that time, I was very fufficiently tired, but yet had much ado to fleep, by reason of the Noise still founding in my Ears; which remained fo, for fome Hours, juft as if the shooting had ftill continued. I obferved alfo two Things, which I dare affirm, tho' not generally believ'd. One was, that the wind of a Cannon Bullet, tho' flying never fo near, is incapable of doing the least harm; and indeed, were it otherwife, no Man above Deck would efcape. The other was, that a great Shot may be fometimes avoided even as it flies, by changing one's Ground a little; for, when the wind fometimes blew away the Smoak, it was fo clear a Sun-fhiny Day, that we could easily perceive the Bullets that were half spent, fall in the Water, and from thence bound up again among us; which gives fufficient time for making a Step or two on any Side; tho', in fo fwift a Motion 'tis hard to judge well in what Line the Bullet comes which, if mistaken, may by removing cost a Man his Life, instead of saving it.

As foon as I came to London (whither I made all the haste imaginable for Reasons not hard to guess) I found by my Reception every where, that my Lord Offory's kind and partial Letters had arrived there before me; for the King made me fome particular Compliments, and offered me the choice of Commanding the Henry, or the Royal Katherine; the Captain of the firft having been killed, and the other taken Prisoner. I chofe the Katherine; and, fince I have been fo fond of a Troop of Horfe, 'tis no wonder I was now extreamly pleased with theCommand of a Royal Ship, better in all Refpects than my Lord Offory's, and of a Rate above what I could have pretended to; for even he who was so much more confiderable on all Accounts, had only a Third Rate Ship granted him at firft, whereas the Katherine was then the best of all the Second Rates.

By

By this it will be seen, that his Grace rose by his Merit and Services to that Pitch of Greatness he arriv'd at, and to that Reputation of Wit and Criticifm he acquir'd by the Strength of his Genius, Improvement of fine Natural Parts, and ftrong Application to Literature. He was particularly famous for Politicks and Poetry. As to the latter, the Earl of Rofcommon says, in his Essay on Tranflated Verfe:

Happy that Author whofe correct * Effay
Repairs fo well the old Horatian Way.

Dryden's Abfalom and Achitophel.

Sharp judging Adriel the Mufe's Friend,
Himself a Mufe, in Sanhedrim's Debate
True to his Prince, but not a Slave of State.

Dryden's Verfes to Lord Rofcommon.

How will sweet Ovid's Ghost be pleas'd to hear His Fame augmented by an English Peer? How he embellifhes his Helen's Loves, Outdoes his Softnefs and his Senfe improves.

Dryden's Preface to Virgil's Eneis.

Your Effay of Poetry, which was publish'd without a Name, and of which I was not honour'd with the Confidence, I read over and over with much Delight, and as much Inftruction; and without flattering you, or making myself more moral than I am, not without fome Envy, I was loath to be inform'd how an Epic Poem fhould be written, or how a Tragedy fhould be contriv'd or manag'd,

*Effay on Poetry.

in

in better Verfe, and with more Judgment than I could teach others.

Bishop Burnet's Preface to Sir T. More's Utopia.

Our Language is now certainly properer and more natural than it was formerly, chiefly fince the Correction that was given by the Rehear fal: And it is to be hop'd that the Ejay on Poetry, which may be well match'd with the beft Pieces of its Kind, that even Auguftus's Age produc'd, will have a more powerful Operation, if clear Sense join'd with fome but gentle Reproofs can work more on our Writers than that unmerciful expofing of them has done.

Lord Lanfdown.

Roscommon first then Mulgrave rofe like Light,
To clear our Darkness, and to guide our Flight:
With steady Judgment, and in lofty Sounds
They gave us Patterns, and they fet us Bounds;
The Stagyrite and Horace laid afide,

Inform'd by them we need no foreign Guide,
Who seek from Poetry a lafting Name,

May from their Leffons learn the Road to Fame.

Garth's Difpenfary.

Now Tyber's Streams no courtly Callus fee, But fmiling Thames enjoys his Normanby.

Mr. Pope in his Effay on Criticifm.

Yet fome there were among the founder few
Of those who lefs prefum'd and better knew,
Who durft affert the jufter ancient Cause,
And here reftor'd Wit's Fundamental Laws:
VOL. I.

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Such

Such was the Muse whofe Rules and Practice tell, Nature's chief Mafter-piece is writing well.

Mr. Pope in his Mifcellanies:

Mufe, 'tis enough, at length thy Labour ends: And thou fhalt live for Buckingham commends. Let Crowds of Criticks now my Verse affail, Let Dennis write, and nameless Authors rail; This more than pays whole Years of thankless Pain, Time, Health and Fortune are not loft in vain : Sheffield approves, confenting Phæbus bends, And I and Malice from this Hour are Friends.

It may feem ftrange, and almost incredible, that the Duke and Mr. Pope fhould ever differ in any Refpect, yet it very often happen'd that they did. The Duke being a Sort of a Sceptick, or at least one that had but little Faith, often us'd to attack our Poet on that weak Side of his, who generally us❜d to creep out by alledging that except his Grace had fome Degree of Faith, it was impoffible to convince him of the Truth of the Roman Catholick Religion, for it depended not fo much upon Proof fince the Ceffation of Miracles, as upon Faith and Obedience to the Church. It was obferv'd they always us'd great Moderation in these Difcourfes, and the Duke, fo well he lov'd our Poet, feeing Arguments of that Sort rather difagreeable than otherways, and having no Vocation to make Converts, feldom in the latter Part of his Time, let the Subject remain long, but would change it to fome Part of Science or Literature.

He had great Personal Courage, and was a true Lover of Liberty, from which Principles nothing could tempt him to fwerve, neither Favour nor

Faction;

Faction; not the Hopes of helping himself or his Friends, or of annoying his Enemies. He always had at Heart the Publick Good, to which he often expos'd his Quiet, and fometimes, (he us'd himself to fay he fear'd) his Reputation.

In the Year 1672, Monfieur de Schomberg was invited into England, to command the new-rais'd Army incamp'd on Blackheath, which was under the then Duke of Buckingham, George Villiers, and under him only, who had a Commiffion of Lieutenant General. But he being no great Soldier, and on ill Terms with the Duke of York; who influenc'd all military Affairs at that Time, it was thought convenient to join with him a Perfon of fuch Reputation as Schomberg, and he was chofen the rather because his Advancement in France was owing chiefly to the Duke of York, when in that Ser

vice.

As foon as he arrived, partly encouraged to it by his Friends, or rather the then Duke of Buckiegham's Enemies, he refused to ferve equally with him, and fo obtained a Commiffion to be General; upon which (as was expected) the other quitted the Service immediately.

Juft at this Time the Duke of Monmouth was fetting up in France to be a Soldier: and being so favoured at Maestricht by the French King, as to have a fure and easy Attack kept back on Purpose 'till hist Day of commanding, the Credit of that Action here fufficed to give him a Reputation ever after.

Our Fleet was now ready to make Sail; it is thought there never was before seen so great a Fleet as this.

The Reason why the Duke of York did not shine as before, was his refusing the Teft pafs'd in Parliament laft Winter, on Purpose to exclude him; fo

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that