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clinations led him, which were chiefly history and poetry; to which, for his diverfion, he joined mufic and painting; and I have feen fome pictures, faid to be of his drawing, which remained in that family; which I mention not for the excellency of them, but to fatisfy the reader of his early inclinations to that noble art; for which also he was afterwards entirely beloved by Mr. SAMUEL COOPER, one of the most eminent painters of his time.

He was, after this, recommended to that great encourager of learning, ELIZABETH Countefs of Kent, where he had not only the opportunity to confult all manner of learned books, but to converse also with that living library of learning, the great Mr. SELden.

Our author lived fome time alfo with Sir SAMUEL LUKE, who was of an ancient family in Bedfordfhire; but, to his dishonour, an eminent Commander under the Ufurper OLIVER CROMWELL and then it was, as I am informed, he composed this loyal poem. For, though fate, more than choice, feems to have placed him in the service of a Knight fo notorious, both in his perfon and politics, yet, by the rule of contraries, one may obferve throughout his whole poem, that he was moft orthodox, both in his religion and loyalty. And I am the more induced to believe he wrote it about that time, because he had then the opportunity to converse with thofe living characters of rebellion,nonfenfe, and hypocrify, which he fo lively and pathetically expofes throughout the whole work, After the restoration of King CHARLES II. those who were at the helm, minding money more than B 3

merit

merit, our author found that verse in JUVENAL to be éxactly verified in himself : *

Haud facile emergunt, quorum virtutibus obstat Res angufta domi:

And being endued with that innate modesty, which rarely finds promotion in Princes courts; he became Secretary to RICHARD Earl of Carbury, Lord Prefident of the Principality of Wales, who made him Steward of Ludlow-castle, when the court there was revived. About this time he married one Mrs. HERBERT, a Gentlewoman of a very good family, but no widow, as our Oxford antiquary hás reported: fhe had a competent fortune, but it was most of it unfortunately loft, by being put out on ill fecurities, fo that it was little advantage to him. He is reported by our antiquary to have been Secretary to his Grace GEORGE Duke of Buckingham, when he was Chancellor to the univerfity of Cambridge; but whether that be true or no, it is certain, the Duke had a great kindnefs for him, and was often a benefactor to him. But no man was a more generous friend to him, than that MECENAS of all learned and witty men, CHARLES Lord Buckhurst, the late Earl of Dorfet and Middlesex, who, being himself an excellent poet, knew how to fet a juft value upon the ingenious performances of others, and has often taken care privately to relieve and fupply the neceffities of those, whose modesty would endeavour to conceal them; of which our author was a fignal inftance, as feveral others have been, who are now living. In fine, the integrity of his life, the acutenefs of his wit, and easiness of his converfation, had rendered him most acceptable to all men; yet

he

he prudently avoided multiplicity of acquaintance, and wifely chofe fuch only whom his difcerning judgment could distinguish (as Mr. COWLEY expreffeth it)

From the great vulgar or the small.

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And having thus lived to a good old age, admired by all, though perfonally known to few, he departed this life in the year 1680, and was buried at the charge of his good friend Mr. LONGUEVIL of the Temple, in the yard belonging to the church of St. PAUL'S Covent-garden, at the weft end of the faid yard, on the north fide under the wall of the faid church, and under that wall which parts the yard from the common highway. And fince he has no monument yet fet up for him, give me leave to borrow his epitaph from that of MICHAEL DRAYTON the poet, as the author of Mr. COWLEY's has partly done before me :

And tho' no monument can claim
To be the treasurer of thy name;
This work, which ne'er will die, fhall be
An everlasting monument to thee.

The characters of this poem are for the most part obvious, even to the meàneft pretenders to learning or hiftory; nor can scarce any one be fo ignorant, as not to know that the chief defign thereof is a fatyr against thofe incendiaries of church and ftate, who in the late rebellion, under pretence of religion, murdered the best of kings, to introduce the worst of governments; destroyed the best of churches, that hypocrify, no velty, and nonfenfe might be predomina

mongst us; and overthrew our wholfome laws and conftitutions, to make way for their bleffed anarchy and confufion, which at last ended in ty." ranny. But fince, according to the proverb, None are fo blind as they that will not fee; fo thole who are not refolved to be invincibly ignorant, I refer, for their farther fatisfaction, to the hifto ries of Mr. FOWLIS of prefbytery, and Mr. WALKER of independency; but more efpecially to that incomparable hiftory lately published, wrote by EDWARD Earl of Clarendon, which are fufficient to fatisfy any unbiaffed perfon, that his general characters are not fictitious: and I could heartily wish these times were fo`reformed, that they were not applicable to fome even now living. However, there being feveral particular perfons reflected on, which are not commonly known, and fome old ftories and uncouth words, which want explication, we have thought fit to do that right to their memories, and, for the bet ter information of the lefs learned readers, to ex plain them in fome additional annotations at the end of this edition.

How often the imitation of this poem has been attempted, and with how little fuccefs, I leave the readers to judge: in the year 1663, there came out a fpurious book, called, The fecond part of HUDIBRAS; which is reflected upon by our author, under the character of WHACUM, towards the latter end of his fecond part: afterwards came out the DUTCH and SCOTCH HUDIBRAS, BUTLER'S ghoft, the occafional HYPOCRITE, and fome others of the fame nature, which compared with this (VIRGIL TRAVESTY excepted) deferve only to

be

be condemned Ad Ficum & Piperem; or if you please, to more bafe and fervile offices.

Some vain attempts have been likewise made to tranflate fome parts of it into LATIN, but how far they fall fhort of that spirit of the ENGLISH wit, I leave the meaneft capacity, that underftands them, to judge. The following fimiles I have heard were done by the learned Dr. HARMER, once GREEK Profeffor at Oxon.

So learned TALIACOTIUS from, &c.

Sic adfcititios nafos de clune torofi
Vectoris, docta fecuit TALICOTIUS arte:
Qui potuere parem durando æquare parentem,
At poftquam fato clunis computruit, ipfum
Una fympathicum cœpit tabefcere roftrum.

So wind in the HYPOCONDRES pent, &c.

Sic HYPOCONDRIACIS inclufà meatibus aura
Definet in crepitum, fi fertur prona per alvum,
Sed fi fumma petat, montifq; invaferit arcem,
Divinus furor eft, & confcia flamma futuri.

So lawyers, left the Bear defendant, &c.

Sic legum myftæ, ne forfan pax foret, urfam
Inter furantem fefe, actoremque Moloffum;
Faucibus injiciunt clavos dentifque refigunt.
Luctantefque canes coxis, femorifque revellunt.
Errores juftafque moras obtendere certis,
Judiciumque prius revocare ut prorfus iniquum.
Tandem poft aliquod breve refpiramen utrinque,

Ut

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