which do swear Do also use to lie II. Cloris does now possess that heart Which to you did belong But though thereof she brags a while She shall not do so long She thinks by being fair and kinde To hinder my remove And ne'r so much as dreams that Change Above both those I love III. Then grieve not any more nor think My change is a disgrace For though it robs you of one Slave It leaves anothers place Which your bright eyes will soon subdue With him does them first see For if they could not conquer more They ne'r had conquer'd me Against CHASTITY COld Chastness should I praise thee when thou art Natures great'st errour and canst claim no part In her intentions which doth still produce Creatures for propagation and for use All other Prodigies which here are seen Partake some essence which is rang'd between Two divers kindes or joyn two kindes in one But this is such a Monster as hath none Nor doth this Rule deceive us or mislead Apply'd to Mindes although some intercede 'Twixt two Opinions others them confound To some new Paradox yet none is found So grosly stupid wholly to exclude All sort of sense Do then no more delude With vain appearances when thou within Art rebel unto Nature and dost sin Against thy own Creation and contend All that thou canst the World by thee should end So that in vain Heav'ns light should shine or heat In vain the Horse should neigh the Ram should bleat In vain the Stag should bray the Bird should sing In vain the Grass should grow the Herb should spring When their kindes grew unnatural and wild And Procreation were from Earth exil'd I damn not yet a Chastness which doth rise From such a constant Love as makes one prize Some persons more than others these effects Are Loves prerogatives which so connects Two hearts as they appropriate a right Else common unto all let such delight In one another still onely that heart Which cannot finde a reason to impart It self to any doth to me appear So much enormous I may justly fear To be a greater Criminal than those Who rob and kill for though by them men lose Their lives remainder what they had or did Yet still is theirs But Chastness doth forbid All life at once Besides Thieves often win By acting mischief But this Monster-sin Getting nought but a false pretext to strike Even at Lifes root causless supplants alike Both good and bad Again the Murtherer can Repair his loss and get another man But Chastness labours even to hide the Mould In which he should be fram'd and gladly would Th'rough a subverting of all humane state At once leave Earth and Heaven desolate Now if this be the most destructive ill In either Sex since they are thought to kill Who may and will not save 't is greatest sure In those are fair we easier can endure This fault in any else and better taste The Foul and Wanton than the Fair and Chaste For who thinks Rich and Miserable sute Who cares for Orators when they are mute What doth avail a Balm which none applies And who esteems a Beauty that denies Let Chastness then in the unsound and old The Pregnant Marry'd Vow'd ill-favour'd Scold Not be dislik'd But in the fair and free Let it be thought the greatest Crime can be Since being ' gainst Natures chief end oppos'd It seems in it all other Vice is clos'd SONG I. CLoris if I forsake you now And to some meaner Empire bow Think not your Beauty I despise Or slight the splendour of your Eyes All the exceptions I can finde Is That you are more fair than kinde II. What though your Beauty do transcend All Love-sick Poets so commend Yet foul and willing have more taste Than very fair and over-chaste And who 'd not stoop to common fare Rather than feed too long on Air III. Should I in vain still thus pursue 'T were onely to lose time and you And a small fort I 'd rather get Than onely to besiege a great Long time too much of youth would waste How should I man it well at last IV. Beauty does joy to th' eye dispense But Kindness ravishes each Sense 'T is dull to have one sense invited Alone where all should be delighted Enjoyment feasteth every one I must I must feed all or none The IMPERFECT ENJOYMENT FRuition was the Question in debate Which like so hot a Casuist I did state That she with freedom urg'd as my offence To teach my Reason to subdue my Sense But yet this angry Cloud which did proclaim Vollies of Thunder melted into Rain And this adulterate Stamp of seeming nice Made feigned Vertue but a Bawd to Vice For by a Complement that 's seldome known She thrusts me out and yet invites me home And those delays do but advance delight As Prohibition sharpens Appetite For the kinde Curtain raised my esteem To wonder at the opening of the Scene When of her brests her hands the Guardians were Yet I salute each sullen Officer Though like the flaming Sword before mine eyes They block the passage to my Paradise Nor could those Tyrant-hands so guard the Coyn But Love where 't cannot purchase