Biography of Abraham Cowley 1618-1667
In 1618 Abraham Cowley was born to Father Cowley.
Pepy's Diary. 16 Dec 1661. And so back again to Westminster Hall [Map], and thence to my Lord Sandwich's (age 36) lodging, where I met my wife (who had been to see Mrs. Hunt who was brought to bed the other day of a boy), and got a joint of meat thither from the Cook's, and she and I and Sarah dined together, and after dinner to the Opera, where there was a new play ("Cutter of Coleman Street")1, made in the year 1658, with reflections much upon the late times; and it being the first time, the pay was doubled, and so to save money, my wife and I went up into the gallery, and there sat and saw very well; and a very good play it is. It seems of Cowly's (age 43) making. From thence by coach home, and to bed.
Note 1. Cutter, an old word for a rough swaggerer: hence the title of Cowley's (age 43) play. It was originally called "The Guardian", when acted before Prince Charles at Trinity College, Cambridge, on March 12th, 1641.
Evelyn's Diary. 14 May 1663. Dined with my Lord Mordaunt (age 36), and thence went to Barnes, to visit my excellent and ingenious friend, Abraham Cowley (age 45).
Pepy's Diary. 02 Sep 1663. He being gone, I to my office, where late, putting things in order, and so home to supper and to bed. Going through the City, my Lord Mayor (age 48) told me how the piller set up by Exeter House [Map] is only to show where the pipes of water run to the City; and observed that this City is as well watered as any city in the world, and that the bringing the water to the City hath cost it first and last above £300,000; but by the new building, and the building of St. James's by my Lord St. Albans (age 58)1, which is now about (and which the City stomach I perceive highly, but dare not oppose it), were it now to be done, it would not be done for a million of money.
Note 1. It was at this time that the Earl of St. Albans (age 58) planned St. James's Square, which was first styled "The Piazza". The "Warrant for a grant to Baptist May and Abraham Cowley (age 45) on nomination of the Earl of St. Albans of several parcels of ground in Pall Mall [Map] described, on rental of £80, for building thereon a square of 13 or 14 great and good houses", was dated September 24th, 1664.
Pepy's Diary. 18 Nov 1663. After dinner came Sir W. Batten (age 62), and I left him to pay off another ship, and I walked home again reading of a little book of new poems of Cowley's (age 45), given me by his brother. Abraham do lie, it seems, very sicke, still, but like to recover.
Evelyn's Diary. 02 Jan 1664. To Barn Elms, to see Abraham Cowley (age 46) after his sickness; and returned that evening to London.
Pepy's Diary. 09 Aug 1665. At noon T. Hater dined with me, and so at it all the afternoon. At night home and supped, and after reading a little in Cowley's (age 47) poems, my head being disturbed with overmuch business to-day, I to bed.
Pepy's Diary. 08 Dec 1666. Mr. Pierce did also tell me as a great truth, as being told it by Mr. Cowly (age 48), who was by, and heard it, that Tom Killigrew (age 54) should publiquely tell the King (age 36) that his matters were coming into a very ill state; but that yet there was a way to help all, which is, says he, "There is a good, honest, able man, that I could name, that if your Majesty would employ, and command to see all things well executed, all things would soon be mended; and this is one Charles Stuart (age 36), who now spends his time in employing his lips [Note. Another version includes 'and his prick'] .... about the Court, and hath no other employment; but if you would give him this employment, he were the fittest man in the world to perform it". This, he says, is most true; but the King (age 36) do not profit by any of this, but lays all aside, and remembers nothing, but to his pleasures again; which is a sorrowful consideration.
Around 1667 Peter Lely (age 48). Portrait of Abraham Cowley (age 49).
On 28 Jul 1667 Abraham Cowley (age 49) died in Porch House. He was buried in Westminster Abbey [Map] where John Sheffield 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby (age 19) subsequently commissioned a monument.
Evelyn's Diary. 01 Aug 1667. I received the sad news of Abraham Cowley's (deceased) death, that incomparable poet and virtuous man, my very dear friend, and was greatly deplored.
Evelyn's Diary. 03 Aug 1667. Went to Mr. Cowley's (deceased) funeral, whose corpse lay at Wallingford House, and was thence conveyed to Westminster Abbey [Map] in a hearse with six horses and all funeral decency, near a hundred coaches of noblemen and persons of quality following; among these, all the wits of the town, divers bishops and clergymen. He was interred next Geoffry Chaucer, and near Spenser. A goodly. Monument is since erected to his memory.
