philosopher, a temperate oeconomist, and a pious christian." As to
his genius as a poet, Dryden (than whom a higher authority cannot be
produced) speaking of Homer and Virgil, positively asserts, that our
author exceeded the latter, and stands in competition with the former.

His language, how unintelligible soever it may seem, is almost as
modern as any of his cotemporaries, or of those who followed him at
the distance of 50 or 60 years, as Harding, Skelton and others, and
in some places it is so smooth and beautiful, that Dryden would not
attempt to alter it; I shall now give some account of his works in
the order in which they were written, so far as can be collected from
them, and subjoin a specimen of his poetry, of which profession as he
may justly be called the Morning Star, so as we descend into later
times; we may see the progress of poetry in England from its great
original, Chaucer, to its full blaze, and perfect consummation in
Dryden.

Mr. Philips supposes a greater part of his works to be lost, than what
we have extant of him; of that number may be many a song, and many a
lecherous lay, which perhaps might have been written by him while he
was a student at Cambridge.

The Court of Love, as has been before observed, was written while he
resided at Cambridge in the 18th year of his age.

The Craft Lovers was written in the year of our Lord, 1348, and
probably the Remedy of Love was written about that time, or not long
after.

The Lamentation of Mary Magdalen taken from Origen, was written by him