Page:The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets, Volume 1.djvu/122

112 He is not very careful to vary the ends of his verses: in one passage the word die rhimes three couplets in six.

Most of these petty faults are in his first productions, when he was less skilful, or at least less dextrous, in the use of words; and though they had been more frequent they could only have lessened the grace, not the strength of his composition. He is one of the writers that improved our taste, and advanced our language, and whom we ought therefore to read with gratitude, though, having done much, he left much to do. Rh