The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland | Page 7

Hill, that had
deserted their side, and carried off with him to Newark, the sum of 133
l. and 8 d. We shall give part of Mr. Cleveland's answer to the officer's
first letter, by which an estimate may be formed of the rest.
SIXTHLY BELOVED!
"It is so, that our brother and fellow-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 Philemon? 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 Israelite had spoiled the Egyptian;
but for Simeón to plunder Levi, that--that, &c."
The garrison of Newark defended themselves with much courage and
resolution against the besiegers, and did not surrender but by the King's
special command, after he had thrown himself into the hands of the
Scots; which action of his Majesty's Cleveland passionately resented, in
his poem called, the King's Disguise: Upon some private intelligence,
three days before the King reached them, he foresaw, that the army
would be bribed to surrender him, in which he was not mistaken. As
soon as this event took place, Cleveland, who warmly adhered to the
regal party, was obliged to atone for his loyalty by languishing in a jail,
at Yarmouth, where he remained for some time under all the
disadvantages of poverty, and wretchedness: At last being quite spent
with the severity of his confinement, he addressed Oliver Cromwell in
a petition for liberty, in such pathetic and moving terms, that his heart
was melted with the prisoner's expostulation, and he ordered him to be
set at liberty. In this address, our author did not in the least violate his
loyalty, for he made no concessions to Oliver, but only a representation
of the hardships he suffered, without acknowledging his sovereignty,
tho' not without flattering his power. Having thus obtained his liberty,
he settled himself in Gray's-Inn, and as he owed his releasement to the
Protector, he thought it his duty to be passive, and not at least to act
against him: But Cleveland did not long enjoy his state of unenvied
ease, for he was seized with an intermitting fever, and died the 29th of
April, 1685.
[2]On the first of May he was buried, and his dear friend Dr. John
Pearson, afterwards lord bishop of Chester, preached his funeral
sermon, and gave this reason, why he declined commending the
deceased, "because such praising of him would not be adequate to the
expectation of the audience, seeing some who knew him must think it
far below him."--There were many who attempted to write elegies upon

him, and several performances of this kind, in Latin and English, are
prefixed to the edition of Cleveland's works, in verse and prose, printed
in 8vo, in 1677, with his effigies prefixed.
From the verses of his called Smectymnuus, we shall give the
following specimen, in which the reader will see he did not much excel
in numbers.
Smectymnuus! 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 brotherhood then
play their prizes? Like murmurs in religion with disguises? Out-brave
us with a name in rank and file, A name, which if 'twere trained would
spread a mile; The Saints monopoly, the zealous cluster, Which like a
porcupine presents a muster.
The following lines from the author's celebrated satire, entitled, the
Rebel-Scot, will yet more amply shew his turn for this species of
poetry.
"Nature herself doth Scotchmen beasts confess, Making their country
such a wilderness; A land that brings in question and suspence God's
omnipresence; but that CHARLES came thence; But that MONTROSE
and CRAWFORD'S loyal band Aton'd their sin, and christen'd half
their land.-- A land where one may pray with curst intent, O may they
never suffer banishment! Had Cain been Scot, God would have chang'd
his doom, Not forc'd him wander, but confin'd him home.--
"Lord! what a goodly thing is want of shirts! How a Scotch stomach
and no meat converts! They wanted food and rayment, so they took
Religion for their temptress and their cook.-- Hence then you proud
impostors get you gone, You Picts in gentry and devotion. You scandal
to the stock of verse, a race Able to bring the gibbet in disgrace.--
"The Indian that heaven did forswear, Because he heard some
Spaniards were there, Had he but known what Scots in Hell had been,
He would,