And in this true delight,

These unbought sports, this happy ftate,
I would not fear, nor with, my fate;
But boldly fay each night,
To morrow let my fun his beams difplay,

Or in clouds hide them; I have liv'd to-day.

But

You may fee by it, I was even then acquainted with the poets (for the conclufion i taken out of Horace *); and perhaps it was the immature and immoderate love of them which stampt firft, or rather engraved, these characters in me: they were like letter cut in the bark of a young tree, which with the tree ftill grow proportionably. how this love came to be produced in me fo early, is a hard question: I believe, can tell the particular little chance that filled my head firft with fuch chimes of verk as have never fince left ringing there: for I remember, when I began to read, and to take fome pleasure in it, there was wont to lie in my mother's parlour (I know not b what accident, for the herself never in her life read any book but of devotion) but ther was wont to lie Spenfer's works; this I happened to fall upon, and was infinitely de lighted with the stories of the knights, and giants, and monsters, and brave houses, whic I found every where there (though my understanding had little to do with all this) and, by degrees, with tinkling of the rhyme and dance of the numbers; so that, think, I had read him all over before I was twelve years old, and was thus made poet as immediately as a child is made an eunuch.

With these affections of mind, and my heart wholly fet upon letters, I went t the university; but was foon torn from thence by that violent public ftorm, which woul fuffer nothing to ftand where it did, but rooted up every plant, even from the princel cedars to me the hyffop. Yet, I had as good fortune as could have befallen me in fue a tempeft; for I was caft by it into the family of one of the best persons, and into th court of one of the beft princeffes, of the world. Now, though I was here engaged i ways molt contrary to the original defign of my life, that is, into much company, an no small business, and into a daily fight of greatness, both militant and triumphant (f that was the ftate then of the English and French courts); yet all this was fo far fro altering my opinion, that it only added the confirmation of reafon to that which wi before but natural inclination. I faw plainly all the paint of that kind of life, th nearer I came to it; and the beauty, which I did not fall in love with, when, ft aught I knew, it was real, was not like to bewitch or entice me, when I faw thi it was adulterate. I met with feveral great perfons, whom I liked very well; bt could not perceive that any part of their greatnefs was to be liked or defired, more than I would be glad or content to be in a storm, though I faw many fhips whic rid fafely and bravely in it: a ftorm would not agree with my ftomach, if it did wit my courage. Though I was in a crowd of as good company as could be found an where; though I eat at the beft table, and enjoyed the beft conveniences for presen fubfiftence that ought to be defired by a man of my condition in banishment and publi diftreffes; yet I could not abitain from renewing my old school-boy's wish, in a copy verfes to the fame effect:

Well then; I now do plainly fee

This bufy world and 1 fhall ne'er agree, &c.

And I never then propofed to myself any other advantage from his majefty's happy Refloration, but the getting into fome moderately convenient retreat in the country which I thought in that cafe I might eafily have compaffed, as well as fome others, with no greater probabilities or pretences, have arrived to extraordinary fortunes: but I had before written a fhrewd prophecy against myself; and I think Apollo infpired me in the truth, though not in the elegance, of it:

3 Od. xxix. 41.

We have thefe verfes, under the name of The Wife, in the MISTRESS

"Thou neither great at court, nor in the war,

"Nor at th' exchange, fhalt be, nor at the wrangling bar
"Content thyself with the fmall barren praise,

"Which neglected verse does raife."

She fpake; and all my years to come
Took their unlucky doom.

Their feveral ways of life let others chufe,
Their several pleasures let them ufe;
But I was born for Love, and for a Mufe.

With Fate what boots it to contend?
Such I began, fuch am, and so muft end.
The far, that did my being frame,
Was but a lambent flame,

And fome fmall light it did difpenfe,
But neither heat nor influence.

No matter, Cowley; let proud Fortune fee,
That thou canft her defpife, no lefs than she does thee.'

Let all her gifts the portion be

Of folly, luft, and flattery,

Fraud, extortion, calumny,
Murder, infidelity,

Rebellion and hypocrify.

Do thou not grieve nor blush to be,
As all th' infpired tuneful men,

And all thy great forefathers, were, from Homer down to Ben.

However, by the failing of the forces which I had expected, I did not quit the defiga which I had refolved on; I caft myfelf into it à corps perdu, without making capi tulations, or taking counsel of fortune. But God laughs at a man, who fays to his foul, "Take thy cafe:" I met prefently not only with many little incumbrances and impediments, but with so much fickness (a new misfortune to me) as would have spoiled the happinefs of an emperor as well as mine: yet I do neither repent, nor alter my courfe. Non ego perfidum dixi facramentum:" nothing fhall feparate me from a miftrefs which I have loved fo long, and have now at laft married; though fhe neither has brought me a rich portion, nor lived yet fo quietly with me as I hoped from

her:

"Nec vos, dulciffima mundi

"Nomina, vos Mufæ, Libertas, Oth, Libri,
Hortique Sylvæque, animâ rer.anente, relinquam."

Nor by me e'er fhall you,

You, of all names the fweeteft and the belt,
You, Mufes, books, and liberty, and reft;
You, gardens, fields, and woods, forfaken be,

As long as life itfelf forfakes not me.

But this is a very pretty ejaculation.—Because I have concluded all the other chapters with a copy of verfes, I will maintain the humour to the laft.

MARTIAL, LIB. X. Epigr. xlvii.

"Vitam qua faciunt beatiorem," &c.

