TO ALTHEA FROM PRISON.

This excellent fonnet, which possessed a high degree of fame among the old Cavaliers, was written by Colonel Richard Lovelace during his confinement in the gate-boufe Weftminster: to which he was committed by the house of Commons, in April 1642, for presenting a petition from the county of Kent, requefting them to restore the king to his rights, and to settle the government. See Wood's Athena, Vol. II. p. 228; where may be feen at large the affecting story of this elegant writer, who after having been diftinguished for every gallant and polite accomplishment, the pattern of his own fex, and the darling of the ladies, died in the lonveft wretchedness, › obfcurity, and want, in 1658.

This fong is printed from a fcarce volume of his poems intitled, " Lucafta, 1649. 12mo." collated with a copy in the editor's folio MS.

WHEN love with unconfined wings

Hovers within my gates,

And my divine Althea brings

To whisper at my grates;
When I lye tangled in her haire,
And fetter'd with her eye,

The birds that wanton in the aire,

Know no fuch libertye.

When flowing cups run fwiftly round
With no allaying Thames,

Our careleffe heads with rofes crown'd,

Our hearts with loyal flames;

When thirsty griefe in wine we steepe,

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When I shall voyce aloud how good

He is, how great should be,

Th' enlarged windes, that curle the flood,
Know no fuch libertìe.

Stone walls doe not a prison make,

Nor iron barres a cage,

Mindes, innocent, and quiet, take

That for an hermitage :

If I have freedom in my love,

And in my foule am free,

Angels alone, that foare above,

Enjoy fuch libertìe.

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Ver. 10. with woe-allaying themes. MS, Thames is bere used før

water in general,

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XI.

THE DOWNFALL OF CHARING-CROSS.

Charing-cross, as it flood before the civil wars, was one of those beautiful Gothic obelisks erected to conjugal affection by Edward I. who built fuch a one wherever the herfe of his beloved Eleanor refted in its way from Lincolnshire to Weftminster. But neither its ornamental fituation, the beauty of its ftructure, nor the noble defign of its erection (which did honour to humanity) could preferve it from the merciless zeal of the times: For in 1647 it was demolished by order of the House of Commons, as popifh and fuperftitious. This occafioned the following not-unhumorous farcafm, which has been often printed among the popular fonnets of those times.

The plot referred to in ver. 17, was that entered into by Mr. Waller the poet, and others, with a view to reduce the city and tower to the fervice of the king; for which, two of them, Nath. Tomkins and Rich. Chaloner, fuffered death July 5. 1643. Vid. Ath. Ox. II. 24.

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Ndone, undone the lawyers are,

They wander about the towne,

Nor can find the way to Westminster,

Now Charing-crofs is downe:

At the end of the Strand, they make a stand,

Swearing they are at a lofs,

And chaffing fay, that's not the way,

They must go by Charing-crofs.

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The parliament to vote it down
Conceived it very fitting,

For fear it fhould fall, and kill them all,
In the house, as they were fitting.
They were told god-wot, it had a plot,
Which made them fo hard-hearted,
To give command, it should not stand,
But be taken down and carted.

Men talk of plots, this might have been worfe

For any thing I know,

Than that Tomkins, and Chaloner

Were hang'd for long agoe.

Our parliament did that prevent,
And wifely them defended,
For plots they will discover ftill,

Before they were intended.

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The committee faid, that verily

To popery it was bent;

For ought I know, it might be fo,

For to church it never went.

What with excife, and fuch device,
The kingdom doth begin-

To think you'll leave them ne'er a cross,
Without doors nor within.

Methinks the common-council fhou'd
Of it have taken pity,

'Cause, good old crofs, it always flood

So firmly to the city. -

Since croffes you so much difdain,

Faith, if I were as you,

For fear the king should rule again,

I'd pull down Tiburn too.

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**Whitlocke fays, " May 3, 1643, Cheapfide cross and other croffes were voted down," &c. -But this Vote was not put in execution with regard to CHARING CROSS sill four years after, as appears from Lilly's Obfervations on the Life, &c. of K. Charles, viz. "Charing Cross, we "know, was pulled down, 1647, in June, July, and "Auguft. Part of the Stones were converted to pave before Whiteball. I have feen Knife-hafts made of Some of the stones, which, being well-polijked, looked "like marble.' Ed. 1715. p. 81. 12mo. See an Account of the pulling down Cheapfide Cross, in the Supplement to Gent. Mag. 1764.