APHRA BEHN. BORN ABOUT 1640.-DIED 1689. Beauty may fade,—but everlasting verse The choicest object of this age's love. For when they read, guessing how far she charm'd, (J. COOPER.) Aphra Behn was born at Canterbury, in what year is uncertain. Her father's name was Johnson; he was a gentleman of good family, and patronised by Lord Willoughby, to whom he was related. This nobleman procured for him the appointment of Governor of Surinam, and the West India Islands, but he died on his passage; his family, however, among which was our poetess then very young, arrived in safety, settled at Surinam, and continued to reside there several years. During her residence at Surinam, she became acquainted with the history of the American prince, Oroonoko, of which on her return she availed herself in the composition of a tale which bears his name, and is one of the best of her literary productions; it had also the good fortune to attract the notice of Southern, the dramatic writer, and constitutes the foundation of the most pathetic tragedy in the English language. Aphra Johnson returned to England in the prime of life and beauty, and soon afterwards married Mr. Behn, a London merchant of Dutch extraction. What time she continued a wife is uncertain, probably not long; her marriage, however, gave her an opportunity of appearing with advantage at the gay court of Charles the Second, where she soon became an object of attraction, having all the personal and mental qualifications requisite to make a figure on such a theatre. It was the custom of that age, a custom which with characteristic propriety had its origin in France, to employ accomplished women for the purposes of political intrigue and information, and Mrs. Behn, then probably a widow, was chosen as a fit agent to reside in Flanders during the war with Holland. She selected Antwerp for the place of her residence, where she seems to have led a life of gaiety and dissipation. By means of one of her suitors, of the name of Vander Albert, she obtained a knowledge of the design formed by the Dutch to surprise London in 1667, and communicated the information in due course to the government by which she was employed. But she obtained no credit from her employers; the attempt was made, and as is well known with partial success. Disgusted with this want of confidence in her veracity, Mrs. Behn threw up her employment as a state-agent, and continued some time longer at Antwerp as a private individual. Her adventures during this period are related at some length in the narrative of her life, and are sufficiently amusing, but too long for insertion in this place. She returned to London under an engagement of marriage with Vander Albert, which was prevented by his death. From this time, the remainder of her life was devoted to pleasure and the muse. She assumed or obtained the poetic name of Astrea, wrote plays, novels, and poems, and lived on familiar terms with Dryden, Southern, Congreve, Creech, and all the wits and gallants of the age. Mrs. Aphra Behn died after a long illness, April the 16th, 1689, and was buried in the cloister of Westminster Abbey, where the following inscription is devoted to her memory :— Here lies a proof that wit can never be Great poetess,-Oh! thy stupendous lays, Mrs. Aphra Behn was in her person a handsome brunette. Of her private character the following account is given by one of her own sex, who published a narrative of her life, prefixed to one of the editions of her novels:-"She was of a generous humane disposition, something passionate, very serviceable to her friends in all that was in her power, and could sooner forgive an injury than do one: she had wit, humour, good nature, and judgment: she was mistress of all the pleasing arts of conversation: she was a woman of sense, and consequently a lover of pleasure. For my own part I knew her intimately, and never saw ought unbecoming the just modesty of our sex; though more gay and free than the folly of the precise will allow." We may be excused from entering largely into the character of this lady's literary productions, the greater 'part of which are forgotten, and the memory of them should not be revived. The monstrous depravity of the age of Charles the Second was never more lamentably exhibited than in the conduct of this female author. Talents which might have adorned her sex and country, have become a scandal to the one and a disgrace to the other, from the prevalence of corrupt manners, and the influence of vicious example. She was a voluptuary: a true disciple of Epicurus, of whose opinions perhaps she knew nothing; the deity she worshipped was the Eneadum genetrix, hominum divumque voluptas One master passion pervaded her whole soul, under the influence of which she exclaims, Eternal powers! if e'er I sing of love, To please my wandering ghost when I am dead, Praise from the wise and brave I'll not implore, Of such "perilous stuff" however, are genuine poets made; happy for them when the firm hand of judgment restrains the too rapid course of enthusiasm; when sound discretion regulates the flights of imagination; and a fit sense of decorum and propriety affixes bounds to the expression of ardent feeling. Poor Astrea had the true poetic temperament, she wanted all the rest. She was born an age too soon; had she lived in the present time she would have been a star of the first magnitude in the muse's galaxy. THE GOLDEN AGE. . Blest age!-when every purling stream Ran undisturbed and clear, When no scorn'd shepherds on their banks were seen, And those a bed where all below might rest. As if the willing branches strove To beautify and shade the grove, Where the young wanton gods of love II. Calm was the air, no winds blew fierce and loud, But what the streams and rivers purl'd, When silver waves o'er shining pebbles curl'd; Or when young zephyrs fann'd the gentle breeze, Gathering fresh sweets from balmy flowers and trees, Then bore them on their wings to perfume all the air: While to their soft and tender play, |