The ancient Nomades were these Rapperies The Sun doth Vapors from their Swamps exhale But still their weight doth o're his Beams prevail Too heavy for his Chariot to bear He 's forc'd to drop them in the Atmosphere With their moist Fleeces it is always full And this Baeotian Air doth make them dull So that betwixt two constant Plagues they move Morasse below and weeping Clouds above To pierce the dark Retreats where they did lurk Before was Labour 't was the mighty Work A kind protecting Shrub they shrunk behind 'T was easier to Conquer them than to find Nay on the Surface they were rarely found They liv'd like Troglodites all under-ground To kill them scarce a Triumph doth afford Ignoble Blood pollutes the Victor's Sword So great Aemilius Perseus did despise And when he Kneel'd in scorn he bid him rise With too much ease he did the Glory reap His Baseness made the Victory too cheap The knotty Oak is worthy of the Wedge The passive Willow only dulls the Edge Now paint two fierce Competitors for Fame Vers'd in the Sleights of this inhumane Game If thy ingenious Art can fix a Sound Eccho which doth in hollow Vaults rebound Draw the Upbraidings which they first do throw And them they urge with a Reprisal-blow The velitary Skirmish is with Words But the Triarian Weapons are their Swords The Knot is cut which could not be unty'd The Rivals fall by one another's side He doth himself with his Revenge confound Stabs but his Purple Soul leaves in the Wound That and the Body are at mutual strife When Death approacheth the Frontiers of Life How to elude its Force it cannot tell It must evacuate the Cittadel Death takes possession of the batter'd place Slights all the Lines and doth the Works deface Martial Encounters they are glad to see Disease is an unequal Enemy Tho' this thro' all the Field did strike a damp It was a Charnel-house and not a Camp Here he his Court like Eastern Monarchs keeps He Triumphs in the midst of slaughter'd Heaps Old Masinissa in a Rage doth cry Let my brave Souldiers Fight before they Dye No Mortal yet that Skeleton withstood Nothing can Conquer them that 's Flesh and Blood He scarce from Execrations can refrain Demands of Death his Legions back again Their Veins did with distemper'd Pulses beat Blood that was kindled with the Summer's heat Now in the streightned Passages it swells Like to proud Monks within their narrow Cells Is clog'd with Heterogeneous Particles They like a Friend do not a Visit make But like rude Tartars do Free-quarter take For there they fix a riotous Abode The stream of Life with forreign Mixtures load Upon it they do violent Torments lay And force it with themselves to come away Now like Autumnal Wine it doth ferment But its Impurities not having vent Unto the sharp Intestines they are sent There thro' the Arteries they find open Dores Whilst the dull Air doth Constipate the Pores Tortion the Nervous Fibres doth molest The Carneous with Convulsive throws opprest These racking Pains the Patient waking keep And all their Opiates can't procure him Sleep In vain their Stiptick Remedies they put They can't the Mouths of gaping Vessels shut His Spirits quite decay'd he weltring lies And when the Blood is all drain'd out he Dies Now the Clinquant and well-drest Volunteer Wisheth for Armour and begins to fear Death is a frightful Spectacle when near He scorns to fight for Mercenary pay But gratis comes to throw his Life away He is distinguish'd by his gawdy Plumes His Fortune all in Equipage consumes And the Pursuers trace him by Perfumes They at his Face their murd'ring Piles do hurl They storm his Locks and put them out of Curl A Crimson Wound into his Bosome flies And pierceth deeper than Corinna's Eyes Nay in Ritratto her it doth deface It breaks her Image in a Chrystal Case With Lockets of her Chesnut-hair 't is set But for her Lover a weak Amulet For against Fate it can't his Breast defend In Death we are forsaken by our Friend This doth so fast unto the Fortress climb To write a Billet doux he hath not time With his last Sigh he doth invoke her Name And now is Martyr'd in a fiercer Flame Before he only had a modish Blot But now he is all o're a Powder-spot The Palpitations of his Heart doth quell Ah Lycidas Poor Lycidas thus fell Shomberg doth now his ancient Prowess show His Courage stagnated begins to flow He prodigal of Wounds doth now repay With Usury his Phlegmatick delay So Hannibal did the Cunctator dread He like a Tempest hover'd o're his Head He always did suspect that hanging Shower Would fall at last and like a Torrent pour Altho' it look'd so quiet on the Hill It did the Fields with Inundations fill He in the World had tarried now so late He seem'd indulg'd as an exempt of Fate His reverend Hairs the Assassines should surprise As they were daunted once with Marius Eyes In those black Orbs Intelligences rowl They are the polisht Mirrors of the Soul The Gauls in their Pursuits relentless are And Age their Ancestors did never spare That they the Gates were enter'd when they heard The Senate to the Capitol repair'd And