Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/53

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HIS celebrated poet was the ſon of Mr. George Prior, citizen of London, who was by profeſſion a Joiner. Our author was born in 1664. His father dying when he was very young, left him to the care of an uncle, a Vintner near Charing-Croſs, who diſcharged the truſt that was repoſed in him, with a tenderneſs truly paternal, as Mr. Prior always acknowledged with the higheſt profeſſions of gratitude. He received part of his education at Weſtminſter ſchool, where he diſtinguiſhed himſelf to great advantage, but was afterwards taken home by his uncle in order to be bred up to his trade. Notwithſtanding this mean employment, to which Mr. Prior ſeemed now doomed, yet at his leiſure hours he proſecuted his ſtudy of the claſſics, and eſpecially his favourite Horace, by which means he was ſoon taken notice of, by the polite company, who reſorted to his uncle’s houſe. It happened one day, that the earl of Dorſet being at his Tavern, which he often frequented with ſeveral gentlemen of rank, the diſcourſe turned upon the Odes of Horace; and the company being divided in their ſentiments about a paſſage in that poet, one of the gentlemen ſaid, I find we are not like to agree in our criticiſms, but, if I am not miſtaken, there is a young fellow