may purloyn For though her brests be hid her lips are prize To make me rich beyond my avarice Yet my ambition my affection fed To conquer both the White Rose and the Red. Th' event prov'd true for on the Bed she sate And seem'd to covet what she seem'd to hate Heat of resistance hath increas'd her fire And weak defence is turn'd to strong desire What unkinde influence could interpose When two such Stars did in Conjunction close Onely too hastie zeal my hopes did foil Pressing to feed her Lamp I spilt my Oil And that which most reproach upon me hurl'd Was dead to her gives life to all the world Natures chief Prop and Motions primest Source In me both lost their figure and their force Sad Conquest when it is the Victors fate To die at th'entrance of the opening gate Like prudent Corporations had we laid A Common Stock by we 'd improv'd our Trade But as a Prodigal Heir I spent by th' by What home directed wou'd serve her and I. When next on such assaults I chance to be Give me less vigour more activitie For Love turns impotent when strain'd too high His very Cordials make him sooner die Evaporates in Fume the fire too great Loves Chymistry thrives best in equal heat SONG I. REproach me not though heretofore I onely Freedom did adore And brag that none though kinde as fair The loss of it could half repair Since now I willingly do yield To Cloris beauty all the field II. With greater joys I do resigne My freedom than thou ere keptst thine And am resolv'd constant to prove Should her neglect transcend my love Strange Charms they are that make me burn Without the hopes of a return III. To see and not to be in love A wonder like
Fate To give him Lawrel as the last did Plate The thundring Cannon now begins the Fight And though it be at Noon creates a Night The air was soon after the Fight begun Far more inflam'd by it than by the Sun Never so burning was that Climate known War turn'd the Temperate to the Torrid Zone Fate had those Fleets just between both worlds brought Who fight as if for both those worlds they fought Thousands of ways thousands of men there die Some ships there sunk some blown up in the skie Nature ne'r made Cedars so high aspire As Oaks did there urg'd by the active fire Which by quick Powders force so high was sent That it return'd to its own element Torn limbs some Leagues into the Island flie Whilst others lower in the Sea do lie Scarce souls from bodies so far sever'd are By death as bodies there were by fierce War Th' all-seeing Sun ne'r gaz'd on such a sight Two dreadful Navies there at Anchor fight And neither have or power or will to flie There one must Conquer or there both must die Far different motions yet engag'd them thus Necessity did them but Choice did us A Choice which did the highest worth express And was attended by as high Success England's resistless Genius there did raign By which we Lawrels reapt even on the Main So prosperous Stars though absent to the sense Bless those they shine for by their influence Our Cannon now tears ev'ry Ship and Sconce And o're two Elements triumphs at once Their Gallions sunk their Wealth the Sea does fill The only place where it can cause no ill Ah! would those Treasures which both Indies have Were buried in as large and deep a Grave Wars chief support with them would buried be And the Land owe her Peace unto the Sea Ages to come our Conquering Arms will bless They there destroy'd what had destroy'd their Peace And in one War the present Age may boast The certain Seeds of many Wars are lost All the Foes Ships destroy'd by Sea or Fire Victorious Blake does from the Bay retire His Siege of Spain he then again pursues And there first brings of his Success the News The saddest News which e're to Spain was brought Their rich Fleet sunk and ours with Laurel fraught Whilst Fame in every place her Triumph blows And tells the World how much to us it ows Upon the sight of a Fair Ladies Breech discovered at her being turned over in a Coach Translated out of French I. I Yield I yield fair Phillis now My Heart must to your Empire bow I am your Pris'ner for I find Y 'ave Conquered both my Will and Reason But you surprized me behind And is not that a kind of Treason II. Against your Eyes I plac'd a Guard And kept my Freedom though 't were hard Withstanding that most tempting Face When finding I again drew near You chang'd your Ambush and did place Your murthering Cupids in your Rear III. At this first fight my heart did yield For every glance did pierce my Shield The fairest Face it did outbid Could I resist my Fate or Stars When this slye enemy lay hid So close and took me unawares IV. It seiz'd me both with love and fear Seeing so many beauties there And brought me fond fool to that pass That Persian-like I straight did run Seeing your white Breech on the grass To adore that new-rising Sun V. Phoebus was glad to veil his eyes Finding that greater lustre