next Morning vig'rous for the Fight Fresh as the Day and active as the Light No Maid that ever under me took pay From my Embrace went unoblig'd away Bless'd he who in Loves service yields his Breath Grant me ye Gods so sweet to wish'd a Death In bloudy Fields let Souldiers meet their Fate To purchase dear bought Honour at the rate Let greedy Merchants trust the faithless Main And shipwrack Life and Soul for sordid gain Dying let me expire in gasps of Lust And in a gush of Joy give up the Ghost And some kind pitying Friend shall say of me So did he live and so deserv'd to die A FRAGMENT of PETRONIUS PARAPHRAS'D Foeda est in coitu brevis voluptas c. I Hate Fruition now 't is past 'T is all but nastiness at best The homeliest thing that man can do Besides 't is short and fleeting too A squirt of slippery Delight That with a moment takes its flight A fulsom Bliss that soon does cloy And makes us loath what we enjoy Then let us not too eager run By Passion blindly hurried on Like Beasts who nothing better know Than what meer Lust 〈◊〉 them to For when in Flouds of Love we 're dronch'd The Flames are by enjoyment quench'd But thus let 's thus together lie And kiss out long Eternity Here we dread no conscious Spies No blushes stain our guiltless Joys Here no Faintness dulls Desires And Pleasure never flags nor tires This has pleas'd and pleases now And for Ages will do so Enjoyment here is never done But fresh and always but begun AN ODE OF ANACREON PARAPHRAS'D The CUP 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. MAke me a Bowl a mighty Bowl Large as my capacious Soul Vast as my thirst is let it have Depth enough to be my Grave I mean the Grave of all my Care For I intend to bury't there Let it of Silver fashion'd be Worthy of Wine worthy of me Worthy to adorn the Spheres As that bright Cup amongst the Stars That Cup which Heaven deign'd a place Next the Sun its greatest Grace Kind Cup that to the Stars did go To light poor Drunkards her below Let mine be so and give me light That I may drink and revel by 't Yet draw no shapes of Armour there No Cask nor Shield nor Sword nor Spear Nor Wars of Thebes nor Wars of Troy Nor any other martial Toy For what do I vain Armour prize Who mind not such rough Exercise But gentler Sieges softer Wars Fights that cause no Wounds or Scars I 'll have no Battels on my Plate Lest sight of them should Brawls create Lest that provoke to Quarrels too Which Wine it self enough can do Draw me no Constellations there No Ram nor Bull nor Dog nor Bear Nor any of that monstrous fry Of Animals which stock the sky For what are Stars to my Design Stars which I when drunk out-shine Out-shone by every drop of Wine I lack no Pole-Star on the Brink To guide in the wide Sea of Drink But would for ever there be tost And wish no Haven seek no Coast. Yet Gentle Artist if thou 'lt try Thy Skill then draw me let me see Draw me first a spreading Vine Make its Arms the Bowl entwine With kind embraces such as I Twist about my loving she Let its Boughs o're-spread above Scenes of Drinking Scenes of Love Draw next the Patron of that Tree Draw Bacchus and sost Cupid by Draw them both in toping Shapes Their Temples crown'd with cluster'd Grapes Make them lean against the Cup As 't were to keep their Figures up And when their reeling Forms I view I 'll think them drunk and be so too The Gods shall my examples be The Gods thus drunk in Effigy An Allusion to MARTIAL BOOK I. EPIG 118. AS oft Sir Tradewel as we meet You 're sure to ask me in the street When you shall send your Boy to me To fetch my Book of Poetry And promise you 'l but read it o're And faithfully the Loan restore But let me ye as a Friend You need not take the pains to send 'T is a long way to where I dwell At farther end of Clarkenwel There in a Garret near the Sky Above five pair of Stairs I lie But if you 'd have what you pretend You may procure it nearer hand In Cornhil where you often go Hard by th' Exchange there is you know A Shop of Rhime where you may see The Posts all clad in Poetry There H lives of high renown The noted'st TORY in the Town Where if you please enquire for me And he or 's Prentice presently From the next Shelf will reach you down The Piece well bound for half a Crown The Price is much too dear you cry To give for both the Book and me Yes doubtless for such vanities We know Sir you are too too wise THE DREAM Written March 10. 1677. LAte as I on my Bed reposing lay And in soft sleep forgot the Toils of Day My self my Cares and Love all charm'd to Rest And all the Tumults of my waking Breast Quiet and calm as was the silent Night Whose stillness did to that bless'd sleep invite I dreamt and strait this visionary Scene Did with Delight my Fancy entertain I saw methought a lonely Privacy Remote alike from man's and Heavens Eye Girt with the covert of a shady Grove Dark as my thoughts and secret as my Love Hard by a Stream did with that softness creep As 't were by its own murmurs husht asleep On its green Bank under a spreading Tree At once a pleasant and a shelt'ring Canopy There I and there my dear Cosmelia sate Nor envied Monarchs in our safe Retreat So heretofore were the first Lovers laid On the same Turf of which themselves were made A while I did her charming Glories view Which to their former Conquests added new A while my wanton hand was pleas'd to rove Through all the hidden Labyrinths of Love Ten thousand Kisses on her Lips I fix'd Which she with interfering Kisses mix'd Eager as those of Lovers are in Death When they give up their Souls too with the Breath Love by these Freedoms first became more bold At length unruly and too fierce to hold See then said I and pity charming Fair Yield quickly yield I can no longer bear Th' impatient Sallies of a Bliss so near Tou must and you alone these storms appease And lay those Spirits which your Charms could raise Come and in equal Flouds let 's quench our Flame Come let 's and unawares I went to name The Thing but stopt and blusht methought in Dream At first she did the rude Address disown And check'd my Boldness with an angry Frown But yielding Glances and consenting Eyes Prov'd the soft Traitors to her forc'd Disguise And soon her looks with anger rough e're while Sunk in the dimples of a calmer smile Then with a sigh into these words she broke And printed melting Kisses as she spoke Too strong Philander is thy
you Reviv'd and found their Resurrection too Some only griev'd that what was Deathless thought They saw so near to Fatal ruin brought Now crowds of Blessings on that happy hand Whose kill could cager Destiny withstand Whose learned Pow'r has rescu'd from the Grave That Life which 't was a Miracle to save That Life which were it thus untimely lost Had been the â—…est Spoil Death ere could boast May he henceforth be God of healing thought By whom such good to you and us was brought Altars and shrines to him are justly due Who shew'd himself a God by raising you But say fair Saint for you alone can know Whither your Soul in this short flight did go Went it to antedate that Happiness You must at last though late we hope possess Inform us lest we should your Fate belye And call that Death which was but Extasie The Queen of Love we 're told once let us see That Goddesses from wounds could not be free And you by this unwish'd Occasion show That they like Mortal us can Sickness know Pitty that Heav'n should all its Titles give And yet not let you with them ever live You 'd lack no point that makes a Deity If you could like it too Immortal be And so you are half boasts a Deathless State Although your frailer part must yield to Fate By every breach in that fair lodging made Its blest Inhabitant is more displaid In that white Snow which overspreads your skin We trace ye whiter Soul which dwells within Which while you through this shining Hue display Looks like a Star plac'd in the Milky way Such the bright Bodies of the Blessed are When they for Raiment cloath'd with Light appear And should you visit now the Seats of Bliss You need not wear another form but this Never did Sickness in such pomp appear As when it thus your Livery did wear Disease it self look'd amiable here So Clouds which would obscure the Sun oft gilded be And Shades are taught to shine as bright as he Grieve not fair Nymph when in your Glass you trace The marring footsteps of a pale Disease Regret not that your cheeks their Roses want Which a few Days shall in full store replant Which whilst your Blood withdraws its guilty Red Tells that you own no faults that blushes need The Sun whose Bounty does each Spring restore What Winter from the rifled Meadows tore Which every Morning with an early ray Paints the young Blushing Cheeks of instant Day Whose skill inimitable here below Limns those gay Clouds which form Heaven 's colour'd bow That Sun shall soon with Interest repay All the lost Beauty Sickness snatch'd a way Your Beams like his shall hourly now advance And every minute their swift Growth enhance Mean while that you no helps of healths refuse Accept these humble Wishes of the Muse Which shall not of their Just Petition fail If she and she's a Goddess ought prevail May no profane Disease henceforth approach This sacred Temple with unhallow'd touch Or with rude sacriledge its frame debauch May these fair Members always happy be In as full Strength and well-set Harmony As the new Foundress of your sex could boast Ere she by Sin her first Persecution lost May Destiny just to your Merits twine All your smooth Fortunes in a Silken Line And that you may at Heaven late arrive May it to you its largest Bottom give May Heaven with still repeated Favours bless Till it its Pow'r below its Will confess Till wishes can no more exalt your Fate Nor Poets fancy you more Fortunate On the Death of Mrs. Katharine Kingscourt a Child of Excellent Parts and Piety SHE did She did I saw her mount the Skie And with new Whiteness paint the Galaxy Heav'n her methought with all its Eyes did view And yet acknowledg'd all its Eyes too few Methought I saw in crowds blest Spirits meet And with loud Welcomes her arrival greet Which could they grieve had gone with grief away To see a Soul more white more pure than they Earth was unworthy such a prize as this Only a while Heaven let us share the Bliss In vain her stay with fruitless Tears we 'd woo In vain we'd court when that our Rival grew Thanks ye kind Powers who did so long dispense Since you so wish'd her with her absence thence We now resign to you alone we grant The sweet Monopoly of such a Saint So pure a Saint I scarce dare call her so For fear to wrong her with a Name too low Such a Seraphick brightness in her shin'd I hardly can believe her Woman-kind 'T was sure some noble Being left the Sphere Which deign'd a little to