flowers, fome inclining to a yellow, and others of a pale red. Some interpreters are of opinion that the Hebrew word denotes this plant in the fourth Chapter of Jonah, which our tranflators have render'd, a gourd. The trunk of the Papà is of a soft pithy substance, five or fix inches round: it bears a coarfe fruit which ferves to eat with boil'd flesh; and is esteem'd to be wholesome, though not very delicious. So, in this northern tract, our hoarfer throats, &c.] That the air and water of thofe temperate climates contribute much to mend the tone of the voice, will appear very credible to those who believe what is reported of the inhabitants of Paraguay; who by drinking of the Rio de la Plata have their voices improv'd to emulate the variety and fweetness of an Organ. With the faweet found of Sachariffa's name &c.] It cannot be fuppos'd that Mr. Waller wou'd infinuate any remains of paffion for the Lady Dorothy after her marriage; the names of Sidney and Sacharissa were laid down together in 1639; so that this Poem was certainly written before that year, though there are no hints from which we can discover exactly the time of its production. In the conclufion of the *laft Poem to that Lady, he declares his refolution to make a voyage to divert his defpair: and if he was a proprietor of the Summer-Islands, as it is reported he was, he might per→ haps at that time accompany his friend the Earl of Warwick, who had a large fhare in that plantation: and that divifion of Bermuda, which was ‡ the Scene of this action which Mr. Waller records, bears the name of that Earl who, instead of loit'ring away life in Courtattendance, employ'd his younger years in fettling colonies in the Weft-Indies: an employment more innocent, as well as more honourable, than what he afterwards engag'd in! "He was a man of a companionable wit, " and Page 54. Ibid. * Page 43 Page 56. "and converfation; of an univerfal jollity; and fuch a "licenfe in his words, and in his actions, that a man "of lefs virtue could not be found out: fo that one "might reasonably have believ'd, that a man fo quali"fy'd would not have been able to have contributed "much to the overthrow of a nation, and kingdom. "But, with all these faults, he had great authority "with that people, who, in the beginning of the trou❝bles, did all the mischief: and by opening his doors, "and making his houfe the rendezvous of all the "filenc'd Minifters, in the time when there was autho"rity to filence them; and spending a good part of "his estate (of which he was very prodigal) upon them; "and by being present with them at their devotions; "and making himself merry with them, and at them,' "(which they difpens'd with) he became the head of "that party, and got the style of a Godly Man. When "the King revok'd the Earl of Northumberland's Com miffion of Admiral, he presently accepted the office "from the Parliament; and never quitted their fervice. "And when Cromwell disbanded that Parliament, he "betook himself to the protection of the Protector; * married his heir to his daughter; and liv'd in fo "entire a confidence, and friendship, with him, that "when he dy'd the Protector exceedingly lamented him. He left his eftate (which before was fubject to a vaft debt) more improv'd, and repair'd, than any man who traffick'd in that desperate commodity of "Rebellion." 66 66 E. of Clarendon's History, Book VI. Like Spenfer's Talus with his iron flail.] In the fifth book of the Fairy Queen he is faid to have waited on Aftræa: # Page 57. But, But, when he parted hence, fhe left her groom, Who in his hand an iron flail did hold, With which he threfb'd-out falfhood, and did truth unfold. A bold machine, and proper only to be play'd in Fairy Land! but, it is not of Spenfer's invention. For, Talus was a ftrict minifter of justice under Radamantbus. King of Crete, who us'd yearly to make three circuits round that island to put the laws in execution; which being engrav'd on brazen tablets, the Greeks, in their allegorical manner of fpeech, call'd him The Man of Brafs; in which form he is represented by Apollonius in the Argonautics. + *** The pious Trojan fo, Neglecting for Creufa's fe his own, Repeats the danger of the burning town.] Alluding to this paffage in Virgil's fecond Eneid: Ipfe urbem repeto, & cingor fulgentibus armis; In fhining armor once again I fheath My limbs; nor feeling wounds, nor fearing death: Then headlong to the burning walls I run, And feek the danger I was forc'd to shun. Mr. Dryden. + Page 58. To *To my Lord of Falkland. In the beginning of the year 1639, (when Mr. Waller was in the thirty-fourth year of his age) King Charles was oblig'd to raise an army to oppose the Scots in their intended invafion of England; and appointed the Earl of Holland, brother to the foremention'd Earl of Warwick, to be General of the Horfe; which prov'd of fatal . confequence to his Majesty's fervice: for, he no fooner brought the troops within view of the rebels, but he made a moft fhameful retreat; and left his courage, conduct, and fidelity to be queftion'd by all men, as their paffions, or interefts, inclin'd them to cenfure. "He was a very well-bred man, and a fine Gentleman "in good times; but, too much defir'd to enjoy ease, and plenty, when the King could have neither: and "did think poverty the most infupportable evil that "could befall any man in this world." And by that base maxim he was probably sway'd, after he had re ceiv'd many unmerited favors, to abandon his royal benefactor when he most wanted his fervice. But, his ingratitude was feverely reveng'd upon him by the very Party to which he revolted: and too late endeavouring to redeem the reputation of loyalty, he fell unpity'd a facrifice to the fame faction, for which, not many years before, he had too wantonly prostituted his honor. In that inglorious northern expedition, which occafion'd the writing this Poem, he was accompany'd by that great ornament of human nature, Lucius Carey, Lord Viscount Falkland; who about four years afterwards was flain at the battle of Newbury. "A per"fon of fuch prodigious parts of learning and knowledge, of that inimitable sweetness and delight in "converfation, of fo flowing and obliging a humanity "and goodness to mankind, and of that primitive 66 * Page 62. fim 66 fimplicity and integrity of life, that, if there were 66 no other brand upon this odious and accurfed civil war than that fingle lofs, it must be most infamous " and execrable to all posterity." 66 E. of Clarendon's Hiftory, Book VII. Apollo bears as well his bow, as harp, &c.] Homer in his eleventh Odyssey, and after him many of the Greek and Latin Poets, have mention'd the Giants' war; but, here it will be fufficient to quote a paffage from Horace, which Mr. Waller feems to have principally regarded in this allufion. Sed quid Typhoeus, & validus Mimas, Ode IV. Lib. What could Typhæus' tow'ring pride, And Rhatus in the tumult join'd; From mountain-tops who tore the woods, S 3. How + Page 63. |