rise And thought to steal away ere night Thinking his beams were useless now Which he had done but that the fight Staid him in hopes to kiss it too VI. The Satyrs much enamour'd were Beholding all the Graces there And Zephyrus espying too Some other Charms so lik'd them that Despight of all Flora could do He often kiss'd your You-know-what VII The Rose the Flowers lovely Queen Droopt when your fresher skin was seen Lilies lookt pale and shed a tear Narcissus was brought to that pass He left his self-lov'd-Shade and there Gaz'd in your brighter Looking-glass VIII Nor is there ought on earth so fair No Face that 's worthy its compare No Cheeks no Lips Eyes darting rays ' Mongst all those Beauties there 's no grace Nor Meen but soon will loose its praise When your Breech but appears i' th' place IX 'T is true I fear 't has some defects Will trouble me in these respects For it is very coy and shye Harder than the white Rock to break Nor hath it either Ear or Eye And 's very rarely heard to speak X. But so I love it that my Verse Shall to the World its praise rehearse Whilst dayly I will make resort To pay my homage to this Queen Who leaves behind her this report Of th'sweetest Beauty e're was seen XI O hide it then from all but me For were 't unvail'd still Gods would be My Rivals and descend anew Who though they sit on Stars above They sit on meaner Thrones than you For your Breech is the Throne of Love Upon the intolerable Heat in the latter end of May and the begining of June 1665. I. FIre fire fire fire the Bells all backward ring Haste haste to every Well and Spring Let ev'ry Cock and ev'ry Spout With noise and fury rush like Winter-torrents out Pull from the Churches Walls the Buckets down Bring forth those Engines that defend each Town Engines which now singly more useful are Than all that Archimedes made for War Yet these cannot suffize 't is not one Town It is not Newport now alone That 's burnt each City feels the same England's on fire and all the Isle does flame Rise then kind Rivers from your low-sunk Beds Lift up your curled Heads With raised waters quickly go And all the parched land in welcome haste oreflow Let Trent and Medway meet The Thames and Tweed each other greet Severn and Chane their streams conjoyn And crooked Wye mix with the Northern Tyne All this and more this Summers fire Does for to quench its killing rage require All these too little be To quench us we must call the Sea And for this succour we shall owe him more Than all our traffick and defence before Return you waves and your old triumphs gain Behold we wish a Deluge once again II. In spight of what Philosophers have prov'd We finde the Poles are mov'd These England from its Northern climate turn Which now beneath the Line doth burn This needs must be or else the Sun His wonted constant Stages has outrun In May the Lion reacht the Dog in June Who madded with his heat too soon Does with great fury rage and bite And wreak on us below his more than usual spight Is then the doated Sire of Phaeton Become a Boy again and like his son The Fiery Chariot does misguide And where his horses hurry him does ride Whilst that his hands grown feeble now with age Can guide no more their headstrong rage Or else has Cupid thus to shew That
Made the most beauteous Figure on the sacred wall Aside her several Neeches were prepar'd For those who shall hereafter come And with her there obtain a room As with her in the Muses service they had shar'd Already were some names enrol'd And in fair characters inchas'd But who they were must ne'r be told Till they the fatal stream have past And after death have here their living Statues plac't My Muse alone these Worthies could outshine As she approacht me there in shape divine Her golden hair was all unbound With careless art and wantonly did play Mov'd by her strings Melodious sound As on her shoulders the loose tresses lay A wondrous Mantle o'er her back was thrown And her gay mystick Vest below In Royal state trayl'd all adown A Lute was in her hand and on her head a Crown VII Amaz'd I at her feet did fall And prostrate lay till up she bid me stand Saying For this I thee did never call But boldly to receive my great Command Arise for lo a better fate Does on thy tuneful Numbers wait Than what thou in the Deep hast try'd of late Not but that all thy labours there To thine own wish shall amply be repaid For I by whom enroll'd they are Second to none but Heav'n in that great care Which of thy Verse and thee I always had Will look such large allowance for them shall be made That all the damage which thou didst sustain Shall not compare with thy immortal gain VIII Witness thy Votive Table which I hâ—re accept Within my Archives a fair room to have Worthy for th' hand that did it to be kept And thy mean Name from dark oblivion save Till to another Temple that 's above Reserv'd for those who sacred Numbers prove