TO
WILLIAMHAZLITT,ESQ。,OFTHEMIDDLETEMPLE,AREGISTRAROF
THECOURTOFBANKRUPTCYINLONDON,ThisLittleVolumeISINSCRIBEDASASLIGHTTESTIMONYOFTHEGREATESTRESPECT,BYHISAFFECTIONATESON,THEEDITOR。
CONTENTS。
PARTI。
PAGE
Dedication3
VersesaddressedtotheAuthor5
I。PoemsAddressedorRelatingToLucasta。
Song。ToLucasta。GoingbeyondtheSeas25
Song。ToLucasta。GoingtotheWarres26
AParadox27
Song。ToAmarantha,thatshewouldDishevellherHaire29
Sonnet31
Ode。ToLucasta。TheRose31
LoveConquer’d。ASong33
ALooseSaraband34
OrpheustoWoods37
OrpheustoBeasts37
Dialogue。Lucasta,Alexis39
Sonnet41
LucastaWeeping。Song42
ToLucasta,fromPrison。AnEpode43
Lucasta’sFanne,withaLooking—glasseinit46
Lucasta,takingtheWatersatTunbridge48
ToLucasta。OdeLyrick50
LucastapayingherObsequiestotheChastMemoryofmyDearestCosinMrs。BowesBarne[s]51
UpontheCurtaineofLucasta’sPicture,itwasthusWrought53
Lucasta’sWorld。Epode53
TheApostacyofOne,andbutOneLady54
AmyntorfrombeyondtheSeatoAlexis。ADialogue56
CallingLucastafromherRetirement58
Amarantha,aPastoral60
II。PoemsAddressedtoEllinda。
ToEllinda,thatlatelyIhavenotwritten74
Ellinda’sGlove75
BeingTreated。ToEllinda76
ToEllinda,uponhislateRecovery。AParadox79
III。MiscellaneousPoemsToChloe,courtingherforhisFriend81
GratianaDauncingandSinging82
Amyntor’sGrove84
TheScrutinie89
PrincesseLoysaDrawing90
AForsakenLadytoherFalseServant92
TheGrassehopper。ToMyNobleFriend,Mr。CharlesCotton[theelder]94
AnElegieontheDeathofMrs。CassandraCotton97
TheVintagetotheDungeon。ASong99
OntheDeathofMrs。ElizabethFilmer。AnElegiacallEpitaph100
ToMyWorthyFriendMr。PeterLilly102
TheLadyA[nne]L[ovelace]。MyAsyluminaGreatExtremity104
ALadywithaFalcononherFist。TotheHonourablemyCousinA[nne]L[oveace]108
AProloguetotheScholars110
TheEpilogue111
AgainsttheLoveofGreatOnes113
ToAlthea,fromPrison117
Sonnet。ToGenerallGoring,afterthePacificationatBerwicke120
SirThomasWortley’sSonnet122
TheAnswer123
AGuiltlesseLadyImprisoned;afterPenanced124
ToHisDeareBrotherColonelF[rancis]L[ovelace]125
ToaLadythatdesiredmeIwouldbearemypartwithherinaSong126
ValiantLove131
LaBellaBonaRoba。ToMyLadyH。133
Sonnet。"ICannotTell,"&c。134
AlaBourbon135
TheFaireBegger136
ADialoguebetwixtCordanusandAmoret138
IV。CommendatoryandOtherVerses,prefixedtoVariousPublicationsbetween1638and1647。
AnElegie。PrincesseKatherineBorne,Christened,BuriedinoneDay(1638)140
ClitophonandLucippetranslated。TotheLadies(1638)143
ToMyTruelyValiant,LearnedFriend;whoinhisBookeresolv’dtheArtGladiatoryintotheMathematicks(1638)146
ToFletcherReviv’d(1647)148
PARTII。
I。PoemsAddressedorRelatingtoLucasta。
Dedication155
ToLucasta。HerReservedLooks157
LucastaLaughing157
Night。ToLucasta158
LoveInthron’d159
HerMuffe160
ABlackPatchonLucasta’sFace162
Another163
ToLucasta165
ToLucasta165
LucastaattheBath166
TheAnt168
II。MiscellaneousPoems。
Song。Strivenot,&c。170
InAllusiontotheFrenchSong:"N’entendezvouspasceLanguage"171
CouranteMonsieur173
ALooseSaraband174
TheFalcon176
LovemadeintheFirstAge。ToChloris180
ToaLadywithChildthatask’danOldShirt183
Song。InmineownMonumentIlye,&c。184
Another。Ididbelieve,&c。184
Ode。Youaredeceiv’d,&c。185
TheDuell187
Cupidfargone188
AMockSong190
AFlycaughtinaCobweb191
AFlyaboutaGlasseofBurntClaret193
FemaleGlory196
ADialogue。LuteandVoice197
AMockCharon。Dialogue198
TheToadandSpyder。ADuell199
TheSnayl207
Another209
TheTriumphsofPhilamoreandAmoret211
AdvicetomybestBrother,Coll:FrancisLovelace218
Paris’sSecondJudgement221
Peinture。APanegyricktothebestPictureofFriendship,Mr。Pet。Lilly222
AnAnniversaryontheHymenealsofmyNobleKinsman,ThomasStanley,Esq。227
OnSanazar’sbeinghonouredwith600DucketsbytheClarissimiofVenice229
III。CommendatoryVerses,prefixedtoVariousPublicationsbetween1652and1657。
ToMyDearFriend,Mr。E[ldred]R[evett]onhisPoemsmoralanddivine241
OntheBest,Last,andonlyRemainingComedyofMr。Fletcher,"TheWild—GooseChase"(1652)245
ToMyNobleKinsmanThomasStanley,Esq。;onhisLyrickPoemscomposedbyMr。JohnGamble(1656)247
ToDr。F。B[eale];onhisBookofChesse(1656)249
TotheGeniusofMr。JohnHall(1657)250
Translations253
ElegiesontheDeathoftheAuthor279
INTRODUCTION。
ThereisscarcelyanUN—DRAMATICwriteroftheSeventeenthCentury,whosepoemsexhibitsomanyandsuchgrosscorruptionsasthoseoftheauthorofLUCASTA。Inthepresentedition,whichisthefirstattempttopresenttheproductionsofacelebratedandelegantpoettotheadmirersofthisclassofliteratureinareadableshape,boththetextandthepointinghavebeenamendedthroughout,theoriginalreadingbeingalwaysgiveninthefoot—
notes;butsomepassagesstillremain,whichIhavenotsucceededinelucidatingtomysatisfaction,andoneortwowhichhavedefiedallmyattemptsatemendation,though,astheystand,theyareunquestionablynonsense。Itispropertomentionthatseveralratherboldcorrectionshavebeenhazardedinthecourseofthevolume;butwherethishasbeendone,thedeviationfromtheoriginalhasinvariablybeenpointedoutinthenotes。
Onthetitle—pageofthecopyofLUCASTA,1649,preservedamongtheKing’sPamphletsintheBritishMuseum,theoriginalpossessorhas,accordingtohisusualpractice,markedthedateofpurchase,viz。,June21;perhaps,andindeedprobably,thatwasalsothedateofpublication。AcopyofLUCASTA,1649,occasionallyappearsincatalogues,purportingtohavebelongedtoAnne,LadyLovelace;buttheautographwhichitcontainswastakenfromacopyofMassinger’sBONDMAN(edit。1638,4to。),whichherLadyshiponceowned。ThiscopyofLovelace’sLUCASTAisboundupwiththecopyofthePOSTHUMEPOEMS,onceinthepossessionofBenjaminRudyerd,Esq。,grandsonandheirofthedistinguishedSirBenjaminRudyerd,asappearsalsofromhisautographonthetitle。
IntheoriginaleditionofthetwopartsofLUCASTA,1649—59,thearrangementofthepoemsappears,likethatofthetext,tohavebeenlefttochance,andtheresulthasbeenatotalabsenceofmethod。Ihavethereforefeltitpartofmydutytosystematisethecontentsofthevolume,and,sofarasitlayinmypower,toplacethevariouspiecesofwhichitconsistedintheirproperorder;alltheodes,sonnets,&c。addressedorreferringtotheladywhoisconcealedunderthenamesofLUCASTAandAMARANTHA
havenowbeen,forthefirsttime,broughttogether;andthecopiesofcommendatoryandgratulatoryverses,withoneexceptionprefixedbyLovelacetovariouspublicationsbyfriendsduringhislife—
time,eitherpriortotheappearanceofthefirstpartofhisownpoemsin1649,orbetweenthatdateandtheissueofhisRemainstenyearslater,havebeenplacedbythemselves,asanactofjusticetothewriter,ofwhosestyleandgeniustheyare,asisgenerallythecasewithallcompositionsofthekind,bynomeansfavourablespecimens。ThetranslationsfromCatullus,Ausonius,&c。havebeenleftastheystood;theyare,forthemostpart,destituteofmerit;butastheywereinsertedbythePoet’sbrother,whenheeditedtheposthumousvolume,Ididnotthinkitrighttodisturbthem,andtheyhavebeenretainedintheirfullintegrity。
Lovelace’sLUCASTAwasincludedbythelateS。W。Singer,Esq。,inhisseriesof"EarlyEnglishPoets;"butthatgentleman,besidesstrikingoutcertainpassages,whichhe,somewhatunaccountablyandinconsistently,regardedasindelicate,omittedagooddealofpreliminarymatterintheformofcommendatoryverseswhich,thoughpossiblyofsmallworth,werenecessarytorenderthebookcomplete;itispossible,thatMr。SingermadeuseofacopyofLUCASTAwhichwasdeficientatthecommencement。Itmaynotbegenerallyknownthat,independentlyofitsimperfectionsinotherrespects,Mr。Singer’sreprintaboundswiththegrossestblunders。
