Band of all Society is broke What use of Oaths of Promise or of Test Where Men regard no God but Interest What endless War would jealous Nations tear â—f none above did witness what they swear Sad Fate of Unbelievers and yet just Among themselves to find so little trust Were Scripture silent Nature would proclaim Without a God our falshood and our shame To know our Thoughts the Object of his Eyes Is the first step towards being good or wise For thô with Judgment we on things reflect Our Will determines not our Intellect Slaves to their Passion Reason men employ Only to compass what they would enjoy His fear to guard us from our selves we need And sacred Writ our Reason do's exceed For the Heaven shows the Glory of the Lord Yet something shines more Glorious in his Word His mercy this which all his work excels His tender kindness and compassion tells While we inform'd by that Celestial Book Into the Bowels of our Maker look Love there reveal'd which never shall have end Nor had beginning shall our Song commend Describe it self and warm us 〈◊〉 that flame Which first from Heav'n to make us Happy came CANTO II. THE fear of Hell or aiming to be Blest Savours too much of private Interest This mov'd not Moses nor the zealous Paul Who for their Friends abandon'd Soul and all A greater yet from Heav'n to Hell descends To save and make his Enemies his Friends What line of Praise can fathom such a Love Which reacht the lowest bottom from above The Royal Prophet that extended Grace From Heav'n to earth measur'd but half that space The Law was regnant and confin'd his thoughâ— â—ell was not conquer'd when that Poet 〈◊〉 Heav'n was â—earce heard of until be came down To make the Region where Love triumphs known That early Love of Creatures yet unmade To â—â—ame the World th' Almighty did perswade For Love it was that first created Light Mov'd on the Waters chaâ—'d away the Night From the rude Chaos and bestow'd new Grace On things dispos'd of to their proper place Some to rest here and some to shine above Earth Sea and Heav'n were all th' Effects of Love And Love would be reâ—urn'd but there was none That to themselves or others yet were known The World a Palace was without a Guest Till one appears that must excel she rest One like the Author whose Capacious mind Might by the Glorious Work the Maker find Might measure Heaven and give each Star a name With Art and Courage the rough 〈…〉 Over the Globe with swelling Sails might go And that 't is round by his experience know Make strongest Beasts obedient to his Will And serve his use the fertile Earth to Till When by his Word God had accomplisht all Man to Create he did a Council call Imploy'd his Hand to give the Dust he took A graceful Figure and Majestick Look With his own Breath convey'd into his Breast Life and a Soul fit to command the rest Worthy alone to Celebrate his Name For such a Gift and tell from whence it came Birds sing his Praises in a wilder Note But not with lasting numbers and with thought Man's great Prerogative But above all His Grace abounds in his new Favorites fall If he Create it is a World he makes â—f he be ang'ry the Creation shakes From his just wrath our guilty Parents fled He curs't the Earth but bruis'd the Serpent's head Amidst the Storm his Bounty did exceed In the rich promise of the Virgins seed Thô Justice death as satisfaction craves Love finds a way to pluck us from our Graves CANTO III. NOT willing Terror should his Image move He gives a Pattern of Eternal Love His Son descends to treat a Peace with those Which were and must have ever been his Foes Poor he became and left his Glorious Seat To make us humble and to make us great His business here was happiness to give To those whose Malice could not let him live Legions of Angels which he might have us'd For us resolv'd to perish he refus'd While they stood ready to prevent his Loss Love took him up and nail'd him to the Cross Immortal Love which in his Bowels reign'd That we might be by such a Love constrain'd To make return of Love upon this Pole Our Duty does and our Religion rowle To Love is to believe to hope to know 'T is an Essay a taste of Heav'n below He to proud Potentates would not be known Of those that lov'd him he was hid from none Till Love appear we live in anxious doubt But Smoke will vanish when that Flame breaks out This is the Fire that would consume our Dross Reâ—ine and make us richer by the Loss Could we forbear Dispute and practise Love We should agree as Angels do above Where Love presides not Vice alone does find No Entrance there but Vertues stay behind Both Faith and Hope and all the meaner train Of moral Vertues at the door remain Love only enters as a Native there For born in Heav'n it do's but sojourn here He that alone would wise and mighty be Commands that others Love as well as he Love as he Lov'd how can we soar so high He can add wings when he commands to flie Nor should we be with this Command dismay'd