from Passions banefull Rage With peacefull Thoughts divert the Pains of Age. But then in Largest Streams her Blessings Flow When Love grown Bankrupt can no more bestow When rig'rous Death shall check your Circling Blood And Life die stifled in the Frozen Flood Your pensive Nymph at large may tell her Grief But to your ravisht Soul give no Relief 'T will lurk a pensive Ghost in Caves all day And to it's Reliques Mid-night Visits pay But pious Souls by Death are Gainers made By Virtue to th' Elysian Seats convey'd There Mirth and Peace and softest Transports reign Delights refind from all Allays of Pain The Gratefull Soil untill'd her Harvest yields Unclouded Skies and ever-verdant Fields There Aemulation no Dissention gives For Happy Each in others Blisses Lives No Cares o' th' Future their free Thoughts Employ The Business of the Place is to Enjoy That Swain is most Industrious held that best Improves his Bliss exceeds in Joyes the Rest. If Love can Bless beyond these Heights Return To dragg his Chain and in his Feavour Burn Take Leave of blissfull Immortalitie Chide my impert'nent Zeal to set you Free And Court the Frowns of some imperious She. Cor. Destroy not thus your gen'rous Courtesies By an unfriendly and unjust Surmize Heav'n sends me Freedome and to sell the Pledge Must Brand me with the foulest Sacriledge 'Gainst Love and Beauty I 'll maintain the Fort And fix a Guard of Virtues in my Heart Clai If Beauty's Force too rashly you despise 'T is Odds but you are ruin'd by Surprize Wou'd you live free from Female Tyranny Nere Parly with the Tempting Sex but Fly Their very Tears are Fewell to Desire And with their Sighs They 'l Fan th'expiring Fire Their Mirth and Grief their kindness and Disdain Are fatall All and Work Poor Shepheards Pain Nature and Art Conspire to Arm the Fair For in the Charming All things Charming are Their Glances Darts and ev'ry Curl a Snare The Hurricane WHat cheer my Mates Luff ho We Toil in Vain That Nothern Mist forebodes a Hurricane See how th'expecting Ocean Raves The Billows Roar before the Fray Untimely Night devours the Day I' th' Dead Eclypse we Nought descry But Lightnings Wild Capriches in the Skie And Scalye Monsters sparkling through the Waves Ply Each a Hand and furl your Sails Port Hard a'Port The Tackle sails Sound ho Five Fathom and the most A Dangerous Shelf sh 'as struck and we are Lost. Speak in the Hold She Leaks amain Give ore The Crazy Boat can Work no more She draws apace and we approach no shore A Ring my Mates Let 's joyn a Ring and so Beneath the Deep Embracing Go. Now to new Worlds we steer and quickly shall Arrive Our Spirits shall Mount as fast as our dull Corpses Dive The Gratefull Shepheard WHilst by his grazing Flock a gentle Swain His Vacant Hours to entertain Perus'd a Volumn whos 's each Tragick Page Discours'd of some Intrigue of State Of Rebell-Insolence and Rage And some unhappy Monarch's Fate The Youth into these passionate sounds brake forth What Virtue of my Ancestours So much Oblig'd you ye indulgent Pow'rs That in these Silent shades you gave me Birth You might have made me Fortune's Sport Doom'd me to some Corrupted Court Where I this rurall Bliss had never known My Cottage might have been a Throne My Crook a Scepter and my Wreath a Grown Some Tyrant-Prince I might have been By your Indulgence now a peacefull Swain My Chloris some proud Cruel Queen The tendrest Nymph of the Arcadian Plain When for these Blessings I forget t' invoke Your Powers neglect to make your Altars smoak Then Ravisht let me be From this Secure Retreat And plac't aloft on Grandieur's Seat An open Mark to the sure Darts of envious Destinie FINIS
