of his life, and the fortune which he left behind him, which, though large, had been yet larger, had he not rafhly and wantonly impaired it by innumerable projects, of which I know not that ever one fucceeded.

"The Gentleman's Magazine," which has now fubfifted fifty years, and ftill continues to enjoy the favour of the world *, is one of the most fuccessful and lucrative pamphlets which literary history has upon record, and therefore deferves, in this narrative, particular notice.

Mr. Cave, when he formed the project, was far from expecting the fuccefs which he found; and others had fo little profpect of its consequence, that though he had for feveral years talked of his plan among printers and bookfellers, none of them thought it worth the trial. That they were not restrained by virtue from the execution of another man's defign, was fufficiently apparent as foon as that defign began to be gainful; for in a few years a multitude of magazines arofe and perifhed; only the London Magazine, fupported by a powerful affociation of bookfellers, and circulated with all the art and all the cunning of trade, exempted itself from the general fate of Cave's invaders, and obtained, though not an equal, yet a confiderable fale t.

Cave now began to aspire to popularity; and being a greater lover of poetry than any other art, he fometimes offered fubjects for poems, and propofed prizes for the best performers. The first prize was 50l. for which, being but newly acquainted with

* This was faid in the beginning of the year 1781; and may be now repeated.

†The London Magazine ceased to exist in 1785. P 4

wealth,

wealth, and thinking the influence of 50l. extremely
great, he expected the firft authors of the kingdom to
appear as competitors; and offered the allotment of
the prize to the universities, But when the time
came, no name was feen among the writers that had
ever been feen before; the univerfities and several
private men rejected the province of affigning the
prize *. At all this Mr. Cave wondered for a while;
but his natural judgment, and a wider acquaintance
with the world, foon cured him of his astonishment,
as of
many other prejudices and errors,
Nor have
many men been seen raised by accident or industry to
fudden riches, that retained lefs of the meannefs of
their former ftate.

He continued to improve his Magazine, and had the fatisfaction of feeing its fuccefs proportionate to his diligence, till in 1751, his wife died of an asthma, He seemed not at first much affected by her death, but in a few days loft his fleep and his appetite, which he never recovered; but after having lingered about two years, with many viciffitudes of amendment and relapse, fell by drinking acid liquors into a diarrhoea, and afterwards into a kind of lethargick infenfibility, in which one of the last acts of reafon which he exerted was fondly to prefs the hand that is now writing this little narrative. He died on the 10th of January 1754, having juft concluded the twenty-third annual collection t.

He

*The determination was left to Dr. Cromwell Mortimer and Dr. Birch, and by the latter the award was made, which may be feen in the Gent. Mag. vol. vi. p. 59.

+ Mr. Cave was buried in the church of St. James, Clerkenwell, without an epitaph; but the following infcription at Rugby,

from

young,

He was a man of a large ftature, not only tall but bulky, and was, when of remarkable ftrength and activity. He was generally healthful, and capable of much labour and long application; but in the latter years of his life was afflicted with the gout, which he endeavoured to cure or alleviate by a total abstinence both from ftrong liquors and animal food. From animal food he abstained about four years, and

from

from the

pen of Dr. Hawkefworth, is here tranfcribed from the Anecdotes of Mr. Bowyer," p. 88.

Near this place lies

The body of

JOSEPH CAVE,
Late of this parish;

Who departed this Life, Nov. 18, 1747,
Aged 79 years.

He was placed by Providence in a humble ftation;
But

Industry abundantly fupplied the wants of Nature,
And

Temperance bleft him with

Content and Wealth.

As he was an affectionate Father,
He was made happy in the decline of life
By the deserved eminence of his eldest Son
EDWARD CAVE;

Who without intereft, fortune, or connection,
By the native force of his own genius,
Affifted only by a claffical education,
Which he received at the Grammar-school
Of this Town,

Planned, executed, and established

A literary work, called

THE

GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE,

Whereby

from strong liquors much longer; but the gout continued unconquered, perhaps unabated.

His refolution and perfeverance were very uncommon; in whatever he undertook, neither expence nor fatigue were able to repress him: but his conftancy was calm, and to those who did not know him appeared faint and languid; but he always went forward, though he moved flowly.

The fame chilnefs of mind was obfervable in his converfation: he was watching the minutest accent of those whom he disgusted by feeming inattention; and his vifitant was furprized when he came a fecond time, by preparations to execute the scheme which he fuppofed never to have been heard.

He

Whereby he acquired an ample fortune,
The whole of which devolved to his family.
Here alfo lies

The body of WILLIAM CAVE,
Second Son of the faid JOSEPH CAVE,
Who died May 2, 1757, aged 62 years;
And who having furvived his elder brother
EDWARD CAVE,

Inherited from him a competent efstate;
And, in gratitude to his benefactor,
Ordered this monument to perpetuate his memory.
He liv'd a patriarch in his numerous race,
And fhew'd in charity a Christian's
's grace:
Whate'er a friend or parent feels, he knew ;
His hand was open, and his heart was true;
In what he gain'd and gave, he taught mankind,
A grateful always is a generous mind.
Here reft his clay! his foul must ever reft,
Who blefs'd when living, dying must be bleft.

He was, confiftently with this general tranquillity of mind, a tenacious maintainer, though not a clamorous demander of his right. In his youth having fummoned his fellow journeymen to concert measures against the oppreffion of their masters, he mounted a kind of roftrum, and harangued them fo efficaciously, that they determined to refift all future invafions; and when the stamp offices demanded to stamp the last half sheet of the Magazines, Mr. Cave alone defeated their claim, to which the proprietors of the rival Magazines would meanly have submitted.

He was a friend rather eafy and constant, than zealous and active; yet many instances might be given, where both his money and his diligence were employed liberally for others. His enmity was in like manner cool and deliberate; but though cool, it was not infidious, and though deliberate, not pertinacious.

His mental faculties were flow. He faw little at a time, but that little he faw with great exactness. He was long in finding the right, but feldom failed to find it at laft. His affections were not eafily gained, and his opinions not quickly discovered. His reserve, as it might hide his faults, concealed his virtues but fuch he was, as they who beft knew him haye most lamented,