164 



opinion of his talents, is farther shewn in pp. 295 and 371 

 of his first volume, and in p. 94 of vol, ii. Mr. Mathias, 

 after supposing Mr. Mason to have been the author of the 

 Heroic Epistle, and after paying a high compliment to his 

 general poetry, thus concludes his generous tribute : 



Whence is that groan ? no more Britannia sleeps, 



But o'er her lov'd Musasus hends and weeps. 



Lo, every Grecian, every British muse 



Scatter the recent flowers and gracious dews 



Where Mason lies ! 



And in his breast each soft affection dwelt, 



That love and friendship know ; each sister art, 



With all that colours, and that sounds impart, 



All that the sylvan theatre can grace, 



All in the soul of Mason found their place ! 



Low sinks the laurell'd head : in Mona's land 



I see them pass, 'tis Mador's drooping band, 



To harps of woe, in holiest obsequies, 



In yonder grave, they chant, our Druid lies ! 



Erasmus Darwin. In the life of this justly celebrated 

 physician, by Miss Seward, she informs us, that in the year 

 1770, he sat to Mr. Wright of Derby ; and that it was " a 

 contemplative portrait, of the most perfect resemblance." 

 Whether it has been engraved I know not. He was then in 

 his thirty-eighth year. Dr. Thornton, in his superb work 

 on botany, has given a fine portrait of Dr. Darwin, at a 

 more advanced period of his life. It breathes intelligence 

 in every feature, and is a masterly likeness. The late Mr. 

 Archdeacon Clive preserved a highly-finished miniature por- 

 trait of him, which was ordered by Dr. Darwin for the ex- 

 press purpose of being presented to this worthy clergyman, 

 whom he so much esteemed.* 



* Mr. Clive resided at Moreton-Say, near Market- Drayton. He was a 

 prebend of Westminster. Integrity marked every action of his life. In 

 his village, scarcely a poor man existed. His kindness and benevolence to 



