That he asked anything else is not known; it is certain that he
obtained nothing, though he continued obsequious to the court
through the rest of Charles's reign.

At the accession of King James (in 1685) he was chosen for
Parliament, being then fourscore, at Saltash, in Cornwall; and wrote
a Presage of the Downfall of the Turkish Empire, which he presented
to the king on his birthday. It is remarked, by his commentator
Fenton, that in reading Tasso he had early imbibed a veneration for
the heroes of the Holy War, and a zealous enmity to the Turks, which
never left him. James, however, having soon after begun what he
thought a holy war at home, made haste to put all molestation of the
Turks out of his power.

James treated him with kindness and familiarity, of which instances
are given by the writer of his life. One day, taking him into the
closet, the king asked him how he liked one of the pictures: "My
eyes," said Waller, "are dim, and I do not know it." The king said
it was the Princess of Orange. "She is," said Waller, "like the
greatest woman in the world." The king asked who was that; and was
answered, Queen Elizabeth. "I wonder," said the king, "you should
think so; but I must confess she had a wise council." "And, Sir,"
said Waller, "did you ever know a fool choose a wise one?" Such is
the story, which I once heard of some other man. Pointed axioms,
and acute replies, fly loose about the world, and are assigned
successively to those whom it may be the fashion to celebrate.

When the king knew that he was about to marry his daughter to Dr.
Birch, a clergyman, he ordered a French gentleman to tell him that