After many storms of adversity, our author spent the evening of his days in ease and serenity.  He had the happiness of being loved by people of all denominations, and died lamented by every worthy good man.  As a poet, unnumbered evidences may be produced in his favour.  Amongst these Mr. Dryden is the foremost, for when his testimony can be given in support of poetical merit, we reckon all other evidence superfluous, and without his, all other evidences deficient.  In his words then we shall sum up Davenant’s character as a poet, and a man of genius.

’I found him, (says he) in his preface to the Tempest, of so quick a fancy, that nothing was proposed to him on which he could not quickly produce a thought extreamly pleasant and surprizing, and these first thoughts of his, contrary to the old Latin proverb, were not always the least happy, and as his fancy was quick, so likewise were the products of it remote and new.  He borrowed not of any other, and his imaginations were such as could not easily enter into any other man.  His corrections were sober and judicious, and he corrected his own writings much more severely than those of another man, bestowing twice the labour and pain in polishing which he used in invention.’

Before we enumerate the dramatic works of Sir William Davenant, it will be but justice to his merit, to insert some animadversions on his Gondibert; a poem which has been the subject of controversy almost a hundred years; that is, from its first appearance to the present time.  Perhaps the dispute had been long ago decided, if the author’s leisure had permitted him to finish it.  At present we see it to great disadvantage; and if notwithstanding this it has any beauties, we may fairly conclude it would have come much nearer perfection, if the story, begun with so much spirit, had been brought to an end upon the author’s plan.

Mr. Hobbes, the famous philosopher of Malmsbury, in a letter printed in his works, affirms, ’that he never yet saw a poem that had so much shape of art, health of morality and vigour, and beauty of expression, as this of our author; and in an epistle to the honourable Edward Howard, author of the British Princes, he thus speaks.  My judgment in poetry has been once already censured by very good wits for commending Gondibert; but yet have they not disabled my testimony.  For what authority is there in wit? a jester may have it; a man in drink may have it, and be fluent over night, and wise and dry in the morning:  What is it? and who can tell whether it be better to have it or no?  I will take the liberty to praise what I like as well as they, and reprehend what they like.’—­Mr. Rymer in his preface to his translation of Rapin’s Reflexions on Aristototle’s [sic] Treatise of Poetry, observes, that our author’s wit is well known, and in the preface to that poem, there appears some strokes of an extraordinary judgment; that he is for unbeaten tracts, and new ways of thinking,