Theoldorthographyhasbeenpreservedintactinthisedition;
butwithrespecttotheemploymentofcapitals,theentirelyarbitrarymannerinwhichtheyareintroducedintothebookasoriginallypublished,hasmadeitnecessarytoreducethem,aswellasthesingularlycapriciouspunctuation,tomodernrules。Atthesametime,inthosecaseswherecapitalsseemedmorecharacteristicorappropriate,theyhavebeenretained。
Itisasingularcircumstance,thatMr。Singer(incommonwithWood,Bliss,Ellis,Headley,andallotherbiographers,)overlookedthemisprintofARAMANTHAforAMARANTHA,whichtheoldcompositormade,withoneortwoexceptions,whereverthewordoccurred。Ingivingacorrectrepresentationoftheoriginaltitle—page,IhavebeenobligedtoprintARAMANTHA。
InthehopeofdiscoveringtheexactdateofLovelace’sbirthandbaptism,IcommunicatedwiththeRev。A。J。Pearman,incumbentofBethersden,nearAshford,andthatgentlemanobliginglyexaminedtheregistersforme,butnotracesofLovelace’snamearetobefound。
W。C。H。
Kensington,August12,1863。
Mr。B。R。wasasomewhatdiligentcollectorofbooks,bothEnglishandforeign。Onthefly—leavesofhiscopyofRosse’sMYSTAGOGUSPOETICUS,1648,8vo。,hehaswrittenthenamesofavarietyofworks,ofwhichhewasatthetimeseeminglyinrecentpossession。
BIOGRAPHICALNOTICE。
WiththeexceptionofSirEgertonBrydges,whocontributedtotheGENTLEMAN’SMAGAZINEfor1791—2aseriesofarticlesonthelifeandwritingsofthesubjectofthepresentmemoir,allthebiographersofRichardLovelacehavecontentedthemselveswithfollowingtheaccountleftbyAnthonyWoodofhisshortandunhappycareer。IdonotthinkthatIcandobetterthancommence,atleast,bygivingwordforwordthenarrativeofWoodinhisownlanguage,towhichIpurposetoaddsuchadditionalparticularsintheformofnotesorotherwise,asImaybeabletosupply。Butthereadermustnotexpectmuchthatisnew:forIregrettosaythat,afterthemostcarefulresearches,Ihavenotimproved,toanylargeextent,thestateofknowledgerespectingthiselegantpoetandunfortunateman。
"RichardLovelace,"writesWood,"theeldestsonofSirWilliamLovelaceofWoollidgeinKent,knight,wasborninthatcountry[in1618],educatedingrammarlearninginCharterhouseSchoolnearLondon,becameagent。commonerofGloucesterHallinthebeginningoftheyear1634,andinthatofhisagesixteen,beingthenaccountedthemostamiableandbeautifulpersonthatevereyebeheld;apersonalsoofinnatemodesty,virtue,andcourtlydeportment,whichmadehimthen,butespeciallyafter,whenheretiredtothegreatcity,muchadmiredandadoredbythefemalesex。In1636,whenthekingandqueenwereforsomedaysentertainedatOxon,hewas,attherequestofagreatladybelongingtothequeen,madetotheArchbishopofCanterbury[Laud],thenChancelloroftheUniversity,actuallycreated,amongotherpersonsofquality,MasterofArts,thoughbutoftwoyears’standing;atwhichtimehisconversationbeingmadepublic,andconsequentlyhisingenuityandgeneroussouldiscovered,hebecameasmuchadmiredbythemale,asbeforebythefemale,sex。AfterhehadlefttheUniversity,heretiredingreatsplendourtothecourt,andbeingtakenintothefavourofLordGeorgeGoring,afterwardsEarlofNorwich,wasbyhimadoptedasoldier,andsentinthequalityofanensign,intheScotchexpedition,an。1639。Afterwards,inthesecondexpedition,hewascommissionatedacaptaininthesameregiment,andinthattimewroteatragedycalledTHESOLDIER,butneveracted,becausethestagewassoonaftersuppressed。AfterthepacificationofBerwick,heretiredtohisnativecountry,andtookpossession[ofhisestate]atLovelacePlace,intheparishofBethersden,atCanterbury,Chart,Halden,&c。,worth,atleast,500perannum。Aboutwhichtimehe[beingthenonthecommissionofthepeace]wasmadechoiceofbythewholebodyofthecountyofKentatanassize,todelivertheKentishpetitiontotheHouseofCommons,fortherestoringthekingtohisrights,andforsettlingthegovernment,&c。Forwhichpieceofservicehewascommitted[April30,1642]totheGatehouseatWestminster,wherehemadethatcelebratedsongcalled,STONEWALLSDONOTAPRISONMAKE,&c。Afterthreeorfourmonths’[sixorsevenweeks’]imprisonment,hehadhislibertyuponbailof40,000[4000?]
nottostiroutofthelinesofcommunicationwithoutapassfromthespeaker。DuringthetimeofthisconfinementtoLondon,helivedbeyondtheincomeofhisestate,eithertokeepupthecreditandreputationoftheking’scausebyfurnishingmenwithhorsesandarms,orbyrelievingingeniousmeninwant,whetherscholars,musicians,soldiers,&c。Also,byfurnishinghistwobrothers,ColonelFranc。Lovelace,andCaptainWilliamLovelace(afterwardsslainatCaermarthen)withmenandmoneyfortheking’scause,andhisotherbrother,calledDudleyPosthumusLovelace,withmoneysforhismaintenanceinHolland,tostudytacticsandfortificationinthatschoolofwar。AftertherenditionofOxfordgarrison,in1646,heformedaregimentfortheserviceoftheFrenchking,wascolonelofit,andwoundedatDunkirk;andin1648,returningintoEngland,he,withDudleyPosthumusbeforementioned,thenacaptainunderhim,werebothcommittedprisonerstoPeterHouse,inLondon,whereheframedhispoemsforthepress,entitled,LUCASTA:EPODES,ODES,SONNETS,SONGS,&c。,Lond。1649,Oct。Thereasonwhyhegavethattitlewasbecause,sometimebefore,hehadmadehisamourstoagentlewomanofgreatbeautyandfortune,namedLucySacheverell,whomheusuallycalledLUXCASTA;butshe,uponastrayreportthatLovelacewasdeadofhiswoundreceivedatDunkirk,soonaftermarried。HealsowroteARAMANTHA[Amarantha],APASTORAL,printedwithLUCASTA。AfterwardsamusicalcompositionoftwopartswassettopartofitbyHenryLawes,sometimesservanttokingCharlesI。,inhispublicandprivatemusic。
"AfterthemurtherofkingCharlesI。Lovelacewassetatliberty,and,havingbythattimeconsumedallhisestate,grewverymelancholy(whichbroughthimatlengthintoaconsumption),becameverypoorinbodyandpurse,wastheobjectofcharity,wentinraggedcloaths(whereaswhenhewasinhisgloryheworeclothofgoldandsilver),andmostlylodgedinobscureanddirtyplaces,morebefittingtheworstofbeggarsandpoorestofservants,&c。AfterhisdeathhisbrotherDudley,beforementioned,madeacollectionofhispoeticalpapers,fittedthemforthepress,andentitledthemLUCASTA:POSTHUMEPOEMS,Lond。
1659,Oct。,thesecondpart,withhispicturebeforethem。Theseareallthethingsthathehathextant;thosethatwereneverpublishedwerehistragedy,calledTHESOLDIERorSOLDIERS,beforementioned;andhiscomedy,calledTHE
SCHOLAR,whichhecomposedatsixteenyearsofage,whenhecamefirsttoGloucesterhall,actedwithapplauseafterwardsinSalisburyCourt。HediedinaverymeanlodginginGunpowderAlley,nearShoeLane,andwasburiedatthewest—endofthechurchofS。Bride,aliasBridget,inLondon,neartothebodyofhiskinsmanWill。Lovelace,ofGray’sInn,Esq。,insixteenhundredfiftyandeight,havingbeforebeenaccountedbyallthosethatwellknewhimtohavebeenapersonwellversedintheGreekandLatinpoets,inmusic,whetherpracticalortheoretical,instrumentalorvocal,andinotherthingsbefittingagentleman。Someofthesaidpersonshavealsoadded,inmyhearing,thathiscommondiscoursewasnotonlysignificantandwitty,butincomparablygraceful,whichdrewrespectfromallmenandwomen。ManyotherthingsIcouldnowsayofhim,relatingeithertohismostgenerousmindinhisprosperity,ordejectedestateinhisworststateofpoverty,butforbrevity’ssakeI
shallnowpassthemby。AttheendofhisPosthumePoemsareseveralelegieswrittenonhimbyeminentpoetsofthattime,whereinyoumayseehisjustcharacter。"
SuchisWood’saccount;itistoberegrettedthatthatwriterdidnotsupplytheadditionalinformation,whichhetantalizesusbysayingthathepossessed,andcouldhavepublished,hadhenotbeenafraidofbeingtedious。Hisloveofbrevityis,inthiscase,mostprovoking。
