of ordinances, were too hard for him, and did really intoxicate his understanding, and made him quit his own to follow theirs, who, he thought, wished as well and judged better than himself. His vanity disposed him to be his excellency; and his weakness to believe that he should be the general in the houses as well as in the field, and be able to govern their counsels, and restrain their passions, as well as to fight their battles; and that by this means he should become the preserver and not the destroyer of the king and kingdom. With this ill-grounded confidence, he launched out into that sea, where he met with nothing but rocks and shelves, and from whence he could never discover any safe port to harbour in3.

. Wood says he was no way inclined to the sullen opinion of those men who disclaim the muses; but if less severe hours of leisure offered themselves in his retired studies, he would employ that time in the perusal of some serious poem: and being reported to have great judgment, especially in English verse, it was his custom to applaud the professors of that art, as high as their deserts merited, and to reward them above it; "particularly Francis Quarles and George

7 The noble historian seems in this place to countervail his former assertion, that he had " no ambition of title."

66

Hist. of the Rebellion, vol. ii. p. 209, 8vo. edit.

9 Captain Wm. Mercer, from his "lodging at the Three Pidgeons in King-street, Westminster," dedicated his Angliæ Speculum, in 1645, to his noble patron Rob. Devereux, earl of Essex, lord-generall, &c. Mercer seems to designate himself as a Scotsman, in a poetical petition to the lords and commons, the lord-mayor and aldermen, &c.

Wither, puritanical poets." So strong has been the prejudice excited against these versemen by Denham, Butler, Pope, and others, that to have been the patron of such writers will, by the bulk of mankind, be con-. sidered as a reproach. Quarles, however, has been ably vindicated from critical obloquy by the pens of Headley3, colonel Stanley 4, and Jackson of Exeter5; and Wither has at length found one zealous advocate in Mr. Alexander Dalrymple. Lord Essex therefore will suffer no depreciation in the minds of the liberal or candid, because he protected those poets whose

⚫ Athen. Oxon. vol. ii. col. 93.

› Biographical Sketches, p. Ixi.

✦ Gentleman's Magazine, for 1793, P. 211.

Letters on various Subjects.

6 See Extracts from Juvenilia, 1785, 8vo. Mr. Granger was content to retail the character of Wither at second hand; and it is certainly much more convenient to condemn an author in this summary way by a witty quotation, than to be at the trouble of perusing his works, in order to form an impartial judgment of them. Hence, Wither has had the ill fortune, in common with many a voluminous writer, to have his productions stigmatized as contemptible, because they were too numerous to be read. The common-place sarcasm, that if his verses "rhym'd and rattled all was well," does not apply to the verses of Wither: for he paid less attention to the metrical arrangement of his compositions, than to their nervous sense, shrewd satire, and moral application. Had he sacrificed sentiment to sound with less reluctance, he would doubtless have been more read, and, by many, more highly estimated. Mr. Dalrymple says very justly, "there is in his works uncommon strength of mind with peculiarity of thought, often most happily expressed; and his pen was always employed in the cause of virtue." His politics, however, gave a party-blight to his poetry.

morality and piety procured them the aspersion of being "puritanically affected "."

Under the name of lord Essex, while he was captain-general, were published,

"Several Letters to the Speakers of the House of Lords and Commons."

"Letters to several Persons."

"Relations concerning Skirmishes, Battles, taking of Towns, Houses, &c."

"Declarations and other such like Things :" says Woods. In a small tract were also printed,

"Lawes and Ordinances of Warre, established for the better Conduct of the Army by his Excellency the Earle of Essex, Lord Generall of the Forces raised by the Authority of Parliament for the Defence of the King and Kingdom." Lond. 1642, 4to.

These laws and ordinances treat "of duties to God, of duties in generall, of duties toward superiors and commanders, of duties morall, of a souldier's duty touching his armes, of duty in marching, of duties in the camp and garrison, of duties in action, of the duties of commanders and officers in particular, of the duty of the muster-masters, of victualers, of administration of justice."

The Harleian manuscripts 7007 and 7008, contain three short letters from Robert, earl of Essex, to his lordship's juvenile associate, Henry Frederick, heirapparent. These have been printed by Dr. Birch in

his Life of that promising prince, and are of little interest.

Rushworth has printed another in his Historical Collections, vol. ii. p. 3, relating to military proceedings; but his lordship's speech and protestation at the head of his army, in Sept. 1642, reflects higher honour on his character, and may afford a short extract.

"Gentlemen and fellow-soldiers,

"Ye are at this time assembled for the defence of his majesty, and the maintenance of the true Protestant religion, under my command. I shall therefore desire you to take notice what I, that am your generall, shall by my honour promise to perform towards you, and what I shall be forced to expect that you shall perform towards me.

"I do promise in the sight of Almighty God, that I shall undertake nothing but what shall tend to the advancement of the true Protestant religion, the securing of his majesty's royal person, the maintenance of the just privilege of parliament, and the liberty and property of the subject. Neither will I engage any of you into any danger, but I will in my own person run an equal hazard with you; and either bring you off with honour, or (if God have so decreed) fall with you, and willingly become a sacrifice for the preservation of my country.

"Likewise I do promise, that my ear shall be open to hear the complaint of the poorest of my soldiers, though against the chiefest of my officers; neither shall his greatness, if justly taxed, gain any privilege;

but I shall be ready to execute justice against all, from the greatest to the least.

"Your pay shall be constantly delivered to your commanders; and if default be made by any officer, give me timely notice, and you shall find speedy redress.

"This being performed on my part, I shall now declare what is your duty toward me, which I must likewise expect to be carefully performed by you.

"I shall desire all and every officer to endeavour, by love and affable carriage, to command his soldiers; since what is done for fear, is done unwillingly; and what is unwillingly attempted, can never prosper,' &c. 9.]

9 Parl. Hist. vol. xi p. 437