LIFE OF LANGHORNE. 



liraest sensation, yet it was long ere he could acquire sufficient resa* 

 lution to make a declaration of his passion to her, who was the 

 favourite daughter of his opulent employer. At length, however, 

 he made known his feelings, and the result was a strong, though 

 Secret, attachment on the part of his pupil, who, from prudential 

 motives and an apprehension, probably Avell founded, that the great 

 disproportion of their circumstances would preclude the consent of 

 her family to such a union, at first gave a direct refusal to his so- 

 licitations. Mr. Langhorne, however, by addressing to her some 

 odes, elegies, and amatory expostulations, happily kept up the 

 flame which he had elicited, and she remained 



" Constant as courage to the bravt in battle, 

 Constant as martyrs burning for their gods." 



But the disappointment which he had experienced rendering his 

 situation at Hackthorn insupportable, he, in 1761, removed to 

 Dagenham, in Essex, where he officiated as a curate, and though, 

 like most men of talents and genius, he was obliged to depend on 

 his exertions for support, yet he devoted a considerable portion of 

 time to cultivate the friendship of the Muses, who had already 

 adopted him as their favoured pupil. In 1759, he wrote the 

 " Death of Adonis, a Pastoral Elegy, from Bion*," which, I think, 

 though I have never observed it particularly noticed in any ciiti- 

 cism on his works, is one of the most charming of his poetical com- 

 positions. For instance, what can be prettier than the frantic ad- 

 dress of Venus to the already dead Adonis. 



•' Yet stay, lov'd youth, a moment, ere we part, 

 Oh, let me kiss thee, hold thee to my heart! 

 A little moment, dear Adonis, stay 

 And kiss thy Venus, ere those lips are clay. 



* It was my intention to contrast some passages of this Elegy with extracts from 

 a very elegant prose translation of Bion, by Edward du Bois, Esq. published in 

 1799, but the limits in which this memoir must be confined frustrates my indi- 

 nation. 



