when he, for age, could neither read nor write, are not inferior to the effufions of his youth.

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Towards the decline of life, he bought a small house, with a little land, at Colfhill; and faid, "he fhould be glad to die, like the ftag, where he was roufed." This, however, did not happen. When he was at Beaconsfield, he found his legs grow tumid: he went to Windfor, where Sir Charles Scarborough then attended the King, and requested him, as both a friend and physician, to tell him, what that fwelling meant. Sir," anfwered Scarborough, your blood will run "no longer." Waller repeated fome lines of Virgil, and went home to die.

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As the disease increafed upon him, he compofed himself for his departure; and calling upon Dr. Birch to give him the holy facrament, he defired his children to take it with him, and made an earneft declaration of his faith in Christianity. It now appeared, what part of his converfation with the great could be remembered with delight. He related, that being prefent when the duke of Buckingham talked profanely before King Charles, he faid to him, "My Lord, I am a

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great deal older than your grace, and have, "I believe, heard more arguments for atheism "than ever your grace did; but I have lived long enough to fee there is nothing in them; "and fo, I hope, your grace will."

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He died October 21, 1687, and was buried at Beaconsfield, with a monument erected by his fon's executors, for which Rymer wrote the infcription, and which I hope is now refcued from dilapidation.

He left feveral children by his fecond wife; of whom, his daughter was married to Dr. Birch. Benjamin, the eldeft fon, was difinherited, and fent to New Jerfey, as wanting common understanding. Edmund, the fecond fon, inherited the eftate, and represented Agmondesham in parliament, but at last turned Quaker. William, the third fon, was a merchant in London. Stephen, the fourth, was an eminent Doctor of Laws, and one of the Commiffioners for the Union. There is faid to have been a fifth, of whom no account has defcended.

The character of Waller, both moral and intellectual, has been drawn by Clarendon, to whom he was familiarly known, with nicety,

which certainly none to whom he was not known can prefume to emulate. It is therefore inserted here, with fuch remarks as others have fupplied; after which, nothing remains but a critical examination of his poetry.

"Edmund Waller," fays Clarendon, "was "born to a very fair eftate, by the parfimony,

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or frugality, of a wife father and mother: "and he thought it fo commendable an advantage, that he refolved to improve it with "his utmost care, upon which in his nature "he was too much intent; and, in order to "that, he was fo much referved and retired, "that he was fcarce ever heard of, till by his "address and dexterity he had gotten a very "rich wife in the city, against all the recom"mendation and countenance and authority of "the Court, which was thoroughly engaged " on the behalf of Mr. Crofts; and which used "to be fuccefsful in that age, against any op"pofition. He had the good fortune to have

an alliance and friendship with Dr. Morley, "who had affifted and inftructed him in the "reading many good books, to which his na"tural parts and promptitude inclined him,

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efpecially the poets; and at the age when

*other

"other men ufed to give over writing verfes

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(for he was near thirty years when he first engaged himself in that exercise, at least, that he was known to do fo), he furprised

the town with two or three pieces of that "kind; as if a tenth Mufe had been newly

born to cherish drooping poetry. The Doc"tor at that time brought him into that com

pany, which was most celebrated for good

converfation; where he was received and -esteemed, with great applause and respect. "He was a very pleasant difcourfer, in earnest

and in jeft, and therefore very grateful to all "kind of company, where he was not the less efteemed for being very rich.

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"He had been even nurfed in parliaments, - where he fat when he was very young; and fo, when they were refumed again (after a "long intermiffion), he appeared in thofe affemblies with great advantage; having a "graceful way of speaking, and by thinking "much on feveral arguments (which his tem

per and complexion, that had much of melancholic, inclined him to), he seemed often to speak upon the fudden, when the occafion "had only adminiftred the opportunity of fay

"ing what he had thoroughly confidered, "which gave a great luftre to all he faid; “which yet was rather of delight than weight. "There needs no more be said to extol the "excellence and power of his wit, and plea"fantnefs of his converfation, than that it was "of magnitude enough to cover a world of 44 very great faults; that is, so to cover them, that they were not taken notice of to his reproach; "viz. a narrowness in his nature to the lowest "degree; an abjectnefs and want of courage to

support him in any virtuous undertaking, "an infinuation and fervile flattery to the "height, the vainest and most imperious na"ture could be contented with; that it pre"ferved and won his life from thofe who most "refolved to take it, and in an occafion in "which he ought to have been ambitious to "have loft it; and then preferved him again, "from the reproach, and contempt that was "due to him, for so preserving it, and for vin"dicating it at fuch a price; that it had power "to reconcile him to thofe, whom he had moft "offended and provoked; and continued to his age with that rare felicity, that his company "was acceptable, where his fpirit was odious; " and

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