time or company 2. What thou hast got by this Exchange Thou wilt perceive when the Revenge Shall by those treacheries be made For which our Faith thou hast betray'd 3. When thy Idolaters shall be True to themselves and false to thee Thou 'lt see that in Heart-merchandise Value not Number makes the price 4. Live to that day my Innocence Shall be my Friendship 's just defence For this is all the World can find While thou wert noble I was kind 5. The desp'rate game that thou dost play At private Ruines cannot stay The horrid treachery of that Face Will sure undo its native place 6. Then let the Frenchmen never fear The victory while thou art there For if Sins will call Judgments down Thou hast enough to stock the Town To my Excellent Lucasia on our Friendship I Did not live until this time Crown'd my felicity When I could say without a crime I am not thine but Thee This Carcass breath'd and walkt and slept So that the World believ'd There was a Soul the Motions kept But they were all deceiv'd For as a Watch by art is wound To motion such was mine But never had Orinda found A Soul till she found thine Which now inspires cures and supplies And guides my darkned Breast For thou art all that I can prize My Joy my Life my Rest No Bridegrooms nor Crown-conquerors mirth To mine compar'd can be They have but pieces of this Earth I 've all the World in thee Then let our Flames still light and shine And no false fear controul As innocent as our Design Immortal as our Soul Rosania 's private Marriage IT was a wise and kind design of Fate That none should this day's glory celebrate For 't were in vain to keep a time which is Above the reach of all Solemnities The greatest Actions pass without a noise And Tumults but prophane diviner Joys Silence with things transcendent nearest suits The greatest Emperours are serv'd by Mutes And as in ancient time the Deities To their own Priests reveal'd no Mysteries Until they were from all the World retir'd And in some Cave made fit to be inspir'd So when Rosania who hath them out-vied And with more Justice might be Deified Who if she had their Rites and Altars we Should hardly think it were Idolatry Had found a breast that did deserve to be Receptacle of her Divinity It was not fit the gazing World should know When she convey'd her self to him or how An Eagle safely may behold the Sun When weak Eyes are with too much Light undone Now as in Oracles were understood Not the Priest's only but the common good So her great Soul would not imparted be But in design of general Charity She now is more diffusive than before And what men then admir'd they now adore For this Exchange makes not her Power less But only fitter for the World's Address May then that Mind which if we will admit The Universe one Soul must sure be it Inform this All which till she shin'd out lay As drowsie men do in a cloudy day And Honour Vertue Reason so dispence That all may owe them to her influence And while this Age is thus imploy'd may she Scatter new Blessings for Posterity I dare not any other wish prefer For only her bestowing adds to her And to a Soul so in her self complete As would be wrong'd by any Epithete Whose splendour's fix'd unto her chosen Sphere And fill'd with Love and Satisfaction there What can increase the Triumph but to see The World her Convert and her History Injuria Amicitiae LOvely Apostate what was my offence Or am I punish'd for Obedience Must thy strange Rigour find as strange a time The Act and Season are an equal Crime Of what thy most ingenious scorns could do Must I be Subject and Spectator too Or were the Sufferings and Sins too few To be sustain'd by me perform'd by you Unless with Nero your uncurb'd desire Be to survey the Rome you set on fire While wounded for and by your Power I At once your Martyr and your Prospect die This is my doom and such a ridling Fate As all impossibles doth complicate For Obligation here is Injury Constancy Crime Friendship a Heresie And you appear so much on Ruine bent Your own destruction gives you now Content For our twin-Spirits did so long agree You must undo your self to ruine me And like some Frantick Goddess you 're inclin'd To raze the Temple where you are enshrin'd And what 's the Miracle of Cruelty Kill that which gave you Immortality While glorious Friendship whence your Honour springs Lies gasping in the Crowd of common things And I 'm so odious that for being kind Doubled and studied Murthers are design'd Thy sin 's all Paradox for should'st thou be Thy self again th' wouldst be severe to me For thy Repentance coming now so late Would only change and not relieve my Fate So dangerous is the consequence of ill Thy least of Crimes is to be cruel still For of thy Smiles I should yet more complain If I should live to be betray'd again Live then fair Tyrant in Security From both my Kindness and Revenge be free While I who to the Swains had sung thy Fame And taught each Echo to repeat thy Name Will now my private Sorrow entertain To Rocks and Rivers not to thee complain And though before our Union cherish'd me 'T is now my pleasure that we disagree For from my Passion your last Rigour grew And you kill'd me because I worshipp'd you But my worst Vows shall be your Happiness And not to be disturb'd by my distress And though it would my sacred flames pollute To make my heart a scorned prostitute Yet I 'le adore the Author of my Death And kiss the Hand that robs me of my breath To Regina Collier on her cruelty to Philaster TRiumphant Queen of scorn how ill doth sit In all that Sweetness such injurious Wit Unjust and Cruel what can be your prize To make one heart a double Sacrifice Where such ingenious Rigour you do shew To break his Heart you break his Image too And by a Tyranny that 's strange and new You murther him because he worships you No pride can raise you or can make him start Since Love and Honour do enrich his heart Be Wise and Good lest when Fate will be just She should o'rethrow those glories in the dust Rifle your Beauties and you thus forlorn Make a cheap Victim to another's scorn And in those Fetters which you do upbraid Your self a wretched Captive may be made Redeem the poyson'd Age let it be seen There 's no such freedom as to serve a Queen But you I see are lately Round-head grown And whom you vanquish you insult upon To Philaster on his Melancholy for Regina GIve over now thy tears thou vain And double Murtherer For every minute of thy pain Wounds both thy self and her Then leave this dulness for 't is our belief Thy Queen
with it much of pain For your fam'd courage to that pitch is flown That Alba's fall already I bemoan Her loss is certain now and naming you Ev'n Destiny her self hath sworn it too In this Election I read Alba's doom And count my self a Subject now of Rome HORACE 'T is Rome not Alba your compassion claims Viewing whom she rejects and whom she names Her partial favour may her Fortune lose Who having so much choice so ill does chuse A thousand braver Sons she had then we Who might with more success her Champions be But though my ruine in this choice I find With noble Pride it elevates my Mind My Heart's assurance gathers mighty scope And from my little courage much I hope Which howsoever fate intends to treat I cannot think my self your subject yet Rome hopes too well of me and therefore I Will answer that great trust or for it dye He yet will dye or vanquish seldom fails That brave despair most commonly prevails How e're it be she never shall obey Till my last gasp says I have lost the Day CURTIUS Alas my Fortune only calls for Tears Since what my Countrey hopes my friendship fears Cruel extreams Alba must be subdu'd Or else her Triumph with your blood embrew'd And all the Glory for which she has fought Can onely with so dear a Life be bought What can I wish or what event desire Since either so much sorrow will require And every way I see my hopes deny'd HORACE Would you regret me if for Rome I dy'd A Death so noble lovely does appear And is too Glorious to endure a Tear Nay I should court it and my ruine bless If Rome by my defeat would suffer less CURTIUS But yet you may allow your friends to fear What will to them at least be so severe They suffer in your glory and one fate Makes you Immortal them unfortunate He loses all who such a Friend must lose But hither Flavius comes and brings us news Hath Alba's Councel yet her Champions chose SCEN. II. Horace Curtius Flavius FLAVIUS I come to tell you CURTIUS Well and who are those FLAVIUS You and your Brothers CURTIUS Who FLAVIUS Ev'n they and you But why so stern and so unpleas'd a Brow Does this offend you CURTIUS No but does surprize The honour much above my Merit flies FLAVIUS Must the Dictator who me hither sent Be told you hear it with this discontent This cold reception me too does surprize CURTIUS Tell him in spight of Loves and Friendships ties Yet Curtius and his Brothers mean to fight Against the Horaces for Alba's Right FLAVIUS Against them 't is too much but tell me how CURTIUS Carry my answer back and leave me now Exit Flavius SCEN. III. Harace and Curtius CURTIUS Let Heav'n and Earth and Hell now all engage To act against us their united rage Let Gods and Men and Fate and Devils too Prepare against us all that they can do Yet to reduce us to a worse Estate I dare defie Heav'n Earth and Hell and Fate Horrour it self hath somewhat less severe Then this our dismal Honour does appear HORACE Fortune hath careful of our Glory been And gives a noble Scene to shew it in Laboriously she forms us a distress Somewhat proportion'd to our Courages No vulgar thought she does in us survey And therefore treats us in no common way For publick safety to attaque a Foe And singly fight a man we do not know Is what a vulgar vertue may beget Thousands have done it and may do it yet Who would not for their Country lose their breath Nay would not factious grow for such a death But to resign her all that can be dear And from our bosoms half our hearts to tear With a destructive fury to pursue A Sister's Lover a Wife's Brother too And breaking all these knots to fight with him Whose life we would with our own blood redeem This is a vertue only fit for us And for which few will be sollicitous Few men have hearts of that exalted frame That dare at such a rate pretend to Fame CURTIUS 'T is true time never shall our names deface And we the brave occasion must embrace Of a rare Vertue we shall mirrours be But yours seems somewhat barbarous to me There are not many Heros would grow vain By this harsh way Eternity to gain How much soe're you prize that empty noise Obscurity were now the better choice I dare avow it and you might have seen I have not doubtful in my duty been Nor could my friendship nor my love prevail To hold my Mind in an uncertain Scale But since my Country by her Vote does shew She values me as much as yours does you I hope to do what you or dare or can My Heart 's as great but I am still a man I see my death alone your Fame secures And that my honour lies in acting yours I must shed blood with which I would combine So cross are all my Country's Stars to mine Though no weak terrour can my heart disswade Yet dismal horrour does it now invade I mourn my fate and envy theirs that are Already swallow'd by this greedy War I would not call this sad fierce honour back Which can't o'rethrow the heart it does attaque What I gain thence I like mourn what I miss And if Rome calls for firmer thoughts than this I thank the Gods that I no Roman am Lest all things humane I should then disclaim HORACE Though you 're no Roman yet deserve to be And better shew how much you equal me That solid Virtue which I make my boast By any weaker tincture would be lost His race of Honour is but ill design'd Who at first start begins to look behind Our suffering to the highest pitch is brought I can see through it but I tremble not Where e're my Country will my arm employ I must accept it with implicite joy The glory of receiving such Commands Every reflection but it self withstands He who room then for other thoughts can find Does what he ought with too remiss a mind That sacred tie must others uncreate Rome arming me I nothing must debate Nor did I wed thy Sister with more joy Than now I 'le seek her Brother to destroy And this superfluous language to give o're Y' are Alba's choice nor must I know you more CURTIUS Yet to my torment I must still know you But this rough Virtue yet I never knew And in this sad extremity of Fate Let me admire it but not imitate HORACE No no embrace not Virtue by constraint And since you find such pleasure in complaint Freely enjoy it and for your content My Sister comes to help you to lament I 'le visit yours and hope to make her know What generous things becomes my Wife to do That if I full she may to you be kind And bear her sorrows with a Roman mind SCEN. IV. Horace Curtius Camilla Horace to Camilla Know you how glorious Curtius is to
