Cromwell, now protector, received Waller, as his kinfman, to a familiar converfation. Waller, as he used to relate, found him fufficiently verfed in ancient history; and when any of his enthufiaftick friends came to advife or confult him, could fometimes overhear him difcourfing in the cant of the times: but, when he returned, he would fay, "Coufin Waller, "I muft talk to these men in their own way:" and refumed the common ftyle of converfation.

He repaid the Protector for his favours (1654) by the famous panegyrick, which has been always confidered as the firft of his poetical productions. His choice of encomiaftic topicks is very judicious; for he confiders Cromwell in his exaltation, without enquiring how he attained it; there is confequently no mention of the rebel or the regicide. All the former part of his hero's life is veiled with fhades; and nothing is brought to view but the chief, the governor, the defender of England's honour, and the enlarger of her dominion. The act of violence by which hè obtained the fupreme power is lightly treated, and decently juftified. It was certainly to be defired that the deteftable band fhould be diffolved,

VOL. II.

D

folved, which had destroyed the church, murdered the King, and filled the nation with tumult and oppreffion; yet Cromwell had not the right of diffolving them, for all that he had before done could be justified only by fuppofing them invested with lawful authority. But combinations of wickednefs would overwhelm the world by the advantage which licentious principles afford, did not thofe, who have long practifed perfidy, grow faithlefs to each other.

In the poem on the war with Spain are some paffages at least equal to the best parts of the panegyrick; and, in the conclufion, the poet ventures yet a higher flight of flattery, by recommending royalty to Cromwell and the nation. Cromwell was very defirous, as appears from his converfation, related by Whitlock, of adding the title to the power of monarchy, and is fuppofed to have been with-held from it partly by fear of the army, and partly by fear of the laws, which, when he should govern by the name of King, would have reftrained his authority. When therefore a deputation was folemnly fent to invite him to the Crown, he, after a long conference, refufed

fufed it, but is faid to have fainted in his coach, when he parted from them.

The poem on the death of the Protector seems to have been dictated by real veneration for his memory. Dryden and Sprat wrote on the fame occafion; but they were young men, ftruggling into notice, and hoping for fome favour from the ruling party. Waller had little to expect he had received nothing but his pardon from Cromwell, and was not likely to ask any thing from those who should fucceed him.

Soon afterwards the Reftauration fupplied him with another fubject: and he exerted his imagination, his elegance, and his melody, with equal alacrity, for Charles the Second. It is not poffible to read, without fome contempt and indignation, poems of the fame author, afcribing the highest degree of power and piety to Charles the First, then transferring the fame power and piety to Oliver Cromwell, now inviting Oliver to take the Crown, and then congratulating Charles the Second on his recovered right. Neither Cromwell nor Charles could value his teftimony as the effect of conviction, or receive his praifes as effufions of

reverence; they could confider them but as the labour of invention, and the tribute of dependence.

f

Poets, indeed, profess fiction; but the legitimate end of fiction is the conveyance of truth; and he that has flattery ready for all whom the viciffitudes of the world happen to exalt, must be scorned as a prostituted mind, that may retain the glitter of wit, but has lost the dignity of virtue.

The Congratulation was confidered as inferior in poetical merit to the Panegyrick; and it is reported, that, when the king told Waller of the difparity, he answered, Poets, Sir, fucceed better in fiction than in truth."

The Congratulation is indeed not inferior to the Panegyrick, either by decay of genius, or for want of diligence; but because Cromwell had done much, and Charles had done little. Cromwell wanted. nothing to raise him to heroick excellence, but virtue; and virtue his poet thought himself at liberty to supply. Charles had yet only the merit of struggling without fuccefs, and fuffering without despair. A life of cfcapes and indigence could fupply poetry with no fplendid images.

In the first parliament fummoned by Charles the Second (March 8, 1661), Waller fat for Haftings in Suffex, and ferved for different places in all the parliaments of that reign. In a time when fancy and gaiety were the most powerful recommendations to regard, it is not likely that Waller was forgotten. He paffed his time in the company that was highest, both in rank and wit, from which even his obftinate fobriety did not exclude him. Thought he drank water, he was enabled by his fertility of mind to heighten the mirth of Bacchanalian affemblies; and Mr. Saville faid, that "no man "in England should keep him company without drinking but Ned Waller."

The praise given him by St. Evremond is a proof of his reputation; for it was only by his reputation that he could be known, as a writer, to a man who, though he lived a great part of a long life upon an English penfion, never condefcended to understand the language of the nation that maintained him.

In the parliament, "he was," fays Burnet, "the delight of the house, and though old faid "the livelieft things of any among them." Thi, however, is faid in his account of the