influence, on whom he looks with amazement rather than fondness, whose chains he wishes, though in vain, to break, and whose presence is wine that inflames to madness.

His acquaintance with this high-born dame gave Wit no opportunity of boasting its influence; she was not to be subdued by the powers of verse, but rejected his addresses, it is said, with disdain, and drove him away to solace his disappointment with Amoret or Phillis. She married in 1639 the Earl of Sunderland, who died at Newberry in the King's cause; and, in her old age, meeting somewhere with Waller, asked him, when he would again write such verses upon her; "When you are as young, Madam,” said he," and as handsome as you were then."

In this part of his life it was that he was known to Clarendon, among the rest of the men who were eminent in that age for genius and literature; but known so little to his advantage, that they who read his character will not much condemn Sacharissa, that she did not descend from her rank to his embraces, nor think every excellence comprised in wit.

The Lady was, indeed, inexorable; but his uncommon qualifications, though they had no power upon her, recommended him to the scholars and statesmen; and undoubtedly many beauties of that time, however they might receive his love, were proud of his praises. Who they were, whom he dignifies with poetical names, cannot now be known, Amoret, according to Mr. Fenton, was the Lady Sophia Murray. Perhaps by traditions preserved in families more may be discovered.

From

From the verses written at Penshurst, it has been collected that he diverted his disappointment by a voyage; and his biographers, from his poem on the Whales, think it not improbable that he visited the Bermudas; but it seems much more likely that he should amuse himself with forming an imaginary scene, than that so important an incident, as a visit to America, should have been left floating in conjectural probability.

From his twenty-eighth to his thirty-fifth year, he wrote his pieces on the Reduction of Sallee; on the Reparation of St. Paul's; to the King on his Navy; the panegyrick on the Queen Mother;- the two poems to the Earl of Northumberland; and perhaps others, of which the time cannot be dis

covered.

When he had lost all hopes of Sacharissa, he looked round him for an easier conquest, and gained a lady of the family of Bresse, or Breaux. The time of his marriage is not exactly known. It has not been discovered that his wife was won by his poetry; nor is any thing told of her, but that she brought him many children. He doubtless praised some whom he would have been afraid to marry, and perhaps married one whom he would have been ashamed to praise. Many qualities contribute to domestick happiness, upon which poetry has no colours to bestow; and many airs and sallies may delight imagination, which he who flatters them never can approve. There are charms made only for distant admiration. No spectacle is nobler than a blaze.

she

Of this wife, his biographers have recorded that gave him five sons and eight daughters.

During the long interval of parliament, he is represented as living among those with whom it was most honourable to converse, and enjoying an exuberant fortune with that independence and liberty of speech and conduct which wealth ought always to produce. He was however considered as the kinsman of Hampden, and was therefore supposed by the courtiers not to favour them.

When the parliament was called in 1640, it appeared that Waller's political character had not been mistaken. The king's demand of a supply produced one of those noisy speeches which disaffection and discontent regularly dictate; a speech filled with hyperbolical complaints of imaginary grievances:

They," says he, "who think themselves already ❝ undone, can never apprehend themselves in danger; "and they who have nothing left can never give

freely." Political truth is equally in danger from the praises of courtiers, and the exclamations of patriots.

He then proceeds to rail at the clergy, being sure at that time of a favourable audience. His topick is such as will always serve its purpose; an accusation of acting and preaching only for preferment: and he exhorts the Commons carefully to provide for their protection against Pulpit Law.

It always gratifies curiosity to trace a sentiment. Waller has in his speech quoted Hooker in one passage; and in another has copied him, without quoting. "Religion,” says Waller, "ought to be the "first thing in our purpose and desires; but that " which is first in dignity is not always to precede in "order of time; for well-being supposes a being;

"and

"and the first impediment which men naturally "endeavour to remove, is the want of those things " without which they cannot subsist. God first assigned unto Adam maintenance of life, and gave "him a title to the rest of the creatures before he "appointed a law to observe."

"God first assigned Adam," says Hooker, " main❝tenance of life, and then appointed him a law to "observe.-True it is that the kingdom of God "must be the first thing in our purpose and desires; "but inasmuch as a righteous life presupposeth life, "inasmuch as to live virtuously it is impossible, "except we live; therefore the first impediment "which naturally we endeavour to remove is penury, " and want of things without which we cannot live.” B. I. Sect. 9.

The speech is vehement; but the great position, that grievances ought to be redressed before supplies are granted, is agreeable enough to law and reason: nor was Waller, if his biographer may be credited, such an enemy to the King, as not to wish his distresses lightened; for he relates," that the King "sent particularly to Waller, to second his demand "of some subsidies to pay off the army; and Sir Henry Vane objecting against first voting a supply, because the King would not accept unless it "came up to his proportion, Mr. Waller spoke ear"nestly to Sir Thomas Jermyn, comptroller of the "household, to save his master from the effects of "so bold a falsity; for,' he said, 'I am but a coun"try gentleman, and cannot pretend to know the King's mind:' but Sir Thomas durst not contra"dict the secretary; and his son, the Earl of St.

6

"Albans,

"Albans, afterwards told Mr. Waller, that his fa"ther's cowardice ruined the King."

In the Long Parliament, which, unhappily for the nation, met Nov. 3, 1640, Waller represented Agmondesham the third time; and was considered by the discontented party as a man sufficiently trusty and acrimonious to be employed in managing the prosecution of Judge Crawley, for his opinion in favour of ship-money; and his speech shews that he did not disappoint their expectations. He was probably the more ardent, as his uncle Hampden had been particularly engaged in the dispute, and, by a sentence which seems generally to be thought unconstitutional, particularly injured.

He was not however a bigot to his party, nor adopted all their opinions. When the great question, whether Episcopacy ought to be abolished, was debated, he spoke against the innovation so coolly, so reasonably, and so firmly, that it is not without great injury to his name that his speech, which was as follows, has been hitherto omitted in his works:

"There is no doubt but the sense of what this "nation had suffered from the present Bishops hath produced these complaints; and the apprehensions men have of suffering the like, in time to come, "make so many desire the taking away of Episco

66

pacy: but I conceive it is possible that we may "not, now, take a right measure of the minds of "the people by their petitions; for, when they sub"scribed them, the Bishops were armed with a dangerous commisson of making new canons, impo

* This speech has been retrieved, from a paper printed at that time, by the writers of the Parliamentary History. Dr. Je

“sing