He that Example gives will give his Aid For he took flesh that where his Precepts fail His Practice as a Pattern may prevail His Love at once and Dread instructs our thought As Man he suffer'd and as God he taught Will for the Deed he takes we may with ease Obedient be for if we Love we please Weak thô we are to Love is no hard task And Love for Love is all that Heav'n do's ask Love that would all men just and temperate make Kind to themselves and others for his sake 'T is with our Minds as with a fertile ground Wanting this Love they must with Weeds abound Unruly Passions whose effects are worse Than Thorns and Thistles springing from the curse CANTO IV. TO Glory Man or Misery is born Of his proud Foe the Envy or the Scorn Wretched he is or happy in Extreme Base in himself but great in Heav'ns esteem With Love of all created things the best Without it more pernicious than the rest For greedy Wolves ungâ—arded Sheep devour But while their hunger lasts and then give or'e Man 's boundless Avarice his want exceeds And on his Neighbors round about him feeds His Pride and vain Ambition are so vast That Delugeâ—like they lay whole Nations wast Debauches and Excess thô with less noise As great a portion of Mankind destroys The Beasts and Monsters Hercules opprest Might in that Age some Provinces infest These more deâ—â—ructive Monsters are the Bane Of ev'ry Age and in all Nations reign But soon would vanish if the World were blest With Sacred Love by which they are represt Impendent death and guilt that threatens Hell Are dreadful guests which here with Mortals
Prodigy The water consecrate for Sacrisice Appears all black to her amazed eyeâ— The Wine to putrid Bloud converted flows Which from her none not her own sister knows Besides there stood as sacred to her Lord A marble Temple which she much ador'd With snowy Fleeces and fresh Garlands crown'd Hence every night proceeds a dreadful sound Her Husband 's voice invites her to his Tomb And dismal Owls presage the ills to come Besides the Prophesies of Wizards old Increast her terror and her fall forâ—told Scorn'd and deserted to her self she seems And finds Aeneas cruel in her dreams So to mad Pentheus double Thebes appears And Furies howl in his distempered ears Orestes so with like distraction toft Is made to flie his Mothers angry ghost Now grief and fury at their height arrive Death she decreâ—s and thus does it contrive Her grieved Sister with a chearful grace Hope well-dislembled shining in her face She thus deceives Dear Sister let us prove The Cure I have invented for my Love Beyond the Land of Aethiâ—pia lies The place where Atlas does support the Shies Hence came an old Magician that did keep Th' Hesperian Fruit and made the Dragon sleeps Her potent Charms do troubled Souls relieve And where she lists makes calmest minds to grieve The course of Rivers or of Heaven can stop And call Trees down from th' airy Mountains 〈◊〉 Witness ye Gods and thou my deatest part How loth I am to tempt this guilty Art Erect a Pile and on it let us place That Bed where I my ruine did embrace With all the reliques of our impious Guest Arms Spoils and Prâ—sents let the Pilâ— be 〈◊〉 The knowing-woman thus prescribes that we May 〈◊〉 the Man out of our 〈◊〉 Thus speaks the Queen but hides the fatal end For which she doth those sacred 〈◊〉 pretend Nor worse effects of Grief her Sister thought Would 〈…〉 murder wronghs Therefore obeys 〈◊〉 and now 〈◊〉 high The 〈◊〉 Oaks 〈…〉 Hung all with wreaths and 〈◊〉 garlands round So by her Self was her own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Upon the top the Trojan's Image lies And his sharp Sword where with anon the dies They by the Altar stand while with loose hair The Magick Propheress begins her Prayer On Chao's Eâ—ebus and all the Gods Which in the infernal shades have their abodes She loudly calls besprinkling all the Room With drops suppoâ—'d from Lâ—thes Lake to come She seeks the 〈◊〉 which on the forehead grows Of new-foal'd Colâ—â— and heâ—bs by moon-light mows A Cake of Leaven in her pions hands Holds the devoted Queen and barefoot stands One tender Foot was bare the other 〈◊〉 Her Robe ungiâ—â— invoking every God And every Power if any be above Which takes 〈…〉 Love Now was the tiâ—e when weary Mortals steep Theâ—â— careful Temples in the dew of sleep On Seas on Earth and all that in them dwell A death like quiet and deep silence fell But not on Dido whose untamed mind Refus'd to be by sacred night confin'd A double passion in her breast does move Love and fierce anger for neglected Love Thus she afficts her Soul What shall I do With Fate inverted shall I humbly wooe And some proud Prince in wild Numidiâ— born Pray to accept me and forget my scorn Or shall I with th' ungrateful Trojan go Quit all my State and wait upon my Foe Is not enough by sad experience known The perjur'd Race of false Lâ—oinedon With my Sidoniâ—â—i shall I give them chace Bands hardly forâ—ed from their