in the world equal to him, for portraits. He came over into England foon after Rubens had left it, and was entertain'd in the fervice of King Charles the First ; who conceiv'd a marvellous esteem for his works; honor'd him with Knighthood; prefented him with his own picture set round with diamonds; affign'd him a confiderable penfion; fat very often to him for his portrait; and was follow'd by most of the nobility, and principal gentry of the Kingdom. But, towards the latter end of his life, he grew weary of the continu'd trouble that attended face-painting; and being ambitious to immortalize his name by fome more glorious undertaking, he went to Paris, in hopes of being employ'd in the grand gallery of the Louvre; but, not fucceeding in that defign, he return'd to England, and made a propofal to the King by his friend Sir Kenelm Digby to form Cartones for the Banquetting-House at Whitehall: the fubject of which was to have been the inftitution of the Order of the Garter, the proceffion of the Knights in their habits, with the ceremony of their instalment, and St. George's feaft. But, his demand of fourfcore thousand pounds being thought unreasonable, whilst the King was upon treating with him for a less fum, the gout and other diftempers put an end to that affair, and his life, 1641, in the forty fecond year of his age; and his body was interr'd in St. Paul's. He was low of ftature, but well proportion'd; very handfome, modeft, and extremely obliging a great enof all who excell'd in any art or science, and courager generous to the very laft degree. He marry'd the daughter of the Lord Ruthen Earl of Gowry, one of the greatest Beauties of the English Court; and liv'd in ftate and grandeur answerable to her birth. His own garb was generally very rich his coaches and equipage magnificent; his retinue numerous; his table very fplendid; and fo much frequented by people of R : the the best quality of both fexes, that his apartments feem'd See Mr. Graham's Lives of the Painters. At Penshurst. The name of this Seat denotes its fituation to be in a woody country, which is the extremity of the Wealde of Kent; to which Mr. Waller has alluded. Embroider'd fo with flowers where she flood, In the Reign of King Edward VI. it was forfeited to the Crown by its former proprietor: and granted by that Prince to Sir William Sidney, Lord Chamberlain of his Houshold. + Had Dorothea liv'd &c.] This verse is printed as it ftands in the old edition: by which the Poem appears to have been written before Mr. Waller had determin'd to celebrate this Lady under the name of Sachariffa: a name which recalls to mind what is related of the Turks, who in their gallantries think Sucar Birpara, i. e. bit of fugar, to be the most polite and endearing complement they can use to the Ladies. For Amphion, and Orpheus, fee the xixth and xxxviiith pages of thefe Obfervations. Of yonder tree, which ftands the mark Of noble Sidney's birth &c.] These verses apparently refer to fome tree in Penfurft Park, that was planted at the birth of the famous Sir Philip; of which there is now no tradition remaining in the family: but we may apply to it what Cicero fays of the Marian oak, Manet vero, & femper manebit, fata eft enim ingenio : nullius * Page 33. Ibid. + Page 33. Page 34. nullius autem agricolæ cultu ftirps tam diuturna, quàm Poeta verfu, feminari poteft. de Legib. lib. 1. Ben John fon has alluded to this tree, in his Foreft, fpeaking of Pensburst : Thou haft thy walks for health, as well as Sport; Where Pan and Bacchus their high feafts have made, : *To my Lord of Leicester, The Earl of Leicester was a man of great parts, very converfant in books, and much addicted to the Mathematics and tho' he had been a foldier, and commanded a regiment in the fervice of the States of the United Provinces, and was afterwards employ'd in feveral embaffies, as in Denmark, and in France, was in truth rather a fpeculative than a practical man; and expected a greater certitude in the confultation of bufinefs, than the bufinefs of this world is capable of: which temper prov'd very inconvenient to him through the course of his life. He was, after the death of the Earl of Strafford, by the concurrent kindness and efteem both of the King and Queen, call'd from his embassy in France to be Lieutenant of the Kingdom of Ireland: and, in a very fhort time after, unhappily loft that kindness and efteem: and being, about the time of the King's coming to Oxford, ready to embark at Chefter, for the execution of his charge, he was required to attend his Majefty for farther inftructions at Oxford; where he remained: and tho' he was of the Council, and fometimes present, he defir'd not to have any part in the business; and lay under many R 2 reproaches * Page 34. reproaches and jealoufies, which he deserved not: for, he was a man of honor, and fidelity to the King; and his greatest misfortunes proceded from the staggering and irrefolution in his nature. E. of Clarendon's Hiftory, Book VI. + Not the bright fhield of Thetis' fon &c.] See Ovid's Metamorphofes, Book xiii. As fair Aftrea &c.] Hefiod calls her the daughter of Jupiter and Themis, and all fucceeding Poets ftyle her the Goddess of justice: during the earlier ages of the world, fhe is faid to have inhabited among men, when all the other Deities had abandon'd them: intimating, that after mankind had renounced all reverence to reli- • gion, they for a while refpected natural equity, as their common fecurity; but that, being too weak a bond for fociety, was eafily broke by the violence and rapine of fucceeding generations. Now, when the world with fin 'gan to abound, Aftræa loathing longer here to space 'Mong ft wicked men, in whom no truth fhe found, Return'd to beav'n, whence fhe deriv'd her race: Where he hath now an everlasting place, 'Mong ft thefe twelve Signs, which nightly we do fee The heaven's bright-shining baudrike to enchace; And is the Virgin, fixth in her degree: And next herself her righteous Ballance hanging be. Spenfer, Book v. Cant. 1. Yet Hymen may in force his vigils keep.] It is agreed on all hands that Hymen was the fon of Bacchus (which feems to imply a fecret fatire that is too dangerous to be reveal'd) but, fome affign Venus, others Urania, for his mother: and marriage was the province over which he was univerfally allow'd to prefide. I have alter'd this verse, + Page 35. Ibid. Page 36. verfe, I hope for the better, without any authority to warrant the change; for, in all the editions it is printed Yet Hymen may inforce her vigils keep. * When lavish nature with her beft attire.] Imitated from Spenfer's Muiopotmos. To the gay gardens his unftaid defire +Thofe painted clouds which form Thaumantias' bow.] The antients call'd Iris, (the Goddess of the rain-bow) daughter of Thaumas, to exprefs their admiration of that beautiful Phænomenon; tho' in that fense she is rather the parent, than the daughter, of wonder. Perhaps they deriv'd her pedigree from that description of the rain-bow in the eleventh Iliad. Jove's wondrous bow, of three cæleftial dyes, A better author than Homer fays, and at least as poetically as he, Look upon the rain-bow, and praise him that made it; very beautiful it is in the brightness thereof. It compaffeth the heaven about with a glorious circle, and the hands of the most high have bended it. * So th' amorous tree, whilft yet the air is calm, Juft diftance keeps from his defired Palm &c.] Ovalle, whofe accurate inquiries into the productions of nature justly raise the value of his defcription of Chili, informs us, that the Palm-trees in that climate have this wonderful property, that they never will bear any fruit but when they are planted near each other. And when they find one standing barren by itself, if they plant another, be it never fo small, (which they call the female) it will become prolific: which, fays he, I have myself found true by experiments, and 'tis a thing well known to all. R 3 * Page 36. + Page 37. Ibid. The |