th' Alembick lose variety So Vertue though in pieces scatter'd 't was Is by her Mind made one rich useful mass Nor doth Discretion put Religion down Nor hasty Zeal usurp the Judgment 's crown Wisdom and Friendship have one single Throne And make another Friendship of their own Each sev'ral piece darts such fierce pleasing rayes Poetick Lovers would but wrong in praise All hath proportion all hath comliness And her Humility alone excess Her Modesty doth wrong a Worth so great Which Calumny her self would noblier treat While true to Friendship and to Nature's trust To her own Merits only she 's unjust But as Divinity we best declare By sounds as broken as our Notions are So to acknowledge such vast Eminence Imperfect Wonder is our Eloquence No Pen Lucasia's glories can relate But they admire best who dare imitate Wiston Vault ANd why this Vault and Tomb alike we must Put off Distinction and put on our Dust Nor can the stateliest fabrick help to save From the corruptions of a common Grave Nor for the Resurrection more prepare Than if the Dust were scatter'd into air What then Th' ambition 's just say some that we May thus perpetuate our Memory Ah false vain task of Art ah poor weak Man Whose Monument does more than 's Merit can Who by his Friends best care and love 's abus'd And in his very Epitaph accus'd For did they not suspect his Name would fall There would not need an Epitaph at all But after death too I would be alive And shall if my Lucasia do survive I quit these pomps of Death and am content Having her heart to be my Monument Though ne're Stone to me 't will Stone for me prove By the peculiar miracles of Love There I 'le Inscription have which no Tomb gives Not Here Orinda lies but Here she lives Friendship in Embleme or the Seal To my dearest Lucasia 1. THe Hearts thus intermixed speak A Love that no bold shock can break For joyn'd and growing both in one Neither can be disturb'd alone 2. That means a mutual Knowledge too For what is' t either heart can do Which by its panting Centinel It does not to the other tell 3. That Friendship Hearts so much refines It nothing but it self designs The hearts are free from lower ends For each point to the other tends 4. They flame 't is true and several wayes But still those Flames do so much raise That while to either they incline They yet are noble and divine 5. From smoke or hurt those Flames are free From grossness or mortality The Heart like Moses Bush presumed Warm'd and enlightned not consumed 6. The Compasses that stand above Express this great immortal Love For Friends like them can prove this true They are and yet they are not two 7. And in their posture is exprest Friendship 's exalted Interest Each follows where the other leans And what each does this other means 8. And as when one foot does stand fast And t'other circles seeks to cast The steddy part does regulate And make the wandrer's motion straight 9. So Friends are only two in this T'reclaim each other when they miss For whosoe're will grosly fall Can never be a Friend at all 10. And as that useful Instrument For Even lines was ever meant So Friendship from good Angels springs To teach the world Heroick things 11. As these are found out in design To rule and measure every Line So Friendship governs actions best Prescribing unto all the rest 12. And as in Nature nothing's set So just as Lines in number met So Compasses for these b'ing made Do Friendship 's harmony perswade 13. And like to them so Friends may own Extension not Division Their Points like Bodies separate But Head like Souls knows no such fate 14. And as each part so well is knit That their Embraces ever fit So Friends are such by destiny And no third can the place supply 15. There needs no Motto to the Seal But that we may the mind reveal To the dull Eye it was thought fit That Friendship only should be writ 16. But as there are Degrees of bliss So there 's no Friendship meant by this But such as will transmit to Fame Lucasia and Orinda's name In Memory of F. P. who died at Acton the 24. May 1660. at 12. and ½ of Age. IF I could ever write a lasting Verse It should be laid dear Saint upon thy Herse But Sorrow is no Muse and does confess That it least can what it would most express Yet that I may some bounds to grief allow I 'le try if I can weep in Numbers now Ah beauteous Blossom too untimely dead Whither ah whither is thy sweetness fled Where are the charms that alwaies did arise From the prevailing language of thy Eyes Where is thy beauteous and lovely meen And all the wonders that in thee were seen Alas in vain in vain on thee I rave There is no pity in the stupid Grave But so the Bankrupt sitting on the brim Of those fierce billows which had ruin'd him Begs for his lost Estate and does complain To the inexorable Flouds in vain As well we may enquire when Roses die To what retirement their sweet Odours flie Whither their Virtues and their Blushes haste When the short triumph of their life is past Or call their perishing Beauties back with tears As adde one moment to thy finish'd years No thou art gone and thy presaging Mind So thriftily thy early hours design'd That hasty Death was baffled in his Pride Since nothing of thee but thy Body dy'd Thy Soul was up betimes and so concern'd To grasp all Excellence that could be learn'd That finding nothing fill her thirsting here To the Spring-head she went to quench it there And so prepar'd that being freed from sin She quickly might become a Cherubin Thou wert all Soul and through thy Eyes it shin'd Asham'd and angry to be so confin'd It long'd to be uncag'd and thither flown Where it might know as clearly as 't was known In these vast hopes we might thy change have found But that Heav'n blinds whom it decrees to wound For Parts so soon at so sublime a pitch A Judgment so mature Fancy so rich Never appear unto unthankful Men But as a Vision to be hid again So glorious Scenes in Masques Spectators view With the short pleasure of an hour or two But that once past the Ornaments are gone The Lights extinguish'd and the Curtains drawn Yet all these Gifts were thy less noble part Nor was thy Head so worthy as thy Heart Where the Divine Impression shin'd so clear As snatch'd thee hence and yet endear'd thee here For what in thee did most command our love Was both the cause and sign of thy remove Such fools are we so fatally we choose That what we most would keep we soonest loose The humble greatness of thy Pious thought Sweetness unforc'd and Bashfulness untaught The native Candour of thine open breast And all the
Honour is more great and more sublime Above the battery of Fate or Time We see in Beauty certain airs are found Which not one Grace can make but all compound Honour 's to th' Mind as Beauty to the Sense The fair result of mixed Excellence As many Diamonds together lie And dart one lustre to amaze the Eye So Honour is that bright Aetherial Ray Which many Stars doth in one light display But as that Beauty were as truly sweet Were there no Tongue to praise no Eye to see 't And 't is the Privilege of a native Spark To shed a constant Splendour in the dark So Honour is its own Reward and End And satisfied within cannot descend To beg the suffrage of a vulgar Tongue Which by commending Vertue doth it wrong It is the Charter of a noble Action That the performance giveth satisfaction Other things are below't for from a Clown Would any Conqueror receive his Crown 'T is restless Cowardice to be a drudge To an uncertain and unworthy Judge So the Cameleon who lives on air Is of all Creatures most inclin'd to fear But peaceable reflections on the Mind Will in a silent shade Contentment find Honour keeps Court at home and doth not fear To be condemn'd abroad if quitted there While I have this retreat 't is not the noise Of Slander though believ'd can wrong my Joyes There is advantage in 't for Gold uncoin'd Had been unuseful nor with glory shin'd This stamp'd my Innocency in the Ore Which was as much but not so bright before Till an Alembick wakes and outward draws The strength of Sweets lies sleeping in their Cause So this gave me an opportunity To feed upon my own Integrity And though their Judgment I must still disclaim Who can nor give nor take away a fame Yet I 'le appeal unto the knowing few Who dare be just and rip my heart to you To Antenor on a Paper of mine which J. J. threatens to publish to prejudice him MUst then my Crimes become thy Scandal too Why sure the Devil hath not much to do The weakness of the other Charge is clear When such a trifle must bring up the Rear But this is mad design for who before Lost his repute upon anothers score My Love and Life I must confess are thine But not my Errours they are only mine And if my Faults must be for thine allow'd It will be hard to dissipate the Cloud For Eve's Rebellion did not Adam blast Until himself forbidden Fruit did taste 'T is possible this Magazine of Hell Whose name would turn a verse into a spell Whose mischief is congenial to his life May yet enjoy an honourable Wife Nor let his ill be reckoned as her blame Nor yet my Follies blast Antenor's name But if those lines a Punishment could call Lasting and great as this dark Lanthorn's gall Alone I 'd court the Torments with content To testifie that thou art Innocent So if my Ink through malice prov'd a stain My Bloud should justly wash it off again But since that Mint of slander could invent To make so dull a Ryme his Instrument Let Verse revenge the quarrel But he 's worse Then wishes and below a Poet's curse And more then this Wit knows not how to give Let him be still himself and let him live Rosania shadowed whilest Mrs. Mary Awbrey IF any could my dear Rosania hate They only should her Character relate Truth shines so bright there that an Enemy Would be a better Oratour then I. Love stifles Language and I must confess I had said more if I had loved less Yet the most critical who that Face see Will ne're suspect a partiality Others by time and by degrees perswade But her first look doth every heart invade She hath a Face so eminently bright Would make a Lover of an Anchorite A Face where conquest mixt with modesty Are both compleated in Divinity Not her least glance but sets a heart on fire And checks it if it should too much aspire Such is the Magick of her Looks the same Beam doth both kindle and refine our flame If she doth smile no Painter e're would take Another Rule when he would Mercy make And Heav'n to her such splendour hath allow'd That no one posture can her Beauty cloud For if she frown none but would phansie then Justice descended here to punish Men. Her common looks I know not how to call Any one Grace they are compos'd of all And if we Mortals could the doctrine reach Her Eyes have language and her Looks do teach And as in Palaces the outmost worst Rooms entertain our wonder at the first But once within the Presence-Chamber door We do despise what e're we saw before So when you with her Mind acquaintance get You 'l hardly think upon the Cabinet Her Soul that Ray shot from the Deity Doth still preserve its native purity Which Earth can neither threaten nor allure Nor by false joys defile it or obscure The Innocence which in her heart doth dwell Angels themselves can only parrallel More gently soft then is an Evening-shower And in that sweetness there is coucht a Power Which scorning Pride doth think it very hard That Modesty should need so mean a Guard Her Honour is protected by her Eyes As the old Flaming Sword kept Paradise Such Constancy of Temper Truth and Law Guides all her actions that the World may draw From her one Soul the noblest Precedent Of the most safe wise vertuous Government And as the highest Element is clear From all the Tempests which disturb the Air So she above the World and its rude noise Above our storms a quiet Calm enjoys Transcendent things her noble thoughts sublime Above the faults and trifles of the Time Unlike those Gallants which take far less care To have their Souls then make their Bodies fair Who sick with too much leisure time do pass With these two books Pride and a Looking-glass Plot to surprize Mens hearts their pow'r to try And call that Love which is meer Vanity But she although the greatest Murtherer For ev'ry glance commits a Massacre Yet glories not that slaves her power confess But wishes that her Monarchy were less And if she love it is not thrown away As many do onely to spend the day But her 's is serious and enough alone To make all Love become Religion And to her Friendship she so faithful is That 't is her onely blot and prejudice For Envy's self could never errour see Within that Soul ' bating her love to me Now as I must confess the name of Friend To her that all the World doth comprehend Is a most wild Ambition so for me To draw her picture is flat Lunacy Oh! I must think the rest for who can write Or into words confine what 's Infinite To the Queen of Inconstancy Regina Collier in Antwerp 1. UNworthy since thou hast decreed Thy Love and Honour both shall bleed My Friendship could not chuse to die In better
