Edward Bullock, of Fayburne-hall, in Essex, Esq. assures me, that this Tusser was borne at Riven-hall, in Essex. The howse wherein he was borne they doe yet shew. He rented the parsonage of Fairested. He speakes in his booke of the people's cosening him of his tythes.

EDMUND WALLER, ESQ.

Son and heire of . . . . by Hamden. He was cosen-germane to Oliver Cromwell, Protector, whose mother was his mother's sister. He was borne at Beconsfield, in Bucks, A: Di .... in the fair brick house, the farthest on the left hand, as you goe to Wickham. He had grammar learning from the information of Mr. Dobson, minister of Market Wickham, who taught a private schoole there, and was (he told me) a good schoolmaster, and had been bred at Eaton coll. schoole. I have heard Mr. Tho. Bigge, of Wickham say (who was his schoolefellow, and of the same forme), that he little thought then he would have been so rare a poet; he was wont to make his exercise for him. His paternall estate, and by his first wife, was £3000 per annum. His first wife was

of Wor

cestershire, by whom he had . . . . . .

and issue by her, a son.

per annum, His second wife was

Brace; a woman, beautiful and very prudent, by whom he has severall children (I thinke 10 or 12). About 23, or between that and thirty, he grew (upon I know not what occasion) mad; but 'twas (I thinke) not long ere he was cured. This from Mr. Th. Bigge. Non tulit æthereos pectus mortale tumultus. OVID. He was passionately in love with Dorothea, the eldest daughter of the Earle of Leicester, whom he has eternized in his poems and the Earle loved him, and would have been contented that he should have had one of the youngest daughters; perhaps this might be the check. Waller was his tutor at King's coll. Cambridge, who was a very learned man, and vicar of Broad Chalke, Wilts.

...

A burghesse in Parliament, for Beconsfield, in K. James's time, and has been of all the Parliaments since the restauration of K. Ch. II. (1680, ætat. 74 and more.)

One of the first refiners of our English language and poetry. When he was a briske young sparke, and first studyed poetry, "Methought," said he, "I never sawe a good copie of English verses; they want smoothnesse ; then I began to essay." I have severall times heard him say, that he cannot versify when he will; but when the fitt comes upon him, he does

it easily, (i. e.) in plaine termes, when his and ? are well aspected.

He told me he was not acquainted with Ben Jonson (who dyed about 1638), but familiarly with Lucius Lord Falkland, Sydney Godolphin, Mr. Hobbes, &c.

He was very much admired at Court before the late civill warres; 164. he being then a member of ye House of Commons, was comitted prisoner to the Tower, for the plott, with Tomkins (his cosen-germane) and Chaloner, for firing the City of London, and delivering the Parliament, &c. to the King's partie. He had much adoe then to save his life, and in order to it, sold his estate, in Bedfordshire, about £1300 per ann. to Dr. Wright, M.D. for £10,000, (much under va lue) which was procured in 24 hours' time, or els he had been hanged. With this money he bribed the House, which was the first time a House of Commons was ever bribed. His excellent rhetorical speech to the House, as also his panegyrique to Oliver, Lord Protector, he would not suffer to be inserted in the edition of his Poems since the restauration of King Charles II.

After he had obtayned his pardon of the Parliament, he went to France, where he stayed... yeares, and was there very kindly received, and esteemed. A: Di.... he returned into England.

When K. Charles II. returned, he received Mr.

Waller very kindly, and no man's conversation is more esteemed at court now than his. The Dutchess of Yorke (daughter to the Duke of Modena) very much delights in his company, and hath layed her commands on him to write, which he hath dedicated to her highness.

His intellectuals are very good yet (1680), but he growes feeble. He is somewhat above a middle stature, thin body, not at all robust fine thin skin, his face somewhat of an olivaster; his hayre frized, of a brownish colour; full eie, popping out and working: ovall faced, his forehead high and full of wrinkles. His head but small, braine very hott, and apt to be cholerique. Quanto doctior, eo iracundior.-Cic. He is somewhat magisteriall, and hath received a great mastership of the English language. He is of admirable elocution, and gracefull, and exceeding ready.

He has spent most of his time in London; especially in winter; but oftentimes in the summer he enjoyes his muse at Beconsfield, wch is incomparable aire, and where are delicious walks in the woods. Now I speake of woods, I remember he told us there, that he cutt downe and grubbed up, a beech wood of his, at Beconsfield, and without soweing, but naturally, there sprang a wood all of birch.

A. D... .. he was admitted a fellowe of the Royall Societie.

He has but a tender weake body, but was always very temperate. made him damnable drunke at Somerset-house, where, at the water-stayres, he fell downe, and had a cruel fall. 'Twas pitty to use such a sweet swan so inhumanely.

He hath a great memory, and remembers a history, or &c. best when read to him: he uses to make his daughters read to him. Yet, notwithstanding his great witt and maisteresse in rhetorique, &c. he will oftentimes be guilty of mispelling in English, He writes a lamentable hand, as bad as the scratching of a hen,

I have heard him say, that he so much admired Mr. T. Hobbes's booke, De Cive, when it came forth, that he was very desirous to have it donne into English, and Mr. Hobbes was most willing it should be done by Mr. Waller's hand, for that he was so great a master of our English language. Mr. Waller freely promised him to doe it, but first he would desire Mr. Hobbes to make an essay; he did the first booke, and did it so extremely well, that Mr. Waller would not meddle with it, for that nobody els could doe it so well. Had he thought he could have better performed it, he would have himselfe been the translator.

He sayes that he was bred under severall ill, dull, ignorant schoolmasters, till he went to Mr. Dobson, at Wickham, who was a good schoolmaster, and had been an Eaton schollar.