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DEN HA M.

F Sir JOHN DENHAM very little is known but what is related of him by Wood, or by himself.

He was born at Dublin in 1615; the only fon of Sir John Denham, of Little Horfely in Effex, then chief baron of the Exchequer in Ireland*, and of Eleanor, daughter of Sir Garret More baron of Mellefont.

Two years afterwards, his father, being made one of the barons of the Exchequer in England, brought him away from his native country, and educated him in London.

In 1631 he was fent to Oxford, where he was confidered "as a dreaming young man, given more to dice "and cards than ftudy;" and therefore gave no prognofticks of his future eminence; nor was fufpected to conceal, under fluggishness and laxity, a genius born to improve the literature of his country.

*In Dugdale's Orig, Jur. the name of John Denham occurs, a puifne Baron of the Exchequer at Weftminster, conftituted 15 Jac A. D. 1617, before which time, as Wood relates, he had been promoted to the office of Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer. There are fundry of his arguments in Cake's Reports,"

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When

When he was, three years afterwards, removed to Lincoln's Inn, he profecuted the common law with fufficient appearance of application; yet did not lofe his propensity to cards and dice; but was very often plundered by gamefters.

Being feverely reproved for this folly, he profeffed, and perhaps believed, himfelf reclaimed; and to teftify the fincerity of his repentance, wrote and published “An Effay upon Gaming.”

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He feems to have divided his ftudies between law and poetry; for, in 1636, he tranflated the fecond book of the Eneid.

Two years after, his father died; and then, notwithftanding his refolutions and profeffions, he returned again to the vice of gaming, and loft feveral thousand pounds that had been left him.

In 1631, he published "The Sophy." This feems to have given him his firft hold of the publick attention; for Waller remarked, " that he broke out like the "Irish rebellion threefcore thoufand ftrong when no

body was aware, or in the leaft fufpected it:" an obfervation which could have had no propriety, had his poetical abilities been known before.

He was after that pricked for fheriff of Surrey, and made governor of Farnham Cafle for the king; but he foon refigned that charge, and retreated to Oxford, where, in 1643, he published " Cooper's " Hill."

This poem had fuch reputation as to excite the common artifice by which envy degrades excellence. A report was fpread, that the performance was not his own, but that he had bought it of a vicar for forty pounds."

The

The fame attempt was made to rob Addifan of his Cato, and pope of his Effay on Criticism *.

In 1647, the diftreffes of the royal family required him to engage in more dangerous employments. He was entrusted by the queen with a meffage to the king; and, by whatever means, fo far foftened the ferocity of Hugh Peters, that by his interceffion, admiffion was procured. Of the king's condefcenfion he has given an account in the dedication of his works.

He was afterwards employed in carrying on the king's correfpondence; and, as he fays, difcharged this office with great fafety to the royalists: and being accidentally difcovered by the adverfe party's knowledge of Mr. Cowley's hand, he efcaped happily 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 now refided in France, as one of the followers of the exiled king; and, to divert the melancholy of their condition, was fometimes enjoined by his master to write occafional verfes; 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 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 accommoda

* And Swift of his "Tale of a Tub."

tion of life, by bringing to every man's house thofe 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 small, the success of this negotiation gives fufficient evidence.

About this time, what eftate the war and the gamefters nad 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 the next years of his life there is no account. At the Restoration he obtained, that which many miffed, the reward of his loyalty; being made furveyor of the king's buildings, and dignified with the order of the Bath. He feems now to have learned fome attention to money; for Wood fays, that he got by his place feven thousand pounds.

After the Restoration he wrote the poem on Prudence and Juftice, and perhaps fome of his other pieces and as he appears, whenever any ferious queftian comes before him, to have been a man of piety, he confecrated is poetical powers to religion, and made 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 mafter and etteer of the publick would now make him happy. But human felicity is fhort and uncertain; a fecond

In the room of Inigo Jones. It does not appear that he had any fill in architecture, but rather, that he was affifted in his etice by Dr. (afterwards Sir Christopher) Wren, who fucceeded han in it. Biogr. Brit. Art. WREN.

marriage

marriage brought upon him fo much difquiet, as for a time disordered his understanding; and Butler lampoon'd 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 frenzy lafted not long; and he feems to have regained his full force of mind; for he wrote afterwards his excellent poem upon the death of Cowley, whom he was not long to furvive; for on the 19th of March, 1688, he was buried by his fide.

DENHAM is defervedly confidered as one of the fathers of English poetry. "Denham and Waller," fays Prior, "improved our verfification, and Dryden "perfected it." He has given specimens of various compofition, defcriptive, ludicrous, didactick, and fublime.

He appears to have had, in common with almost all mankind, the ambition of being upon proper occafions a merry fellow, and in common with most of them to have been by nature, or by early habits, debarred from it. Nothing is lefs exhilarating than the ludicrous nefs of Denham: He does not fail for want of efforts: he is familiar, he is grofs; but he is never merry, unless the " Speech against peace in the clofe "Committee" be excepted. For grave burlesque, however, his imitation of Davenant fhews him to have been well qualified.

Of his more elevated occafional poems there is perhaps none that does not deferve commendation. In the verses to Fletcher, we have an image that has Since been adopted:

"But

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