Here Water-fowl repose enjoy Without the interrupting care Lest Fortune should their bliss destrby By the malicious Fowlers Snare Some ravish'd with so bright a day their Feathers finely prune and deck Others their amorous heats allay Which yet the waters could not check All take their innocent content In this their lovely Element 7. Summer's nor Winter's bold approach This Stream did never entertain Nor ever felt a Boat or Coach Whilst either season did remain No thirsty Traveller came neer And rudely made his hand his cup Nor any hunted Hind hath here Her hopeless life resigned up Nor ever did the treacherous Hook Intrude to empty any Brook 8. What beauty is there in the sight Of these old ruin'd Castle walls On which the utmost rage and spight Of times worst insurrection falls The Witches keep their Sabbath here And wanton Devils make retreat Who in malicious sport appear Our sence both to afflict and cheat And here within a thousand holes Are nests of Adders and of Owles 9. The Raven with his dismal cries That mortal augury of Fate Those ghastly Goblins gratifies Which in these gloomy places wait On a curs'd Tree the wind does move A Carcase which did once belong To one that hang'd himself for love Of a fair Nymph that did him wrong Who though she saw his love and truth With one look would not save the Youth 10. But Heaven which judges equally And its own Laws will still maintain Rewarded soon her cruelty With a deserv'd and mighty pain About this squallid heap of bones Her wandring condemned shade Laments in long and piercing grones The destiny her rigour made And the more to augment her fright Her crime is ever in her sight 11. There upon Antique Marbles trac'd Devices of past times we see Here age hath almost quite defac'd What Lovers carv'd on every Tree The Cellar here the highest Room Receives when its old rafters fail Soil'd with the venom and the foam Of the Spider and the Snail And th' Ivy in the Chimney we Find shaded by a Wall-nut Tree 12. Below there does a Cave extend Wherein there is so dark a Grot That should the Sun himself descend I think he could not see a jot Here sleep within a heavy lid In quiet sadness locks up sense And every care he does forbid Whilst in the arms of negligence Lazily on his back he 's spread And sheaves of Poppy are his Bed 13. Within this cool and hollow Cave Where Love it self might turn to Ice Poor Eccho ceases not to rave On her Narcissus wild and nice Hither I softly steal a thought And by the softer Musick made With a sweet Lute in charms well taught Sometimes I flatter her fad shade Whilst of my Chords I make such choice They ferve as body to her voice 14. When from these ruines I retire This horrid Rock I do invade Whose lofty brow seems to enquire Of what materials mists are made From thence descending leisurely Under the brow of this steep hill It with great pleasure I descry By Waters undermin'd until They to Palaemon's seat did climb Compos'd of Spunges and of Slime 15. How highly is the fancy pleas'd To be upon the Oceans shore When she begins to be appeas'd And her fierce billows cease to roar And when the hairy Tritons are Riding upon the shaken wave With what strange sounds they strike the air Of their Trumpets hoarse and brave Whose shrill report does every wind Unto his due submission bind 16. Sometimes the Sea dispels the Sand Trembling and murmuring in the Bay And rowles it self upon the shells Which it both brings and takes away Sometimes exposes on the strand Th' effects of Neptune's rage and scorn Drown'd Men dead Monsters cast on Land And Ships that were in Tempests torn With Diamonds and Ambergreece And many more such things as these 17. Sometimes so sweetly she does smile A floating mirrour she might be And you would fancy all that while New Heavens in her face to see The Sun himself is drawn so well When there he would his Picture view That our eye can hardly tell Which is the false Sun which the true And lest we give our sense the lye We think he 's fallen from the skye 18. Bernieres for whose beloved sake My thoughts are at a noble strife This my fantastick Landskip take Which I have copied from the Life I only seek the Desarts rough Where all alone I love to walk And with discourse refin'd enough My Genius and the Muses talk But the converse most truly mine Is the dear memory of thine 19. Thou may'st in this Poem find So full of liberty and heat What illustrious rays have shin'd To enlighten my conceit Sometimes pensive sometimes gay Just as that fury does controul And as the object I survey The notions grow up in my Soul And are as unconcern'd and free As the flame which transported me 20. O! how I Solitude adore That Element of noblest wit Where I have learnt Apollo's lore Without the pains to study it For thy sake I in love am grown With what thy fancy does pursue But when I think upon my own I hate it for that reason too Because it needs must hinder me From seeing and from serving thee Tendres defers out of a French prose GO soft desires Love's gentle Progeny And on the Heart of charming Sylvia sieze Then quickly back again return to me Since that 's the only cure for my disease But if you miss her breast whom I adore Then take your flight and visit mine no more Amanti ch' in pianti c. LOvers who in complaints your selves consume And to be happy once perhaps presume Your Love and hopes alike are vain Nor will they ever cure your pain They that in Love would joy attain Their passion to their power must frame Let them enjoy what they can gain And never higher aim Complaints and Sorrows from me now depart You think to soften an ungentle Heart When it not onely wards such blows But from your sufferance prouder grows They that in Love would joy c. A Pastoral of Mons de Scudery 's in the first volume of Almahide Englished SLothful deceiver come away With me again the fields survey And sleep no more unless it be My Fortune thou should'st dream of me The Sky from which the Night is fled Is painted with a matchless Red 'T is day the morning greets my Eyes Thou art my Sun wilt thou not rise Now the black Shadows of the Night From Heav'n and Earth are put to Flight Come and dispel each lingring shade With that Light which thy Eyes have made That Planet which so like thee seems In his long and piercing beams At once illuminates and Guilds All these valleys and these Fields The Winds do rather sigh than blow And Rivers murmure as they go And all things seem to thee to say Rise Fair one 't is a Lovely Day Come and the liquid Pearls descry Which glittering
'mong the flowers lye Day finds them wet when it appears And 't is too often with my Tears Hearken and thou wilt much approve The Warbling Consort of this Grove Compleat the pleasure of our Ears Mixing thy harmony with theirs Feather'd Musician step aside Thy self within these bushes hide While my Aminta's Voice affords Her charming Notes to cloath my words Hasten to sing them them my fair And put this proud one to despair Whose Voice the Base and Trebles part With so marvellous an Art Come Philomel and now make use Of all thy practice can produce All the harmonious Secrets thou Canst try will do no service now Thou must to her this Glory give For nothing can thy Fame relieve Then e're thou dost the Conquest try Chuse to be silent here or dye Come my Shepherdess survey While a hundred pipes do play From every Fold from every Shed How the Herds and Flocks are fed Hear the pleasing harmless voice Of thy Lambs now they rejoyce While with their bleating notes are mix'd Their pretty bounds and leaps betwixt See see how from the Thatched Rooms Of these our artless Cabbins comes A Rustick troop of Jolly Swains From every side unto the Plains Their Sheep-hooks steel so bright and clear How it shines both far and near A Bag-pipe here and there a Flute With merryer whistles do dispute Hear thy flocks which for thee bleat In Language Innocent and sweet See here thy Shepherd who attends 'em And from the Ravenous Wolf defends ' em Thy Melampus him endears And leaps and sports when he appears He complains that thy sloth is such And my poor heart does that as much Among the rest here 's a Ram we So white so blith so merry see In all our Flocks there is not one Deserves such praise as he alone On the grass he butts and leaps Flatters and then away he skips So gentle and yet proud is he That surely he hath learn'd of thee The fairest Garlands we can find Unworthy are his horns to bind But Flowers that death can never know Are fittest to adorn his Brow He is full of modest shame And as full of amorous flame Astrologers in heaven see A Beast less beautiful than he I have for thee a Sheep-hook brought On which thy Shepherd hard hath wrought Here he thy character hath trac'd Is it not neatly interlac'd To that a Scrip is ty'd for thee Which woven is so curiously That the Art does the stuff excell And Gold it self looks not so well Here 's in a Cage that he did make All the Birds that he could take How glorious is their slavery If they be not despis'd by thee A Garland too for thee hath staid And 't is of Fairest Flowers made Aurora had this offering kept And for its loss hath newly wept A lovely Fawn he brings along Nimble as thy self and young And greater presents he would bring But that a Shepherd is no King Come away my Lovely bliss To such divertisement as this And bring none to these Lovely places But onely Venus and the Graces Whatever company were nigh Would tedious be when thou art by Venus and Fortune would to me Be troublesome if I had thee She comes from far the Lovely Maid Is by her shining charms betray'd See how the Flowers sprout up to meet A Noble ruine from her feet How Sprightly and how Fair is she How much undone then must I be My torment is I know severe But who can think on 't when she 's near My heart leaps up within my breast And sinks again with Joy opprest But in her sight to yield my breath Would be an acceptable Death Come then and in this shade be sure That thy fair Skin shall be secure For else the Sun would wrong I fear The Colours which do flourish there His Flaming steeds do climb so fast While they to our Horizon hast That by this time his Radiant Coach Does to his highest house approach His fiercer Rays in heat and length Begin to rob us of our strength Directly on the Earth they dart And all the shadows are grown short This Valley hath a private seat Which is a cool and moist retreat Where the angry Planet which we spy Can ne're invade us with his Eye Behold this fresh and florid Grass Where never yet a foot did pass A Carpet spreads for us to sit And to thy Beauty offers it This delicate apartment is Roof'd o're with Aged stooping Trees Whose verdant shadow does secure This Place a native furniture The Courts of Naiades are such In shades like these ador'd so much Where thousand Fountains round about Perpetually gush water out How finely this thick moss doth look Which limits this transparent brook Whose sportful wave does swell and spread And is on flags and rushes shed Within this liquid Chrystal see The cause of all my Misery And judge by that fair Murtheress If I could love thy beauty less Thy either Eye does Rays dispence Of modesty and Innocence And with thy seriousness we find The gladness of an Infant joyn'd Thy frowns delight though they torment From thy looks Life and Death is sent And thy whole air does on us throw Arrows which cureless wounds bestow The stature of a Mountain Pine Is crooked when compar'd to thine Which does thy sex to envy move As much as it does ours to love From thy dividing lips do flye Those pointed shafts that make us dye Nor have our Gardens e're a Rose That to thy cheeks we dare oppose When by a happy liberty We may thy lovely bosom see The whitest Curds nor falling Snow Can any such complexion show Thyme and Majoram whose scent Of all perfumes most Innocent Less Fragrancy than thy breath have Which all our senses does enslave Even when thou scornest thou can'st please And make us love our own disease The blushes that our cherrys wear Do hardly to thy lips come near When upon the smoother Plains Thou to dance wilt take the pains No Hind when she employs her feet Is half so graceful or so fleet Of thy garments fair and white The neatness gives us most delight And I had rather them behold Then clothes embroidered with Gold I nothing in the World can see So rare as unadorned thee Who art as it must be confess'd Not by thy clothes but Beauty dress'd Thy Lovely hair thou up hast ty'd And in an unwrought Veil dost hide In the mean time thy single Face All other beauties does disgrace Yes yes thy negligence alone Does more than all their care hath done The Nymphs in all their pompous dress Do entertain my fancy less A Nosegay all thy Jewel is And all thy Art consists in this And what from this pure Spring does pass Is all thy paint and all thy Glass Adored beauty here may we Our selves in lovely glasses see Come then I pray thee let us look I in thy Eyes thou in the Brook Within this faithful Mirrour see The object which hath