there like Romans did expect their Fate They sate like Gods and they would dye in State But they were worry'd by a savage Herd And the rude Souldier pluckt the Conscript Beard They all things had of Age but panick Fears In them were ruin'd Centuries of Years Against Posterity it was a Crime To kill these living Registers of Time Brennus sack'd Rome with more than barbarous Rage He was the cruel Boufflers of his Age Boufflers His Birth strange Prodigies did attend The Mischiefs he should act they did portend He hath fulfill'd all his foreboding Stars With Murthers Rapines and Piratick Wars With Fire and Sword whole Provinces he clears He 's fann'd with Sighs and swims in Orphans Tears A Mormoe to the Cradle is become Strangling a future World too in the Womb In dread of him the trembling Infant grows And Mothers Curse him with abortive throws Dying he will not for his Vengeance call And have the World's accompany his Fall Heaven mixt with Earth the Monster might survive But he will see it Ruin'd whilst alive They to the Work the Instrument did suit Their bloody Edicts fit to execute For thither savage Men their Course direct And them they do Employ or else Protect The proud Tarquinius was expell'd from Rome The place where now Apostate Princes come And here a Convert lately did reside And to the grief of all her Minions Dy'd A train of Favourites did to her belong Cherish'd the Learned but much more the Strong She to indulge her Passions hither came When her cold Country could not quench her flame Fresh Conquests over Italy did obtain She brought her Goths and Vandals there again Those formerly did like a Tempest spread But these were soft and more
peculiar Work of Heaven Men are debas'd with very course allay Theirs is a delicate a China Clay They defaecated are from spurious Dross The Texture soft and beautiful the Gloss As when the Horizon doth begin to clear To those who have been Darken'd half the Year When it doth gradually improve to Day And the saint Beam becomes a pointed Ray The amazing Splendor doth at first surprise But after doth refresh their longing Eyes Nay that which we less North-ward never saw Discourse congeal'd with solid Ice doth thaw For Cold doth all their Syllables condense Transparent Words they have and Chrystal Sense But when the Sun's Meridian Heat is felt They all into their proper Idioms melt Olaus Magnus doth this Story tell Or else John Struys Le Blanc or Mandeville So till your Monarch MADAM hither came We scarce were kindled with a vital Flame But then a new Creation did appear And a fresh Colour in our Hemisphere We with loud Accents did proclaim our Wrongs For his kind Influence did unloose our Tongues A Blemish on our humane Nature lies That we a candid Temper do despise Whilst the ill-humour'd Wretch is counted wise An Horror strikes with his mysterious looks As dark and false as are the Sybills Books And when he opens trivial Things are spoke Only that vilest sort of Wit a Joke As Monsters never have an easy Birth There is Austerity in his very Mirth On a calm River unconcern'd we slide But startle at the roughness of the Tide We are surpris'd our Joy proclaim aloud When only Strictures issue from the Cloud When his stiff Wrinkles do grow supple then 'T is to oblige himself not other Men So peevish is his Mind is so diseas'd You watch his Minutes when he will be pleas'd For being surly they to Honors rise And want of Breeding all their Merit is Either they are capricious or severe And they prefer them purely out of Fear The World 's so intricate and so untrue To pass its Labyrinths we want a Clow If Corydon had but the secret knew He hath spun out his Melancholy Years Betwixt deluding Hopes and certain Fears Hath been deceiv'd by Consecrated Wiles By Frowns affronted and betray'd by Smiles We of an open Enemy can beware But Saint-ship is an unavoided Snare He to his Head did arrogate a Ray And this false Glory made him lose his way Did prosecute too much the Thinking Trade The place indulg'd him with too great a Shade If he had left it soon or never seen Competently Happy he perhaps had been But the Supplanter's fallen from his Sphere He ne're deserv'd to be promoted there He was reflected in a treacherous Light The Bigot did conceal the Hypocrite All his Asceticks strictly he did want His Fancy else would grow luxuriant Living despise his sanctify'd Grimace When Dead thy Blood shall spurt into his Face Good-Nature always hath a kindly heat It keeps the Mass of the Creation sweet All distrest Objects his Compassion move Forgives his Enemy his Friend doth love Avoids excess in Sorrow and in Joys His Mind is steddy with an equal poise He is not querulous won't for Trifles fight Censure when undeserv'd doth nobly slight His Humour disengag'd his Carriage free He o're the weak cannot Insulting be It is unjust to Droll upon a Fool When the Philosophers may go to School And looking down they the Abyss do dread Beyond the reach of all their probing Lead Scarce of one Argument we know the force Yet the least Knowing with most warmth