Part 28

I know you, and I must confess From Sence so Celebrated, and so True, _Wit_ so Uncommon, and so New, As that which alwaies shines in You; I cou’d expect no less. ‘Tis _Great_, ‘tis _Just_, ‘tis _Noble_ all! Right Spirit of the _Original_; No scatter’d Spark, no glimmering Beams, As in some Pieces here and there, Through a dark Glade of _Duller Numbers_ gleams. But ‘tis all Fire! all Glittering every where _Grateful Instruction_ that can never fail, To Please and Charm, even while you Rail. By _Arts_ thus Gentle and Severe The _Powers Divine_ first made their Mortals Wise; The soft Reproach they did with Reverence bear; While they Ador’d the GOD that did Chastize,

II.

Perhaps there may be found some _Carping Wit_, May blame the Measures of thy _Lines_, And cry,--Not so the _Roman_ Poet writ; Who drest his _Satyr_ in more lofty Rhimes. But thou for thy Instructor _Nature_ chose, That _first_ best Principle of _Poetry_; And to thy Subject didst thy _Verse_ dispose, While in Harmonious Union both agree. Had the _Great Bard_ thy _Properer Numbers_ view’d, He wou’d have lay’d his stiff Heroicks by, And this more _Gay_, more _Airy_ Path pursu’d, That so much better leads to _Ralliery_. Wit is no more than _Nature_ well exprest; And he fatigues and toyles in vain With _Rigid Labours_, breaks his Brain, That has _Familiar Thought_ in lofty Numbers drest.

III.

True to his _Sense_ and to his _Charming Wit_, Thou every where hast kept an equal Pace: All his Brisk Turns exactly hit, Justly maintain’d his Humour and his Grace: And with the _Language_ hast not chang’d the Face: Great _Juvenal_ in every Line, True _Roman_ still o’re all does shine; But in the _Brittish_ Garb appears most fine.

IV.

Long did the _Learned Author_ search to find The Vice and Vanity of Humane-kind: Long he observ’d, nor did observe in vain; In every differing Humour found Even there where _Virtue_ did abound, Some mortal Frailties reign. _Philosophers_ he saw were Proud Of dull-affected Poverty: Senators cringing to the Crowd For trifling Popularity: The Judge reviles the Criminal at _Bar_, And now because old Ages Ice Has chill’d the Ardour of his willing Vice, Snarles at those _Youthful Follies_ which he cannot shun. From the vain-keeping _’.quire_, and Cully’d _Lord_; The fawning _Courtier_, _States-man’s_ Broken Word: Down to the flattering, Jilting _Curtizan_, And the more faithless couzening _Citizen_, The Tricks of _Court_ and _State_ to him were known; And all the Vices veil’d beneath the _Gown_, From the Sharp _Pulpit_ to the Blunted _Stall_, He knew, and gently did reproach them all.

V.

If _Rome_ that kept the lesser World in awe, Wanted a _Juvenal_ to give them Law, How much more we who stockt with _Knave_ and _Fool_, Have turn’d the Nation into _Ridicule_. The dire Contagion spreads to each degree Of Wild _Debauchery_. The mad Infected Youth make haste To day their _Fortunes_, _Health_, and _Reason_ waste: The _Fop_, a tamer sort of _Tool_ Who dresses, talks, and loves, by Rule; Has long for a _Fine Person_ past. _Blockheads_ will pass for _Wits_, and Write, And some for _Brave_, who ne’r could Fight. Women for _Chaste_, whose knack of _Cant_ Boasts of the _Virtues_ that they want: Cry _Faugh_--at Words and Actions Innocent, And make that naughty that was never meant: That vain-affected _Hypocrite_ shall be In Satyr sham’d to _Honest Sense_ by Thee. ‘Tis Thou, an _English Juvenal_, alone, To whom all _Vice_, and every _Vertue’s_ known: Thou that like _Judah’s_ King through all hast past, And found that all’s but _Vanity_ at last; ‘Tis you alone the _Discipline_ can use, Who dare at once be _bold_, _severe_, and _kind_; Soften rough Satyr with thy gentler _Muse_, And force a _Blush_ at least, where you can’t change the Mind.

