登陆注册
4704600000003

第3章

In 1654 Queen Henrietta, under influence of a new confessor, had left the Louvre, and, with the little daughter born at Exeter, taken up her quarters in a foundation of her own, at Chaillot, for nuns of the visitation of St. Mary. Lord Jermyn having little use left for a secretary in Paris, Cowley in 1656, after twelve years' service in France, was sent to England that he might there live in the retirement he preferred, and with the understanding that he would be able to send information upon the course of home affairs. In England he was presently seized by mistake for another man, and, when his name and position were known, he was imprisoned, until a friendly physician, Sir Charles Scarborough, undertook to be security in a thousand pounds for his good conduct. In this year, 1656, Cowley published the first folio volume of his Poems, prepared in prison, and suggested, he said, by his finding, when he returned to England, a book called "The Iron Age," which had been published as his, and caused him to wonder that any one foolish enough to write such bad verses should yet be so wise as to publish them under another man's name. Cowley thought then that he had taken leave of verse, which needed less troubled times for its reading, and a mind less troubled in the writer. He left out of his book, he said, the pieces written during the Civil War, including three books of the Civil War itself, reaching as far as the first battle of Newbury.

These he had burnt, for, he said, "I would have it accounted no less unlawful to rip up old wounds than to give new ones." "When the event of battle and the unaccountable Will of God has determined the controversy, and that we have submitted to the will of the conqueror, we must lay down our pens as well as arms." The first part of this folio contained early poems; the second part "The Mistress;" the third part "Pindaric Odes;" and the fourth and last his "Davideis."

In September of the following year, 1657, Cowley acted as best man to George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, on his marriage at Bolton Percy, to Fairfax's daughter; Cowley wrote also a sonnet for the bride. In December he obtained, by influence of friends, the degree of M.D. from the University of Oxford, and retired into Kent to study botany. Such study caused him then to write a Latin poem upon Plants, in six books: the first two on Herbs, in elegiac verse; the next two on Flowers, in various measures; and the last two on Trees, in heroic numbers:- "Plantarum, Libri VI."

After the death of Cromwell, Cowley returned to France, but he came back to England in 1660, when he published an "Ode on His Majesty's Restoration and Return," and "A Discourse by way of Vision concerning the Government of Oliver Cromwell." He was admitted, as Dr. Cowley, among the first members of the Royal Society then founded; but he was excluded from the favour of the king. He had written an "Ode to Brutus," for which, said his Majesty, it was enough for Mr. Cowley to be forgiven. A noble lord replied to Cowley's Ode, in praise of Brutus, with an Ode against that Rebel.

Cowley's old friend, Lord Jermyn, now made Earl of St. Alban's, joined, however, with George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, in providing for the poet all that was required to secure to him the quiet life that he desired. Provision to such end had been promised him both by Charles I. and Charles II., in the definite form of the office of Master of the Savoy, but the post was given by Charles II. to a brother of one of his mistresses.

Cowley recast his old comedy of "The Guardian," and produced it in December, 1661, as "Cutter of Coleman Street." It was played for a week to a full audience, though some condemned it on the supposition it was a satire upon the king's party. Cowley certainly was too pure and thoughtful to be a fit associate for Charles II. and many of his friends. The help that came from the Earl of St. Albans and the Duke of Buckingham, was in the form of such a lease of the Queen's lands as gave the poet a sufficient income. Others who had served little were enriched; but he was set at ease, and sought no more. He then made his home by the Thames, first at Barn Elms, and afterwards at Chertsey, at which latter place he lived for about a year in the Porch House, that yet stands. Cowley was living at Chertsey when a July evening in damp meadows gave him a cold, of which he died within a fortnight. That was in the year 1667, year also of the death of Jeremy Taylor, and of the birth of Jonathan Swift.

Abraham Cowley is at his truest in these ESSAYS, written during the last seven years of his life. Their style is simple, and their thoughts are pure. They have, for their keynote, the happiness of one who loves true liberty in quiet possession of himself. When he turns to the Latins, his translations are all from those lines which would have dwelt most pleasantly upon a mind that to the last held by the devout wish expressed by himself in a poem of his early youth--(A Vote, in "Sylva"):

"Books should, not business, entertain the light, And sleep, as undisturbed as death, the night.

My house a cottage more Than palace, and should fitting be For all my use, no luxury.

