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PRINTED FOR BENJAMIN JOHNSON, JACOE

JOHNSON, & ROBERT JOHNSON,

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THE

LIFE OF DR. EDWARD YOUNG.

THE pen of biography cannot be better employed, than in the service of an author, who displayed emi nent genius and abilities in the cause of virtue and religion. Such was Dr. Young, the subject of these Memoirs.

His father, whose name was also Edward Young, was Fellow of Winchester College, Rector of Upham in Hampshire, and, in the latter part of his life, Dean of Sarum; chaplain to William and Mary, and after wards to queen Ann. Jacob tells us that the latter, when Princess Royal, did him the honour to stand godmother to our poet; and that, upon her ascending the throne, he was appointed Clerk of the Closet to her Majesty.

It does not appear that this gentleman distinguish ed himself in the Republic of Letters, otherwise than

by a Latin Visitation Sermon, preached in 1686, and by two volumes of Sermons, printed in 1702, and which he dedicated to Lord Bradford, through whose interest he probably received some of his promotions. The Dean died at Sarum in 1705, aged 63; after a very short illness, as appears by the exordium of Bishop Burnet's sermon at the Cathredal on the following Sunday." Death (said he) has been of late walk"ing round us, and making breach upon breach up"on us, and has now carried away the head of this "body with a stroke; so that he, whom you saw ɑ "week ago distributing the holy mysteries, is now "laid in the dust. But he still lives in the many ex"cellent directions he has left us, both how to live " and how to die."

Our author, who was an only son, was born at his father's rectory, in 1681, and received the first part of his education (as his father had formerly done) at Winchester College; from whence, in his 19th year, he was placed on the foundation of New College, Oxford; whence again, on the death of the Warden in the same year, he was removed to Corpus Christi.

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