The lives of the most famous English poets, or, The honour of Parnassus in a brief essay of the works and writings of above two hundred of them, from the time of K. William the Conqueror to the reign of His present Majesty, King James II / written by William Winstanley, author of The English worthies ...

Mr. JOHN CLEVELAND.

THis eminent Poet, the Wit of our age, was born at Hinckley, a small Market Town in the County of Leicester, where his Father was the Reverend and Learned Minister of the place. Fortes creantur e fortibus, and bred therein under Mr. Richard Vines his School-master, where he attained to a great perfection in Learning, by choicest Elegancies in Greek and Latin, more ele∣gantly English; so that he may be said to have lisped wit, like an English Bard, and early ripe ac∣complished for the University.

From a loving Father and learned School-Ma∣ster, he was sent to Christ Colledge in Cambridge, where he proved such an exquisite Orator, and pure Latinist, as those his Deserts preferred him to a Fellowship in St. Johns. There he lived a∣bout the space of nine Years, the Delight and Or∣nament of that Society; what service as well as re∣putation he did it, let his excellent Orations and Epistles speak: To which the Library oweth much of its Learning, the Chapel much of its pious Decency, and the Colledge much of its Re∣nown.

He was (saith Dr. Fuller) a general Artist, pure Latinist, exquisite Orator, and (which was his Master-Piece) eminent Poet; whose verses in the time of the Civil War begun to be in great request, both for their Wit and Zeal to the King's Cause, for which indeed he appeared the first, if not only Champion in verse against the Presbyteri∣an party. His Epistles were pregnant with Meta∣phors, carrying in them a difficult plainness, difficult at the hearing, plain at the considering thereof. His lofty Fancy may seem to stride from the top of one Mountain to the top of another, so mak∣ing to it self a constant Level and Champian of con∣tinued Elevations.

These his eminent parts preferr'd him to be Rhetorick Reader, which he performed with great Applause; and indeed, what was it in which he did not excel? This alone may suffice for his Honour, that after the Oration which he addres∣sed to that incomparable Prince of Blessed Memo∣ry, Charles the First; His Majesty called for him, gave him his hand to Kiss, and (with great expressi∣ons of kindness) commanded a Copy to be sent after him, whither he was hasting that night.

Such who have Clevelandiz'd, that is, endea∣voured to imitate his Masculine stile, yet could never go beyond his Poem of the Hermophrodite; which though inserted into Mr. Randolphs Poems (one of as high a tow'ring Wit as most in that age;) yet is well known to be Mr. Clevelands; it being not only made after Mr. Randolph's death, but hath in it the very vein and strain of Mr. Cleveland's Writing, walking from one height to another, in a constant Level of continued Eleva∣tion. And indeed so elaborate are all his other pieces of Poetry, as to praise one were to detract from the rest, and are not to be the less valued by the Reader, because most studyed by the Writer: Take but a taste of the Loftiness of his stile, in those verses of his called Smectymuus.

Smectymnttuus! the Goblin makes me start, I'th' name of Rabbi Abraham, what art? Syriack? or Arabick? or Welsh? what skilt? Up all the Brick-layers that Babel built. Some Conjurer translate, and let me know it; Till then 'tis fit for a West-Saxon Poet. But do the Brother-hood then play their prizes, Like Mummers in Religion with Disguizes? Out-brave us with a name in rank and file, A name which if't were train'd would spread a mile; The Saints Monopoly, the zealous Cluster, Which like a Porcupine presents a Muster.

Thus he shined with equal Light and Influence, until that great defection of Loyalty over-spread the Land, and Rebellion began to unvizaard it self; of which no Man had more sagacious Prognosticks,

of which take this one-instance; when Oliver Cromwell was in Election to be Burgess for the Town of Cambridge, as he ingaged all his Friends and Interests to oppose it; so when it was passed, he said with much passionate zeal, That single vote ruined both Church and Kingdom; such fatal events did he presage from his bloody Beak: For no sooner did that Harpey appear in the University, but he made good what was predicted of him, and he amongst others, that were outed for their Loyalty, was turned out of his Fellowship at St. Johns; out of which Loyal Colledge was then ejected Dr. Beal the Master, thirteen Batchellors of Divinity, and fourteen Masters of Art, besides Mr. Cleve∣land.