SINCE, dearest friend, 'tis your defire to fee
A true receipt of happiness from me;

Thefe are the chief ingredients, if not all:
Take an estate neither too great or small,
Which quantum fufficit the doctors call:
Let this eftate from parents' care defcend;
The getting it too much of life does spend :
Take fuch a ground, whofe gratitude may be
A fair encouragement for industry.
Let conftant fires the winter's fury tame;
And let thy kitchen's be a veftal flame.
Thee to the town let never fuit at law,
And rarely, very rarely, bufinefs, draw.
Thy active mind in equal temper keep,
In undisturbed peace, yet not in fleep.
Let exercife a vigorous health maintain,
Without which all the compofition's vain.
In the fame weight prudence and innocence take,
Ana of each does the juft mixture make.
But a few friendships wear, and let them be
By nature and by fortune fit for thee.
Instead of art and luxury in food,

Let mirth and freedom make thy table good.
any cares into thy day-time creep,

If

At night, without wine's opium, let them fleep.
Let reft, which nature does to darkness wed,
And not luft, recommend to thee thy bed.
Be fatisfied and pleas'd with what thou art,
Act cheerfully and well th' allotted part;
Enjoy the prefent hour, be thankful for the past,
And neither fear, nor wish, th' approaches of the last,

The ground about the house maintains it, there;
The house maintains the ground about it, here;
Here even hunger's dear; and a full board
Devours the vital fubftance of the lord.
The land itfelf does there the feast bestow,
The land itself must here to market go.
Three or four fuits one winter here does wafte,
One fuit does there three or four winters laft.
Here every frugal man must oft be cold,
And little luke-warm fires are to you fold.
There fire's an element, as cheap and free,
Almoft, as any of the other three,

HAT the philofophical college be fituated within one, two, or (at farthest) three miles of London; and if it be poffible to find that convenience, upon the

fide of the river, or very near it.

See a translation of this Epitaph among the poems of Mr. Addison.

that of Milton, addreffed to Mr. Hartlib, we find that these great poets had amused themselves with Ingenious men delight in dreams of reformation.-In comparing this Propofition of Cowley, with fome exalted, and, in the main, congenial fancies, on the subject of education: that, of the two plans refpect can be given to either, when both are manifeftly Utopian: and that our univerfities, in their prefent form, are well enough calculated to answer all the reasonable ends of such institutions; provided we allow for the unavoidable defects of them, when drawn out into practice. HURD.

was better digefted, and is the lefs fanciful; if a preference in this

propofed, this of Mr. Cowley

VOL. II.

Ee

That the revenue of this college amount to four thousand pounds a year.

That the company received into it be as follows:

8. An

1. Twenty philofophers or profeffors. 2. Sixteen young fcholars, fervants to the profeffors. 3. A chaplain. 4. A bailiff for the revenue. 5. A manciple or purveyor for the provisions of the house. 6. Two gardeners. 7. A master-cook. under-cook. 9. A butler. 10. An under-butler. 11. A furgeon. 12. Two lungs, or chemical fervants. 13. A library-keeper who is likewife to be apothecary, druggift, and keeper of inftruments, engines, &c. 14. An officer to feed and take care of all beafts. fowl, &c. kept by the college. 15. A groom of the stable. 16. A messenger, to fend up and down for all ufes of the college. 17. Four old women, to tend the chambers to keep the house clean, and fuch-like fervices.

That the annual allowance for this company be as follows: 1. To every profeffor and to the chaplain, one hundred and twenty pounds. 2. To the fixteen fcholan twenty pounds apiece; ten pounds for their diet, and ten pounds for their entertainmen 3. To the bailiff, thirty pounds, befides allowance for his journies. 4. To the pu veyor, or manciple, thirty pounds. 5. To each of the gardeners, twenty pounds.__6. T the mafter-cook, twenty pounds. 7. To the under-cook, four pounds. 8. To tl butler, ten pounds. 9. To the under-butler, four pounds. 10. To the furgeon, thir pounds. 11. To the library-keeper, thirty pounds. 12. To each of the lungs, twel pounds. 13. To the keeper of the beafts, fix pounds. 14. To the groom, five poun 15. To the meffenger, twelve pounds. 16. To the four neceffary women, ten poun For the manciples' table, at which all the fervants of the house are to eat, except t scholars, one hundred and fixty pounds. For three horses for the service of the colle thirty pounds.

All which amounts to three thoufand two hundred eighty-five pounds. So t there remains for keeping of the house and gardens, and operatories, and inftrumen and animals, and experiments of all forts, and all other, expences, seven hundred : fifteen pounds.

Which were a very inconfiderable fum for the great ufes to which it is defign but that I conceive the industry of the college will in a fhort time fo enrich itself, as get a far better flock for the advance and enlargement of the work when it is o begun neither is the continuance of particular men's liberality to be despaired of, w it thall be encouraged by the fight of that public benefit which will accrue to all kind, and chiefly to our nation, by this foundation. Something likewife will a from leafes and other cafualties; that nothing of which may be diverted to the pri gain of the profeffors, or any other use befides that of the search of nature, and by it general good of the world; and that care may be taken for the certain perform: of all things ordained by the inftitution, as likewife for the protection and encour ment of the company, it is proposed:

That fome perfon of eminent quality, a lover of folid learning, and no ftranger i be chofen chancellor or prefident of the college; and that eight governors more, qualified in the like manner, be joined with him, two of which fhall yearly be appoi vifitors of the college, and receive an exact account of all expences, even to the fmal and of the true eftate of their public treasure, under the hands and oaths of the feffors refident.

That the choice of profeffors in any vacancy belong to the chancellor and the vernors; but that the profeffors (who are likelieft to know what men of the nation moft proper for the duties of their fociety) direct their choice, by recommending or three perfons to them at every election, and that, if any learned perfon withi majefty's dominions difcover, or eminently improve, any useful kind of knowledge, may upon that ground, for his reward and the encouragement of others, be preferre he pretend to the place, before any body else.

That the governors have power to turn out any profeffor, who fhall be prove be either fcandalous or unprofitable to the fociety.