inhabit here And can't be said to die but disappear Or if she Mortal was and meant to show The greater skill by being made below Sure Heav'n preserv'd her by the fall uncurst To tell how all the Sex were form'd at first Never did yet so much Divinity In such a small Compendium crouded lye By her we credit what the Learned tell That many Angels in one point can dwell More damned Fiends did not in Mary rest Than lodg'd of Blessed Spirits in her Breast Religion dawn'd so early in her mind You 'd think her Saint whilst in the Womb enshrin'd Nay that bright ray which did her Temples paint Proclaim'd her clearly while alive a Saint Scarce had she learnt to lisp Religion's Name E'er she by her Example preach'd the same And taught her Cradle-like the Pulpit to reclaim No Action did within her Practice fall Which for th' Atonement of a Blush could call No word of hers e'er greeted any Ear But what a dying Saint confest might hear Her Thoughts had scarcely ever sully'd been By the least Foot-steps of Original Sin Her Life did still as much Devotion breath As others do at their last Gasp in Death Hence on her Tomb of her let not be said So long she liv'd but thus so long she pray'd A Sunday-Thought in Sickness LOrd how dreadful is the Prospect of Death at the remotest Distance How the smallest Apprehension of it can pall the most gay airy and brisk Spirits Even I who thought I could have been merry in sight of my Coffin and drink a Health with the Sexton in my own Grave now tremble at the least Envoy of the King of Terrors To see but the shaking of my Glass makes me turn pale and fear is like to prevent and do the Work of my Distemper All the Jollity of my Humor and Conversation is turn'd on a suddain into shagrin and melancholy black as Despair and dark as the Grave My Soul and Body seem at once laid out and I fancy all the Plummets of Eternal Night already hanging upon my Temples But whence proceed these Fears Certainly they are not idle Dreams nor the accidental Product of my Disease which disorders the Brains and fills 'em with odd Chimaera's Why should my Soul be averse to its Enlargement Why should it be content
For disbelieving Holy Church's Creed And Peter-pence is Heretick decreed And by a solemn and unquestion'd Pow'r To Death and Hell and You delivr'd o're Chuse first some dext'rous Rogue well tri'd and known Such by Confession your Familiars grown Let him by Art and Nature fitted be For any great and gallant Villany Practis'd in every Sin each kind of Vice Which deepest Casuists in their searches miss Watchful as Jealousie wary as Fear Fiercer than Lust and bolder than Despair But close as plotting Feinds in Council are To him in firmest Oaths of Silence bound The worth and merit of the Deed propound Tell of whole Reams of Pardon new come o're Indies of Gold and Blessings endless store Choice of Preferments if he overcome And if he fail undoubted Maryrdom And Bills for Sums in Heav'n to be drawn On Factors there and at first sight paid down With Arts and Promises like these allure And make him to your great design secure And here to know the sundry ways to kill Is worth the Genius of a Machiavel Cull Northern Brains in these deep Arts unbred Know nought but to cut Throats or knock o' th' Head No slight of Murder of the subt'lest shape Your busie search and observation scape Legerdemain of Killing that dives in And Juggling steals away a Life unseen How gawdy Fate may be in Presents sent And creep insensibly by Touch or Scent How Ribbands Gloves or Saddle-Pomel may An unperceiv'd but certain Death convey Above the reach of Antidotes above the Pow'r Of the fam'd Pontick Mountebank to cure What e're is known to quaint Italian spite In studied Pois'ning skill'd and exquisite What e're great Borgia or his Sire could boast Which the Expence of half the Conclave cost Thus may the business be in secret done Nor Authors nor the Accessaries known And the slurr'd guilt with ease on others thrown But if ill Fortune should your Plot betray And leave you to the rage of Foes a prey Let none his Crime by weak confession own Nor shame the Church while he 'd himself attone Let varnish'd Guile and feign'd Hypocrisies Pretended Holiness and useful Lies Your well-dissembled Villany disguise A thousand wily Turns and Doubles try To foil the Scent and to divert the Cry Cog sham out face deny equivocate Into a thousand shapes your selves translate Remember what the crafty Spartan taught Children with Rattles Men with Oaths are caught Forswear upon the Rack and if you fall Let this great comfort make amends for all Those whom they damn for Rogues next Age shall see Made Advocates i' th Church's Litany Who ever with bold Tongue or Pen shall dare Against your Arts and Practices declare What Fool shall e're presumptuously oppose Your Holy Cheats and godly Frauds disclose Pronounce him Heretick Firebrand of Hell Turk Jew Fiend Miscreant Pagan Infidel A thousand blacker Names worse Calumnies All Wit can think and pregnant Spite devise Strike home gash deep no Lies nor Slanders spare A Wound tho cur'd yet leaves behind a Scar. Those whom your Wit and Reason can't decry Make scandalous with Loads of Infamy Make Luther Monster by a Fiend begot Brought forth with Wings and Tail and Cloven Foot Make Whoredom Incest worst of vice and shame Pollute and foul his Manners Life and Name Tell how strange Storms usher'd his fatal end And Hell 's black Troops did for his Soul contend Much more I had to say but now grown faint And strength and Spirits for the Subject want Be these great Mysteries I here unfold Amongst your Order's Institutes enroll'd Preserve them sacred close and unreveal'd As ancient Rome her Sybil's Books conceal'd Let no bold Heretick with sawcy eye Into the hidden unseen Archives pry Lest the malicious flouting Rascals turn Our Church to Laughter Raillery and Scorn Let never Rack or Torture Pain or Fear From your firm Breasts th' important Secrets tear If any treach'rous Brother of your own Shall to th' World divulgâ—… make them known Let him by worst of Deaths his Guilt attone Should but his Thoughts or Dreams suspected be Let him for safety and prevention die And learn i' th' Grave the Art of Secresie But one thing more and then with joy I go Nor as a longer stay of Fate below Give me again once more your plighted Faith And let each seal it with his dying breath As the great Carthaginian heretofore The bloody reeking Altar touch'd and swore Eternal Enmity to th' Roman Pow'r Swear you and let the Fates confirm the same An endless Hatred to the Luth'ran Name Vow never to admit or League or Peace Or Truce or Commerse with the cursed Race Now through all Age when Time or Place so e're Shall give you pow'r wage an immortal War Like Theban Feuds let yours your selves survive And in your very Dust and Ashes live Like mine be your last Gasp their Curse At this They kneel and all the Sacred Volumn kiss Vowing to send each year an Hecatomb Of Huguenots an Off'ring to â—…is Tomb. In vain he would continue Abrupt Death A Period puts and stops his impious Breath In broken Accents he is scarce allow'd To faulter out his Blessing on the Crowd Amen is eccho'd by Infernal Howl And scrambling Spirits seize his parting Soul SATYR IV. S. Ignatius his Image brought in discovering the Rogueries of the Jesuits and ridiculous Superstition of the Church of Rome ONce I was common Wood a shapeless Log Thrown out a Pissing-post for ev'ry Dog The Workman yet in doubt what course to take Whether I 'd best a Saint â—…r Hog-trough make After debate resolv'd me for a Saint And thus fam'd Loyola I represent And well I may resemble him for he As stupid was as much a Block as I. My right Leg maim'd at halt I seem to stand To tell the Wounds at Pampelune sustein'd My Sword and Soldiers Armour here had been But they may in Monserrats Church be seen Those there to blessed Virgin I laid down For Cassock Surfingle and shaven Crown The spiritual Garb in which I now am shown With due Accoutrements and fit disguise I might for Centinel of Corn suffice As once the well-hung God of old stood guard And the invading Crows from Forrage scar'd Now on my head the Birds their Relicks leave And Spiders in my mouth their Arras weave And persecuted Rats oft find in me A Refuge and religious Sanctuary But you profaner Heretâ—…cks who e're The Inquisition and its vengeance fear I charge stand off at peril come not near None at twelve score untruss break wind or piss He enters Fox his Lists that dare transgress For I 'm by Holy Church in Rev'rence had And all good Cath'lick Folk implore my aid These Pictures which you see my Story give The Acts and Monuments of me alive That Frame wherein with Pilgrims weeds I stand Contains my Travels to the Holy Land This me and my Decemvirate at Rome When I for Grant of my great Order come There with Devotion rapt I hang
withstand All the soft weeping Loves about thee moan At once their Mothers darling and their own Dearer wast thou to Venus than her Loves Than her charm'd Girdle than her faithful Doves Than the last gasping Kisses which in death Adonis gave and with them gave his breath This Thames ah this is now the second loss For which in tears thy weeping Current flows Spencer the Muses glory went before He pass'd long since to the Elysian shore For him they say for him thy dear-lov'd Son Thy Waves did long in sobbing murmurs groan Long fill'd the Sea with their complaint and moan But now alas thou do'st afresh bewail Another Son does now thy sorrow call To part with either thou alike wast loth Both dear to Thee dear to the Fountains both He largely drank the Rills of sacred Cham And this no less of Isis nobler stream He sung of Hero's and of hardy Knights Far-fam'd in Battels and renown'd Exploits This meddled not with bloudy Fights and Wars Pan was his Song and Shepherds harmless jars Loves peaceful combats and its gentle cares Love ever was the subject of his Lays And his soft Lays did Venus ever please Come all ye Muses come adorn the Shepherd's Herse With never fading Garlands never-dying Verse Thou sacred Bion art lamented more Than all our tuneful Bards that dy'd before Old Chaucer who first taught the use of Verse No longer has the tribute of our tears Milton whose Muse with such a daring flight Led out the warring Seraphims to fight Blest Cowley too who on the banks of Cham So sweetly sigh'd his wrongs and told his flame And He whose Song rais'd Cooper's Hill so high As made its glory with Parnassus vie And soft Orinda whose bright shining name Stands next great Sappho's in the ranks of fame All now unwept and unrelented pass And in our grief no longer share a place Bion alone does all our tears engross Our tears are all too few for Bion's loss Come all ye Muses come adorn the Shepherd's