The outside of his doublet was Made of the four-leav'd true-love grass: On every seam there was a lace Drawn by the unctuous snail's slow trace; And, for coolness, next his skin, * A rich mantle he did wear Made of tinsel gossamer, His cap was all of ladies'-love; Dropp'd from the eyes of some poor girl Pinch'd because she had forgot The sword they girded on his thigh Was smallest blade of finest rye. A pair of buskins they did bring, Of the cow-lady's coral wing, Powder'd o'er with spots of jet, And lin'd with purple violet. His belt was made of myrtle leaves, Plaited in small curious threaves, Beset with amber cowslip studs, And fring'd about with daisy, buds; In which his bugle horn was hung, Made of the babbling Echo's tongue; Which, set unto his moon-burn'd lip, He winds, and then his fairies skip. At that the lazy dawn 'gan sound, And each did trip a fairy round. THOMAS FLATMAN, A miserable imitator of Cowley, was born about 1635, educated at Winchester School, and New College, Oxford, and becoming afterwards a barrister of the Inner Temple, neglected the law to pursue his inclination to painting and poetry. "Some of his tasteless contemporaries," says Mr. Granger, "thought him equally excellent in both; but "one of his heads is worth a ream of his pindarics, I had "almost said, all the pindarics written in this reign. He "really excelled as an artist: a man must want an ear for "harmony, that can admire his poetry, and even want "eyes that can cease to admire his painting." Notwithstanding, the duke of Ormond was so pleased with Flatman's ode on the death of his son, the earl of Ossory, that he sent him a diamond ring worth 100l.; and Phillips, by no means an indiscriminate panegyrist, commends his ingenuity in poetry as well as painting. The first edition of his poems appeared in 1674, the fourth in 1682. His death took place in 1688. Vide Walpole's Anecdotes of Painting in England. "This person," says Wood, (Ath. II. 826)" was in his 66 younger days much against marriage,-and made a song describing the cumbrances of it, beginning thus"Like a dog with a bottle tied close to his tail; "Like a tory in a bog, or a thief in a jail," &c. "But being afterwards smitten with a fair virgin, and more "with her fortune, did espouse her, 26th Nov. 1672; "whereupon his ingenious comrades did serenade him "that night, while he was in the embraces of his mistress, "with the said song." Of the three following extracts, the first is in the best style of his poetry; the second a specimen of his wit; and the third is remarkable from its having been imitated by Mr. Pope in his ode of "The Dying Christian." ୧ SONG. The Renegado. REMOV'D from fair Urania's eyes Fond Astrophil began to say: "Thy charms, Urania, I despise ! "Go, bid some other shepherd for thee die "That never understood thy tyranny !” Return'd at length, the amorous swain, Ador'd again and bow'd his knee, nigh. Bachelor's Song. Second Part. How happy a thing were a wedding, And a bedding, If a man might purchase a wife For a twelvemonth and a day: But to live with her all a man's life, For ever and for aye; Till she grow as grey as a cat,—— Good faith, Mr. parson, I thank you for that. A Thought of Death. [From 20 lines.] WHEN on my sick bed I languish, Methinks I hear some gentle spirit say, |