a

all lyriques, and of Pindar above all men living: the figures are unusual and bold, even to temerity, and such as I durft not have to do withal in any other kind of poetry: the numbers are various and irregular, and sometimes (especially some of the long ones) keem harsh and uncouth, if the just measures and cadences be not observed in the pronunciation. So that almost all their sweetness and numerosity (which is to be found, if I mitake not, in the roughest, if rightly repeated) lies in a manner wholly at the mercy of the reader. I have briefly described the nature of these verses, in the Ode intituled, “ The Resurrection :” and though the liberty of them may incline a man to believe them easy to be composed, yet the undertaker will find it otherwise

1-Ut fibi quivis
“ Speret idem ; sudet multùm, frustráque laboret

“ Ausus idem *.” I come now to the last part, which is “ Davideis,” or an heroical poem of the troue bles of David: which I designed into twelve books; not for the tribes' sake, but after the pattern of our master Virgil; and intended to close all with that most poetical and excellent elegy of David on the death of Saul and Jonathan: for I had no mind to carry him quite on to his anointing at Hebron, because it is the custom of heroic poets (as we see by the examples of Homer and Virgil, whom we should do ill to forsake to imitate others) never to come to the full end of their story: but only so near, that every one may see it; as men comm

monly play not out the game, when it is evident that they can win it, but lay down their cards, and take up what they have won. This, I say, was the whole design: in which there are many noble and fertile arguments behind; as the barbarous cruelty of Saul to the priests at Nob; the feveral flights and escapes of David, with the manner of his living in the Wilderness; the funeral of Samuel; the love of Abigail; the facking of Ziglag; the loss and recovery of David's wives from the Amalekites; the witch of Endor; the war with the Philistines; and the battle of Gilboa : all which I meant to interweave, upon several occasions, with most of the lluftrious stories of the Old Testament, and to embellish with the most remarkable antiquities of the Jews, and other nations before or at that age.

But I have had neither leisure hitherto, nor have appetite at present, to finish the work, or so much as to revise that part which is done, with that care which I resolved to bestow upon it, and which the dignity of the matter well deserves. For what worthier lubject could have been chosen, among all the treasuries of past times, than the life of this young prince; who, from so small bæginnings, through such infinite troubles and oppositions, by such miraculous virtues and excellencies, and with such incomparable variety of wonderful actions and accidents, became the greatest monarch that ever It on the most famous throne of the whole earth? Whom should a poet more justly feck to honour, than the highest person who ever honoured his profession? whom a Christian poet, rather than the man after God's own heart, and the man who had the lacred pre eminence above all other princes, to be the best and mightiest of that royal race from whence Christ himself, according to the flesh, disdained not to descend?

When I consider this, and how many other bright and magnificent subjects of the like nature the holy Scripture affords and proffers, as it were, to poesy; in the wife managing and illustrating whereof the glory of God Almighty might be joined with the fingular utility and noblest delight of mankind; it is not without of and indignation that I behold that divine science employing all her inexhaustible riches of wit and eloqience either in the wicked and beggarly Nattery of great persons, or the unmativ idolizing of foolith women, or the wretched affectation of scuriil laughter, or at belt on the confused antiquated dreams of fenfeless fables and metamorpholes. Amongit al! holy and consecrated things, which the devil ever stole and alienated from the service of the Deity; az altars, temples, sacrifices, prayers, and the like; there is none that he ti priversally, and so long, usurpt, as poetry:

It is time to recover it out of the trrari's hands, and to restore it to the kingdom of God who is the Father of it. It is indinis

a

• Hor, A. P. 240.

baptize it in Jordan, for it will never become clean by bathing in the water of Da. mascus. There wants [methinks, but the conversion of that, and the Jews, for the accomplishment of the kingdom of Chrift. And as men, before their receiving of the faith, do not without some carnal reluctancies apprehend the bonds and fetters of it, but find it afterwards to be the truest and greatest liberty: it will fare no otherwise with this art, after the regeneration of it; it will meet with wonderful variety of new, more beautiful, and more delightful objects; neither will it want room, by being confined to heaven.

There is not fo great a lye to be found in any poet, as the vulgar conceit of men, that lying is essential to good poetry. Were there never so wholesome nourishment to be had. (but ala's! it breeds nothing but diseases) out of these boafted feasts of love and fables; yet, methinks, the unalterable continuance of the diet should make us nauseate it : for it is almost impossible to serve up any new dish of that kind. They are all but the cold-meats of the ancients, new-heated, and new set forth. I do not at all wonder that the old poets made fome rich crops out of these grounds; the heart of the soil was not then wrought out with continual tillage: but what can we expect now, who come a gleaning, not after the first reapers, but after the very beggars ? Besides, though those mad stories of the gods and heroes seem in themselves fo ridiculous ; yet they were then the whole body (or rather chaos) of the theology of those times. They were believed by all, but a few philosophers, and perhaps fome atheists; and ferved to good purpose among the vulgar (as pitiful things as they are), in strengthening the authority of law with the terrors of conscience, and expectation of certain rewards and unavoidable punishments. There was no other religion; and therefore that was better than none at all. But to us, who have no need of them; to us, who deride their folly, and are wearied with their impertinencies; they ought to appear no better arguments for verse, than those of their worthy successors, the knights-errant. What can we imagine more proper for the ornaments of wit or learning in the story of Deuca. lion than in that of Noah? Why will not the actions of Sampson afford as plentiful matter as the labours of Hercules? Why is not Jeptha's daughter as good a woman as Iphigenia ? and the friendship of David and Jonathan more worthy celebration than that of Theseus and Pirithous ? Does not the passage of Moses and the Israelites into the Holy Land yield incomparably more poetical variety than the voyages of Ulyffes or Æneas? Are the obsolete thread-bare tales of Thebes and Troy half fo ftored with great, heroical, and supernatural actions (fince verse will needs find or make such), as the wars of Joshua, of the Judges, of David, and divers others ? Can all the transfor. mations of the gods give such copious hints to flourish and expatiate on, as the true miracles of Christ, or of his prophets and apostles ? What do I initance in these few particulars? All the books of the Bible are either already most admirable and exalted pieces of poesy, or are the best materials in the world for it.

