XIII.]

ABRAHAM COWLEY.

277

eminent representative of the famous street was Michael Drayton, the poet, who, it is recorded, lived at "the baye windowe house" next the east end of St. Dunstan's Church. His monument, with the line epitaph written by Ben Jonson, is in Westminster Abbey. There, also, we see the monument

to another of the famous inhabitants and representatives of the Highway of Letters-the gentle, loyal, and accomplished Abraham Cowley, who was born in Fleet Street, where his father was in business, Aubrey says as a grocer; but as Aubrey was often inaccurate, and other records make the elder Cowley a stationer, this is uncertain. At any rate, Abraham Cowley is one of the poets an acquaintance with whose poetical works is supposed to be necessary for a claimant of a knowledge of English literature, though he is not often read for recreation. Dr. Johnson

placed him among the chief "metaphysical poets," and appreciated his learning-for he took a doctor's degree, studied science, and especially botany, as a suitable accompaniment to poetry, and at an early age wrote some plays, one of which, The Guardian, was, later, converted into a comedy called Cutter of Coleman Street. He was treated with the gross ingratitude usually shown by "the Merry Monarch" to people who had done signal service to the cause of the Stuarts. Cowley had been distinguished for loyalty, which, in the time of the Commonwealth, had exposed him to difficulties, if not to serious injury. Before the death of Oliver Cromwell he had removed to a small farm at Chertsey, of which he had been permitted to become the purchaser. He lived till 1667 without the reward for his services which he had reason to expect, but he had made a great and deserved reputation by the ability and variety of his published works. Even the mastership of the Savoy, for which he had made application, was refused him.

FROM A FOLIO OF BEN JONSON'S WORKS (1641).

RICHARDSON READING FROM THE MS. OF SIR CHARLES GRANDISON." (From a Sketch made at the time by one of the Party.)

CHAPTER XIV.

Increased Number of Coaches-Taylor, the Water Poet-TobaccoThe "Counterblast "-Shoe Lane-Bangor House-Izaak Walton -General Monk in Fleet Street-John Florio-Decreetz-Lovelace-His Grave in St. Bride's-Pepys at the Cockpit-Hogarth in Harp Lane-Oldbourne Hall-Bishop Dolben-St. Andrew's Workhouse-Chatterton-An Obliterated Graveyard-St. Bride's Church-Richardson-Stationers' Hall-Portraits-Steele-The Company's Plate-The School-Milton in Fleet Street-Lilburne-Prynne-Andrew Marvell-Oliver Cromwell-Fetter

Lane.

ONE of the principal changes in the aspect of the Highway of Letters in the time of James I. was caused by the rapid increase in the number of coaches, starting from the " Belle Sauvage," the "Black Lion," and other famous inn-yards in the vicinity. In vain did Taylor, "the water poet," deplore the injury done to the numerous pliers of the oar

upon the Thames; and though James ordered the revival of the Lord Mayor's shows, which had, for some years previously, been discontinued, they

were not made occasions for river pageants, but were processions from Guildhall to Westminster, through Chepe, Fleet Street, and the Strand.

In 1608, so great was the influx of native and foreign visitors, that storehouses were erected at Bridewell, in expectation of a dearth of provisions.

Perhaps the dread of the plague may account for

XIV.]

IZAAK WALTON.

281

the enormous number of tobacco-shops, of which it was said there were seven thousand in 1614-15, in spite of the King's "Counterblast"!

In Fleet Street and some of its tributaries there were still many dwellings of importance, and some of them were regarded as desirable, and even fashion

able, residences at a much later date-among them Bangor House, in Shoe Lane, named after the house. of the Bishops of Bangor, the last of the episcopal residents being Bishop Dolben, who had been Rector of Hackney, and died in 1633. Many of the houses had gardens, and were pleasant places enough, when there was no plague in the vicinity. There was very good fishing in the Thames, too, as Izaak Walton well knew, and afterwards recorded, when, in the intervals of his country excursions, he went angling from a wherry