In 1647, the distreffes of the royal family required him to engage in more dangerous employments. He was entrusted by the queen with a meffage to the king; and, by whatever means, fo far foftened the ferocity of Hugh Peters, that, by his interceffion, admiffion was procured. Of the king's con, defcenfion he has given an account in the dedication of his works,

He was afterwards employed in carrying on the king's correfpondence; and, as he fays, discharged this office with great safety to the royalists and being accidentally dif covered by the adverfe party's knowledge of Mr. Cowley's hand, he escaped happily both for himself and his friends,

He was yet engaged in a greater under taking. In April 1648, he conveyed James the duke of York from London into France, and delivered him there to the Queen and prince of Wales. This year he published his tranflation of "Cato Major."

He

He now refided in France, as one of the followers of the exiled King; and, to divert the melancholy of their condition, was fometimes enjoined by his master to write occafional verfes; one of which amusements was probably his ode or fong upon the Embassy to Poland, by which he and lord Crofts procured a contribution of ten thousand pounds from the Scotch, that wandered over that kingdom. Poland was at that time very much frequented by itinerant traders, who, in a country of very little commerce and of great extent, where every man refided on his own eftate, contributed very much to the accommodation of life, by bringing to every man's house those little neceffaries which it was very inconvenient to want, and very troublefome to fetch. I have formerly read, without much reflection, of the multitude of Scotchmen that travelled with their wares in Poland; and that their numbers were not fmall, the fuccefs of this negotiation gives fufficient evidence,

About this time, what eftate the war and the gamefters had left him was fold, by order

of

of the parliament; and when, in 1652, he returned to England, he was entertained by the earl of Pembroke.

Of the next years of his life there is no account. At the Restoration he obtained, that which many miffed, the reward of his loyalty; being made furveyor of the king's buildings, and dignified with the order of the Bath. He feems now to have learned fome attention to money; for Wood fays, that he got by his place feven thousand pounds.

After the Restoration he wrote the poem on Prudence and Justice, and perhaps some of his other pieces: and as he appears, whenever any ferious queftion comes before him, to have been a man of piety, he confecrated his poetical powers to religion, and made a metrical verfion of the pfalms of David. In this attempt he has failed; but, in facred poetry who has fucceeded?

It might be hoped that the favour of his master and esteem of the publick would now make him happy. But human felicity is

fhort

fhort and uncertain; a fecond marriage. brought upon him fo much difquiet, as for a time difordered his understanding; and Butler lampooned him for his lunacy. I know not whether the malignant lines were then made publick, nor what provocation incited Butler to do that which no provocation can excufe.

His frenzy lafted not long; and he seems to have regained his full force of mind; for he wrote afterwards his excellent poem upon the death of Cowley, whom he was not long to survive; for on the 19th of March, 1668, he was buried by his fide.

DENHAM

DENHAM is defervedly confidered as one of the fathers of English poetry. "Den"ham and Waller," fays Prior, "improved ❝our verfification, and Dryden perfected it." He has given fpecimens of various compofition, descriptive, ludicrous, didactick, and fublime.

He appears to have had, in common with almost all mankind, the ambition of being upon proper occasions a merry fellow, and in common with most of them to have been by nature, or by early habits, debarred from it. Nothing is lefs exhilarating than the ludicroufnefs of Denham. He does not fail for want of efforts: he is familiar, he is grofs; but he is never merry, unless the "Speech against peace in the close Committee" be excepted. For grave burlesque, however, his imitation of Davenant fhews him to have been well qualified.

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Of his more elevated occafional poems there is perhaps none that does not deserve commendation. In the verfes to Fletcher, we