Discourse Are still prescribing Magisterial Laws And with a shake sollicite for Applause What should in humane Nature kindle Pride Yet Changlings one another we deride Madness deserves our Pity not our Blame The Soul is shock'd and Organs out of frame Counsel corrects the wild Extravagant And we with doles of Bounty succor Want But nothing comforts a Soul deeply griev'd That sad Condition cannot be reliev'd But he unbiass'd to the World is kind An Halcyon Benignity of Mind This Character my Muse in Sketches drew But MADAM the true Protraicture is You There 's a Balsamick Virtue in your Blood Which makes the Customs of your Life so good Of easy and Familiar Access You with Impartial Beams your Subjects Bless The meanest in your condescensions share All your Deportments so obliging are There 's a Majestick Sweetness in your Meen Nature design'd and Fortune crown'd You Queen The Peoples Darling as You were their Choice Heaven did applaud your Unction with their Voice Your very Enemies assert your Right Them to your Cause your Looks do proselyte Each Glance doth charm and every Smile engage Attracts Affection and disarms their Rage If to attempt your Life a Plotter came Horror would seise him an uncommon shame He could not violate so bright a Frame Heaven doth its Ministers about You place They seem but the reflections of your Face They stop the passages with bars of Light And the Prophane prohibit from your Sight With heap'd Designs if they should dare to storm You strike them dead with your Angelick Form A Matron did a Tax to * The Fourth Edward bring Who was a Brave and very Handsome King The Jolly Monarch in her Arms she took Nothing could be deny'd to such a Look So what we pay and all that we can do Is but a Tribute to your Beauty duo Your Courage MADAM is in-laid with Wit That a Rich Metal this enamels it The Noble Guests do in one Mansion dwell The purest Gold is still most flexible Objects of such transcendent Excellence With too intense a Beam confound the Sense Some great Allay should interpose between As the Malteses Spectacles are green For with white Earth their Countrey is so bright The darted Atomes overcome the Sight Your Tongue attracts the Hearer but your Eyes Approaches too intruding do chastise But like a Friend with Sweetness they Reprove And we the Charming Reprimander love Unto the Wound they make the Cure do bring The Hybla-sweetness expiates for the Sting So in Zenobia Palmyra's Queen Valour and Ingenuity were seen In Person she her thick Battalions led Like Pallas born out of the Thunderer's Head She with fierce On-sets did the Romans vex Yet still retain'd the Softness of her Sex Warlike but could in gentle Accents speak Her Odenat taught her Arms Longinus Greek And these two Qualities in that Language meet Altho' 't is very lofty yet 't is sweet Th' Illustrious Princess beautifies your side A pregnant Mother and a faithful Bride They a conspicuous Example give To all the World how wedded pairs should live A Friendship 't is to a great height refin'd Happy we cannot be unless we 're kind For the Ill-natur'd do themselves devour Their Blood is tainted all their Juices sower We 're not so far discourag'd to Despair But that You still will Bless us with an Heir A Young Ascanius is the People's Prayer You shall have true not personated Groans The Cargo for the stay
it made atones Tho' the Rich Carrack peevish Winds detain It makes a Recompense with treble Gain Groans did I say You shall bring forth with Ease The Birth as soft as what it gives us Peace If Heaven our servent wishes doth defeat As still our Happiness is incompleat The Fruitful Princess shall the Throne supply And in her Off-spring You shall never die This Lewis to the World was slowly sent Inflicted on it as a Punishment Tho' the French say He was Heaven's Complement A fatal Present to the World was made By whom it hath been ruin'd and betray'd For he a Publick Mischief is become In his Conception he was troublesome His Mother tortur'd with unusual pain Did of the Conflicts of her Womb complain The struggling Burden could not quiet keep Oppress'd her waking did distract her sleep She with her startings did her Ladies tire And in her Midnight-Dreams she scream'd out Fire Myriades of Ghosts did in her Fancy rise With gaping wounds did glide before her Eyes Heard Imprecations mix'd with doleful Cries Starv'd Nurses with their murder'd Infants came And Ruines glowing with a sullen Flame Swords hung impending and before her stood An ample Vessel fill'd with reeking Blood She thought she saw a cruel Monster dead And in the Purple-stream a floating head Heaven should its marks of Vengeance on him place A Fire-brand should be stamp'd upon his Face That with this Signature they him might flie Seleucus had an Anchor on his Thigh To carry on his barbarous Designs Makes a vile Peace with the false Algerines The Christian Princes should united be T' attack their Mole and throw them in the Sea This Nest of Pyrats sink demolish Rome They both are Scandals unto Christendome An Emissary is a Privateer