ommend
the compositions of others, it proceeded not from ill-nature (for that
was foreign to his temper) but a strict regard to justice would not
suffer him to call a few flowers elegantly adorned, without much art,
and less genius, by so distinguished a name as poetry. He was of Ben
Johnson's opinion, who could not admire,

----Verses, as smooth and soft as cream,
In which their was neither depth nor stream.

Mr. Smith's Bodleian Oration, printed with his other works, though
taken from a remote and imperfect copy, has shewn the world, how great
a matter he was of Ciceronian Eloquence. Since Temple and Roscommon
(says Mr. Oldisworth) 'No man understood Horace better, especially
as to his happy diction, rolling numbers, beautiful imagery, and
alternate mixture of the soft and sublime. His friend Mr. Philips's
Ode to Mr. St. John, after the manner of Horace's Lusory, or Amatorian
Odes, is certainly a master-piece: But Mr. Smith's Pocockius is of the
sublimer kind; though like Waller's writings upon Cromwell, it wants
not the most delicate and surprizing turns, peculiar to the person
praised.'

He was an excellent judge of humanity, and so good a historian, that
in familiar conversation, he would talk over the most memorable fads
in antiquity; the lives, actions, and characters of celebrated men,
with amazing facility and accuracy. As he had carefully read and
distinguished Thuanus's Works, so he was able to copy after him: And
his talent in this kind was so generally confess'd, that he was made
choice of by some great men, to write a history, which it was their
interest to have executed with the utmost art, and dexterity; but
this design was dropp'd, as Mr. Smith would not sacrifice truth to the
caprice, and interested views of a party.

* * * * *

Our author's Poem, condoling the death of Mr. Philips, is full of the
noblest beauties, and pays a just tribute to the venerable ashes of
that great man. Mr. Smith had contracted for Mr. Philips the most
perfect friendship, a passion of which he was very susceptible, and
whole laws he considered as sacred and inviolable.

* * * * *

In the year 1707 Mr. Smith's Tragedy called Phaedra and Hippolitus was
acted at the Theatre-Royal. This play was introduced upon the stage,
at a time when the Italian Opera so much engrossed the attention of
the polite world, that sense was sacrificed to sound. It was dress'd