Happily have you fhin'd in the Court and in the Camp; Your Grace's excellent Behas viour, True Magnanimity, Princely Prefence, magnificent Oeconomy, and uncommon Judgment of Men and Things, have gain'd You the greatest Reputation in both: The me morable Engagement at Soldbay, during our Wars with Holland, has recorded Your Grace's Valour; the Politeft Court that England has known hath paid You the greateft Respect as a Man of Gallan

2

try

try: In the late Reigns none was more justly acknowledg'd to be a foremoft: Statefinan and equal to the fublimeft Employments, than His Grace the Duke of BUCKINGHAM, and in the prefent times You are defervedly admir'drasa most accomplish'd Courtier.ed das nolastuq.A

Thefe Great Virtues and Excellencies eminently belong! ing to Your Grace, difficult is the Task in an Addrefs of this kind, and as They have long fince been better defcrib'd by the Pens of thofe Gentlemen

of

"

of whofe Lives and Writings this Work is compos'd, I humbly hope You will pardon the Defects, and Receive the willing Endeavours of him who

is,

MY LORD,

YOUR GRACE'S

Most Obedient, and

Moft Devoted

Humble Servant,

G. J.

PREFAC E.

Have little more to obferve, by way of Preface to this Second Volume of The Lives and Characters of the English Poets, than to inform the Reader, that as it has been a Work of greater Labour and Difficulty than the First, fo greater Affiftances have been given with relation to the Living Authors.

By the Encouragement of feveral very eminent Perfonages, particularly of a Nobleman of the first Rank, and the celebrated Mr. Prior, I have done my utmost for the Honour of our English Poets: And as a Demonftration of Impartiality in my Characters of their Talents, in many Places I have inferted Specimens of their Works,

that