Page:The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets, Volume 2.djvu/424

418 He lived to hear that it was well received; but paid no regard to the intelligence, being taken wholly employed in the meditations of a departing Christian.

A man of his character was undoubtedly regretted; and Steele devoted an essay, in the paper called The Theatre, to the memory of his virtues. His Life is written in the Biographia with some degree of favourable partiality; and an account of him is prefixed to his works, by his relation the late Mr. Duncombe, a man whose blameless elegance deserved the same respect.

The character of his genius I shall transcribe from the correspondence of Swift and Pope.

"A month ago," says Swift, "was sent me over, by a friend of mine, the works of John Hughes, Esquire. They are in prose and verse. I never heard of the man in my life, yet I find your name as a subscriber. He is too great a poet for me; and I think among the mediocrists, in prose as well as verse."

To this Pope returns: "To answer your question as to Mr. Hughes; what 7