_A. Behn._

_On the Death of_ E. Waller, _Esq._;

_By Mrs._ A. Behn.

How, to thy Sacred Memory, shall I bring (Worthy thy Fame) a grateful Offering? I, who by Toils of Sickness, am become Almost as near as thou art to a Tomb? While every soft, and every tender Strain Is ruffl’d, and ill-natur’d grown with Pain. But, at thy Name, my languisht _Muse_ revives, And a new _Spark_ in the dull _Ashes_ strives. I hear thy tuneful _Verse_, thy _Song_ Divine, And am Inspir’d by every charming Line. But, Oh!---- What Inspiration, at the second Hand, Can an _Immortal Elegie_ command? Unless, like _Pious Offerings_, mine should be Made Sacred, being Consecrate to thee. Eternal, as thy own Almighty Verse, Should be those _Trophies_ that adorn thy _Hearse_. The _Thought_ Illustrious, and the _Fancy_ young; } The _Wit_ Sublime, the _Judgment_ Fine and Strong; } Soft, as thy _Notes_ to _Sacharissa_ sung. } Whilst mine, like Transitory _Flowers_, decay, That come to _deck_ thy Tomb a short-liv’d Day. Such _Tributes_ are, like _Tenures_, only fit To shew from whom we hold our _Right_ to _Wit_. Hail, wondrous _Bard_, whose Heav’n-born _Genius_ first My Infant _Muse_, and Blooming _Fancy_ Nurst. With thy soft _Food_ of _Love_ I first began, Then fed on nobler _Panegyrick_ Strain, Numbers _Seraphic_! and at every View, My Soul extended, and much larger grew: Where e’re I Read, new Raptures seiz’d my Blood; Me thought I heard the Language of a God. Long did the untun’d World in Ign’rance stray, } Producing nothing that was Great and Gay, } Till taught by thee, the true Poetick way. } Rough were the _Tracts_ before, Dull and Obscure; Nor Pleasure, nor Instruction could procure. Their thoughtless Labour could no _Passion_ move; Sure, in that _Age_, the Poets knew not _Love_: That Charming _God_, like Apparitions, then, Was only talk’d on, but ne’re seen by Men: Darkness was o’re the _Muses_ Land displaid, And even the _Chosen Tribe_ unguided straid. ‘Till, by thee rescu’d from th’ _Egyptian_ Night, } They now look up, and view the God of Light, } That taught them how to _Love_, and how to _Write_; } And to Enhance the Blessing which Heav’n lent, When for our great _Instructor_ thou wert sent, Large was thy Life, but yet thy Glories more; } And, like the _Sun_, didst still dispense thy Pow’r, } Producing something wondrous ev’ry hour: } And in thy _Circulary Course_, didst see The very _Life_ and _Death_ of _Poetry_. Thou saw’st the _Generous Nine_ neglected lie, None listning to their Heav’nly _Harmony_; The World being grown to that low _Ebb_ of Sense To disesteem the noblest Excellence; And no Encouragement to _Prophets_ shown, Who in past _Ages_ got so great Renown. Though _Fortune_ Elevated thee above Its _scanty Gratitude_, or _fickle Love_; Yet, _sullen_ with the World, untir’d by Age, Scorning th’ unthinking _Crowd_, thou quit’st the _Stage_.

A PINDARIC POEM _to the Reverend Doctor_ Burnet, _on the Honour he did me of Enquiring after me and my_ MUSE.

_By Mrs._ A. Behn.

(1)

When Old _Rome’s_ Candidates aspir’d to Fame, And did the Peoples Suffrages obtain For some great Consul, or a _Cæsar’s_ Name; The Victor was not half so Pleas’d and Vain, As I, when given the Honour of your Choice, And Preference had in that one single Voice; That Voice, from whence Immortal Wit still flows; Wit that at once is Solemn all and Sweet, Where Noblest Eloquence and Judgment shows The Inspiring Mind Illustrious, Rich, and Great; A Mind that can inform your wond’rous Pen In all that’s Perfect and Sublime: And with an Art beyond the Wit of Men, On what e’re Theam, on what e’re great Design, It carries a Commanding Force, like that of Writ Divine.

