e care of his education fell to his mother,
who sent him to Eton School, according to the author of his life, but
Mr. Wood says, 'that he was mostly educated in grammaticals under one
Dobson, minister of Great Wycombe in Bucks, who had been educated in
Eton school,' without mentioning that Mr. Waller had been at all at
Eton school: after he had acquired grammar learning, he was removed to
King's college in Cambridge, and it is manifest that he must have been
extremely assiduous in his studies, since he acquired so fine a taste
of the ancients, in so short a time, for at sixteen or seventeen years
of age, he was chosen into the last Parliament of King James I. and
served as Burgess for Agmondesham.

In the year 1623, when Prince Charles nearly escaped being cast away
in the road of St. Andre, coming from Spain, Mr. Waller wrote a Poem
on that occasion, at an age when, generally speaking, persons of the
acutest parts just begin to shew themselves, and at a time when the
English poetry had scarce any grace in it. In the year 1628 he
addressed a Poem to his Majesty, on his hearing the news of the duke
of Buckingham's death, which, with the former, procured him general
admiration: harmony of numbers being at that time so great a novelty,
and Mr. Waller having, at once, so polished and refined versification,
it is no wonder that he enjoyed the felicity of an universal applause.
These poems recommended him to court-favour, and rendered him dear to
persons of the best taste and distinction that then flourished. A
Writer of his life observes, as a proof of his being much caressed by
people of the first reputation, that he was one of the famous club, of
which the great lord Falkland, Sir Francis Wainman, Mr. Chillingworth,
Mr. Godolphin, and other eminent men were members. These were the
immortals of that age, and to be associated with them, is one of the
highest encomiums which can possibly be bestowed, and exceeds the most
laboured strain of a panegyrist.

A circumstance related of this club, is pretty remarkable: One
evening, when they were convened, a great noise was heard in the
street, which not a little alarmed them, and upon enquiring the cause,
they were told, that a son of Ben Johnson's was arrested. This club
was too generous to suffer the child of one, who was the genuine son
of Apollo, to be carried to a Jail, perhaps for a trifle: they sent
for him, but in place of being Ben Johnson's son, he proved to be Mr.
Geor