heat of recitation; because in one the fenfe is now unfinished; and becaufe all that can be done by a broken verfe, a line interfected by a cafura and a full ftop will equally effect.

Of triplets in his Davideis he makes no ufe, and perhaps did not at first think them allowable; but he appears afterwards to have changed his mind, for in the verfes on the government of Cromwell he inferts them liberally with great happiness.

After fo much criticifm on his Poems, the Effays which accompany them must not be forgotten. What is faid by Sprat of his converfation, that no man could draw from it any fufpicion of his excellence in poetry, may be applied to these compofitions. No author ever kept his verfe and his profe at a greater distance from each other. His thoughts are natural, and his ftyle has a smooth and placid equability, which has ne ver yet obtained its due commendation. Nothing is far-fought, or hard-laboured; but all is easy without feebleness, and familiar without groffness.

It has been obferved by Felton, in his Effay on the Clafficks, that Cowley was beloved by every Mufe that he courted; and that he has rivalled the Ancients in every kind of poetry but tragedy.

It may be affirmed, without any encomiaftick fervour, that he brought to his poetick labours a mind replete with learning, and that his pages are embellished with all the ornaments which books could supply ; that he was the first who imparted to English numbers the enthufiafm of the greater ode, and the gaiety of the lefs; that he was equally qualified for fpritely fallies, and for lofty flights; that he was among those who freed translation from fervility, and, instead of following his author at a distance, walked by his fide; and that if he left verfification yet improvable, he left likewife from time to time fuch fpecimens of excellence as enabled fucceeding poets to improve it.

DENHAM.

DEN HA M.

F Sir JOHN DENHAM very little is known but what is related of him by Wood, or by himself.

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He was born at Dublin in 1615; the only fon of Sir John Denham, of Little Horfely in Effex, then chief baron of the Exchequer in Ireland, and of Eleanor, daughter of Sir Garret Moore baron of Mellefont.

Two years afterwards, his father, being made one of the barons of the Exchequer in England, brought him away from his native country, and educated him in London.

In 1631 he was fent to Oxford, where he was confidered "as a dreaming young man,

"given more to dice and cards than study;" and therefore gave no prognofticks of his future eminence; nor was fufpected to conceal, under fluggishnefs and laxity, a genius born to improve the literature of his country.

When he was, three years afterwards, removed to Lincoln's Inn, he profecuted the common law with fufficient appearance of application; yet did not lofe his propensity to cards and dice; but was very often plundered by gamefters.

Being feverely reproved for this folly, he profeffed, and perhaps believed, himself reclaimed; and, to teftify the fincerity of his repentance, wrote and published "An Effay upon Gaming."

He feems to have divided his ftudies between law and poetry; for, in 1636, he tranflated the fecond book of the Æneid.

Two years after, his father died; and then, notwithstanding his refolutions and profeflions, he returned again to the vice of gaming,

gaming, and loft feveral thousand pounds that had been left him.

In 1631, he published "The Sophy." This feems to have given him his first hold of the publick attention; for Waller remarked, “that he broke out like the Irish rebel"lion threefcore thousand ftrong, when "nobody was aware, or in the least suspect"ed it :" an obfervatiion which could have had no propriety, had his poetical abilities been known before.

He was after that pricked for fheriff of Surrey, and made governor of Farnham Caftle for the king; but he foon refigned that charge, and retreated to Oxford, where, in 1643, he published "Cooper's Hill."

This poem had fuch reputation as to excite the common artifice by which envy degrades excellence. A report was spread, that the performance was not his own, but that he had bought it of a vicar for forty pounds. The fame attempt was made to rob Addison of his Cato, and Pope of his Efsay on Criticism.

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