(2)

With Pow’rful Reasoning drest in finest Sence, A thousand ways my Soul you can Invade, And spight of my Opinions weak Defence, Against my Will, you Conquer and Perswade. Your Language soft as Love, betrays the Heart, And at each Period fixes a Resistless Dart, While the fond list’ner, like a Maid undone, Inspir’d with Tenderness she fears to own; In vain essays her Freedom to Regain: The fine Ideas in her Soul remain, And Please, and Charm, even while they Grieve and Pain.

(3)

But yet how well this Praise can Recompense For all the welcome Wounds (before) you’d given! Scarce any thing but You and Heaven Such Grateful Bounties can dispense, As that Eternity of Life can give; So fam’d by you my Verse Eternally shall live: Till now, my careless Muse no higher strove T’inlarge her Glory, and extend her Wings; Than underneath _Parnassus_ Grove, To Sing of Shepherds, and their humble Love; But never durst, like _Cowly_, tune her Strings, To sing of Heroes and of Kings. But since by an Authority Divine, She is allow’d a more exalted Thought; She will be valu’d now as Currant Coyn; Whose Stamp alone gives it the Estimate, Tho’ out of an inferiour Metal wrought.

(4)

But oh! if from your Praise I feel A Joy that has no Parallel! What must I suffer when I cannot pay Your Goodness, your own generous way? And make my stubborn Muse your Just Commands obey. My Muse that would endeavour fain to glide With the fair prosperous Gale, and the full driving Tide, But Loyalty Commands with Pious Force, That stops me in the thriving Course, The Brieze that wafts the Crowding Nations o’re, Leaves me unpity’d far behind On the Forsaken Barren Shore, To Sigh with Echo, and the Murmuring Wind; While all the Inviting Prospect I survey, With Melancholy Eyes I view the Plains, Where all I see is Ravishing and Gay, And all I hear is Mirth in loudest Strains; Thus while the Chosen Seed possess the Promis’d Land, I like the Excluded Prophet stand, The Fruitful Happy Soil can only see, But am forbid by Fates Decree To share the Triumph of the joyful Victory.

(5)

‘Tis to your Pen, Great Sir, the Nation owes For all the Good this Mighty Change has wrought; ‘Twas that the wondrous Method did dispose, E’re the vast Work was to Perfection brought. Oh Strange effect of a Seraphick Quill! That can by unperceptable degrees Change every Notion, every Principle To any Form, its Great Dictator please: The Sword a Feeble Pow’r, compar’d to That, And to the Nobler Pen subordinate; And of less use in _Bravest_ turns of State: While that to Blood and Slaughter has recourse, This Conquers Hearts with soft prevailing Force: So when the wiser _Greeks_ o’recame their Foes, It was not by the Barbarous Force of Blows. When a long Ten Years Fatal War had fail’d, With luckier Wisdom they at last assail’d, Wisdom and Counsel which alone prevail’d. Not all their Numbers the Fam’d Town could win, ‘Twas Nobler Stratagem that let the Conquerour in.

(6)

Tho’ I the Wond’rous Change deplore, That makes me Useless and Forlorn, Yet I the great Design adore, Tho’ Ruin’d in the Universal Turn. Nor can my Indigence and Lost Repose, Those Meagre Furies that surround me close, Convert my Sense and Reason more To this Unpresidented Enterprise, Than that a Man so Great, so Learn’d, so Wise, The Brave Achievement Owns and nobly Justifies. ‘Tis you, Great Sir, alone, by Heaven preserv’d, Whose Conduct has so well the Nation serv’d, ‘Tis you that to Posperity shall give This Ages Wonders, and its History. And Great NASSAU shall in your Annals live To all Futurity. Your Pen shall more Immortalize his Name, That even his Own Renown’d and Celebrated Fame.

