II. This beauty gaz'd on both, and Ulfinore Hung down his head, but yet did lift his eyes! As if he fain would fee a little more, For much, tho' baftiful, he did beauty prize. IV. Goltho did like a blushless statue ftare, IV. She, with a wicked woman's profp'rous art, V. Nicely as bridegroom's was her chamber dreft, Her bed as brides, and richer than a throne; And fweeter feem'd than the Circania's neft. Though built in Eaftern groves of Cinnamon. VI. The price of princes pleasure, who her love, VII. She fway'd by finful beauty's deftiny, VIII. Yet IX. Yet even in fimple love fhe ufes art, he During our author's attendance at court, wrote feveral plays, and employed his time in framing mafques, which were acted by the principal nobility of both fexes; the Queen herfelf condefcended to take a fhare in one of them, which gave very great offence to the fcrupulous moralists, which fprung up in thofe days; the particular account of this dramatic piece we fhall give in the • conclufion of his life, and now proceed in enumerating the incidents of it. Upon the death of Ben Johnson, which happened in the year 1637, our poet fucceeded to his laurel, notwithstanding the violent oppofition of his competitor Thomas May, who was to extremely affected with his difappointment, though he had been a zealous courtier, yet from refentment to the Queen, by whofe intereft Davenant was preferred, he commenced an enemy to the King's party, and became both an advocate and hiftorian for the Parliament. As foon as the civil war broke out, Mr. Davenant had an early fhare in them and demonftrated his loyalty by fpeaking and acting for the King. He was accufed by the Parliament for be ing embarked in a defign in May 1641, of seducing the army from their adherence to the parliamentary authority, and bringing it again under the fubjection of the King, and defence of his perfon. In this fcheme many of Sir William's friends were engaged, viz. Mr. Henry Piercy, afterwards lord Piercy, Mr. Goring, Mr. Jermyn, Mr. Mr. Afhburnham, Sir John Suckling, and others: moft of these perfons, upon their defign being difcovered, placed their fecurity in flight, and Mr. Davenant amongst the reft; but a proclamation being published for apprehending him, he was ftopped at Feverfham, fent up to town, and put into the cnftody of a fergeant at arms In the month of July following, our author was bailed, and not long after finding it neceffary, on account of the violence of the times, to withdraw to France, he had the misfortune to be feized again in Kent by the Mayor of Canterbury; how he efcaped the prefent danger, none of his biographers have related, but it appears that he did not, upon this occafion, fuffer long confinement; he at last retired beyond fea, where he continued for fome time, but the Queen fending over a confiderable quantity of military ftores, for the ufe of the earl of Newcaftle's army, Mr. Davenant returned again to England, offered his fervice to that noble peer, who was his old friend and patron, and by him made lieutenant-general of his ordnance: this promotion gave offence to many, who were his rivals in his lordship's efteem: they remonftrated, that Sir William Davenant, being a poet, was, for that very reafon, unqualified for a place of fo much trust, and which demanded one of a folid, and lefs volatile turn of mind, than the fons of Parnaffus generally are. In this complaint they paid but an indifferent compliment to the General himself, whỏ was a poet, and had written, and published feyeral plays. That Davenant behaved well in his mili. tary capacity is very probable, fince, in the month of September, 1643, he received the honour of knighthood from the King, at the fiege of Gloucefter, an acknowledgment of his bravery, and fignal fervices, which beftowed at a time when * Athen. Oxon. vol. ii. col. 412. a ftrict a ftrict scrutiny was made concerning the merit of officers, puts it beyond doubt, that Davenant, in his martial character, was as deferving as in his poetical. During these fevere contentions, and notwithstanding his public character, our author's muse fometimes raised her voice, in the compofition of feveral plays, of which we shall give fome account when we enumerate his dramatic performances. Hiftory is filent as to the means which induced Davenant to quit the Northern army, but as foon as the King's affairs fo far declined, as to afford no hopes of a revival, he judged it neceffary to retire into France, where he was extremely well received by the Queen, into whofe confidence he had the' honour to be taken, and was intrufted with the negotiation of matters of the highest importance, in the fummer of the year 1646. Before this time Sir William had embraced the popifh religion, which circumstance might fo far ingratiate him with the queen, as to truft him with the most important concerns. Lord Clarendon, who had a particular efteem for him, has given a full account of this affair, though not much to his advantage, but yet with all the tenderness due to Sir William's good intentions, and of that long and intimate acquaintance that had fubfifted between them; which is the more worthy the reader's notice, as it has entirely escaped the observation of all those, who have undertaken to write this gentleman's Memoirs, though the most remarkable paffage in his whole life. The King, in retiring to the Sects, had followed the advice of the French ambassador, who had promised on their behalf, if not more than he had authority to do, at leaft, more than they were inclined to perform; to juftify, however, his conduct at home, he was inclined to throw the weight, in fome measure, upon the King, and with this view, he, by an exprefs, informed cardinal Mazarine, that his Majefty was too referved in giving the Parliament fatisfaction, and therefore defired that fome perfon might be fent over, who had a fufficient degree of credit with the English Monarch, to perfuade him to fuch compliances, as were neceffary for his interest. The Queen, fays the noble hiftorian, who was never advised by thofe, 'who either understood, or valued her Husband's 'intereft, confulted those about her, and fent Sir • William Davenant, an honest man, and a witty, but in all refpects unequal to fuch a trust, with a letter of credit to the King, who knew the perfon well enough under another character than was likely to give him much credit upon 'the argument, with which he was entrusted, although the Queen had likewise otherwife declared her opinion to his Majefty, that he should part ⚫ with the church for his peace and fecurity. Sir William had, by the countenance of the French ambaffador, eafy adıniffion to the King, who heard patiently all he had to fay, and answered him in in a manner, which demonftrated that he was not pleafed with the advice. When he found his Majefty unfatisfied, and not difpofed to confent to what was earnestly defired by those by whom he had been fent, who undervalued all thofe fcruples of conscience, with which his Majefty was fo ftrongly poffeffed, he took upon himself the liberty of offering fome reasons to the king, to induce him to yield to what was proposed, and among other things faid, it was the opinion and advice of all his friends; his Majefty asked, what friends? to which Davenant replied, lord Jermyn, and lord Colepepper; the King upon this obferved, that lord Jermyn did not understand any thing of the church, and that Colepepper was of no religion; but, fays his Majefty, what is the opinion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer ? to which Davenant answered, he did not know, that he was not there, and had deferted |