Comes smoothly on and doth false Colours wear He like a Proteus doth himself disguise Till he has ta'â—e and carry'd off the Prize A Congregation doth promote this Trade It is an Office for such Converts made * The Fifth Charles their Reduction once did undertake But Fortune did the Brave Attempt forsake To blow up Tempests they a Witch did hire The conjur'd Winds against him did conspire Their Legs the reeling Bodies can't sustain They were beat down with mighty drops of Rain The forreign Clouds came gathering from afar Did with Auxiliary Showers maintain the War It was a Deluge Perpendicular Darkness so thick at randome they did slay They stumbled o're the Bodies in their way Flashes of Lightning only made the Day Aurora would not now a Smile bestow Her ancient Favourites she would not know Tho' in their Country they do her enjoy She now is sullen and her Beams are coy The tender Emporor his Captives saves Throws over all the Horse retain'd the Slaves There they Curvetteâ— are foaming like the Waves Luxuriant Mangers did these Coursers feed Were of the sprightly Andaluzian Breed Unmov'd with Danger nothing doth them shock They 'll tread upon the Summitte of a Rock Sure-footed stand within an Inch of Death And Neighing scorn the Precipice beneath These are employ'd in a much milder sport When Cavalleros the Ventana Court Where the Donzella sees her Lover ride Admires the Trappings and his Horse's Pride When from her hands he doth a Favour begg Perfumes him with an Orange-water Egg The Ginnetts do no better usage find Altho' they were begotten of the Wind The Sea they with their floating Bodies fill The cruel Parents did their Off-spring kill When Charles these terrible Disasters knew From the unequal Combat he withdrew Thousands of Drown'd and Slain he left behind And every thing was Conquer'd but His Mind At Rome with more Success he did prevail In seconding his Fortune yet did fail Being work'd upon by a relenting Tear Let loose his Triple-headed Prisoner From the great Undertaking Bourbon falls For he was kill'd in storming of the Walls The Curtezans their Interest employ'd That the young Cardinals should not be destroy'd But he did from his Victory desist Carry'd the Faulcon Hooded on his Fist Would not repeat the Game nor let him fly Against that ravenous Tyrant of the Sky That he a mortal Wound might then receive And pounce him to the Earth beyond retrieve Francis did cut this Monarch tedious work And for a Journey-man he brought in the Turk So Lewis keeps erect the Horse's-tail His Crowns supply the stock when Aspres fail He on the Musselman side himself doth range Nay his Religion too he would exchange Already the severest Rites are done For he hath suffer'd Circumcision Henry who justly was sir-nam'd the Great Did gain by Courtesy those he did defeat He like a generous Enemy besieg'd The Towns he took he never dis-oblig'd In a new Model Europe would refine He to each State their Portions did assign With such a poise they should not break the Line Kingdoms must yield Republicks to compleat These must be par'd when they are grown too Great If one Division offers to rebel Then all con-joyn'd on the Disturber fell For the Contrasting World is like an Hide Rais'd in one part tho' plain in all beside But he these rough Impediments removes As sinooth as Frangipane or Chamois Gloves But single Mutinies do not now suffice For every part doth in Combustion rise In the Phlaegrean Fields what they admire Out of each Pore of Earth there bursts out Fire The King had this projecting in his Head When an infernal Villain struck him dead After he had escap'd so many harms Wounded he tumbles in Monthazon's Arms Which now his bleeding Monarch did sustain It shed his Life and stopt a glorious Reign The mournful'st Story ever told in Verse For his Triumphant Chariot was his Hearse But when Ravillack on the Greve did Dye Not an Old Woman did so much as Cry Tho' her own Sex did execrate his Nurse For each inflicted Torture gave a Curse These could not force altho' they were severe Pity from them or from himself a Tear For the damn'd Wretch as harden'd was as they Like his Spectators too he would not Pray A temperate People MADAM you command 'T is like your Majesty a good-natur'd Land The happy place where you have fix'd your Throne Is not the frozen nor the torrid Zone Cold doth not mortify nor Sun forsake Doth in remiss degrees of both partake It is a Kingdome competently great Henry the Seventh's pretty Country Seat Th' Iberian Sun exhausts and makes them dry They like their Mountains barren are and high Their Women early do begin to Paint And in the middle of the Race they faint For woven in an over-curious Loom Decay in Youth are wither'd in their Bloom Nothing but what 's their own the English wear Complexion like their Manners is sincere Italy boasts that they have hit the mark And the World Tramontane is in the dark Altho' in Heat they do so much excel We have enough their Popery to dispel As Wool we vindicate and staple Cloth So fine-spun Atheisme is that Country's growth A