conferring Phoebus bends;
And I, and malice, from this hour are friends.'

The two plays of Julius Caesar, which he altered from Shakespear, are
both with Chorusses, after the manner of the Ancients: These plays were
to have been performed in the year 1729, and all the Chorusses were set
to music by that great master in composition, Signor Bononcini; but
English voices being few, the Italians were applied to, who demanded
more for their nightly performance, than the receipts of the house could
amount to at the usual raised prices, and on that account the design was
dropt.

It appears that our noble author had conceived a great regard for Mr.
Pope, on his earliest appearance in the literary world; and was among
the first to acknowledge the young bard's merit, in commendatory verses
upon his excellence in poetry. The following compliment from the duke is
prefixed to the first volume of Mr. Pope's works.

On Mr. POPE, and his POEMs, by his Grace JOHN SHEFFIELD, Duke of
BUCKINGHAM.

With age decay'd, with courts and bus'ness tir'd,
Caring for nothing, but what ease requir'd;
Too dully serious for the muses sport,
And from the critics safe arriv'd in port;
I little thought of launching forth agen,
Amidst advent'rous rovers of the pen;
And after so much undeserv'd success,
Thus hazarding at last to make it less.
Encomiums suit not this censorious time,
Itself a subject for satyric rhime;
Ignorance honour'd, wit and mirth defam'd,
Folly triumphant, and ev'n Homer blam'd!
But to this genius, join'd with so much art,
Such various learning mix'd in ev'ry part,
Poets are bound a loud applause to pay;
Apollo bids it, and they must obey.
And yet so wonderful, sublime a thing,
As the great ILIAD, scarce cou'd make me sing;
Except I justly cou'd at once commend
A good companion, and as firm a friend.
One moral, or a mere well-natur'd deed
Can all desert in sciences exceed.
'Tis great delight to laugh at some men's ways,
But a much greater to give merit praise.

[Footnote 1: Character of the Duke of Buckingham, p. 2. London, 1739.]

[Footnote 2: General Dictionary. See Article Sheffield.]

[Footnote 3: Vol, ii, p. 106.]

* * * * *

CHARLES COTTON, Esq;

This ingenious gentleman lived in the reigns of Charles and James II.
He resided for a great part of his life at Beresford in the county of
Stafford. He had some reputation for lyri