fome things, and rejecting others, an intellectual digeftion that concocted the pulp of learning, but refused the hufks, had the appearance of an inftinctive elegance, of a particular provifion made by Nature for literary politenefs. But in the author's own honeft relation, the marvel vanishes: he was, he says, fuch" an enemy to all constraint, that his "mafter never could prevail on him to learn the "rules without book." He does not tell that he could not learn the rules, but that, being able to perform his exercifes without them, and being an enemy to constraint," he fpared himself the

labour.

Among the English poets, Cowley, Milton, and Pope, might be faid "to lifp in numbers;" and have given fuch early proofs, not only of powers of language, but of comprehenfion of things, as to more tardy minds feems fcarcely credible. But of the learned puerilities of Cowley there is no doubt, fince a volume of his poems was not only written, but printed in his thirteenth year*; containing, with other poetical compofitions, "The tragical "Hiftory of Pyramus and Thifbe," written when he was ten years old; and "Conftantia and Philetus," written two years after.

While he was yet at school he produced a comedy called Love's Riddle," though it was not publifhed till he had been fome time at Cambridge. This comedy is of the paftoral kind, which requires ro acquaintance with the living world, and therefore

* This Volume was not published before 1633, when Cowley was fifteen years old. Dr. Johnson, as well as former Biographers, feems to have been misled by the portrait of Cowley being by mistake marked with the age of thirteen years. R.

HE Life of Cowley, notwithstanding the penury

of English biography, has been written by Dr. Sprat, an author whofe pregnancy of imagination and elegance of language have defervedly fet him high in the ranks of literature; but his zeal of friendship, or ambition of eloquence, has produced a funeral oration rather than a hiftory: he has given the character, not the life, of Cowley; for he writes with fo little detail, that fcarcely any thing is diftinctly known, but all is fhewn confufed and enlarged through the milt of panegyrick.

ABRAHAM COWLEY was born in the year one thousand fix hundred and eighteen. His father was a grocer, whofe condition Dr. Sprat conceals under the general appellation of a citizen; and, what would probably not have been lefs carefully suppressed, the omiffion of his name in the register of St. Dunstan's parifh gives reafon to fufpect that his father was a fectary. Whoever he was, he died before the birth of his fon, and confequently left him to the care of his mother; whom Wood repreVOL. IX.

B

fents

fents as fruggling earneftly to procure him a literary education, and who, as the lived to the age of eighty, had her folicitude rewarded by feeing her fon eminent, and, I hope, by feeing him fortunate, and partaking his profperity. We know at least, from Sprat's account, that he always acknowledged her care, and justly paid the dues of filial gratitude. In the window of his mother's apartment lay Spenfer's Fairy Queen; in which he very early took delight to read, till, by feeling the charms of verse, he became, as he relates, irrecoverably a poet. Such are the accidents which, fometimes remembered, and perhaps fometimes forgotten, produce that particular defignation of mind, and propenfity for fome certain fcience or employment, which is commonly called Genius. The true Genius is a mind of large general powers, accidentally determined to fome particular direction. Sir Joshua Reynolds, the great Painter of the prefent age, had the firft fondnefs for his art excited by the perufal of Richardfon's treatise.

By his mother's folicitation he was admitted into Weftininfter-school, where he was foon diftinguished. He was wont, fays Sprat, to relate, "That he had "this defect in his memory at that time, that his "teachers never could bring it to retain the ordinary "rules of grammar."

This is an inftance of the natural defire of man to propagate a wonder. It is furely very difficult to tell any thing as it was heard, when Sprat could not refrain from amplifying a commodious incident, though the book to which he prefixed his narrative contained its confutation. A memory admitting

fome

fome things, and rejecting others, an intellectual digeftion that concocted the pulp of learning, but refused the husks, had the appearance of an inftinctive elegance, of a particular provifion made by Nature for literary politeness. But in the author's own honest relation, the marvel vanishes: he was, he fays, fuch" an enemy to all constraint, that his "mafter never could prevail on him to learn the "rules without book." He does not tell that he could not learn the rules, but that, being able to perform his exercifes without them, and being an enemy to constraint," he fpared himfelf the

labour.

Among the English poets, Cowley, Milton, and Pope, might be faid "to lifp in numbers;" and have given fuch early proofs, not only of powers of language, but of comprehenfion of things, as to more tardy minds feems fcarcely credible. But of the learned puerilities of Cowley there is no doubt, fince a volume of his poems was not only written, but printed in his thirteenth year*; containing, with other poetical compofitions, "The tragical "History of Pyramus and Thisbe," written when he was ten years old; and "Conftantia and Philetus," written two years after.

While he was yet at school he produced a comedy called "Love's Riddle," though it was not publifhed till he had been fome time at Cambridge. This comedy is of the paftoral kind, which requires ro acquaintance with the living world, and therefore

* This Volume was not published before 1633, when Cowley was fifteen years old. Dr. Johnson, as well as former Biographers, feems to have been mifled by the portrait of Cowley being by mistake marked with the age of thirteen years. R.