GARTH, Sit' SAMUEL, an English poet and physician, was descended of a good family in Yorkshire, and received his academical education at Peterhouse College, Cam bridge, where he took his degree of Doctor of Medicine on the 7th July 1691.
On the 26th June 1692, he was admitted a fellow of the College of Physicians ; and in 1694, he published his Dis pensary, a mock heroic poem, in which he ridiculed the company of apothecaries, and sonic of the members of the College of Physicians, who bad opposed the establishment ola dispensary for supplying the poor with medicines and gratuitous advice. The Dispensary," which is an obvi ous imitation of Boileau's Lutrin, went through three edi tions, and, after recei ring successive improvements from the hands of the author, it has enrolled his name in the second class of British poets. In 1697, Garth pronounced the Harveian oration before the College of Physicians. It was immediately published, and was regarded as a good speci men of citatory. Dr Garth pronounced a Latin eloge over
the remains of Dryden. He addressed some complimen tary verses to Lord Godolphin, on his dismissal in 1710. He lamented, in a complimentary poem, the exile of the Duke of Marlborough ; and in 1711 he displayed his at tachment to the family of Hanover, by the dedication of an intended edition of Lucretius to the Elector, afterwards George I. The gratitude of this prince was shewn upon his accession to the throne, by conferring the honour of knighthood upon Garth, which was done by the sword of the Duke of Marlborough. Soon afterwards lie was appoint ed physician in ordinary to the king, and physician-general to the army ; but he did not long enjoy these distinguished honours. After a short illness, he died in January 1719, and was interred at Harrow in Middlesex, on the 22d of that month.