that in reading Taffo he had early imbibed a veneration for the heroes of the Holy War, and a zealous enmity to the Turks, which never left him. James however, having foon after begun what he thought a holy war at home, made hafte to put all moleftation of the Turks out of his power.

James treated him with kindness and familiarity, of which inftances are given by the writer of his Life. One day, taking him into the closet, the king asked him how he liked one of the pictures: "My eyes, faid Waller, "are dim, and I do not know it." The king faid, it was the princefs of Orange. " She "is, faid Waller, like the greatest woman in "the world." The king asked who was that; and was answered, Queen Elizabeth. " I "wonder, faid the king, you should think fo; "but I must confefs fhe had a wife council." "And, Sir, faid Waller, did you ever know "a fool chufe a wife one?" Such is the story, which I once heard of fome other man. Pointed axioms, and acute replies, fly loose about the world, and are affigned fucceffively to those whom it may be the fashion to celebrate.

When the king knew that he was about to marry his daughter to Dr. Birch, a clergyman, he ordered a French gentleman to tell him, that "the king wondered he could think of

marrying his daughter to a falling church." "The king, fays Waller, does me great ho"nour nour in taking notice of my domeftic affairs; "but I have lived long enough to observe that "this falling church has got a trick of rifing again."

He

He took notice to his friends of the king's conduct; and said, that " he would be left "like a whale upon the ftrand." Whether he was privy to any of the tranfactions which ended in the Revolution, is not known. His heir joined the prince of Orange.

Having now attained an age beyond which the laws of nature seldom fuffer life to be extended, otherwife than by a future ftate, he seems to have turned his mind upon preparation for the decifive hour, and therefore confecrated his poetry to devotion. It is pleafing to discover that his piety was without weakness, that his intellectual powers continued vigorous; and that the lines which he composed when be, for age, could neither read nor write, are not inferior to the effufions of his youth.

Towards the decline of life, he bought a fmall house, with a little land, at Colfhill; and faid, " he should be glad to die, like the

ftag, where he was roufed." This, however, did not happen. When he was at Beconsfield, he found his legs grow tumid: he went to Windfor, where Sir Charles Scarborough then attended the king, and requested him, as both a friend and a physician, to tell him, what that fwelling meant. "Sir, anfwer"ed Scarborough, your blood will run no "longer." Waller repeated fome lines of Virgil, and went home to die.

As the difeafe increafed upon him, he compofed himself for his departure; and calling upon Dr. Birch to give him the holy facrament, he defired his children to take it with him, and made an earnest declaration of his faith in Christianity. It now appeared, what

part

part of his converfation with the great could be remembered with delight. He related, that being present when the duke of Buckingham talked profanely before king Charles, he faid to him," My lord, I am a great deal older "than your grace, and have, I believe, heard

more arguments for atheism than ever your grace did; but I have lived long enough to "fee there is nothing in them, and fo, I hope, your grace will."

He died October 21, 1687, and was buried at Beconsfield, with a monument erected by his fon's executors, for which Rymer wrote the infcription, and which I hope is now refcued from dilapidation.

He left feveral children by his fecond wife; of whom, his daughter was married to Dr. Birch. Benjamin, the eldest fon, was difinherited, and fent to New Jersey, as wanting common understanding. Edmund, the fecond fon, inherited the estate, and represented Agmondesham in parliament, but at last turned Quaker. William, the third fon, was a merchant in London. Stephen, the fourth, was an eminent Doctor of Laws, and one of the Commiffioners for the Union. There is faid to have been a fifth, of whom no account has defcended.

The character of Waller, both moral and intellectual, has been drawn by Clarendon, to whom he was familiarly known, with nicety, which certainly none to whom he was not known can prefume to emulate. It is therefore inferted here, with fuch remarks as others have fupplied; after which, nothing remains but a critical examination of his poetry. "Edmund

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Edmund Waller," fays Clarendon, was "born to a very fair eftate, by the parfimony, "or frugality, of a wife father and mother: "and he thought it fo commendable an ad

vantage, that he refolved to improve it with "his utmost care, upon which in his nature "he was too much intent: and, in order to "that, he was fo much referved and retired, "that he was fcarce ever heard of, till by his "addrefs and dexterity he had gotten a very "rich wife in the city, against all the recom"mendation and countenance and authority "of the Court, which was thoroughly engaged on the behalf of Mr. Crofts; and which "used to be fuccessful in that age, against any oppofition. He had the good fortune "to have an alliance and friendship with Dr. Morley, who had affifted and instructed "him in the reading many good books, to "which his natural parts and promptitude inclined him, especially the poets: and at "the age when other men used to give over writing verses (for he was near thirty years, "when he first engaged himself in that exer

cife; at least, that he was known to do fo), "he furprised the town with two or three pieces of that kind; as if a tenth muse had "been newly born, to cherish drooping po<< etry. The Doctor at that time brought "him into that company, which was most "celebrated for good converfation; where he

was received and esteemed, with great applause and respect. He was a very pleasant difcourfer, in earnest and in jeft, and there"fore very grateful to all kind of company,

"where

"where he was not the lefs efteemed for being very rich.

"He had been even nurfed in parliaments, "where he fat when he was very young; and "fo, when they were refumed again (after a long intermiffion), he appeared in those af"femblies with great advantage; having a

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graceful way of speaking, and by thinking "much on feveral arguments (which his temec per and complexion, that had much of me"lancholic, inclined him to), he seemed of"ten to speak upon the fudden, when the " occafion had only adminiftred the opportunity of faying what he had thoroughly confidered, which gave a great luftre to all he "faid; which yet was rather of delight than weight. There needs no more be faid to extol the excellence and power of his wit, " and pleasantness of his converfation, than "that it was of magnitude enough to cover a "world of very great faults; that is, fo to "cover them, that they were not taken no"tice of to his reproach; viz. a narrowness "in his nature to the loweft degree; an ab

jectness and want of courage to fupport him " in any virtuous undertaking; an infinuati"on and fervile flattery to the height, the "vainest and most imperious nature could be " contented with; that it preferved and won "his life from thofe, who were most resolved to take it; and in an occafion in which he ought to have been ambitious to have loft it; and then preserved him again, from the reproach and contempt, that was due to him, for fo preferving it, and for vindicating it at fuch a price; that it had power to

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