Asmightbeexpected,theJournalsofParliamentcastadditionallightonthepersonalconnexionofLovelacewiththeKentishPetitionof1642,whichwasfortheGENERALredressofexistinggrievances,not,astheeditoroftheVERNEYPAPERSseemstohaveconsidered,merelyfortheadjustmentofcertainpointsrelativetotheMilitia。Parliamentaryliteraturehasnotaverystrongfascinationfortheeditorsofoldauthors,andthebiographersofLovelacehaveuniformlyoverlookedthemineofinformationwhichliesintheLORDS’ANDCOMMONS’JOURNALS。Thesubjectwasapparentlyintroduced,forthefirsttime,intoParliamentonthe28thMarch,1642,whenaconferenceofbothHousestookplace,respecting"apetitionfromKent,which,prayingforaRestorationoftheBishops,LiturgyandCommonPrayer,andotherconstitutionalmeasures,wasvotedseditiousandagainstprivilegeandthepeaceofthekingdom;"onthesameoccasion,LordBristolandMr。JusticeMallettwerecommittedtotheTowerforhavingintheirpossessionacopyofthedocument。Onthe7thAprilitwasorderedbybothHouses,thattheKentishPetitionshouldbeburnedbythehandsofthecommonhangman。
Onthe28thApril,theCommonsacquaintedtheUpperHouse,byMr。OliverCromwell,"thatagreatmeetingwastobeheldnextdayonBlackheath,tobacktherejectedKentishPetition。"
Twodayslater,astrangesceneoccurredatWestminster。
LettheCommons’Journalstellthestoryintheirownlanguage:——
"30April,1642。TheHousebeinginformedthatdiversgentlemenofthecountyofKentwereatthedoor,thatdesiredtopresentapetitiontotheHouse;
"Theywerecalledin,presentedtheirPetition,andwithdrew。
"AndtheirPetitionwasread,andappearedtobethesamethatwasformerlyburnt,byorderofbothHouses,bythehandsofthecommonhangman。CaptainLEIGHreportsthat,beingattheQuarterSessionsheldatMAIDSTONE,heobservedcertainpassageswhichhedeliveredinwriting。
"CaptainLovelace,whopresentedthePetition,wascalledin;
andMr。Speakerwascommandedtoaskhim,fromwhosehandhehadthisPetition,andwhogavehimwarranttopresentit。
"’Mr。GEO。CHUTEdeliveredhim[hereplied]thePetitionthenextdayaftertheAssizes。’
"’Thegentlemen[hecontinued],thatwereassembledatBLACKHEATH,commandedhimtodeliverit。’
"[TheSpeakertheninquired]whetherheknewthatthelikewasburntbytheorderofthisHouse,andthatsomewereherequestionedforthebusiness。
"’Heunderstoodageneralrumour,thatsomegentlemenwerequestioned。
"’Hehadheardafortnightsince,thatthelikePetitionwasburnedbythehandofthecommonhangman。
"’Heknewnothingofthebundleofprintedpetitions。’
"Helikewisesaid,’thattherewasapetitionattheQuarterSessions,disavowedbyalltheJusticesthere,whichhetore。’
"SirWilliamBotelerwaslikewisecalledin,[and]askedwhenhewasatYorke。
"[He]answered,’OnWednesdaylastwassevennight,hecamefromYorke,andcametohishouseinLondon。
"’Heheardofapetitionthatwasneverdelivered。
"’HeneverheardofanycensureoftheParliament。
"’Heheardthatapaperwasburntforbeingirregularlyburnt[?presented]。
"’HehadheardthatthePetition,thatwentunderthenameoftheKentishPetition,wasburntbythehandsofthecommonhangman。
"’Heneverheardofanyorderofeither,[or]ofboth,theHousesconcerning[thePetition]。
"’HewasatHullonThursdayorFridaywasasevennight:ashecamefromYorke,hetookHullintheway。Hehadheard,thatSirRogerTwisdenwasquestionedforthelikePetition。
"’HewasyesterdayatBLACKHEATH。’
"Resolved,uponthequestion,thatCaptainLovelaceshallbepresentlyCommittedprisonertotheGatehouse。
"Resolved,uponthequestion,thatSirWilliamBotelershallbepresentlycommittedprisonertotheFleet。
"Ordered,thatthesergeantshallapprehendthem,andcarrytheminsafecustody,anddeliverthemasprisonerstotheseveralprisonsaforesaid。"
Onthe4thMay,1642,theHouseofCommonsorderedMr。WhittlockandotherstoprepareachargeagainstMr。LovelaceandSirWilliamBotelerwithallexpedition;butnothingfurtherisheardofthemattertillthe17thJune,WhenLovelaceandBotelerpetitionedtheHouseseparatelyfortheirreleasefromcustody。
HereuponSirWilliamwasdischargedonfindingpersonalbailtotheextentof10,000,withasuretyfor5000;andinthecaseofhiscompanioninmisfortuneitwasordered,onthequestion,that"hebeforthwithbaileduponGOODsecurity。"This"goodsecurity,"surely,didnotreachthesummentionedbyWood,namely,40,000;butitislikelythattheauthoroftheATHENAEisONLYwrongbyacypher,andthattheamountfixedwas4000,asithasbeenalreadysuggested。ThusLovelace’sconfinementdidnotexceedsevenweeksinduration,andtheprobability,isthatthesoleinconvenience,whichhesubsequentlyexperienced,wasthelossofthebail。
ThedescriptionleftbyWoodandAubreyoftheendofLovelacecanonlybereconciledwiththefact,thathisdaughterandheiressconveyedKingsdown,Hever,andamoietyofChipsted,totheCokesbymarriagewithMr。HenryCoke,bypresumingthatthosemanorswereentailed;whileLovelacePlace,aswellperhapsasBayfordandGoodneston,notbeingsimilarlysecured,weresoldtodefraytheowner’sincumbrances。Atanyrateitisnot,uponthewhole,veryprobablethathediedinahovel,inastateofabsolutepoverty;thathereceivedapoundaweek(equaltoabout4ofourmoney)fromtwofriends,Cottonandanother,Aubreyhimselfadmits;andwemayrestsatisfiedthat,howeverpainfulthecontrastmayhavebeenbetweentheopeningandcloseofthatcareer,thedeplorableaccountgivenintheATHENAE,andintheso—calledLIVESOFEMINENTMEN,ismuchexaggeratedandoverdrawn。
Ithasnothithertobeenremarked,thatamongtheKentishgentrywho,fromtimetotime,electedtochangethenatureoftheirtenurefromgavelkindtoprimogeniture,weretheLovelacesthemselves,inthepersonofThomasLovelace,who,byActofParliament2and3Edw。VI。obtained,concurrentlywithseveralotherfamilies,thepowerofconversion。ThisThomasLovelacewasnotimprobablythesame,whowasadmittedastudentofGray’sInnin1541;andthathewasoftheKentishLovelacesthereisnotmuchreasontodoubt;although,atthesametime,IamunabletofixtheprecisedegreeofconsanguinitybetweenhimandSerjeantWilliamLovelaceofGray’sInn,whodiedin1576,andwhowasgreat—
grandfathertotheauthorofLUCASTA。ThecircumstancethattherealpropertyofThomasLovelaceaforesaid,situatedinKent,wasreleasedbyActofParliament,2and3Edw。VI。fromtheoperationsofgavelkindtenure(assuming,asismostlikelytohavebeenthecase,thathewasofthesamestockasthepoet,thoughnotanimmediateancestor,)seemstoexplainthefollowingallusionbyDudleyLovelaceintheversesprefixedbyhimtoLUCASTA,1649:——
"Thosebythelandedhavebeenwrit,Mine’sbutayounger—brotherwit。"
AswellasthesubjoinedlinesbyLovelaceinthepoementitled,"ToLucasta,fromPrison,"(seep。44ofpresentedition):——
"NextwouldIcourtmyLIBERTY,Andthenmybirthright,PROPERTY。"
ThereisevidencetoprovethatLovelacewasonintimatetermswithsomeofthewitsofhistime,andthathehadfriendlyrelationswithmanyofthem——suchasHall,Rawlins,Lenton,andparticularlytheCottons。JohnTatham,theCityPoet,andauthorofTHEFANCIESTHEATER,1640,knewhimwell,andaddressedtohimsomestanzas,notdevoidofmerit,duringhisstayabroad。
In1643,HenryGlapthorne,acelebrateddramatistandpoetofthesameage,dedicatedtoLovelacehispoemofWHITEHALL,printedinthatyearinaquartopamphlet,withelegiesontheEarlsofBedfordandManchester。ThepagesofLUCASTAbeartestimonytotheacquaintanceoftheauthorwithAnthonyHodgesofNewCollege,Oxford,translatorofCLITOPHONANDLEUCIPPEfromtheGreekofAchillesTatius(orratherprobablyfromaLatinversionoftheoriginal),andwithothermembersoftheUniversity。
