1803.] 
gies of Daurat, and almoft every new 
work was introduced to the public by his 
recommendatory verfes. Ibe vigour of 
his fancy was unequal to thefe exertions, 
and the critics obferved that the merit of 
his poems decayed, as their number in- 
creafed. He was the inventor of the ana- 
gram. Some of his contemporaries, in- 
deed, afirmed that he Kole it from Lyco- 
phron; but ali allowed that he carried tt to 
the highelt perfection. Fhe fame of his ex- 
cellence in this mode of writing was fo 
great, that the French nobles uled to re- 
queft of him to anagrammatize their names 
and render them immortal. . Buc though 
often thus foolifhly employed, he was ca- 
pable of great and ufetul labours. Jofeph 
Scaliser mentions him as one of the firft 
critics of the age, and confidered him as 
the only man in France capable of reftor- 
ing the ancient authors. ‘The prefent neg- . 
leét into which Daurat has fallen is a ftrik- 
ing proof of the uncertainty of reputation. 
Papire le Maton remarks ‘¢ that the pic. 
ture which St. Jerome has drawn cf Ho- 
race defcribes Daurat with wonderful ex- 
actnefs, becaufe there may be found in 
his works the uncommon union of inge- 
nious fubtility with dignity and profound 
erudition.” And St. Marthe declares, 
that the pieces which he wrote in the vi- 
gour of his faculties poflefs the true po- 
etical enthufiafm ; that no one ever had a 
happier genius for lyrical compofition ; 
and that he is juftly entitled to fhare in 
the glory which the odes of Pindar and 
Horace have conferred upon them.” 
NICHOLAS STONE AND BERNINI. 
Lord Orford, in the Anecdotes of Paint- 
ing, takes but little notice of the younger 
Nicholas Stone, who, while abroad, ac- 
cording to the noble writer’s own confe!- 
fion, medelied after the antique fo well, 
that his works have been frequently mif- 
taken for the beft Italian mafters. He 
went to Italy in 1638, and was four years 
abfent from his native couniry.. The 
journal of his travels is preferved in the 
Mufeum among the MSS. gathered by 
Lord Oxford, (MS. Harl. 4049) and, 
amongit other matters very interefling no 
doubt to amateurs, is a particular account 
of his introduétion to Bernini at Rome. 
A long converfation it deems paffed be- 
tween then, concerning the celebrated 
buft of the unhappy Charles, which Ber- 
nini had made froma picture, at the Pope’s 
requeft. Stone gave confiderable com- 
mendation to the likenefs, and Bernini 
could not but exprefs his aftonifiment at 
the great refemblance every one feemed 
sto dilcern in it, §* He faid that divers had 
4 
From the.Port-folio of a Man of Letters. 555 
told him fo much, but he could not he- 
lieve .it.”’ The converfation contains 
other anecdotes of Bernini’s art, related 
by himfelf; he appears to have been par- 
ticulariy anxious that the buft fhould be 
preferved, and exprefied a great unwil- 
lingne{s to model a, buft from any other 
picture, being perhaps fearful of Jofing 
that credit by a fecond | performance 
which the firft had fo happily gained him. 
The particulars of Stone’s expences du- 
ring his travels, with the prices for which 
he purchafed various antiques and calls, 
are Curious and interefting. 
ORIGINAL’ LETTERS. 
Dr. Plot to Dr. Arthur Chariet, Maffer of 
Univerfity College, Oxford, dated Bor- 
den, near Sittingbourne in Kent, Fuly 45 
1695.6 
GOOD MASTER, 
O 1 call you, for that I hope your. 
\) goocnels will pardon me for this long 
fiience: all I have to fay in my excufe is, 
that I have now left London, and have 
got up my ftaff here, where I think to 
inake hands with the, world, and trouble 
itno more with natural hiftories or any 
thing elfe. I have here a little cottage, 
with a little land belonging to it, which £ 
hope T may be able to manage myfelf, and 
get enough out of it to feed my little fa- 
mily, which was the condition of Aglaus 
Pautidius, whom, as Pliny tells us, ‘the 
oracles pronounced the happiett man in 
Greece. But my happinefs will nct begin 
till about Michaelmas next; for, as tne 
bearer can tell you, I have put my fingers 
into the mortar, whence I fear IT fhall not 
be able to retrieve them, till toward that 
time, which has been another occafion of 
this long filence. 
Tam heartily forry I could not poffibly 
ferve you in the affair of the hofpital with 
Mr. O. W. (Obadiah Walker) ; but fince 
the deputy I appointed has executed your 
commuiffion fo well, I am the better fatis- 
fied, and I hope you are fo too. Dear 
matter, let not my filence, or ncn-execution 
of your trult mylelf, alienate your affec- 
tions from me, but let me hear from you 
again as ufualiy, and it will be a great fa- 
tista€tion to, Sir, 
Your very affectionate friend 
And humble fervant, 
Ros. PLot. 
Original Letter from Dr. Grabe, une 
edited the Scptuagint, ta the Barl of Ox- 
Sord. 
MY LORD, 
I find my conflitation, by the continual 
Jabours which I have undergone thefe 
fourteen 
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