your Ear 'T is a strange Mystery But a grand Truth if Popular you 'd be Faith spare your Pains and Write Ex-tempore The Ignorant AN Ignorant I am And Glory in the Name ' I wot not what of yore Rash Furioso's did Nor what the dreaming Sages said I cannot run a List of Old Rome's Tryumphs ore 'T was Knowledge first to Ruin led us on For with this Mortal Itch possest The happy Pair Transgrest Needs must they Know they Knew and were Undone And to this Hour our Mis'ries sole Relief Consists in Ignorance of our Grief Then plodding Mortal cease To boast your dear-bought Faculties For since with Knowledge Sorrow must encrease Let such as on those Terms can Science prize Improve in Science but for me So I may Ignorant and Happy be I 'le ne'r Repine or look with envious Eyes On the Unhappy Learn'd and Miserable Wise. The Beldam's Song APpear my Kib-welkin dear Spirit appear In the Shape Of an Ape A Fire-spitting Dragon or Clump-footed Bear Madge has whoopt me twice from her Ivy-bound Oak And twice have I heard the dull Night-Raven croak Let me stride thee my Welkin and post it away Ere the Moon Reach her Noon For the Night is the Wey-ward Sister's Day Through the Air let us take our fantastical Round And sipp of the Dew While 't is New Ere the Honey-drops fall to the Ground But when we are mounted and in our Carear Make neither Hault nor Stay And to none give the Way Tho Hecat her self shou'd be rounding the Air. For once I 'le encounter And try to dismount her Pitch her Heels over Head To some Quagg-mire below and Reign Queen in her stead Bustle bustle my Kib and be sure e're we part Thou shalt Suck at the Dugg that is next to my Heart The Inconstant A Paraphrase on the XV. Epod of Horace PRecisely I remember All 't was Night Calm Skye and the full Moon shone bright When first you Swore that bleating Flocks shou'd feed With Wolves nor other Keepers need That boistrous Winds husht in Eternal sleep Shou'd cease to Revel on the Deep You Vow'd that these and Prodigies more strange Shou'd fall e're your fixt Heart cou'd change Yet Woman-like to your new Fav'rite now Unswear as oft as you did Vow Ah! if I cou'd and sure if half a man Or some what less than half I can Cou'd I in just Resentment quit your Chain And with more caution chuse again Nymph you 'd Repent my wrongs when flying Fame Shou'd publish to your grief and shame How your wrong'd Swain had found a Nymph more True And equal in her Charms to You. But Treach'rous Rival you that reap my Toils And Pride your self in my stoln spoils Shou'd Fates and Stars Adopt you for their own And show'r their richest Blessings down Nought shou'd secure you from the sure Praesage Of an Offended Poet's Rage The time shall come and to inhance your sear Know Wretch that fatal time is near When you shall perish by th' Inconstancy Of Her that first learnt breach of Faith from thee Whilst from the safe shore your sad wreck I see Of the Ape and the Fox A Paraphrase on one of the Centum Fabulae TO his four-footed Subjects through the Nation The King of Bruits thus issues Proclamation Being well informed we have incurr'd Disgrace By Harb'ring in our Realm a Scandalous Race A Sect that have No Tails These Presents are T' enjoyn such Miscreants All and singular Strait to depart our Land or on Demurr Our Laws Grand-Treason Penalties incurr Sly Reynard strait sists out this state Design Turns Goods and Chattels All to ready Coyn. The unprojecting Neighbour-hood Admire And Flock th' Occasion of his March t' Enquire Where 'mongst the Rest the ceremonious Ape Accosts him with Grimmace and formall Scrape Bon jour Monsieur You pass for a prime Witt But in this Project give small Proof of it We of the Cur-tailed Tripe b'express Command Of our great Cham prepare to quitt the Land But why Sir shou'd you Budge Whose Posterns bear A Swashing Train well furrd to guard your Rear Had Nature lent me but an Inch of Dock A Tust to Shade or Scutt to grace my Nock I shou'd Presume I had no Obligation From the late Act to take this Peregrination Then thus the Fox You 've spoke an Oracle Doubtless your Gravity reads Machiavill I must Confess I 've no pretence to rail Or Curse my starrs for stinting me in Tail But grant my Train might with a Commet's measure Suppose withall that 't were his Highness Pleasure To say I 've None which if he once Assert Nere doubt but he has Sycophants will swear 't Thus charg'd shou'd I attempt my own Defence To give his Lawless Tyranny Pretence 'T is Odds but I am Dockt upon the Spott And then for want of Tail poor Reynard goes to Pot. The Round HOw Vain a Thing is Man whom Toyes Delight And shdadows Fright Variety of Impertinence Might give our Dotage some Pretence But to a Circle bound We Toil