And there at last conclude their love Thy souls bright Image I hereafter shall remove Where several whom thou here dost know Ambitious at their very Shrines to bow Leaving their wanton Lays behinde Like thee and from all base Alloy refin'd More to resemble the Eternal minde With several who were never here So God-like all their Measures were As Jesse's son whose Harp thou erst didst bear In glory with the first great Maker shine And have for Mortal Bays a Ray Divine IX But first my Silvius thou again to Sea must go And many Towns and Men and Countries know In the New-world of Christian Poesie To write of the Creation never attempted by any Englishman except in Version Part of which long since was design'd to be The happie fruits of thy discovery Where none of all thy Nation has been yet The way so dangerous and the task so great Nor doubt but it shall recompence thy cost And were it more that age they cry th' ast lost When to serve me thou didst the Bar forsake The study of the Law And for th' Long Robe the Ivie Garland take As that which would thy Name immortal make For I have Honours to bestow And Regal Treasures though I rarely show The happie Country where they grow And though some wretch the Plague endure Of miserable Poverty The fault 's his own and not in me Not that he is my Votary But under that disguise an Enemy Not I but they alone who count me so are poor X. Try me this once and once more tempt the Main Thou shalt not unattended go For when thou next putst out to Sea again I 'll be thy Pilot and the passage show Nay wonder not for 't is no more Than what I several times have done before When I my Tasso through those Straights did guide And made my Bartas o'er the Surges ride Those mighty Admirals which did extend Their Country-bounds beyond the worlds wide end 'T was I conducted them those Lands to finde Where each did plant their Nations Colonies Both spreading less their Sayls than Victories And there are yet more Lands for thee behinde And all the way like them thou shalt rehearse The Birth of things how they from nothing rose By that Almighty Word which shall inspire thy Verse And help thee all its Wonders to disclose No Storm upon thy Mast shall rest Or any Gales but Vernal blow The Sea it self to my great service prest In plains of liquid Glass shall lie below And its obedience to my Rule in dancing billows onely show And when thou home return'd shalt be And of thy native earth once more take hold My self thy Barque will consecrated see And for this new World thus found out by thee Make it an heav'nly Signe neer that which sav'd the old S. SONG I. BLinde Boy farewel I laugh at now That pow'r to which I once did bow For Reason hath the Throne regain'd Where Passion that Usurper raign'd An Idol th' art and so men use thee Fools do adore the Wise abuse thee Beauty alone which conquers many On me hath little pow'r if any My fault would be great as thy Blindness Should I love Beauty without Kindness II. Tyrant who never yet wert known To torture any but thy own To resist thee needs little skill For he hath pow'r that hath but will He that hath been mad or a Lover Believes neither if he recover Whilst we our selves are we defie thee None which are so are conquer'd by thee Thy art is all in taking season When we believe Sense more than Reason Loves Contentment I. COme my Olympia we 'll consume Our Joys no more at this low rate More glorious Titles let 's assume And love according to our state II. For if Contentment be a Crown Which never Tyrant could assail How many Monarchs put me down In their Vtopian Commonweal III. As Princes rain down golden showres On those in whom they take delight So in this happier state of ours Each is the others Favourite IV. Our privacie no eye dwells neer But unsuspected we 'll embrace And no slick Courtiers Pen is there To set down either time or place V. We 'll fear no Enemies invasion But being wise and politique With timely force if not perswasion We 'll cool the home-bred Schismatique VI. No jealous fears shall thwart our bliss Unless a golden dream awake us For Care we 'll not know what it is Unless to please doth careful make us VII All discontent thus to remove What Monarch boasts but thou and I In this content we 'll live and love And in this love resolve to die To A Coy LADY WHy so Fair and yet so Cruel What is Beauty but Loves fuel What 's without a Stone a Jewel Sure that Faulcon needs must Mew ill That not open keeps her Tuil Do not think that I pursue ill Or in saying so think you ill Why so fair and yet so Cruel SONG I. CLoris believe this truth you cannot move me Though I deny not you are charming fair No you must love me Or you must despair A heart under your Empire for to bring Where Reason's King II. And yet I do confess that never any Was in your