Citizen Whilst I with joyful haste come to assure You that your life and Kingdom were secure Th' illustrious Caesar on the course you took Does with less anger than compassion look He pities you who such vile States-men heard As make their Kings not to be lov'd but fear'd Whose Souls the baseness of their birth confess And who in vain great Dignities possess For Slavish Spirits cannot guide the Helm Those too much Power would quickly overwhelm That hand whose Crimes alone do purchase Fear Will soon let fall a Weight it cannot bear PTOLOMY Those Truths and my ill Fate do me perswade How bad a choice of Counsellours I made For had I acted Honourable things I had as Glorious been as other Kings And better merited the Love you bear A Brother so unworthy of your Care Caesar and Pompey had been here agreed And the Worlds Peace in Egypt been decreed Who her own Prince a friend to both had seen Nay he perhaps an Arbiter had been But since to call this back is past our Art Let me discharge to you my Troubled heart You that for all the Wrongs that I have done Could yet Preserve me both my Life and Crown Be truly great and vanquish all your Hate By changing Photin's and Achilla's Fate For their offending you their Death is due But that my Glory suffers in it too If for their Kings Crimes they should punish'd be The Infamy would wholly light on me Caesar through them wounds me theirs is my Pain For my sake therefore your Just Hate constrain Your heart is Noble and what pleasure then Is th' abject Blood of two unhappy Men Let me owe all to you who Caesar charm And with a Look his Anger can disarm CLEOPATRA Were but their Life and Death in me to give My scorn is great enough to let them live But I with Caesar little can prevail When Pompey's Blood lyes in the other scale I boast no Power to Dispose his will For I have spoke and he hath shun'd it still And turning quickly to some new Affair He neither does refuse nor grant my Prayer Yet I 'le once more on that harsh Theam proceed In hope a New attempt may better speed And I 'le believe PTOLOMY He comes let me be gone Lest I should chance to draw his anger on My presence may enflame what t' would make less And you alone may act with more success SCEN. III. Caesar Cleopatra Antonius Lepidus Charmion Achoreus and Romans CAESAR The City now is quiet Beauteous Queen Which had alarm'd with little reason been Nor need they fear the troublesome event Of Souldiers Pride or Peoples Discontent But O great Gods when absent from your Eyes A greater Tumult did within me rise When these unwelcom Cares snatcht me from you My heart ev'n with my Grandeur angry grew And I my own Renown began to hate Since it my parting did necessitate But I forgave all to the single Thought How much advantage to my Love it brought For 't is to that I owe the noble Hope Which to my Flame does give so fair a scope And perswades Caesar that his Heart may prove Not utterly unworthy of your Love And that he may pretend to that since he Nothing above him but the Gods can see Yes Queen if in the World a Man there were That with more glory could your fetters bear Or if there were a Throne wherein you might By Conquering its King appear more bright Less for his Throne would I the Man pursue Than to dispute the Right of serving you 'T was to acquire that valuable Right That my Ambitious Arm did alwayes fight And in Pharsalia rather my Sword drew To preserve that than Pompey to subdue I Conquer'd and the God of Battles less Then your bright Eyes afforded me success They rais'd my Courage and my hand did sway And I owe them that memorable day As the effect of heat by them inspir'd For when your beauties had my passion fir'd That a return might your great Soul become They made me Master of the World and Rome I would ennoble that high stile I wear By the Addition of your Prisoner And shall most happy be if you think fit That Title to esteem and this permit CLEOPATRA I know how much I to my fortune owe Which this excess of Honour does bestow Nor will from you my in ward thoughts conceal Since I know both you and my self so well Your Love did in my earliest Youth appear And I my Scepter as your Present wear I twice receiv'd my Kingdom from your Hand And after that can I your Love withstand No Sir my Heart cannot resist your siege Who so much merit and so much oblige But yet my Birth my Rank and the Command Which I have now regain'd in Egypts Land The Scepter by your Hand restor'd to mine Do all against my innocent Hopes combine To my desires iniurious they have been And lessen me by making me a Queen For if Rome still be as she was before T' ascend a Throne will but debase me more These Marks of Honour will be but my Shame And ruine my Pretences to your Flame But yet methinks the Power you enjoy Might all my Fears with ease enough destroy And I would hope that such a Man as you May justly Romes Capriciousness subdue And her unjust aversion for a Throne She might see cause for your sake to disown I know that you can harder things effect And from your Promise Wonders I expect You in Pharsalia did much greater do And I invoke no other Gods but You. CAESAR There 's nothing humane can my Love withstand 'T is but the over-running Affricks Land To shew my Standards to the rest of those Who did me with so ill a Fate oppose And when Rome can no more of them Advance She will be forc'd to study Complaisance And you shall see her with a solemn State At your Feet sacrifice her Pride and Hate Nay I must have her at your Royal Seat In my behalf your Favour to entreat And with so much Respect these Beauties view That she young Caesars shall request from you This is the only Fortune I desire And all to which my Lawrels do aspire How blest were my Condition if I might Obtain those Wreaths and still enjoy your sight But yet my Passion it s own harm procures For I must quit you if I will be yours While there are flying Foes I must pursue That I may them defeat and merit you To bear that absence therefore suffer me To take such Courage from the Charmes I see That frighted Nations may at Caesars name Say He but came and saw and overcame CLEOPATRA This is too much but if I this abuse The fault which you create you must excuse You did my Crown and perhaps life restore And yet your love I trust will grant me more And I conjure you by its strongest Charms By that great Fortune which attends your Arms By all my hopes and all your high
remov'd from all bold noise And what is worse all hollow joyes Who never had a mean design Whose flame is serious and divine And calm and even must contented be For they 've both Union and Society Then my Lucasia we who have Whatever Love can give or crave Who can with pitying scorn survey The Trifles which the most betray With innocence and perfect friendship fir'd By Vertue joyn'd and by our Choice retir'd 12. Whose Mirrours are the crystal Brooks Or else each others Hearts and Looks Who cannot wish for other things Then Privacy and Friendship brings Whose thoughts and persons chang'd and mixt are one Enjoy Content or else the World hath none A Dialogue of Absence 'twixt Lucasia and Orinda Set by Mr. Hen. Lawes Luc. SAy my Orinda why so sad Orin Absence from thee doth tear my heart Which since with thine it union had Each parting splits Luc. And can we part Orin Our Bodies must Luc. But never we Our Souls without the help of Sense By wayes more noble and more free Can meet and hold intelligence Orin And yet those Souls when first they met Lookt out at windows through the Eyes Luc. But soon did such acquaintance get Not Fate nor Time can them surprize Orin Absence will rob us of that bliss To which this Friendship title brings Love's fruits and joys are made by this Useless as Crowns to captiv'd Kings Luc. Friendship 's a Science and we know There Contemplation's most employ'd Orin Religion's so but practick too And both by niceties destroy'd Luc. But who ne're parts can never meet And so that happiness were lost Orin Thus Pain and Death are sadly sweet Since Health and Heav'n such price must cost Chorus But we shall come where no rude hand shall sever And there wee 'l meet and part no more for ever To my dear Sister Mrs. C. P. on her Marriage WE will not like those men our offerings pay Who crown the cup then think they crown the day We make no garlands nor an altar build Which help not Joy but Ostentation yield Where mirth is justly grounded these wild toyes Are but a troublesome and empty noise 2. But these shall be my great Solemnities Orinda's wishes for Cassandra's bliss May her Content be as unmix'd and pure As my Affection and like that endure And that strong Happiness may she still find Not owing to her Fortune but her Mind 3. May her Content and Duty be the same And may she know no Grief but in the name May his and her Pleasure and Love be so Involv'd and growing that we may not know Who most Affection or most Peace engrost Whose Love is strongest or whose Bliss is most 4. May nothing accidental e're appear But what shall with new bonds their Souls endear And may they count the hours as they pass By their own Joys and not by Sun or Glass While every day like this may sacred prove To Friendship Gratitude and strictest Love To Mr. Henry Vaughan Silurist on his Poems HAd I ador'd the multitude and thence Got an antipathy to Wit and Sense And hugg'd that fate in hope the World would grant 'T was good affection to be ignorant Yet the least Ray of thy bright fancy seen I had converted or excuseless been For each Birth of thy Muse to after-times Shall expiate for all this Age's crimes First shines thy Amoret twice crown'd by thee Once by thy Love next by thy Poetry Where thou the best of Unions dost dispence Truth cloth'd in Wit and Love in Innocence So that the muddiest Lovers may learn here No Fountains can be sweet that are not clear There Juvenal reviv'd by thee declares How flat man's Joys are and how mean his Cares And generously upbraids the World that they Should such a value for their Ruine pay But when thy sacred Muse diverts her Quill The Landskip to design of Leon's hill As nothing else was worthy her or thee So we admire almost t' Idolatry What Savage breast would not be rap'd to find Such Jewels in such Cabinets enshrin'd Thou fill'd with Joys too great to see or count Descend'st from thence like Moses from the Mount And with a candid yet unquestion'd aw Restor'st the Golden Age when Verse was Law Instructing us thou so secur'st thy fame That nothing can disturb it but my name Nay I have hopes that standing so near thine 'T will lose its dross and by degrees refine Live till the disabused World consent All Truths of Use or Strength or Ornament Are with such Harmony by thee display'd As the whole World was first by Number made And from the charming rigour thy Muse brings Learn there 's no pleasure but in serious things A retir'd Friendship To Ardelia COme my Ardelia to this Bower Where kindly mingling Souls a while Let 's innocently spend an hour And at all serious follies smile 2. Here is no quarrelling for Crowns Nor fear of changes in our Fate No trembling at the great ones frowns Nor any slavery of State 3. Here 's no disguise nor treachery Nor any deep conceal'd design From Bloud and Plots this Place is free And calm as are those looks of thine 4. Here let us sit and bless our Stars Who did such happy quiet give As that remov'd from noise of Wars In one anothers hearts we live 5. Why should we entertain a fear Love cares not how the World is turn'd If crouds of dangers should appear Yet Friendship can be unconcern'd 6. We wear about us such a charm No horrour can be our offence For mischief's self can do no harm To Friendship or to Innocence 7. Let 's mark how soon Apollo's beams Command the flocks to quit their meat And not entreat the neighbouring streams To quench their thirst but cool their heat 8. In such a scorching Age as this Who would not ever seek a shade Deserve their Happiness to miss As having their own peace betray'd 9. But we of one anothers mind Assur'd the boisterous World disdain With quiet Souls and unconfin'd Enjoy what Princes wish in vain To Mrs. Mary Carne when Philaster courted her AS some great Conqueror who knows no bounds But hunting Honour in a thousand wounds Pursues his rage and thinks that Triumph cheap That 's but attended with the common heap Till his more happy fortune doth afford Some Royal Captive that deserv'd his sword And only now is of his Laurel proud Thinking his dang'rous valour well bestow'd But then retreats and spending hate no more Thinks Mercy now what Courage was before As Cowardise in fight so equally He doth abhor a bloudy Victory So Madam though your Beauty were allow'd To be severe unto the yielding Croud That were subdu'd e're you an Object knew Worthy your Conquest and your Mercy too Yet now 't is gain'd your Victory 's compleat Only your Clemency should be as great None will dispute the power of your Eyes That understands Philaster is their prize Hope not your Glory can have new access For all
