he was graciously received by K. Charles II. and made Captain of the Band of Pensioners. In the gayeties of that age he was tempted to indulge a violent passion for gaming, by which he frequently hazarded his life in duels, and exceeded the bounds of a moderate for tune. A difpute with the Lord Privy seal about part of his estate obliging him to revifit his native country, he refigned his poft in the English Court, and foon after his arrival at Dublin, the Duke of Ormond appointed him to be Captain of the Guards. His beloved Horace obferved that the diseases of the mind are feldom cured by change of air, the truth of which was confirmed by his Lordship's example; for he was there as much as ever distempered with the fame fatal affection for play, which engaged him in one adventure that well deferves to be related. As he re turned to his lodgings from a gaming-table he was attacked in the dark by three ruffians, who were employed to affaffinate him: the Earl defended himself with so much resolution, that he dispatched one of the aggreffors, whilft a gentleman, accidentally paffing that way, interpofed, and difarmed another: the third fecured himself by flight. This generous afsistant was a difbanded officer, of a good family, and fair reputation, who, by what we call the partiality of Fortune, to avoid cenfuring the iniquities of the times, wanted even a plain suit of clothes to make a decent appearance at the Caille: but his Lordship, on this occafion,

presenting him to the Duke of Ormond, with great importunity prevailed with his Grace that he might refign his poft of Captain of the Guards to his friend; which for about three years the gentleman enjoyed, and upon his death the Duke returned the commiffion to his generous benefactor.

The pleasures of the English court, and the friendships he had there contracted, were powerful motives for his return to London. Soon after he came he was made Master of the Horse to her Royal Highness the Duchefs of York, and married the Lady Frances, eldeft daughter of Richard Earl of Burlington, whobefore had been the wife of Colonel Courtney. And about this time, in imitation of those learned and polite affemblies with which he had been acquainted abroad, particularly one at Caen, (in which his tutor Bochartus died fuddenly whilft he was delivering an oration) he began to form a fociety for the refining and fixing the standard of our language, in which defign his great friend Mr. Dryden was a principal affiftant: a defign! of which it is much easier to conceive an agreeable idea, than any rational hope ever to fee it brought to perfecion among us. This project, at least, was entirely defeated by the religious commotions that enfued on King James's acceffion to the throne; at which time the Earl took a refolution to pass the remainder of his life at Rome, telling his friends, it would be best to fit next to the chimney when the

chamber fmoked. Amid these reflections he was fei zed by the gout; and being too impatient of pain, he permitted a bold French pretender to phyfick to apply a repelling medicine, in order to give him prefent relief, which drove the diftemper into his bowels, and in a fhort time put a period to his life, in the year 1684. The moment in which he expired he cried out, with a voice that expressed the most intense fervour of devotion,

My God, my father, and my friend!
Do not forfake me at my end.

He was buried, with great funeral pomp, in Westmin fter Abbey ; but his friends feem to have thought his own writings a more durable monument than any they could erect to his memory. And in them we view the image of a mind that was naturally ferious and folid, richly furnished and adorned with all the ornaments of art and science, and thofe ornaments unaffectedly difpofed in the most regular and elegant order. His imagination might have probably been more fruitful and fprightly, if his judgment had been lefs fevere, but that severity (delivered in a masculine, clear, fuccinct Style) contributed to make him fo eminent in the dis dactical manner, that no man, with justice, can affirm he was ever equalled by any of our own nation, without confeffing, at the fame time, that he is inferiour to none. In some other kinds of writing his genius feems to have wanted fire to attain the point of perfection: Volume II.

N

but who can attain it? Mr. Waller addressed this poem to his Lordship anno ætat. 75.

THIS

Ad Comitem Monumetenfem, c. p. 153.

HIS Copy of Latin verfes I found prefixed to the Earl of Monmouth's tranflation of Cardinal Bentivoglio's Hiftory of the Wars of Flanders, which having been published in the year 1678, we may suppose that Mr. Waller wrote it anno ætat. 73.

On the Duke of Monmouth's expedition into Scotland, Sc. p. 154.

THE Scots intending to justify the barbarous murder of Archbishop Sharp by an open rebellion, made their general rendezvous at Bothwell Bridge, where they found their numbers increase to about seventeen thousand men. King Charles having ordered the Duke of Monmouth to suppress this infurrection in its infancy, his Grace accordingly repaired to Scotland with almost incredible expedition; and soon after his arrival, in one decisive action, routed and dispersed the rebels, who left about eight hundred flain, and twelve hundred prisoners, behind them. This battle having been fought on the 22d of June 1679, we may conclude that Mr. Waller wrote these verfes in the feventy fourth year of his age,

The triple combat, p. 156.

In the year 1675, came over to the English court the famous Duchefs of Mazarine, who had formerly the greatest fortune of any lady in Europe, and was judged to have as much merit, at least fo far as wit and beauty could extend, the two captivating qualities of her sex. She was once thought a fit match for the King himself, and fo defigned by the queen-mother, Henrietta Maria, and Cardinal Mazarine; but now, with the lofs of her fortune and her reputation, and the final parting from her husband, the was forced to take refuge in the English court, where fhe was for awhile set up as a rival to the Duchess of Portsmouth, and might probably have proved fo, had not her amorous inclinations towards another been too soon discovered to the King, who, notwithstanding, allowed her a half penfion, 4Col. a-year; and her house, for many years, became the rendezvous of all the men of wit and quality, and the scene of all the news of the Town, of gaming, curious and exquisite entertainments, and all manner of diverfions. The reader may find a much fuller character of her in the works of St. Evremond and Abbot St. Real; but this relation from Mr. Echard is fufficient for the prefent occafion. fuppofe Mr. Waller wrote this poem in the feventieth year of his age.