ART. IX. Old Poetry.

[Robert Davy,

Author of a few compositions in verse inserted in the MS. volume repeatedly noticed in this work as of the age of Elizabeth. His name is believed to be now first known. The pieces are of a religious cast, and are remarkable for their smoothness of numbers, when compared with some of the contemporary writers. If there are not the words that burn, there is sufficient merit to claim preservation.]

"A Dittie of Defence against the fleshe, the worlde, and the Devill.

"Each wight geeve care to this approved lore,
that I shall singe in waie of good advice;
Call to thy mynde the lief thow ledd before,

and thinke what thinges to sinne did the entice:
Bewaile with teares, for that thow did offend,
And vowe in harte hereafter to amend.

Abbor in mynde thy lawlesse lothsome lust,

that yeldes in fine, but poisoned sweet delight: With most chaste mynde, his force subdue thow must, by sober foode and by continuall flight.

Doe thus, defie the fleshe and all his force,
To keep the sowle in safetie have remorse.

The worlde likewise with glittring glimse of toyes,
bedecked and full fraught with vanitie
regarde thow not, respecting heavenly ioyes :
his peevishe pompe doe vtterly defie;
Make wealth a slave to serve thee at thy need,
And God (no dowte) will geave thee better speed.

The Divell also that fowle filthy fende,

that doth but seek to geeve thee overthrowe; Abhorr his baites working thy wofull ende,

and shone likewise the dainger of his bowe: Tread downe his seed, cutt of occasion sought; by praier to God his sleighte shall come to nought.

Oh God, our God! graunte pardon wee thee praie

for each offence, that wee committed have;
Be thow our guide, to lead vs in the waie,

to shunne the wiles that wold vs soone deprave;
And be our strength, their force for to defend
Our deadly foes that seek our dolefull end.

RO. DAVY."

[Upon a slight retrospect of the history of letters in the last century, imposition and intended fraud are leading characteristics. The Formosa island of the canibal Psalmanazar; the forgery of Lauder; the yet doubtful Ossian; that offspring of sportive genius Rowley, and the truly venal attempt hight pseudo-Shakspeare:-a combination sufficient to engender some new monster more malignant than Suspicion to slur with venom every discovery in the range of literature. To preclude doubt, the MS. referred to in any article by me may be easily inspected.}

Conduit street.

J. H.

ART. X. The Ruminator. Containing a series of moral, sentimental, and critical Essays.

No. XLIV.

On the Latin poems of Cowley.

The Latin poems of Cowley, which are not printed among the common editions of his works, are not so

• First printed 1668, 8vo. in which are included Plantarum Libri Duo, which had been printed Land 1662, 8vo. The title of the second edition runs thus: Abrabami Couleii Angli, Poemata Latina: in quibus continentur Sere Libri Plantarum, viz. Duo Herbarum, Florum, Sylvarum; et unus Miscellaneorum.

Habeo quod carmine sanet & berbis.

Ovid Metam. 10.

Huic editioni secunda accessit Index Rerum antebac desideratus. Londini typis M. Clarke, Impensis Jo. Martyn, ad Insigne Campana in Cœmeterio D. Pauli 1678, 8vo.

well

well known as they ought to be. Dr. Johnson and T. Warton differ in the degree of their merit; but it must be admitted that they discover great skill in the Latin language, as well as great genius.

I think some of my readers will not be displeased at having two or three of them again brought into notice. I embrace the opportunity more willingly, because I have heard it objected, I think, with too narrow views, that my ruminations are not sufficiently confined to subjects of literature. Limits I have always imposed on myself, which have restrained me from discussing many topics of life and manners, that would both have been pleasing to myself, and have given a greater diversity to my pages. But there are those who would confine me within bounds, to which I cannot submit to be chained.

Cowley is never more eloquent than when he descants on the pleasures of Solitude, whether in Latin or English.

"Solitudo.

"Rura laudamus merito poetæ,
Rure floremus; dominoque laurum
Sole gaudentem necat oppidorum

Nubilus aer.

Nam prius crescet seges in plateis,
Et coronabunt fora densa flores

Sponte nascentes, prius ipsa civis

Fiet et herba.

Urbe quam surgat media bonorum

Carminum messis; bona semper urbem

Carmina oderunt, neque nutrit omnis

Omnia tellus.

+ See Johnson's Lives of the Poets, and Warton's Preface to Milton's

Juvenile Poems.

G 3

Rure,

Rure, Persarum veluti tyrannus,
Abditus longo maneam recessu,
Sæpe legatum satis est ad urbem
Mittere carmen:

Arbores salvete, bonæque sylvæ,
Civitas fœlix avium innocentum!
Regna Musarum! sacra rusticantum
Villa Deorum!

Hic jacens vestris temere sub umbris,
Audiam supra Zephyros volantes,
Cumque fœcundis bene disputantes
Frondibus auras.*

O sacrum risum juvenilis anni!
Cum calor totos penetrans per artus
Fertilem pubem, Veneremque adulti
Suscitat orbis.

Hic mihi æstivo domus apta sole,

Pulchra naturæ domus architectæ!
Quis trabem excisam prius æstimabit

Arbore vivâ?†

This is a translation of some beautiful lines in his English poem on

Solitude.

"Here let me careless and unthoughtful lying,

Hear the soft winds above me flying,

With all their wanton boughs dispute."

+ "Here Nature does a house for me erect,

Nature, the wisest architect,

Who those fond artists does despise,

That can the fair and living trees neglect;

Yet the dead timber prize."

Ibid.

Audiam