Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

pears afterwards to have changed his mind, for in the verses on the government of Cromwell he inferts them liberally with great happiness.

After fo much criticifm on his Poems, the Effays which accompany them muft not be forgotten. What is faid by Sprat of his converfation, that no man could draw from it any fufpicion of his excellence in poetry, may be applied to these compofitions. No author ever kept his verfe and his profe at a greater diftance from each other. His thoughts are natural, and his style has a smooth and placid equability, which has never yet obtained its due commendation. Nothing is far-fought, or hard-laboured; but all is eafy without feebleness, and familiar without grofsnefs.

It has been obferved by Felton, in his Effay on the Clafficks, that Cowley was beloved by eyery Muse that he courted; and that he has rivaled the Ancients in every kind of poetry but tragedy.

It may be affirmed, without any encomiaftick fervour, that he brought to his poetick labours a mind replete with learning, and that his pages are embellished with all the ornaments which books could fupply; that he was the first who imparted to English numbers the enthusiasm of the greater ode, and the gaiety of the lefs; that he was equally qualified for fpritely fallies, and for lofty flights; that he was among those who freed translation from fervility, and, instead of following his author at a distance, walked by his fide; and that if he left verfification yet improvable, he left likewife from time to time fuch fpecimens of excellence as enabled fucceeding poets tą improve it.

DENHAM.

[ocr errors][merged small]
[ocr errors]

M.

F Sir JOHN DENHAM very little is known but what is related of him by Wood, or by himself.

He was born at Dublin in 1615; the only fon of Sir John Denham, of Little Horfely in Effex, then chief baron of the Exchequer in Ireland *, and of Eleanor, daughter of Sir Garret More baron of Mellefont.

Two years afterwards, his father, being made one of the barons of the Exchequer in England, brought him away from his native country, and educated him in London.

"

In 1631 he was fent to Oxford, where he was confidered as a dreaming young man, given more to dice "and cards than ftudy;" and therefore gave no prognofticks of his future eminence; nor was fufpected to conceal, under fluggishness and laxity, a genius born to improve the literature of his country.

*In Dugdale's Orig, Jur. the name of John Denham occurs, a puifne Baron of the Exchequer at Westminster, constituted 15 Jac. A, D. 1617, before which time, as Wood relates, he had been promoted to the office of Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer. There are fundry of his arguments in "Coke's Reports."

F 4

When

4

When he was, three years afterwards, removed to Lincoln's Inn, he profecuted the common law with fufficient appearance of application; yet did not lofe his propensity to cards and dice; but was very often plundered by gamefters.

Being feverely reproved for this folly, he profeffed, and perhaps believed, himself reclaimed; and to testify the fincerity of his repentance, wrote and published "An "Effay upon Gaming."

He feems to have divided his ftudies between law and poetry; for, in 1636, he tranflated the fecond book of the Æneid.

Two years after, his father died; and then, notwithstanding his refolutions and profeffions, he returned again to the vice of gaming, and loft feveral thousand pounds that had been left him.

In 1631, he published "The Sophy." This feems to have given him his first hold of the publick attention; for Waller remarked, "that he broke out like the "Irish rebellion threefcore thousand strong when no

66

body was aware, or in the leaft fufpected it:" an obfervation which could have had no propriety, had his poetical abilities been known before.

He was after that pricked for fheriff of Surrey, and made governor of Farnham Castle for the king; but he foon refigned that charge, and retreated to Oxford, where, in 1643, he publifhed "Cooper's "Hill,"

This poem had fuch reputation as to excite the common artifice by which envy degrades excellence. A report was spread, that the performance was not his own, but that he had bought it of a vicar for forty pounds.

The

The fame attempt was made to rob Addison of his
Cato, and pope of his Effay on Criticism *.

In 1647, the diftreffes of the royal family required 12 him to engage in more dangerous employments. He was entrusted by the queen with a meffage to the king; and, by whatever means, fo far foftened the ferocity of Hugh Peters, that by his interceffion, admiffion was procured.. Of the king's condefcenfion he has given an account in the dedication of his works.

He was afterwards employed in carrying on the king's correfpondence; and, as he fays, difcharged this office with great fafety to the royalifts: and being accidentally difcovered by the adverfe party's knowledge of Mr. Cowley's hand, he escaped happily both for himself and his friends.

He was yet engaged in a greater undertaking. In April 1648, he conveyed James the duke of York from London into France, and delivered him there to the Queen and prince of Wales. This year he published his tranflation of "Cato Major."

He now refided in France, as one of the followers of the exiled king; and, to divert the melancholy of their condition, was fometimes enjoined by his master to write occafional verfes; one of which amusements was probably his ode or fong upon the Embaffy to Poland, by which he and lord Crofts procured a contribution of ten thousand pounds from the Scotch, that wandered over that kingdom. Poland was at that time very much frequented by itinerant traders, who, in a country of very little commerce and of great extent, where every man refided on his own eftate, contributed very much to the accommoda

* And Swift of his "Tale of a Tub."

tion of life, by bringing to every man's houfe thofe little neceffaries which it was very inconvenient to want, and very troublesome to fetch. I have formerly read, without much reflection, of the multitude of Scotchmen that travelled with their wares in Poland; and that their numbers were not small, the fuccefs of this negotiation gives fufficient evidence.

About this time, what eftate the war and the gamefters had left him was fold, by order of the parliament; and when, in 1652, he returned to England, he was entertained by the earl of Pembroke.

Of the next years of his life there is no account. At the Restoration he obtained, that which many miffed, the reward of his loyalty; being made furveyor of the king's buildings, and dignified with the order of the Bath. He feems now to have learned fome attention to money; for Wood fays, that he got by his place feven thousand pounds.

After the Restoration he wrote the poem on Prudence and Juftice, and perhaps fome of his other pieces and as he appears, whenever any ferious queftion comes before him, to have been a man of piety, he confecrated his poetical powers to religion, and made a metrical verfion of the pfalms of David. In this attempt he has failed; but, in facred poetry who has fucceeded?

It might be hoped that the favour of his mafter and efteem of the publick would now make him happy. But human felicity is fhort and uncertain; a fecond

* In the room of Inigo Jones. It does not appear that he had any kill in architecture, but rather, that he was affifted in his office by Dr. (afterwards Sir Chriftopher) Wren, who fucceeded him in it. Biogr. Brit. Art. WREN.

marriage

« VorigeDoorgaan »