AlthoughitisstatedbyWoodthatLUCASTAwaspreparedforthepressbyLovelacehimself,onhisreturnfromtheContinentin1648,itisimpossibletobelievethatanycarewasbestowedonthecorrectionofthetext,oronthearrangementofthevariouspieceswhichcomposethevolume:nordidhisbrotherDudleyPosthumus,whoeditedthesecondpartofthebookin1659,performhistaskinanydegreebetter。Inbothinstances,theprinterseemstohavebeensufferedtodotheworkinhisownway,andveryinfamouslyhehasdoneit。Tosupplyalltheshort—comingsoftheauthorandhisliteraryexecutoratthisdistanceoftime,is,unfortunately,outofthepowerofanyeditor;butinthepresentrepublicationIhavetakenthelibertyofrearrangingthepoems,toacertainextentintheorderinwhichitmaybeconjecturedthattheywerewritten;
andwhereLovelacecontributedcommendatoryversestootherworks,eitherbeforeoraftertheappearanceofthefirstportionofLUCASTA,thetwotextshavebeencollated,andimprovedreadingsbeenoccasionallyobtained。
Thefewpoems,onwhichthefameofLovelacemaybesaidtorest,areemanationsnotonlyofthestirringperiodinwhichhelived,butofthepeculiarcircumstancesintowhichhewasthrownatdifferentepochsofhislife。LovelacehadnotthemelodiousandexquisitetasteofHerrick,thewitofSuckling,orthepowerofRandolph(sooftensecondonlytohismasterJonson)。
Mr。SingerhaspraisedtheexuberantfancyofLovelace;but,inmythinking,Lovelacewasinferiorinfancy,aswellasingrace,bothtoCarewandtheauthorofHESPERIDES。YetLovelacehasleftbehindhimoneortwothings,whichIdoubtifanyofthosewriterscouldhaveproduced,andwhichourgreatestpoetswouldnothavebeenashamedtoown。WinstanleywassofarrightininstitutingacomparisonbetweenLovelaceandSydney,thatitishardtonameanyoneintheentirecircleofearlyEnglishliteratureexceptSydneyandWither,whocouldhaveattempted,withanychanceofsuccess,theSONGTOALTHEAFROMPRISON;andhowdifferentlySydneyatleastwouldhavehandleditWeknowwhatHerrickwouldhavemadeofit;itwouldhavefurnishedthethemeforonemoreinvocationtoJulia。FromSucklingweshouldhavehadabanteringplayfulness,orafescenninegaiety,equallyunsuitedtothesubject。Wallerhadonceanopportunityofrealizingtheposition,whichhasbeendescribedbyhiscontemporaryinimmortalstanzas;butWaller,whenhewasunderconfinement,wasthinkingtoomuchofhisnecktowriteverseswithmuchfelicity,andpreferredwaiting,tillhegotbacktoBeaconsfield(whenhisinspirationhadevaporated),topourouthisfeelingstoLadyDorothyorLadySophia。Wither’ssong,"ShallIwastinginDespair,"iscertainlysuperiortotheSONGTOALTHEA。WitherwasfrequentlyequaltoLovelaceinpoeticalimageryandsentiment,andhefarexcelledhiminversification。TheversificationofLovelaceisindeedmoreruggedandunmusicalthanthatofanyotherwriteroftheperiod,andthisblemishissoconspicuousthroughoutLUCASTA,andisnoticeableinsomanycases,whereitmighthavebeenavoidedwithverylittletrouble,thatwearenaturallyledtotheinferencethatLovelace,inwriting,acceptedfromindolenceorhaste,thefirstwordwhichhappenedtooccurtohismind。Daniel,Drayton,andotherswere,itiswellknown,indefatigablerevisersoftheirpoems;they"addedandalteredmanytimes,"mostlyforthebetter,occasionallyfortheworse。WecanscarcelypicturetoourselvesLovelaceblottingaline,thoughitwouldhavebeenwellforhisreputation,ifhehadblottedmany。
InthepoemoftheLOOSESARABAND(p。34)thereissomeresemblancetoapiecetranslatedfromMeleagerinElton’sSPECIMENSOFCLASSIC
POETS,i。411,andentitledbyElton"PlayingatHearts。"
"Loveactsthetennis—player’spart,Andthrowstotheemypantingheart;
Heliodoraereitfall,Letdesirecatchswifttheball:
Letherintheball—courtmove,Followinthegamewithlove。
Ifthouthrowmebackagain,Ishalloffoulplaycomplain。"
AndanaddresstotheCicadabythesamewriter,(IBID。i。415)
openswiththeselines:——
"Oh,shrill—voicedinsectthat,withdew—dropssweetInebriate,dostindesertwoodlandssing。"
Inthepoemcalled"TheGrasshopper"(p。94),theauthorspeaksoftheinsectas"Drunkev’rynightwithadelicioustear,Droppedtheefromheaven。"————
Thesimilarity,ineachcase,Ibelievetohavebeenentirelyaccidental:noramIdisposedtothinkthatLovelacewasunderanyconsiderableordirectobligationstotheclassics。IhavetakenoccasiontoremarkthatLovelaceseemstohavehelpedtofurnishamodeltoCleveland,whocarriedtoanextraordinarylengththatfondnessforwordsandfiguresderivedfromthealchymist’svocabulary;butasregardstheauthorofLUCASTAhimself,itmaybeassertedthattherearefewwriterswhoseproductionsexhibitlessofbook—lorethanhis,andeveninthoseplaces,wherehehasemployedphrasesorimagessimilartosomefoundinPeele,Middleton,Herrick,andothers,thereisgreatroomtoquestion,whetherthecircumstancecanbetreatedasamountingtomorethanacuriouscoincidence。
TheMasterofDulwichCollegehasobliginglyinformedme,thatthepictureofALTHEA,aswellasthatofLovelacehimself,bequeathedbyCartwrighttheactortoDulwichCollegein1687,bearsnocluetodateofcomposition,ortotheartist’sname,andthatitdoesnotassistintheidentificationofthelady。
Thisisthemorevexatious,inasmuchasitseemsprobablethatALTHEA,whoevershewas,becamethepoet’swife,afterLUCASTA’S
marriagetoanother。TheCHLOES,&c。mentionedinthefollowingpagesweremerelymoreorlessintimateacquaintancesofLovelace,liketheELECTRA,PERILLA,CORINNA,&c。ofHerrick。ButatthesametimeanobscurityhashithertohungoversomeofthepersonsmentionedunderfictitiousnamesinthepoemsofLovelace,whichalittleresearchandtroublewouldhaveeasilyremoved。
Forinstance,noonewhoreads"Amarantha,aPastoral,"
doubtsthatLUCASTAandAMARANTHAareoneandthesameperson。
ALEXISisLovelacehimself。ELLINDAisafemalefriendofthepoet,whooccasionallystayedatherhouse,andononeoccasion(p。79)hadaseriousillnessthere。ELLINDAmarriesAMYNTOR,underwhichdisguise,Isuspect,lurksthewellknownMaecenasofhistime,EndymionPorter。IfPorterbeAMYNTOR,ofcourseELLINDAmustbetheLadyOliviaPorter,hiswife。ARIGO
(seethepoemofAMYNTOR’SGROVE)signifiesPorter’sfriend,HenryJermyn。ItmaybeaswelltoaddthattheLETTICEmentionedatp。121,wastheLadyLetticeGoring,wifeofLovelace’sfriend,andthirddaughterofRichardBoyle,firstEarlofCork。Thisladydiedbeforeherhusband,towhomshebroughtnoissue。
ThefollowinglinesareprefixedtoFONSLACHRYMARUM,&c。
byJohnQuarles,1648,8vo。,andaresubscribed,aswillbeseen,R。L。;theymaybefromthepenofLovelace;but,ifso,itisstrangethattheywerenotadmitted,withotherproductionsofasimilarcharacter,intothevolumepublishedbythepoethimselfin1649,orintothateditedbyhisbrotherin1659。
TOMYDEARFRIENDTHEAUTHOR。
TheSonbeginstorise,theFather’sset:
Heav’ntookawayonelight,andpleas’dtoletAnotherrise。Quarles,thylight’sdivine,AnditshallteachDarknessitselftoshine。
EachwordrevivesthyFather’sname,hisartIswellimprintedinthynobleheart。
I’vereadthypleasinglines,whereinIfindTherareEndeavorsofamodestmind。
Proceedaswellasthouhastwellbegun,ThatwemayseetheFatherbytheSon。
R。L。
ArmsofLovelaceofBethersden:Gules,onachiefindentedargent,threemartletssable。
PedigreeofthefamilyofRichardLovelace,thepoet。
RichardLovelace,ofQueenhithe(temp。Hen。VI。)。
LancelotLovelace。
RichardLovelace,WilliamLovelaceJohn(ancestorofthed。s。p。(ob。1501)。LordsLovelace,ofHurley(co。Berks)。
JohnWilliamLovelace。
WilliamLovelace,SerjeantatLaw,ob。1576。
SirWilliamLovelace,ob。1629===Elizabeth,daughterof(accordingtoBerry)。EdwardAucher,Esq。,ofBishopsbourne。
SirWilliamLovelace===Anne,daughterandheirofSirWilliamBarnes,ofWoolwich。
Richard===?Althea。William。Dudley。===MaryJohanna===RobertLovelace,Lovelace,CaesarbornFrancis。Thomas。(?hisEsq。
1618cousin)
Adaughter,!
b。1678。!