when our Sense is dispossest Our labouring Souls will heave and pant And gasp for one anothers breast Since their Conveyances they want 3. Nay we have felt the tedious smart Of absent Friendship and do know That when we die we can but part And who knows what we shall do now 4. Yet I must go we will submit And so our own Disposers be For while we nobly suffer it We triumph o're Necessity 5. By this we shall be truly great If having other things o'recome To make our victory compleat We can be Conquerors at home 6. Nay then to meet we may conclude And all Obstructions overthrow Since we our Passion have subdu'd Which is the strongest thing I know Against Pleasure Set by Dr. Coleman 1. THere 's no such thing as Pleasure here 'T is all a perfect Cheat Which does but shine and disappear Whose Charm is but Deceit The empty bribe of yielding Souls Which first betrays and then controuls 2. 'T is true it looks at distance fair But if we do approch The fruit of Sodom will impair And perish at a touch In Being than in Fancy less And we expect more than possess 3. For by our Pleasures we are cloy'd And so Desire is done Or else like Rivers they make wide The Channel where they run And either way true bliss destroys Making Us narrow or our Joys 4. We covet Pleasure easily But it not so possess For many things must make it be But one may make it less Nay were our state as we could chuse it 'T would be consum'd by fear to lose it 5. What art thou then thou winged Air More weak and swift than Fame Whos 's next successor is Despair And its attendant Shame Th' Experience-Prince then reason had Who said of Pleasure It is mad A Prayer ETernal Reason Glorious Majesty Compar'd to whom what can be said to be Whose Attributes are Thee who art alone Cause of all various things and yet but One Whose Essence can no more be search'd by Man Then Heav'n thy Throne be grasped with a Span. Yet if this great Creation was design'd To several ends fitted for every kind Sure Man the World's Epitome must be Form'd to the best that is to study thee And as our Dignity 't is Duty too Which is summ'd up in this to know and do These comely rows of Creatures spell thy Name Whereby we grope to find from whence they came By thy own Chain of Causes brought to think There must be one then find that highest Link Thus all created Excellence we see Is a resemblance faint and dark of thee Such shadows are produc'd by the Moon-beams Of Trees or Houses in the running streams Yet by Impressions born with us we find How good great just thou art how unconfin'd Here we are swallowed up and gladly dwell Safely adoring what we cannot tell All we know is thou art supremely good And dost delight to be so understood A spicy Mountain on the Universe On which thy richest Odours do disperse But as the Sea to fill a Vessel heaves More greedily than any Cask receives Besieging round to find some gap in it Which will a new Infusion admit So dost thou covet that thou mayst dispence Upon the empty World thy Influence Lov'st to disburse thy self in kindness Thus The King of Kings waits to be gracious On this account O God enlarge my heart To entertain what thou wouldst fain impart Nor let that Soul by several titles thine And most capacious form'd for things Divine So nobly meant that when it most doth miss 'T is in mistaken pantings after Bliss Degrade it self in sordid things delight Or by prophaner mixtures lose its right Oh! that with fixt unbroken thoughts it may Admire the light which does obscure the day And since 't is Angels work it hath to do May its composure be like Angels too When shall these clogs of Sense and Fancy break That I may hear the God within me speak When with a silent and retired art Shall I with all this empty hurry part To the Still Voice above my Soul advance My light and joy plac'd in his Countenance By whose dispence my Soul to such frame brought May tame each trech'rous fix each scat'ring thought With such distinctions all things here behold And so to separate each dross from gold That nothing my free Soul may satisfie But t' imitate enjoy and study thee To Mris. M. A. upon Absence 1. 'T Is now since I began to die Four Months yet still I gasping live Wrapp'd up in sorrow do I lie Hoping yet doubting a Reprieve Adam from Paradise expell'd Just such a wretched Being held 2. 'T is not thy Love I fear to lose That will in spight of absence hold But 't is the benefit and use Is lost as in imprison'd Gold Which though the Sum be ne're so great Enriches nothing but conceit 3. What angry Star then governs me That I must feel a double smart Prisoner to fate as well as thee Kept from thy face link'd to thy heart Because my Love all love excells Must my Grief have no Parallels 4. Sapless and dead as Winter here I now remain and all I see Copies of my wild state appear But I am their Epitome Love me no more for I am grown Too dead and dull for thee to own To Mrs. Mary Awbrey SOul of my Soul my joy my crown my Friend A name which all the rest doth comprehend How happy are we now whose Souls are grown By an incomparable mixture one Whose well-acquainted Minds are now as near As Love or Vows or Friendship can endear I have no thought but what 's to thee reveal'd Nor thou desire that is from me conceal'd Thy Heart locks up my Secrets richly set And my Breast is thy private Cabinet Thou shed'st no tear but what my moisture lent And if I sigh it is thy breath is spent United thus what Horrour can appear Worthy our Sorrow Anger or our Fear Let the dull World alone to talk and fight And with their vast Ambitions Nature fright Let them despise so Innocent a flame While Envy Pride and Faction play their game But we by Love sublim'd so high shall rise To pity Kings and Conquerours despise Since we that Sacred Union have engrost Which they and all the factious World have lost In Memory of Mr. Cartwright STay Prince of Phancie stay we are not fit To welcome or admire thy Raptures yet Such horrid Ignorance benights the Times That Wit and Honour are become our Crimes But when those happy Pow'rs which guard thy dust To us and to thy Mem'ry shall be just And by a flame from thy blest Genius lent Rescue us from our dull Imprisonment Unsequester our Fancies and create A Worth that may upon thy Glories wait We then shall understand thee and descry The splendour of restored Poetry Till when let no bold hand profane thy shrine 'T is high Wit-Treason to debase thy coin Mr. Francis Finch the Excellent Palaemon
Monument is fit But what 's beyond our love and wit On the little Regina Collier on the same Tomb-stone VErtue 's Blossom Beauty's Bud The Pride of all that 's fair and good By Death's fierce hand was snatched hence In her state of Innocence Who by it this advantage gains Her wages got without her pains Friendship LEt the dull brutish World that know not Love Continue Hereticks and disapprove That noble Flame but the refined know 'T is all the Heaven we have here below Nature subsists by Love and they do tie Things to their Causes but by Sympathy Love chains the different Elements in one Great Harmony link'd to the Heav'nly Throne And as on Earth so the blest Quire above Of Saints and Angels are maintain'd by Love That is their Business and Felicity And will be so to all Eternity That is the Ocean our Affections here Are but streams borrow'd from the Fountain there And 't is the noblest Argument to prove A Beauteous mind that it knows how to Love Those kind Impressions which Fate can't controul Are Heaven's mintage on a worthy Soul For Love is all the Arts Epitome And is the Sum of all Divinity He 's worse than Beast that cannot Love and yet It is not bought for Money Pains or Wit For no chance or design can Spirits move But the Eternal destiny of Love And when two Souls are chang'd and mixed so It is what they and none but they can do This this is Friendship that abstracted flame Which groveling Mortals know not how to name All Love is sacred and the Marriage-tie Hath much of Honour and Divinity But Lust Design or some unworthy ends May mingle there which are despis'd by Friends Passion hath violent extreams and thus All oppositions are contiguous So when the end is serv'd their Love will bate If Friendship make it not more fortunate Friendship that Love's Elixir that pure fire Which burns the clearer ' cause it burns the higher For Love like earthly fires which will decay If the material fuel be away Is with offensive smoke accompanied And by resistance only is supplied But Friendship like the fiery Element With its own Heat and Nourishment content Where neither hurt nor smoke nor noise is made Scorns the assistance of a foreign aid Friendship like Heraldry is hereby known Richest when plainest bravest when alone Calm as a Virgin and more Innocent Than sleeping Doves are and as much content As Saints in Visions quiet as the Night But clear and open as the Summer's light United more than Spirits Faculties Higher in thoughts than are the Eagle's eyes What shall I say when we true friends are grown W' are like Alas w' are like our selves alone The Enquiry 1. IF we no old Historian's name Authentick will admit But think all said of Friendship 's fame But Poetry or Wit Yet what 's rever'd by Minds so pure Must be a bright Idea sure 2. But as our Immortality By inward sense we find Judging that if it could not be It would not be design'd So here how could such Copies fall If there were no Original 3. But if Truth be in ancient Song Or Story we believe If the inspir'd and graver Throng Have scorned to deceive There have been Hearts whose Friendship gave Them thoughts at once both soft and brave 4. Among that consecrated Few Some more Seraphick shade Lend me a favourable Clew Now mists my eyes invade Why having fill'd the World with Fame Left you so little of your flame 5. Why is' t so difficult to see Two Bodies and one Mind And why are those who else agree So differently kind Hath Nature such fantastick art That she can vary every Heart 6. Why are the bands of Friendship tied With so remiss a knot That by the most it is defied And by the rest forgot Why do we step with so light sense From Friendship to Indifference 7. If Friendship Sympathy impart Why this ill-shuffled game That Heart can never meet with Heart Or Flame encounter Flame What does this Cruelty create Is' t the Intrigue of Love or Fate 8. Had Friendship ne're been known to Men The Ghost at last confest The World had been a stranger then To all that Heaven possest But could it all be here acquir'd Not Heaven it self would be desir'd To my Lucasia in defence of declared Friendship 1. O My Lucasia let us speak our Love And think not that impertinent can be Which to us both doth such assurance prove And whence we find how justly we agree 2. Before we knew the treasures of our Love Our noble aims our joys did entertain And shall enjoyment nothing then improve 'T were best for us then to begin again 3. Now we have gain'd we must not stop