native place No dye and let this Sword thy fury tame Nought but thy bloud can quenâ—h this guilty flame Ah Sister vanquisht with my passion thou Betrayd'st me first dispensing with my vow Had I been constant to Sycbaeus still And single-liv'd I had not known this ill Such thoughts torment the Queens inraged breast While the Dardaniâ—n does securely rest In his tall ship for sudden flight prepar'd To whom once more the Son of Iove appearâ—d Thus seems to speak the youthful Deity Voice Hair and Colour all like Mercury Fair 〈◊〉 Canst thou indulge thy sleep Nor better guard in such great danger keep Mad by neglect to lose so fair a wind If here thy ships the purple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt behold this hostile Harbor shine With a new Fleet and Fire to ruine thine She meditates Revenge resolv'd to dye Weigh Anchor quickly and her Fury flie This said the God in shades of Night retir'd Amaz'd Aeneas with the warning fir'd Shakes off dull sleep and rouzing up his men Behold the Gods command our flight agen Fall to your Oars and all your Canvas spread What God soe're that thus vouchsaf'st to lead We follow gladly and thy Will obey Assist us still smoothing our happy way And make the rest propitious With that word He cuts the Cable with his shining Sword Through all the Navy doth like Ardor reign They quit the Shore and rush into the Main Plac't on their banks the lusty Trojans sweep Neptune's smooth face and cleave the yielding deeps Of a War with Spain and a Fight at Sea Now for some Ages had the pride of Spain Made the Sun shine on half the world in vain While she bid War to all that durst supply The place of those her cruelty made dye Of Nature's bounty men forbore to taste And the best portion of the Earth lay waste From the new world her silver and her gold Came like a Tempest to confound the old Feeding with these the brib'd Elector's hopes Alone she gave us Emperors and Popes With these accomplishing her vast designs Enrope was shaken with her Indian Mines When Britain looking with a just disdain Upon this gilded Majesty of Spain And knowing well that Empire must decline Whose chief support and sinews are of coin Our Nations solid vertue did oppose To the rich troublers of the worlds repose And now some Months incamping on the Main Our Naval Army had besieged Spain They that the whole world's Monarchy design'd Are to their Ports by our bold Fleet confin'd From whence our Red-cross they triumphant see Riding without a Rival on the Sea Others may use the Ocean as their Road Only the English make it their aboad Whose ready Sails with every wind can flie And make a Cov'nant with th' unconstant Skie Our Oaks secure as if they there took root We tread on billows with a steady foot Mean while the Spaniards in America Near to the Line the Sun approaching saw And hop'd their European Coasts to sind Clear'd from our ships by the Autumnal wind Their huge capacious Gallions stuft with Plate The lab'ring winds drive slowly towards their â—ate Before St. Lucar they their Guns discharge To tell their joy or to invite a Barge This heard some Ships of ours though out of view And swift as Eagles to the Quarry â—lew So heedless Lambs which for their Mothers bleat Wake hungry Lions and become their meat Arriv'd they soon begin that Tragique play And with their smoaky Cannons banish day Night
not him but us that yield it raise For as that Angel up to Heav'n did rise Born on the Flame of Manoah's Sacrifice â—o wing'd with Praise we penetrate the Sky Teach Clouds and Stars to praise him as we fly The whole Creation by our Fall made groan â—â—is Praise to Eccho and suspend their Moan For that he Reigns all Creatures should rejoice And we with Songs supply their want of voice The Church Triumphant and the Church below In Songs of Praise their present Union show Their Joys are full our Expectation long In Life we differ but we join in Song Angels and we assisted by this Art May Sing together thô we dwell apart Thus we reach Heav'n while vainer Poems must No higher rise than Winds may lift the Dust. From that they spring this from his breath that gave To the first Dust th ' Immortal Soul we have His Praise well sung our great endeavor here Shakes off the Dust and makes that breath appear CANTO II. HE that did first this way of Writing grace Converst with the Almighty face to face Wonders he did in Sacred Verse unfold When he had more than Eighty Winters told The Writer feels no dire effects of Age Nor Verse that flows from so Divine a Rage Eldest of Poets he beheld the Light When first it triumph'd 'ore eternal Night Chaos he saw and could distinctly tell How that Confusion into Order fell As if consulted with he has exprest The Work of the Creator and his Rest. How the floud drown'd the first offending Race Which might the Figure of our Globe deface For new made Earth so even and so fair Less equal now uncertain makes the Air Surpriz'd with heat and unexpected