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SELECT POEMS

OF

SIR WILLIAM DAVENANT.

WITH

A LIFE OF THE AUTHOR,

BY

EZEKIEL SANFORD.

LIFE OF DAVENANT.

WILLIAM DAVENANT, the son of Mr. John Davenant, a vintner, who kept the Crown Inn, in the parish of St. Martin's, Oxford, was born about the end of February, 1605-6. His mother is said to have been very beautiful: Shakespeare always lodged at the Crown Inn, on his annual journies from London to Warwickshire; and Davenant was often known to say, over the glass with his intimate friends, that the immortal dramatist might have had his reasons for putting up there, and that he should have no very great objection to being thought his son. Davenant was totally inexcusable for indulg ing in so unhallowed a piece of levity; and Mr. Malone was, if possible, still more so, for suggesting, that, though it was given as a joke, it was one of those jokes, which are but too true. It is certain, however, that Shakespeare was not only the undisputed favourite of our poet,-but formed, at his death, the first subject of his poetical efforts.

He went first to a grammar-school, in the parish of All Saints, in Oxford; and, in 1621, was entered a member of Lincoln college. He left the university, however, without taking his degree; and, re

pairing to London, in quest of his fortune, became first a page to Frances, Dutchess of Richmond, and afterwards, a retainer of Sir Fulke Greville, Lord Brooke. The assassination of that nobleman, in 1628, necessitated Davenant to commence a writer for the stage; and, in the following year, he produced the tragedy of Alborine, King of Lombardy, which is said to have been acted with uncommon success. Then followed, in their order, the Colonel, July 22, 1629: the Just Italian, October 2, 1629: the Wits, Jan. 19, 1633-4; Love and Honour, November 20, 1634; News from Plymouth, August 1, 1635; Platonic Lovers, November 16, of the same year: Unfortunate Lovers, April 16, 1638 : Fair Favourite, November 17, of the same year; and the Spanish Lovers, November 30, 1639. Besides these tragedies, he composed the following masques or entertainments for the court:-the Temple of Love, in 1634; the Triumphs of the Prince D'Amour, in 1635; Brittania Triumphans, in 1637; and Salmacida Spolia, in 1639.

These performances added considerably to our author's pecuniary resourses, and procured him the especial favour of the queen: who, in spite of the king's predilection for May, was enabled to give him the office of Poet Laureat, on the death of Jonson, in 1637. He ardently espoused the royal cause, in the subsequent disputes between the king and parliament; and, in 1641, was apprehended and put in the custody of a sergeant-at-arms, for an alleged attempt to seduce the army from the service of the commons. Bail was put in for him; and he sought refuge, for a time, in France. He returned, at length, with military stores, sent by the queen, for the Marquis of Newcastle's army. His lordship made him lieutenant-general of the ordnance; and he conducted himself with so much bravery at the siege of Gloucester, in 1643, that the king conferred on him the honour of knighthood.

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