Yet, though they be in themselves fo proper to be made use of for this purpose ; none but a good artist will know how to do it: neither must we think to cut and polish diamonds with so little pains and skill as we do marble. For, if any man design to compose a sacred poem, by only turning a story of the Scripture, like Mr. Quarles's, or some other godly matter, like Mr. Heywood of angels, into rhyme; he is so far from elevating of poesy, that he only abases divinity. In brief, he who can write a prophane poem well, may write a divine one better; but he who can do that but ill, will do this much worse. The same fertility of invention; the same wisdom of difpofition; the fame judgment in observance of decencies; the fame luftre and vigour of elocution; the fame modesty and majesty of number; briefly, the fame kind of habit, is required' to both: only this latter allows better stuff; and therefore would look more deformedly, ill drest in it. I am far from assuming to myself to have fulfilled the duty of this weighty undertaking: but sure I am, there is nothing yet in our language (nor perhaps in any) that is in any degree answerable to the idea that I conceive of it. And I shall be am. bitious of no other fruit from this weak and imperfe&t attempt of mine, but the opening of a way to the courage and industry of some other persons, who may be better able to perform it thoroughly and successfully.

THE BOOKSELLERS ADVERTISEMENT

TO

THE EDITION OF 1674. TH HE following Poems of Mr. Cowley being much enquired after, and very scarce

(the Town hardly affording one Book, though it hath been four times printed) we thought this fifth edition could not fail of being well received by the world. We presume one reason why they were omitted in the lalt collection, was, because the propriety of this copy belonged not to the same person that published those : but the reception they had found appears by the several impreffions through which they had passed. We dare not say they are equally perfect with those written by the Au. thur in his riper years, yet certainly they are such as deserve not to be buried in obscurity, We presume the Author's judgment of them is most reasonable to appeal to ; and you will find him (allowing grains of modesty) give them no small character. His words are in his Preface before his former published Poems*.

You find our excellent Author likewise mentioning and reciting part of these Poems in his“ Several Discourses by way of Essays in Verse and Profe, in the 11th Discourse “ treating of himself." These we suppose a fufficient authority for our reviving them; and sure there is no ingenuous Reader to whom the smallest remains of Mr. Cowley, will be unwelcome. His Poems are every where the copy of his mind; so that by this supplement to his other volume you have the picture of that so deservedly eminent man from almost his childhood to his latest years, the bud and bloom of his Spring; the warmth of his Summer; the richness and perfection of his Autumn. But, for the Reader's further curiosity, we refer him to the Author's, following Preface to them, published by himself.

• See Author's Preface above, p. vii.

TO THE

RIGHT HON. AND RIGHT REV. FATHER IN GOD,

J 0
J

H N

LORD BISHOP OF LINCOLN, AND DEAN OF WESTMINSTER.

I

MY LORD,

MIGHT well fear, left these my rude and unpolished lines should offend your committed by a Child, than cenfure them. Howsoever I defire your Lordship's pardon, for presenting things so unworthy to your view; and to accept the good will of him, who in all duty is bound to be

Your Lordship's

most humble servant,

ABRAHAM COWLEY.

THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE

TO

HIS

JUVENIL E POE M S.

READER (I kn

EADER (I know not yet whether gentle or no) fome, I know, have been

angry (I dare not affume the honour of their envy) at my poetical boldness, and blamed in mine, what commends other fruits, earliness: others, who are either of a weak faith, or strong malice, have thought me like a pipe, which nevers founds but when it is blowed in, od read me, not as Abraham Cowley, but Authorem Anonymum. To the first I answer, that it is an envious froft which nips the blossoms, because they appear quickly: to the latter that he is the worst homicide who strives to murder another's fame: 'to both, that it is a ridiculous folly to condemn or laugh at the stars, because the moon and sun shine brighter. The small fire I have is rather blown than extin. guished by this wind. For the itch of Poesy, by being angered, increaseth; by rubbing, spreads farther; which appears in that I have ventured upon this Third Edition. What though it be neglected ? It is not, I am sure, the first book which hath lighted tobacco, or been employed by cooks and grocers. If in all men's judgment it suffer Thipwreck, it shall something content me, that it hath pleased myself and the Book. seller. In it you shall find one argument (and I hope I shall need no more) to confute unbelievers : which is, that as mine age, and consequently experience (which is yet but little) hath increased, so they have not left my Poefy flagging behind them. I should not be angry to see any one burn my Piramus and Thisbe, nay, I would do it myself, but that I hope a pardon may easily be gotten for the errors of ten years age. My Constantius and Philetus confesseth me two years older when I writ it. The rest were made fince, upon several occasions, and perhaps do not belye the time of their birth. Such as they are, they were created by me: but their fate lies in your hands; it is only you can effect, that neither the Bookfeller repent himself of his charge in printing them, nor I of my labour in composing them. Farewel.

THE

ENGLISH POET S.

THE

POEMS OF ABRAHAM COWL E Y.