To this Pope returns: "To answer your question as to Mr. Hughes; what he wanted in genius, he made up as an honest man; but he was of the class you think him." Swift's opinion regarding his prose is too severe; for Hughes, besides being a most amiable man, was a correct scholar, and wrote both with ease of style, and propriety of sentiment. The chief contributions assigned to him in the Tatler, are two letters in numbers 64 and 76, in compliment to, and defence of, Bickerstaff's plan; those in 66 and 73, signed Philanthropos and Will Trusty, and directed against the tribe of gamesters: the humorous inventory of a beau's effects in 113; and the allegory from Spenser turned into prose in 194. DEAN SWIFT, although the friend of Steele and Addison, has not contributed very largely to their publications; what however he has written in the Tatler, bear the stamp of his shrewd and satirical genius. Παῦρα μὲν, ἀλλὰ μάλα λιγέως.—HOMER. The short but witty description of morning, in No. 9, is from his pen; also the satires in 32 and 63 against Madonella, under which name he intended to ridicule Mrs, Mary Astell, a lady of remarkable piety, that ought to have been spared from his rude mirth. It is a singular inconsistency also that Platonic love should be held up to contempt by the Dean, who seems to have cruelly fostered that passion both in Stella and Vanessa, the former of whom (though married to him) he never allowed to be in his company without a third person. The account of the family of Ix, in No. 35, is attributed to him, though not with certainty. He wrote that gentle piece of raillery in No. 59, signed Obadiah Greenhat, in order to convince Steele of a blunder he had committed: the first article in No. 66, upon pulpit oratory, of which he was well qualified to judge the letter in No. 70, signed Jonathan Rosehat, upon the same subject: the hints in Nos. 67 and 68, for a chamber of Fame, which subject Addison has ingeniously expanded the remarks on the improper behaviour of a clergyman in No. 71: the whole of 230, upon the corruption of style: and the coarse but amusing description of a shower in 238. He was also concerned with Rowe and Prior in the first letter in No. 258, respecting the term "Great Britain," which Steele had recommended. The verses in No.7, called the Medicine, were written by Mr. WILLIAM HARRISON. The tale is not original, being borrowed most probably (as Dr. Drake* has intimated) from Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy. The versification is neither smooth nor correct: the narration, however, is given in a sprightly manner, and the moral is useful. The author was patronized by Dr. Swift, and when the original Tatler was dropped, undertook at the instigation of the Dean to conduct a periodical work under the old title, which after having increased to about fifty numbers, sunk into merited neglect. No.205, upon gluttony, is the production of Mr. Fuller, and may be considered as an instance of precocious talent, as it was written when the author was only sixteen years old. He appears to have been a young man of a most virtuous character and generous disposition: and between him and Sir Richard Steele a warm attachment was cemented. The Rev. WILLIAM ASPLIN was for some time an unknown writer in the Tatler: but in 1728, he published "Alkibla, a dissertation on worshipping towards the East," to which he prefixed a very complimentary dedication to Sir Richard Steele, and avowed himself as one of his former correspondents. His supposed contributions however are very inconsiderable, and amount only to two letters in Nos. 45 and 71, signed Benjamin Beadlestaff, and another in No. 72, signed The Trencher Caps. The character of Aspasia in No. 42, was written by WILLIAM CONGREVE, and intended to portray the virtues of lady Elizabeth Hastings, daughter of the Earl of Huntingdon. The author is far more celebrated as a poet than a prose writer. He produced several comedies, The Old Bachelor, The Double Dealer, Love for Love, and the Way of the World, besides the tragedy of The Mourning Bride. Dr. Johnson commends him + as an original writer, both in his plots and dialogue, and has pronounced his descrip To the research which this author has displayed in his Essays, we are much indebted. His volumes are copious and entertaining, and illustrative of every subject connected with the British Essayists. + Lives of the Poets. See also Boswell's Life of Johnson, vol. ii. p. 82, octavo. tion of the Temple, in the Mourning Bride, to be the most poetical passage in our language. The genealogy of Bickerstaff's family, which is drawn with great richness of humour, and correctness of discrimination, came from the pen of HENEAGE TWISDEN. He was the seventh son of Sir William Twisden, Bart., commanded a company in the army, and fell at the battle of Mons, at the premature age of twenty-nine. The specimen which remains of his wit may awaken a just regret, that the literary world was so soon deprived of the aid of his genius. So happy was considered the jeu d'esprit, which originated with him, that it immediately attracted imitations, and many fresh claimants arose for the honour of belonging to the family of the Staffs. His memory has been honoured with a monument in Westminster Abbey. ANTHONY HENLEY, son of Sir Robert Henley, contributed the letter in No. 193, signed J. Downs. He pursued his studies at the University of Oxford, where he underwent that terrific examination, which is recorded in No. 494 of the Spectator, respecting his progress in grace. He held a seat in Parliament, and was a man of great elegance and accomplishments, and in general esteem with the wits of his age. Addison calls him "a great ornament to the learned world:" but as most of his publications were written anonymously, he has left very little by which we may judge of his capacity. In the Tatler only one letter has been positively assigned to him, which under the similitude of stage affairs, is intended to convey a description of political circumstances. By Downs, the prompter, we are to understand the duke of Leeds, and Harley, is the "gentleman of the inns of court." JAMES GREENWOOD was the author of the letter in No. 234, upon the necessity of initiating children in the English Grammar before they venture upon the Latin. He was teacher at a private school, and some time surmaster of St. Paul's; so that he was naturally directed by his profession to the subject of education. The plan which he recommends in the Tatler has never been generally adopted: and it may be questioned whether a boy in learning his Latin grammar does not necessarily acquire the rudiments of his own and most European languages. The custom, however, of entirely neglecting our mother tongue, is most absurd: the construction, peculiarities, and elegance of the English language should be learned by every man who moves in a respectable sphere of life. The time of acquiring them should be perhaps at the close rather than the beginning of education, at the period when the mind is capable of understanding the varieties and relishing the beauties of style. The last contributor to the Tatler is CHARLES DARTIQUENAVE, OF DARTINEUF: his productions however have not been ascertained. He held the situation of paymaster of the works, was notorious for his love of punning, and for a much less innocent propensity, his love of the pleasures of the table. f |