Herse With never-fading Garlands never-dying Verse Thee all the Herdsmen mourn in gentlest Lays And rival one another in thy praise In spreading Letters they engrave thy Name On every Bark that 's worthy of the same Thy Name is warbled forth by every tongue Thy Name the Burthen of each Shepherds Song Waller the sweet'st of living Bards prepares For thee his tender'st and his mournfull'st airs And I the meanest of the British Swains Amongst the rest offer these humble strains If I am reckon'd not unblest in Song 'T is what I ow to thy all-teaching tongue Some of thy Art some of thy tuneful breath Thou didst by Will to worthless me bequeath Others thy Flocks thy Lands thy Riches have To me thou didst thy Pipe and Skill vouchâ—…afe Come all yâ—… Muses come adorn the Shepherd's Hâ—…rse With never-fading Garlands never-dying Verse Alas by what ill Fate to man unkind Were we to so severe a lot design'd The meanest Flowers which the Gardens yield The vilest Weeds that flourish in the Field Which must e're long lie dead in Winter's Snow Shall spring again again more vigorous grow Yon Sun and this bright glory of the day Which night is hasting now to snatch away Shall rise anew more shining and more gay But wretched we must harder measure find The great'st the brav'st the wittâ—…'st of mankind When Death has once put out their light in vain Ever expect the dawn of Life again In the dark Grave insensible they lie And there sleep our endless Eternity There thoâ—… to silence ever art confin'd While less deserving Swains are left behind So please the Fates to deal with us below They cull out thee and let dull Moevius go Moevius still lives still let him live for me He and his Pipe shall ne'r my envy be None e're that heard thy sweet thy Artful Tongue Will grate their ears with his rough untun'd Song Come all ye Muses come adorn the Shepherd's Herse With never-fading Garlands never-dying Verse A fierce Disease sent by ungentle Death Snatch'd Bion hence and stop'd his hallow'd breath A fatal damp put out that heav'nly fire That sacred heat which did his breast inspire Ah! what malignant ill could boast that pow'r Which his sweet voice's Magick could not cure Ah cruel Fare how could'st thou chuse but spare How could'st thou exercise thy rigout here Would thou hadst thrown thy Dart at worthless me And let this dear this valued life go free Better ten thousand meaner Swains had dy'd Than this best work of Nature been destroy'd Come all ye Muses come adorn the Shepherd's Herse With never-fading Garlands never-dying Verse Ah! would kind Death alike had sent me hence But grief shall do the work and save its pains Grief shall accomplish my desired doom And soon dispatch me to Elysium There Bion would I be there gladly know How with thy voice thou charm'st the shades below Sing Shepherd sing one of thy strains divine Such as may melt the fierce Elysian Queen She once her self was pleas'd with tuneful strains And sung and danc'd on the Sicilian Plains Fear not thy Song should unsuccessful prove Fear not but 't will the pitying Goddess move She once was won by Orpheus heav'nly Lays And gave his fair Eurydice release And thine as pow'rful question not dear Swain Shall bring thee back to these glad Hills again Ev'n I my self did I at all excel Would try the utmost of my voice and skill Would try to move the rigid King of Hell The Lamentation for ADONIS Imitated out of the Greek of Bion of Smyrna PASTORAL IMourn Adonis fair Adonis dead He 's dead and all that 's lovely with him fled Come all ye Loves come hither and bemoan The charming sweet Adonis dead and gone Rise from thy Purple Bed and rich Alcove Throw off thy gay attire great Queen of Love Henceforth in sad and mournful weeds appear And all the marks of grief and sorrow wear And tear thy locks and beat thy panting breast And cry My dear Adonis is deceast I mourn Adonis the soft Loves bemoan The gentle sweet Adonis dead and gone On the cold Mountain lies the wretched Youth Kill'd by a Savage Boar's unpitying tooth In his white thigh the fatal stroke is found Nor whiter was that tooth that gave the wound From the wide wound fast flows the streaming gore And stains that skin which was all snow before His breath with quick short tremblings comes and goes And Death his fainting eyes begins to close From his pale lips the ruddy colour 's fled Fled and has left his kisses cold and dead Yet Venus never will his kisses leave The Goddess ever to his lips will cleave The kiss of her dear Youth does please her still But her poor Youth does not the pleasure feel Dead he feels not her love feels not her grief Feels not her kiss which might ev'n life retrieve I mourn Adonis the sad Loves bemoan The comely fair Adonis dead and gone Deep
t'other Mary's Tears And the whole muster-roll in Calendars Not yet swallow the Falshood if all this Won't gain a resty Faith he will on 's knees Th' Evangelists and Lady's Psalter kiss To vouch the Lye nay more to make it good Mortgage his Soul upon 't his Heav'n and God Damn'd faithless Hereticks hard to convince Who trust no Verdict but dull obvious Sense Unconscionable Courts who Priests deny Their Benefit o' th' Clergy Perjury Room for the Martyr'd Saints behold they come With what a noble Scorn they meet their Doom Not Knights o' th' Post nor often Carted Whores Shew more of Impudence or less Remorse O glorious and heroick Constancy That can forswear upon the Cart and die With gasping Souls expiring in a Lye None but tame Sheepish Criminals repent Who fear the idle Bugbear Punishment Your Gallant Sinner scorns that Cowardice The poor regret of having done amiss Brave he to his first Principles still true Can face Damnation Sin with Hell in view And bid it take the Soul he does bequeath And blow it thither with his dying breath Dare such as these profess Religion's Name Who should they own't and be believ'd would shame It's Practice out o' th' World would Atheists make Firm in their Creed and vouch it at the Stake Is Heav'n for such whose Deeds make Hell too good Too mild a Penance for their cursed Brood For whose unheard-of Crimes and damned Sake Fate must below new sorts of Torture make Since when of old it fram'd that place of Doom T was thought no guilt like this could thither come Base recreant Souls would you have Kings trust you Who never yet kept your Allegiance true To any but Hell's Prince who with more ease Can swallow down most solemn Perjuries Than a Town Bullie common Oaths and Lies Are the French Harry's Fates so soon forgot Our last blest Tudor or the Powder-Plot And those fine Streamers that adorn'd so long The Bridge and Westminster and yet had hung Were they not stoln and now for Relicks gone Think Tories Loyal or Scotch Covenanters Robb'd Tygers gentle courteous fasting Bears Atheists devout and thrice-wrack'd Mariners Take Goats for Chast and cloister'd Marmosites For plain and open two-edg'd Parasites Believe Bawds modest and the shameless Stews And binding Drunkard Oaths and Strumpet's Vows And when in time these Contradiction meet Then hope to find 'em in a Loyolite To whom tho gasping should I credit give I 'd think 't were Sin and damn'd like unbelief Oh for the Swedish Law enacted here No Scare-crow frightens like a Priest-Gelder Hunt them as Beavers are force them to buy Their Lives with Ransom of their Lechery Or let that wholsome Statute be reviv'd Which England heretofore from Wolves reliev'd Tax every Shire instead of them to bring Each Year a certain tale of Jesuits in And let their mangled Quarters hang the I le To scare all future Vermin from the Soil Monsters avaunt may some kind whirlwind sweep Our Land and drown these Locusts in the deep Hence ye loath'd Objects of our Scorn and Hate With all the Curses of an injur'd State Go foul Impostors to some duller Soil Some easier Nation with your Cheats beguile Where your gross common Gulleries may pass To slur and top on bubled Consciences Where Ignorance and th' Inquisition Rules Where the vile Herd of poor Implicit Fools Are damn'd contentedly where they are led Blindfold to Hell and thank and pay their Guide Go where all your black Tribe before are gone Follow Chastel Ravillac Clement down Your Catesby Faux and Garnet thousands more And those who hence have lately rais'd the Score Where the Grand Traitor now and all the Crew Of his Disciples must receive their Due Where Flames and Tortures of Eternal Date Must punish you yet ne're can expiate Learn duller Feinds your unknown Cruelties Such as no Wit but yours could e're devise No Guilt but yours deserve make Hell confess It self out-done its Devils damn'd for less SATYR III. Loyala's Will LOng had the fam'd Impostor found Success Long seen his damn'd Fraternitâ—…s increase In Wealth and Power Mischief and Guile improv'd By Popeâ—… and Pope-rid Kings upheld and lov'd Laden with Years and Sins and num'rous Scars Got some i' th' Field but most in other Wars Now finding Life decay and Fate draw near Grown ripe for Hell and Roman Calendar He thinks it worth his Holy Thoughts and Care Some hidden Rules and Secrets to Impart The Proofs of longâ—… Experienceâ—… and deep Art Which to his Successors may useful be In conduct of their future Villany Summon'd together all th' Officious Band The Orders of their Bedrid-Chief attend Doubtful what Legacy he will bequeath And wait with greedy Ears his dying Breath With such quick Duty Vassal Fiends below To meet commands of their Dread Monarch go On Pillow rais'd he do's their entrance greet And joys to see the wish'd Assembly meet They in glad Murmurs tell their Joy aloud Then a deep silence stills th' expecting Croud Like Delphick Hag of old by Fiend possest He swells wild Frenzy heaves his panting Brest His bristling Hairs stick up his Eye-Balls glow And from his Mouth long strakes of Drivel flow Thrice with due Rev'rence he himself doth cross Then thus his Hellish Oracles disclose Ye firm Associates of my great Design Whom the same Vows and Oaths and Order joyn The faithful Band whom I and Rome have chofe The last Support of our declining Caufe Whose Conqu'ring Troops I with Success have led Gainst all Opposers of our Church and Head Who e're to the mad German owe their Rise Geneva's Rebels or the hot-brain'd Swiss Revolted Hereticks who late have broke And durst throw off the long-worn Sacred Yoke You by whose happy Influence Rome can boast A greater Empire than by Luther lost By whom wide Nature's far-stretch'd Limits now And utmost Indies to its Crosier Bow Go on ye mighty Champions of our Cause Maintain our Party and subdue our Foes Kill Heresie that rank and pois'nous Weed Which threatens now the Church to overspread Fire Calvin and his Nest of Upstarts out Who tread our Sacred Mitre under Foot Stray'd Germany reduce let it no more Th' Incestuous Monk of Wittemberg adore Make stubborn Engl. once more stoop its Crown And Fealty to our Priestly Sovereign own Regain our Church's Rights the Island clear From all remaining Dregs of Wickliff there Plot Enterprize contrive endeavour spare No toil nor Pains no Death nor Danger fear Restless your Aims pursue let no defeat Your sprightly Courage and Attempts rebate But urge to fresh and bolder ne're to end Till the whole World to our great Caliph bend Till he thro' every Nation every where Bear Sway and Reign as absolute as here Till Rome without controul and Contest be The Universal Ghostly Monarchy Oh! that kind Heaven a longer Thread would give And let me to that happy Juncture live But 't is decreed at this he paus'd and wept The rest alike time with his
