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powers, who were fent out in queft of another man; and being examined, was put into con finement, from which he was not difmiffed without the fecurity of a thousand pounds given by Dr. Scarborow.

This year he published his poems, with a preface, in which he seems to have inferted fomething, fuppreffed in fubfequent editions, which was interpreted to denote fome relaxation of his loyalty. In this preface he declares, that his defire had been for fome “days past, and did ftill very vehemently "continue, to retire himself to fome of the "American plantations, and to forfake this "world for ever."

From the obloquy which the appearance of fubmiffion to the ufurpers brought upon him, his biographer has been very diligent to clear him, and indeed it does not feem to have leffened his reputation. His wifh for retirement we can easily believe to be undif sembled; a man harraffed in one kingdom, and perfecuted in another, who, after a course of business that employed all his days and half his nights in cyphering and decypher

ing, comes to his own country and steps into a prison, will be willing enough to retire to fome place of quiet, and of safety. Yet let neither our reverence for a genius, nor our pity for a sufferer, difpofe us to forget that, if his activity was virtue, his retreat was cowardice.

He then took upon himself the character of Physician, still, according to Sprat, with intention to diffemble the main defign of "his coming over," and, as Mr. Wood relates, " complying with the men then in

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power (which was much taken notice of "by the royal party), he obtained an order "to be created Doctor of Physick, which ❝ being done to his mind (whereby he gained "the ill-will of fome of his friends), he went "into France again, having made a copy of "verfes on Oliver's death."

This is no favourable representation, yet even in this not much wrong can be discovered. How far he complied with the men in power, is to be enquired before he can be blamed. It is not faid that he told them any fecrets, or affifted them by intelligence, or

any

any other act. If he only promised to be quiet, that they in whose hands he was might free him from confinement, he did what no law of fociety prohibits.

The man whose miscarriage in a just cause has put him in the power of his enemy may, without any violation of his integrity, regain his liberty, or preferve his life, by a promise of neutrality for the ftipulation gives the enemy nothing which he had not before; the neutrality of a captive may be always fecured by his imprisonment or death. He that is at the difpofal of another, may not promise to aid him in any injurious act, because no power can compel active obedience. He may engage to do nothing, but not to

do ill.

There is reafon to think that Cowley promised little. It does not appear that his compliance gained him confidence enough to be trusted without fecurity, for the bond of his bail was never cancelled; not that it made him think himself secure, for at that diffolution of government, which followed the death of Oliver, he returned into France,

where

where he refumed his former ftation, and ftaid till the Restoration.

"He continued," fays his biographer, "under these bonds till the general deli"verance;" it is therefore to be fuppofed, that he did not go to France, and act again for the King, without the confent of his bondfman; that he did not fhew his loyalty at the hazard of his friend, but by his friend's permiffion.

Of the verses on Oliver's death, in which Wood's narrative feems to imply something encomiaftick, there has been no appearance. There is a difcourfe concerning his government, indeed, with verfes intermixed, but fuch as certainly gained its author no friends the abettors of usurpation.

among

A doctor of phyfick however he was made at Oxford, in December 1657; and in the commencement of the Royal Society, of which an account has been published by Dr. Birch, he appears bufy among the experimental philofophers with the title of Doctor

Cowley.
VOL. I.

C

There

There is no reason for fuppofing that he ever attempted practice; but his preparatory studies have contributed fomething to the honour of his country. Confidering Botany as neceffary to a phyfician, he retired into Kent to gather plants; and as the predominance of a favourite study affects all fubordinate operations of the intellect, Botany in the mind of Cowley turned into poetry. He compofed in Latin feveral books on Plants, of which the first and second difplay the qualities of Herbs, in elegiac verfe; the third and fourth the beauties of Flowers in various measures; and in the fifth and fixth, the ufes of Trees in heroick numbers.

At the fame time were produced from the fame university, the two great Poets, Cowley and Milton, of diffimilar genius, of oppofite principles; but concurring in the cultivation of Latin poetry, in which the English, till their works and May's poem appeared, feemed unable to conteft the palm with any other of the lettered na

tions.

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