must be indebted for the art of poetical narration, for the texture of the fable, the variation of incidents, the interpofition of dialogue, and all the ftratagems that furprise and enchain attention. But, of all the borrowers from Homer, Milton is perhaps the least indebted. He was naturally a thinker for himself, confident of his own abilities, and disdainful of help or hindrance: he did not refuse admiffion to the thoughts or images of his predeceffors, but he did not feek them. From his contemporaries he neither courted nor received fupport; there is in his writings nothing by which the pride of other authors might be gratified, or favour gained; no exchange of praife, nor folicitation of fupport. His great works were performed under difcountenance, and in blindness, but difficulties vanifhed at his touch; he was born for whatever is arduous; and his work is not the greatest of heroick poems, only because it is not the first.

BUTLER.

BUT LE R.

F the great author of Hudibras there is a life prefixed to the latter editions of his poem, by an unknown writer, and therefore of difputable authority; and fome account is incidentally given by Wood, who confeffes the uncertainty of his own narrative; more however than they knew cannot now be learned, and nothing remains but to compare and copy them.

SAMUEL BUTLER was born in the parish of Strenfham in Worcestershire, according to his biographer, in 1612. This account Dr. Nash finds confirmed by the register. He was chriftened Feb. 14.

His father's condition is variously reprefented. Wood mentions him as competently wealthy; but Mr.. Longueville, the fon of Butler's principal friend, fays he was an honeft farmer with fome fmall eftate, who made a fhift to educate his fon at the grammar fchool of Worcester, under Mr. Henry Bright *, from whose

care.

* These are the words of the author of the short account of Butler, prefixed to Hudibras, which Dr. Johnson, notwithstanding what he fays above, seems to have fuppofed was written by Mr. Longueville, the father; but the contrary is to be inferred from a VOL. II.

N

fub

care he removed for a fhort time to Cambridge; but, for a want of money, was never made a member of any college. Wood leaves us rather doubtful whether he went to Cambridge or Oxford; but at last makes him pafs fix or seven years at Cambridge, without knowing in what hall or college: yet it can hardly be imagined that he lived fo long in either university, but as belonging to one houfe or another; and it is ftill lefs likely that he could have fo long inhabited a place of learning with so little dictinction as to leave his refidence uncertain. Dr. Nafh has difcovered that his father was owner of a house and a little land, worth about eight pounds a year, ftill called Butler's tene

ment.

Wood has his information from his brother, whose narrative placed him at Cambridge, in oppofition to that of his neighbours, which fent him to Oxford.

fubfequent paffage, wherein the author laments that he had neither fuch an acquaintance nor intereft with Mr. Longueville, as to procure from him the golden remains of Butler there mentioned. He was probably led into this mistake by a note in the Biogr. Brit. p. 1077, fignifying, that the fon of this gentleman was living in 1736.

Of this friend and generous patron of Butler, Mr. William Longueville, I find an account, written by a perfon who was well acquainted with him, to this effect, viz. that he was a conveyancing lawyer, and a bencher of the Inner Temple, and had raised himfelf from a low beginning to very great eminence in that profeffion; that he was cloquent, and learned, of ipotlets integrity; that he fupported an aged father who had ruined his fortunes by extravagance, and by his indafiry and application re-edified a ruined family; that he fupported Butler, who, but for him, muft literally have ftarved, and received from him as a recompenfe the papers called his Remains. Life of the Lord-keeper Guilford, p. 289. Thefe have fince been given to the public by Mr. Thyer of Manchester; and the originals are now in the hands of the Rev. Dr. Farmer, master of Emanuel College, Cambrid c.

The

The brother's feems the best authority, till, by confeffing his inability to tell his hall or college, he gives reafon to fufpect that he was refolved to bestow on him an academical education; but durft not name a college, for fear of detection.

He was for fome time, according to the author of his Life, clerk to Mr. Jefferys of Earl's-Croomb in Worcestershire, an eminent juftice of the peace. In his fervice he had not only leifure for ftudy, but for recreation: his amusements were mufick and painting; and the reward of his pencil was the friendship of the celebrated Cooper. Some pictures, faid to be his, were fhewn to Dr. Nafh, at Earl's Croomb; but when he enquired for them fome years afterwards, he found them destroyed, to ftop windows, and owns that they hardly deferved a better fate.

He was afterwards admitted into the family of the Countess of Kent, where he had the ufe of a library; and fo much recommended himself to Selden, that he was often employed by him in literary bufinefs. Selden, as is well known, was steward to the Countess, and is fuppofed to have gained much of his wealth by managing her eftate.

In what character Butler was admitted into that Lady's fervice, how long he continued in it, and why he left it, is, like the other incidents of his life, utterly

unknown.

The viciffitudes of his condition placed him afterwards in the family of Sir Samuel Luke, one of Cromwell's officers. Here he obferved fo much of the cha, racter of the fectaries, that he is faid to have written or begun his poem at this time; and it is likely that fuch a defign would be formed in a place where

he faw the principles and practices of the rebels, audacious and undifguifed in the confidence of fuccefs.

At length the King returned, and the time came in which loyalty hoped for its reward. Butler, however, was only made fecretary to the Earl of Carbury, prefident of the principality of Wales; who conferred on him the stewardship of Ludlow Caftle, when the Court of the Marches was revived.

In this part of his life, he married Mrs. Herbert, a gentlewoman of a good family; and lived, fays Wood, upon her fortune, having ftudied the common law, but never practifed it. A fortune fhe had, fays his biographer, but it was loft by bad fecurities.

In 1063 was published the first part, containing three cantos, of the poem of Hudibras, which, as Prior relates, was made known at Court by the tafte and influence of the Earl of Dorfet. When it was known, it was neceffarily admired: the king quoted, the courtiers ftudied, and the whole party of the royalifts applauded it. Every eye watched for the golden fhower which was to fall upon the author, who certainly was not without his part in the general expectation.

In 1664 the fecond part appeared; the curiofity of the nation was rekindled, and the writer was again praifed and elated. But praife was his whole reward. Clarendon, fays Wood, gave him reafon to hope for

66

places and employments of value and credit;" but no fuch advantages did he ever obtain. It is reported

This is faid by Mr. Thomas Warton, and with great appearance of truth, to have been a very honourable and lucrative office. Milton's Poems with notes.

that