Cowleys Essays | Page 5

he
proceeded to his M.A. in due course. In March, 1641, when Prince
Charles visited Cambridge, a comedy called "The Guardian," hastily
written by Cowley, was acted at Trinity College for the Prince's
entertainment. Cowley is said also to have written during three years at
Cambridge the greater part of his heroic poem on the history of David,
the "Davideis." One of the occasional poems written at this time by
Cowley was on the early and sudden death of his most intimate friend

at the University, William Hervey, to whom he was dearer than all but
his brothers and sisters, and, says Cowley:
"Even in that we did agree, For much above myself I loved them too."
Hervey and Cowley had walked daily together, and had spent nights in
joint study of philosophy and poetry. Hervey "had all the light of youth,
of the fire none."
"With as much zeal, devotion, piety, He always lived as other saints do
die. Still with his soul severe account he kept, Weeping all debts out
ere he slept; Then down in peace and innocence he lay, Like the sun's
laborious light, Which still in water sets at night, Unsullied with the
journey of the day."
Cowley's friendship with this family affected the course of his life. He
received many kindnesses from his friend's brother John Hervey,
including introduction to Henry Jermyn, one of the most trusted friends
of Queen Henrietta Maria, the friend who was created by her wish
Baron Jermyn of St. Edmondsbury, who was addressed by Charles I. as
"Harry," and was created by Charles II., in April, 1660, Earl of St.
Albans. He was described in Queen Henrietta's time by a political
scandal-monger, as "something too ugly for a lady's favourite, yet that
is nothing to some." In 1643 Cowley was driven from Cambridge, and
went to St. John's College, Oxford. To Oxford at the end of that year
the king summoned a Parliament, which met on the 22nd of January,
1644. This brought to Oxford many peers and Royalists, who deserted
the Parliament at Westminster for the king's Parliament at Oxford. It
continued to sit until the 16th of April, by which time the king had
found even his own Parliament to be in many respects too independent.
In 1644 the queen, about to become a mother, withdrew to Exeter from
Oxford, against which an army was advancing; and the parting at
Oxford proved to be the last between her and her husband. A daughter
was born at Exeter on the 16th of June. Within two weeks afterwards
the advance of an army towards Exeter caused the queen to rise from
her bed in a dangerous state of health, and, leaving her child in good
keeping, escape to Plymouth, where she reached Pendennis Castle on
the 29th of June. On the 2nd of July the king's forces were defeated at
Marston Moor. On the 14th of July the queen escaped from Falmouth
to Brest. After some rest at the baths of Bourbon, she went on to Paris,
where she was lodged in the Louvre, and well cared for. Jermyn was

still her treasurer, her minister, and the friend for whose counsel she
cared most.
It was into the service of this Lord Jermyn that Cowley had been
introduced through his friendship with the Herveys. He went to Paris as
Lord Jermyn's secretary, had charge of the queen's political
correspondence, ciphered and deciphered letters between Queen
Henrietta and King Charles, and was thus employed so actively under
Lord Jermyn that his work filled all his days, and many of his nights.
He was sent also on journeys to Jersey, Scotland, Flanders, Holland, or
wherever else the king's troubles required his attendance. In 1647
Cowley published his volume of forty-four love poems, called "The
Mistress." He was himself no gallant, neither paid court to ladies, nor
married. His love poetry was hypothetical; and of his life at this time he
says: "Though I was in a crowd of as good company as could be found
anywhere; though I was in business of great and honourable trust;
though I ate at the best table, and enjoyed the best convenience for
present subsistence that ought to be desired by a man of my condition
in banishment and public distresses, yet I could not abstain from
renewing my old schoolboy's wish in a copy of verses to the same
effect:-
"'Well, then, I now do plainly see This busy world and I shall ne'er
agree,' &c.,
and I never then proposed to myself any other advantage from his
Majesty's happy restoration, but the getting into some moderately
convenient retreat in the country, which I thought, in that case, I might
easily have compassed, as well as some others who, with no greater
probabilities or pretences, have