Ben Jonson was still alive, and the young poets who flocked to him, as a
later age worshipped Dryden, were all "sealed of the tribe of Ben."
Randolph and Cartwright were his friends.
Under these early inspirations of youth, nature, learning, witty
companionship, Vaughan published his first verses--breathing a love of his
art and its pleasures of imagination, paying his tribute to his paternal
books in "Englishing," the "Tenth Satyre of Juvenal," and not forgetting,
of course, the lovely "Amoret." A young poet without a lady in his verse
is a solecism which nature abhors. All this, however, as his biographer
remarks, "though fine in the way of poetic speculation, would not do for
every-day practice." Of course not; and the young "swan" turned his wary
feet from the glittering stream to the solid land. The poet became a
physician. It was a noble art for such a spirit to practise, and not a
very rude progress from youthful poesy if he felt and thought aright.
There was a sterner change in store, however, and it came to him with the
monition, "Physician, heal thyself!" He was prostrated by severe bodily
disease, and thenceforth his spirit was bowed to the claims of the unseen
world.
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