not a little in the way of that preferment after which his whole
life seems to have panted. Though he took orders, he never entirely
shook off politics. He was always the lion of his master Milton,
"pawing to get free his hinder parts." By this conduct, if he
gained some friends, he made many enemies. Again: Young was a
poet; and again, with reverence be it spoken, poets by profession do
not always make the best clergymen. If the author of the "Night
Thoughts" composed many sermons, he did not oblige the public with
many. Besides, in the latter part of his life, Young was fond of
holding himself out for a man retired from the world. But he seemed
to have forgotten that the same verse which contains "oblitus
meorum," contains also "obliviscendus et illis." The brittle chain
of worldly friendship and patronage is broken as effectually, when
one goes beyond the length of it, as when the other does. To the
vessel which is sailing from the shore, it only appears that the
shore also recedes; in life it is truly thus. He who retires from
the world will find himself, in reality, deserted as fast, if not
faster, by the world. The public is not to be treated as the
coxcomb treats his mistress; to be threatened with desertion, in
order to increase fondness.

Young seems to have been taken at his word. Notwithstanding his
frequent complaints of being neglected, no hand was reached out to
pull him from that retirement of which he declared himself
enamoured. Alexander assigned no palace for the residence of
Diogenes, who boasted his surly satisfaction with his tub. Of the
domestic manners and petty habits of the author of the "Night
Thoughts," I hoped to have given you an account from the best
authority; but who shall dare to say, To-morrow I will be wise or
virtuous, or to-morrow I will do a particular thing? Upon inquiring