How pleafing ATTERBURY's fofter hour! How fhin'd the Soul, unconquer'd in the Tow'r! NOTES. How VER. 80. STANHOPE's noble Flame,] Who confeffed to old Whifton, that, in his opinion, it was almoft impoffible for a Minilter of State to be an honest man. WARTON. VER. 82. How pleafing ATTERBURY's] Pleafing indeed it muft have been, whether we confider his learning, his eloquence, his tafte, his tender domeftic feelings as a Father, his kindness as a Friend. Atterbury is held up, as factious, ambitious, &c. That he was attached to the Houfe of Stuart, and afterwards entered into the schemes with the party, there can be no doubt; but I think it hard to attribute this to disappointed ambition, from not attaining the ecclefiaftical eminence he aspired to. Might he not have been actuated folely by conscience, and a sense of what he thought his duty? His firmness of conduct, his manly tendernefs, his accomplishments, and his fufferings throw a kind of beautiful luftre on his character, whatever might have been his political creed, or conduct. His letter on his banishment, where he fays, "Some natural tears he dropped, but wiped them foon;" who can read without being affected to tears? I cannot help saying, when I think of his "fofter hour;" "Ambition should be made of ferner fluff" When we confider what has been efteemed the harsher and more violent part of his character, we feel an additional tenderness, at the idea of kindneffes, friendship, paternal feelings, &c. We are interested, as when in Julius Cæfar we see Brutus, whofe ftern character we had been almost afraid to approach, taking the inftrument, from the boy's hand, and, in the midst of his haraffed and bitter feelings, faying, "Gentle Knave, good night; I will not do thee fo much wrong to wake thee!" I will add Coxe's account of his Education, &c. "Francis Atterbury was born at Middleton near Newport Pagnell, in Buckinghamshire, 1662. He was educated at Weftminster, and elected ftudent of Christ Church Oxford He was distinguished at an early age for tafte and claffical attainments. On taking orders, he acquired high reputation, for his talents in preaching, and fupporting, against Hoadley and Wake, the doctrines of the high Church. "He 85 ARGYLL, •E: n. 1-4 Sir Jerathan Terlaway, Bishop of Ive, momed to the Toradiation of Queen Anne, m; and in 1713, at the recommendation of advanced to the Fliteprick of Rocheiler, and monial al raw to the facesfion of the Hanover line. &a of George the F, be received evident marks fing the new Susediga. He afpired to the higheit is of the Check, and would have fucceeded under Queen Anse, bat, en ser death, his uniform opposition to the Govern most oftarer Suvereign, precinded him from all expectation of gefermest Tap Beatle Stay Among thefe, Atterbury was by coffre. The turbulent and imperious temper of this Lang by prelate was ling felt and remembered in the college over #tuk pržká It was with difficulty Queen Anne was perfloded to make him a Mbop; which the did at laft, on the repeated important les of Lord Harcourt; who preffed the Queen to do it, becacie truly he had before disappointed him, in not placing Sacheverell on the bench. After her decease, Atterbury vehemently arged his friends to proclaim the Pretender; and on their refufal, upbraided them for their timidity with many oaths; for he was accustomed to iwear, on any trong provocation. In a Collection of Letters, lately published by Mr. Duncombe, it is affirmed, on the authority of Elijah Fenton, that Atterbury, fpeaking of Pope, faid, there was, Mens curva in corpore curvo. This fentiment feems utterly inconfiftent with the warm friend ship supposed to fubfift between these celebrated men. But Dr. Herring, in the 2d vol. of this collection, p. 104. fays, "If At terbury was not worse used than any honest man in the world ever was, there were strong contradictions between his public and private character." WARTON. VER. 84. PULT'NEY, CHESTERFIELD] I have heard a lady of exquifite wit and judgment, fay of thefe two celebrated men, "The latter was always ftriving to be witty, and the former could not help being fo." The |