flames so apt to burn as I That you have many Charms can make me die But all those lose their power until I see You burn with me The Review To his worthy Friend Dr. WILL. SANDCROFT Dean of St. Pauls WHen first I stept into th'alluring Maze To tread this Worlds mysterious waies Alas I had no guide nor clue No Ariadne lent her hand Not one of Virtues Guards did bid me stand Or askt me what I meant to do Or whither I would go The Labyrinth so pleasant did appear I lost my self with much content Infinite hazards underwent Outstragled Homer's crafty Wanderer And ten years more than he in fruitless travel spent The one half of my life is gon The shadow the Meridian past Death 's dismal evening drawing on Which will with mists and damps be overcast An evening which will surely come 'T is time high time to give my self the welcom home II. Had I but heartily believ'd All that the Royal Preacher said was true When first I entred on the Stage And Vanity so hotly did pursue Convinc'd by his experience not my age I had my self long since retriev'd I should have let the Curtain down Before the Fools part had begun But I throughout the tedious Play have bin Concern'd in every Scene Too too inquisitive I try'd Now this anon another face And then a third more odde took place Was every thing but what I was This was my Protean Folly this my pride Befool'd through all the Tragi-Comedy Where others meet with hissing to expect a Plaudite III. I had a minde the Pastoral to prove Searching for happiness in Love And finding Venus painted with a Dove A little naked Boy hard by The Dove which has no gall The Boy no dangerous Arms at all They do thee great Love said I Much wrong Great Love scarce had I spoke Ere into my unwary bosome came An unextinguishable flame From my Amyra's eyes the Lightning came Which left me more than Thunder-struck She carries Tempest in that lovely name Loves mighty and tumultuous pain Disorders Nature like a Hurricane Yet could not believe such storms could be When I launcht forth to Sea Promis'd my self a calm and easie way Though I had seen before Pitious ruines on the shore And on the naked Beach Leander shipwrackt lay IV. To extricate my self from love Which I could ill obey but worse command I took my Pencils in my hand With that Artillery for Conquest strove Like wise Pigmaleon then did I My self designe my Deity Made my own Saint made my own Shrine If she did frown one dash would make her smile All bickerings one easie stroke would reconcile Plato seign'd no Idea so divine Thus did I quiet many froward day While in my eyes my soul did play Thus did the time and thus my self beguile Till on a time and then I knew not why A tear faln from my eye Washt out my Saint my Shrine my Deity Prophetick chance the lines are gone And now I mourn o're what I doted on I find even Gioto's Circle has not all perfection V. To Poetry I then enclin'd Verse that emancipates the mind Verse that unbinds the Soul That amulet of sickly fame Verse that articulates Name Verse for both fortunes apt to smile and to condole Ere I had long the trial made A serious thought made me afraid For I had heard Parnassus sacred Hill Was so prodigiously high It s barren top so neer the skie The Aether there So very pure so subtil and so rare 'T would a Cameleon kill The Beast that is all lungs and feeds on air Poets the higher up the hill they go Like Pilgrims share the less of what 's below Hence 't is they go repining on And murmur more than their own Helicon I heard them curse their Stars in ponderous Rhimes And in grave Numbers grumble at the Times Yet where th' Illustrious Cowly led the way I thought it great discretion there to go astray VI. From Liberal Arts to the litigious Law Obedience not Ambition did me draw I lookt at awful Coyf and Scarlet-Gown Through others Opticks not my own Unty the Gordian-knot who will I found no Rhetorique at all In them that learnedly could brawl And fill with Mercenary breath the spacious Hall Let me be peaceable let me be still The solitary Thisbite heard the wind With strength and violence combin'd That rent the Mountains and did make The solid earths foundation shake He saw the dreadful fire and heard the horrid noise But found whom he expected in the small still voice VII Nor here did my unbridled Fancie rest But must try A pitch more high To read the Starry language of the East And with Chaldean Curiosity Presum'd to solve the Riddle of the Skie Impatient till I knew my doom Dejected till the good direction come I ript up Fates forbidden womb Nor would I stay till it brought forth An easie and a natural birth But was sollicitous to know The yet mishapen Embryo Preposterous Crime Without the formal midwifery of time Fond man as if too little grief were given On Earth draws down inquietudes from Heaven Permits himself with fear to be unman'd Balshazzar-like grown wan and pale His very heart begins to fail Is frighted at the writing of the hand Which yet nor we nor all our learn'd Magicians