poems upon facred fubjects, in acknowledgment of a benefaction enjoyed by them from the bounty of his anceftor. On this occafion were thofe verfes written, which, though nothing is faid of their fuccefs, feem to have recommended him to fome notice; for his praise of the countess's mufic, and his lines on the famous picture of Seneca, afford reafon for imagining that he was more or less converfant with that family. The fame year he published the City Moufe and Country Moufe, to ridicule Dryden's Hind and Panther, in conjunction with Mr. Montague. There is a story of great pain fuffered, and of tears fhed, on this occafion, by Dryden, who thought it hard that an old man fhould be fo treated by thofe to whom he had always been civil. By tales like thefe is the envy raised by superior abilities every day gratified: when they are attacked, every one hopes to see them humbled; what is hoped is readily believed, and what is believed is confidently told. Dryden had been more accustomed to hoftilities, than that fuch enemies fhould break his quiet; and if we can suppose * Spence. B 3 him him vexed, it would be hard to deny him fenfe enough to conceal his uneafinefs. The City Moufe and Country Moufe procured its authors more folid advantages than the pleasure of fretting Dryden; for they were both speedily preferred. Montague indeed obtained the firft notice, with fome degree of difcontent, as it feems, in Prior, who probably knew that his own part of the performance was the beft. He had not, however, much reafon to complain; for he came to London, and obtained fuch notice, that (in 1691) he was fent to the congrefs at The Hague as fecretary to the embaffy. In this affembly of princes and nobles, to which Europe has perhaps scarcely feen any thing equal, was formed the grand alliance against Lewis; which at laft did not produce effects propor tionate to the magnificence of the tranfaction. L The conduct of Prior, in this fplendid initiation into public business, was so pleasing to king William, that he made him one of the gentlemen of his bedchamber; and he is fuppofed to have paffed fome of the next years in the cultivation of literature and poetry. The 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 difcountenanced 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 prefented 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 apart ments at Verfailles, being fhewn the Victories of Lewis, painted by Le Brun, and asked B 4 whether whether the king of England's palace had any fuch decorations; The monuments of my Mafter's actions, faid he, are to be seen everywhere but in his own boufe. The pictures of Le Brun are not only in themselves fufficiently oftentatious, but were explained by infcrip-› tions 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 Jerfey's office; a poft which he did not retain long, because Jersey was removed; but he was foon made commiffioner of Trade. 4 This year (1700) produced one of his longest and most fplendid compofitions, the Garmen Seculare, in which he exhaufts all his powers of celebration. I mean not to accufe 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 verfe or prose. His whole life had been action, and no man ever denied him the refplendent qualities of fteady refòlution 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 accuftomed to fay, that he praised others in compliance with the fashion, but that in celebrating king William he followed his inclination. To Prior gratitude would dictate praife, which reafon would not refufe, Among the advantages to arise from the future years of William's reign, he mentions Societies for ufeful Arts, and among them Some that with care true eloquence shall teach, And to just idioms fix our doubtful fpeech; That from our writers diftant realms may know The thanks we to our monarch owe, And fchools profefs our tongue through every. land, i 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 |