poem, When Spring comes on, is, he fays, taken from the French. I would add, that the description of Barrenness, in his verses to Pope, was borrowed from Secundus; but lately searching for the paffage which I had formerly read, I could not find it. The Night-piece on Death is indirectly preferred by Goldsmith to Gray's Church-yard; but, in my opinion, Gray has the advantage in dignity, variety, and originality of fentiment. He obferves that the ftory of the Hermit is in More's Dialogues and Howell's Letters, and supposes it to have been originally Arabian.

Goldsmith has not taken any notice of the Elegy to the old Beauty, which is perhaps the meaneft; nor of the Allegory on Man, the happiest of Parnell's performances. The hint of the Hymn to Contentment I fufpect to have been borrowed from Cleiveland.

The general character of Parnell is not great extent of comprehenfion, or fertility of mind. Of the little that appears ftill lefs is his own. His praise must be derived from the easy sweetness of his diction: in his verses there

there is more happiness than pains; he is fpritely without effort, and always delights though he never ravishes; every thing is proper, yet every thing feems cafual. If there is fome appearance of elaboration in the Hermit, the narrative, as it is lefs airy, is lefs pleafing. Of his other compofitions it is impoffible to say whether they are the productions of Nature, fo excellent as not to want the help of Art, or of Art fo refined as to resemble Nature.

This criticism relates only to the pieces published by Pope. Of the large appendages which I find in the last edition, I can only say that I know not whence they came, nor have ever enquired whither they are going. They stand upon the faith of the compilers,

GART H.

AMUEL GARTH was of a good

school in his own country became a student at Peter-houfe in Cambridge, where he refided till he commenced doctor of phyfick on July the 7th, 1691. He was examined before the College at London on March the 12th, 1691-2, and admitted fellow July 26th, 1692. He was foon fo much distinguished, by his conversation and accomplishments, as to obtain very extenfive practice; and, if a pamphlet of those times may be credited, had the favour and confidence of one party, as Ratcliffe had of the other.

He is always mentioned as a man of benevolence; and it is just to suppose that his defire of helping the helpless, disposed him

to

to fo much zeal for the Difpenfary; an undertaking of which fome account, however fhort, is proper to be given.

Whether what Temple fays be true, that phyficians have had more learning than the other faculties, I will not ftay to enquire; but, I believe, every man has found in phyficians great liberality, and dignity of fentiment, very prompt effufion of beneficence, and willingness to exert a lucrative art, where there is no hope of lucre. Agreeably to this character, the College of Phyficians, in July 1687, published an edict, requiring all the fellows, candidates, and licentiates, to give gratuitous advice to the neighbouring poor.

This edict was fent to the Court of Aldermen; and a queftion being made to whom the appellation of the poor should be extended, the College answered, that it should be fufficient to bring a teftimonial from a clergyman officiating in the parish where the patient refided.

After a year's experience, the physicians found their charity fruftrated by fome malignant

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lignant oppofition, and made to a great degree vain by the high price of phyfick; they therefore voted, in August 1688, that the laboratory of the College fhould be accommadated to the preparation of medicines, and another room prepared for their reception; and that the contributors to the expence fhould manage the charity.

It was now expected that the Apothecaries would have undertaken the care of providing medicines; but they took another course. Thinking the whole defign pernicious to their intereft, they endeavoured to raife a faction against it in the College, and found fome phyficians mean enough to folicit their patronage, by betraying to them the counfels of the College. The greater part, however, enforced by a new edict in 1694, the former order of 1687, and fent it to the mayor and aldermen, who appointed a committee to treat with the College, and fettle the mode of adminiftring the charity.

It was defired by the aldermen, that the teftimonials of churchwardens and overfeers should be admitted; and that all hired fervants, and all apprentices to handicraftsmen,

fhould