508 
rector of Faringdon and Inward- 
leigh, co. Devon, who united to 
the most amiable simplicity of man- 
ners, extensive learning, an elegant 
taste, the strictest integrity, and 
the most cheerful, unaffected piety. 
_ Klis heart and his talents were equally 
unexceptionable ; and the deep re- 
gret of his numerous friends, bears 
the amplest testimony of their ex- 
cellence. Mr. H. was the author 
of many valuable works. When 
the admiration of the poctry of Os- 
sian was general, and no hesitation 
respecting its early era was enter- 
tained, he published a poetical trans- 
lation of Fingal, laboured with no 
common care, in lines scarcely less 
flowing and elegant than those of 
Pope. The suspicions of Mr. Mac-’ 
pherson’s conduct, in at least the 
compilation, prevented, perhaps, 
that version from being so gene- 
ralfy read and warmly admired as it 
deserves; but the * Ode to Imagi- 
nation,’’ subjoined, claimed the most 
general and eager applause, as high- 
ly animated and poetical. Some 
years afterwards, he published a 
translation of Homers Hymn to 
Ceres, of which there is a rival, but 
a much inferior, version by Mr. 
Lucas. The poem, if not Homer’s, 
is certainly of very high antiquity, 
and is translated by Mr. Hole, 
with his usual spirit and elegance. 
At no great distance, the epic ro- 
mance of Arthur followed; of 
which the wildness approaches 
nearer the school of Ariosto, than 
of Homer, though no one was a 
more ardent admirer of the cor- 
recter, and more chastened beau- 
ties of the ancient epic, than Mr. 
Hole. The poem, itself, displays a 
warm imagination, and the lines are 
Jess monotonous, the measure more 
3 
ANNUAL! REGISTER, 1803. 
varied in its pauses, than those of 
his former poctical works. The 
notes, though short, are valuable, 
and display a correct knowledge of 
the northern mythology. When 
Mr. Polwhele projected his publica- 
tion of the Devonshire and Cornwall 
poets, Mr, Hole could not be oyer- . 
looked in his numerous applications 5 
and some of the most highly finished 
poems in that collection are from. 
his pen. We. cannot’ enumerate 
each ; but would particularly notice 
the Odes to Terror and to Melan- 
choly, as little, if at all, inferior to 
those of Gray, Mason, or Akenside. 
They seem, however, to have been 
the production of an earlier period, 
When the literary society at Exeter 
was formed, Mr. Hole was one. of 
its first members ; and his later ex~ 
ertions were chiefly communications 
to that institution, To this society 
he addressed the *¢ Remarks on 
the Arabian Nights Entertainments, 
in which the Origin of Sinbad’s 
Voyages, and other Oriental Fie- 
tions, is particularly considered,” 
published separately, 1797, 12mo. 
in which he endeavours to shew, 
that the marvellous events in 
those voyages were believed in the 
east, and not so extravagantly in- 
consistent, with what the observa- 
tions of later travellers have suppli- 
ed, as has been generally suppose, 
In the published volumes of essays, 
though no names are affixed, an hu- 
morous poem on the origin of clubs, 
and the ironical vindications of the 
characters of Shylock and Iago, are 
attributed to his pen. He was a 
native of Exeter, and admitted of 
Excter-college, where he proceeded 
B;C. Ly lah 
At Fir-grove, near Farnham, af- 
tera few days illness, of an inflamma- 
tory 