Margaret===HenryCoke,Esq。5th
sonoftheChief!
Justice,andancestorAnne。Juliana。Johanna。
oftheEarlsofLeicester。
Richard。Ciriac
TheabovehasbeenpartlyderivedfromacommunicationtotheGENTLEMAN’SMAGAZINEforDec。1791,bySirEgertonBrydges,whochieflycompileditfromHasted,comparedwithBerry’sKENTGENEALOGIES,474,wherethereareafewinaccuracies。
Itis,ofcourse,amereskeleton—tree,andfurnishesnoinformationastothecollateralbranches,theconnexionbetweenthehousesofStanleyandLovelace,&c。SirEgertonBrydges’
seriesofarticlesonLovelaceintheGENTLEMAN’SMAGAZINE,withtheexceptionofthatfromwhichtheforegoingtableistaken,doesnotcontainmuch,ifanything,thatisnew。Onthe3rdofMay,1577,HenryBinnemanpaid"viandacopie"totheStationers’Companyfortherighttoprint"theBriefeCourseoftheAccidentsoftheDeatheofMr。SerjeantLovelace;"andonthe30thofAugustfollowing,RichardJonesobtainedalicencetoprint"AShortEpitapheofSerjeantLovelace。"Thiswasthesamepersonwhoisdescribedinthepedigreeasdyingin1576。Hisdeathhappened,nodoubt,likethatofSirRobertBellandothers,attheOxfordSummerassizesfor1576。SeeStow’sANNALES,fol。1154。
In1563,BarnabyGoogethepoetdedicatedhisEGLOGS,EPITAPHES,ANDSONNETTES,NEWLYWRITTEN,to"theRyghtWorshypfullM。RichardLovelace,Esquier,ReaderofGrayesInne。"
ThefollowingisalistofthemembersoftheLovelacefamilywhobelongedtotheHonourableSocietyofGray’sInnfrom1541
to1646:——
ThomasLovelace,admitted1541。
WilliamLovelace,"1548。Calledtothebarin1551。
RichardLovelace,"1557。Readerin1563。BarnabyGooge’sfriend。
LancelotLovelace,"1571。
WilliamLovelace,"1580。
LaneelotLovelace,"1581。RecorderofCanterbury,ob。1640,aet。78。
FrancisLovelace,"1609。PerhapsthesamewhowasRecorderofCanterburyin1638。
FrancisLovelace"1640。Probablythepoet’syounger(ofCanterbury),brother。
WilliamLovelace,"1646。
ForthesenamesanddatesIamindebtedtothecourtesyoftheStewardofGray’sInn。
SirWilliamLovelace,thepoet’sgrandfatherwho,accordingtoBerry,diedin1629,wasacorrespondentofSirDudleyCarleton(seeCALENDARSOFSTATEPAPERS,DOMESTICSERIES,1611—18,pp。443,521,533;Ibid。1618—23,p。17)。ItappearsfromsomeLatinlinesbeforethefirstportionofLUCASTA,thatthepoet’sfatherservedwithdistinctioninHolland,andprobablyitwasthiscircumstancewhichledtoLovelacehimselfturninghisattentioninasimilardirection:forthelatterwasonserviceintheLowCountries,perhapsunderhisfather(ofwhosedeathwedonotknowthedate,thoughHastedintimatesthathefellattheGryll),whenhisfriendTatham,afterwardsthecitypoet,addressedtohimsomeversesprintedinavolumeentitledOSTELLA(printedin1650)。
Mr。A。Keightley,RegistraroftheCharterhouse,withhisusualkindness,examinedformethebooksoftheinstitution,inthehopeoffindingthedateofLovelace’sadmission,&c。,butwithoutsuccess。Mr。KeightleyhassuggestedtomethatperhapsLovelacewasnotonthefoundation,whichisofcoursehighlyprobable,andwhich,asMr。Keightleyseemstothink,mayaccountfortheomissionofhisnamefromtheregisters。
"HewasmatriculatedatGloucesterHall,June27,1634,as"filiusGul。LovelacedeWoolwichinCom。Kant。arm。au。nat。16。’"
——Dr。Bliss,inanoteonthispassageinhiseditionoftheATHENAE。
BethersdenisaparishintheWealdofKent,eastwardofSmarden,nearSurrenden。"ThemanorofLovelace,"saysHasted(HISTORYOFKENT,iii。239),"issituatedataverysmalldistanceSOUTH—WESTWARDfromthechurch[ofBethersden]。ItwasinearlytimesthepropertyofafamilynamedGrunsted,orGreenstreet,astheyweresometimescalled;thelastofwhom,HENRYDEGRUNSTED,amanofeminentrepute,asalltherecordsofthiscountytestify,inthereignsofbothKingEdwardII。andIII。,passedawaythismanortoKINET,inwhichnameitdidnotremainlong;forWILLIAM
KINET,inthe41styearofKingEdwardIII。,conveyeditbysaletoJOHNLOVELACE,whoerectedthatmansionhere,whichfromhenceborehisnameinaddition,beingafterwardsstyledBETHERSDEN—
LOVELACE,fromwhichsprangaraceofgentlemen,who,inthemilitaryline,acquiredgreatreputationandhonour,andbytheirknowledgeinthemunicipallaws,deservedwelloftheCommonwealth;
fromwhomdescendedthoseofthisnameseatedatBAYFORDinSITTINGBORNE,andatKINGSDOWNinthiscounty,theLordsLovelaceofHurley,andothersofthecountyofBerks。"Thesamewriter,inhisHISTORYOFCANTERBURY,haspreservedmanymemorialsoftheconnexionoftheLovelacesfromtheearliesttimeswithCanterburyanditsneighbourhood。WilliamLovelace,inthereignofPhilipandMary,diedpossessedofthemansionbelongingtotheabbeyofSt。Lawrence,nearCanterbury;
afterthedeathofhissonWilliam,itpassedtootherhands。
In1621,LancelotLovelace,Esq。,wasRecorderofCanterbury;
in1638,RichardLovelace,Esq。,heldthatoffice;andintheyearoftheRestoration,RichardLovelace,thepoet’sbrother,wasRecorder。InthePublicLibraryatPlymouth,thereisafolioMS。
(mentionedinMr。Halliwell’scatalogue,1853),containing"OriginalPapersoftheMolineuxandLOVELACEFamilies。"IregretthatIhavenothadanopportunityofinspectingit。Mr。Halliwelldoesnotseemtohaveexaminedthevolume;atallevents,thatgentlemandoesnotfurnishanyparticularsastothenatureofthecontents,orastotheperiodtowhichthepapersbelong。Thisinformation,inthecaseofaMS。depositedinaprovinciallibraryinaremotedistrict,wouldhavebeenpeculiarlyvaluable。ItispossiblethatthedocumentsreferonlytotheLovelacesofHurley,co。Berks。
"TheHumblePetitionoftheGentry,Ministers,andCommonalty,forthecountyofKent,agreeduponattheGeneralAssizesforthatcounty。"SeeJOURNALSOFTHEHOUSEOFLORDS,iv。
675—6—7。The"framersandcontrivers"ofthispetitionwereSirEdwardDering,Bart。,ofSurrenden—Dering;SirRogerTwysden,thewell—knownscholar;SirGeorgeStrode,andMr。RichardSpencer。Onthe21stMay,1641,DeringhadunsuccessfullyattemptedtobringinabillfortheABOLITIONofchurchgovernmentbybishops,archbishops,&c。,whereasoneofthearticlesofthepetitionof1642(usuallyknownasDERING’SPETITION)wasaprayerfortherestorationoftheLiturgyandthemaintenanceoftheepiscopalbenchinitsintegrity。AnumerouslysignedpetitionhadalsobeenaddressedtobothHousesbythecountyin1641,inwhichthestrongestreasonsweregivenfortheadoptionofDering’sproposedact。From1641to1648,indeed,theHouseswereoverwhelmedbyKentishpetitionsofvariouskinds。ThisportionofWood’snarrativeisconfirmedbyMarvell’slinesprefixedtoLUCASTA,1649:——
"AndonetheBookprohibits,becauseKentTheirfirstPetitionbytheAuthoursent。"
"SirWilliamBoteler,ofKent,returningaboutthebeginningofAPRIL1642,fromhisattendance(beingthenGentlemanPentioner)
onthekingatYORKE,thencelebratingSt。GEORGE’Sfeast,wasbytheearnestsolicitationoftheGentryofKentingagedtojoynwiththeminpresentingthemosthonestandfamousPetitionoftheirstotheHouseofCommons,deliveredbyCaptainRICHARD
LOVELACE,forwhichservicetheCaptainwascommittedPrisonertotheGATEHOUSE,andSIRWILLIAMBOTELERtotheFleet,fromwhence,aftersomeweekscloseimprisonment,noimpeachmentinallthattimebroughtinagainsthim[Boteler],manyPetitionsbeingdeliveredandreadintheHouseforhisinlargement,hewasatlastuponbailof20,000[15,000]remittedtohishouseinLONDON,toattendDEDIEINDIEMthepleasureoftheHouse。"
