near thirty years when he firft engaged himself in that exercife; at least, that he " was known to do fo), he furprised the "town with two or three pieces of that “kind; as if a tenth Mufe had been newly born, to cherish drooping poetry. The "Doctor at that time brought him into that company, which was moft celebrated for "good converfation; where he was received

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and efteemed, with great applaufe and re"fpect. He was a very pleasant difcourfer, “in earnest and in jeft, and therefore very "grateful to all kind of company, where he was not the lefs esteemed for being very. "rich,

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"He had been even nurfed in parliaments, where he fat when he was very young; "and fo, when they were resumed again

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(after a long intermiffion), he appeared in "thofe affemblies with great advantage;

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having a graceful way of fpeaking, and by έσ thinking much on feveral arguments (which "his temper and complexion, that had much "of melancholic, inclined him to), he seemed "often to speak upon the fudden, when the. "occafion had only adminiftred the opportu

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nity of faying what he had thoroughly confidered, which gave a great luftre to all he "faid; which yet was rather of delight than

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weight. There needs no more be faid to "extol the excellence and power of his wit,

and pleasantness of his converfation, than "that it was of magnitude enough to cover "a world of very great faults; that is, fo to 66 cover them, that they were not taken no"tice of to his reproach; viz. a narrowness "in his nature to the lowest degree; an ab

"jectnefs and want of courage to fupport him "in any virtuous undertaking; an infinua“tion and fervile flattery to the height, the "vainest and most imperious nature could be " contented with; that it preferved and won "his life from those who were moft refolved "to take it, and in an occafion in which he 66 ought to have been ambitious to have lost

it; and then preferved him again, from "the reproach and contempt that was due to him, for fo preferving it, and for vindi

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cating it at fuch a price; that it had power "to reconcile him to thofe, whom he had "moft offended and provoked; and conti"nued to his age with that rare felicity, that

his company was acceptable, where his

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spirit was odibus; and he was at least pi"tied, where he was moft detefted."

Such is the account of Clarendon; on which it may not be impropper to make fome

remarks.

"He was very little known till he had "obtained a rich wife in the city."

He obtained a rich, wife about the age of three-and-twenty; an age before which few men are confpicuous much to their advantage. He was known, however, in parliament and at court: and, if he spent part of his time in privacy, it is not unreasonable to suppose that he endeavoured the improvement of his mind as well as of his fortune.

That Clarendon might misjudge the motive of his retirement is the more probable, because he has evidently mistaken the commencement of his poetry, which he supposes him not to have attempted before thirty. As his first pieces were perhaps not printed, the fucceffion of his compofitions was not known; and Clarendon, who cannot be imagined to have been very ftudious of poetry, did not

rectify

rectify his first opinion by confulting Waller's book.

Clarendon obferves, that he was introduced to the wits of the age by Dr. Morley; but the writer of his Life relates that he was already among them, when, hearing a noife in the street, and enquiring the cause, they, found a fon of Ben Jonfon under an arrest. This was Morley, whom Waller fet free at the expence of one hundred pounds, took him into the country as director of his ftudies, and then procured him admiffion into the company of the friends of literature. Of this fact, Clarendon had a nearer knowledge than the biographer, and is therefore more to be credited.

The account of Waller's parliamentary eloquence is feconded by Burnet, who, though he calls him the delight of the house," adds, that he was only concerned to say "that, which fhould make him be ap

plauded, he never laid the business of the "House to heart, being a vain and empty though a witty man.'

3.

Of

Of his infinuation and flattery it is not unreafonable to believe that the truth is told. Ascham, in his elegant description of those whom in modern language we term Wits, fays, that they are open flatterers, and privy mockers. Waller fhewed a little of both, when, upon fight of the Dutchefs of Newcastle's verses on the death of a Stag, he declared that he would give all his own compofitions to have written them; and, being charged with the exorbitance of his adulation, answered, that " nothing was too much "to be given, that a Lady might be saved "from the difgrace of fuch a vile perfor❝mance." This, however, was no very mifchievous or very unufual deviation from truth: had his hypocrify been confined to fuch tranfactions, he might have been forgiven, though not praised; for who forbears to flatter an author or a lady?

Of the laxity of his political principles, and the weaknefs of his refolution, he experienced the natural effect, by lofing the esteem of every party. From Cromwell he had only his recall; and from Charles the : Second,