in a dull Round We sitt move Eat and Drink We Dress Undress Discourse and Think By the same Passions hurri'd on Imposing or Impos'd upon We pass the time in Sport or Toil We Plow the Seas or Safer Soil Thus all that we Project and Do We did it many a year agoe VVe Travel still a beaten way And yet how eager rise we to pursue Th' affairs of each returning day As if its Entertainments were Surprizing All and New The Male Content MOngst winding Rocks his swelling griefs t' allay The disappointed Thirsis took his way In the Wild Clifts a natu'ral Vaut he found With woven Ivye Cheaply deckt around He rusht into the Solitary Nook Where into these Pathetick Sounds he broke Oh when will Nature take the life she gave And Lodge me free from Trouble in the Grave Sleep there alone deserves the Name of Rest No frightfull Dreams the sleep of Death infest Whilst shrouded in this marble Cell I Lye What can be more Commodious than to Dye Each Object Here wears such a mournfull Face That Dying seems the Business of the Place Here from the wrangling VVorld I will Retire And as I Liv'd Unknown Unknown Expire Then let that hanging Rock that shades my Head Sink down and shutt this Vaut when I am Dead Rude as it is this Marble Cell wou'd save Th'expensive Rites that formall Burialls crave It self my Cossin Monument and Grave The Dream BEneath the Syc'more shade Amintas sat to sing and Play On his shrill pipe i'th'Heat o' th Day His Amarill beside him laid Charm'd with the Musick of his Reed The listning Ewes forgat to Feed The sportive Lambs gave ore their Play And to their Master's Song attentive lay The Song as Soft and Innocent as They Mean while on the pleas'd Amari'll A downy slumber fell 'Till with a Sigh and Suddain start She ' woke and Cry'd Heav'n save my Swain Are you not hurt I will provide a Dart
The envying Lillies paler grew The Violets droopt with Fear to spy On Laura's Veins a richer Blew III. She stoopt and gather'd as she went But whilst she slaughter'd sweetly Smil'd As Angells tho for Ruin sent Appear with Looks Serene and Mild. IV. But now grown weary with her Toyl She sits and flow'ry Wreaths she frames Thus with proud Trophies made o' th' Spoyl Her Conquest ore the Flow'rs proclaims The Vsurpers I. USurping Passions held a long Contest For the Supream Dominion of my Brest But whilst in mutural Broyls the Tyrants rag'd Whoso'ver by the Battel Gain'd I still the certain Loss sustain'd For they nere-fail'd when-ever they Engag'd To Wast the Province where the War was wag'd II. Whilst such wild Havock in my Brest was made Reason first came to tender me his Aid And sure with that puissant Prince Ally'd Had I but play'd the Man i' th' Fight My Passions had been put to Flight But I not only to Assist deny'd But Treach'rously fell off to th' Enemies side III. Then from the Powers of Love Redress I crav'd But was by that Allyance worse Enslav'd For tho Loves Forces quickly did degrade These proud Usurpers of my Breast Yet was I not hereby Redrest For Love himself prov'd false when Victor made And seiz'd the Province which he came to Aid IV. But heavier now the Bondage I sustain Then during my tumultuous Passions Reign 'T were now no small Presumption to impore The Indulgent Fates to set me free As in my Native Liberty No! So it please their kind Pow'rs to Restore My former Tyrants I demand no more The Amusement Strephon. WHy Weeps my Sylvia prethee why Sylvia To think my Strephon once must Die To think withal poor Sylvia may When He 's remov'd be doom'd to stay Streph. Nymph you 'r too Lavish of your Tears To spend them on Fantastick Fears Sylv. No for when I this Life resign If Fate prolong the Date of Thine The Tears you 'l give my Funeral Will pay me Int'rest Stock and all Steph. Not so for shou'd this setting Light Ne're Rise again in Sylvia's sight Without a Tear in mine I 'd view Her Dying Eyes Sylv. 'T is False Streph. 