in We are no lefs beholden to Him for the new turn of Verfe, which he brought in, and the improvement he made in our Numbers. Before His time, men rhymed indeed, and that was all: as for the harmony of measure, and that dance of words, which good ears are fo much pleased with, they knew nothing of it. Their Poetry then was made up almoft entirely of monofyllables; which when they come together any clufter, are certainly the most harfh untuneable things in the world. If any man doubts of this, let him read ten lines in Donne, and he will be quickly convinced. Befides, their verfes ran all into one another; and hung together, throughout a whole copy, like the hooked Atoms that compofe a Body in Defcartes. There was no diftinction of parts, no regular ftops, nothing for the ear to reft upon: but, as foon as the copy began, down it went, like a larum, inceffantly; and the reader was fure to be out of breath, before he got to the end of it. So that really Verse in thofe days was but down-right profe, tagged with rhymes. Mr. Waller removed all thefe faults; brought in more polyfyllables, and smoother measures; bound up his thoughts better; and in a cadence more agreeable to the nature of the Verfe He wrote in: fo that where-ever the natural ftops of that were, He contrived the little breakings of His fenfe fo as to fall in with them. And for that reason, fince the ftrefs of our Verfe lies commonly upon the last fyllable, you will hardly ever find Him ufing a word of no force there. I would fay, if I were not afraid the reader would think me too nice, that He commonly clofes with Verbs; in which we know the life of language confists. Among other improvements, we may reckon that of his rhymes: which are always. good, and very often the better for being new. He had a fine ear, and knew how quickly that fenfe was cloyed by the fame round of chiming words ftill returning upon it. It is a decided cafe by the Great Mafter of writing, Que funt ampla, "& pulchra, diu placere poffunt; quæ lepida & concinna," (amongft which rhyme muft, whether it will or no, take its place) "cito fatietate afficiunt aurium fenfum "faftidiofiffimum. This he understood very well: and therefore, to take off the danger of a furfeit that way, ftrove to please by variety, and new founds. Had he carried this obfervation, among others, as far as it would go, it muft, methinks, have fhewn him the incurable fault of this jingling kind of Poetry; and have led his later judgment to Blank Verfe. But He continued an obftinate lover of Rhyme to the very laft: it was a mistress that never appeared unhandfome in His eyes; and was courted by Him long after Sachariffa was forfaken. He had raised it, and brought it to that perfection we now enjoy it in; and the Poet's temper (which has always a little vanity in it) would not fuffer Him ever to flight a thing He had taken fo much pains to adorn. My Lord Rofcommon was more impartial: no man ever rhymed truer and evener than he: yet he is fo juft as to confels, that it is was but a trifle; and to with the tyrant dethroned, and Blank Verfe fet up in its room. There is a third perfon, the living glory of our English Poetry, who has difclaimed the ufe of it upon the Stage: though no man ever employed it there fo happily as he. It was the ftrength of his Genius, that firft brought it into credit in Plays; and it is the force of his example that has thrown it out again. In other kinds of writing, it continues ftill; and will do fo, till fome excellent fpirit arifes, that has leifure, enough, and refolution to break the Charm, and free us from the troublesome bondage of rhyming, as Mr. Milton very well calls it; and has proved it as well, by what he has wrote in another way. But this is a thought for times at some distance; the prefent age is a little too warlike; it may perhaps furnish out matter for a good Poem in the next, but it will hardly encourage one now: without prophefying, a man may easily know what fort of laurels are like to be in request. Cicero ad Herennium, 1. iv. + Mr. Dryden. Whilft Whilft I am talking of Verfe, I find myself, I do not know how, betrayed into a great deal of profe. I intended no more than to put the Reader in mind what refpect was due to any thing that fell from the pen of Mr. Waller. I have heard his laft printed copies, which are added in the feveral editions of his poems, very flightly spoken of; but certainly they do not deferve it. They do indeed difcover themselves to be his laft, and that is the worst we can fay of them, He is there * Jam fenior; fed cruda Deo viridifque fenectus. The fame cenfure perhaps will be paffed on the pieces of this Second Part. I fhall not fo far engage for them, as to pretend they are all equal to whatever he wrote in the vigor of his youth: yet they are fo much of a piece with the reft, that any man will at firft fight know them them to be Mr. Waller's. Some of them were wrote very early, but not put into former collections, for reafons obvious enough, but which are now ceased. The play † was altered to please the Court: it is not to be doubted who fat for the Two Brothers' characters. It was agreeable to the fweetness of Mr. Waller's temper, to foften the rigor of the Tragedy, as he expreffes it: but, whether it be fo agreeable to the nature of Tragedy itfelf to make every thing come-off eafily, I leave to the Critics. In the Prologue, and Epilogue, there are a few verfes that he has made use of upon another occafion: but, the Reader may be pleased to allow that in Him, that has been allowed fo long in Homer and Lucretius. Exact writers drefs up their thoughts fo very well always, that, when they have need of the famé fenfe, they cannot put it into other words, but it must be to its prejudice. Care has been taken in this Book to get together every thing of Mr. Waller's that is not put into the former collection: fo that between both, the Reader may make the fet complete. It will perhaps be contended after all, that fome of thefe ought not to have been publifhed: and Mr. Cowley's decifion will he urged, that a neat tomb of marble is a better monument than a great pile of rubbish. It might be answered to this, that the Pictures, and Poems, of great Mafters have been always valued, though the laft hand were not put to them. And I believe none of thofe Gentlemen that will make the objection, would refuse a sketch of Raphael's, or one of Titian's draughts of the firft fitting. I might tell them too, what care has been taken by the learned, to preferve the fragments of the ancient Greek and Latin Poets: there has been thought to be a Divinity in what they faid; and therefore the leaft pieces of it have been kept up and reverenced like religious reliques. And, I am fure, take away the § mille anni ;" and impartial reasoning will tell us there is as much due to the memory of Mr. Waller, as to the moft celebrated names of antiquity. 