And now being forced from the Colledge, he betook himself to the Camp, and particularly to Oxford the Head quarter of it, as the most proper and proportionate Sphere for his Wit, Learning, and Loyalty; and added small Lustre to that famous University, with which it shined before.

Here he managed his Pen as the highest Pane∣gyrist (witness his Rupertismus, his Elegy on the Bishop of Canterbury, &c.) on the one side to draw out all good inclinations to vertue: and the smartist Satyrist, exemplifi'd in the Rebel Scot, the Scots Apostacy, which he presented with such a Satyrical Fury, that the whole Nation fares the worse for it, lying under a most grievous Poe∣tical Censure. Such also were his Poem of The mixt Assembly, his Character of a London Diurnal, and a Committee-Man; Blows that shakes triumph∣ing Rebellion, reaching the Souls of those not to be reached by Law or Power, striking each Tray∣tor to a Paleness, beyond that of any Loyal Corps,

that bled by them; such Characters being as in∣delible as Guilt stabs beyond Death.

From Oxford, his next stage was the Garrison of Newark, where he was Judge Advocate until the Surrender thereof; and by an excellent temperature of both, was a just and prudent Judge for the King, and a faithful Advocate for the Country. Here he drew up that excellent Answer and Rejoyn∣der to a Parliament Officer, who had sent him a Letter by occasion of one Hill, that had desert∣ed their side, and brought with him to Newark the sum of 133l. and 8d. I shall only give you part of Mr. Clevelands Answer to his first Letter, by which you may give an Estimate of the rest.

Sixthly, Beloved it is so, that our Brother and fel∣low-Labourer in the Gospel is Start aside; then this may serve for an use of instruction, not to trust in Man, or in the Son of Man. Did not Demas leave Paul, did not Onesimus run from his Master Phile∣mon? Also this should teach us to employ our Talents, and not to lay them up in a Napkin; had it been done among the Cavaliers, it had been just, then the Israe∣lite had spoiled the Aegyptian: but for Simeon to plunder Levi, that—that—&c.

This famous Garrison was maintained with much courage and resolution against the Besiegers, and not surrendred but by the King's special Com∣mand, when first he had surrendred himself into the hands of the Scots; in which action of that Royal Martyr, we may conclude our Cleveland Vates, both Poet and Prophet: For besides his passionate resentment of it in that excellent Poem, the Kings disguise; upon some private intelligence, three days before the King reached them, he fore∣saw the pieces of Silver paying upon the banks of

Tweed, and that they were the price of his Sove∣reigns Blood, and predicted the Tragical events.

Thenceforth he followed the fate of distressed Loyalty, subject to the Malice and Vengeance of every Fanatick Spirit, which seldom terminates but in a Goal, which befel this learned Person, being long imprisoned at Yarmouth; where living in a lingering Condition, and having small hopes of coming out, he composed an Address to that Idol at White-Hall, Oliver Cromwell, written with such Tow'ring Language, and so much gallant Rea∣son, as looked bigger than his Highness, shrinking before the Majesty of his Pen, as Felix trembled be∣fore Paul. So obtaining his Liberty, not by a servile Submission, but rather a constrained Violence, nei∣ther injuring his Conscience, nor betraying his Cause.

And so now with Daniel being delivered out of the Lyons Den, he was courted to several places, (which contended as emulously for his abode, as the seven Grecian Cities for Homers Birth;) at last he setled in Grays-Inn, which when he had enobled with some short time of his residence, an intermitting Fever seized him, whereof he dyed, on Thurs∣day Morning, April the 29. 1658. from whence his Body was brought to Hunsden-House, and on Saturday being May-day, was buried at Colledge-hill-Church; His dear Friend Dr. John Pearson (af∣terwards Lord Bishop of Chester) preached his Fu∣neral Sermon, who rendred this Reason; why he cautiously declined all commending of the Party deceased, Because such praising of him would not be adequate to any expectation in that Auditory; seeing some, who knew him not, would think it far above him, while those, who knew him

must needs know it far below him.

Many there were who sought to eternize their own Names by honouring his; some by Elegies, and other Devices, amongst the rest one made this Anagram upon his name.

JOHN CLEAVELAND.