1689, the accidental perusal of some Latin verses gained him the
patronage of Dr. Lancaster, afterwards Provost of Queen's College;
by whose recommendation he was elected into Magdalen College as a
demy, a term by which that society denominates those who are
elsewhere called scholars: young men who partake of the founder's
benefaction, and succeed in their order to vacant fellowships. Here
he continued to cultivate poetry and criticism, and grew first
eminent by his Latin compositions, which are indeed entitled to
particular praise. He has not confined himself to the imitation of
any ancient author, but has formed his style from the general
language, such as a diligent perusal of the productions of different
ages happened to supply. His Latin compositions seem to have had
much of his fondness, for he collected a second volume of the "Musae
Anglicanae" perhaps for a convenient receptacle, in which all his
Latin pieces are inserted, and where his poem on the Peace has the
first place. He afterwards presented the collection to Boileau, who
from that time "conceived," says Tickell, "an opinion of the English
genius for poetry." Nothing is better known of Boileau than that he
had an injudicious and peevish contempt of modern Latin, and
therefore his profession of regard was probably the effect of his
civility rather than approbation.

Three of his Latin poems are upon subjects on which perhaps he would
not have ventured to have written in his own language: "The Battle
of the Pigmies and Cranes," "The Barometer," and "A Bowling-green."
When the matter is low or scanty, a dead language, in which nothing
is mean because nothing is familiar, affords great conveniences; and
by the sonorous magnificence of Roman syllables, the writer conceals
penury of thought, and want of novelty, often from the reader and
often from himself.