and sleep Out all the rest of our mysterious reign It is as hard and glorious to keep A victory as it is to obtain 4. Nay to what end did we once barter Minds Only to know and to neglect the claim Or like some Wantons our Pride pleasure finds To throw away the thing at which we aim 5. If this be all our Friendship does design We covet not enjoyment then but power To our Opinion we our Bliss confine And love to have but not to smell the flower 6. Ah! then let Misers bury thus their Gold Who though they starve no farthing will produce But we lov'd to enjoy and to behold And sure we cannot spend our stock by use 7. Think not 't is needless to repeat desires The fervent Turtles alwaies court and bill And yet their spotless passion never tires But does encrease by repetition still 8. Although we know we love yet while our Soul Is thus imprison'd by the Flesh we wear There 's no way left that bondage to controul But to convey transactions through the Ear. 9. Nay though we read our passions in the Eye It will oblige and please to tell them too Such joys as these by motion multiply Were 't but to find that our Souls told us true 10. Believe not then that being now secure Of either's heart we have no more to do The Spheres themselves by motion do endure And they move on by Circulation too 11. And as a River when it once hath paid The tribute which it to the Ocean owes Stops not but turns and having curl'd and play'd On its own waves the shore it overflows 12. So the Soul's motion does not end in b'iss But on her self she scatters and dilates And on the Object doubles till by this She finds new joys which that reflux creates 13. But then because it cannot all contain It seeks a vent by telling the glad news First to the Heart which did its joys obtain Then to the Heart which did those joys produce 14. When my Soul then doth such excursions make Unless thy Soul delight to meet it too What satisfaction can it give or take Thou being absent at the interview 15. 'T is not Distrust for were that plea allow'd Letters
and Visits all would useless grow Love's whole expression then would be its cloud And it would be refin'd to nothing so 16. If I distrust 't is my own worth for thee 'T is my own fitness for a love like thine And therefore still new evidence would see T' assure my wonder that thou canst be mine 17. But as the Morning-Sun to drooping Flowers As weary Travellers a Shade do find As to the parched Violet Evening-showers Such is from thee to me a Look that 's kind 18. But when that Look is drest in Words 't is like The mystick pow'r of Musick 's unison Which when the finger doth one Viol strike The other 's string heaves to reflection 19. Be kind to me and just then to our love To which we owe our free and dear Converse And let not tract of Time wear or remove It from the privilege of that Commerce 20. Tyrants do banish what they can't requite But let us never know such mean desires But to be grateful to that Love delight Which all our joys and noble thoughts inspires A Resvery A Chosen Privacy a cheap Content And all the Peace a Friendship ever lent A Rock which civil Nature made a Seat A Willow that repulses all the heat The beauteous quiet of a Summer's day A Brook which sobb'd aloud and ran away Invited my Repose and then conspir'd To entertain my Phancie thus retir'd As Lucian's Ferry-man a loft did view The angry World and then laugh'd at it too So all its sullen Follies seem to me But as a too-well acted Tragedy One dangerous Ambition doth befool Another Envies to see that man Rule One makes his Love the Parent of his Rage For private Friendship publickly t' engage And some for Conscience some for Honour die And some are meanly kill'd they know not why More different then mens faces are their ends Whom yet one common Ruine can make Friends Death Dust and Darkness they have only won And hastily unto their Periods run Death is a Leveller Beauty and Kings And Conquerours and all those glorious things Are tumbled to their Graves in one rude heap Like common dust as quiet and as cheap At greater Changes who would wonder then Since Kingdoms have their Fates as well as men They must fall sick and die nothing can be In this World certain but uncertainty Since Pow'r and Greatness are such slippery things who 'd pity Cottages or envy Kings Now least of all when weary of deceit The World no longer flatters with the Great Though such Confusions here below we find As Providence were wanton with Mankind Yet in this Chaos some things do send forth Like Jewels in the dark a Native worth He that derives his high Nobility Not from the mention of a Pedigree Who thinks it not his Praise that others know His Ancestors were gallant long ago Who scorns to boast the Glories of his blood And thinks he can't be great that is not good Who knows the World and what we Pleasure call Yet cannot sell one Conscience for them all Who hates to hoard that Gold with an excuse For which he can find out a nobler use Who dares not keep that Life that he can spend To serve his God his Country and his Friend Who flattery and falsehood doth so hate He would not buy ten Lives at such a rate Whose Soul then Diamonds more rich and clear Naked and open as his face doth wear Who dares be good alone in such a time When Vertue 's held and punish'd as a Crime Who thinks dark crooked Plots a mean defence And is both safe and wise in Innocence Who dares both fight and die but dares not fear Whose only doubt is if his cause be clear Whose Courage and his Justice equal worn Can dangers grapple overcome and scorn Yet not insult upon a conquer'd foe But can forgive him and oblige him too Whose Friendship is congenial with his Soul Who where he gives a heart bestows it whole Whos 's other ties and Titles here do end Or buried or completed in the Friend Who ne're resumes the Soul he once did give While his Friend's Honesty and Honour live And if his Friend's content could cost the price Would count himself a happy Sacrifice Whose happy days no Pride infects nor can His other Titles make him slight the man No dark Ambitious thoughts do cloud his brow Nor restless cares when to be Great and how Who scorns to envy Wealth where e're it be But pities such a Golden Slavery With no mean fawnings can the people court Nor wholly slight a popular report Whose house no Orphan groans do shake or blast Nor any riot help to serve his taste Who from the top of his Prosperities Can take a fall and yet without surprize Who with the same august and even state Can entertain the best and worst of Fate Whose suffering's sweet if Honour once adorn it Who slights Revenge yet does not fear but scorn it Whose Happiness in ev'ry Fortune lives For that no Fortune either takes or gives Who no unhandsome ways can bribe his Fate Nay out of Prison marches through the Gate Who losing all his Titles and his Pelf Nay all the World can never lose himself This Person shines indeed and he that can Be Vertuous is the great Immortal man A Country-life HOw Sacred and how Innocent A Country-life appears How free from Tumult Discontent From Flattery or Fears This was the first and happiest Life When man enjoy'd himself Till Pride exchanged Peace for Strife And Happiness for Pelf 'T was here the Poets were inspir'd Here taught the multitude The brave they here with Honour fir'd And civiliz'd the rude That Golden Age did entertain No Passion but of Love The thoughts of Ruling and of Gain Did ne're their Fancies move None then did envy Neighbour's wealth Nor Plot to wrong his bed Happy in Friendship and in Health On Roots not Beasts they fed They knew no Law nor Physick then Nature was all their Wit And if there yet remain to men Content sure this is it What Blessings doth this World afford To tempt or bribe desire Her Courtship is all Fire and Sword Who would not then retire Then welcome dearest Solitude My great Felicity Though some are pleas'd to call thee rude Thou art not so but we Them that do covet only rest A Cottage will suffice It is not brave to be possest Of Earth but to despise Opinion is the rate of things From hence our Peace doth flow I have a better Fate then Kings Because I think it so When all the stormy World doth roar How unconcern'd am I I cannot fear to tumble lower Who never could be high Secure in these unenvi'd walls I think not on the State And pity no mans case that falls From his Ambition's height Silence and Innocence are safe A heart that 's nobly true At all these little Arts can laugh That do the World subdue While others Revel it in State Here
and various things Link'd to their Causes by such secret Springs Are held so fast and govern'd by such Art That nothing can out of its order start The World's God's watch where nothing is so small But makes a part of what composes all Could the least Pin be lost or else displac'd The World would be disorder'd and defac'd It beats no Pulse in vain but keeps its time And undiscern'd to its own height doth climb Strung first and daily wound up by his hand Who can its motions guide and understand No secret cunning then nor multitude Can Providence divert cross or delude And her just full decrees are hidden things Which harder are to find then Births of Springs Yet all in various Consorts fitly sound And by their Discords Harmony compound Hence is that Order Life and Energy Whereby Forms are preserv'd though Matters die And shifting dress keep their own living state So that what kills this does that propagate This made the ancient Sage in Rapture cry That sure the world had full Eternity For though it self to Time and Fate submit He 's above both who made and governs it And to each Creature hath such Portion lent As Love and Wisdom sees convenient For he 's no Tyrant nor delights to grieve The Beings which from him alone can live He 's most concern'd and hath the greatest share In man and therefore takes the greatest care To make him happy who alone can be So by Submission and Conformity For why should Changes here below surprize When the whole World its revolution tries Where were our Springs our Harvests pleasant use Unless Vicissitude did them produce Nay what can be so wearisome a pain As when no Alterations entertain To lose to suffer to be sick and die Arrest us by the same Necessity Nor could they trouble us but that our mind Hath its own glory unto dross confin'd For outward things remove not from their place Till our Souls run to beg their mean embrace Then doting on the choice make it our own By placing Trifles in th' Opinion's Throne So when they are divorc'd by some new cross Our Souls seem widow'd by the fatal loss But could we keep our Grandeur and our state Nothing below would seem unfortunate But Grace and Reason which best succours bring Would with advantage manage every thing And by right Judgment would prevent our moan For losing that which never was our own For right Opinion's like a Marble grott In Summer cool and in the Winter hot A Principle which in each Fortune lives Bestowing Catholick Preservatives 'T is this resolves there are no losses where Vertue and Reason are continued there The meanest Soul might such a Fortune share But no mean Soul could so that Fortune bear Thus I compose my thoughts grown insolent As th' Irish Harper doth his Instrument Which if once struck doth murmur and complain But the next touch will silence all again 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ Reconciling the World to himself WHen God contracted to Humanity Could sigh and suffer could be sick and die When all the heap of Miracles combin'd To form the greatest which was save Mankind Then God took stand in Christ studying a way How to repair the Ruin'd World's decay His Love Pow'r Wisdom must some means procure His Mercy to advance Justice secure And since Man in such Misery was hurl'd It cost him more to save then make the World Oh! what a desp'rate load of sins had we When God must plot for our Felicity When God must beg us that he may forgive And dye himself before Mankind could live And what still are we when our King in vain Begs his lost Rebels to be Friends again What flouds of Love proceed from Heaven's smile At once to pardon and to reconcile What God himself hath made he cannot hate For 't is one act to Love and to Create And he 's too perfect full of Majesty To need additions from our Misery He hath a Father's not a Tyrant's joy Shews more his Pow'r to save then to destroy Did there ten thousand Worlds to ruine fall One God could save one Christ redeem them all Be silent then ye narrow Souls take heed Lest you restrain the Mercy you will need But O my Soul