streams of thy unbounded Glory reach Beyond the straits of scanty Time and Place Beyond the ebbs and flows of matter 's narrow Seas They reach and fill the Ocean of Eternity and Space Infus'd like some vast mighty soul Thon do'st inform and actuate this spacious whole Thy unseen hand does the well-joynted Frame sustain Which else would to its primitive Nothing shrink again But most thou do'st thy Majesty display In the bright Realms of everlasting Day There is Thy residence there do'st Thou reign There on a State of dazling Lustre sit There shine in Robes of pure refined Light Where Sun 's coarse Rays are but a Foil and Stain And refuse Stars the sweepings of thy glorious Train 3. There all Thy Family of menial Saints Huge Colonies of bless'd Inhabitants Which Death through countless Ages has transplanted hence Now on Thy Throne for ever wait And fill the large Retinue of thy heav'nly State There reverend Prophets stand a pompous goodly show Of old thy Envoys extraordinary here Who brought thy sacred Embassies of Peace and War That to th' obedient this the rebel world below By them the mighty Twelve have their abode Companions once of the Incarnate suffâ—…ring God Partakers now of all his Triumphs there As they on earth did in his Miseries share Of Martyrs next a crown'd and glorious Quire Illustrious Heroes who have gain'd Through dangers and Red Seas of Bloud the Promis'd Land And pass'd through Ordeal Flames to the Eternity in Fire There all make up the Consort of thy Praise To Thee they sing and never cease Loud Hymns and Hallelujah's of Applause An Angel-Laureat does the Sense and Strains compose Sense far above the reach of mortal Verse Strains far above the reach of mortal ears And all a Muse unglorified can fancy or rehearse 4. Nor is this Consort only kept above Nor is it to the Bless'd alone confin'd But Earth and all thy Faithful here are joyn'd And strive to vie with them in Duty and in Love And tho they cannot equal Notes and Measures raise Strive to return th' imperfect Ecchoes of thy Praise They through all Nations own thy glorious Name And every where the great Three-One proclaim Thee Father of the World and Us and Him Who must Mankind whom Thou didst make Redeem Thee blessed Saviour the ador'd true only Son To man debas'd to rescue Man undone And Thee Eternal Holy Power Who do'st by Grace exalted Man restore To all he lost by the old Fall and Sin before You bless'd and glorious Trinity Riddle to baffled Knowledg and Philosophy Which cannot conprehend the mighty Mystery Of numerous One and the unnumber'd Three Vast topless Pile of Wonders at whose sight Reason it self turns giddy with the height Above the flutt'ring pitch of humane Wit And all but the strong wings of Faith that Eagle's towring flight 5. Bless'd Jesu how shall we enough adore Or thy unbounded Love or thy unbounded Pow'r Thou art the Prince of Heav'n thou are the Almighty's Heir Thou art th' Eternal Off-spring of th' Eternal Sire Hail thou the Worlds Redeemer whom to free From bonds of Death and endless misery Thou thought'st it no disdain to be Inhabiter in low mortality Th' Almighty thought it no disdain To dwell in the pure Virgins spotless Womb There did the boundless Godhead and whole Heav'n find room And a small point the Circle of Infinity contain Hail Ransom of Mankind all-great all-good Who didst attone us with thy Bloud Thy self the Offering Altar Priest and God Thy self didst die to be our glorious Bail From Death's Arrests and the eternal Flaming Jail Thy self thou gav'st th' inestimable Price To Purchase and Redeem our morgag'd Heav'n and Happiness Thither when thy great Work on Earth had end When Death it self was slain and dead And Hell with all its Powers captive led Thou didst again triumphantly Ascend There do'st Thou now by Thy great Father sit on high With equal Glory equal Majesty Joynt-Ruler of the everlasting Monarchy 6. Again from thence thou shalt with greater triumph come When the last Trumpet sounds the general Doom And lo thou com'st and lo the direful sound does make Through Deaths wide Realm Mortality awake And lo they all appear At Thy Dread Bar And all receive th' unalterable Sentence there Affrighted Nature trembles at the dismal Day And shrinks for fear and vanishes away Both that and Time breath out their last and now they die And now are swallow'd up and lost in vast Eternity Mercy O mercy angry God! Stop stop thy flaming Wrath too fierce to be withstood And quench it with the Deluge of thy Bloud Thy precious Bloud which was so freely spilt To wash us from the stains of Sin and Guilt O write us with it in the Book of Fate Amongst thy Chosen and Predestinate Free Denizens of Heav'n of the Immortal State 7. Guide us O Saviour guide thy Church below Both Way and Star Compass and Pilot Thou Do thou this frail and tâ—…tt'ring Vessel steer Through Life's tempestuous Ocean here Through all the tossing Waves of Fear And dang'rous Rocks of black Despair Safe under Thee we shall to the wish'd Haven move And reach the undiscover'd Lands of Bliss above Thus low behold to thy great Name we bow And thus we ever wish to grow Constant as Time does thy fix'd Laws obey To Thee our Worship and our Thanks we pay With these we wake the chearful Light With these we Sleep and Rest invite Anâ—… thus we spend our Breath and thus we spend our Days And never cease to Sing and never cease to Praise 8. While thus each Breast and Mouth and Ear Are filled with thy Praise and Love and Fear Let never Sin get room or entrance there Vouchsafe O Lord through this and all our days To guard us with Thy pow'rful Grace Within our hearts let no usurping Lust be found No rebel Passion tumult raise To break thy Laws or break our Peace But set thy Watch of Angels on the Place And keep the Tempter still from that forbidden ground Ever O Lord to us thy mercies grant Never O Lord let us thy mercies want Ne're want Thy Favour Bounty Liberality But let them ever on us be Constant as our own Hope and Trust on Thee On Thee we all our Hope and Trust repose O never leave us to our Foes Never O Lord desert our Cause Thus aided and upheld by Thee We 'll fear no Danger Death nor Misery Fearless we thus will stand a falling world With crushing Ruins all about us hurl'd And face wide gaping Hell all its slighted Pow'rs defie A Letter from the Country to a Friend in Town giving an Account of the Author's Inclinations to Poetry Written in July 1678. AS to that Poet if so great a one as he May suffer in comparison with me When heretofore in Scythian exile pent To which he to ungrateful Rome was sent If a kind Paper from his Country came And wore subscrib'd some known and faithful
snuffing pay May you each other Curse thy self undone And he the laughing-stock of all the Town May'st thou ne're rise to History but what Poor Grubstreet Peny Chroniclers relate Memoirs of Tyburn and the mournful State Of Cut-purses in Holborn Cavalcade Till thou thy self be the same subject made Compell'd by want may'st thou Print Popery For which be the Carts Arse and Pillory Turnips and rotten Eggs thy destiny Maul'd worse than Reading Christian or Cellier Till thou daub'd o're with loathsom filth appear Like Brat of some vile Drab in Privy found Which there has lain three months in Ordure drown'd The Plague of Poets Rags and Poverty Debts Writs Arrests and Serjeants light on thee For others bound may'st thou to Durance go Condemn'd to Scraps and begging with a Shoo And may'st thou never from the Jail get free Till thou swear out thy self by Perjury Forlorn abandon'd pitiless and poor As a pawn'd Cully or a mortgag'd Whore May'st thou an Halter want for thy Redress Forc'd to steal Hemp to end thy miseries And damn thy self to balk the Hangmans Fees And may no faucy Fool have better Fate That dares pull down the Vengeance of my Hate FINIS POEMS AND Translations By the AUTHOR of The Satyrs upon the Jesuits LONDON Printed for Jos. Hindmarsh Bookseller to his Royal Highness at the Black Bull in Cornhill 1684. Advertisement THE Author of the following Pieces must be excused for their being hudled out so confusedly They are Printed just as he finished them off and some things there are which he designed not ever to expose but was fain to do it to keep the Press at work when it was once set a going If it be their Fate to perish and go the way of all mortal Rhimes 't is no great matter in what method they have been placed no more than whether Ode Elegy or Satyr have the honour of Wiping first But if they and what he has formerly made Publick be so happy as to live and come forth in an Edition all together perhaps he may then think them worth the sorting in better Order By that time belike he means to have ready a very Sparkish Dedication if he can but get himself known to some Great Man that will give a good parcel of Guinnies for being handsomly flatter'd Then likewise the Reader for his farther comfort may expect to see him appear with all the Pomp and Trappings of an Author his Head in the Front very finely cut together with the Year of his Age Commendatory Verses in abundance and all the Hands of the Poets of the Quorum to confirm his Book and pass it for Authentick This at present is content to come abroad naked Undedicated and unprefaced without one kind Word to shelter it from Censure and so let the Criticks take it amongst them THE TABLE MOnfieur Boileau's Satyr upon Man imitated Page 1 Juvenal's thirteenth Satyr imitated 25 David's Lamentation for the Death of Saul and Jonathan paraphras'd Ode 49 The Ode of Aristotle in Athenaeus paraphrased 66 Upon the Works of Ben. Johnson Ode 69 The ninth Ode of the third Book of Horace imitated 87 Upon a Lady who by overturning of a Coach had her Coats behind flung up and what was under shewn to the view of the Company 90 Catullus Epigram 7. imitated 97 The fourth Elegy of the second Book of Ovid's Amours imitated 99 The fifth Elegy of the same Book imitated 104 The tenth Elegy of the same Book imitated 110 A Fragment of Petronius paraphrased 114 An Ode of Anacreon paraphrased 116 An Allusion to Martial Book 1. Epigr. 