But in the author's own honeft relation, the marvel vanishes: he was, he fays, fuch " an

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enemy to all constraint, that his master "never could prevail on him to learn the "rules without book." He does not tell that he could not learn the rules, but that, being able to perform his exercises without them, and being an 66 enemy to constraint," he fpared himself the labour.

Among the English poets, Cowley, Milton, and Pope, might be faid "to lifp in numbers ;" and have given such early proofs, not only of powers of language, but of comprehenfion of things, as to more tardy minds feems scarcely credible. But of the learned puerilities of Cowley there is no doubt, fince a volume of his poems was not only written but printed in his thirteenth year; containing, with other poetical compofitions, "The tragical History of Pyramus and Thisbe,” written when he was ten years old; and "Conftantia and Philetus," written two years after.

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While he was yet at fchool he produced a comedy called "Love's Riddle," though

it was not published till he had been fome time at Cambridge. This comedy is of the paftoral kind, which requires no acquaintance with the living world, and therefore the time at which it was compofed adds little to the wonders of Cowley's minority.

In 1636, he was removed to Cambridge, where he continued his ftudies with great intenseness; for he is faid to have written, while he was yet a young ftudent, the greater part of his Davideis; a work of which the materials could not have been collected without the study of many years, but by a mind of the greatest vigour and activity.

Two years after his fettlement at Cambridge he published "Love's Riddle," with a poetical dedication to Sir Kenelm Digby; of whofe acquaintance all his contemporaries seem to have been ambitious; and Nau

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fragium Joculare," a comedy written in Latin, but without due attention to the ancient models for it is not loose verse, but mere profe. It was printed, with a dedication in verfe to Dr. Comber, master of the college; but having neither the facility of a

popular nor the accuracy of a learned work, it feems to be now univerfally neglected.

At the beginning of the civil war, as the Prince paffed through Cambridge in his way to York, he was entertained with the representation of the "Guardian," a comedy, which Cowley fays was neither written nor acted, but rough-drawn by him, and repeated by the scholars. That this comedy was printed during his abfence from his country, he appears to have confidered as injurious to his reputation; though, during the fuppreffion of the theatres, it was fometimes privately acted with fufficient approbation.

In 1643, being now mafter. of arts, he was, by the prevalence of the parliament, ejected from Cambridge, and sheltered himfelf at St. John's College in Oxford; where, as is faid by Wood, he published a satire called "The Puritan and Papift," which was only inferted in the laft collection of his works; and so distinguished himself by the warmth of his loyalty, and the elegance of his converfation, that he gained the kindness and confidence of those who attended the King,

and

and amongst others of Lord Falkland, whofe notice caft a luftre on all to whom it was extended.

About the time when Oxford was furrendered to the parliament, he followed the Queen to Paris, where he became fecretary to the Lord Jermin, afterwards Earl of St. Albans, and was employed in fuch correfpondence as the royal cause required, and particularly in cyphering and decyphering the letters that paffed between the King and Queen ; an employment of the higheft confidence and honour. So wide was his province of intelligence, that, for several years, it filled all his days and two or three nights in the week,

In the year 1647, his "Miftrefs" was publifhed; for he imagined, as he declared in his preface to a fubfequent edition, that "poets are scarce thought freemen of their 46 company without paying fome duties, or obliging themselves to be true to Love."

This obligation to amorous ditties owes, I believe, its original to the fame of Petrarch, who,

B 4

But the bafis

that professes power. Petrarch was

who, in an age rude and uncultivated, by his tuneful homage to his Laura, refined the manners of the lettered world, and filled Europe with love and poetry. of all excellence is truth: he love ought to feel its a real lover, and Laura doubtlefs deferved his tenderness. Of Cowley, we are told by Barnes *, who had means enough of information, that, whatever he may talk of his own inflammability, and the variety of characters by which his heart was divided, he in reality was in love but once, and then never had refolution to tell his paffion,

This confideration cannot but abate, in fome measure, the reader's esteem for the work and the author. To love excellence, is natural; it is natural likewife for the lover to folicit reciprocal regard by an elaborate difplay of his own qualifications, The defire of pleafing has in different men produced actions of heroifm, and effufions of wit; but it feems as reasonable to appear the champion as the poet of an airy nothing," and to quarrel as to write for what Cowley

*V. Barnefii Anacreontem.