——MERCURIUSRUSTICUS,1646(edit。1685,pp。7,8)。Thefactwasthat,althoughonthe7thofApril,1642,theKentishpetitioninfavouroftheLiturgy,&c。hadbeenorderedbytheHouseofCommonstobeburnedbythecommonhangman(PARLIAMENTSANDCOUNCILS
OFENGLAND,1839,p。384),BotelerandLovelacehadthetemerity,onthe30thofthesamemonth,tocomeuptoLondon,andpresentitagaintotheHouse。Itwasthiswhichoccasionedtheircommittal。
IntheVERNEYPAPERS(Camd。Soc。1845,p。175)thereisthefollowingmemorandum:——
"CaptaineLovelacecommittedtotheGatehouseConcerningSirWilliamButlercommittedtotheFleeteDeering’spetition。"
"Gatehouse,aprisoninWestminster,nearthewestendoftheAbbey,whichleadsintoDean’sYard,TothillStreet,andtheAlmonry"——Cunningham’sHANDBOOKOFLONDON,PASTAND
PRESENT。Butforamoreparticularaccount,seeStow’sSURVEY,ed。1720,ii。lib。6。
"TheGatehouseforaPrisonwasordain’d,WheninthislandthethirdkingEDWARDreign’d:
Goodlodgingroomes,anddietitaffords,ButIhadratherlyeathomeonboords。"
Taylor’sPRAISEANDVIRTUEOFAJAYLEANDJAYLERS,(Works,1630,ii。130)。
Byaninadvertence,IhavespokenofTHOMAS,insteadofWILLIAM,LovelacehavingperishedatCaermarthen,inanoteatp。125。
Itappearsfromthefollowingcopyofverses,printedinTatham’sOSTELLA,1650,4to。,thatLovelacemadeastayintheNetherlandsaboutthistime,ifindeedhedidnotservetherewithhisregiment。
UPONMYNOBLEFRIENDRICHARDLOVELACE,ESQ。,HIS
BEINGINHOLLAND。ANINVITATION。
Come,Adonis,comeagain;
Whatdistastecoulddrivetheehence,Wheresomuchdelightdidreign,Sateingev’nthesoulofsense?
Andthoughthouunkindhastprov’d,Neveryouthwasmorebelov’d。
Then,lov’dAdonis,comeaway,ForVenusbrooksnotthydelay。
WertthousatedwiththespoilOfsomanyvirginhearts,Andthereforedidstchangethysoil,Toseekfreshinotherparts?
Dangerswaitonforeigngame;
Wehavedeermoresoundandtame。
Then,lov’dAdonis,comeaway,ForVenusbrooksnotthydelay。
Phillis,fedwiththydelights,Inthyabsencepinesaway;
Andlove,too,hathlosthisrites,Notonelasskeepsholiday。
Theyhavechangedtheirmirthforcares,Anddoonelysighthyairs。
Then,lov’dAdonis,comeaway,ForVenusbrooksnotthydelay。
Elpine,inwhosesagerlooksThouwertwonttotakedelight,Hathforsookhisdrinkandbooks,’Causehecan’tenjoythysight:
Hehathlaidhislearningby,’Causehiswitwantscompany。
Then,lov’dAdonis,comeaway,Forfriendshipbrooksnotthydelay。
AlltheswainsthatoncediduseToconversewithLoveandthee,InthelanguageofthyMuse,HaveforgotLove’sdeity:
Theydenytowritealine,Anddoonlytalkofthine。
Then,lov’dAdonis,comeaway,Forfriendshipbrooksnotthydelay。
BythysweetAlthea’svoice,Weconjuretheetoreturn;
Orwe’llrobtheeofthatchoice,Inwhoseflameseachheartwouldburn:
Thatinspir’dbyherandsack,Suchcompanywewillnotlack:
Thatpoetsintheagetocome,ShallwriteofourElisium。
Peter,orratherPETREHouse,inAldersgateStreet,belongedatonetimetotheantientfamilybywhosenameitwasknown。ThethirdLordPetre,dyingin1638,leftit,withotherpossessionsinandaboutthecityofLondon,tohissonWilliam。
(Collins’sPEERAGE,byBrydges,vii。10,11。)WhenLovelacewascommittedtoPeterHouse,andprobablylongbefore(MERCURIUS
RUSTICUS,ed。1685,pp。76—79),thismansionwasusedasahouseofdetentionforpoliticalprisoners;butinWard’sDIARY(ed。Severn,p。167),thereisthefollowingentry(likealmostallWard’sentries,unluckilywithoutdate):——"MyLordPetersisanEssexman;
heehathahouseinAldersgateStreet,whereinlivestheMarquisofDorchester:"implyingthatatthatperiod(perhapsabout1660),thepremisesstillbelongedtothePetrefamily,thoughtemporarilylettoLordDorchester。AnothercelebratedhouseinthesamestreetwasLondonHouse,whichcontinuedforsometimetobethetownresidenceoftheBishopsofLondon。Whenithadceasedtobeanepiscopalabode,itwasadaptedtothepurposesofanordinarydwelling,and,amongtheoccupants,atasomewhatlaterperiod,wasTomRawlinson,thegreatbook—collector。SeeStow,ed。1720,ii。
lib。iii。p。121。
Howdifferentwastheconduct,undersimilarcircumstances,oftheladywhomCharlesGerbiercommemoratesinhisELOGIUM
HEROINUM,1651,p。127。"Democion,theAthenianvirgin,"hetellsus,"hearingthatLeosthenes,towhomshewascontracted,wasslaininthewars,shekilledherself;butbeforeherdeathshethusreasonedwithherself:’Althoughmybodyisuntoucht,yetshouldI
fallintotheimbracesofanother,Ishouldbutdeceivethesecond,sinceIamstillmarriedtotheformerinmyheart。’"
Wood’sstoryaboutLUCASTAhavingbeenaLucySacheverell,"aladyofgreatbeautyandfortune,"mayreasonablybedoubted。
Lucasta,whoevershewas,seemstohavebelongedtoKent;
theSACHEVERELLSwerenotaKentishfamily。Besides,thecorruptionofLucySacheverellintoLucastaisnotveryobvious,andratherviolent;andtheprobabilityisthattheauthoroftheATHENAEwasmisledbyhisinformantonthisoccasion。
TheplateetchedbyLelyandengravedbyFaithorne,whichisfoundinthesecondpartofLUCASTA,1659,canscarcelyberegardedasaportrait;itwas,inalllikelihood,amerefancysketch,andwearenotperhapsfarfromthetruthinoursurmisethattheartistwasnearly,ifnotquite,asmuchinthedarkastowhoLucastawas,asweareourselvesatthepresentday。
ThisisamistakeonthepartofWood,which(withmanyothers)oughttobecorrectedinaneweditionoftheATHENAE。
LawesdidnotsettomusicAMARANTHA,APASTORAL,noranyportionofit;butheharmonizedtwostanzasofalittlepoemtobefoundatp。29ofthepresentvolume,andcalled"ToAmarantha;thatshewoulddishevelherHair。"
HastedstatesthatsoonafterthedeathofCharlesI。themanorofLovelace—BethersdenpassedbypurchasetoRichardHulse,Esq。
Onthetitle—pageofthisportionofLUCASTA,aswellasonthatwhichhadappearedin1649,theauthorisexpresslystyledRICHARDLOVELACE,ESQ。:yetinBerry’sKENTGENEALOGIES,p。474,heis,curiouslyenough,calledSIRRichardLovelace,KNT。ItisscarcelynecessarytoobservethattheerrorisonBerry’sside。
ThemostpleasinglikenessofLovelace,theonlyone,indeed,whichconveysanyjustideatousofthe"handsomestmanofhistime,"isthepictureatDulwich,whichhasbeentwicecopied,inbothinstanceswithveryindifferentsuccess。OneofthesecopieswasmadeforHarding’sBIOGRAPHICALMIRROR。Bromley(DICTIONARYOFENGRAVEDBRITISHPORTRAITS,1793,p。101)correctlynamesF[rancis]Lovelace,thewriter’sbrother,asthedesigneroftheportraitbeforethePOSTHUMEPOEMS。
Winstanley,perhaps,intendedsomeallusiontothesetwolostdramasfromthepenofLovelace,whenhethuscharacterizeshiminhisLIVESOFTHEPOETS,1687,p。170:——"Icancomparenoman,"hesays,"solikethisColonelLOVELACEasSIRPHILIPSIDNEY,ofwhichlatteritissaidbyoneinanepitaphmadeofhim:——
’NorisitfitthatmoreIshouldacquaint,LestmenadoreinoneAScholar,SOULDIER,Lover,andaSaint。’"
Astothecomparison,WinstanleymustbeunderstoodtosignifyaresemblancebetweenLovelaceandSydneyasmen,ratherthanaswriters。Winstanley’sextractisfromWITS’RECREATIONS,butthetext,ashegivesit,variesfromthatprintedbytheeditorofthereprintofthatworkin1817。
