IX. Yet even in fimple love the uses art, he During our author's attendance at court, wrote feveral p'ays, and employed his time in framing mafques, which were acted by the principal nobility of both fexes; the Queen herself condefcended to take a fhare in one of them, which gave very great offence to the fcrupulous moralists, which sprung 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 Johnfon, which happened in the year 1637, our poet fucceeded to his laurel, notwithstanding the violent oppofition of his competitor Thomas May, who was fo extremely affected with his difappointment, though he had been a zealous courtier, yet from refentment to the Queen, by whose interest Davenant was preferred, he commenced an enemy to the King's party, and became both an advocate and historian 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 being embarked in a defign in May 1641, of feducing 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 publifhed for apprehending him, he was stopped at Feverfham, fent up to town, and put into the cuftody 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 escaped the prefent danger, none of his biographers have related, but it appears that he did not, upon this occafion, fuffer long confinement; he at laft retired beyond fea, where he continued for fome time, but the Queen fending over a confiderable quantity of military stores, 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 remonstrated, that Sir William Davenant, being a poet, was, for that very reafon, unqualified for a place of fo much truft, 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, who was a poet, and had written, and published feveral 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 bestowed 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 mufe fometimes raised her voice, in the compofition of feveral plays, of which we shall give fome account when we enumerate his dramatic performances. History 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 thofe, who have undertaken to write this gentleman's Memoirs, though the moft remarkable paffage in his whole life. The King, in retiring to the Scots, had followed the advice of the French ambaffador, who had promised on their behalf, if not more than he had auchority 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 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 intereft. The Queen, fays the noble hiftorian, who was never advised by thofe, who either understood, or valued her Husband's intereft, confulted thofe about her, and fent Sir • William Davenant, an honest man, and a witty, but in all refpects unequal to fuch a truft, 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 likewife otherwife declared her opinion to his Majesty, that he fhould part with the church for his peace and fecurity." "Sir William had, by the countenance of the French ambaffador, eafy admiffion to the King, who heard patiently all he had to fay, and anfwered 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 thofe by whom he had been fent, who undervalued all thofe fcruples of confcience, with which his Majefty was fo itrongly poffeffed, he took upon himself the liberty of offering fome reafons to the king, to induce him to yield to what was propofed, and among other things faid, it was the opinion and advice of all his friends; his Majefty asked, what friends? to which Dávenant 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 Majeffy, 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 deferted the Prince, and thereupon mentioned the Queen's difpleafure againft the Chancellor ; to which the King faid, The Chancellor was an honeft man, and would never defert him nor the Prince, nor the Church; and that he was forry he was not with his fon, but that his 6 wife was mistaken.' Davenant then offering fome reasons of his own, in which he treated the church with indignity, his Majefty was fo tranfported with anger, that he gave him a fharper rebuke than he ufually gave to any other man, and forbad him again, ever to prefume to come into his prefence; upon which poor Davenant was deeply affected, and returned into France to give an account of his ill fuccefs to those who fent him. Upon Davenant's return to Paris, he affociated with a fet of people, who endeavoured to alleviate the diftreffes of exile by fome kind of amufement. The diverfion, which Sir William chofe was of the literary fort, and having long indulged an inclination of writing an heroic poem, and having there much leifure, and fome encourage. ment, he was induced to undertake one of a new kind; the two first books, of which he finished at the Louvre, where he lived with his old friend Lord Jermyn; and these with a preface, addressed to Mr. Hobbs, his anfwer, and fome commendatory poems, were publifhed in England; of which we shall give fome further account in our animadverfions upon Gondibert. While he employed himfelf in the fervice of the mufes, Henrietta Maria, the queen dowager of England whofe particular favorr te he was found out bufinefs for him of another nature. She had heard that vaft improvements might be made in the loyal colony of Virginia, in cafe proper artificers were fent there; and there being many of thefe in France who were deftitute of employment, |