Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/269

Rh Charles and Catherine, duke and ducheſs of Queenſberry, who loved this excellent man living, and regret him dead, have cauſed this monument to be erected to his memory.

Mr. Gay’s moral character ſeems to have been very amiable. He was of an affable, ſweet diſpoſition, generous in his temper, and pleaſant in his converſation. His chief failing was an exceſſive indolence, without the leaſt knowledge of œconomy; which often ſubjected him to wants he needed not otherwiſe have experienced. Dean Swift in many of his letters entreated him, while money was in his hands, to buy an annuity, leſt old age ſhould overtake him unprepared; but Mr. Gay never thought proper to comply with his advice, and choſe rather to throw himſelf upon patronage, than ſecure a competence, as the dean wiſely adviſed. As to his genius it would be ſuperfluous to ſay any thing here, his works are in the hands of every reader of taſte, and ſpeak for themſelves; we know not whether we can be juſtified in our opinion, but we beg leave to obſerve, that of all Gay’s performances, his Paſtorals ſeem to have the higheſt finiſhing; they are perfectly Doric; the characters and dialogue are natural and rurally ſimple; the language is admirably ſuited to the perſons, who appear delightfully ruſtic.