, to attract and to delight;" but which, as it counteracted the stream of fashion, and opposed long received preju dices, did not meet with unquali -- Boswell's Life of Johnson, I. 224. fied approbation. He did not put his name to it, nor did he communicate the information to many of his literary friends; but it was immediately known to be his. Richardson, I think, calls it an amusing piece of literary gossip. Richardson, though a genius, was not a man of literature; or he never could have called it “gossip." The critical observations are almost always just, original, and happily expressed; and discover a variety of learning, and an activity of mind, which are entitled to admiration. It is true that his method is often abrupt and desultory; but it is dullness, or ignorance, alone, which mistakes formality of arrangement, and the imposition of a philosophic manner, for depth of thought, and novelty of instruction. The essay drew forth, in due time, Ruffhead's Life of Pope, a poor jejune performance, written with all the sterility and narrowness of a Special Pleader. In 1766 Dr. Warton succeeded to the Head-Mastership of Winchester school. In 1772 he lost his first wife. About this time he became a member of the literary club in London. In Dec. 1773, he remarried Miss Nicholas. In 1782, he obtained from Bishop Lowth a prebend of St. Paul's, and the living of Chorley, in Hertfordshire; which last he exchanged for that of Wickham, in Hants. In this last year, 1782, he gave the world the second volume of his " Essay on Pope," of which the publication had been retarded by motives of a delicate and lauda ble nature. In 1786 he suffered a most se vere affliction in the loss of his sec ond son, the Rev. Thomas Warton, Fellow of New College, Oxford, a young man of high talents |