had before done, could be justified only by suppofing them invefted with lawful authority. But combinations of wickednefs would overwhelm the world by the advantage which licentious principles afford, did not those who have long practifed perfidy, grow faithless to each other.

In the poem on the war with Spain, are fome 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 Cromwel and the nation. Cromwel 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 fhould govern by the name of king, would have restrained his authority. When therefore a deputation was folemnly fent to invite him to the Crown, he, after a long conference, refufed it; but is faid to have fainted in his coach, when he parted from them,

The poem on the death of the Protector feems to have been dictated by real veneration for his memory. Dryden and Sprat wrote on the fame occafion; but they were young men, truggling into notice, and hoping for fome favour from the ruling party. Waller had little to expect: he had received nothing but his pardon from Cromwel, 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,

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 Cromwel; now inviting Oliver to take the crown, and then congratulating Charles the Second on his recovered right. Neither Cromwel nor Charles could value his teftimony, as the effect of conviction, or receive his praises as effufions of reverence; they could confider them but as the labour of invention and the tribute of dependence.

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 fcorned as a prostituted mind, that may retain the glitter of wit, but has loft 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 disparity, 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 Cromwel had done much, and Charles had done little. Cromwel wanted nothing to raise him to heroick excellence but virtue; and virtue his poet thought himself at liberty to fupply. Charles had yet only the merit of ftruggling without fuccefs, and fuffering without defpair. A life

of

of escapes 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. În 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 higheft, both in rank and wit, from which even his obftinate sobriety did not exclude him. Though 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 fhould 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 pension, never condefcended to understand the language of the nation that maintained him.

In parliament," he was," fays Burnet, "the delight of the house, and though old "faid the livelieft things of any among them." This, however, is faid in his account of the year seventy-five, when Waller was only feventy His name as a speaker occurs often in Grey's Collections; but I have found no extracts that can be quoted as exhibiting any representation of abilities difplayed rather in fallies of gaiety than cogency of argument.

He was of fuch confideration, that his remarks were circulated and recorded. When

the duke of York's influence was high, both in Scotland and England, it drew, fays Burnet, a lively reflection from Waller the celebrated wit. "He faid the houfe of commons had "refolved that the duke fhould not reign after "the king's death; but the king, in oppofition "to them, had refolved that he should reign even in his life." If there appear no extraordinary liveliness in this remark, yet its reception proves the speaker to have been a celebrated wit; to have had a name which the men of wit were proud of mentioning.

He did not fuffer his reputation to die gradually away, which may eafily happen in a long life, but renewed his claim to poetical diftinction from time to time, as occafions were offered, either by publick events or private incidents; and contenting himself with the influence of his mufe, or loving quiet better than influence, he never accepted any office of magiftracy.

He was not, however, without fome attention to his fortune; for he afked from the king (in 1665) the provoftship of Eton College, and obtained it; but Clarendon refused to put the feal to the grant, alleging that it could be held only by a clergyman. It is known that Sir Henry Wotton qualified himfelf for it by Deacon's orders,

To this oppofition, the Biographia imputes the violence and acrimony with which Waller joined Buckingham's faction in the profecution of Clarendon. The motive was illiberal and dishonest, and fhewed that more than fixty years had not been able to teach him morality.

His accufation is fuch as confcience can hardly be fuppofed to dictate without the help of malice, "We were to be governed by janizaries instead "of parliaments, and are in danger from a

worse plot than that of the fifth of Novem"ber; then, if the lords and commons had "been destroyed, there had been a fucceffion; "but here both had been destroyed for ever." This is the language of a man who is glad of an opportunity to rail, and ready to facrifice truth to intereft at one time, and to anger at another.

A year after the Chancellor's banishment, another vacancy gave him encouragement for another petition, which the king referred to the council, who, after hearing the queftion argued by lawyers for three days, determined that the office could be held only by a clergyman, according to the act of uniformity, fince the provofts had always received institution, as for a parfonage, from the bishops of Lincoln. The king then faid, he could not break the law which he had made; and Dr. Zachary Cradock, famous for a fingle fermon, at most for two fermons, was chofen by the Fellows.

That he asked any thing else is not known; it is certain that he obtained nothing, though he continued obfequious to the court through the rest of Charles's reign.

At the acceffion of king James (in 1685) he was chofen for parliament, being then fourfcore, at Saltash in Cornwall; and wrote a Prefage of the Downfall of the Turkish Empire, which he prefented to the king on his birthday. It is remarked, by his commentator Fenton,,

that