7.

  Celestial visitant once more,
  Thy needful presence I implore. 
  In pity come, and ease my grief,
  Bring my distemper’d soul relief,
  Favour thy suppliant’s hidden fires,
  And give me all my heart’s desires.

There is another beautiful ode by the same Grecian poetess, rendered into English by Mr. Philips with inexpressible delicacy, quoted in the Spectator, vol. iii,.  No. 229.

  1.

  Blest, as th’immortal Gods is he
  The youth who fondly fits by thee,
  And hears, and sees thee all the while
  Softly speak, and sweetly smile.

  2.

  ’Twas this depriv’d my soul of rest,
  And raised such tumults in my breast;
  For while I gaz’d, in transport tost,
  My breath was gone, my voice was lost.

  3.

  My bosom glow’d; the subtle flame
  Ran quick thro’ all my vital frame,
  O’er my dim eyes a darkness hung;
  My ears with hollow murmurs rung.

  4.

  In dewy damps my limbs were chill’d;
  My blood with gentle horrors thrill’d;
  My feeble pulse forgot to play;
  I fainted, sunk, and died away.

Mr. Philips having purchased an annuity of 400 l. per annum, for his life, came over to England sometime in the year 1748:  But had not his health; and died soon after at his lodgings near Vauxhall.

FOOTNOTES: 

[1] Vide the ACTOR.

[2] See Cart’s History of England, Reign of Henry VI.

* * * * *

RICHARD MAITLAND, EARL OF LAUDERDALE

This learned nobleman was nephew to John, the great duke of Lauderdale, who was secretary of state to King Charles II for Scotch affairs, and for many years had the government of that kingdom entirely entrusted to him.  Whoever is acquainted with history will be at no loss to know, with how little moderation he exercised his power; he ruled his native country with a rod of iron, and was the author of all those disturbances and persecutions which have stained the Annals of Scotland, during that inglorious period.

As the duke of Lauderdale was without issue-male of his own body, he took our author into his protection as his immediate heir, and ordered him to be educated in such a manner as to qualify him for the possession of those great employments his ancestors enjoyed in the state.  The improvement of this young nobleman so far exceeded his years, that he was very early admitted into the privy council, and made lord justice clerk, anno 1681.  He married the daughter of the earl of Argyle, who was tried for sedition in the state, and confined in the castle of Edinburgh.  When Argyle found his fate approaching, he meditated, and effected his escape; and some letters of his being intercepted and decyphered, which had been written to the earl of Lauderdale, his lordship fell under a cloud, and was stript of his preferments.  These letters were only of a familiar nature, and contained nothing but domestic business; but a correspondence with a person condemned, was esteemed a sin in politics not to be forgiven, especially by a man of the Duke of York’s furious disposition.