Pepy's Diary. 10 Aug 1667. After dinner I to the office, and there wrote as long as my eyes would give me leave, and then abroad and to the New Exchange, to the bookseller's there, where I hear of several new books coming out-Mr. Spratt's History of the Royal Society, and Mrs. Phillips's' poems. Sir John Denham's (age 52) poems are going to be all printed together; and, among others, some new things; and among them he showed me a copy of verses of his upon Sir John Minnes's (age 68) going heretofore to Bullogne to eat a pig1. Cowley (deceased), he tells me, is dead; who, it seems, was a mighty civil, serious man; which I did not know before. Several good plays are likely to be abroad soon, as Mustapha and Henry the 5th. Here having staid and divertised myself a good while, I home again and to finish my letters by the post, and so home, and betimes to bed with my wife because of rising betimes to-morrow.
Note 1. The collected edition of Denham's (age 52) poems is dated 1668. The verses referred to are inscribed "To Sir John Mennis being invited from Calice to Bologne to eat a pig", and two of the lines run "Little Admiral John To Bologne is gone"..
Pepy's Diary. 12 Aug 1667. So having done there I to Westminster Hall [Map] to Burges, and then walked to the New Exchange, and there to my bookseller's, and did buy Scott's Discourse of Witches; and do hear Mr. Cowley (deceased) mightily lamented his death, by Dr. Ward, the Bishop of Winchester, and Dr. Bates, who were standing there, as the best poet of our nation, and as good a man.
Pepy's Diary. 21 May 1668. Up, and busy to send some things into the country, and then to the Office, where meets me Sir Richard Ford (age 54), who among other things congratulates me, as one or two did yesterday, [on] my great purchase; and he advises me rather to forbear, if it be not done, as a thing that the world will envy me in: and what is it but my cozen Tom Pepys's buying of Martin Abbey, in Surry! which is a mistake I am sorry for, and yet do fear that it may spread in the world to my prejudice. All the morning at the office, and at noon my clerks dined with me, and there do hear from them how all the town is full of the talk of a meteor, or some fire, that did on Saturday last fly over the City at night, which do put me in mind that, being then walking in the dark an hour or more myself in the garden, after I had done writing, I did see a light before me come from behind me, which made me turn back my head; and I did see a sudden fire or light running in the sky, as it were towards Cheapside ward, and it vanished very quick, which did make me bethink myself what holyday it was, and took it for some rocket, though it was much brighter than any rocket, and so thought no more of it, but it seems Mr. Hater and Gibson going home that night did meet with many clusters of people talking of it, and many people of the towns about the city did see it, and the world do make much discourse of it, their apprehensions being mighty full of the rest of the City to be burned, and the Papists to cut our throats. Which God prevent! Thence after dinner I by coach to the Temple [Map], and there bought a new book of songs set to musique by one Smith of Oxford, some songs of Mr. Cowley's, and so to Westminster, and there to walk a little in the Hall, and so to Mrs. Martin's, and there did hazer cet que je voudrai mit her, and drank and sat most of the afternoon with her and her sister, and here she promises me her fine starling, which was the King's, and speaks finely, which I shall be glad of, and so walked to the Temple [Map], meeting in the street with my cozen Alcocke, the young man, that is a good sober youth, I have not seen these four or five years, newly come to town to look for employment: but I cannot serve him, though I think he deserves well, and so I took coach and home to my business, and in the evening took Mrs. Turner (age 45) and Mercer out to Mile End [Map] and drank, and then home, and sang; and eat a dish of greene pease, the first I have seen this year, given me by Mr. Gibson, extraordinary young and pretty, and so saw them at home, and so home to bed. Sir W. Pen (age 47) continues ill of the gout.
Evelyn's Diary. 23 Sep 1680. Came to my house some German strangers and Signor Pietro, a famous musician, who had been long in Sweden in Queen Christina's (age 53) Court; he sung admirably to a guitar, and had a perfect good tenor and bass, and had set to Italian composure many of Abraham Cowley's pieces which showed extremely well. He told me that in Sweden the heat in some part of summer was as excessive as the cold in winter; so cold, he affirmed, that the streets of all the towns are desolate, no creatures stirring in them for many months, all the inhabitants retiring to their stoves. He spoke high things of that romantic Queen's learning and skill in languages, the Majesty (age 50) of her behavior, her exceeding wit, and that the histories she had read of other countries, especially of Italy and Rome, had made her despise her own. That the real occasion of her resigning her crown was the nobleman's importuning her to marry, and the promise which the Pope had made her of procuring her to be Queen of Naples, which also caused her to change her religion; but she was cheated by his crafty Holiness,43 working on her ambition; that the reason of her killing her secretary at Fontainebleau, was, his revealing that intrigue with the Pope. But, after all this, I rather believe it was her mad prodigality and extreme vanity, which had consumed those vast treasures the great Adolphus, her father, had brought out of Germany during his [campaigns] there and wonderful successes; and that, if she had not voluntarily resigned, as foreseeing the event, the Estates of her kingdom would have compelled her to do so.