FINIS.

NOTES.

NOTES ON THE TEXT.

LA MONSTRE (1686).

p. 4, l. 1 _To Peter Weston, Esq._ This Epistle Dedicatory and the five complimentary poems which follow are only in the editio princeps, 1686.

p. 12, l. 1 _La Monstre_. Only in 1686.

p. 12, l. 9 _dare_. 1697 ‘dae’. 1735 ‘do’.

p. 13, l. 14 _you will not_. 1735 ‘will you not’.

p. 15, l. 5 _Worships_. 1735 ‘Worship’.

p. 17, l. 25 _never_. 1735 ‘ever’.

p. 19, l. 30 _To give_. 1735 ‘That give’.

p. 20, l. 11 _dear Object_. 1735 omits ‘dear’.

p. 20, l. 18 _to the Hour_. 1735 omits ‘to’.

p. 21, l. 25 _so much Goodness_. 1686 ‘Goodness enough’, 1697 ‘Goodness enough to write you enough’. I follow 1735 here as the repetition of ’.nough ... enow (enough)’ is very harsh.

p. 22, l. 13 _Evidences_. 1697, 1735 ‘Evidence’.

p. 23, l. 7 _Lover_. 1697, 1735 ‘Lovers’.

p. 24, l. 18 _a Heart_. 1735 ‘the Heart’, and punctuates with no comma after _Heart_ but after _Damon_, comma.

p. 29, l. 9 _sets_. 1735 ‘set’.

p. 29, l. 10 _idle_. 1735 omits.

p. 29, l. 12 _Melinda_. 1686, 1697 ‘Milinda’.

p. 31, l. 8 _shall_. 1697, 1735 ‘should.’

p. 35, l. 26 _Sense and_. 1735 omits.

p. 35, l. 27 _to purchase_. 1686, 1697 omit ‘to’.

p. 37, l. 4 _that_. 1697, 1735 ‘the’.

p. 37, l. 22 _never_. 1735 ‘ever’.

p. 40, l. 29 _such a sort_. 1697, 1735 omit ‘such’.

p. 47, l. 9 _grow_. 1697, 1735 ‘strow’.

p. 49, l. 29 _more_. 1697, 1735 ‘most’.

p. 49, l. 30 _Glist’ring_. 1697, 1735 ‘Glitt’ring’.

p. 50, l. 19 _recollected_. 1735 ‘collected’.

p. 53, l. 2 _Incertainty_. 1735 ‘Uncertainty’.

p. 53, l. 11 _Answers_. 1735 ‘Answer’.

p. 53, l. 19 _impossible_. 1735 ‘possible’, a very patent error.

p. 59, l. 15 _the_. 1735 ‘thy’.

p. 65, l. 3 _won_. 1735 misprints ‘now’.

p. 65, l. 7 _and_. 1735 ‘tho’.

p. 65, l. 16 _unreasonably_. 1697, 1735 ‘unreasonable’.

p. 66, l. 3 _happen you_. 1735 ‘happen that you’.

p. 67, l. 8 _and Mall_. 1735 ‘the Mall’.

p. 68, l. 26 _on me_. 1735 ‘of me’.

p. 70, l. 21 _rack_. 1686, 1697 ‘wreck’.

p. 70, l. 23 _subvert_. 1735 ‘pervert’.

p. 70, l. 24 _To the most tort’ring Jealousy_. 1686, 1697 ‘To tort’ring Jealousie’.

p. 73, l. 4 _vanisht_. 1735 ‘banish’d’.

p. 73, l. 21 _a Peace_. 1735 omits ‘a’.

p. 74, l. 17 _Imaginations_. 1735 ‘Imagination’.

p. 75, l. 27 _unimitable_. 1735 (here and elsewhere) ‘inimitable.’

p. 75, l. 32 _Katharine_. 1735 ‘Catharine’.

p. 75, l. 34 _Heighth_. 1735 ‘Height’.

p. 75, l. 35 _Meads_. 1735 ‘Meadows.’

