+ Epigram upon the Golden Medal.

The title of this epigram is fo concife, that it renders the conclufion of it almost as obfcure as any paffage in Perfius or Lycophron. I am very diffident in advancing a conjecture fo much in the dark: yet, for once I will venture; in hope that fince it is of fer'd with caution, it will be rejected with candor, if it is not approv'd. Roti, the celebrated graver to King Charles II. was fo paffionate an admirer of the beautiful Mrs. Stuart, (afterwards Duchefs of Rich mond) that on the reverse of the beft of our coin he delineated the face of Britannia from her picture: And in fome Medals, where he had more room to difplay both his art and affection, the fimilitude of features is faid to have been fo exact, that every one who knew her Grace, at the firft view could discover who fat for Britannia. This epigram therefore compliments the Duchess, upon her virtue being impregnable, and fuperior to temptation: In which fense, whatever effect it may have upon our faith, it is reconcil'd to our understanding. And, if I may be indulg'd in carrying my conjecture a little farther, I fanfy these verses were compos'd, foon after Roti had ftamp'd that Medal which is added at the end of these Obfervations, Fig. VI; the date of which is coincident with the fixtieth year of Mr. Waller's age. For the ftory of Danae fee page xcix.

*Not the brave Macedonian youth alone;

But bafe Caligula &c] Alexander's vanity in defiring to be thought the fon of Jupiter; and his artifice to gain that title from his priest at the temple of Ammon; are related by feveral writers; and too well known to be farther inlarg'd upon. But a pretenfe to divinity was ftill more infupportable in that mon*Page 207.

+ Page 203.

fter

fter Caligula, whofe grofs immoralities had debas'd him beneath the rank of rational creatures: yet, he boafted of his gallantries with the Moon, (who indeed feems to have been the mistress of his brain) and order'd the heads of feveral Deities to be taken away, and plac'd his own upon their ftatues. To confummate his impious folly, he had his effigies caft in gold, clad with the habit and enfigns of Jupiter; which he intended to fix in the Sanctuary of the temple at Jerufalem: but, he was murther'd before he had completed that horrid profanation.

The Syrian King &c.] See Daniel, chap. iv.

An Epitaph on Colonel Charles Cavendish. This gallant Gentleman was a younger fon of William Earl of Devonshire; and brother to that beautiful, and every way excellent Lady Rich, who hath already been mention'd, pag. lxxv. His genius led him equally to excel in letters and in arms: but, the courfe of his ftudies (in which the mathematics engag'd his principal attention) being interrupted by the Rebellion, he was among the first who drew their fwords in the Crown's defenfe: and after many fignal fervices perform'd for the King in the north, he was flain at Gainsborow, 1643, in the twenty third year of his age. Cromwell, who commanded that party of rebels by which he was defeated, in a Letter to the Committee of Affociation then fitting at Cambridge, fays, "my Captain Lieutenant flew him "with a thruft under the fhort ribs: " which may very well confift with another account, which informs us that he was murther'd in cold blood, after quarter had been offer'd, and he had accepted it. His body was then depofited at Newark; but remov'd,

X

and

+ Page 207.

Page 209.

and bury'd with his mother's at Derby, in the year 1674.

Early abroad he did the world furvey &c.] The memoirs of the family of Cavendish inform us, that after this Gentleman had made the tour of France and Italy, he embark'd at Venice for Conftantinople and, after a long circuit by land thro' Natolia, fail'd to Alexandria; thence to Cairo; vifited Malta in his courfe to Spain; and from Spain returning to Paris, he arriv'd in England about the end of May, in the year 1641.

+ Epitaph on the Lady Sedley.

She was Elizabeth, only daughter of the learned Sir Henry Savil, Provoft of Eaton Collge; and wife to Sir John Sedley, a Kentish Baronet; by whom she was mother of that Sir Charles, who fo fairly diftinguish'd himself amongst the politeft Wits in the Court of King Charles the second.

Epitaph to be written under the Latin infcription, &c.

Charles Howard, Lord Viscount Andover, was eldest fon to Thomas Earl of Berkshire; whose child, for whom this Epitaph was intended, lies interr'd in New-Elm Church, in the County of Oxford: from whence I have receiv'd the Latin inscription referr'dto in the title; which is fuch a wretched compofition, and the chizel has mangled it so much in the pointing, and spelling, that I can make no other use of it, but only to discover by this noble youth's having dy'd in the year 1641, that Mr. Waller feems to have writ ten these verses before he was banish'd, and probably in the thirty seventh year of his age.

* Page 209. † Page 210.

Page 211.

The

The Maid's Tragedy alter'd.

I have nothing to add to what has already been faid of these alterations, in the Preface to the fecond Part of Mr. Waller's Poems, page 291: but, fhall only obferve, that Langbaine miftook in affirming that King Charles II. would not fuffer the Play to appear on the Stage: for, I have been affur'd by my friend Mr. Southerne, that in the latter end of that reign he has seen it acted at the Theatre Royal, as it was originally written by Fletcher; but, never with Mr. Waller's alterations.

The firft Act of the Tragedy of Pompey.

This tranflation from Corneille I found appropriated to Mr. Waller, in a Letter which was communicated to me by my honour'd friend Sir Clement Cotterel, Mafter of the Ceremonies: it was writtten to his Grandfather by Mrs. Philips, the celebrated Orinda ; and contains the following criticism on our Author's performance, and her opinion of the whole. *** "I must then tell you, that Mr. Waller's own A& " is not free, in my opinion, from juft exceptions. "The word Roman blade choques me very much; "his frequent double rhymes in an heroic Poem; "his calling Pompey a Conful, when that was not in "the original, or the history; (both the Confuls be"ing with him at Pharfalia). Pharfalian kites, for, "les vautours de Pharfale. I cannot relish his Eng"lishing, le dernier preuve de leur amitiè, their new friendship and many additions, and omiflions of "the Author's fenfe. "I think a tranf"lation ought not to be used, as Muficians do a "Ground, with all the liberty of defcant; but, as "Painters

*

* Page 21.3.

X 2
† Page 241.

"Painters when they copy. And the rule that I "understood of tranflation, 'till these Gentlemen in"form'd me better, was, to write fo Corneille's fenfe,

as it is to be fuppos'd Corneille would have done "if he had been an Englishman: not confin'd to his lines, nor his numbers, (unless we can do it happily) but always to his meaning: or, to say all, "to tranflate as the Temple of Death † is translated : "where the original appears in its own true undif"figur'd proportion; and yet beautify'd with all "the riches of another tongue. But, after all this, "let me affure you, that what I have faid of these "Gentlemen's tranflation, is to engage you to tell

"

me your opinion, rather than to speak mine: "which yet is, that all together it is an excellent "piece, and done with great fpirit, and happiness: "and whofoever fhall attack it, muft fhew themselves "either very envious, or idle." ***

And thus I have endeavour'd to discharge the debt of gratitude which I ow'd to Mr. Waller's memory, for the pleasure I have receiv'd in reading his Poems; by attempting to restore the text to its original purity; and adding fuch illuftrations as fome of them very much wanted. They are extended, I confefs, to a much greater length than I defign'd: yet, I am very fenfible that many defects are remaining; which I fhall be glad to fee fupply'd, as I wish the whole had been undertaken, by fome abler hand; having a far ftronger inclination to pleafe and improve my felf with the writings of others, than to trouble the world with my own.

By Sir Charles Cotterel; which I have read in manufcript; it never was printed.

SPEECHES,