GunpowderAlleystillexists,butitisnottheGunpowderAlleywhichLovelaceknew,havingbeenrebuiltmorethanoncesince1658,Itisnowatolerablywideandairycourt,withoutanyconspicuousappearanceofsqualor。Thereisnotradition,Iamsorrytosay,respectingLovelace;allsuchrecollectionshavelongbeensweptaway。Whenoneoftheoldinhabitantstoldme(andthereareoneortwopersonswhohavelivedherealltheirlife)thatagreatpoetonceresidedthereabout,Inaturallybecameeagertocatchthename;butitturnedouttobeDr。Johnson,notLovelace,thelatterofwhommighthavebeencontemporarywithHomerforaughttheyknewtothecontraryinGunpowderAlley。ItappearsfromDeckerandWebster’splayofWESTWARDHOE,1607(Webster’sWorks,ed。Hazlitt,i。67),thattherewasanotherGunpowderAlley,nearCrutchedFriars。
Hone(EVERY—DAYBOOK,ii。561,edit。1827),states,underdateofApril28,that"duringthismonthin1658
theaccomplishedColonelRichardLovelacediedINTHEGATEHOUSE
ATWESTMINSTER,whitherhehadbeencommitted,"&c。Noauthority,however,isgivenforinassertionsowhollyatvariancewiththereceivedviewonthesubject,andIamafraidthatHonehasherefallenintoamistake。
Aubrey,inwhatarecalledhisLIVESOFEMINENTMEN,butwhichare,infact,merelyroughbiographicalmemoranda,statesundertheheadofLovelace:——"ObiitinacellarinLongacre,alittlebeforetherestaurationofhisMatie。
Mr。Edm。Wyld,&c。hadmadecollectionsforhim,andgivenhimmoney……Geo。Petty,haberdasher,inFleetstreet,carriedxxtohimeveryMondaymorningfromSr……ManyandCharlesCotton,Esq。for……moneths,BUTWASNEVERREPAYD。"
AubreywascertainlyacontemporaryofLovelace,andWoodseemstohavebeenindebtedtohimforagooddealofinformation;
butallwhoareacquaintedwithAubreyareprobablyawarethathetook,inmanyinstances,verylittletroubletoexamineforhimself,butacceptedstatementsonhearsay。Wooddoesnot,inthecaseofLovelace,adoptAubrey’saccount,anditistobeobservedthat,IFthepoetdiedaspoorasheisrepresentedbybothwriterstohavedied,hewouldhavebeenburiedbytheparish,and,dyinginLongAcre,theparochialauthoritieswouldnothavecarriedhimtoFleetStreetforsepulture。
P。xxiv。MR。EDM[UND]WYLD。
Thisgentleman,thefriendofAubrey,AuthoroftheMISCELLANIES,&c。,and(?)thesonofSirEdmundWyld,seemstohavefurnishedtheformerwithavarietyofinformationonmattersofcurrentinterest。SeeThoms’ANECDOTESANDTRADITIONS,1839,p。99。
Heis,nodoubt,theE。W。Esq。,whomAubreycitesashisauthorityononeortwooccasions,inhisREMAINSOFGENTILISM
ANDJUDAISM。Hewasevidentlyapersonofthemostbenevolentcharacter,andAubrey(LIVESOFEMINENTMEN,ii。483)payshimahandsometribute,wherehedescribeshimas"agreatfautorofingeniousandgoodmen,formeermerit’ssake。"
Seep。149,NOTE3。HisacquaintancewithHellenicliteraturepossiblyextendedverylittlebeyondthepagesoftheANTHOLOGIA。
HisfavouritesappeartohavebeenAusoniusandCatullus。
Onthe5thMay,1642,acounter—petitionwaspresentedbysomeKentishgentlementotheHouseofCommons,disclaimingandcondemningtheformerone。——JOURNALSOFTHEH。OFC。ii。558。
"ThehumblepetitionofRichardLovelace,Esquire,aprisonerintheGate—house,byaformerorderofthisHouse。"
——JOURNALS,ii。629。
Thisproperty,whichwasofconsiderableextentandvalue,waspurchasedoftheCheneyfamily,towardthelatterpartofthereignofHenryVI,byRichardLovelace,ofQueenhithe。
Idonotthinkthatthereisanyproof,thatGunpowder—alleywas,atthetimewhenLovelaceresidedthere,aparticularlypoorormeanlocality。
SeeLambarde(PERAMBULATIONOFKENT,1570,ed。1826,p。533)。
AssolittleisknownofthepersonalhistoryofLovelace,thereadermaynotbedispleasedtoseethisDedication,anditisthereforesubjoined:——
"TomyNobleFriendAndGossip,CAPTAINRICHARDLOVELACE。
"Sir,"IhavesolongbeeneinyourdebtthatIamalmostdesperateinmyselfeofmakingyoupaiment,tillthisfancybyravishingfromyouanewcurtesieinitspatronage,promisedmeitwouldsatisfiepartofmyformerengagementstoyou。
Wondernottoseeitinvadeyouthusonthesudden;gratitudeisaeriall,and,likethatelement,nimbleinitsmotionandperformance;thoughIwouldnothavethisofmineofaFrenchdisposition,tochargehotlyandretreatunfortunately:theremayappearesomethinginthisthatmaymaintainethefieldcourageouslyagainstEnvy,naycomeoffwithhonour;ifyou,Sir,pleasetorestsatisfiedthatitmarchesunderyourensignes,whicharethedesiresof"Yourtruehonourer,"Hen。Glapthorne。"
Ithasnever,sofarasIamaware,beensuggestedthatthefriendtowhomSirJohnSucklingaddressedhiscapitalballad:——
"Itellthee,Dick,whereIhavebeen,"
mayhavebeenLovelace。Itwasaveryusualpractice(thenevenmoresothannow)amongfamiliaracquaintancestousetheabbreviatedChristiannameinaddressingeachother;thusSucklingwasJACK;Davenant,WILL;Carew,TOM,&c。;intheprecedinggenerationMarlowehadbeenKIT;Jonson,BEN;Greene,ROBIN,andsoforth;andalthoughthereisnopositiveproofthatLovelaceandSucklingwereintimate,itisextremelyprobablethatsuchwasthecase,moreespeciallyastheywerenotonlybrotherpoets,butbothcountrygentlemenbelongingtoneighbouringcounties。Sucklinghad,besides,sometasteandaptitudeformilitaryaffairs,andcoulddiscourseaboutstrategicsinacitytavernoverabowlofcanarywiththeauthorofLUCASTA,notwithstandingthathewasalittletroubledbynervousness(accordingtoreport),whentheenemywastoonear。
FromAndrewMarvell’slinesprefixedtoLUCASTA,1649,itseemsthatLovelaceandhimselfwereontolerablygoodterms,andthatwhentheformerpresentedtheKentishpetition,andwasimprisonedforsodoing,hisfriends,whoexertedthemselvestoprocurehisrelease,suspectedMarvellofashareinhisdisgrace,whichMarvell,accordingtohisownaccount,earnestlydisclaimed。
Seethelinescommencing:——
"Butwhenthebeauteousladiescametoknow,"&c。
ADDITIONALNOTES。
LUCASTA:
Epodes,Odes,Sonnets,Songs,&c。
TOWHICHISADDED
Aramantha,aPASTORALL。
BY
RICHARDLOVELACE,Esq。
LONDON,PrintedbyTho。Harper,andaretobesoldbyTho。Evvster,attheGun,inIvieLane。1649。
THEDEDICATION。
TOTHERIGHTHON。MYLADYANNELOVELACE。
TotherichestTreasuryThate’erfill’dambitiouseye;
TothefairebrightMagazinHathimpoverishtLove’sQueen;
Toth’Exchequerofallhonour(Alltakepensionsbutfromher);
TothetaperofthethoreWhichthegodhimselfebutbore;
TotheSeaofChasteDelight;
LetmecasttheDropIwrite。
AndasatLoretto’sshrineCaesarshovelsinhismine,Th’Empresspreadshercarkanets,Thelordssubmittheircoronets,Knightstheirchasedarmeshangby,Maidsdiamond—rubyfanciestye;
WhilstfromthepilgrimshewearsOnepoorefalsepearl,buttentruetears:
SoamongtheOrientprize,(Saphyr—onyxeulogies)
Offer’dupuntoyourfame,TakemyGARNET—DUBLETname,Andvouchsafe’midstthoserichjoyes(Withdevotion)theseTOYES。
RichardLovelace。
ThisladywasthewifeoftheunfortunateJohn,secondLordLovelace,whosufferedsoseverelyforhisattachmenttotheKing’scause,anddaughtertotheequallyunfortunateThomas,EarlofCleveland,whowasequallydevotedtohissovereign,andwhoseestateswereorderedbytheParliamenttobesold,July26,1650。
SeePARLIAMENTSANDCOUNCILSOFENGLAND,1839,p。507。
VERSESADDRESSEDTOTHEAUTHOR。
TOMYBESTBROTHERONHISPOEMSCALLED"LUCASTA。"
Nowy’haveoblieg’dtheage,thywelknownworthIstoourjoyauspiciouslybroughtforth。
Goodmorrowtothyson,thyfirstborneflameWhich,asthougav’stitbirth,stampsitaname,ThatFateandadiscerningageshallsetThechiefestjewellinhercoronet。
Whythenneedsallthispaines,thoseseason’dpens,Thatstandinglifeguardtoabooke(kindefriends),Thatwithofficiouscarethusguardthygate,AsifthyChildwereilligitimate?