cold Early distempers make our Youth look old Our Days so evil and so few may tell That on the ruines of that World we dwell Strong as the Oaks that nourish't them and high That long-liv'd Race did on their force rely Neglecting Heav'n but we of shorter date Should be more mindful of impendent Fate To Worms that crawl upon this Rubbish here This Span of Life may yet too long appear Enough to humble and to make us great If it prepare us for a Nobler Seat Which well observing he in Numerous Lines Taught wretched Man how fast his Life declines In whom he dwelt before the World was made And may again retire when that shall fade The lasting Iliads have not liv'd so long As his and Deborah's triumphant Song Delphos unknown no Muse could them inspiâ—e But that which governs the Coelestial Quire Heav'n to the Pious did this Art reveal And from their store succeeding Poets steal Homer's Scamander for the Trojans faught And swell'd so high by her old Kishbon taught His River scarce could fierce Achilles stay Hers more successful swept her Foes away The Host of Heav'n his Phâ—ebus and his Mars He Arms instructed by her â—ighting Stars She led them all against the Common Foe But he misled by what he saw below The Powers above like wretched Men divides And breaks their Union into different â—ides The Noblest parts which in his Hero's shine May be but Copies of that Heroine Hoâ—â— himself and Agamemnon she The Writer could and the Commander be Truth she relates in a sublimer strain Than all the Tales the boldest Greek could feign For what she sung that Spirit did indite Which gave her courage and success in fight A double Garland crowns the matchless Dame From Heav'n her Poem and her Conquest came Thô of the Iews she merit most esteem Yet here the Christian has the greater Theme Her martial Song describes how Sisera fell This sings our Triumph over Death and Hell The rising Light employ'd the sacred breath Of the blest Virgin and Elizabeth In Songs of Joy the Angels sung his Birth Here how he treated was upon the Earth Trembling we read th' Affliction and the Scorn Which for our Guilt so patiently was born 〈…〉 and Suffering all belong Thô 〈…〉 to one Coelestial Song And 〈…〉 using so divine an Art Has in this Conâ—ort sung the Tragick part As Hannâ—h's Seed was vow'd to sacred use So here this Lady consecrates her Muse. With like Reward may Heav'n her Bed adorn With Fruit as fair as by her Muse is born Of the Paraphrase on the Lords Prayer Written by Mrs. Wharton SIlence you Winds listen Etherial Lights While our Vrania sings what Heav'n indites The Numbers are the Nymphs but from above Descends the Pledge of that Eternal Love Here wretched Mortals have not leave alone But are instructed to approach his Throne And how can he to miserable Men Deny Requests which his own Hand did Pen In the Evangelists we find the Prose Which Paraphras'd by her a Poem grows A devout Rapture so divine a Hymn It may become the highest Seraphim For they like her in that Coelestial Quire Sing only what the Spirit does inspire Taught by our Lord and theirs with us they may For all but pardon for Offences pray Some Reflections of his upon the several Petitions in the same Prayer I. HIS Sacred Name with reverence profound Should mention'd be and trembling at the sound It was Iehovah 't is our Father now So low to us does Heav'n vouchsafe to bow Psal. 18. 9. He brought it down that taught us how to pray And did so dearly for our Ransom pay II. His Kingdom come For this we pray in vain Unless he does in our affections raign Absurd it were to wish for such a King And not Obedience to his Scepâ—or bring Whose Yoke is easy and his Burthen light His Service Freedom and his Judgments right IIâ— His Will be done In Fact 't is always done But as in Heav'n it must be made our own His Will should all our Inclinations sway Whom Nature and the Universe obey Happy the Man whose Wishes are confin'd To what has been Eternally design'd Referring all to his Paternal care To whom more dear than to our selves we are IV. It is not what our Avarice hoards up 'T is he that feeds us and that fills our Cup Like new-born Babes depending on the Brest From day to day we on his Bounty Feast Nor should the Soul expect above a day To dwell in her frail Tenement of Clay The setting Sun should seem to bound our Race And the new day a gift of special Grace V. That he should all our Trespasses forgive While we in hatred with our Neighbours live Though so to pray may seem an easy task We curse our selves when thus inclin'd we ask This Prayer to use we ought with equal care Our Souls as to the Sacrament prepare The Noblest Worship of the Power above Iâ— to extoll and imitate his Love Not to Forgive our Enemies alone But use our Bounty that they may be won VI. Guard us from all Temptations of the Foe And those we may in several stations know The Rich and Poor in slippery places stand Give us enough but with a sparing Hand Not ill-persuading