COWLEY'S HOUSE, AT CHERTSEY.


Cowley retired to these premises at Chertsey, in Surrey, a few years
before his death, which took place here in 1667, in his 49th year. The
premises are called the Porch House, and were for many years occupied by
the late Richard Clark, Esq., Chamberlain of London, who died a short
time since. Mr. Clark, in honour of the Poet, took much pains to preserve
the premises in their original state, kept an original portrait of Cowley,
and had affixed a tablet in front, containing Cowley's Latin Epitaph on
himself. In the year 1793, it was supposed that the ruinous state of the
house rendered it impossible to support the building, but it was found
practicable to preserve the greater part of it, to which some rooms have
been added. Mr. Clark also placed a tablet in front of the building where
the porch stood, with the following inscription:--"The _Porch_ of
this House, which projected ten feet into the highway, was, in the year
1792, removed for the safety and accommodation of the public.

"Here the last accents flowed from Cowley's tongue."


We received the substance of this information from the venerable Mr.
Clark himself, in the year 1822, about which time there appeared, in
the _Monthly Magazine_, a view of the original premises, from a
drawing by the late Mr. Samuel Ireland. The above view was taken by
a Correspondent, in the summer of 1828, and represents the original