'T is true Sylv. Not weep false Shepheard Swear Streph. I Swear I wou'd not give thy Hearse a Tear Sylv. Break swelling Heart Persidious Man Death are you Serious Swear agen Yes Swear by Ceres and by Pan. Streph. Let then great Pan and Ceres hear And punish if I falsely Swear Sylv. Gods can ye hear this and Forgive You may for I have Heard and Live Half this Unkindness timely shown Had kept me Blest kept me my Own E're to your false embrace I came I cou'd have quencht my kindling Flame I cou'd have done 't without Remorse Parting had then been no Divorce Streph. Rage not rash Nymph for I 've Decreed When Sylvia Dies Sylv. Speak what Streph. To Bleed I 'll drein my life-Life-blood from my Heart But no cheap Tear shall dare to start Sylv. Kind Shepheard cou'd you Life Despise And Bleed at Sylvia's Obsequies Streph. To Ceres I appeal for She Knows this has long been my Decree And knows that I resolve it still Sylv. Since then you cou'd your Vow fulfill Swear Swear once more you never will The Amorist SEe where enammour'd Thirsis lies And cannot cease to gaze On his Larissa's sparkling Eyes But takes Delight to see those Comets Blaze Whose Lustre still is Fatal to the Swain Ore whom they Reign For by their Influence the poor Shepheard Dies Or more to be Lamented Lives in Pain The Surprizal I' th' narrowest walk of a close Grove Whom shou'd I chance to meet but Love I seiz'd the Elf and said At last I 've caught thee and I 'l hold thee fast Now by thy Mothers Doves and Sparrows I 'l rob thee of thy Bow and Arrows I 'l chain Thee up and clip thy Wings Or Strangle Thee in thy own Strings If thou refuse me to relate The Grounds of my Olinda's Hate Then thus the Boy reply'd Fond Swain Vex not your self and me in Vain Your Love as noble is and brave As ere this Bow and Quiver gave But that Olinda flights your Flame Nor Thou nor I nor She 's too Blame Weigh Circumstances and you 'l find She 's of Necessity Unkind She 's Mortal therefore never can Commiserate a suff'ring Swain For such refin'd Perfections shine In Her that cou'd She but Incline To Pitty Men She were Divine The Vnconfin'd BElieve me Nymph you strive in Vain My Passion to Confine 'T is noble and must need repine To wear the Slaves most Servile Badge the Chain 'T is more than all your Charms can do To lay Restraint on Love But if you are dispos'd to prove Your Beauties utmost Pow'r pursue Some likelier Enterprize but spare Your vain Attempts to bind What is by Nature Unconfin'd For Love 's a Planet not a fixed Star Dialogue Alexis and Laura Laur. Alexis Alex. Dear Laur. Take Alex. What Laur. A Kiss Alex. What means this Unexpected Bliss A Bliss which I so oft in Vain Have crav'd and now unaskt obtain Laur. When to my Swain reserv'd I seem'd I Lov'd him Kist him Less esteem'd Alex. Dear Nymph your Female Arts forbear Nor fondly thus new Ginns prepare For one already caught i'th'snare You may impose a heavier Chain But none that surer will retain 'T is Laura an unjust design To Treat so Plain a Soul as mine With Oracles with mystick sense Religion may perhaps dispense But these Aenigmas mar Love's Joy As Clouds Gems in their worth destroy Laur. Then take it on your Peril Swain Since you compel me to be plain The Kiss I gave you was in lieu Of all Love-debts from Laura due To Swain Alexis since the Hour Of our first Entrance on Amour Alex. What Crimes can I have wrought t' enforce This suddain and severe Divorce 'T is sure impossible such Guilt Should press my Soul and not be felt Laur. Recall false Shepheard what to day I heard you to Dorinda say You said she did Noons Light out-shine More than the Paphian Queen Divine You vow'd respect to her Commands And Heav'n Forgive you Kist her Hands Alex. You wrong me Nymph by Pan you do For if that Courtship you review You 'l find 't was Complement to you Laur. Yes I was Sov'rainly respected By Pray'rs t' Another Saint directed Alex. Dorindas Graces 't is well known Bear such Resemblance with your own That when I made my late Address 'T was in that gentle Shepherdess The sweetness of those Charms to tast Which so divinely Laura grac't Laur. Weak Nymphs with Men contend in Vain Who thus can their Defaults maintain Wise Nature has her care exprest That neither Sex shou'd be Opprest For when to Us she did commit Tyrannick Beauty she thought fit To Teach Men Wit and Arts t' Allay And Temper Beauties Absolute Sway. The Restitution HEr keen Disdain pierct deep my Breast The gaping Orifice dismist The dearest