understand VIII And now at length what 's the result of all Should the strict Audit come And for th' Account too early call A numerous heap of Cyphers would be found the total Sum. When incompassionate age shall plough The delicate Amyra's brow And draw his furrows deep and long What hardy youth is he Will after that a Reaper be Or sing the Harvest-song And what is Verse but an effeminate vent Either of Lust or Discontent Colours must starve and all their glories dye Invented only to deceive the eye And he that wily Law does love Much more of Serpent has than Dove Ther 's nothing in Astrology But Delphick ambiguity We are misguided in the dark and thus Each Star becomes an Ignis fatuus Yet pardon me ye glorious Lamps of light 'T was one of you that led the way Dispell'd the gloomy night Became a Phosphor to th' Immortal day And shew'd the Magi where th' Almighty Infant lay IX At length the doubtful Victory 's won It was a cunning Ambuscade The World for my felicities had laid Yet now at length the day 's our own Now Conqueror let us new Laws set down Henceforth shall all our love Seraphick turn The sprightly and the vigorous flame On th' Altar shall for ever burn And sacrifice its ancient name A Tablet on my heart next I 'll prepare Where I will draw the holy Sepulchre Behinde it a fair Landskip I will lay Of melancholy Golgotha On th' Altar I will all my Spoils lay down And if I had one there I 'd hang my Lawrel Crown Give me the Pandects of the Law divine Such 't was made Moses face to shine Thus
And not one single shower one single drop return XIV Now that the Earth their Nurses brests are dry The infant-Plants grow sick and die Not one of all their mouthes one luckie root Cannot suck one poor drop into 't Thus choakt and banisht in one place they have A Cradle and a Grave The rest do droop and for the dead Each seems to mourn and hang his pensive head But none one dewie tear can shed That mournful rain Were 't not to them as to sad men in vain Those tears would keep them all alive And ev'n the dead they weep for too revive But now their thirsty grief Cannot that way procure its own relief Amaz'd they know not why For what grand crime they thus should die What causless rage Could thus engage That civil God Apollo His savage Grandsire Saturn's crime to follow Who to secure his power All his own off-spring did devour Like Cruelty what makes Apollo use His power to lose Whilst those same Plants for whose wise use old Fame Did him the God of Physick name Those Plants with which lost health he did restore And from the jaws of death preys half devoured tore He makes declining from their vigour lie Themselves on their sick beds and of one Fever die XV. Hence justly all the children of the Spring The Sun their Tyrant count and not their King The proudest Flow'rs now hate the very light That shews their beauties to our sight The amorous Marigold that turns To her dear Sun he now not warms but burns Weary of his import'nate ray Would spight of Love and Nature turn away Those tender fruits that hardly bear The sharpness of our Northern air Whom the Sun yet could ne'r make ripe with all His force unless assisted by a wall On the most shady bough Not ripe alone but roasted now Those courteous Ladies whose kinde hands reprieve The perishing fruits and give By their obliging art a longer date To their short fate And so the Winter make and Spring The Summers and the Autumns pleasures bring Need now no more whilst they desire Their fruit to keep by the same fire Their beauties lose nor to raise enmities Betwixt our pleased tastes and our defrauded eyes Their Sweet-meats with due colours now to grace They need not spoil a better in their face Some sugred water let their Gardners throw On the scorcht trees and so The Fruits will turn to Sweet-meats as they grow The heat which all before did spoil Will them in that new Liquor boil So Cherries Grapes or Goosberries Plums Apricocks or any fruits they please Preserved they may gather from the trees XVI This scorched heat in Gardens raigns In spight of all the Gardners care and pains And all his Watring-pots poor counterfeited rains A fiercer fire burns up th' unwatred field Which had been better left until'd The piercing Sun-beams aged trunks invade Through all the numerous leaves that hide them in their shade The Oak that grows on the most shady vale Would with her kindred in the Navie sail And less would fear Dutch Fire-ships there Than the Suns rays more formidable here There ready water would her flames surround But here she burns upon the burning ground For fear of this all without winde may shake And trembling Asps excused quake Many already shew their griefs and fears In copious gummy tears And well they may Since though still green and Lightning-proof the Bay Is almost scorcht by her own Phoebus ray XVII But these effects of the Suns spight Are all but light Worse torments