CHA P. pofterity. It is faid, that he had faved Davenant's life LXIII. during the Protectorship; and Davenant in return af

forded him like protection after the restoration; being 1660. fenfible that men of letters ought always to regard their fympathy of taste as a more powerful band of union, than any difference of party or opinion as a fource of animofity. It was during a state of poverty, blindness, difgrace, danger and old age, that Milton compofed his wonderful poem, which not only furpaffed all the performances of his cotemporaries, but all the compositions, which had flowed from his pen, during the vigour of his age, and the height of his profperity. This circumstance is not the leaft remarkable of all thofe which attend that great genius.

WALLER was the first refiner of English poetry, at least of English rhyme; but his performances ftill abound with many faults, and what is more material, they contain but feeble and fuperficial beauties. Gaiety, wit, and ingenuity are their ruling character: They aspire not to the fublime; ftill lefs to the pathetic. They treat of love, without making us feel any tenderness; and abound in panegyric, without exciting admiration. The panegyric, however, on Cromwel, contains more force than we should expect from the other compofitions of this poet,

WALLER was born to an ample fortune, was early introduced to the court, and lived in the best company. He poffeffed talents for eloquence as well as poetry; and till his death, which happened in a good old age, he was the delight of the house of commons, The errors of his life proceeded more from want of courage than of honour or integrity.

COWLEY is an author extremely corrupted by the bad tate of his age; but had he lived even in the purest timė of Greece and Rome, he must always have been a very indifferent poet. He had no ear for harmony; and his verses are only known to be fuch by the rhyme, which terminates them. In his rugged untuneable numbers are conveyed fentiments the most strained and violent; long fpun allegories, diftant allufions, and forced conceits. Great ingenuity, however, and vigour of thought fometimes break out amidst thofe unnatural conceptions: A few anacreontics furprife us by their eafe and gaiety: His profe writings pleafe, by the honefty and goodness which they exprefs, and even by their spleen and melancholy.

This author was much more praised and admired during CHA P. his life time, and celebrated after his death, than the great LXIII. Milton.

SIR JOHN DENHAM in his Cooper's Hill (for none of 1660. his other poems merit attention jhas a loftinefs and vigour, which had not before him been attained by any English poet, who wrote in rhyme. The mechanical difficulties of that measure retarded its improvement. Shakespeare, whofe tragic scenes are fometimes fo wonderfully forcible and expreffive, is a very indifferent poet, when he attempts to ryhme. Precifion and neatness are chiefly wanting in

Denham.

No author in that age was more celebrated both abroad and at home than Hobbes: In our times, he is much neglected: A lively inftance, how precarious all reputations, founded on reafoning and philofophy! A pleasant comedy, which paints the manners of the age, and exposes a faithful picture of nature, is a durable work, and is tranfmitted to the lateft pofterity. But a fyftem, whether physical or metaphyfica!, owes commonly its fuccefs to its novelty; and is no fooner canvaffed with impartiality than its weakness is discovered. Hobbes's politics are fitted only to promote tyranny, and his ethics to encourage licentioufnefs. Though an enemy to religion, he partakes nothing of the fpirit of fcepticism; but is as positive and dogmatical as if human reason, and his reafon in particular, could attain a thorough conviction in these subjects. Clearnefs and propriety of ftyle are the chief excellencies of Hobbs's writings. In his own person he is represented to have been a man of virtue; a character no wife surprising, notwithstanding his libertine fyftem of ethics. Timidity is the principal fault, with which he is reproached: He lived to an extreme old age, yet could never reconcile himself to the thoughts of death. The boldness of his opinions and fentiments form a remarkable contraft to this part of his character.

HARRINGTON'S Oceana was well adapted to that age, when the plans of imaginary republics were the daily fubjects of debate and conversation; and even in our time it is justly admired as a work of genius and invention. The idea, however, of a perfect and immortal Commonwealth will always be found as chimerical as that of a perfect and immortal man. The ftyle of this author

wants

CHAP. wants ease and fluency; but the good matter, which his LXIII. work contains, makes ample compenfation.

HARVEY is entitled to the glory of having made, by 1660. reasoning alone, without any mixture of accident, a capital discovery in one of the most important branches of fcience. He had alfo the happiness of establishing at once his theory on the most folid and convincing proofs; and pofterity has added little to the arguments fuggested by his industry and ingenuity. His treatife of the circulation of the blood is farther embellished by that warmth and fpirit, which fo naturally accompany the genius of invention. This great man was much favoured by Charles the firft, who gave him the liberty of ufing all the deer in the royal forefts for perfecting his difcoveries on the generation of animals.

