name behind him, not to be extinguished but with the whole world, which as it is now too little for his praises, so might have been too for his conquests if the short line of his human life could have been stretched out to the extent of his immortal designs?"--COWLEY'S _Works_, Vol. II. p. 583. Perhaps the facetious Tom Brown has hit upon the true reason of Dryden's choice of a subject, when he makes him say, "that he had no particular kindness for the person of Oliver; but that it was much the same with the poets as with the Jews--a hero cannot start up in any quarter of the world, be his quarrel right or wrong, but both are apt to think him the Messias, and presently pitch upon him as the fittest person to deliver the twelve tribes and the nine muses out of captivity."--_Reasons of Mr Bayes' changing his religion._] [Footnote 2: Nor only didst thou for thy age provide, But for the years to come beside; Our after times, and late posterity, Shall pay unto thy fame as much as we; They too are made by thee. When Fate did call thee to a higher throne, And when thy mortal work was done; When Heaven did say it, and thou must be gone, Thou him to bear thy burden chose, Who might, if any could, make us forget thy loss. Nor hadst thou him designed, Had he not been, Not only to thy blood, but virtue, kin; Not only heir unto thy throne, but mind: 'Tis he shall perfect all thy cares, And with a finer thread weave out thy loom. So one did bring the chosen people from Their slavery and fears; Led them through their pathless road, Guided himself by God; H'ad brought us to the borders, but a second hand Did settle and secure them in the promised land. _Verses to the happy Memory of the late Lord Protector._ ] [Footnote 3: This edition occurs in the Luttrell Collection, and the title runs thus: "An Elegy on the Usurper O. C. by the Author of 'Absalom and Achitophel;' published to show the loyalty and integrity of the Poet." POSTSCRIPT.