reading a few stanzas of Spenfer, and Waller's firft production, could imagine that our Poet began to write only twenty-five years after the death of the author of the Fairy Queen ?

We are told by Lord Clarendon, in his own life, that "Mr. Waller, at the age when other men used to give over writing verfes, (for he was near thirty years of age, when he first engaged himself in that "exercise, at least that he was known to do fo,) fur

prifed the town with two, or three pieces of that "kind." The noble author likewife informs us, that, "from the selfishness of his difpofition, he "devoted a great part of his youth to retirement, "and the improvement of his eflate; and that he was fcarce ever heard of, till he had gotten a very "rich wife in the city.'

Thefe extracts from Clarendon feem inconfiftent with the dates which we may moft reasonably affign to the two poems which are the first and fecond in this edition of his works ; and they are totally different from the account which is given of Waller's youth by the author of his life. He fays, that, when he was but twenty-one years old, he was admired, and careffed at court, and by thofe who were most eminent for their learning, and taste, on account of his poetical genius.

But however unreasonable it may appear to fuppofe, that Mr. Waller fuppreffed two poems on two royal perfonages for many years, which if they had been known at court, would probably have promoted his interest, and gratified that ambition which is generally the concomitant of genius; we fhould rather abide by the former teftimony, in its moft rigid fenfe, than by the latter: Mr. Waller might not chufe to divulge his firft compofitions for reafons, of which we cannot now come to the knowledge.

The

The medium between extremes is often the truth. We may fuppofe, without torturing the meaning of lord Clarendon's words, that Waller's juvenile poems were perafed by James and Charles, and a few courtiers, foon after they were compofed; but that they were not printed till he was about the age of thirty. We may likewife conclude, that his youth was spent in retirement; that the principal object of his retirement was to accumulate wealth; but that in fome of his rural and tranquil hours he invoked the muses; and that while he was intent on the improvement of his eftate, he did not altogether neglect the cultivation of his genius.

The compilers of the Biographia Britannica, think it is abfurd to fuppofe that our poet's firft verfes were only handed about in manufcript; or only printed without his name. Why fuch a fuppofition is abfurd, or improbable, it is not eafy to comprehend. Indeed, it is not neceffary to fuppofe either the one cafe, or the other.

:

It fhows great want of judgment in these gentlemen, or great injuftice, to prefer to the authority of Hyde that of the author of Waller's life, an obfcure and flat writer, often mistaken in dates, and who may therefore be fufpected to have mistaken other facts. Clarendon was perfonally acquainted with Waller to what stronger evidence then can we appeal than to his, for anecdotes of our author? The compilers of the Biographica Britannica infinuate that his account of him is partial. To this it may be answered, that lord Clarendon's integrity was inflexible in the most trying junctures, in times of the greateft corruption and profligacy; and therefore that it could not be warped by the flight temptation to falfity of Waller.

He

He obtained a feat in Parliament a fecond time, before he was at the age of manhood; he was one of the reprefentatives of the borough of Chipping-Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, in the first parliament of Charles the firft, which met on the 18th of June, 1625. In the third, which met on the 17th of March, 1627, he was again elected for Aymefham. In the recefs of this Parliament, in the year 1628, the duke of Buckingham was ftabbed at Portsmouth, by Felton. The king received the news of this murder, while he was at publick fervice in the church of Southwick, about five miles diftant from Portsmouth. He fuffered not the tragical message to interrupt his devotion, which he continued to the end of the prayers with his ufual compofure and attention. A very ftriking proof of a determined and pious mind, if we confider the great affection which that monarch had for the duke, and the ftrong emotions of grief which he showed for his untimely death, as foon as he thought he might indulge them without a crime. Mr. Waller's mufe inspired him on this occafion; and the poem is worthy of the fubject. He was then in the twenty-fourth year of his age.

During the long intermiffion of parliaments, from 1629 to 1640, Waller employed a great part of his time in the profecution of his ftudies. He lived then at Beconsfield with his mother; for the family houfe at Aymefham had gone to decay. Mr. Morley, at that time a ftudent of Chrift-church College in Oxford, was one of the politeft fcholars of the age. He was afterwards bishop of Winchester. This gentleman was related to our author; and their love of let ers produced an intimacy and friendship between them. Morley ufed often to vifit Waller at Beconsfield, and affift him in his literary progrefs. He directed him in his choice of books; he read

with him the capital authors of antiquity; he enlarged his understanding, and refined his tafte.

But the man is not completed in the clofet ; fociety finishes the work, and gives the ingenuous mind all that embellishment and dignity which it is capable of receiving. By an intercourfe with the learned, the penetrating, and the virtuous, our knowledge is arranged, our beft powers are called forth, and our best habits are formed, and established. Living examples make a more fenfible, and durable impreffion than that which we receive from books the foul is apt to grow torpid in the clofet; but in agreeable company it is kept in a brifk and pleasurable agitation; its fire grows more ardent and pure by mixing with congenial fire; it imitates, it emulates the greatnefs which it furveys with admiration.

Mr. Morley was not ignorant that thefe advantages refult from good connexions. That his coufin, therefore, might gain all poffible improvement, and rife to that confequence which he might derive from his uncommon abilities, he introduced him into lord Falkland's club.-" He brought him, fays "lord Clarendon, into that company which was "moft celebrated for good converfation."

We are told by the author of Waller's life, that Mr. Morley was in very wretched circumftances; and that Mr. Waller was a member of this fociety, long before he and Mr. Morley were acquainted. That one evening after lord Falkland's club had met, they heard a noife in the street, and on inquiring the cause of it, were informed that a fon of Ben

* The members of this fociety were, Lord Falkland, Sir Francis Wenman, Mr. Chillingworth, Mr. Godolphin, and other illuftrious men.

Jonfon

Jonfon was arrested; that the arrested perfon was called in, and was found to be Mr. Morley; and that Mr. Waller offered to pay his debt, which was a hundred pounds, provided he would go and live with him at Beconsfield. To this condition, fays the author, he agreed, retired with Waller into the country, fuperintended his ftudies for many years, and was, by him introduced to this learned and honourable fraternity.

This account, however, has certainly no authenticity, as it is contradicted by Clarendon.

But we must go fome years back in our chronological feries, to take a view of his matrimonial fortune.

Mr. Waller, and Mr. Crofts payed their addreffes at the fame time to Anne, the only daugher, and heiress of Richard Banks, efq. a very wealthy citizen of London. But Waller won the lady, though his rival was fupported by the intereft of the court, which, in thofe days, commonly infured fuccefs to the lover, in whofe favour it interpofed.

After this marriage he relaxed more frequently from the severity of ftudious retirement than before he lived more expenfively, and mixed more with the world; he became univerfally known for a man of politenefs, learning, and wit.

We cannot, with precision, fix the exact time of his marriage; we may, however, from comparing the different accounts of him, affign it to the twenty. fifth, or twenty-fixth year of his age. His lady lived with him but a fhort time; fhe died in child bed.

Some years after the death of his wife (how many we cannot determine) he was deeply fmitten with the charms of lady Dorothy Sydney, the eldest daughter of the earl of Leicester; whom he celebrates under the name of Sachariffa. She was one of the first

beauties