Portunus was a fea god, to whom a temple was erected at the mouth of the Tyber. He is fometimes called Portumnus, fometimes Palæmon. Portunalia, or Portumnalia, otherwise Orum, was a feftival inftituted in honor of him. He is mentioned in the fifth book of the Æneid, v. 271.

Booth's forward valour, &c.

In 1659, Sir George Booth affembled a confiderable body of men for the king's fervice in Cheshire, and poffeffed himself of Chefter, Chick-caftle, and feveral other places, being joined by the Earl of Derby, Lord Kilmurray, Sir Thomas Middleton, Major-general Egerton, with other loyal gentlemen, who encountering with Lambert, general of the parliament's forces were entirely routed at Winnington-bridge, near Northwich in Cheshire, and most of the principal people made prifoners.

'Twas Monk, &c.

General George Monk had the command of the parliament's army in Scotland at the death of Cromwell, whose fon Richard he caused to be proclaimed Protector, in compliance with their order. He fhortly after marched with his forces towards London, where he managed matters fo well as to bring about the reftoration of the king, without the least bloodshed; for which good service he honored him with the order of the garter, created him Duke of Albemarle, &c. &c. on 'account of his being defcended on the mother's fide from Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Albemarle and Warwick.

In 1666 he was united with the Duke of York, in command of the fleet that was sent against the Dutch. A dropfy carried him out of the world on the 3d day of January, 1679, aged seventyone years. His air was majestic, his countenance grave; he was equal in his proceedings; folid, and intrepid in his conduct. He kept the army under strict discipline, and fet a noble example of virtue to his foldiers, being an enemy to drunkenness, blafphemy, and incontinence.

It funs the mint like gold, &c.

That great philofopher and chymift, the Hon. Robert Boyle made an artificial metal, which had all the properties of gold but its malleability. The gold of chymifts may very properly be said to fhun the mint, fince all their endeavors to make it have been ineffectual.

Wife leaches will not, &c.

Leach is used by Spenfer to fignify a phyfician, and the word was commonly taken in the same sense even when Dryden wrote this poem.

Nor could his acts too close a vizard, &c.

Monk concealed his intentions of forwarding the king's reftoration fo well, that till he had fixed it in a proper channel, scarcely any body knew his defign. Nay, "his conduct was fo myfterious "that one would be apt to think he had not yet determined in "what manner he should act. The partizans of the king took "it for granted, that he fecretly favored the royal cause; and 66 upon that fuppofition fent his own brother, who was a clergy"man and a loyalist, with proposals in favor of his sovereign; "but he declined treating on the subject, and behaved towards "his brother with impenetrable referve and feeming indif"ference."

Whence legion twice before was difpoffefs'd.

The long parliament fearing the ambition of Cromwell, attempted taking away his fupport by diffolving the army, refufing at the fame time to difperfe and call a new parliament as they had promised. This difpofition induced the Protector to haften to the house on the tenth of April, 1653, attended by three hundred foldiers, whom he posted at the door and in the lobby. Then entering with violent marks of indignation in his coun tenance, he told his friend St. John he was come to do that, which, to his great grief of foul, the lord had impofed upon him. After having fat fome time to hear the debates, the fpeaker being about to put the question, he fuddenly rofe up, and in the moft opprobrious terms reviled them for their ambition, tyranny, extortion, and robbery of the public; and indeed the complaints of the public juftified these accufations. After this torrent of general obloquy, he ftamped upon the floor, and the foldiers entered the house, then addreffing himself to the members, "Get you gone," faid he, " give place to honeft men; you are no longer a parliament; I tell you, you are no longer a parlia"ment, the Lord has done with you.", Sir Harry Vane rifing up to remonftrate against this outrage, Cromwell exclaimed, “Oh! Sir Harry Vane! Sir Harry Vane! the Lord deliver me "from Sir Harry Vane!" He took hold of Martin by the cloak, faying, "Thou art a whoremonger." Another he reproached as an adulterer; a third as a drunkard; and a fourth as an extor

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tioner.

"It is you," added he, "that have forced me upon this: I have fought the Lord night and day, that he would ra"ther flay me than put me upon this work." Pointing to the mace, he bade a foldier take away that bauble: he turned out all the members, ordered the door to be locked, and putting the key in his pocket, retired to his lodgings in Whitehall. Thus by one daring exploit, which he atchieved without bloodfhed or clamour, the new republic was abolished, and the whole power of three kingdoms, civil and military, united in his person.

The house was thus once difpoffeffed of legion, and about feven months before his death he diffolved his third parliament, with as much heat and indignation as he did the long one, on account of divisions fubfifting between the upper and lower houses, which boded him no good. He knew that many of the members had entered fecretly into measures for the king's restoration, and breeding disturbances in the nation: "And fince fuch," faid he," are your proceedings, I think it is high time to put "an end to your fitting: I therefore declare this parliament "diffolved, and God be the judge between you and me." Several of the members answered, “Amen.”