118. 120 The Dream an Elegy 122 A Satyr touching Nobility Out of French 127 A Satyr addressed to a Friend that is about to leave the University and come abroad in the world 137 Presenting a Book to Cosmelia Elegy 149 The Parting Elegy 153 Complaining of Absence Elegy 156 Promising a Visit. Elegy 158 The careless Good Fellow Song 160 A Satyr concerning Poetry 164 The third Satyr of Juvenal imitated 180 A Dithyrambick The Drunkards Speech in a Mask 206 THE EIGHTH SATYR OF Monsieur BOILEAU Imitated Written in October 1682. The POET brings himself in as discoursing with a Doctor of the University upon the Subject ensuing OF all the Creatures in the world that be Beast Fish or Fowl that go or swim or fly Throughout the Globe from London to Japan The arrant'st Fool in my opinion's Man What strait I 'm taken up an Ant a Fly A tiny Mite which we can hardly see Without a Perspective a silly Ass Or freakish Ape Dare you affirm that these Have greater sense than Man Ay questionless Doctor I find you 're shock'd at this discourse Man is you cry Lord of the Universe For him was this fair frame of Nature made And all the Creatures for his use and aid To him alone of all the living kind Has bounteous Heav'n the reas'ning gift assign'd True Sir that Reason ever was his lot But thence I argue Man the greater Sot This idle talk say you and rambling stuff May pass in Satyr and take well enough With Sceptick Fools who are dispos'd to jeer At serious things but you must make 't appear By solid proof Believe me Sir I 'll do 't Take you the Desk and let 's dispute it out Then by your favour tell me first of all What 't is which you grave Doctors Wisdom call You answer 'T is an evenness of Soul A steddy temper which no cares controul No passions ruâ—…le nor desires inflame Still constant to its self and still the same That does in all its slow Resolves advance With graver steps than Benchers when they dance Most true yet is not this I dare maintain Less us'd by any than the Fool call'd Man The wiser Emmet quoted just before In Summer time ranges the Fallows o're With pains and labour to lay in his store But when the blust'ring North with ruffling blasts Saddens the year and Nature overcasts The prudent Insect hid in privacy Enjoys the fruits of his past industry No Ant of sense was e're so awkard seen To drudg in Winter loiter in the Spring But sillier man in his mistaken way By Reason his false guide is led astray Tost by a thousand gusts of wavering doubt His restless mind still rolls from thought to thought In each resolve unsteady and unfixt And when he one day loaths desires the next Shall I so fam'd for many a tuant jest On wiving now go take a jilt at last Shall I turn Husband and my station choose Amongst the reverend Martyrs of the Noose No there are fools enough besides in Town To surnish work for Satyr and Lampoon Few months before cried the unthinking Sot Who quickly after hamper'd in the knot Was quoted for an instance by the rest And bore his Fate as tamely as the best And thought that Heav'n from some miraculous side For him alone had drawn a faithful Bride This is our image just such is that vain That
Crime perhaps they now and then Feel pangs and strugglings of Remorse within But straitreturn to their old course agen They who have once thrown Shame and Conscience by Ne'er after make a stop in Villany Hurried along down the vast steep they go And find 't is all a Precipice below Ev'n this perfidious Friend of yours no doubt Will not with single wickedness give out Have patience but a while you 'l shortly see His hand held up at Bar for Felony You 'l see the sentenc'd wretch for Punishment To Scilly Isles or the Caribbes sent Or if I may his surer Fate divine Hung like Boroski for a Gibbet-Sign Then may you glut Revenge and feast your Eyes With the dear object of his Miseries And then at length convinc'd with joy you 'l find That the just God is neither deaf nor blind DAVID'S LAMENTATION For the DEATH of SAUL and JONATHAN PARAPHRAS'D Written in September 1677. ODE I. AH wretched Israel once a bless'd and happy State The Darling of the Stars and Heavens Care Then all the bord'ring world thy Vassals were And thou at once their Envy and their Fear How soon art thou alas by the sad turn of Fate Become abandon'd and forlorn How art thou now become their Pity and their scorn Thy Lustre all is vanish'd all thy Glory fled Thy Sun himself set in a bloud red Too sure Prognostick which does ill portend Approaching Storms on thy unhappy Land Left naked and defenceless now to each invading Hand A fatal Battel lately fought Has all these Mis'ries and Misfortunes brought Has thy quick Ruine and Destruction wrought There fell we by a mighty Overthrow A Prey to an enrag'd relentless Foe The toil and labour of their wearied Cruelty Till they no more could kill and we no longer die Vast slaughter all around th' enlarged Mountain swells And numerous Deaths increase its former Hills II. In Gath let not the mournful News be known Nor publish'd in the streets of Askalon May Fame it self be quite struck dumb Oh may it never to Philistia come Nor any live to bear the cursed Tidings home Lest the proud Enemies new Trophies raise And loudly triumph in our fresh Disgrace No captive Israelite their pompous Joy adorn Nor in sad Bondage his lost Country mourn No Spoils of ours be in their Temples hung No Hymns to Ashdod's Idol sung Nor thankful Sacrifice on his glad Altars burn Kind Heav'n forbid lest the base Heathen Slaves blaspheme Thy sacred and unutterable Name And above thine extol their Dagon's Fame Lest the vile Fish's Worship spread abroad Who fell a prostrate Victim once before our conqu'ring God And you who the great Deeds of Kings and Kingdoms write Who all their Actions to succeeding Age transmit Conceal the blushing Story ah conceal Our Nations loss and our dread Monarch's fall Conceal the Journal of this bloudy Day When both by the ill Play of Fate were thrown away Nor let our wretched Infamy and Fortune's Crime Be ever mention'd in the Registers of future Time III. For ever Gilboa be curs'd thy hated Name Th' eternal Monument of our Disgrace and shame For ever curss'd be that unhappy Scene Where Slaughter Bloud and Death did lately reign No Clouds henceforth above thy barren top appear But what may make thee mourning wear Let them ne're shake their dewy Fleeces there But only once a year On the sad Anniverse drop a remembring Tear No Flocks of Off'rings on thy Hills be known Which may by Sacrifice our Guilt and thine attone No Sheep nor any of the gentler kind hereafter stay On thee but Bears and Wolves and Beasts of prey Or men more savage wild and fierce than they A Desart may'st thou prove and lonely wast Like that our sinful stubborn Fathers past Where they the Penance trod for all they there transgress'd Too dearly wast thou drench'd with precious Bloud Of many a Jewish Worthy spilt of late Who suffer'd there by an ignoble Fate And purchas'd foul Dishonour at too high a rate Great Saul's ran there amongst the common Flood His Royal self mixt with the baser Crowd He whom Heav'ns high and open suffrage chose The Bulwark of our Nation to oppose The Pow'r and Malice of our Foes Ev'n He on whom the Sacred Oyl was shed Whose mystick drops enlarg'd his hallow'd Head Lies now oh Faâ—…e impartial still to Kings Huddled and undistinguish'd in the heap of meaner Things IV. Lo there the mighty Warriour lies With all his Lawrels all his Victories To ravâ—…nous Fowls or worse to his proud Foes a Prize How chang'd from that great Saul whose generous Aâ—…d A conqu'ring Army to distressed Jabesh led At whose approach Ammon's proud Tyrant fled How chang'd from that great Saul whom we saw bring From vanquish'd Amalek their captive Spoils and â—…ing When unbid Pity made him Agag spare Ah Pity more â—…an Cruelty found guilty there Oft has he made these conquer'd Enemies bow By whom himself lies conquer'd now At Micmash his great Might they felt and knew The same they felt at Dammiâ—… too Well I remember when from Helah's Plain He came in triumph met by a numerous Crowd Who with glad shouts proclaim'd their Joy aloud A dance of beauteous Virgins led the solemn Train And sung and prais'd the man that had his thousands slain Seir Moab Zobab felt him and where e'er He did his glorious Standards bear Officious Vict'ry follow'd in the rere Success attended still his brandish'd Sword And like the Grave the gluttonous Blade devour'd Slaughter upon its point in triumph sate And scatter'd Death as quick and wide as Fare V. Nor less in high Repute and Worth was his great Son Sole Heir of all his Valour and Renown Heir too if cruel Fate had suffer'd of his Throne The matchless Jonathan 't was whom loud tongu'd Fame Amongst her chiefest Heroes joys to name E're since the wond'rous Deeds of Seneh done Where he himself an Host o'recame a War alone The trembling Enemies fled they try'd to fly But fix'd amazement stopt and made them die Great Archer he to whom our dreadful skill me owe Dreaded by all who Israel's warlike Prowess know As many Shafts as his full Quiver held So many Fates he drew so many kill'd Quick and unerring they as darted Eye-beams flew As if he gave 'em sight and swiftness too Death took her Aim from his and by 't her Arrows threw VI. Both excellent they were both equally alli'd On Nature and on Valour 's side Great Saul who scorn'd a Rival in Renown Yet envied not the Fame of 's greater Son By him endur'd to be surpass'd alone He gallant Prince did his whole Father shew And fast as he could set the well-writ Copies drew And blush'd that Duty bid him not out-go Together they did both the paths to Glory trace Together hunted in the noble Chace Together finish'd their united Race There only did they prove unfortunate Never till then unbless'd by Fate Yet there they ceas'd not to be great