from these be different Imitate thou a nobler Precedent As God with open Arms the World does woo Learn thou like God to be enlarged too As he begs thy consent to pardon thee Learn to submit unto thy Enemy As he stands ready thee to entertain Be thou as forward to return again As he was Crucify'd for and by thee Crucifie thou what caus'd his Agony And like to him be mortify'd to sin Die to the World as he dy'd for it then The World WE falsly think it due unto our Friends That we should grieve for their untimely ends He that surveys the World with serious eyes And strips her from her gross and weak disguise Shall find 't is Injury to mourn their Fate He only dies untimely who dies late For if 't were told to Children in the Womb To what a Stage of Mischiefs they must come Could they foresee with how much toil and sweat Men court that guilded nothing being Great What pains they take not to be what they seem Rating their bliss by others false esteem And sacrificing their Content to be Guilty of grave and serious Vanity How each Condition hath its proper Thorns And what one man admires another scorns How frequently their Happiness they miss So far even from agreeing what it is That the same Person we can hardly find Who is an hour together in one mind Sure they would beg a Period of their breath And what we call their Birth would count their Death Mankind is mad for none can live alone Because their Joys stand by comparison And yet they quarrel at Society And strive to kill they know not whom nor why We all live by Mistake delight in Dreams Lost to our selves and dwelling in Extremes Rejecting what we have though ne're so good And prizing what we never understood Compar'd t' our boisterous inconstancy Tempests are calm and Discords harmony Hence we reverse the World and yet do find The God that made can hardly please our Mind We live by chance and slip into Events Have all of Beasts except their Innocence The Soul which no man's pow'r can reach a thing That makes each Woman Man each Man a King Doth so much lose and from its height so fall That some contend to have no Soul at all 'T is either not observ'd or at the best By Passion fought withal by Sin deprest Freedom of Will God's Image is forgot And if we know it we improve it not Our Thoughts though nothing can be more our own Are still unguided very seldom known Time ' scapes our hands as Water in a Sieve We come to die e're we begin to live Truth the most sutable and noble prize Food of our Spirits yet neglected
lies Errour and Shadows are our choice and we Owe our perdition to our own decree If we search Truth we make it more obscure And when it shines cannot the light endure For most men now who plod and eat and drink Have nothing less their bus'ness then to think And those few that enquire how small a share Of Truth they find how dark their Notions are That serious Evenness that calms the Breast And in a Tempest can bestow a Rest We either not attempt or else decline By ev'ry trifle snatch'd from our design Others he must in his deceits involve Who is not true unto his own Resolve We govern not our selves but loose the Reins Counting our Bondage to a thousand chains And with as many Slaveries content As there are Tyrants ready to torment We live upon a Rack extended still To one Extreme or both but always ill For since our Fortune is not understood We suffer less from bad then from the good The Sting is better drest and longer lasts As Surfeits are more dangerous then Fasts And to complete the misery to us We see Extremes are still contiguous And as we run so fast from what we hate Like Squibs on Ropes to know no middle state So outward storms strengthned by us we find Our Fortune as disordered as our Mind But that 's excus'd by this it doth its part A trech'rous World befits a trech'rous Heart All ill 's our own the outward storms we loath Receive from us their Birth their Sting or both And that our Vanity be past a doubt 'T is one new Vanity to find it out Happy are they to whom God gives a Grave And from themselves as from his wrath doth save 'T is good not to be born but if we must The next good is soon to return to dust When th' uncag'd Soul fled to Eternity Shall rest and live and sing and love and see Here we but crawl and grovel play and cry Are first our own then others enemy But there shall be defac'd both stain and score For Time and Death and Sin shall be no more The Soul 1. HOw vain a thing is Man whose noblest part That Soul which through the World doth rome Traverses Heav'n finds out the depth of Art Yet is so ignorant at home 2. In every Brook or Mirrour we can find Reflections of our face to be But a true Optick to present our Mind We hardly get and darkly see 3. Yet in the search after our selves we run Actions and Causes we survey And when the weary Chase is almost done Then from our Quest we slip away 4. 'T is strange and sad that since we do believe We have a Soul must never die There are so few that can a Reason give How it obtains that Life or why 5. I wonder not to find those that know most Profess so much their Ignorance Since in their own Souls greatest Wits are lost And of themselves have scarce a glance 6. But somewhat sure doth here obscurely lie That above Dross would fain advance And â—ants and catches at Eternity As 't were its own Inheritance 7. A Soul self-mov'd which can dilate contract Pierces and judges things unseen But this gross heap of Matter cannot act Unless impulsed from within 8. Distance and Quantity to Bodies due The state of Souls cannot admit And all the Contraries which Nature knew Meet there nor hurt themselves nor it 9. God never Body made so bright and clean Which Good and Evil could discern What these words Honesty and Honour mean The Soul alone knows how to learn 10. And though 't is true she is imprison'd here Yet hath she Notions of her own Which Sense doth only jog awake and clear But cannot at the first make known 11. The Soul her own felicity hath laid And independent on the Sense Sees the weak terrours which the World invade With pity or with negligence 12. So unconcern'd she lives so much above The Rubbish of a sordid Jail That nothing doth her Energy improve So much as when those structures fail 13. She 's then a substance subtile strong and pure So immaterial and refin'd As speaks her from the Body's fate secure And wholly of a diff'rent kind 14. Religion for reward in vain would look Vertue were doom'd to misery All actions were like bubbles in a brook Were 't not for Immortality 15. But as that Conquerour who Millions spent Thought it too mean to give a Mite So the World's Judge can never be content To bestow less then Infinite 16. Treason against Eternal Majesty Must have eternal Justice too And since unbounded Love did satisfie He will unbounded Mercy shew 17. It is our narrow thoughts shorten these things By their companion Flesh inclin'd Which feeling its own weakness gladly brings The same opinion to the Mind 18. We stifle our own Sun and live in Shade But where its beams do once appear They make that person of himself afraid And to his own acts most severe 19. For ways to sin close and our breasts disguise From outward search we soon may find But who can his own Soul bribe or surprise Or sin without a sting behind 20. He that commands himself is more a Prince Then he who Nations keeps in awe Who yield to all that does their Souls convince Shall never need another Law Happiness NAture courts Happiness although it be Unknown as the Athenian Deity It dwells not in Man's Sense yet he supplies That want by growing fond of its disguise The false appearances of Joy deceive And seeking her unto her like we cleave For sinking Man hath scarce sense left to know Whether the Plank he grasps will hold or no. While all the business of the World is this To seek that Good which by mistake they miss And all the several Passions men express Are but for Pleasure in a diff'rent dress They hope for Happiness in being Great Or Rich or Lov'd then hug their own conceit But the Good man can find this treasure out For which in vain others do dig and doubt And hath such secret full Content within Though all abroad be storms yet he can sing His peace is made all 's quiet in that place Where Nature 's cur'd and exercis'd by Grace This inward Calm prevents his Enemies For he can neither envy nor despise But in the beauty of his ordered Mind Doth still a new rich satisfaction find Innocent Epicure whose single breast Can furnish him with a continual feast A Prince at home and Scepters can refuse Valuing only what he cannot lose He studies to do good a man may be Harmless for want of Opportunity But he 's industrious kindness to dispence And therein onely covets eminence Others do court applause and fame but he Thinks all that giddy noise but Vanity He takes no pains to be observ'd or seen While all his acts are echoed from within He 's still himself when Company are gone Too well employ'd ever to be alone For studying God
kind For this Heroick beast does seem In Majesty to Rival him And yet vouchsafes to Man to shew Both service and submission too From whence we this distinction have That Beast is fierce but this is brave This Dog hath so himself subdu'd That hunger cannot make him rude And his behaviour does confess True Courage dwells with Gentleness With sternest Wolves he dares engage And acts on them successful rage Yet too much courtesie may chance To put him out of countenance When in his opposers blood Fortune hath made his vertue good This Creature from an act so brave Grow's not more sullen but more grave Mans Guard he would be not his sport Believing he hath ventur'd for 't But yet no blood or shed or spent Can ever make him insolent Few Men of him to do great things have learn'd And when th' are done to be so unconcern'd SONG To the tune of Sommes nous pas trop heureux 1. HOw prodigious is my fate Since I can't determine clearly Whether you 'l do more severely Giving me your love or hate For if you with kindness bless me Since from you I soon must part Fortune will so dispossess me That your Love will break my heart 2. But since Death all sorrow cures Might I chuse my way of dying I could wish the arrow flying From Fortunes Quiver not from yours For in the sad unusual story How my wretched heart was torn It will more concern your glory I by absence fell then scorn A Dialogue betwixt Lucasia and Rosania Imitating that of Gentle Thersis Ros. MY Lucasia leave the Mountain tops And like a nearer air Luc. How shall I then forsake my Lovely Flocks Bequeathed to my care Ros. Shepherdess thy Flocks will not be less Although thou should'st come hither Luc. But I fear the World will be severe Should I leave them to go thither Ros. O! my friend if you on that depend You 'l never know content Luc. Rather I near thee would live and dye Would Fortune but consent Ros. But did you ask leave to love me too That others should deprive me Luc. Not all Mankind a stratagem can find Which from that heart should drive me Ros. Better 't had been I thee had never seen Then that content to lose Luc. Such are thy Charms I 'd dwell within thine arms Could I my station chuse Ros. When Life is done the World to us is gone And all our cares do end Luc. Nay I know there 's nothing sweet below Unless it be a Friend Ros. Then whilst we live this Joy le ts take and give Since death us soon will sever Luc. But I trust when drumbled into dust We shall meet and love for ever Song to the Tune of Adieu Phillis T Is true our Life is but a long disease Made up of real pain and seeming ease You Stars who these entangled fortunes give O tell me why It is so hard to dye Yet such a task to Live If with some pleasure we our griefs betray It costs us dearer then it can repay For time or Fortune all things so devours Our hopes are crost Or else the object lost E're we can call it ours An Epitaph on my Honoured Mother-in-Law Mrs. Phillips of Portheynon in Cardigan-shire who dyed Jan. 1. Anno 1662 3 REader stay it is but just Thou dost not tread on common dust For underneath this stone does lye One whose Name can never dye Who from an Honour'd Linage sprung Was to another matched Young Whose happiness she ever sought One blessing was and many brought And to her spouse her faith did prove By fifteen pledges of their Love But when by Death of him depriv'd An honourable Widow liv'd Full four and twenty years wherein Though she had much afflicted been Saw many of her Children fall And publick Ruine threaten all Yet from above assisted she Both did and suffer'd worthily She to the Crown and Church adher'd And in their Sorrows them rever'd With Piety which knew no strife But was as sober as her life A furnish'd Table open door That for her Friends this for the Poor She kept yet did her fortune find Too narrow for her nobler Mind Which seeking objects ro relieve Did food to many Orphans give Who in her Life no want did know But all the Poor are Orphans now Yet hold her Fame is much too safe To need a written Epitaph Her Fame was so confess'd that she Can never here forgotten be Till Cardigan it self become To its own ruin'd heaps a Tomb. Lucasia Rosania and Orinda parting at a Fountain July 1663. 