It was alfo thro Cromwell's art that his fecond parliament was diffolved, it bore the name of Praife-God Barebones, a praying leather-feller, who was one of the members.

While to excess on martyr's tomb, &c.

This paffage feems to allude to the extravagancies that are often committed by the vulgar Roman Catholics upon their pilgrimaging to the tombs of Saints, where, after having performed the stated devotions, they too often launch into the most blameable exceffes, as if they imagined they had now fully expiated their former offences, and were at liberty to begin a new reckoning.

And as devouter Turks, &c.

The Khoran having prohibited the ufe of wine, when a Turk has a mind to indulge himself with the juice of the grape, he warns his foul to retire to some safe corner of his body, where it may be fecured from the contamination, and consequently not liable to the punishment.

Which durft with horse's hoof, &c

Salmoneus afpiring at the power of a divinity, erected a bridge of brafs, over which the rattling of his chariot and horses caused

a found not unlike thunder. Jupiter ftruck him dead with lightEn. 6th. ning for his infolence.

Thus Sforza curs'd with a too fertile brain,

Loft by his viles the pow'r his wit did gain.

It

Lewis Sforza, a fubtle politician, and one of the most intriguing men in the world, was left guardian to his nephew John Galeas Sforza, heir of Milan, for whom he contracted a marriage with Isabella of Arragon, but falling in love with the bride the moment he faw her, endeavoured to procure her for himself. is faid, that he contrived a magical girdle for his nephew, to prevent him from confummating. His endeavors were ineffectual. John had two children, by his wife, a fon and a daughter, but died by the treachery of his uncle, who having administered him a flow poifon; caufed himfelf to be proclaimed Duke of Milan, and perfecuted the widow and her children with the fevereft fpirit of vengeance. In 1499 he was driven from his dukedom, which he had enjoyed only feven years, by Lewis the XIIth of France, into whofe hands being betrayed he was carried prifoner to France, where he died in confinement, A. D. 1508.

See Guiccardini, &c. &c.

Henceforth their fougue muft spend at leffer rate.

Fougue is a word fometimes ufed by those who venture upon gallicifins, for the mettle and fire of a horse.,

-They are like Helots, &c.

The Spartans to deter their youth from intemperance, exposed their flaves whom they called Helots, intoxicated with liquor, as public objects of derifion. They were called Helots from Helos, a Laconian town, which being taken by the Spartans, they made all the inhabitants prifoners of war, and reduced them to the condition of flaves.

4

Oh had you feen from Schevelin's, &c.

Schevelin is a village about a mile from the Hague, at which Charles II. embarked for England at his restoration.

The Nofeby now no longer, &c.

The battle of Nafeby, which was fought on the 14th of June, 1645, was the ruin of King Charles I. The fhip in which Charles II. returned from exile bore the fame name.

The Swiftfure groans beneath great Glofter's weight.

Henry of Oatlands, Duke of Glocefter, and third fon of King Charles the Martyr, landed at Dover with his brother in 1660, and died of the small-pox on the 13th of September following. He was a prince of an amiable character, and tenderly beloved by the king, who seemed more afflicted by his death, than by any other incident of his whole life.”

Thus when th' Almighty would to Mofes give, &c. > Deuteronomy, chap. xxxii. ver. 51, 52, 53.

And as old time his offspring, &c.

Days, months, and years, may justly be called the children of Time, which he daily produces, and as conftantly devours.

And France that did an exile's, &c.

We have already mentioned the king's having been obliged to quit France, on account of the treaties entered into between Cromwell and that crown.

To his Sacred Majefty. A Panegyric on his Coronation.

HARLES II. was in the thirtieth

of his age, when

Che took poffeffion of the throne. He had taken pains in

cultivating his understanding; he understood mechanics and fhipbuilding, was well acquainted with the history and politics of the most remarkable ftates in Europe; he poffeffed a natural fund of humor and vivacity, together with the most infinuating address, and the power of pleasing in conversation: he was a latitudinarian in religion, careless, indolent, and extremely addicted to pleasure. The people, partly in imitation of the king's jovial difpofition, and partly from the nature of the human mind, fo apt to be hurried from one extreme to another, gave a loose to intemperance, and the whole kingdom was filled with riot and excess.

As heaven of old, &c.

Exodus, chap. xvi. ver. 14.

Your pleasures are defign'd to noble ends.

The king often diverted himself on the water, was very fond of naval affairs, of overlooking the conftruction of his own veffels, and made excellent models of ships.