About the same time Nap took it into his head to match with quality， and nothing would serve him but one of the Miss Germains.Lord Caesar swore like a trooper； but there was no help for it.Nap had twice put executions in his principal residence， and had refused to discharge the latter of the two till he had extorted a bond from his Lordship which compelled him to comply.
THE END OF THE FIRST PART....
第一章A CONVERSATION BETWEEN MR ABRAHAM COWLEY AND MR JOHN MILTON， TOUCHING THE GREAT CIVIL WAR.
SET DOWN BY A GENTLEMAN OF THE MIDDLE TEMPLE.
(August 1824.)
"Referre sermones Deorum et Magna modis tenuare parvis."--Horace.
I have thought it good to set down in writing a memorable debate， wherein I was a listener， and two men of pregnant parts and great reputation discoursers； hoping that my friends will not be displeased to have a record both of the strange times through which I have lived， and of the famous men with whom I have conversed.It chanced in the warm and beautiful spring of the year 1665， a little before the saddest summer that ever London saw， that I went to the Bowling Green at Piccadilly， whither， at that time， the best gentry made continual resorts.There I met Mr Cowley， who had lately left Barnelms.There was then a house preparing for him at Chertsey； and till it should be finished， he had come up for a short time to London， that he might urge a suit to his Grace of Buckingham touching certain lands of her Majesty's， whereof he requested a lease.I had the honour to be familiarly acquainted with that worthy gentleman and most excellent poet， whose death hath been deplored with as general a consent of all Powers that delight in the woods， or in verse， or in love， as was of old that of Daphnis or of Callus.
After some talk， which it is not material to set down at large， concerning his suit and his vexations at the court， where indeed his honesty did him more harm than his parts could do him good， Ientreated him to dine with me at my lodging in the Temple， which he most courteously promised.And， that so eminent a guest might not lack a better entertainment than cooks or vintners can provide， I sent to the house of Mr John Milton， in the Artillery Walk， to beg that he would also be my guest.For， though he had been secretary， first to the Council of State， and， after that， to the Protector， and Mr Cowley had held the same post under the Lord St Albans in his banishment， I hoped， notwithstanding that they would think themselves rather united by their common art than divided by their different factions.And so indeed it proved.For， while we sat at table， they talked freely of many men and things， as well ancient as modern， with much civility.
Nay， Mr Milton， who seldom tasted wine， both because of his singular temperance and because of his gout， did more than once pledge Mr Cowley， who was indeed no hermit in diet.At last， being heated， Mr Milton begged that I would open the windows.
"Nay，" said I， "if you desire fresh air and coolness， what should hinder us， as the evening is fair， from sailing for an hour on the river？" To this they both cheerfully consented； and forth we walked， Mr Cowley and I leading Mr Milton between us， to the Temple Stairs.There we took a boat； and thence we were rowed up the river.
