fidered as the firft of his poetical productions. His choice of encomiaftick topicks is very judicious; for he confiders Cromwell in his exaltation, without enquiring how he attained it; there is confequently no mention of the rebel or the regicide. All the former part of his hero's life is veiled with fhades; and nothing is brought to view but the chief, the governor, the defender of England's honour, and the enlarger of her dominion. The act of violence by which he obtained the fupreme power is lightly treated, and decently justified. It was certainly to be defired that the deteftable band fhould be diffolved, which had destroyed the Church, murdered the King, and filled the nation with tumult and oppreffion; yet Cromwell had not the right of diffolving them, for all that he had before done could be justified only by fuppofing them invested with lawlefs authority. But combinations of wickednefs would overwhelm the world by the advantage which licentious principles afford, did not thofe, who have long practifed perfidy, grow faithlefs to each other.

In the poem on the war with Spain are fome paffages at least equal to the best parts of the Panegyrick; and, in the conclufion, the poet ventures yet a higher flight of flattery, by recommending royalty to Cromwell and the nation. Cromwell was very defirous, as appears from his converfation, related by Whitlock, of adding the title to the power of monarchy, and is fuppofed to have been with-held from it partly by fear of the army, and partly by fear of the laws, which, when he fhould govern by the name of King, would have restrained his authority. When therefore a deputation was folemnly fent to

invite him to the Crown, he, after a long conference, refused it, but is faid to have fainted in his coach, when he parted from them.

The poem on the death of the Protector feems to have been dictated by real veneration for his memory. Dryden and Sprat wrote on the fame occafion; but they were young men, ftruggling into notice, and hoping for fome favour from the ruling party. Waller had little to expect; he had received nothing but his pardon from Cromwell, and was not likely to ask any thing from thofe who fhould fucceed him.

Soon afterwards, the Restoration fupplied him with another fubject; and he exerted his imagination, his elegance, and his melody, with equal alacrity, for Charles the Second. It is not poffible to read, without fome contempt and indignation, poems of the same author, afcribing the highest degree of power and piety to Charles the First, then transferring the fame power and piety to Oliver Cromwell, now inviting Oliver to take the Crown, and then congratulating Charles the Second on his recovered right. Neither Cromwell nor Charles could value his teftimony as the effect of conviction, or receive his praises as effufions of reverence; they could confider them but as the labour of invention, and the tribute of dependence.

Poets, indeed, profefs fiction; but the legitimate end of fiction is the conveyance of truth; and he that has flattery ready for all whom the viciffitudes of the world happen to exalt, must be fcorned as a prostituted mind, that may retain the glitter of wit, but has loft the dignity of virtue.

The

The Congratulation was confidered as inferior in poetical merit to the Panegyrick; and it is reported, that, when the King told Waller of the difparity, he anfwered, "Poets, Sir, fucceed better in fiction than "in truth."

The Congratulation is indeed not inferior to the Panegyrick, either by decay of genius, or for want of diligence; but because Cromwell had done much, and Charles had done little, Cromwell wanted nothing to raise him to heroick excellence but virtue; and virtue his poet thought himself at liberty to supply. Charles had yet only the merit of ftruggling without fuccefs, and fuffering without defpair. A life of escapes and indigence could fupply poetry with no fplendid images.

In the first Parliament fummoned by Charles the Second (March 8, 1661), Waller fat for Haftings in Suffex, and ferved for different places in all the Parliaments of that reign. In a time when fancy and gaiety were the most powerful recommendations to regard, it is not likely that Waller was forgotten. He paffed his time in the company that was highest, both in rank and wit, from which even his obftinate fociety did not exclude him. Though he drank water, he was enabled by his fertility of mind to heighten the mirth of Bacchanalian affemblies; and Mr. Saville faid, that "no man in England should keep him company without drinking but Ned "Waller."

The praise given him by St. Evremond is a proof of his reputation; for it was only by his reputation that he could be known, as a writer, to a man who, though he lived a great part of a long life upon

an English penfion, never condefcended to underftand the language of the nation that maintained him. In the Parliament," he was," fays Burnet," the delight of the house, and though old faid the "livelieft things of any among them.

This, howyear feventy-five, His name as a

ever, is faid in his account of the when Waller was only feventy. speaker occurs often in Grey's Collections; but I have found no extracts that can be more quoted as exhibiting fallies of gaiety than cogency of argument.

He was of fuch confideration, that his remarks were circulated and recorded. When the Duke of York's influence was high, both in Scotland and England, it drew, fays Burnet, a lively (reflection from Waller the celebrated wit. He faid, "the "House of Commons had refolved that the Duke "should not reign after the King's death: but the King, in oppofition to them, had refolved that "he fhould reign even in his life." If there appear no extraordinary liveliness in this remark, yet its reception proves the fpeaker to have been a celebrated wit, to have had a name which men of wit were proud of mentioning.

He did not fuffer his reputation to die gradually away, which may eafily happen in a long life, but renewed his claim to poetical diftinction from time to time, as occafions were offered, either by publick events or private incidents; and, contenting himself with the influence of his Mufe, or loving quiet better than influence, he never accepted any office of magiftracy.

He

He was not, however, without fome attention to his fortune; for he asked from the King (in 1665) the provostship of Eton College, and obtained it; but Clarendon refufed to put the feal to the grant, alledging that it could be held only by a clergyman. It is known that Sir Henry Wotton qualified himself for it by deacons' orders.

To this oppofition, the Biographia imputes the violence and acrimony with which Waller joined Buck. ingham's faction in the profecution of Clarendon. The motive was illiberal and difhoneft, and fhewed that more than fixty years had not been able to teach him morality. His accufation is fuch as confcience can hardly be fuppofed to dictate without the help of malice.

"We were to be governed by Janizaries "inftead of Parliaments, and are in danger from a "worse plot than that of the fifth of November; "then, if the Lords and Commons had been de

ftroyed, there had been a fucceffion; but here "both had been deftroyed for ever." This is the language of a man who is glad of an opportunity to rail, and ready to facrifice truth to intereft at one time, and to anger at another.

A year after the Chancellor's banishment, another vacancy gave him encouragement for another petition, which the King referred to the council, who, after hearing the question argued by lawyers for three days, determined that the office could be held only by a clergyman, according to the Act of Uniformity, fince the provosts had always received inftitution, as for a parfonage, from the bishops of Lincoln. The King then faid, he could not break the law which he had made: