CHRONICLE. 



Year, 1782; Arviragus, a Tragedy, 

 acted at Exeter ; A Series of Let- 

 ters on the Wounds and Deaths 

 related in the Iliad, ^neid, and 

 Pharsalia, &c. 12mo. 1798; and 

 some other performances. He 

 appears to have lived in distressed 

 circumstances. 



23rd. At Wickham, Hants, of 

 which he was rector, and prehen- 

 dary of Winchester, aged 78, the 

 rev. Joseph Warton, D.D. F.R.S. 

 elder brother of Thomas Warton, 

 who died May 21, 1790. Joseph 

 was born about 1 722 ; admitted of 

 Oriel College ; proceeded M.A. by 

 diploma, 1759; B. and D.D. I768; 

 elected head-master of Winchester- 

 college, where he had received his 

 education, and which he resigned 

 1793; and was succeeded by Mr. 

 Goddard ; and rector of Upham, 

 Hants, 1792, in the gift of the 

 bishop of Winchester. His earliest 

 publication was "An Ode on read- 

 ing West's Pindar, 1749," followed 

 by other short poems, among which 

 is " The Enthusiast, or Lover of 

 Nature." In 1746, when B.A. 

 " Odes on several Subjects," 8vo. 

 In 1756, without his name, the 

 "Essay on the Writings and Genius 

 of Pope, vol. 1.;" and, in 1782, 

 the second volume, of which the first 

 200 pages were printed 20 years 

 before publication, in 1753. " The 

 Works of Virgil, in English verse ; 

 the -^neid, translated by the rev. 

 Mr. Christopher Pitt, the Eclogues 

 and Georgics, by Mr. Joseph War- 

 ton ; with several new observa- 

 tions, by Mr. Holdsworth, Mr. 

 Spence, and others," &o. &c. in 

 4 vols. 8 vo. ; dedicated to sir George 

 (afterwards lord) Lyttelton. With 

 the merit of Mr. Pitt's version of 

 the iEneid the world is well ac-^ 



quainted. Of Dr. Warton's Ec- 

 logues and Georgics, it may be said 

 that they convey the sense of their 

 originals with greater exactness and 

 perspicuity than any other transla- 

 tions we have ; that their versifi- 

 cation is easy and harmonious, 

 and their style correct and pure; yet 

 if read for themselves, they are far 

 inferior to the similar performances 

 of Dryden. In 1797, he commit- 

 ted to the public the labour, as it is 

 said, of 1 6 years, his edition of the 

 works of Pope, in 9 vols. 8vo. The 

 expectation which this work had 

 excited in the literary world, was, 

 in some measure, disappointed, on 

 its appearance. It bears marks of 

 haste unpardonable in such an 

 undertaking. The commentary 

 consists of a selection of the best of 

 Warburton's notes, combined with 

 the corresponding parts of the Essay 

 on the Writings and Genius of 

 Pope. Notwithstanding, however, 

 various blemishes of style and in- 

 stances of the garrulity of age, the 

 notes are useful and entertaining, in 

 point of poetical criticism, illustra- 

 tion, and anecdotes, and perhaps 

 the best are those from the Essay. 

 Yet, though not so excellent a work 

 as may be wished for, and might 

 have been expected, it is certainly 

 the best edition of Pope we have. 

 The doctor was twice married; and 

 by his first wife had one son, who 

 disappointed his hopes, and was 

 found dead in his father's library, at 

 Winchester-school ; and several 

 daughters. Harriet, the youngest, 

 was married at Wickham, to Ro- 

 bert Newton Lee, esq. of Bath, 

 1793. The doctor's vivacity of 

 character, penetrating judgement, 

 informing conversation, and fund 

 of anecdote, will transmit him to 