This age affords great materials for hiftory; but did not produce any accomplished hiftorian. Clarendon, however, will always be esteemed an entertaining author, even independent of our curiofity to know the facts, which he relates. His ftyle is prolix and redundant, and fuffocates us by the length of its periods: But it discovers imagination and fentiment, and pleases us at the fame time that we difapprove of it. He is more partial in appearance than in reality: For he feems perpetually anxious to apologize for the king; but his apologies are often well grounded. He is lefs partial in his relation of facts, than in his account of characters: He was too honest a man to falfify the former; his affections were easily capable, unknown to himself, of disguifing the latter. An air of probity and goodness runs through the whole work; as thefe qualities did in reality embellish the whole life of the author.

THESE are the chief performances, which engage the attention of pofterity. Those numberless productions, with which the prefs then abounded; the cant of the pulpit, the declamations of party, the fubtilties of theology; all these have long ago funk into filence and oblivion. Even a writer, fuch as Selden, whofe learning was his chief excellency; or Chillingworth, an acute difputant against the papifts, will scarcely be ranked among the clas fics of our language or country.

СНАР,

New miniftry-Act of indemnity-Settlement of the revenue -Trial and execution of the regicides -Dif Jolution of the convention- Parliament-Prelacy reStored- Infurrection of the Millenarians! -Affairs of Scotland. Conference at the SavoyArguments for and against a comprehension A new parliamentBishop's feats restored Corporation act -Act of uniformityKing's marriage-Trial of Vane-and execution-Prefbyterian clergy ejected. Dunkirk fold to the French-Declaration of indulgence.

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HARLES the fecond, when he afcended the throne C H A P. of his ancestors, was thirty years of age. He pof- LXIV. feffed a vigorous conftitution, a fine fhape, a manly figure, a graceful air; and though his features were harsh, 1660. yet was his countenance in the main lively and engaging. He was in that period of life, when there remains enough of youth to render the perfon amiable, without preventing that authority and regard, which attend the years of experience and maturity. Tenderness was excited by the memory of his recent adverfities. His prefent profperity was the object rather of admiration than of envy. And as the fudden and furprising revolution, which restored him to his regal rights, had also restored the nation to peace, law, order, and liberty; no prince ever obtained a crown in more favourable circumstances, or was more bleft with the cordial affection and attachment of his fubjects.

THIS popularity, the king, by his whole demeanor and behaviour, was well qualified to fupport and to increase. To a lively wit and quick comprehenfion, he united a just understanding and a general obfervation both of men and things. The eafieft manners, the most unaffected politeness, the moft engaging gaiety accompanied his converfation and addrefs. Accuftomed during his exile to live among his courtiers rather like a companion than a monarch, he retained, even while on the throne, that open affability, which was capable of reconciling the most determined republicans to his royal dignity. Totally devoid of refentment, as well from the natural lenity as careleffness

CHAP. careleffness of his temper, he infured pardon to the most LXIV. guilty of his enemies, and left hopes of favour to his most violent opponents. From the whole tenor of his actions 1660. and difcourfe, he feemed defirous of lofing the memory of his paft animofities, and of uniting every party in an affection for their prince and their country.

New mi

niftry.

INTO his council were admitted the moft eminent men of the nation, without regard to former diftin&tions: The prefbyterians, equally with the royalifts, fhared this honour. Annelley was alfo created earl of Anglefey; Ashley Cooper lord Ashley; Denzil Hollis lord Hollis. The earl of Manchester was appointed lord chamberlain, and lord Say privy feal. Calamy and Baxter, prefbyterian clergymen, were even made chaplains to the king.

ADMIRAL MONTAGUE, created earl of Sandwich, was entitled from his recent fervices to great favour; and he obtained it. Monk, created duke of Albemarle, had performed fuch fignal fervices, that, according to a vulgar and malignant obfervation, he ought rather to have expected hatred and ingratitude: Yet was he ever treated by the king with great marks of diftinction. Charles's dif pofition, free from jealousy; and the prudent behaviour of the general, who never over-rated his merits; prevented all thofe difgufts, which naturally arife in fo delicate a fituation. The capacity too of Albemarle was not extenfive, nor were his parts thining. Though he had distinguifhed himself in inferior ftations, he was found, upon familiar acquaintance, not to be wholly equal to those great atchievments, which fortune had enabled him to perform; and he appeared unfit for the court, a scene of life to which he had never been accustomed. Morrice, his friend, was created fecretary of ftate, and was fupported more by his patron's credit than by his own ability or experience.

BUT the choice, which the king at first made of his principal minifters and favourites, was the circumftance, which chiefly gave contentment to the nation, and prognofticated future happiness and tranquility. Sir Edward Hyde, created earl of Clarendon, was chancellor and prime minifter: The marquis, created duke of Ormond, was fteward of the houfhold: The earl of Southampton, high treasurer: Sir Edward Nicholas, fecretary of fate. Thefe men, united together in the Brictest friendship,

and

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