Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/321

Rh of his own, with an intire ſyſtem of the art of poetry in three books, under the title of Thoughts, Action, and Figure; in this work he propoſed to reform the art of Rhetoric, by reducing that confuſed heap of Terms, with which a long ſucceſſion of Pedants had incumbered the world, to a very narrow compaſs; comprehending all that was uſeful and ornamental in poetry under each head, and chapter. He intended to make remarks upon all the ancients and moderns, the Greek, Latin, Engliſh, French, Spaniſh, and Italian poets, and to anamadvert upon their ſeveral beauties and defects.

Mr. Smith died in the year 1710, in the 42d of his age, at the ſeat of George Ducket eſq; called Hartham, in Wikſhire; and was buried in the pariſh church there. We ſhall give the character of this celebrated poet in the words of Mr. Oldiſworth:—“He had a quickneſs of apprehenſion and vivacity of underſtanding, which eaſily took in, and ſurmounted, the moſt knotty parts of methematics and metaphyſics. His wit was prompt and flowing, yet ſolid and piercing; his taſte delicate, his head clear, and his manner of expreſſing his thoughts perſpicuous, and engaging; an eager, but generous, emulation grew up in him, which puſh’d him upon ſtriving to excel in every art and ſcience, that could make him a credit to his college: and it was his happineſs to have ſeveral cotemporaries, and fellow ſtudents, who exerciſed and excited this virtue in themſelves and others: his judgment naturally good, ſoon ripened into an exquiſite fineneſs, and diſtinguiſhing ſagacity, which as it was active and buſy, ſo it was vigorous and manly, keeping even pace with a rich and ſtrong imagination, always on the wing, and never tired with aſpiring; there are many of his firſt eſſays in oratory, in epigram, elegy