Ludovici Areofti humantur offa Sub hoc marmore, vel fub hac humo, feu Nam fcire haud potuit futura, fed nec Ut utnam cuperet parare vivens, Quæ infcribi voluit fuo fepulchro Surely even the writer of these lines did not venture to expect that he fhould have ever had fuch an illustrious imitator. PITT. PI I T T. C HRISTOPHER PITT, of whom whatever I fhall relate, more than has been already published, I owe to the kind communication of Dr. Warton, was born in 1699 at Blandford, the son of a phyfician much efteemed. He was, in 1714, received as a scholar into Winchester College, where he was distinguished by exercises of uncommon elegance; and, at his removal to New College in 1719, prefented to the electors, as the product of his private and voluntary studies, a compleat verfion of Lucan's poem, which he did not then know to have been tranflated by Rowe. This is an inftance of early diligence which well deferves to be recorded. The fuppreffion of fuch a work, recommended by fuchuncommon circumstances, is to be regretted. It is indeed culpable, to load libraries with fuperfluous books; but incitements to early excellence are never fuperfluous, and from this example the danger is not great of many imitations. When he had refided at his College three years, he was prefented to the rectory of Pimpern in Dorsetshire (1722), by his rela tion, Mr. Pitt of Stratfeildfea in Hampshire; and, refigning his fellowship, continued at Oxford two years donger, till he became Mafter of Arts (1724). He probably about this time translated Vida's Art of Poetry, which Triftram's ele gant edition had then made popular. In this tranflation he diftinguished himself, both by its general elegance, and by the fkilful adaptation of his numbers, to the images expreffed; a beauty which Vida has with great ardour enforced and exemplified. |