p. 76, l. 29 _Morland_. 1735 ‘Moreland’.

p. 76, l. 30 _Gorden_. 1735 ‘Gordon’.

p. 81, l. 23 _toucht_. 1735 ‘taught’.

p. 82, l. 34 _to tie_. 1697 ‘to die’.

p. 83, l. 14 _believ’d_. 1735 ‘believe’.

p. 86, l. 11 _it_. 1735 ‘they’.

p. 88, l. 13 _never_. 1735 ‘ever’.

p. 89, l. 3 _Odour_. 1686, 1697 ‘Ardour’.

p. 91, l. 8 _Fundamentals_. 1735 ‘Foundations’.

p. 94, l. 4 _Sent from Damon to Iris_. 1697, 1735 both omit this. 1697 on separate title reads: ‘The Whole Art of Charming.’

p. 95, l. 18 _Iris’s_. 1697, 1735 ‘The Lady’s’.

p. 95, l. 32 _its_. 1735 ‘their’.

p. 98, l. 29 _of it weaves a Chain, not easily_ ... 1697 ‘if it weaves a Chain, not easily ...’ 1735 ‘if it weaves a Chain, ‘tis not easily ...’

p. 100, l. 2 _Monarchs_. 1735 ‘Monarch’, 1697 ‘Monarchs guest’.

p. 105, l. 11 _softest_. 1697, 1735 ‘softer’.

p. 106, l. 25 _Wit and Youth!_ 1735 ‘Wit and Truth!’

p. 106, l. 26 _Love and Truth_. 1735 ‘Love and Youth’.

POEMS UPON SEVERAL OCCASIONS (1684).

p. 115, l. 3 _Viscount Cramborn and Baron of Islington_. So 1684; but ’.ramborn’ should be ‘Cranborn’, and for ‘Islington’ we should read ’.ssingdon.’ Possibly Mrs. Behn sent the Dedicatory Epistle to press as an afterthought at the last moment and did not see a proof. Though she was frequently careless, such mistakes as ‘Cramborn’ and ‘Islington’ would seem to be chargeable to her printers.

p. 125, l. 32. _Forsake their Kinds_. Query ‘their Kids’.

p. 130, l. 33. _E’er they’re_. 1684 ‘E’er their’.

p. 139, l. 5. _The Gray-Plum’d Natives of the Shades_. So 1684, but we should doubtless read ‘Gay-Plum’d’. cf. l. 2 of sixth stanza: ‘little Gay-wing’d Loves.’

p. 144, l. 11 _The Sun and Spring receive but our short Light_. This, the reading of 1684, is clearly corrupt but can be easily mended by changing ‘receive’ to ‘revive’.

p. 147, l. 8 _the rushing of the wind-blown leaves_. On p. 171, l. 23, we have ‘Whispering Gales Sigh through the Rushing Leaves.’ Mrs. Behn uses ‘rushing’ in the sense of ‘rustling’.

p. 150, l. 17 _From Active Joyes with some they hast_. The words ‘with some’ are meaningless and corrupt. Query ‘eftsoon’.

p. 154, l. 25 _Like Pan, a Majesty_. 1684 ‘Like Panna, Majesty’.

p. 177, l. 15 _Gold and Grain_. Probably a misprint for ‘Golden Grain’.

p. 181, l. 21 _Priapus_. 1684 ‘Priapas’.

p. 182, l. 11 _All that the Gods e’er made, if Fair_. Query ‘e’er made of Fair’.

p. 183, l. 28 _Astrae_. Misprint: the old copy rightly gives ‘Astrea.’

p. 183, l. 30 _I slept. Muses Mercury_ (May, 1707), ‘I saw last night a pretty sight’.

p. 183, l. 32 _Stars_. M.M. ‘Eyes so bright’.

p. 186, l. 5 _are_. Misprint: read, with the old copy, ‘art.’

p. 194, l. 31 _Not add_. Query ‘Not au’ (i.e. Not all).

p. 200, l. 17 _were throng_. Query ‘were throng’d’.

p. 206, l. 20 _decry_. Misprint: read, with 1684, ‘descry’.

