1 He was afterwards. employed' in carrying on the king's correfpondence; and, as he says, difcharged this office with great fafety to the royalifts: and being accidentally difcovered by the adverse party's knowledge of Mr. Cowley's hand, he happily efcaped both for himself and his friends.. He was yet engaged in a greater undertaking. In April 1648,, he conveyed James the duke of York from London into France, and delivered him there to the Queen and prince of Wales. This year he published his tranflation of "Cato Major." He He now refided in France, as one of the followers of the exiled King; and, to divert the melancholy of their con-dition, was fometimes enjoined by his mafter to write occafional verses; one of which amusements was probably his ode or fong upon the Embaffy to Poland, by which he and lord Crofts procured a contribution of ten thousand pounds from the Scotch, that wandered over that kingdom. Poland was at that time very much frequented by itinerant traders, who, in a country of very little commerce and of great extent, where every man refided on his own eftate, contributed very much to the the accommodation of life, by bring- b4 bringing to every man's house those little neceffaries which it was very inconvenient to want, and very troublefome to fetch. I have formerly read, without much reflection, of the multitude of Scotchmen that travelled with their wares in Poland; and that their numbers were not fmall, the fuccefs of this negotiation gives fufficient evidence. About this time, what estate the war and the gamefters had left him was fold, by order of the parliament; and when, in 1652, he returned to England, he was entertained by the earl of Pembroke. Of Of the next years of his life there is no account. At the Reftoration he obtained, what many miffed, the reward of his loyalty; being made furveyor of the king's buildings, and dignified with the order of the Bath. He seems now to have learned fome attention to money; for Wood fays, that he got by his place feven thousand pounds. After the Reftoration he wrote the poem on Prudence and Juftice, and perhaps fome of his other pieces: and as he appears, whenever any ferious quef tion comes before him, to have been a man of piety, he confecrated his poetical powers to religion, and made a metri a metrical verfion of the Pfalms of David. In this attempt he has failed; but, in facred poetry, who has fucceeded? It might be hoped that the favour of his master and esteem of the publick would now make him happy. But human felicity is fhort and uncertain : a fecond marriage brought upon him fo much difquiet, as for a time difordered his understanding; and Butler lampooned him for his lunacy. I know not whether the malignant lines were then made publick, nor what provocation incited Butler to do that which no provocation can excufe. His |