"'Tis his to take away, or sink at will, I select these extracts, because what is within hooks is of my own composing, whereas in the preceding scenes, where the characters make their appeal, I perceive I had in general contrived to let them speak the language, which their own poet had given to them. I presume to add that the passages I have extracted from their parts, as they stand in the originals of their great author, are ingeniously enough chosen and appositely introduced; I likewise take the liberty to observe, that where I have in those scenes above alluded to connected the extracts with my own dialogue, considering it as the work of so mere a novice, it is not contemptibly executed. As I have solemnly disavowed all deception or finesse in the whole conduct of these memoirs, so in this instance I have not sought to excite surprise by making my years fewer, or my verses better, than they strictly and truly were, having faithfully attested the one, and correctly transcribed the other. My worthy old master at Bury, now in the decline of life, intimated his purpose of retiring, and my father took the opportunity of transplanting me to Westminster, where he admit ted me under Doctor Nichols, and lodged me in the boarding house, then kept by Ludford, where he himself had been placed. He took me in his hand to the master, who seemed a good deal surprised to hear that I had passed through Bury School at the age of twelve, and immediately put a Homer before me, and after that an ode in Horace. I turned my eyes upon my father, and perceived him to be in considerable agitation. There happened to be no occasion for it, as the passages were familiar to me, and my amiable examiner seemed perfectly disposed to approve, cautioning me however not to read in too declamatory a style, 86 which," said he, " my boys will call con"ceited." It was highly gratifying to me to hear him say, that he had found the boys, who came out of Mr. Kinsman's hands, generally better grounded in their business than those, who came from other schools. The next day he gave me a short examination for form-sake at the table, and placed me in the Shell. As I was then only twelve years old, and small in stature for my years, my location in so high a class was regarded with some surprise by the corps, into which I was so unexpectedly enrolled. Doctor Johnson, afterwards Bishop of Worcester, was then second master; Vincent Bourne, well known to the literary world for his elegant Latin verses, was usher of the fifth form, and Lloyd, afterwards second master, was at the fourth. Cracherode, the learned collector and munificent benefactor to the Royal Museum, was in the head election, and at that time as grave, studious and reserved as he was through life; but correct in morals and elegant in manners, not courting a promiscuous acquaintance, but pleasant to those who knew him, beloved by many and esteemed by all. At the head of the town boys was the Earl of Huntingdon, whom I should not name as a boy, for he was even then the courtly and accomplished gentleman such as the world saw and acknowledged him to be. The late Earl of Bristol, the late Earl of Buckinghamshire, and the late Right Honorable Thomas Harley were my form-fellows, the form-fellows, the present Duke of Richmond, then Lord March, Warren Hastings, Colman and Lloyd were in the under school, and what is a very extraordinary coincidence, there were then in school together three boys, Hinchliffe, Smith and Vincent, who afterwards succeeded to be severally head masters of Westminster School and not by the decease of any one of them. Hinchliffe might well be called the child of fortune, for he was born in penury and obscurity, and was lifted into opulence and high station, not by the elasticity of his own genius, but by that lucky combination of opportunities, which merit has no share in making, and modesty no aptitude to seize. At Trinity College I knew him as an under-graduate below my standing; in the revolution of a few years I saw him in the station, aforetime filled by my grandfather as master of the college, and holding with it the bishoprick of Peterborough; thus doubly dignified with those preferments, which had separately rewarded the learned labours of Cumberland and Bentley. Smith laboured longer and succeeded less, yet he wisely chose his time for relaxation and retirement, whilst he was yet unexhausted by his toils, sufficiently affluent to enjoy his independance, and, with the consciousness of having done his duty, to consult his ease, and to dismiss his cares. Vincent, whom I love as a friend and honour as a scholar, has at length found that station in the deanery of Westminster, which, whilst it relieves him from the drudgery of the school-master, keeps him still attached to the interests of the school, and eminently concerned in the superintendance and protection. of it. As boy and man he made his passage twice through the forms of Westminster, rising step by step from the very last boy to the very captain of the school, and again from the junior usher through every gradation to that of second and ultimately of senior master; thus, with the interval of four years only devoted to his degree at Cambridge, Westminster has indeed kept possession of his person, but has let the world partake with her in the profit of his researches. Without deserting the laborious post, to which his duty fettered him, his excursive genius led him over seas and countries ⚫ far remote, to follow and develope tracts, redeem authorities and dig up evidences long buried in the grave of ages. This is the more to his honour as his hours of study were never |