CLAUDIAN'S OLD MAN OF VERONA. Happy the man who his whole time doth bound within th' enclosure of his little ground: happy the man whom the same humble place (th' hereditary cottage of his race) from bis first rising infancy has known, and by degrees sees gently bending down, with natural propension to that earth which both preserv'd his life and gave him birth, Him no false distant lights, by Fortune set, could ever into foolish wand'rings get;

he never dangers either saw or fear'd; 1

the dreadful storms at sea he never heard :
he never heard the shrill alarms of war,
or the worse noises of the lawyer's bar;
no change of Consuls marks to him the year ;
the change of seasons is his calendar:
the cold and heat winter and summer shews,
autumn by fruits, and spring by flow'rs, he knows;

he measures time by landmarks, and has found ! for the whole day the dial of his ground:

a neighb'ring wood, born with himself, he sees,
and loves his old contemporary trees ;
he's only heard of near Verona's name,

and knows it, like the Ipdies, but by fame: be does with a like concernment notice take

of the Red sea, and of Benacus' lake:
thus health and strength he to' a third age enjoys,
and sees a long posterity of boys.
About the spacious world let others roam,
the voyage, life, is longest made at home.

22,

THE AUTHOR'S EPITAPH, UPON HIMSELF, YET ALIVE, BUT WITHDRAWN FROM THE BU

SY WORLD TO A COUNTY LIFE; TO BE SUPPOSED WRITTEN
ON HIS HOUSE.

Hert, Passenger! beneath this shade,
lies Cowley, tho' entomb'd, not dead,
yet freed from human toil and strife,
and all the impertinence of life;
who in his poverty is neat,
and even in retirement great!
with gold, the people's idol, he
holds endless war and enmity.
Can you not say he has resign'd
his breath, to this small cell confin'd?
with this sinali mansion let him have
the rest and silence of the grave.
Strew roses here, as on his herse,
and reckon this his fun'ral verse:
with wreaths of fragrant herbs adorn
the yet surviving Poet's urn.

Latin Epitaph on the Author's Tomb in Westminster

Abbey.
ABRAHAMUS COULEIUS,
Anglorum, Pindarus, Flaccus, Maro,
Deliciæ, Decus, Desiderium, Ævi sui,

Hic juxta situs est.
Aurea dum volitant latè tua scripta per orbem,
et Famâ æternum vivis, Divine Poeta,
hic placidâ jaceas requie, Custodiat urnani
cana Fides, vigilentq; perenni lampade Musce,

sit facer iste locus, Nec quis temerarius ausit sacrilega turbare manu Venerabile Bustum. Intacti maneunt, maneant per secula dulcis Couleij cineres, ferveatq; immobile saruni.

Sic Vovet; Votumq; suum apud Posteros sacratum esse voluit. Qui Viro Incomparabili posuit sepulchrale marmor.

GEORGIUS DUX BUCKINGHAMIE. Excessit è vita Anne Æts 49, et honorifica pompa elatus ex Ædibus Buckingamianis, viris illustribus omnium ordinum exsequias celebrantibús. Sepultus est Die 30 M. Augusti A. D. 1667.

THE EPITAPH, TRANSCRIBED FROM THE AUTHOR'S TOMB IN WESTMINSTER

ABBEY, ATTEMPTED IN ENGLISH.

HERE UNDER LIES

ABRAHAM COWLEY.

THE PINDAR, HORACE, AND VIRGIL,

OF THE ENGLISH NATION.

While through the world thy labours shine;
bright as thyself, thou Bard divine !
thon in thy fame wilt live, and be
a partner with eternity.
Here in soft peace for ever rest,
(soft as the love that fill'd thy breast:)
let hoary Faith around thy urn,
and all the watchful Muses, mourn.
For ever sacred be this room;
may no rude hand disturb thy tomb,
or sacrilegious rage and lust
affront thy venerable dust.

Sweet Cowley's dust let none profane,
here may it undisturb'd remain;
eternity not take, but give,
and make this stone for ever live.

CONTENTS.

.

. 33

Life of Cowley,

page 3 Martial, lib. ii. Vota tui breviter, 29 Upon the Shortness of Man's Martial, lib. ii, Vis fieri liber, &c. 29 Life, 7 Martial, lib. v. ep. 59.

- 30 The Chronicle, a ballad, 7 Martial, lib. x, ep. 47. Vitam quæ Hymn to Light, 10 faciunt, &c.

30 On the Death of Mr. William Horat, Epondon. Beatus ille qui Harvey,

13
procul, &c.

31 The Despair,

18 The Country Life, The Wish,

19 Of Greatness, Resolved to be beloved, 20 Of Avarice, Against Hope,

21 Danger of Procastination, For Hope,

23 Claudian's old Man of Verona, 39 Age, an Anacreontic, 24 The Author's Epitaph,

40 Elegy upon Anacreon,

24 Epitaph upon the Author's Tomb Martial, lib. v. ep. 21. Si tecum in Westminster Abbey. • 40 mihi, The same translated, ,

41

- 35 - 35 - 38

EDMUND WALLER was fortunately blest much beyond the poet's wonted lot, for 'he was exempted from obscurity in the commencement of life, and from poverty during it's continuance. His father was Robert Waller, esq. of Buckioghamshire, his mother was sister to the celebrated Hampden. Our poet was born at Coleshill near Amersham, in Hertfordshire, March 3, 1605. He was educated at Eton, and King's college, Cambridge, and was chosen when scarcely seventeen, member for Amersham, in the last parliament of James I. He became known at an early period of his life by the exploits of carrying off a rich heiress, in 'opposition to a rival, whose cause was espoused by the court, but his matrimonial happiness was of short duration; he was left a widower at the age of 25. Still young, rich, and ambitious, he became the suitor of lady Dorothea Sydney, eldest daughter of the earl of Leicester, on whom, under the title of Sacharissa, he has bestowed some of the choicest of his poetic effusions. This appellation of sweetness happened however to be ill applied, for she treated bis affection with haughty disdain, and quashed every fond desire of the poet by giving her hand to the Earl of Sunderland. Waller, tho' unsuccessful did not consign -himself to despair, but began to foster another tender partiality. Lady Sophia Murray, is supposed to be the Amoret of some of his most pleasing pieces. Unfortunately, he was again unsuccessful, and he lowered his ideas to common life, uniting himself to a lady named Bresse, in whom, tho' he found nothing to celebrate in poetry, he found much domestic comfort, This second marriage produced 13 children.