SAMUEL BUTLER. WITH THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. PRINTED FOR A. WREN, G. HODGES, AND J. TAYLOR, BERWICK. MDCCXCVI, THE AUTHOR's LIFE. Si AMUEL BUTLER, the author of this excellent poem, was born in the parish of Strenfham, in the county of Worcester, and baptized there the 13th of February 1612. His father, who was of the fame name, was an honest country farmer, who had fome fmall eftate of his own, but rented a much greater of the lord of the manor where he lived. However, perceiving in this fon of his an early inclination to learning, he made a fhift to have him educated in the free fchool at Worcester, under Mr Henry Bright; where having paffed the ufual time, he went for fome little time to Cambridge, but was never matriculated into that univerfity, his father's abilities not being fufficient to be at the charge of an academical education: fo that our author returned foon into his native country, and became clerk to one Mr Jefferys of Earls-Croom, an eminent justice of the peace for that county, with whom he lived fome years, in an eafy and no contemptible fervice. Here, by the indulgence of a kind master, he had fufficient leifure to apply himfelf to whatever learning his inclinations led him, which were chiefly hiftory and poetry; to which, for his diverfion, he joined mufic and painting: and I have seen some pictures, faid to be of his drawing, which remained in that family; which I mention, not for the excellency of them, but to fatisfy the reader of his early inclinations to that noble art: for which alfo he was afterwards entirely beloved by Mr Samuel Cooper, one of the mo eminent painters of his time. He was, after this, recommended to that great encourager of learning, Elizabeth, countefs of Kent; where he had not only the opportunity to confult all manner of learned books, but to converse also with that living library of learning, the great Mr Selden. Our author lived fome time alfo with Sir Samuel Luke, who was of an ancient family in Bedfordfhire; but, to his difhonour, an eminent commander under the ufurper Oliver Cromwell; and thenit was, as I am informed, he compofed this loyal poem. For though fate; more than choice, feems to have placed him in the fervice of a knight fo notorious, both in his perfon and politics; yet by the rule of contraries, one may obferve throughout his whole poem, that he was most orthodox, both in his religion and loyalty. And I am the more induced to believe he wrote it about that time, because he had then the opportunity to converfe with those living characters of rebellion, nonfenfe, and hypocrify, which he fo lively and pathetically expofes throughout the whole work. After the restoration of K. Charles II. those who were at the helm minding money more than merit, our author found thofe verfes of Juvenal to be exacty verified in himself: Haud facile emergunt, quorum virtutibus obftat And being endued with that innate modefty, which rarely finds promotion in princes' courts; he became fecretary to Richard Earl of Carbury, Lord Prefident of the principality of Wales, who made him fteward of Ludlow Caftle, when the court there was revived. About this time, he married one Mrs Herbert, a gentlewoman of a very good family, but no widow, as our Oxford antiquary has reported. She She had a competent fortun it was moft of it unfortunately loft, by being pe curities, fo that it was of little advantage He is reported, by our antiquary, to have been actre tary to his race George Duke of Bucking! ans when he was chancellor to the univerfity of Cambridge; but whether that be true or no, it is certam, the Duke had a great kindness for him, and was ›often a benefactor to him. But no man was a more generous friend to him, than the Macanas of all learned and witty men, Charles Lord Buckhurst, the late Earl of Dorfet and Middlefex; who, being himfelf an excellent poet, knew how to fet a juit value upon the ingenious performances of others, and has often taken care privately to relieve and fupply the neceffities of those whose modesty would endeavour to conceal them; of which our author was a fignal inftance, as feveral others have been who are now living. In fine, the integrity of his life, the acutenefs of his wit, and eafinefs of his converfation, had rendered him moft acceptable to all men; yet he prudently avoided multiplicity of acquaintance, and wifely chofe fuch only whom his difcerning judgment could diftinguish, as Mr Cowley exprefles it, From the great vulgar or the fmall. And having thus lived to a good old age, admired by all, though perfonally known to few, he departed this life in the year 168e, and was buried at the charge of his good friend Mr Longuevil of the Temple, in the yard belonging to the church of St Paul, Covent Garden, at the weft end of the faid yard, on the north fide, under the wall of the faid church, and under the wall which parts the yard from the common high way. And fince he has no monument yet fet up for him, give me leave to borrow his epitaph from that of Michael Drayton the |