Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/75

 DENHAM. 7* made one of the barons of the exchequer in England, and received his education in London. In 1631, he was entered a gentleman commoner of Trinity College, Oxford, being then sixteen years of age; when, as Wood expresses i t , “being looked upon a s a slow and dreaming young man b y his seniors and cotemporaries, and given more t o cards and dice than his study, they could never then, i n the least imagine, that h e could ever enrich the world with his fancy, o r issue o f his brain, a s h e after wards did.” He pursued his studies for three years a t the university; and having undergone a public examina tion for his degree o f bachelor o f arts, h e entered himself a t Lincoln's Inn, with a view o f studying the law. But notwithstanding his application t o the object o f his pursuit, h e did not lose his propensity t o cards and dice, and con sequently became the dupe o f the harpies that infest gaming tables. His father being informed o f this, severely reproved him for his folly, and threatened t o disinherit him i f h e did not reform. On this declaration h e pro fessed himself reclaimed, and, t o testify the sincerity o f his repentance, h e wrote and published “An Essay upon Gaming,” which h e presented t o his father. But n o sooner did his father die, than vice re-assumed her empire i n his heart, and h e returned t o the gaming table loaded with several thousand pounds, which h e was speedily un encumbered of. I n 1641, h e presented t o the world his tragedy o f the “Sophy,” which was greatly admired, and amongst others, b y Waller, who took occasion t o say o f the author, that “he broke out like the Irish rebellion, threescore thou sand strong, when nobody was aware o r i n the least sus pected it.” Soon after h e was pricked high sheriff o f Surrey, and made governor o f Farnham castle for the king; but not being skilled i n military affairs, h e soon resigned h i s post, and went t o his majesty's court a t Oxford; when, i n 1643, h e published his most celebrated poem, “Cooper's Hill;” “a work,” says Dr. Johnson, that confers upon him the rank and dignity o f a n origi