his malignant influence Inflicts on them to whom unhappie sense Cruelly-bounteous Nature did dispense Their feeling like a Burning-glass Doubles the fiery rays as through their skins they pass Hence from each ecchoing Rock there does rebound Tormented Cattels mournful sound The fairest and most healthful Cow Would gladly live like that of Myron now Since all our Herds of fire are quite as full As the flame-belching Cretan Bull The Suns meer rays the beasts more smartly sting Than all the Gad-flyes which they bring The scorched Race-horse now would fain out-run The fiery Coursers of the Sun Though consecrated once unto that God He so much fears his flaming Whip and Rod He 'd rather through the Russian Snow With heavie Sled long Winter-journeys go Than made immortal in the heaven-highway Draw the illustrious Chariot of the day XVIII The Winter-thriving Rabbets curse Their once-more-friendly Furs Though no Guns lightning reach their fearful eye From the Suns fire away they flie In their deep holes to save their lives they buried lie Their barren Warrens may unheeded burn To see their loss they 'll not return The sweetest shortest grass their chief delight From their cool holes would now not one invite Although secured from the ravenous Kyte The Kyte that with the Sun did use to play And meet his rays half way Flies to the shade and fears her self to be his prey The sharpest-sighted Eagle dare no more Upon his lustre pore No more her young one that way doth she try She from his heat her self doth flie Her body cannot bear 't much less her tender eye With gaudiest colours Birds aray'd Do hide their bravery in the shade Others in vain some refuge seek to finde By courting Stanniel-like the winde No succour thence is to be got The winde it self blows hot None but the Water-fowl for happie go Who hide themselves where shady rivers flow The Swans the Geese the Ducks the Drakes And others who frequent ponds rivers lakes These live what all their fellows wish The life of blessed Fish These can defie the heat whilst all the rest Die Phoenix-like each burnt in his own nest XIX But all those pains which singly do infest That Plant this Bird or Beast On more unhappie man concentred light On him they wreak their utmost spight The worlds epitome can shew All the sharp griefs the greater world doth know Nay all its ills to him are worse Their union does augment their force The sweating Country-swain Feels not alone his proper pain The numerous mischiefs that surround His Farm do all on him rebound There his parcht Corn here growing Hay appears And these in vain he waters with his tears Here a sick Ox or dying Cow Does lamentably low And from his brest their piteous moan Re-ecchoes in a sadder groan The many acres of his barren field Of grief alone a plenteous harvest yield But lest that burnt ground make corn scant And bread the greedy multitude should want A Plague is rais'd by the same power The numerous eaters to devour Nor doth Death now his prey With single darts as heretofore destroy The Sythes that rusty to the walls were laid By the dire heat to th' Country useless made Death to the City hath convey'd These round him with quick hands he throws Whole houses down at once whole streets alone he mows XX. But all these Sythes for Death do prove too few Nor will he stay for new
her self would prove Whose Charms by Nature and by Art Do each of them deserve a heart For which my sorrows are but small I have but one to pay them all IV. I must confess a while I strove With Reason to resist my Love The Saints sometimes ' gainst death do pray Though 't be to Heav'n their onely way 'T is onely Cloris hath the skill To make me blest against my will V. Nor will I so much as endure To think Inconstancie a Cure For were I to that sin so bent It sure would prove my Punishment For to adore I must confess Is better than elsewhere success The VOYAGE I. AS one that 's from a tedious Voyage come And safe th'rough thousand storms arriv'd at home Resolves to put to Sea no more Or boldly tempt the flatt'ring Main How smoothe soere it lie or plain But having drawn his broken Hull on shore To some kinde Saint hangs up his consecrated Oar I who a greater Sea had past The Ocean of rough Poesie Where there so many shipwrackt be Or on the Rocks or on the Quicksands cast Recounting what my self had seen And in how many deaths I had been Where scarce an empty wish or hope could come between With almost as confirm'd a Vow Resolv'd no less to consecrate Some Votive Table which might show The Labours I did undergo And at a far more easie rate Give others the delight to view on Land my dangerous Fate II. Already was the sacred Plank design'd And in it how I first assay'd the Deep When thinking onely neer the Shores to keep There rose a sudden and tempestuous winde Which made me leave the unsaluted Land behinde The Sea before was calm and still And