1803.] 
_ Englithed : 
Oh! name by me moft lov’d, to me moft 
fair, ‘ 
Granta, which fhalt my heart’s fuH worfhip 
fhare ! ‘ 
Oh! manfions bright bet modeft, bleffed 
life ! 
Great without wealth, and generous without 
ftrife ! 
Oh ! houfe, before all houfes, dear to me, 
Worthy of mighty kings, and facred Tri- 
nity. 
In his Scheme of a College for Experi- 
mental Philofophy, a plan which was pre- 
paratory to the defigns of the Royal Soci- 
ety, we behold too much of a monkith 
college ; nor fo much generofity for the 
fair fex, as might have been expected from 
fo gallant a poet; but fufficient liberality 
in {peculative matters towards the ftudents 
and profeffors: the latter were deftined to 
live unbleffed with wives, but were to be 
recompenced by unrefirained and unfhac- 
kled confciences. 
*« Neither (fays Cowley,) does it at all 
check or interfere with any parties in {tate 
or religion, but is indifferently to be em- 
braced by all differences in religion, and 
can hardly be conceived capable (as many 
good inftitutions have done,) of degene- 
rating into any thing harmful.’” Bifhop 
Spratt, in his excellent Hittory of the 
Royal Society, fpeaking of what ke con- 
ceived to be the impracticable paris of 
Cowley*s model, obferves, ‘* His purpofe 
in it was, like himfelf, full of honour and 
goodnefs. Moft of the other particulars 
of his drauzht the Royal Society is now 
putting in practice.” 
The poetry of Cowley refembles a lux- 
uriant vine, trom which, were the exube- 
rant branches lopt off, and fome fuperflu- 
ous clufters taken away, what remains 
would be mcre agreeable to the fight, and 
richer to the tafte. The two beit-written 
accounts of his life pretent us with two 
views of his charaéter: according to one, 
he was aman without a lingle blemifh 5 
according to the other, he was a lover 
without ardent paffions: at all events he 
was a true poet, often a reprefentative- 
poet, in which charaéter, with his own 
natural warmth, he mingles much that is 
art.ficial : 
Ille poeta, meum qu] peétus inaniter angit. 
Hor. 
Cowley is juftly confidered as one of the 
geniufes of Trinity College ; and accord- 
ingly there is a buft cf him in the Libra- 
ry, and his portrait is in the Bali. 
4 
Cantabrigiana. 
133 
LXXXIV.—MILTON. 
Milton, as everybody knows, was of 
Chrift’s, and, on account of the beauty of 
his perfon, called the Lady of the College. 
In the charming delineation of Adam’s 
perfon, in Paradife Loft, it is fuppofed 
that the poet had himfelf in view as the 
original ; and that he fet a full value on 
his fine exterior, is evident from thofe im- 
perfect Greek lines of his: 
In effigiei ejus {culptorem, 
Ameaber yeyeadbas yeres Tnvde, erEv ELKoven 
Daing Tax’ av, meos esdeg avTopues CAETwTe 
"Tn Y EXTUTWTOV AK ETYVOVTES, DAO, 
Pedate pavao dveeyanope Loyeapa. 
Englifhed : 
Whoe’er my native open face furveys, 
Will fay this piece a bungling hand betrays 5 
And you, my friends, who view no likenelg 
here, 
Mutt at the wretched artift’s daubing jeer. 
During Milton’s flay at college, he com- 
pofed his Latin poems ; and itis difficult 
to conceive a more brilliant example of | 
youthful talent. Thefe are not faultlefs 
compofitions ; but they difplay a compre- 
henfive intellect, agreat compa!s of knowe 
ledge, a combining, glowing imagination, 
and an accurate acquaintance with the 
grace, variety, and power of numbers.— 
They render what was faid of Gray, very 
applicable to Milton, that ‘* he was ne- 
ver a boy.” 
From the firft of thefe poems it appears 
that our poet very early entertained fome 
ftrong difguft againft the univerfity ; from 
his fubfequent writings, that this dif- 
guft fettled intoan inveterate and princi- 
pled diflike : and it is curious to obferve 
in how different a {train two poetical geni- 
ufes may pour forth their rhapfodies on 
the fame fubje&t ; a proof, how much all ' 
that is delightful in fituation, the moft vi- 
vid recollections, and the ftrongeft poeti- 
cal feelings, are the creatures of aflocia- 
tion : according to Cowley, no place fo 
delightful as Cambridge—no river fo cal. 
culated for poetic infpiration asthe Cam : 
Oh ! facri fontes, oh! facre vatibus umbre ! 
Quas recreant avium Pieridumg: chori ! 
Oh! Camus, Phebo nullus quo gratior am 
nis, ; ’ 
Omnibus auriferis invidiofus inops. Coqw/ey. 
According to Milton, no country lefs 
agreeable than Cambridgefhire, and no 
epithet too contemptible for poor flow- 
~ footed Camus : | 
Nuda nec arva placent, umbrafq: negantia 
molles, 
' Quam male Phebicolis convenit ifte locus | 
Milton. 
Jam 
