BESIDES this imitating of PINDAR, which may perhaps be thought rather a new fort of writing, than a restoring of an antient; he has also been wonderfully happy, in translating many difficult parts of the noblest poets of antiquity. To perform this according to the dignity of the attempt, he had, as it was neceffary he should have, not only the elegance of both the lan guages, but the true fpirit of both the poetries. This way of leaving verbal translations, and chiefly regarding the fenfe and genius of the author, was scarce heard of in England, before this prefent age. I will not presume to say, that Mr. COWLEY was the abfolute inventor of it. Nay, I know that others had the good luck to recommend it first in print. Yet I appeal to you, Sir, whether he did not conceive it, and difcourse of it, and practise it, as foon as any

man.

HIS Davideis was wholly written in fo young an age; that, if we fhall reflect on the vastness of the argument, and his manner of handling it, he may feem like one of the miracles that he there adorns, like a boy attempting Goliah. I have often heard you declare, that he had finished the greatest part of it, while he was yet a young student at Cambridge. This perhaps

perhaps may be the reason, that in some few places, there is more youthfulness and redundance of fancy than his riper judgment would have allowed. I know, Sir, you will give me leave to use this liberty of cenfure; for I do not here pretend to a professed panegyric, but rather to give a just opinion concerning him. But for the main of it, I will affirm, that it is a better instance and beginning of a divine poem, than I ever yet faw in any language. The contrivance is perfectly antient, which is certainly the true form of heroic poetry, and fuch as was never yet outdone by any new devices of modern wits. The fubje&t was truly divine, even according to God's own heart. The matter of his invention, all the treasures of knowledge and hiftories in the Bible. The model of it comprehended all the learning of the East. The characters, lofty and various: the numbers, firm and powerful: the digreffions, beautiful and proportionable: the defign, to submit mortal wit to heavenly truths: in all there is an admirable mixture of human virtues and paffions, with religious raptures.

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THE truth is, Sir, methinks in other matters, his wit excelled most other mens: but in his moral and divine works it outdid itself. And no doubt it proceeded from this cause; that in other

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other lighter kinds of poetry, he chiefly reprefented the humours and affections of others; but in these he fat to himself, and drew the figure of his own mind. I know it has been objected against him by fome morofe zealots, that he has done an injury to the scripture, by sprinkling all his works with many allufions and fimilitudes that he took out of the Bible. But to thefe men it were a fufficient reply, to compare their own practice with his, in this particular. They make use of scripture phrases and quotations, in all their common difcourfe. They employ the words of holy writ, to countenance the extra-vagance of their own opinions and affections. And why then might not he take the liberty to fetch from thence fome ornament, for the innocent paffions, and natural truths, and moral virtues, which he describes?

THIS is confutation enough to that fort of -men. As to the thing itself, it is fo far from being a debafing of divinity, to make some parts of it the fubje&ts of our fancy, that it is a fure way to establish it familiarly on the hearts of the people, and to give it a durable impression on the minds of wife men. Of this we have a powerful inftance amongst the antients. For their wit has lafted much longer than the practice of any of their religions. And the very memory

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of most of their divine worship had perished, if it had not been expressed and preferved by their poets. But Mr. COWLEY himself did of all men living abhor the abuse of scripture by licentious raillery; which ought not only to be esteemed the meanest kind of wit, but the worst fort of ill-manners. This perhaps some men would be loth to hear proved, who practise it under the false title of a genteel quality: but the truth of it is unquestionable. For the ordinary ill-breeding is only an indecence and offence against some particular custom, or gesture, or behaviour in use. But this prophaneness is a violation of the very support of human fociety, and a rudeness against the best manners, that all mankind can pra&ife, which is a just reverence of the Supreme Power of all the world.

In his Latin poems he has expressed to admiration, all the numbers of verfe, and figures of poefy, that are fcattered up and down amongst the antients. There is hardly to be found in them all any good fashion of speech, or colour of measure, but he has comprehended it, and given inftances of it, according as his several arguments required either a majestic spirit, or a paffionate, or a pleasant. This is the more extraordinary, in that it was never yet performed by any fingle poet of the antient Romans VOL. I. C themselves.

themselves. They had the language natural to them, and fo might eafily have moulded it into what form or humour they pleased: yet it was their conftant custom, to confine all their thoughts and practice to one or two ways of writing, as despairing ever to compass all together. This is evident in those that excelled in odes and songs, in the comical, tragical, epical, elegiacal, or fatyrical way. And this perhaps occafioned the first diftinction and number of the muses. For they thought the task too hard for any one of them, though they fancied them to be goddeffes. And therefore they divided it among them all, and only recommended to each of them, the care of a diftin& character of poetry and music,

THE Occasion of his choosing the subject of his fix books of plants, was this; when he returned into England, he was advised to diffemble the main intention of his coming over, under the disguise of applying himself to fome fettled profeffion. And that of physic was thought most proper. To this purpose, after many anatomical diffe&tions, he proceeded to the confideration of Simples; and having furnished himself with books of that nature, he retired into a fruitful part of Kent, where every field and wood might shew him the real figures of those

plants