06 But, to wave the dispute now of what ought to have been done; I can affure the Reader, what would have been, had this edition been delayed. The following Poems were got abroad, and in a great many hands: it were vain to expect, that among fo many admirers of Mr. Waller, they should not meet with one fond enough to publish them. They might have ftaid, indeed, till by frequent tranfcriptions they had been corrupted extremely, and jumbled together with things of another kind: but, then they would have found their way into the world. So it was thought a greater piece of kindness to the Author, to put them out whilft they continue genuine and unmixed; and fuch as He Himself, were He alive, might own. * Virg. Æn. vi. 304. "The Maid's Tragedy;" which does not come within the plan of the prefent publication. In the Preface to his Works. § Alluding to that verfe in Juvenal, *Et uni zedit Homero And yields to Homer on no other scorce, Sat. vii. Mr, C. Dryden. THE POEMS OF EDMUND WALLER. OF THE DANGER HIS MAJESTY (BEING PRINCE) They ply their feet, and still the restlefs ball, Toft to and fro, is urged by them all: ESCAPED IN THE ROAD AT SAINT ANDERO. OW had his Highness bid farewell to Spain, And like effects of their contention finds. Nand scach d. the Iphere of his own power, fed the bold Britons fill fecurely row'd; the main ; With British bounty in his ship he feasts fide: Neglected Warwick, (whofe bold hand, like Fate, eyes Have made the best of English hearts their prize; What the prophetic Muse intends, alone Thefe mighty Peers plac'd in the gilded barge, Proud with the burden of fo brave a charge; With painted oars the youths begin to fweep Neptune's smooth face, and cleave the yielding deep: Which foon becomes the feat of sudden war Charles and his virtue was their facred load: Than which a greater pledge Heaven could not give, That the good boat this tempeft should out-live. But ftorms increase! and now no hope of grace Among them fhines, fave in the Prince's face; The rest resign their courage, fkill, and fight, To danger, horror, and unwelcome night. The gentle veffel (wont with state and pride On the fmooth back of filver Thames to ride) Wanders astonish'd in the angry Main, As Titan's car did, while the golden rein When the whole world an equal hazard run Fill'd the young hand of his adventurous fon *, To this of ours, the light of whofe defire, Waves threaten now, as that was fear'd by fire. Th' impatient fea grows impotent, and raves Should find refiftance from fo light a thing; That, night affifting, his impetuous waves Thefe furges ruin, those our safety bring. Th' oppreffed veffel doth the charge abide, Only because affail'd on every fide: So men with rage and paffion fet on fire, Trembling for hafte, impeach their mad defire. But that their wonder did divert their care; The pale Iberians had expir'd with fear, To fee the Prince with danger mov'd no more, Godlike his courage feem'd, whom nor delight Than with the pleasures of their Court before: Could foften, or the face of Death affright: Next to the power of making tempefts cease, Was in that ftorm to have fo calm a peace. Great Maro could no greater tempest feign, When the loud winds ufurping on the Main For angry Juno, labor'd to deftroy The hated reliques of confounded 'Troy: His bold Æneas, on like billows toft In a tall fhip, and all his country loft, Diffolves with fear; and both his hands upheld, Proclaims them happy whom the Greeks had fhe That argues fear, if any thought annoys Upon their fmiling leaves, and gilds them fo: From Cupid's ftring of many fhafts that fled, Wing'd with thofe plumes which noble Fame had fhed, As through the wondering world fhe flew, and told Of his adventures, haughty, brave, and bold; Light was the wound, the Prince's care unknown, And in Leander's danger pities him; knock; Whofe rage, reftrained, foaming higher fwells, And from her port the weary barge repels: Threatening to make her, forced out again, Repeat the dangers of the troubled Main. * Venus. Twice was the cable hurl'd in vain; the Fates Well fung the Roman bard; "all human things OF HIS MAJESTY RECEIVING THE NEWS OF THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM'S DEATE. So earnest with thy God! Can no new care fame. Bold Homer durft not fo great virtue feign The famous painter could allow no place He that with thine shall weigh good David's Shall find his paffion, nor his love exceeds: TO THE KING ON HIS NAVY. THERE'ER thy Navy fpreads her canvas WHERE wings, Homage to thee, and peace to all the brings: The mightiest ftill upon the fmalleft fed: Now fhall the Ocean, as thy Thames, be free ON THE TAKING OF SALLE. OF Jafon, Thefeus, and fuch Worthies old, Light feem the tales antiquity has told: He hew'd the man in pieces with his fword. mourn; With fhips, their city and themselves are torn. Like hungry wolves, thofe pirates from our fhore Morocco's monarch, wondering at this fact Scarce fuffer'd more upon Melita's fhore, Thofe antique minstrels fure were Charles-like Cities their lutes, and fubjects' hearts their strings; Ambition rather would affect the fame In its own worth fecure, doth higher climb, mand, |