The death of queen Mary (in 1695) produced a fubject for all the writers: perhaps no funeral was ever fo poetically attended. Dryden, indeed, as a man discountenanced and deprived, was filent; but scarcely any other maker of verfes omitted to bring his tribute of tuneful forrow. An emulation of elegy was univerfal. Maria's praise was not confined to the English language, but fills a great part of the Mufa Anglicana. Prior, who was both a poet and a courtier, was not likely to miss this opportunity of refpect. He wrote a long ode, which was presented to the king, by whom it was not likely to be ever read, In two years he was fecretary to another embaffy at the treaty of Ryfwick (in 1697); and next year had the fame office at the court of France, where he is faid to have been confidered with great diftinction. As he was one day furveying the apartments at Verfailles, being fhewn the Victories Lewis, painted by Le Brun, and asked whether whether the king of England's palace had any fuch decorations; The monuments of my Mafter's actions, faid he, are to be feen everywhere but in his own boufe. The pictures of Le Brun are not only in themselves fufficiently oftentatious, but were explained by infcriptions fo arrogant, that Boileau and Racine thought it neceffary to make them more fimple. He was in the following year at Loo with the king; from whom, after a long audience, he carried orders to England, and upon his arrival became under-fecretary of state in the earl of Jersey's office; a poft which he did not retain long, becaufe Jersey was removed; but he was foon made commiffioner of Trade. This year (1700) produced one of his longest and most fplendid compositions, the Carmen Seculare, in which he exhausts all his powers of celebration. I mean not to accuse him of flattery; he probably thought all that he writ, and retained as much veracity as can be properly exacted from a poet profeffedly encomiaftic. King William fupplied copious materials for either verse or prose. His whole life had been action, and no man ever denied him the refplendent qualities of steady refolution and perfonal courage. He was really in Prior's mind what he reprefents him in his verfes; he confidered him as a hero, and was accustomed to say, that he praised others in compliance with the fashion, but that in celebrating king William he followed his inclination. To Prior gratitude would dictate praise, which reason would not refuse. Among the advantages to arise from the future years of William's reign, he mentions Societies for useful Arts, and among them Some that with care true eloquence shall teach, And to juft idioms fix our doubtful speech; That from our writers diftant realms may know The thanks we to our monarch owe, And fchools profefs our tongue through every land, That has invok'd his aid, or bless'd his hand. Tickell, in his Profpect of Peace, has the fame hope of a new academy: In happy chains our daring language bound, Whether Whether the fimilitude of those paffages which exhibit the fame thought on the fame occafion proceeded from accident or imitation, is not eafy to determine. Tickell might have been impreffed with his expectation by Swift's Propofal for afcertaining the English Language, then lately published, In the parliament that met in 1701, he was chofen reprefentative of East Grinstead, Perhaps it was about this time that he changed his party; for he voted for the impeachment of those lords who had perfuaded the king to the Partition-treaty, a treaty in which he had himself been ministerially employed. A great part of queen Anne's reign was a time of war, in which there was little employment for negotiators, and Prior had therefore leisure to make or to polish verses. When the battle of Blenheim called forth all the verfe-men, Prior, among the reft, took care to fhew his delight in the increasing honour of his country by an Epiftle to Boileau, He published foon afterwards a volume of poems, with the encomiaftic character of his deceafed deceased patron the duke of Dorset: it began with the College Exercife, and ended with the Nut-brown Maid, The battle of Ramillies foon afterwards (in 1706) excited him to another effort of poetry. On this occafion he had fewer or less formidable rivals; and it would be not eafy to name any other compofition produced by that event which is now remembered. Through the Every thing has its day. reigns of William and Anne no profperous event paffed undignified by poetry. In the laft war, when France was difgraced and overpowered in every quarter of the globe, when Spain coming to her affistance only fhared her calamities, and the name of an Englishman was reverenced through Europe, no poet was heard amidst the general accla mation; the fame of our counsellors and heroes was intrufted to the Gazetteer, The nation in time grew weary of the war, and the queen grew weary of her minifters. The war was burdenfome, and the minifters were infolent. Harley and his friends |