Humanani studium generis cui pectore fervet
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e cannot certainly infer, from this, an intimacy with Savage, but it ismore probable, that these lines flowed from a feeling of privatefriendship, than mere admiration of an author, in a public point ofview; and they, at any rate, give credibility to the general opinion,that, under the name of Thales, the poet referred to the author of theWanderer, who was, at this time, preparing for his retreat to Wales,whither he actually went in the ensuing year. The names of Lydiat, Vane, and Sedley, which are brought forward in thepoem on the Vanity of Human Wishes, as examples of inefficiency ofeither learning or beauty, to shield their possessors from distress,have exercised inquiry. The following is the best account of them we cancollect: THOMAS LYDIAT was born in 1572. After passing through the studies of theuniversity of Oxford, with applause, he was elected fellow of Newcollege; but his defective utterance induced him to resign hisfellowship, in order to avoid entering holy orders, and to live upon asmall patrimony. He was highly esteemed by the accomplished andunfortunate prince Henry, son of James the first. But his hopes ofprovision in that quarter were blasted by that prince's premature death;and he then accompanied the celebrated Usher into Ireland. After two orthree years, he returned to England, and poverty induced him now toaccept the rectory of Okerton, near Banbury, which he had beforedeclined. Here he imprudently became security for the debts of arelation, and, being unable to pay, was imprisoned for several years. Hewas released, at last, by his patron, Usher, sir W. Boswell, Dr. Pink,then warden of New college, and archbishop Laud, to whom he showed hisgratitude by writing in defence of his measures of church-government. Henow applied to Charles the first for his protection and encouragement totravel into the east, to collect MSS. but the embarrassed state of theking's affairs prevented his petition from receiving attention. Lastly,his well-known attachment to the royal cause drew upon him the repeatedviolence of the parliament troops, who plundered, imprisoned, and abusedhim, in the most cruel manner. He died in obscurity and indigence, in1646. A stone was laid over his grave in Okerton church, in 1669, by thesociety of New college, who also erected an honorary monument to hismemory in the cloisters of their college. We have dwelt thus long onLydiat's name, because, when this poem was published, it was a subjectof inquiry, who Lydiat was, though some of his contemporaries, both inEngland and on the continent, ranked him with lord Bacon, inmathematical and physical knowledge. For a more detailed account, seeChalmers' Biographical Dictionary, vol. xxi. whence the above facts havebeen extracted, and Gentleman's Magazine, vol. lxviii. GALILEO, and hishistory, are too well known to require a note in this place. The VANE, who told, "what ills from beauty spring," was not Lady Vane,the subject of Smollett's memoirs, in Peregrine Pickle, but, accordingto Mr. Malone, she was Anne Vane, mistress to Frederick prince of Wales,and died in 1736, not long before Johnson settled in London. Someaccount of her was published, under the title of the Secret History ofVanella, 8vo. 1732, and in other similar works, referred to in Boswell,i. 173. In Mr. Boswell's Tour to the Hebrides, we find lord Hailesobjecting to the instances of unfortunate beauties selected by Johnson,and suggesting, in place of Vane and Sedley, the names of Shore andValière. CATHERINE SEDLEY was daughter of sir Charles Sedley, mistress of kingJames the second, who created her countess of Dorchester. She was awoman of a sprightly and agreeable wit, which could charm without theaid of beauty, and longer maintain its power. She had been the king'smistress before he ascended the throne, and soon after (January 2,1685-6) was created countess of Dorchester. Sir C. Sedley, her father,looked on this title, as a splendid indignity, purchased at the expense ofhis daughter's honour; and when he was very active against the king, aboutthe time of the revolution, he said, that, in gratitude, he should dohis utmost to make his majesty's daughter a queen, as the king had madehis own a countess. The king continued to visit her, which gave greatuneasiness to the queen, who employed her friends, particularly thepriests, to persuade him to break off the correspondence. Theyremonstrated with him on the guilt of the commerce, and the reproach itwould bring on the catholic religion; she, on the contrary, employed thewhole force of her ridicule against the priests and their counsels.They, at length, prevailed, and he is said to have sent her word toretire to France, or that her pension of 4,000_l_. a year should bewithdrawn. She then, probably, repented of having been the royalmistress, and "cursed the form that pleased the king." See Manning and Bray's Surrey, ii. 788. where the countess's issue isalso given. See, also, Christian's note on Blackstone's Com. iv. p. 65.It is remarkable, that when Johnson was asked, at a late period of hislife, to whom he had alluded, under the name of Sedley, he said, that hehad quite forgotten. See note on Idler, No. 36.--ED. LONDON; A POEM:
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