gentle Airs did with my Streamers play Scarce strong enough my half-struck Sail to fill And th'rough the yeelding Christal force my way Close by did many a Vessel ride Whose Pilots all with Bays were gayly crown'd And to the murmurs of the Tyde Voices and Mirth were heard around My self made there Anacreons Lute resound Turn'd Anacreon into English Verse Which sprightly seem'd wondrous brave And its old killing Notes to have But from the waters more than those rough touches which I gave 'T would still of nothing sound but Love Though I the various Stops did often prove Wherefore new Loves I did begin Made several Love-verses to Cletia al. And intermixt as parts my own Which took fresh vigour from the String And o'er the dancing Flouds were quickly blown I Venus sang and stolen joys Translated 4 Book Virg And of his Flames who scap'd at Troys And as the Thracian Orpheus by his skill To ransome his Euridice is sed Claudians Rapt Pros And from the Shades brought back the dead My Song a greater Miracle did tell And thither chain'd in Verse alive Proserpina did lead III. Such was my Song but when the Storm arose Voyces and mirth were heard no more But every man fell stoutly to his Oar And to the flouds did all their strength oppose Hoping to reach some Harbour but in vain They were with greater fury hurry'd back into the Main Then might one hear in stead of these The dying shreeks of such as shipwrackt were And those proud Galleys which before at ease Plow'd up the Deep no longer did appear But to the waves became a Prey Some downright sank some broken lay And by the billows were in triumph born away My Keel so many Leaks did spring That all the Hold with water was flow'd o'er And a Sea no less dangerous rag'd within Than that which strove abroad the tempest to outroar Having had so many Crosses or which is truer seeing the little profit I resolved to make no more Verse except the argument were Divine or Moral and so resumed my old designe of Paraphrasing the Psalms Which I began anew Jan. 31. 1662. and finisht the 3 of June 1665. So over-board my lading straight I cast With some faint hopes my Barque to save But on the wind away they quickly past And my best safety was no hope to have Yet by me still the great Jessean Lyre I kept Which from my Couch I down did take Where it neglected long enough had slept And all its numerous Chords I did awake Thinking since I the waves must try Them and the Sea-gods with a Song to pacifie IV. I play'd and boldly then plung'd down Holding my Harp still in my hand My dear Companion through those paths unknown But hopeless with it ere to reach the Land When lo the chaste Iarma with a throng Of Nymphs and Tritons waited on As she by chance there pass'd along Drave up her Chariot by my side And in requital for my humble Song Invited me with her to ride And fearless of the way with them my course to guide And down she reach'd her Snowie hand And from the flouds me gently rais'd Whilst all the Sea-gods on me gaz'd And waited ere they further went some new Command Which straight she gave and at her word the winde Backward did scowre before as smoothe and plain The Ocean lay storms onely rag'd behinde So to my Harp I turn'd again And all its silent fetters did unbinde No longer was I of the Deep afraid But bolder grown more Anthems plaid And on them put my Chains who their 's upon the waves had laid Till having many a Country past And coasting the whole earth around The Northwest passage navigable found I on my native shore was cast And safely toucht the British Isle at last V. This Table as in Colours 't was exprest And which Belisa's curious Pencil wrought Mris Mary Beal With Ivie Garlands and with Bays I drest And to my Muses sacred Temple brought Hoping it would accepted be And surely gain my liberty From future service and declare me free But as I waiting in the Court did stand Into a sudden extasie I fell And led by an Immortal hand Which entrance for me did command Approacht the Fanes most private Cell By none ere seen before where awful dread and reverence dwell 'T was not like those strait lodges here Which by that name we call But a magnificent and spacious Hall The Roof with Paintings garnisht all And where in Neeches on the wall There did the lively forms appear Of such who for their Verse the Laurel Sert did wear Greece and old Rome possest the chiefest place And all the upper end their quarter was The sides were into several Coasts design'd And by their Countries you each name might finde Th' Italian French or Spanish Band As they around did with their Titles stand Britain as fair a space as any had And no less honors were to her than Rome or Athens paid VI. Thither I turn'd my eye and in the throng Of Crowned heads translated there Whose very Names to count would be too long The bright Orinda did appear Mris Kath. Philips died June 64. And though come thither last of all