to hide He needs not for his Memory to provide For he might well foresee his Praise can never end Thomas Flatman In memory of the Author TAke this short-summon'd loose unfinisht Verse Cold as thy Tomb and suddainas thy Hears From my sick Thoughts thou canst no better crave Who scarce drag Life and envy thee thy Grave Me Phoebus always faintly did inspire And gave my narrow Breast more scanty Fire My Hybla-Muse through humble Meads sought Spoil Collecting little Sweets with mighty Toil Yet when some Friend 's just Fame did Theme afford Her Voice amongst the tow ' ring Swans was heard In vain for such Attendance now I call My Ink o'erflows with Spleen my Blood with Gall Yet sweet Alexis my Esteem of thee Was equal to thy Worth and Love for me Death is thy Gain that Thought affects me most I care not what th' ill-natur'd World has lost For Wit with thee expir'd how shall I grieve Who grudge th' ingrateful Age what thou didst leave The Tribute of their Verse let others send And mourn the Poet gone I mourn the Friend Enjoy thy Fate thy Predecessors come Cowley and Butler to conduct thee home Who would not Butler cries like me engage New Worlds of Wit to serve a grateful Age For such Rewards what Tasks will Authors shun I pray Sir is my Monument begun Enjoy thy Fate thy Voice in Anthems raise So well tun'd here on Earth to our Apollo's Praise Let me retire while some sublimer Pen Performs for thee what thou hast done for Homer and for Ben. N. T. On the ensuing Poems of Mr. John Oldham and the Death of his good Friend the ingenious Author OBscure and cloudy did the day appear As Heaven design'd to blot it from the year The Elements all seem'd to disagree At least I 'm sure they were at strife in me Possest with Spleen which Melancholy bred When Rumor told me that my Friend was dead That Oldham honour'd for his early Worth Was cropt like a sweet Blossom from the Earth Where late he grew delighting every Eye In his rare Garden of Philosophy The fatal Sound new Sorrows did infuse And all my Griefs were doubled at the News For we with mutual Arms of Friendship strove Friendship the true and solid part of Love And he so many Graces had in store That Fame or Beauty could not bind me more His Wit in his immortal Verse appears Many his Vertues were tho' few his Years Which were so spent as if by Heaven contriv'd To lash the Vices of the longer liv'd None was more skilful none more learn'd than he A Poet in its sacred Quality Inspir'd above and could command each Passion Had all the Wit without the Affectation A Calm of Nature still possest his Soul No canker'd Envy did his Breast controul Modest as Virgins that have never known The jilting Breeding of the nauseous Town And easie as his Numbers that sublime His lofty Strains and beautifie his Rhime Till the Time's Ignomy inspir'd his Pen And rowz'd the drowsie Satyr from his Den Then fluttering Fops were his Aversion still And felt the Power of his Satyrick Quill The Spark whose Noise proclaims his empty Pate That struts along the Mall with antick Gate And all the Phyllis and the Chloris Fools Were damn'd by his invective Muse in Shoals Who on the Age look'd with impartial Eyes And aim'd not at the Person but the Vice To all true Wit he was a constant Friend And as he well could judge could well commend The mighty Homer he with Care perus'd And that great Genius to the World infus'd Immortal Virgil and Lucretius too And all the Seeds o' th' Soul his Reason knew Like Ovid could the Ladies Hearts assail With Horace sing and lash with Juvenal Unskill'd in nought that did with Learning dwell But Pride to know he understood it well Adieu thou modest Type of perfect Man Ah had not thy Perfections that began In Life's bright Morning been eclips'd so soon We all had bask'd and wanton'd in thy Noon But Fate grew envious of thy growing Fame And knowing Heav'n from whence thy Genius came Assign'd thee by immutable Decree A glorious Crown of Immortality Snatch't thee from all thy mourning Friends below Just as the Bays were planting on thy Brow Thus worldly Merit has the Worlds Regard But Poets in the next have their Reward And Heaven in Oldham's Fortune seem'd to show No Recompence was good enough below So to prevent the Worlds ingrateful Crimes Enrich'd his Mind and bid him die betimes T. Durfey On the Death of Mr. John Oldham HEark is it only my prophetick Fear Or some Death's sad Alarum that I hear By all my Doubts 't is Oldham's fatal Knell It rings aloud eternally farewel Farewell thou mighty Genius of our Isle Whose forward Parts made all our Nation smile In whom both Wit and Knowledge did conspire And Nature gaz'd as if she did admire How such few years such Learning could acquire Nay seem'd concern'd that we should hardly find So sharp a Pen and so serene a Mind Oh then lament let each distracted Breast With universal Sorrow be possest Mourn mourn ye Muses and your Songs give o'er For now your lov'd Adonis is no more He whom ye tutor'd from his Infant-years Cold pale and ghastly as the Grave appears He whom ye bath'd in your lov'd murmuring Stream Your daily pleasure and your mighty Theme Is now no more the Youth the Youth is dead The mighty Soul of Poetry is fled Fled e'er his Worth or Merit was half known No sooner seen but in a Moment gone Like to some tender Plant which rear'd with Care At length becomes most fragrant and most fair Long does it thrive and long its Pride maintain Esteem'd secure from Thunder Storm or Rain Then comes a Blast and all the Work is vain But Oh! my Friend must we no more rehearse Thy equal Numbers in thy pleasing Verse In Love how soft in Satyr how severe In Passion moving and in Rage austere Virgil in Judgment Ovid in Delight An easie Thought with a Meonian Flight Horace in Sweetness Juvenal in Rage And even Biblis must each Heart engage Just in his Praises and what most desire Wou'd flatter none for Greatness Love or Hire Humble though courted and what 's rare to see Of wondrous Worth yet wondrous Modesty So far from ostentation he did seem That he was meanest in his own Esteem Alas young man why wert thou made to be At once our Glory and our Misery Our Misery in losing thee is more Than could thy Life our Glory be before For shou'd a Soul celestial Joys possess And straight be banish'd from that Happiness Oh where would be its Pleasure where its ' Gain TheBliss once tasted but augments the Pain So having once so great a Prize in thee How much the heavier must our Sorrows be For if such Flights were in thy younger Days What if thou'dst liv'd O what had been thy Praise Eternal Wreaths of
is the wanton Epicure Who a perpetual Surfeit will endure Who places all his chiefest Happiness In the Extravagancies of Excess Which wise Sobriety esteems but a Disease O mighty envied Happiness to eat Which fond mistaken Sots call Great Poor Frailty of our Flesh which we each day Must thus repair for fear of ruinous Decay Degrading of our Nature where vile Brutes are fain To make and keep up Man Which when the Paradise above we gain Heav'n thinks too great an Imperfection to retain By each Disease the sickly Joy's destroy'd At every Meal it 's nauseous and cloy'd Empty at best as when in Dream enjoy'd When cheated by a slumbering Imposture we Fancy a Feast and great Regalio's by And think we taste and think we see And riot on imaginary Luxury IX Grant me O Vertue thy more solid lasting Joy Grant me the better Pleasures of the Mind Pleasures which only in pursuit of thee we find Which Fortune cannot marr nor Chance destroy One Moment in thy blest Enjoyment is Worth an Eternity of that tumultuous Bliss Which we derive from Sense Which often cloys and must resign to Impotence Grant me but this how will I triumph in my happy State Above the Changes and Reverse of Fate Above her Favors and her Hate I 'll scorn the worthless Treasures of Peru And those of t' other Indies too I 'll pity Caesar's Self with all his Trophies and his Fame And the vile brutish Herd of Epicures contemn And all the Under-shrievalties of Life not worth a Name Nor will I only owe my Bliss Like others to a Multitude Where Company keeps up a forced Happiness Should all Mankind surcease to live And none but individual I survive Alone I would be happy and enjoy my Solitude Thus shall my Life in pleasant Minutes wear Calm as the Minutes of the Evening are And gentle as the motions of the upper Air Soft as my Muse and unconfin'd as she When flowing in the Numbers of Pindarique Liberty And when I see pale gastly Death appear That grand inevitable Test which all must bear Which best distinguishes the blest and wretched here I 'll smile at all it Horrors court my welcome Destiny And yield my willing Soul up in an eafie Sigh And Epicures that see shall envy and confess That I and those who dare like me be good the chiefest Good possess Virg. ECLOGUE VIII The Enchantment Poet Damon Alpheus Speakers DAmon and Alpheus the two Shepherds Strains I mean to tell and how they charm'd the Plains I 'll tell their charming Numbers which the Herd Unmindful of their Grass in Throngs admir'd At which fierce Savages astonish'd stood And every River stopt its list'ning Flood For you Great Sir whether with Cannons Roar You spread your Terror to the Holland Shore Or with a gentle and a steady Hand In Peace and Plenty rule your Native Land Shall ever that auspicious Day appear When I your glorious Actions shall declare It shall and I throughout the World rehearse Their Fame fit only for a Spencer's Verse With you my Muse began with you shall end Accept my Verse that waits on your Command And deign this Ivy Wreath a place may find Amongst the Laurels which your Temples bind 'T was at the time that Night 's cool shades withdrew And left the Grass all hung with Pearly Dew When Damon leaning on his Oaken Wand Thus to his Pipe in gentle Lays complain'd D. Arise thou Morning and drive on the Day While wretched I with fruitless words inveigh Against false Nisa while the Gods I call With my last Breath tho' hopeless to avail Tho' they regard not my Complaints at all Strike up my Pipe play me in tuneful Strains What I heard sung on the Maenalian Plains Maenalus ever has its warbling Groves And talking Pines it ever hears the Loves Of Shepherds and the Notes of Mighty Pan The first that would not let the Reeds untun'd remain Strike up my Pipe play me in tuneful Strains What I heard sung on the Maenalian Plains Mopsus weds Nisa Gods what Lover e'er Need after this have reason to despair Griffins shall now leap Mares and the next Age The Deer and Hounds in Friendship shall engage Go Mopsus get the Torches ready soon Thou happy Man must have the Bride anon Go Bridegroom quickly the Nut-scramble make The Evening-star quits Oeta for thy sake Strike up my Pipe play me in tuneful Strains What I heard sung on the Maenalian Plains How fitly art thou match'd who wast so nice Thou haughty Nymph who did'st all else despise Who slight'st so scornfully my Pipe my Herd My rough-grown Eye-brows and unshaven Beard And think'st no God does mortal things regard Strike up my Pipe play me in tuneful Strains What I heard sung on the Maenalian Plains I saw thee young and in thy Beauty 's Bloom To gather Apples with thy Mother come 'T was in our Hedge-rows I was there with Pride To shew you to the best and be your Guide Then I just entring my twelfth Year was found I then could reach the tender Boughs from Ground Heav'ns when I saw how soon was I undone How to my Heart did the quick Poyson run Strike up my Pipe play me in tuneful Strains What I heard sung on the Maenalian Plains Now I 'm convinc'd what Love is the cold North Sure in its craggy Mountains brought him forth Or Africk's wildest Desarts gave him Birth Amongst the Cannibals and Savage Race He never of our Kind or Countrey was Strike up my Pipe play me in tuneful Strains What I heard sung on the Maenalian Plains Dire Love did once a Mother's Hand embrue In Childrens Blood a cruel Mother thou Hard 't is to say of both which is the worst The cruel Mother or the Boy accurst He a curst Boy a cruel Mother thou The Devil a whit to chuse betwixt the two Strike up my Pipe play me in tuneful Strains What I heard sung on the Maenalian Plains Let Wolves by Nature shun the Sheep-folds now On the rough Oaks let Oranges now grow Let the coarse Alders bear the Daffadill And costly Amber from the Thorn distill Let Owls match Swans let Tyt'rus Orpheus be In the Woods Orpheus and Arion on the Sea Strike up my Pipe play me in tuneful Strains What I heard sung on the Maenalian Plains Let all the World turn Sea ye Woods adieu To some high Mountain's top I 'll get me now And thence my self into the Waters throw There quench my Flames and let the cruel She Accept this my last dying Will and Legacy Cease now my Pipe cease now those warbling Strains Which I heard sung on the Maenalian Plains This Damon's Song relate ye Muses now Alpheus Reply All cannot all things do A. Bring Holy Water sprinkle all around And see these Altars with soft Fillets bound Male-Frankincense and juicy Vervain burn I 'll try if I by Magick Force can turn here My stubborn Love I 'll try if I can fire His frozen Breast
