forgetful of a man whose words were fo often in his mouth, and daily afforded him a remarkable pleasure in conversation.

We are indeed informed, that Mr Butler was once in a fair way of obtaining a royal gratuity, as the following account, if true, will show. "Mr Wycherly had always laid hold of any op"portunity which offered, to represent to his "Grace (the Duke of Buckingham) how well "Mr Butler, had deferved of the Royal Family, "by writing his inimitable HUDIBRAS; and "that it was a reproach to the court, that a perfon of his loyalty and wit thould fuffer in

obscurity, and under the wants he did. The "Duke feemed always to hearken to him with "attention enough; and after fome time under" took to recommend his pretenfions to his Ma"jefty. Mr Wycherly in hopes to keep him fteady to his word, obtained of his Grace to

name a day when he might introduce the mo"deft and unfortunate Poet to his new patron:

at laft an appointment was made, and the "place of meeting was appointed to be the Roe "Buck: Mr Butler and his friend attended ac

cordingly, the Duke joined them;" but by an unlucky incident this interview was broke off. And it will always be remembered to the reproach of that learned age, that this great and inimitable Poet was fuffered to live and die in want and obfcurity.

The King's exceffive fondness for the Poem,

and furprifing difregard and neglect of the Author, is fully and movingly related by Mr Butler, (Hudibras at Court, fee Remains) who thence takes occafion to do juftice to his Poem, by hinting its excellencies in general, and paying a few modest compliments to himself; of which the following lines are worth transcribing:

Now you must know, Sir Hudibras
With fuch perfections gifted was,
And fo peculiar in his manner,

That all that faw him did him honour:
Among the reft, this Prince was one
Admir'd his conversation;

This Prince, whose ready wit and parts
Conquer'd both men and women's hearts,
Was fo o'ercome with Knight and Ralph,
That he cou'd never claw it off;

"King Charles the Second never ordered Butler "more than one gratuity, and that was Three hundred "pounds, which had this compliment paid to it, that "it paffed all the offices without a fee, at the solicitati"on of Mr William Longueville of the Temple, Lord "Danby being at that time High Treasurer. A proof "of the great honour and honefty of our Poet is this; "That upon his being ordered the Three hundred "pounds above-mentioned by the King, he called to

mind that he owed more than that fum to different "perfons, from whom he had borrowed monies, or "otherwife contracted debts: for which reason he "intreated Mr Longueville to pay away the whole "gratuity, who accordingly did fo; and Butler did "not receive a fhilling of it." See Butler's life, under the word Hudibras, General Hist, Dict, vol. VI. P. 299. Note,

He never ate, nor drank, nor flept,
But Hudibras ftill near him kept;
Never would go to church, or so,
But Hudibras muft with him go;
Nor yet to vifit concubine,
Or at a city-feast to dine,

But Hudibras muft ftill be there,
Or all the fat was in the fire.
Now after all, was it not hard

That he fhould meet with no reward,
That fitted out this Knight and Squire,
This Monarch did so much admire?
That he fhould never reimburse
The man for th' equipage, or horse,
Is fure a strange, ungrateful thing,
In any body but a king.

But this good king, it feems, was told,
By fome that were with him too bold,
If ere you hope to gain your ends,
Carefs your foes, and trust your friends.-.-
Such were the doctrines that were taught,
'Till this unthinking king was brought
To leave his friends to ftarve and die,
A poor reward for loyalty.

And his claim to a Poet's imaginary immortality, is in another place (Hudibras's Epitaph, Remains) as handsomely and modeftly made, as by any other poet whatsoever:

But fince his Worship's dead and gone,
And mould'ring lies beneath this stone,

B

The reader is defir'd to look

For his atchievements in his book, Which will preserve of Knight the tale, 'Till time and death itself fhall fail.

Mr Oldham (vol. II. 6th edit. 1703. pag. 420.) pathetically commiferates the extraordinary fufferings of our Poet, in a remarkable manner. In his Satire against Poetry, he introduces the ghoft of Spencer diffuading him from it, upon experience and example, that poverty and contempt were its infeparable attendants. After Spencer has gone over his own lamentable cafe, and mentioned Homer and Cowley in the fame view, he thus movingly bewails the great and unhappy Mr Butler:

On Butler who can think without juft rage,
The glory, and the fcandal of the age?
Fair ftood his hopes, when firft he came to town,
Met every where with welcomes of renown,
Courted, and lov'd by all, with wonder read,
And promifes of princely favour fed;
But what reward for all had he at laft?
After a life in dull expectance past,
The wretch, at fumming up his mifpent days,
Found nothing left but poverty and praise;
Of all his gains by verfe, he could not fave
Enough to purchase flannel and a grave;
Reduc'd to want, he in due time fell fick,
Was fain to die, and be interr'd on tick:
And well might blefs the fever that was fent
To rid him hence, and his worse fate prevent.

H

Nor does Mr Butler ftand alone in fuch lamentable misfortunes: Mr Spencer and Mr Cowley before him, will be indelible reproaches to the generofity of this nation. Mr Dryden (Dedicat. to Juvenal,) has published to the world the hardships he laboured under. And Mr Otway, (Prol. to Conftant. the Great) deters us from poetry upon the fame topics with Spencer.

Having thus lived to a good old age, admired by all, though perfonally known to few, Mr Butler departed this life in the year 1680, and was buried at the charge of his good friend Mr Longueville of the Temple, in the yard belonging to the church of St Paul, Covent-Garden, at the Weft-end of the faid yard, on the North-fide, under the wall of the faid church, and under that wall which parts the yard from the common highway.

But we can now fay with great fatisfaction, that Mr Butler, among the infinite number of readers whom he conftantly delighted, at length found one who publickly adopted him for his darling Author; and out of a grateful fenfe of his merits and character, erected a neat monument to his memory in Westminster-Abbey, which, next to HUDIERAS, will preserve the fame of the Poet, and the examplary generofity of the Patron.---It fums up his character both justly and elegantly, as follows:

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