Select Works of Mr. A. Cowley. In Two Volumes. With a Preface and Notes by the Editor R. Hurd. Volume 2

After a stay in France, decoding ciphered messages for the queen while Charles I was imprisoned, Abraham Cowley returned to England to spy for the Royalists, where he was nearly arrested several times. Although not a doctor, he managed to acquire an M.D. for cover, and practiced medicine while spying. He eventually returned to France to stay until the Restoration of the monarchy, although his stay in England had now caused jealousy among the Royalists. Cowley's personal life is marked with political intrigue, yet his poetry, though well respected during his lifetime, is now regarded as stiff and affected.