upon Heaven or a God were to be impos'd on like my Fellow-Creature And dare I convicted of these High Treasons against the King of Glory dare I expect a Reprieve or Pardon Has he Thunder and are not all his Bolts levell'd at my Head to strike me through the very Center Yes I dare appeal to thee boundless pity and compassion My own Instances already tells me that thy Mercy is infinite for I 've done enough to shock Long-sufferance it self and weary out an Eternal Patience I beseech thee by thy soft and gentle Attributes of Mercy and Forgiveness by the last dying Accents of my suffering Deity have Pity on a poor humble prostrate and confessing Sinner And thou great Ransom of lost Mankind who offered'st thy self a Sacrifice to attone our Guilt and redeem our mortgag'd Happiness do thou be my Advocate and intercede for me with the angry Judge My Pray'rs are heard a glorious Light now shone And lo an Angel-Post comes hast'ning down From Heav'n I see him cut the yielding Air So swift he seems at once both there and here So quick my sight in the pursuit was slow And Thought could scarce so soon the Journey go No angry Message in his Look appears His Face no signs of threatning Vengeance wears Comly his shape of Heavenly Meen and Air Kinder than Smiles of beauteous Virginsare Such he was seen by the blest Maid of Old When he th' Almighty Infant 's Birth foretold A mighty Volume in one hand is born Whose open'd Leaves the other seems to turn Vast Annals of my Sins in Scarlet writ But now â—…as'd blot out and cancell'd quite Heark how the Heavenly Whisper strikes mine Ear Mortal behold thy Crimes all pardon'd here Hail Sacred Envoy of th' Eternal King Welcom as the blest Tidings thou dost bring Welcom as Heav'n from whence thou cam'st but now Thus low to thy great God and mine I bow And might I here O might I ever grow Fix'd an unmov'd and endless Monument Of Gratitude to my Creator sent TO THE MEMORY OF Mr. CHARLES MORWENT A PINDARIQUE Ignis utique quo clariùs effulsit citiùs extinguitur eripit se aufertque ex oculis subitò perfecta virtus quicquid est absoluti faciliùs transfluit optimi neutiquam diurnant Cambden de Phil. Syd O celeres hominum bonorum dies Apul. LONDON Printed in the Year 1684. To the Memory of my Dear Friend Mr. Charles Morwent A PINDARIQUE Ostendunt terris hunc tantùm fata nec ultrà Esse sinunt Virg. I. BEst Friend could my unbounded Grief but rate With due proportion thy too cruel Fate Could I some happy Miracle bring forth Great as my Wishes and thy greater Worth All Helicon should soon be thine And pay a Tribute to thy Shrine The learned Sisters all transform'd should be No longer nine but one Melpomene Each should into a Niobe relent At once thy Mourner and thy Monument Each should become Like the fam'd Memnon's speaking Tomb To sing thy well-tun'd Praise Nor should we fear their being dumb Thou still would'st make 'em vocal with thy Rays II. O that I could distil my vital Juice in Tears Or waste away my Soul in sobbing Airs Were I all Eyes To flow in liquid Elegies That every Limb might grieve And dying Sorrow still retrieve My Life should be but one long mourning day And like moist Vapors melt in Tears away I 'd soon dissolve in one great Sigh And upwards fly Glad so to be exhal'd to Heav'n and thee A Sigh which might well-nigh reverse thy death And hope to animate thee with new Breath Pow'rful as that which heretofore did give A Soul to well-form'd Clay and made it live III. Adieu blest Soul whose hasty Flight away Tells Heaven did ne'er display Such Happiness to bless the World with stay Death in thy Fall betray'd her utmost spice And shew'd her shafts most times are levell'd at the white She saw thy blooming Ripeness time prevent She saw and envious grew and straight her arrow sent So Buds appearing e'er the Frosts are past Nip'd by some unkind Blast Wither in Penance for their forward haste Thus have I seen a Morn so bright So deck'd with all the Robes of Light As if it scorn'd to think of Night Which a rude Storm e'er Noon did shroud And buried all its early Glories in a Cloud The day in funeral Blackness mourn'd And all to Sighs and all to Tears it turn'd IV. But why do we thy Death untimely deem Or Fate blaspheme We should thy full ripe Vertues wrong To think thee young Fate when she did thy vigorous Growth behold And all thy forward Glories told Forgot thy tale of Years and thought thee old The brisk Endowments of thy Mind Scorning i' th' Bud to be confin'd Out-ran thy Age and left slow Time behind Which made thee reach Maturity so soon And at first Dawn present a full-spread Noon So thy Perfections with thy Soul agree Both knew no Non-age knew no Infancy Thus the first Patern of our Race began His Life in middle-age at 's Birth a perfect Man V. So well thou acted'st in thy Span of Days As calls at once for Wonder and for Praise Thy prudent Conduct had so learnt to measure The different whiles of Toil and Leasure No time did Action want no Action wanted Pleasure Thy busie Industry could Time dilate And stretch the Thread of Fate Thy careful Thrift could only boast the Power To lengthen Minutes and extend an Hour No single Sand could e'er flip by Without its Wonder sweet as high And every teeming Moment still brought forth A thousand Rarities of Worth While some no other Cause for Life can give But a dull Habitude to live Thou scorn'dst such Laziness while here beneath And Liv'dst that time which others only Breath VI. Next our just Wonder does commence How so small Room could hold such Excellence Nature was proud when she contriv'd thy Frame In thee she labor'd for a Name Hence 't was she lavish'd all her Stoâ—…te As if she meant hereafter to be poor And like a Bankrupt run o' th Score He â—…rious Hand here drew in Straights and joyn'd All the Perfections lodgeâ—…in Humane kind Teaching her numerous Gifts to lie Crampt in a short Epitome So Stars contracted in a Diamond shine And Jewels in a narrow Point confine The Riches of an Indian Mine Thus subtle Artists can Draw Nature's larger self within a Span A small Frame holds the World Earth Heav'ns and all Shrunk to the scant Dimensions of a Ball. VII Those Parts which never in one Subject dwell But some uncommon Excellence foretel Like Stars did all constellate here And met together in one Sphere Thy Judgment Wit and Memory conspir'd To make themselves and thee admir'd And could thy growing Height a longer Stay have known Thou hadst all other Glories and thy self out-done While some to Knowledge by Degrees arrive Thro tedious Industry improv'd Thine scorn'd by such pedantick Rules to thrive But swift
subjected to his Yoke We read as great a Conqueror in thee Who couldst by milder ways all Hearts subdue The nobler Conquest of the two Thus thou whole Legions mad'ft the Captives be And like him too couldst look and speak thy Victory XVIII Hence may we Calculate the Tenderness Thou didst Express To all whom thou didst with thy Friendship bless To think of Passion by new Mothers bore To the young Offspring of their Womb Or that of Lovers to what they Adore Ere Duty it become We should too mean Ideas frame Of that which thine might justly claim And injure it by a degrading Name Conceive the tender Care Of guardian Angels to their Charge assign'd Or think how dear To Heaven Expiring Martyrs are These are the Emblems of thy mind The only Types to shew how thou wast kind XIX On whom soe're thou didst confer this Tye 'T was lasting as Eternity And firm as the unbroken Chain of Destiny Embraces would faint shadows of your Union show Unless you could together grow That Union which is from Alliance bred Does not so fastly wed Tho' it with Blood be cemented That Link wherewith the Soul and Body's joyn'd Which twists the double Nature in Mankind Only so close can bind That holy Fire which Romans to their Vesta paid Which they immortal as the Goddess made Thy noble Flames most fitly parallel For thine were just so pure and just so durable Those feigned Pairs of Faithfulness which claim So high a place in ancient Fame Had they thy better Patern seen They'd made their Friendship more divine And strove to mend their Characters by thine XX. Yet had this Friendship no advantage been Unless'twere exercis'd within What did thy Love to other Objects tie The same made thy own Pow'rs agree And reconcil'd thy self to thee No Discord in thy Soul did rest Save what its Harmony increast Thy mind did with such regular Calmness move As held resemblance with the greater Mind above Reason there fix'd its peaceful Throne And reign'd alone The Will its easie Neck to Bondage gave And to the ruling Faculty became a Slave The Passions rais'd no Civil Wars Nor discompos'd thee with intestine Jars All did obey And paid Allegiance to its rightful Sway. All threw their resty Tempers by And gentler Figures drew Gentle as Nature in its Infancy As when themselves in their first Beings grew XXI Thy Soul within such silent Pomp did keep As if Humanity were lull'd asleep So gentle was thy Pilgrimage beneath Time's unheard Feet scarce make less Noise Or the soft Journey which a Planet goes Life seem'd all calm as its last Breath A still Tranquillity so husht thy Breast As if some Halcyon were its Guest And there had built her Nest