a metrical verfion of the Pfalms of Da-vid. In this attempt he has failed; but, in facred poetry, who has fucceeded?

It might be hoped that the favour of his mafter and efteem of the publick would now make him happy. But human felicity is fhort and uncertain: a fecond marriage brought upon him so much difquiet, as for a time difordered his understanding; and Butler lam-pooned 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

His frenzy lafted not long; and he feems to have regained his full force of nind; for he wrote afterwards his ex

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

He appears to have had, in common with almost all mankind, the ambition of being upon proper occafions 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 againft peace in the clofe "Committes," be excepted. For grave burlesque, however, his imitation of Davenant fhews him to have been well: qualified.

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

Fletcher, we have an image that has

fince been often adopted:

"Nor is thy fame on leffer ruins built, "Nor need thy jufter title the foul

"Of eastern kings, who, to fecure "their reign,

"Must have their brothers, fons, and "kindred flain."

After Denham, Orrery, in one of his prologues,

"Poets are fultans, if they had their will; "For every author would his brother

kill."

-And Pope,

"Should fuch a man, too fond to rule

"alone,

"Bear like the Turk no brother near

"the throne."

But this is not the best of his little pieces it is excelled by his poem to Fanfhaw, and his elegy on Cowley.

His praife of Fanshaw's verfion of Guarini, contains a very fpritely and judicious character of a good tranfla

stor :

That fervile path thou nobly doft "decline,

Of tracing word by word, and line

by line.

Thofe