And when the lamp of life will burn no more,
  When dead, she seems as in a gentle sleep,
    The pitying neighbour shall her loss deplore;
  And round the bier assembled lovers weep.

    With flow’ry garlands, each revolving year
  Shall strow the grave, where truth and softness rest,
    Then home returning drop the pious tear,
  And bid the turff lie easy on her breast.

* * * * *

Mr. JOHN BANKS.

This poet was the son of Mr. John Banks of Sunning in Berkshire, in which place he was born in 1709.  His father dying while our author was very young, the care of his education devolved upon an uncle in law, who placed him at a private school, under the tuition of one Mr. Belpene, an Anabaptist.  This schoolmaster, so far from encouraging young Banks to make a great progress in classical learning, exerted his influence with his relations to have him taken from school, and represented him as incapable of receiving much erudition.  This conduct in Mr. Belpene proceeded from an early jealousy imbibed against this young man, who, so far from being dull, as the school-master represented him, possessed extraordinary parts, of which he gave very early proofs.

Mr. Belpene was perhaps afraid, that as soon as Mr. Banks mould finish his education, he would be preferred to him as minister to the congregation of Anabaptists, which place he enjoyed, independent of his school.  The remonstrances of Mr. Belpene prevailed with Mr. Banks’s uncle, who took him from school, and put him apprentice to a Weaver at Reading.  Before the expiration of the apprenticeship, Mr. Banks had the misfortune to break his arm, and by that accident was disqualified from pursuing the employment to which he was bred.  How early Mr. Banks began to write we cannot determine, but probably the first sallies of his wit were directed against this school-master, by whom he was injuriously treated, and by whose unwarrantable jealousy his education, in some measure, was ruined.  Our author, by the accident already mentioned, being rendered unfit to obtain a livelihood, by any mechanical employment, was in a situation deplorable enough.  His uncle was either unable, or unwilling to assist him, or, perhaps, as the relation between them was only collateral, he had not a sufficient degree of tenderness for him, to make any efforts in his favour.  In this perplexity of our young poet’s affairs, ten pounds were left him by a relation, which he very oeconomically improved to the best advantage.  He came to London, and purchasing a parcel of old books, he set up a stall in Spital-Fields.