Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Scientific Magazine, And Freemasons' Repository,
the learning of a scholar , the invention of a poet , and the wisdom of a p hilosopher . In the literary world the Author soon became universall y known and admired , and Avas the intimate friend of the greatest men , in the various departments of genius , from the actor to the sage—from Garrick to Johnson . The latter , who stood among the ingenious and wise of his OAvn countrymenlike 'Saul among the le'
pro-, peop , nounces the Hibernian ' the greatest man living . ' Indeed , among many , eminent for literary merit , the three kingdoms , at that time , afforded each a man greatly above the rest : —Johnson , Burke , andHume . Mr . Burke notv became member of a literary club which met at the Turk ' s Head , Gerrard-street , and consisted of the following members—Dr . JohnsonMr . BurkeDr . GoldsmithSir Joshua Reynolds
, , , , Mr . Cumberland , Mr . Richard Burke ( brother to Edmund ) , Mr . Garrick , Dr . Barnard , ( bishop , first , ofKillaloe , IIOAV of Limerick , in Ireland ) , Mr . William Burke ( cousin to Edmund ) , and Mr . Hickey , ( an attorney ) . This society Avas , in the talents and learning of its members , not inferior to the famed Scriblerus club of the preceding age . Two of the number stand higher than even Pope or Swift . The
greatest admirers of the Avit , humour ,. and genius of these two extraordinary men will hardly consider them as equal either'in capacity or fulness to Johnson , —in force , versatility , expansion , richness , and invention , to Burke . However much the world is indebted to the separate efforts of these wonderful menand also to the exertions of Goldsmith and other
, eminent literati of the Gerrard-street club , it does not appear that , like the chief members of the Scriblerus , they employed their literary labours in any joint work . Indeed this is not difficult to account for : Johnson and Burke Avere as different from each other in the
species of their excellence , and direction of their talents , as they were superior to most men in the degree of their mental powers . Swift and Pope were very similar in the species of their excellence and the direction of their genius . But though the members of ( lie Turk ' s Head did not unite their talents in the production of any literary work . Such men must have derived very great advantage from mutual intercoursecommunication of observationsand the result of separate
, , experience , closely examined and ably discussed . Though they did not join their talents in one Avork , they exerted them severally in the club , by speaking or writing on subjects of literature . In the course of their exercises , a challenge ' was given by the chairman of the club to produce an exact imitation of the style of Bolingbroke . Mr . Burke accordingly wrote a ' pamphlet infilled <¦ A Vindication of NMnral
Society . ' This essay was a successful deception , and passed Avith literary men asa-postlmmous work of the splendid St . John . Imitation of Bolingbroke , certainly was not such a specimen of either the fertility of Burke's invention , or the force of his reasoning , as he could ' exhibit ; but was an instance of that versatility which has since become so distinguished a characteristic of his genius .
The members of the Turk ' s Head , like those of the Scribleru * : club , very frequently unbent themselves by li ght amusements and frolics . Dr . Bisset , in lus - Lives of the Writers of the Spectator , ' vol . i . p . iS .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Scientific Magazine, And Freemasons' Repository,
the learning of a scholar , the invention of a poet , and the wisdom of a p hilosopher . In the literary world the Author soon became universall y known and admired , and Avas the intimate friend of the greatest men , in the various departments of genius , from the actor to the sage—from Garrick to Johnson . The latter , who stood among the ingenious and wise of his OAvn countrymenlike 'Saul among the le'
pro-, peop , nounces the Hibernian ' the greatest man living . ' Indeed , among many , eminent for literary merit , the three kingdoms , at that time , afforded each a man greatly above the rest : —Johnson , Burke , andHume . Mr . Burke notv became member of a literary club which met at the Turk ' s Head , Gerrard-street , and consisted of the following members—Dr . JohnsonMr . BurkeDr . GoldsmithSir Joshua Reynolds
, , , , Mr . Cumberland , Mr . Richard Burke ( brother to Edmund ) , Mr . Garrick , Dr . Barnard , ( bishop , first , ofKillaloe , IIOAV of Limerick , in Ireland ) , Mr . William Burke ( cousin to Edmund ) , and Mr . Hickey , ( an attorney ) . This society Avas , in the talents and learning of its members , not inferior to the famed Scriblerus club of the preceding age . Two of the number stand higher than even Pope or Swift . The
greatest admirers of the Avit , humour ,. and genius of these two extraordinary men will hardly consider them as equal either'in capacity or fulness to Johnson , —in force , versatility , expansion , richness , and invention , to Burke . However much the world is indebted to the separate efforts of these wonderful menand also to the exertions of Goldsmith and other
, eminent literati of the Gerrard-street club , it does not appear that , like the chief members of the Scriblerus , they employed their literary labours in any joint work . Indeed this is not difficult to account for : Johnson and Burke Avere as different from each other in the
species of their excellence , and direction of their talents , as they were superior to most men in the degree of their mental powers . Swift and Pope were very similar in the species of their excellence and the direction of their genius . But though the members of ( lie Turk ' s Head did not unite their talents in the production of any literary work . Such men must have derived very great advantage from mutual intercoursecommunication of observationsand the result of separate
, , experience , closely examined and ably discussed . Though they did not join their talents in one Avork , they exerted them severally in the club , by speaking or writing on subjects of literature . In the course of their exercises , a challenge ' was given by the chairman of the club to produce an exact imitation of the style of Bolingbroke . Mr . Burke accordingly wrote a ' pamphlet infilled <¦ A Vindication of NMnral
Society . ' This essay was a successful deception , and passed Avith literary men asa-postlmmous work of the splendid St . John . Imitation of Bolingbroke , certainly was not such a specimen of either the fertility of Burke's invention , or the force of his reasoning , as he could ' exhibit ; but was an instance of that versatility which has since become so distinguished a characteristic of his genius .
The members of the Turk ' s Head , like those of the Scribleru * : club , very frequently unbent themselves by li ght amusements and frolics . Dr . Bisset , in lus - Lives of the Writers of the Spectator , ' vol . i . p . iS .