770 
though chiefly narrative, is, however, 
elegant and perspicuous, distinguish- 
ing features of all his Latin compo- 
sitions. To this, book the sum of 
his praise has been already given, as 
he has added nothing to Reiske’s 
but the preface. In 1771 the pro- 
mised edition of Theacritus made 
its appearance ; a publication distin- 
gwshed, for its correctness and 
splendour, ,and,. perhaps, the best 
that has appeared from the Claren- 
don office. . It was printed without 
accenis, by the, recommendation. of 
the delegates of that press... It, has 
been objected that, in this work, he 
has. not sufficiently: exerted his, criti- 
cal acumen in improving the text, 
yet has he elucidated his author by 
the aid of the scholiasts and other 
commentators, illustrated the allu- 
sions to the more obscure customs 
and mythology of the ancients, and 
shewn much taste in developing the 
beauty of his author, and comparing 
him with other poets ; the prefixed 
dissertation is ingenious, and_ his 
reasons for preferring ‘Theocritus to 
Virgil, as a pastoral poet, seem de- 
cisive. ‘ ; 
_. Previously to this, in 1760, he 
wrote the life of sir, Thomas Pope, 
the founder of his college, and of 
doétor Bathurst, its principal bene- 
factor ; but, as a biographer,.- he is 
not to be much celebrated. Sir 
Thomas Pope and doé¢tor Bathurst 
were not of sufficient importance for 
narratives of their lives to exeite ge- 
néral interest. Aware of this, War- 
ton has endeavoured to supply the 
defeéi, by the interspersion. of col- 
lateral matter. The life of Bathurst 
is diversified with anecdotes of seve- 
ral of his learned contemporaries ; 
and that of Pope exhibits an inte- 
resting, and partly original, narra- 
tive of particulars, conneéted with 
the persecutions and private life of 
ANNUAL REGIS THR, ) 1803. 
queen Elizabeth, of whom the cuss ©. 
tody. was committed, to -him by. 
queen Mary ; with a judicious sum- 
mary of the state of learning about 
the time of the foundation of. Tri- 
nity college ; but such digressive mes 
rit, however amusing, detracts {from 
the dignity and nature of biography, 
and sinks the objeét, of. the work 
into a, mere appendage. .Im 1761 
and 1762, he wrote, as poetny pro- 
fessor; verses, for, the Oxford col- 
leétion,,.on the death. of George LI. 
the. marriage.ofi the, present king, 
and the birth of the,prince of Wales; 
the, verses on the king’s manriage ate 
elegant, and, distingwshed for, their 
delicacy, of compliment, though they 
have-less poctical imagery-than those 
on the death of. the, prince of 
Wales, and. less dignity than. those 
on the death of George il,, To 
these, last,,it may be objected that 
they have not so much concern with 
the dead king, as with the: patriot 
to whom they were addressed. 
‘l'o the, colleétion of 1761, he 
contributed the ode entitled, the 
*¢ Complaint of Cherwell.’’) / It isya 
pleasing pastoral, though it may not 
add much to his fame as a poet. Ini 
1764, was published the, ¢* Oxford 
Sausage, or seleét Poetical Pieces 
wuitten by the most. celebrated Wits 
of the University of Oxford.” | Se- 
veral of the poems and the humor- 
ous preface were written. by Mr. 
Warton, to whom, likewise, the 
conduét of the work is attributed. 
In 1771 he was eleéted fellow of the 
antiquarian society, and in the same 
year instituted to the living of Kid- 
dington, in Oxfordshire, on the pre- 
sentation of George, earl of Litch- 
field, chancellor of the university, 
for whom he afterwards wrote an 
epitaph. 
In 1774, his greatest and most 
important work appeared, ‘ The 
History 
