at he had
formed a contracted notion of nature, as an object of imitation for the
tragic poet; and he has failed to give a faithful representation of
nature, even according to his own imperfect theory.

The two short epistles on Benevolence and Taste, have ease and vigour
enough to shew that he could, with a little practice, have written as
well in the couplet measure as he did in blank verse. If Armstrong
cannot be styled a man of genius, he is at least one of the most
ingenious of our minor poets.

FOOTNOTES
[1] Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, Vol. ii. p. 307, &c.
[2] Chalmers's Biographical Dictionary, vol. ii. p. 486.
[3] Footnote: Spring, v. 376, &c.

* * * * *

RICHARD JAGO

Richard, the third son of Richard Jago, Rector of Beaudesert, in
Warwickshire, was born on the 1st of October, 1715. His mother was
Margaret, daughter of Wm. Parker, a gentleman of Henley in Arden, a
neighbouring town in the same county. He received the earlier part of
his education at Solihull, under Mr. Crumpton, whom Johnson, in his life
of Shenstone, calls an eminent schoolmaster. Here Shenstone, who was
scarcely one year older, and who, according to Johnson, distinguished
himself by the quickness of his progress, imparted to Jago his love of
letters. As the one, in his Schoolmistress, has delivered to posterity
the old dame who taught him to read; the other has done the same for
their common preceptor, but with less ability and less kindness, in his
Edgehill, where he terms him "Pedagogue morose."

At the usual time he was admitted a servitor of University College,
Oxford. His humble station in the University, though it did not break
off his intimacy with Shenstone, must have hindered them from
associating openly together.

In 1738, he took the degree of Master of Arts, having been first
ordained to the curacy of Snitterfield, a village near the benefice of
his father, who died two years after. Soon after that event, he married
Dorothea Susannah, daughter of John Fancourt, Rector of Kimcote, in
Leicestershire. In 1746, he was instituted to Harbury, where he resided;
and about the same time was presented, by Lord Willoughby de Broke, to
Chesterton, which lay at a short distance; both livings together
amounting to about 100_l._ a year. In 1754, Lord Clare, afterwards Earl
Nugent, obtained for him, from Dr. Madox, Bishop of Worcester, the
vicarage of Snitterfield, worth about 140_l._ After having in