It hardly now enjoys a greater Rest. As that smooth Sea which wears the Name of Peaâ—… Still with one even Face appears And feels no Tides to change it from its place No Waves to alter the fair Form it bears As that unspotted Sky Where Nile does want of Rain supply Is free from Clouds from Storms is ever free So thy unvary'd mind was always one And with such clear Serenity still shone As caus'd thy little World to seem all temp'rate Zone XXII Let Fools their high Extraction boast And Greatness which no Travel but their Mothers cost Let 'em extol a swelling Name Which their 's by Will and Testament became At best but meer Inheritance As oft the Spoils as Gift of Chance Let some ill-plac't Repute on Scutcheons rear As fading as the Colors which those bear And prize a painted Field Which Wealth as soon as Fame can yield Thou scorn'dst at such low rates to purchase worth Nor couldst thou owe it only to thy Birth Thy self-born Greatness was above the Power Of Parents to entail or Fortune to deflower Thy Soul which like the Sun Heaven molded bright Disdain'd to shine with borrow'd Light Thus from himself th' Eternal Being grew And from no other Cause his Grandeur drew XXIII Howe'er if true Nobility Rather in Souls than in the Blood does lie If from thy better part we Measures take And that the Standard of our Value make Jewels and Stars become low Heraldry To blazon thee Thy Soul was big enough to pity Kings And lookt on Empires as poor humble things Great as his boundless mind Who thought himself in one wide Globe confin'd And for another pin'd Great as that Spirit whose large Powers rowl Thro' the vast Fabrick of this spatious Bowl And tell the World as well as Man can boast a Soul XXIV Yet could not this an Haughtiness beget Or thee above the common Level set Pride whose Alloy does best Endowments mar As things most lofty smaller still appear With thee did no Alliance bear Low Meritsoft are by too high Esteem bely'd Whose owners lessen while they raise their Price Thine were above the very Guilt of Pride Above all others and thy own Hyperbole In thee the wid'st Extreams were joyn'd The loftiest and the lowliest Mind Thus tho some part of Heav'ns vast Round Appear but low and seem to touch the Ground Yet 't is well known almost to bound the Spheres 'T is truly held to be above the Stars XXV While thy brave Mind preserv'd this noble Frame Thou stoodst at once secure From all the Flattery and Obloquy of Fame It s rough and gentler Breath were both to thee the same Nor this could thee exalt nor that depress thee lower But thou from thy great Soul on both look'dst down Without the small concernment of a smile or frown Heav'n lessdreads that it should fir'd be By the weak flitting Sparks that upwards fly Less the bright Goddess of the Night Fears those loud howlings that revile her Light Than thou malignant Tongues thy Worth should blast Which was too great for Envy's Cloud to overcast 'T was thy brave Method to despise Contempt And make what was the Fault the Punishment What more Assaults could weak Detraction raise When thou couldst Saint disgrace And turn Reproach to Praise So Clouds which would obscure the Sun oft guilded be And Shades are taught to shine as bright as he So Diamonds when envious Night Would shroud their Splendor look most bright And from its Darkness seem to borrow Light XXVI Had Heaven compos'd thy mortal Frame Free from Contagion as thy Soul or Fame Could Vertue been but Proof against Death's Arms Th'adst stood unvanquisht by these Harms Safe in a Circle made by thy own Charms Fond Pleasure whose soft Magick oft beguiles Raw unexperienc'd Souls And with smooth Flattery cajoles Could ne'er ensnare thee with her Wiles Or make thee Captive to her soothing Smiles In vain that Pimp of Vice assay'd to please In hope to draw thee to its rude Embrace Thy Prudence still that Syren past Without being pinion'd to the Mast All its Attempts were ineffectual found Heaven senc'd thy heart with its own Mound And forc'd the Tempter still from that forbidden Ground XXVII The mad Capricio's
Tapers near their Fall When their own Lustre lights their Funeral Contract their Strength into one brighter Fire And in that Blaze triumphantly expire So the bright Globe that rules the Skies Tho' he guild Heav'n with a glorious Rise Reserves his choicest Beams to grace his Set And then he looks most great And then in greatest Splendor dies XXXVI Thou sharpest pains didst with that Courage bear And still thy Looks so unconcern'd didst wear Beholders seem'd more indispos'd than thee For they were sick in Effigie Like some well-fashion'd Arch thy Patience stood And purchas'd Firmness from its greater Load Those Shapes of Torture which to view in Paint Would make another faint Thou could'st endure in true Reality And feel what some could hardly bear to see Those Indians who their Kings by Torture chose Subjecting all the Royal Issue to that Test Could ne'er thy Sway refuse If he deserves to reign that suffers best Had those fierce Savages thy Patience view'd thou 'dst claim'd their Choice alone They with a Crown had paid thy Fortitude And turn'd thy Death bed to a Throne XXXVII All those Heroick Pieties Whose Zeal to Truth made them its Sacrifice Those nobler Scaevola's whose holy Rage Did their whole selves in cruel Flames engage Who did amidst their Force unmov'd appear As if those Fires but lambent were Or they had found their Empyreum there Might these repeat again their Days beneath They 'd seen their Fates out-acted by a natural Death And each of them to thee resign his Wreath In spite of Weakness and harsh Destiny To relish Torment and enjoy a Misery So to caress a Doom As make its Sufferings Delights become So to triumph o'er Sense and thy Disease As amongst Pains to revel in soft Ease These wonders did thy Vertues worth enhance And Sickness to dry Martyrdom advance XXXVIII Yet could not all these Miracles stern Fate avert Or make 't withold the Dart. Only she paus'd a while with Wonder strook A while she doubted if that Destiny was thine And turned o'er again the dreadful Book And hop'd she had mistook And wish'd she might have cut another Line But dire Necessity Soon cry'd 't was thee And bad her give the fatal Blow Strait she obeys and strait the vital Powers grow Too weak to grapple with a stronger Foe And now the feeble Strife forgo Life's sap'd Foundation every Moment sinks And every Breath to lesser compass shrinks Last panting Gasps grow weaker each Rebound Like the faint Tremblings of a dying Sound And doubtful Twilight hovers o'er the Light Ready to usher in Eternal Night XXXIX Yet heré thy Courage taught thee to out-brave All the slight Horrors of the Grave Pale Death's Arrest Ne'er shock'd thy Breast Nor could it in the dreadfulst Figure drest That ugly Skeleton may guilty Spirits daunt When the dire Ghosts of Crimes departed haunt Arm'd with bold Innocence thou couldst that Mormo dare And on the bare-fac'd King of Terrors stare As free from all Effects as from the Cause of Fear Thy Soul so willing from thy Body went As if both parted by Consent No Murmur no Complaining no Delay Only a Sigh a Groan and so away Death seem'd to glide with Pleasure in As if in this Sense too 't had lost her Sting Like some well-acted Comedy Life swiftly past And ended just so still and sweet at last Thou like its Actors seem'dst in borrow'd Habit here And couldst as easily beneath As they do that put off Mortality Thou breathedst out thy Soul as free as common Breath As unconcern'd as they are in a feigned Death XL. Go happy Soul ascend the joyful Sky Joyful to shine with thy bright Company Go mount the spangled Sphere And make it brighter by another Star Yet stop not there till thou advance yet higher Till thou art swallow'd quite In the vast unexhausted Ocean of Delight Delight which there alone in its true Essence is Where Saints keep an eternal Carnival of Bliss Where the Regalio's of refined Joy Which fill but never cloy Where Pleasures ever growing ever new Immortal as thy self and boundless too There may'st thou learned by Compendium grow For which in vain below We so much time and so much pains bestow There may'st thou all Idaea's see All wonders which in Knowledge be In that fair beatifick mirror of the Deity XLI Mean while thy Body mourns in its own Dust And puts on Sables for its tender Trust. Tho' dead it yet retains some untoucht Grace Wherein we may thy Soul 's fair Foot-steps trace Which no Disease can frighten from its wonted place E'en its Deformities do thee become And only serve to consecrate thy Doom Those marks of Death which did its Surface stain Now hallow not profane Each Spot does toa Ruby turn What soil'd but now would now adornâ—… Those Asterisks plac'd in the Margin of thy Skin Point out the nobler Soul that dwelt within Thy lesser like the greater World appears All over bright all over stuck with Stars So Indian Luxury when it would be trim Hangs Pearls on every Limb. Thus amongst ancient Picts Nobility In Blemishes did lie Each by his Spots more honourable grew And from their Store a greater Value drew Their Kings were known by th' Royal Stains they bore And in their Skins their Ermin wore LXII Thy Blood where Death triumph'd in greatest State Whose Purple seem'd the Badge of Tyrant-Fate And all thy Body o'er Its ruling Colours bore That which infected with the noxious Ill But lately help'd to kill Whos 's Circulation fatal grew And thro' each part a swifter Ruin threw Now conscious it s own Murther would arraign And throngs to sally out at every Vein Each Dropa redder than its native Dye puts on As if in its own Blushes 't would its Guilt atone A sacred Rubric does thy Carcass paint And Death in every Member writes thee Saint So Phoebus cloaths his dying Rays each Night And blushes he can live no longer to give Light LXIII Let Fools whose dying Fame requires to have Like their own Carcasses a Grave Let them with vain Expence adorn Some costly Urn Which shortly like themselves to Dust shall turn Here lacks no Carian Sepulchre Which Ruin shall e'er long in its own Tomb interr No fond AEgyptian Fabric built so high As if 't would climb the Sky And thence reach Immortality Thy Vertues shall embalm thy Name And make it lasting as the Breath of Fame When frailer Brass Shall moulder by a quick Decrease When brittle Marble shall decay And to the Jaws of Time become a Prey Thy Praise shall live when Graves shall buried lie Till Time it self shall die And yield its triple Empire to Eternity To the Memory of that worthy Gentleman Mr. Harman Atwood PINDARIQUE I. No I 'll no more repine at Destiny Now we poor common Mortals are content to die When thee blest Saint we cold and breathless see Thee who if ought that 's great and brave Ought that is excellent might save