Forgivetheirfreedome,sinceuntotheirpraiseTheywritetogive,nottodisputethybayes。
Aswhensomegloriousqueen,whosepregnantwombeBringsforthakingdomewithherfirst—borneSonne,Markebutthesubjectsjoyfullheartsandeyes:
Someoffergold,andotherssacrifice;
Thisslayesalambe,that,notsorichashee,Bringsbutadove,thisbutabendedknee;
Andthoughtheirgiftesbevarious,yettheirsenceSpeaksonlythisonethought,Longlivetheprince。
So,mybestbrother,ifuntoyournameIofferupathinblew—burningflame,Pardonmylove,sincenonecanmaketheeshine,Vnlessetheykindlefirsttheirtorchatthine。
Thenasinspir’d,theyboldlywrite,naythat,Whichtheiramazedlightsbuttwinkl’dat,Andtheirillustratethoughtsdoevoicethisright,Lucastaheldtheirtorch;thougav’stitlight。
FrancisLovelace,Col。
ADEUNDEM。
EnpuerIdaliustremuliscircumvolatalis,Quempropesedentemcastioruretamor。
LampadasicvideascircumvolitarePyrausta,
Cuicontingentiestflammafuturarogus。
Ergoproculfugias,Lector,cuinullaplacebuntCarmina,nifuerintturpia,spurca,nigra。
SacrificusRomaelustralemvenditatundam:
CastiorestillaCastalisundamihi:
Limpida,et,nullaputredinespissa,Scilicetexpurodefluitillajugo。
Expuraveniunttamdiapoematamente,CuiscelusestVenerisveltetigissefores。
ThomasHamersley,EquesAuratus。
Olded。SIDENTEM。
Olded。CARTIOR。
SeeScheller’sLEX。TOT。LAT。vocePYRAUSTAandPYRALIS
ONTHEPOEMS。
Howhumbleisthymuse(Deare)thatcandaignSuchservantsasmypentoentertaine!
WhenallthesonnesofwitglorytobeCladinthymusesgallantlivery。
Ishalldisgracemymaster,proveastaine,Andnoadditiontohishonour’dtraine;
ThoughallthatreadmewillpresumetoswearIneerreadthee:yetifitmayappear,Ilovethewriterandadmirethewrit,Imyownewantbetray,notwrongthywit。
Didthyworkewantaprayse,mybarrenbrainCouldnotaffordit:myattemptwerevaine。
Itneedsnofoyle:Allthaterewritbefore,ArefoylestothyfairePoems,andnomore。
Thentobelodg’dinthesamesheetswiththine,Mayprovedisgracetoyours,butgracetomine。
NorrisJephson,Col。
TOMYMUCHLOVEDFRIEND,RICHARDLOVELACEEsq。
CARMENEROTICUM。
DeareLovelace,IamnowabouttoproveIcannotwriteaverse,butcanwritelove。
OnsuchasubjectasthybookeIcoo’dWritebooksmuchgreater,butnothalfsogood。
Butasthehumbletenant,thatdoesbringAchickeoreggesfor’soffering,Istaneintothebuttry,anddoesfox
Equallwithhimthatgaveastalledoxe:
So(sincetheheartofev’rycheerfullgiverMakespoundsnomoreacceptedthanastiver),
Thoughsomthyprayseinrichstilessing,ImayInstiver—stilewriteloveaswellasthey。
IwritesowellthatInocriticksfeare;
Forwho’lereadmine,whenasthybooke’ssoneer,Vnlessethyselfe?thenyoushallsecuremineFromthose,andIleengagemyselfeforthine。
They’ldo’tthemselves;thisallayyou’ltake,Ilovethybook,andyetnotforthysake。
JohnJephson,Col。
TOFOXusuallymeanstointoxicate。TofoxoneselfisTOGETDRUNK,andtofoxapersonisTOMAKEHIMDRUNK。
Thewordinthissensebelongstothecantvocabulary。
Butinthepresentcase,foxmerelysignifiesTOFAREorTOFEAST。
ADutchpenny。ItisverylikelythatthisindividualhadservedwiththepoetinHolland。
Threemembersofthisfamily,oratleastthreepersonsofthisname,probablyrelated,figureinthehistoryofthepresentperiod,viz。,ColonelJohnJephson,apparentlyamilitaryassociateofLovelace;NorrisJephson,whocontributedacopyofversestoLUCASTA,andtothefirstfolioeditionofBeaumontandFletcher’splays,1647;andWilliamJephson,whosenameoccursamongthesubscriberstotheSOLEMNLEAGUEANDCOVENANT,1643。
TOMYNOBLEANDMOSTINGENIOUSFRIEND,COLONELRICHARDLOVELACE,UPONHIS"LUCASTA。"
SofromthepregnantbraineofJovedidrisePallas,thequeeneofwitandbeautiouseyes,AsfaireLucastafromthytemplesflowes,TemplesnolesseingeniousthenJoves。
Alikeinbirth,soshallshebeinfame,AndbeimmortalltopreservethyName。
ANOTHER,UPONTHEPOEMS。
Now,whenthewarsaugmentourwoesandfears,Andtheshrillnoiseofdrumsoppresseourears;
NowpeaceandsafetyfromourshoresarefledToholesandcavernestosecuretheirhead;
Nowallthegracesfromthelandaresent,AndthenineMusessufferbanishment;
Whencespringtheseraptures?whencethisheavenlyrime,Socalmeandeveninsoharshatime?
WellmightthatcharmerhisfaireCaeliacrowne,Andthatmorepolish’tTyterusrenowneHisSacarissa,wheningrovesandbowresTheycouldreposetheirlimbsonbedsofflowrs:
Whenwithadprayse,andmerithadreward,AndeverynoblespiritdidaccordTolovetheMuses,andtheirprieststoraise,Andinterpaletheirbroweswithflourishingbayes;
Butinatimedistractedsotosing,Whenpeaceishurriedhenceonrageswing,WhenthefreshbayesarefromtheTempletorne,Andeveryartandsciencemadeascorne;
Thentoraiseup,bymusickeofthyart,Ourdroopingspiritsandourgrievedhearts;
Thentodelightoursouls,andtoinspireOurbreastwithpleasurefromthycharminglyre;
Thentodivertoursorrowesbythystraines,MakingusquiteforgetoursevenyeerspainesInthepastwars,unlessethatOrpheusbeAsharerinthyglory:forwhenheDescendeddowneforhisEuridice,Hestrokehislutewithlikeadmiredart,Andmadethedamnedtoforgettheirsmart。
JohnPinchbacke,Col
ManypoetshavecelebratedthecharmsofaCAELIA;
butIapprehendthatthewriterhereintendsCarew。
Waller。
OriginalhasIS。
P。10。JOHNPINCHBACK,COL[ONEL]。
Pinchbackneitherisnorwas,Ibelieve,anameofcommonoccurrence;anditisjustpossiblethattheColonelmaybethevery"oldJackPinchbacke"mentionedbySirNicholasL’Estrange,inhisMERRYPASSAGESANDJESTS,ofwhichaselectionwasgivenbyMr。ThomsinhisANECDOTESANDTRADITIONS,1839。L’Estrange,itistrue,describestheColonelasa"gamesterandrufler,daubedwithgoldlace;"butthisisnotincompatiblewiththeidentitybetweenthePINCHBACKE,whofiguresinLUCASTA,andOLDJACK,whohadperhapsnotalwaysbeen"agamesterandruffler,"
andwhosegoldlacehad,nodoubt,oncebeeninbettercompanythanthatwhichheseemstohavefrequented,whenL’Estrangeknewhim。
The"daubedgoldlace,"afterall,onlycorrespondswiththepicture,whichLovelacehimselfmayhavepresentedinGUNPOWDER
ALLEYdays。