p. 207, l. 12 _and Kill_. 1684 ‘a Kill’.

p. 218, l. 1 _we part_. 1684 ‘me part’.

p. 219, l. 14 _thee and I_. The bad grammar has not been changed, as it may be due to Mrs. Behn’s carelessness.

p. 222, l. 2 _Hadst_. 1684 ‘Hads’.

p. 224, l. 25 _That, best instructs_. 1684 ‘instruct’. (The comma after ‘that’ is unnecessary, but Mrs. Behn used it to emphasise the word--here and in the following line.)

p. 225, l. 12 _ne’er to visit more_. 1684 ‘near to visit more’.

p. 227, l. 4 _whether_. i.e. (as frequently) ‘whither’.

p. 230, l. 28 _barely wishing_. Query ‘dearly wishing’.

p. 230, l. 33 _Love gives_. 1684 ‘give’.

p. 231, l. 18 _treads_. 1684 ‘tread’.

p. 232, l. 32 _Kisses_. 1684 ‘Kiss’.

p. 233, l. 13 _Mad_. 1684 ‘Made’.

p. 235, l. 17 _In modest Speech, as might well subdue_. Corrupt. Query ’.odest in Speech, such as might well subdue.’

p. 247, l. 2 _Says_. 1684 ‘Say’.

p. 250, l. 5 _replies_. 1684 ‘reply’.

p. 251, ll. 1-2 _the dumb and silent languishes, Are predic’d, which so well explain the Heart_. The word ‘predic’d’ is very suspicious. Taking ’.anguishes’ as a substantive (and deleting the comma), we might change ’.redic’d’ to ‘produc’d’ (with the accent on the first syllable).

p. 253, l. 3 _Winter_. 1684 ‘Winters’.

p. 253, l. 7 _All bleek and cale_. In a _Pastoral to Mr. Stafford_, (p. 383), we have: ‘In summer let the Boughs be _cale_ and dry.’

p. 258, ll. 1-2 _who’s lovely Face Disdain’d the Beauties of the common race_. So 1684; but ‘Disdain’d’ may be a misprint for ‘Distain’d’ (outshone).

p. 272, l. 28 _And let her Feet weep my neglect away_. Corrupt. We should doubtless read ‘And at her Feet weep my neglect away’.

p. 273, l. 10 _hear_. 1684 ‘here’.

p. 278, l. 5 _hallow’d_. 1684 ‘hollow’d’.

p. 280, l. 10 _wear_. 1684 ‘were’.

p. 284, l. 7 _Inspiring Love, inciting_. 1684 ‘Inspiring my Love inciting.’

p. 285, l. 28 _soft breath’d_. 1684 ‘oft breath’d’.

LYCIDUS (1688).

p. 302, l. 35 _no one place could continue her_. So 1688; but ’.ontinue’ may be a misprint for ‘contain’.

p. 327, l. 4 _Now_. 1688 ‘How’.

p. 344, l. 18 _This there_. 1688, but query ‘’.is there’.

p. 345, l. 19 _wert_. 1688 ‘wers’t’.

p. 352, l. 23 _’.was youth, ‘twas wit, ‘twas Beauty_. 1688 ‘was Beauty’.

p. 360, l. 12 _Amintas_. M.M. (April, 1707), ‘Amyntas,’ and throughout.

p. 360, l. 15 _conquer’d_. M.M. ‘conquer’.

p. 361, l. 5 _stoln_. M.M. ‘stole’.

p. 361, l. 27 _with which_. M.M. ‘wherewith’.

p. 361, l. 29 _That may declare_. M.M. ‘which may disclose’.

p. 362, l. 2 _Lovers_. M.M. ‘shepherds’.

p. 362, l. 4 _softer_. M.M. ‘ruder’.

p. 362, l. 5 _By the sad purling_ ... M.M. ‘There, there, my Soul, by some still Rivulet’.

p. 362, l. 7 _That_. M.M. ‘Which’.

p. 362, l. 8 _melancholy_. M.M. ‘solitary’.

