to value others, chiefly according to the progress they had made in knowledge*, yet he could not bear to be considered himself merely as a man of letters: and though without birth, or fortune, or station, his desire was to be looked upon as a private independent gentleman, who read for his amusement. Perhaps, it may be said, What signifies so much knowledge, when it produced so little? Is it worth taking so much pains to leave no memorial but a few poems? But let it be considered, that Mr. Gray was to others, at least, innocently employed; to himself, certainly beneficially. His time passed agreeably; he was every day making some new acquisition in science; his mind was enlarged, his heart softened, his virtue

a more retired and philosophic life, certainly felt much earlier. Both of them therefore might reasonably, at times, express some disgust, if their quiet was intruded upon by persons who thought they flattered them by such intrusion.-Mason.

* It was not on account of their knowledge that he valued mankind. He contemned indeed all pretenders to literature, but he did not select his friends from the literary class merely because they were literate. To be his friend it was always either necessary that a man should have something better than an improved understanding, or at least that Mr. Gray should believe he had.-Mason.

strengthened; the world and mankind were shewn to him without a mask; and he was taught to consider every thing as trifling, and unworthy the attention of a wise man, except the pursuit of knowledge, and the practice of virtue, in that state wherein God hath placed us."

Dr. Johnson's general opinion of Mr. Gray is expressed in the following terms: "What has occurred to me is, that his mind had a large grasp; that his curiosity was unlimited, and his judgment cultivated; that he was a man likely to love much where he loved at all, but that he was fastidious and hard to please. His contempt, however, is often employed, where I hope it will be approved, upon scepticism and infidelity. His short account of Shaftesbury I will insert.

You say you cannot conceive how Lord Shaftesbury came to be a philosopher in vogue; I will tell ( you: first, he was a lord; secondly, he was as vain

as any of his readers; thirdly, men are very prone 'to believe what they do not understand; fourthly, 6 they will believe any thing at all, provided they are ' under no obligation to believe it; fifthly, they love 'to take a new road, even when that road leads no'where; sixthly, he was reckoned a fine writer, and seems always to mean more than he said. Would 'you have any more reasons? An interval of above

'forty years has pretty well destroyed the charm. A 'dead lord ranks with commoners; vanity is no lon'ger interested in the matter; for a new road is be6 come an old one.'

"As a writer he had this peculiarity, that he did not write his pieces first rudely, and then correct them, but laboured every line as it arose in the train of composition; and he had a notion not very peculiar, that he could not write but at certain times, or happy moments; a fantastic foppery, to which my kindness for a man of learning and of virtue wishes him to have been superior."

ODES.

ON THE SPRING.

[The title originally given by Mr. Gray to this Ode

LO! where the rosy-bosom'd Hours,

Fair VENUS' train, appear,
Disclose the long-expected flowers,
And wake the purple year!

The Attic warbler pours her throat,
Responsive to the cuckow's note,

The untaught harmony of Spring:
While, whisp'ring pleasure as they fly,
Cool Zephyrs thro' the clear blue sky
Their gather'd fragrance fling.