Dr. Sprat says of his Latin poetry, “that he has expressed to admiration all the numbers of verse and figures of poetry, that are scattered up and down amongst the ancients; and that there is hardly to be found in them any good fashion of speech, or colour of measure; but he has comprehended it, and given instances of it, according as his several arguments required either a majestic spirit, or passionate, or pleasant.  This he observes, is the more extraordinary, in that it was never yet performed by any single poet of the ancient Romans themselves.”

The same author has told us, that the occasion of Mr. Cowley’s falling on the pindarique way of writing, was his accidentally meeting with Pindar’s works in a place where he had no other books to direct him.  Having thus considered at leisure the heighth of his invention, and the majesty of his stile, he tried immediately to imitate it in English, and he performed it, says the Dr. without the danger that Horace presaged to the man that should attempt it.  Two of our greatest poets, after allowing Mr. Cowley to have been a successful imitator of Pindar, yet find fault with his numbers.  Mr. Dryden having told us, that our author brought Pindaric verse as near perfection as possible in so short a time, adds, “But if I may be allowed to speak my mind modestly, and without injury to his sacred ashes, somewhat of the purity of English, somewhat of more sweetness in the numbers, in a word, somewhat of a finer turn and more lyrical verse is yet wanting;” and Mr. Congreve having excepted against the irregularity of the measure of the English Pindaric odes, yet observes, “that the beauty of Mr. Cowley’s verses are an attonement for the irregularity of his stanzas; and tho’ he did nor imitate Pindar in the strictness of his numbers, he has very often happily copied him in the force of his figures, and sublimity of his stile and sentiments.”

Soon after his return to England, he was seized upon thro’ mistake; the search being intended after another gentleman of considerable note in the King’s party.  The Republicans, who were sensible how much they needed the assistance and coalition of good men, endeavoured sometimes by promises, and sometimes by threatning, to bring our author over to their interest; but all their attempts proving fruitless, he was committed to a severe confinement, and with some difficulty at last obtained his liberty, after giving a thousand pounds bail, which Dr. Scarborough in a friendly manner took upon himself.  Under these bonds he continued till Cromwell’s death, when he ventured back into France, and there remained, as Dr. Sprat says, in the same situation as before, till near the time of the King’s return.  This account is a sufficient vindication of Mr. Cowley’s unshaken loyalty, which some called in question; and as this is a material circumstance in the life of Cowley, we shall give an account of it in the words of the elegant writer of his life just now mentioned, as it is impossible to set it in a fairer, or more striking light than is already done by that excellent prelate.  “The cause of his loyalty being called in question, he tells us, was a few lines in a preface to one of his books; the objection, says he, I must not pass in silence, because it was the only part of his life that was liable to misinterpretation, even by the confession of those that envied his fame.