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dition Dr. Sprat conceals under the general appellation of a citizen; and, what would probably not have been lefs carefully suppreffed, the omiffion of his name in the regifter of St. Dunstan's parish, gives reason to fufpect that his father was a fectary. Whoever he was, he died before the birth of his son, and consequently left him to the care of his mother; whom Wood reprefents as struggling earnestly to procure him a literary education, and who, as the lived to the age of eighty, had her folicitude rewarded by seeing her fon eminent, and, I hope, by seeing 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.

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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 verfe, 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 employ

ment,

ment, which is commonly called Genius. The true Genius is a mind of large general powers, accidentally determined to fome particular direction. The great Painter of the prefent age had the first fondnefs for his art excited by the perusal of Richardson's treatife.

By his mother's folicitation he was admitted into Westminster-fchool, 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 66 never could bring it to retain the ordinary "rules of grammar."

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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 things, and rejecting others, an intellectual digestion that concocted the pulp of learning, but refused the hufks, had the appearance of an instinctive elegance, of a particular provifion made by Nature for literary politeness.

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But in the author's own honeft relation, the marvel vanishes: he was, he fays, fuch" an

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enemy to all constraint, that his master 66 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 exercises without them, and being an "enemy to constraint," he fpared himself the labour.

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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 scarcely 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 Thibe," written when he was ten years old; and "Conftantia and Philetus," written two years after.

While he was yet at fchool he produced a comedy called "Love's Riddle," though

it was not published till he had been fome time at Cambridge. This comedy is of the paftoral kind, which requires no acquaintance with the living world, and therefore the time at which it was compofed adds little to the wonders of Cowley's minority.

In 1636, he was removed to Cambridge, where he continued his ftudies with great intenseness; for he is faid to have written, while he was yet a young student, the greater part of his Davideis; a work of which the materials could not have been collected without the study of many years, but by a mind of the greatest vigour and activity.

Two years after his fettlement at Cambridge he published "Love's Riddle," with a poetical dedication to Sir Kenelm Digby; of whofe acquaintance all his contemporaries seem to have been ambitious; and " Nau

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fragium Joculare;" a comedy written in Latin, but without due attention to the ancient models; for it is not loofe verfe, but mere profe. It was printed, with a dedication in verfe to Dr. Comber, master of the college; but having neither the facility of a

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popular nor the accuracy of a learned work, it feems to be now univerfally neglected.

At the beginning of the civil war, as the Prince paffed through Cambridge in his way to York, he was entertained with the representation of the "Guardian," a comedy, which Cowley fays was neither written nor acted, but rough-drawn by him, and repeated by the fcholars. That this comedy was printed during his abfence from his country, he appears to have confidered as injurious to his reputation; though, during the fuppreffion of the theatres, it was fometimes privately acted with fufficient approbation.

In 1643, being now master of arts, he was, by the prevalence of the parliament, ejected from Cambridge, and fheltered himfelf at St. John's College in Oxford; where, as is faid by Wood, he published a fatire called " The Puritan and Papist," which was only inferted in the last collection of his works; and so distinguished himself by the warmth of his loyalty, and the elegance of his converfation, that he gained the kindness and confidence of thofe who attended the King,

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