ROWE

ROWE, NICHOLAS, was descended of an ancient family in Devonshire, and born in 1673. He acquired a complete taste for the classical authors under Dr Busby in Westminster school; but poetry was his early and darling study. His father, who was a lawyer, entered him a student in the Middle Temple, and he made remarkable advances in the study of the law; but the love of the belles lettres, and of poetry, stopped him in his career. His first tragedy, the Ambitious Step-mother, meeting with universal applause, he laid aside all thoughts of rising by the law, and afterwards composed several tragedies; but that which he valued himself most upon was his Tamerlane. The others were, the Fair Penitent, Ulysses, the Royal Convert, Jane Shore, and Lady Jane Grey. He also wrote a poem called the Biter, and several poems upon different subjects, which have been published under the title of Miscellaneous Works, in one volume, as his dramatic works have been in two. Rowe is chiefly to be considered in the light of a tragic writer and a translator. In his attempt at comedy, he failed so ignominiously that his Biter is not inserted in his works; and his occasional poems and short-compositions are rarely worthy either of praise or censure, for they seem to be the casual sports of a mind seeking rather to amuse its leisure than to exercise its powers. In the construction of his dramas there is not much art; and he is not a nice observer of the unities. I know not, says Dr Johnson, that there can be found in his plays any deep search into nature, any accurate discrimination of kindred qualities, or nice display of passion in its progress. All is general and undefined. Nor does he much interest or affect the auditor, except in Jane Shore, who is always seen and heard with pity. Alicia is a character of empty noise, with no resemblance to real sorrow or to natural madness. Whence then has Rowe acquired his reputation? From the reasonableness and propriety of some of his scenes, from the elegance of his diction, and from the suavity of his verse. He seldom moves either pity or terror, but he often elevates the sentiment; he seldom pierces the breast, but he always delights the ear, and often improves the understanding. Being a great admirer of Shakespeare, he gave the public an edition of his plays, to which he prefixed an account of his life. But the most considerable of Mr Rowe's performances was a translation of Lucan's Pharsalia, which he just lived to finish, but not to publish; for it did not appear in print till 1728, ten years after his death.

In the meanwhile, the love of poetry and books did not make him unfit for business; for nobody applied closer to it when occasion required. The Duke of Queensberry, when secretary of state, made him secretary for public affairs. But after the duke's death, all avenues to his preferment were stopped; and during the remainder of Queen Anne's reign he passed his time with the Muses and his books. On the accession of George I., however, he was made poet-laureate, and one of the land-surveyors of the customs in the port of London. The Prince of Wales conferred on him the clerkship of his council; and the Lord Chancellor Parker made him his secretary for the presentations. But he did not enjoy these promotions long; for he died on the 6th of December 1718, being then in his forty-fifth year.

Mr Rowe, who was twice married, had a son by his first wife, and a daughter by his second. He was a very hand-

some man; and his mind was as amiable as his person. He lived beloved; and at his death he had the honour to be lamented by Pope, in an epitaph which is printed in Pope's works, although it was not affixed on Mr Rowe's monument in Westminster Abbey, where he was interred, in the poets' corner, opposite to Chaucer.