p. 362, l. 10 _stream the shade forsakes_. M.M. ‘Streams the Shades forsake’.

p. 362, l. 12 _Trees_. M.M. ‘Boughs’.

p. 362, l. 13 _Thô_. M.M. ‘But’.

p. 362, l. 20 _ungrateful know, why tis_. M.M. ‘Ingrate know how and why’.

p. 362, l. 22 _Thy_. M.M. ‘The’.

p. 362, l. 27 _what weak resistance_. M.M. ‘no opposition’.

p. 362, l. 28 _every charming word_. M.M. ‘For ev’ry dangerous Smile begot ...’

p. 362, l. 30 _willing ... will_. M.M. ‘weeping ... wouldst’.

p. 362, l. 32 _But stay thy hasty fight_. M.M. ‘But stay, my hasty Soul, Alas! Alas!’

p. 363, l. 5 _Think how the faithless_. M.M. ‘Then think how ill he’.

p. 363, l. 6 _And then my tortur’d soul_. M.M. ‘And in that Sigh, my Soul’.

p. 364, l. 17 (_Westminster Drollery_, 1671.) _if I see they mend_. Query ‘thee mend’.

p. 366, l. 18 (_Miscellany_, 1685.) _Ignorance_. 1685 ‘Igrance’.

p. 375, l. 6 _So fair_. 1685 ‘so far’.

p. 375, l. 27 _be given_. 1685 ‘be gived’.

p. 379, l. 5 _Indian Priests_. 1685 ‘Indian Priest’.

p. 382, l. 28 _intrigues_. Unless we are to pronounce this as a trisyllable a word must have dropped out of this line.

p. 383, l. 18 _Damon false?_ 1685 ‘Damon safe?’ (The use of the long ’.’ led to much misprinting.)

p. 384, l. 31 _soild_. 1685 ‘solid’.

p. 386, l. 5 _tall_. 1685 ‘tale’.

p. 391, l. 3 _wand’ring Fires run_. In _Poems on Affairs of State, II_ (1703), this is: ‘wandring Fire runs.’

p. 402, l. 12 _Deme_. i.e. ‘Demme’ (damn me).

NOTES: CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY.

LA MONSTRE.

p. 4 _Peter Weston, Esq._ Peter Weston, the second son of a Cheshire clergyman, was born in 1665. He matriculated at Brasenose College, Oxford, and afterwards proceeding to the Inner Temple (1683) was called to the Bar in 1697. He attained considerable eminence in his profession. Foster, _Alumni Oxon_. has: ‘Weston, Peter s. Tho. of Chester (city) cler. Brasenose Coll. matric. 10 June 1681 aged 16; bar. at law Inner Temple, 1697.’ The Inner Temple _Admission Register_ gives: ‘Petrus Weston. Generosus filius secundus Thome Weston nuper de Christalton in Comitatu Cestrie Sacre Theologie Professoris generaliter Admissus est in Societatem istius Comitive in consideracione Trium librarum Sex solidorum etc. etc. Septimo die Februarii Anno Domini 1683 (i.e. 1683/4).’ In the Inner Temple _Records_, amongst the Bench Table Orders, is noted, 27-9 January, 1696-7: ‘that Peter Weston be called to the bar’, and again 31 January following, we have: ‘Peter Weston’s call to the bar respited.’ Doubtless Weston was a friend of Hoyle, and by him introduced to the circle which surrounded Mrs. Behn.

p. 7 _Charles Cotton_. Charles Cotton was born at Ovingdean (Sussex), 28 April, 1630. Upon coming into his estate he found it heavily encumbered, and probably as much from necessity as from natural inclination turned to literary work. He produced a large number of poems, translations, panegyrics, prominent amongst which is his _Scarronides, or Virgil Travestie_ (1664). He will be remembered by his best lyrics, his Second Part of the _Compleat Angler_, and his version of Montaigne. Cotton, who seems to have been continually harassed with pecuniary difficulties, was a gay liver, albeit an intimate of Isaak Walton. He died 1687.