depression of his nose; this exposed him to the pleasant raillery of
cotemporary wits, which very little affected him, and to shew that he
was undisturbed by their merriment, he wrote a burlesque copy of
verses upon himself. This accident happened pretty early in his life,
since it gave occasion to the following stanzas in Sir John Suckling's
Sessions of the Poets, which we have transcribed from a correct copy
of Suckling's works.

Will Davenant ashamed of a foolish mischance,
That he had got lately travelling in France,
Modestly hop'd the handsomness of his muse,
Might any deformity about him excuse.

Surely the company had been content,
If they cou'd have found any precedent,
But in all their records in verse, or prose,
There was none of a laureat, who wanted a nose.

Suckling here differs from the Oxford historian, in saying that Sir
William's disorder was contracted in France, but as Wood is the
highest authority, it is more reasonable to embrace his observation,
and probably, Suckling only mentioned France, in order that it might
rhime with mischance.

Some time after this, Davenant was rallied by another hand, on account
of this accident, as if it had been a jest that could never die; but
what is more extraordinary, is, that Sir William himself could not
forget the authoress of this misfortune, but has introduced her in his
Gondibert, and, in the opinion of some critics, very improperly. He
brings two friends, Ulfinore the elder, and Goltho the younger, on a