ship of Ben Jonson,* and to have greatly lamented his loss. That he had frequently enjoyed his society is evident from the following stanza. Ah Ben! Say how, or when Shall we thy Guests Meet at those Lyric feasts, Made at the Sun, The Dog, the triple Tunne? As made us nobly wild, not mad; He was, likewise, it is presumed, a favourite with the celebrated John Selden, who appears, from the lines I am about to quote, to have been a great admirer of his genius; they are addressed "To the most learned, wise, and Arch-Antiquary, M. John Selden." I who have favour'd many, come to be * Jonson was born 1574, and died 1637. To Endymion Porter, who died abroad in the Court of Charles the Second, and was a great patron of poets and literary men, a few of his pieces are devoted, and are pleasing tributes of gratitude and respect. He cultivated also the friendship of Denham,* to whom he has addressed some couplets on his Prospective Poem," probably his farfamed Cooper's Hill, and which, from their style, clearly intimate, that a mutual regard had taken place between the poets. A connection too, of the most cordial kind, existed between our author and Charles Cotton, well known for his wit and humour, and for his translation of Montaigne. The little poem written by Herrick, in honour of this ingenious writer, betrays the warmth of his affection, and is, at the same time, composed with energy and simplicity. As a considerable portion of the poetry of Herrick is of the Lyric species, the assistance of the sister art of Music was frequently *Denham died in 1668. + Cotton born 1630-died 1687. required, and with the celebrated Composers of his time, he was, therefore, intimately ac-. quainted. The two Lawes, Henry and William, Goutire, Laniere, Wilson and Ramsay, are all noticed in his works. To Henry Lawes, the first musician of his age, the friend of Waller and of Milton, and by whom his memory has been immortalised, he appears to have been particularly attached. The lines addressed "To M. Henry Lawes, the excellent Composer of his Lyricks," speak the high idea he entertained of his mu sical talents. Touch but thy Lyre, my Harry, and I hear On William too, the brother of Henry, the disciple of Giovanni Coperario, and who was killed at the siege of Chester the 26th of September, 1645, he has some elegiac verses. William was even thought superior to his brother, and Dr. Fuller asserts, that he made above thirty several sorts of music for voices and instruments; neither was there any in strument, then in use, but he composed to it so aptly, as if he had studied that only.* James Goutire and Dr. John Wilson, were highly celebrated for their performance on the lute, on which instrument they excelled all the Englishmen of their time. The latter frequently played before Charles I. who usually "leaned, or laid his hand on his shoulder," and listened to him with great attention. Nicholas Laniere was one of the private music to Charles I. he had likewise merit as a painter, and both composed the symphonies to, and painted the scenes for the masques, written by Ben Jonson for the court. One of the earliest productions of Herrick, "A Pastoral upon the Birth of Prince Charles," is set by this Italian. It does not appear, that after the year 1648, the date of the Hesperides, our poet paid much attention to the Muses. He was, however, a contributor to the " Lachrymæ * Worthies in Wilts, page 157. + Word's Fasti, 2 Col. 41. and Grainger, vol. ii. page 367. Musarum, expressed in Elegies upon the Death of Henry Lord Hastings," 1650, but the poem he has written for this Collection, and which is entitled "The new Charon," adds not a single laurel to his wreath. A tradition also is said to prevail at DeanBourn, that he was the original author of Poor Robin's Almanack, which was first published about the year 1661 or 1662, but nothing corroborative of this surmise is, I believe, to be found. Twelve or thirteen years must have elapsed before he was restored to his vicarage, which, it is probable, after so many years of penury and neglect, he was, notwithstanding all his poetical abuse, very willing to revisit. This event took place shortly after the Restoration in 1660.* He had, in the mean time, resided in St. Anne's Parish, in Westminster, and one John Syms, according to the Register of Dean Prior, occupied the benefice from 1648 to 1658. I have not been able to obtain any information as to the period of our author's death, neither Wood, Grainger, Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy, page 167. |