18. ? Not those rude garments could obfcure, and hide ง F Mr. JOHN POMFRET nothing is known but from a flight and confufed account prefixed to his poems by a nameless friend; who relates, that he was the fon of the Rev. Mr. Pomfret, rector of Luton in Bedfordshire; that he was bred at Cambridge *; entered into orders, and was rector of Malden in Bedfordshire, and might have rifen in the Church; but that when he applied to Dr. Compton, bishop of London, for institution to a living of confiderable value, to which he had been prefented, he * He was of Queen's College there, and, by the Univerfity register, appears to have taken his Bachelor's degree in 1684, and his Mafter's in 1698. H. found found a troublesome obftruction raised by a malicious interpretation of fome paffage in his Choice; from which it was inferred, that he confidered happinefs as more likely to be found in the company of a mistress than of a wife. This reproach was eafily obliterated for it had happened to Pomfret as to all other men who plan fchemes of life; he had departed from his purpose, and was then married. The malice of his enemies had however a very fatal confequence: the delay constrained. his attendance in London, where he caught the small-pox, and died in 1703, in the thirty-fixth year of his age. He published his poems in 1699; and has been always the favourite of that class of readers, who, without vanity or criticism, feek only their own amusement. His Choice exhibits a system of life adapted to common notions, and equal to common expectations; fuch a state as affords plenty E e 4 and and tranquillity, without exclufion of intellectual pleasures. Perhaps no compofition in our language has been oftener perused than Pomfret's Choice. In his other poems there is an eafy volubility; the pleasure of smooth metre is afforded to the ear, and the mind is not oppreffed with ponderous or entangled with intricate fenti- ment. He pleases many, and he who pleases many must have some species of merit. OF dw F the Earl of Dorfet the character has been drawn fo largely and fo elegantly by Prior, to whom he was familiarly known, that nothing can be added by a cafual hand; and, as its author is fo generally read, it would be useless officioufness to transcribe it. CHARLES SACKVILLE was born January 24, 1637. Having been educated under a private tutor, he travelled into Italy, and returned a little before the Restoration. He was chofen into the firft parliament that was called, for East Grinstead in Suffex, and foon became a favourite of Charles the Second; but undertook no publick employment, being too eager of the riotous and licentious pleafures which young men of high rank, who afpired |