Nor, in the mean time, was he wanting to his duty in the war itfelf; for he was present and in fervice in several of the king's journies and expeditions. By these occafions and the report of his high deferts, he fpeedily grew familiar to the chief men of the court and the gown, whom the fortune of the war had drawn together. And particularly, though he was then very young, he had the entire friendship of my Lord FALKLAND, one of the principal fecretaries of state. That affe&tion was contra&ted by the agreement of their learning and manners. For you may remember, Sir, we have often heard Mr. CowLEY admire him, not only for the profoundness of his knowledge, which was applauded by all the world, but more especially for thofe qualities which he himself more regarded, for his generofity of mind, and his neglect of the vain pomp of human greatness.

DURING the heat of the civil war, he was fettled in my Lord ST. ALBANS' family, and attended her majesty the Queen-mother, when, by the unjust perfecution of her subje&s, she was forced to retire into France. Upon this wandering condition of the most vigorous part of his life, he was wont to reflect, as the cause of the long interruption of his studies. Yet we

have no reason to think that he loft fo great a space of time, if we confider in what business. he employed his banishment. He was abfent from his native country above twelve years; which were wholly spent either in bearing a share in the distresses of the royal family, or in labouring in their affairs. To this purpose he performed several dangerous journies into Jerfey, Scotland, Flanders, Holland, or whereever else the king's troubles required his attendance. But the chief teftimony of his fidelity was, the laborious fervice he underwent in maintaining the conftant correfpondence between the late king and the queen his wife. In that weighty truft he behaved himself with indefatigable integrity, and unfufpected fecrecy. For he cyphered and decyphered, with his own hand, the greatest part of all the letters that paffed between their majesties, and managed a vast intelligence in many other parts: which, for fome years together, took up all his days, and two or three nights every week.

AT length, upon his prefent majefty's removal out of France, and the queen-mother's ftaying behind, the business of that nature paffed of course into other hands. Then it was thought fit, by thofe on whom he depended," that he should come over into England, and,

under

under pretence of privacy and retirement, should take occafion of giving notice of the posture of things in this nation. Upon his return, he found his country groaning under the oppreffion of an unjuft ufurpation; and he foon felt the effects of it. For, while he lay hid in London, he was feized on by a miftake, the fearch having been intended after another gentleman, of confiderable note in the king's party. Being made a prifoner, he was often examined. before the ufurpers, who tried all imaginable ways to make him serviceable to their ends. That course not prevailing, he was committed to a fevere restraint; and scarce at last obtained his liberty upon the hard terms of a thousand pound bail, which burden Dr. SCARBOROUGH very honourably took upon himself. Under thefe bonds he continued till the general redemption. Yet, taking the opportunity of the confusions that followed upon CROMWELL's death, he ventured back into France, and there remained in the same station as before, till near the time of the king's return.

THIS, certainly, Sir, is abundantly fufficient to justify his loyalty to all the world; tho' fome have endeavoured to bring it in question, upon occafion of a few lines in the Preface to one of his books. The obje&ion I must not

pass by in filence, because it was the only part of his life, that was liable to misinterpretation, even by the confeffion of those that envied his fame. In this cafe, perhaps, it were enough to alledge for him, to men of moderate minds, that what he there faid was published before a book of poetry, and fo ought rather to be esteemed as a problem of his fancy and invention, than as the real image of his judgment. But his defence in this matter may be laid on a furer foundation. This is the true reason that is to be given of his delivering that opinion. Upon his coming over, he found the state of the royal party very defperate. He perceived the strength of their enemies fo united, that, till it should begin to break within itself, all endeavours against it were like to prove unsuccessful. On the other fide, he beheld their zeal for his majesty's cause to be still fo active, that it often hurried them into inevitable ruin. He faw this with much grief. And though he approved their conftancy as much as any man living, yet he found their unfeasonable shewing it, did only difable themselves, and give their adverfaries great advantages of riches and strength by their defeats. He therefore believed that it would be a meritorious fervice to the king, if any man, who was known to have followed

his intereft, could infinuate into the ufurpers minds, that men of his principles were now willing to be quiet, and could perfuade the poor oppreffed royalifts to conceal their affections, for better occafions. And as for his own particular, he was a close prifoner when he writ that against which the exception is made; fo that he faw it was impoffible for him to pursue the ends for which he came hither, if he did not make fome kind of declaration of his peaceable intentions. This was then his opinion; and the fuccefs of things feems to prove, that it was not very ill grounded. For certainly it was one of the greatest helps to the king's affairs, about the latter end of that tyranny, that many of his best friends diffembled their counfels, and acted the fame designs, under the disguises and names of other parties.

THIS, Sir, you can testify to have been the innocent occafion of these words, on which fo much clamour was raifed. Yet, seeing his good intentions were so ill interpreted, he told me, the last time that ever I saw him, that he would have them omitted in the next impreffion of which his friend Mr. Cook is a witnefs. However, if we fhould take them in the worst sense of which they are capable: yet me

thinks