My garden, painted o'er With Nature's hand, not Art's, should pleasures yield, Horace might envy in his Sabine field."

H. M.

同类推荐
  • 谴非

    谴非

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 新官轨范

    新官轨范

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Selected Writings

    Selected Writings

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 新集浴像仪轨

    新集浴像仪轨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 古今笑史

    古今笑史

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 根本说一切有部戒经

    根本说一切有部戒经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 位面之主宰之王

    位面之主宰之王

    我在天龙中和乔峰喝过酒,和木婉清谈过恋爱,..在倚天中教过张三丰太极拳,邂逅过赵敏,...在僵尸道长里面和九叔学过道,...咦,怎么这是吸血鬼?
  • 金子的声音

    金子的声音

    温亚军,现为北京武警总部某文学杂志主编。著有长篇小说伪生活等六部,小说集硬雪、驮水的日子等七部。获第三届鲁迅文学奖,第十一届庄重文文学奖,《小说选刊》《中国作家》和《上海文学》等刊物奖,入选中国小说学会排行榜。中国作家协会会员。
  • 公食大夫礼

    公食大夫礼

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 北唐天下

    北唐天下

    第四本新书《六贼纨绔》准备签约了,希望可以得到朋友们的认可与支持,多多收藏与推荐,感谢支持地朋友,有你们,我才一路坚持!
  • 邹韬奋作品集(中国现代文学名家作品集)

    邹韬奋作品集(中国现代文学名家作品集)

    “中国现代文学名家作品集”丛书实质是中国现代文学肇基和发展阶段的创作总集,收录了几乎当时所有知名作家,知名作品的全部。
  • 我的爱,为你披尽星光

    我的爱,为你披尽星光

    当人不再相信神,人失去被仰望的对象,心灵感到空虚,在这时刻偶像出现了,成了人心灵的安慰,崇拜的对象,然而明星就如钻石一样,不是天生的,而是要被雕琢,所以有着将人雕琢成明星技能的人,成为了一种专业的行业,名经理人。桑儿自十二岁起,开始替一名歌手争取待遇,替他争取更高的薪金。那时,她已经知道她会依靠着明星来赚钱,不!或者,是她有着做星的能力。短短十几年,她捧起了不少艺人,更造就了一位国际级巨星。只因她明白明星是活在光明中,人们对美好形象的折射,而她就要为他们抵制一切的黑暗,将有可能的污浊排出去,给观众最美丽的遐想。名利皆有的她,回头时,却发现她已付出太多,她才发现成为一个顶.....
  • 错嫁成妃:王爷,请自重

    错嫁成妃:王爷,请自重

    大婚之夜,王爷夫君就给她送了两个极/品美男侍//寝,她怎能拒绝?欢欢乐乐入洞房,却气得他前来搅局,她勾着他的脖颈:“美人,哪个馆子的?以后爷去找你。”他直接扯开她的衣服:“本王是你夫君!”她的手划过他脸:“夫君,我不碰!”联系QQ:2378264528
  • 红楼媚妃黛玉劫

    红楼媚妃黛玉劫

    满纸荒唐言,一把辛酸泪。都云作者痴,谁解其中味?她原是富家千金小姐,却历尽艰辛,为了爷爷留下的遗产与家中亲人斗智斗勇。一辈子,没有享受过一天亲情的滋润。最终,同父异母的私生子哥哥将她推下悬崖。含恨而终,仍不让活着的恶人有好日子过。遇上警幻仙姑,说她仍有世间姻缘账未销,送她复入红楼。她要做一回林黛玉,决不让一个好人冤死,也定不饶过半个恶人坐享太平盛世。而最后红楼各人将作何归宿,最终绛珠仙子将芳心何属,且看转世黛玉,如何玩转红楼••••••
  • 王爷三思小姐不好招惹

    王爷三思小姐不好招惹

    慕易黎因为意外穿越到了架空的异世大陆。什么!?天生痴傻,修炼废材,长得像鬼?都见鬼去吧!老娘国色天香,倾国倾城,麾下能人无数,杀人根本不用亲自出马。哪知,狂妄不可一世的她遇到了低调狠辣的他,一身本领无处使,竟要撒娇耍横。一不小心还爱上了他,想潇洒心中却有了牵挂,想离开却又舍不得。某摄政王大人脸色一变:你还想离开我?做梦,生生世世都不可能。(男女双洁)