1. HEre here are our enjoyments done And since the Love and Grief we wear Forbids us either word or tear And Art wants here expression See Nature furnish us with one 2. The kind and mournful Nimph which here Inhabits in her humble Cells No longer her own sorrow tells Nor for it now concern'd appears But for our parting sheds these tears 3. Unless she may afflicted be Lest we should doubt her Innocence Since she hath lost her best pretence Unto a matchless purity Our Love being clearer far then she 4. Cold as the streams that from her flow Or if her privater recess A greater Coldness can express Then cold as those dark beds of Snow Our hearts are at this parting blow 5. But Time that has both wings and feet Our Suffering Minutes being spent Will Visit us with new Content And sure if kindness be so sweet 'T is harder to forget then meet 6. Then though the sad adieu we say Yet as the wine we hither bring Revives and then exalts the Spring So let our hopes to meet allay The fears and Sorrows of this day A Farewel to Rosania MY Dear Rosania sometimes be so kind To think upon the friend thou leav'st behind And wish Thee here to make my joys compleat Or else me there to share thy blest Retreat But to the Heart which for thy Loss doth mourn The kindest thought is that of quick return To my Lady Anne Boyle saying I look'd angrily upon her ADor'd Valeria and can you conclude Orinda lost in such Ingratitude And so mis-spell the Language of my face When in my heart you have so great a Place Ah be assur'd I could no look direct To you not full of passion and respect Or if my looks have play'd that treach'rous part And so much mis-interpreted my heart I shall forgive them that one falshood less Than all their folly and their ugliness And had much rather chuse they should appear Always unhandsome than once unsincere But I must thank your errour which procures Me such obliging jealousie as yours For at that quarrel I can ne're repine Which shews your kindness though it questions mine To your Concern I pardon your distrust And prize your Love ev'n when it is unjust On the Welch Language IF Honour to an ancient Name be due Or Riches challenge it for one that 's new The British Language claims in either sense Both for its Age
safely either Hope or Love The Virgin THe things that make a Virgin please She that seeks will find them these A Beauty not to Art in debt Rather agreeable than great An Eye wherein at once do meet The beams of kindness and of wit An undissembled Innocence Apt not to give nor take offence A Conversation at once free From Passion and from Subtlety A Face that 's modest yet serene A sober and yet lively Meen The vertue which does her adorn By honour guarded not by scorn With such wise lowliness indu'd As never can be mean or rude That prudent negligence enrich And Time 's her silence and her speech Whose equal mind does alwaies move Neither a foe nor slave to Love And whose Religion 's strong and plain Not superstitious nor prophane Vpon the graving of her Name upon a Tree in Barnelmes Walks ALas how barbarous are we Thus to reward the courteous Tree Who its broad shade affording us Deserves not to be wounded thus See how the Yielding Bark complies With our ungrateful injuries And seeing this say how much then Trees are more generous then Men Who by a Nobleness so pure Can first oblige and then endure To my dearest friend Mrs. A. Owen upon her greatest loss AS when two sister rivelets who crept From that dark bed of snow wherein they slept By private distant currents under ground Have by Moeanders eithers bosom found They sob aloud and break down what withstood Swoln by their own embraces to a flood So when my simpathy for thy dear grief Had brought me near in hope to give relief I found my sorrow heightned when so joyn'd And thine increas'd by being so combin'd Since to the bleeding hopes of many years I could contribute nothing but my tears Fears which to thy sad fate were justly due And to his loss by all who that loss knew For thy Charistus was so much above The Eloquence of all our grief and love That it would be Injurious to his Hearse To think to crowd his worth into a verse Could I by miracle such praise indite Who with more ease and Justice weep then write He was all that which History can boast Or bolder Poetry had ere engross'd So pious just noble discreet and kind Their best Ideas knew not how to find His strong Religion not on trifles spent Was useful firm early and eminent Never betray'd to indigested heat Nor yet entic'd from what was safely great And this so soon as if he had foresight He must begin betimes whose noon is night His vertue was his choice and not his chance Not mov'd by Age nor born of Ignorance He well knew whom and what he did believe And for his Faith did not dispute but live And liv'd just like his infant Innocence But that was crown'd with free obedience How did he scorn design and equally How much abhorr'd this Ages vanity He neither lik'd it's tumults nor its Joys Slighted alike Earths pleasures and her noise But unconcern'd in both in his own mind Alone could power and satisfaction find A treasury of merit there lay hid Which though he ne're confes'd his actions did His modesty unto his vertue lent At once a shadow and an ornament But what could hide those filial rites he paid How much he lov'd how prudently obey'd How as a Brother did he justly share His kind concern betwixt respect and care And to a wife how fully did he prove How wisely he could judge how fondly love As Husbands serious but as Lovers kind He valu'd all of her but lov'd her mind And with a passion made this Riddle true 'T was ever perfect and yet still it grew Such handsome thoughts his Breast did ever fill He durst do any thing but what was ill Unlike those Gallants who so use their time As oppertunity to act their crime And lost in wine or vanity when young They dye too soon because they liv'd too long But he has hallowed so his early death 'T is almost shame to draw a longer breath I can no more they that can must have learn'd To be more eloquent and less concern'd But all that Noble Justice to his Name His own good Angel will commit to Fame Could grief recall this happiness again Of thy dear sorrow I would nere complain But such an opportunity would take To grieve an useless life out for thy sake But since it cannot I must pray thee live That so much of Charistus may survive And that thou do no act so harsh to Love As that his glory should thy sorrow move Endure thy loss till Heav'n shall it repay Upon thy last and glorious wedding-day When thou shalt know him more and quickly find The love increas'd by being so refin'd And there possess him without parting fears As I my friendship free from future tears Orinda to Lucasia parting October 1661. at London A Dieu dear object of my Love's excess And with thee all my hopes of happiness With the same fervent and unchanged heart Which did it's whole self once to thee impart And which though fortune has so sorely bruis'd Would suffer more to be from this excus'd I to resign thy dear Converse submit Since I can neither keep nor merit it Thou hast too long to me confined been Who ruine am without passion within My mind is sunk below thy tenderness And my condition does deserve it less I 'm so entangl'd and so lost a thing By all the shocks my daily sorrow bring That would'st thou for thy old Orinda call Thou hardly could'st unravel her at all And should I thy clear fortunes interline With the incessant miseries of mine No no I never lov'd at such a rate To tye thee to the rigours of my fate As from my obligations thou art free Sure thou shalt be so from my Injury Though every other worthiness I miss Yet I 'le at least be generous in this I 'd rather perish without sigh or groan Then thou shoul'dst be condemn'd to give me one Nay in my soul I rather could allow Friendship should be a sufferer then thou Go then since my sad heart has set thee free Let all the loads and chains remain on me Though I be left the prey of sea and wind Thou being happy wilt in that be kind Nor shall I my undoing much deplore Since thou art safe whom I must value more Oh! mayst thou ever be so and as free From all ills else as from my company And may the torments thou hast had from it Be all that heaven will to thy life permit And that they may thy vertue service do Mayest thou be able to forgive them too But though I must this sharp submission learn I cannot yet unwish thy dear concern Not one new comfort I expect to see I quit my Joy hope life and all but thee Nor seek I thence ought that may discompose That mind where so serene a goodness grows I ask no inconvenient kindness now To move thy passion or to
cloud thy brow And thou wilt satisfie my boldest plea By some few soft remembrances of me Which may present thee with this candid thought I meant not all the troubles that I brought Own not what Passion rules and Fate does crush But wish thou couldst have don 't without a blush And that I had been ere it was too late Either more worthy or more fortunate Ah who can love the thing they cannot prize But thou mayst pity though thou dost despise Yet I should think that pity bought too dear If it should cost those precious Eyes a tear Oh may no minutes trouble thee possess But to endear the next hours happiness And maist thou when thou art from me remov'd Be better pleas'd but never worse belov'd Oh pardon me for pow'ring out my woes In Rhime â—ow that I dare not do 't in Prose For I must lose whatever is call'd dear And thy assistance all that loss to bear And have more cause than ere I had before To fear that I shall never see thee more On the 1. of January 1657. TH' Eternal Centre of my life and me Who when I was not gave me room to be Hath since my time preserving in his hands By moments numbred out the precious sand Till it is swell'd to six and twenty years Checquer'd by Providence with smiles and tears I have observ'd how vain all glories are The change of Empire and the chance of War Seen Faction with its native venom burst And Treason struck by what it self had nurs'd Seen useless Crimes whose Owners but made way For future Candidates to wear the Bay To my Lady M. Cavendish chosing the name of Policrite THat Nature in your frame has taken care As well your Birth as Beauty do declare Since we at once discover in your Face The lustre of your Eyes and of your Race And that your shape and fashion does attest So bright a form has yet a brighter guest To future times authentick fame shall bring Historians shall relate and Poets sing But since your boundless mind upon my head Some rays of splendour is content to shed And least I suffer by the great surprize Since you submit to meet me in disguise Can lay aside what dazles vulgar sight And to Orinda can be Policrite You must endure my vows and find the way To entertain such Rites as I can pay For so the pow'r divine new praise acquires By scorning nothing that it once inspires I have no merits that your smile can win Nor offering to appease you when I sin Nor can my useless homage hope to raise When what I cannot serve I strive to praise But I can love and love at such a pitch As I dare boast it will ev'n you enrich For kindness is a Mine when great and true Of nobler Ore than ever Indians knew 'T is all that mortals can on Heav'n bestow And all that Heav'n can value here below Against Love HEnce Cupid with your cheating Toies Your real Griefs and painted Joies Your Pleasure which it self destroies Lovers like men in Feavers burn and rave And only what will injure them do crave Mens weakness makes Love so severe They give him power by their fear And make the Shackles which they wear Who to another does his heart submit Makes his own Idol and then worships it Him whose heart is all his own Peace and liberty does crown He apprehends no killing frown He feels no raptures which are joies diseas'd And is not much transported but still pleas'd A Dialogue of Friendship multiplyed Musidorus WIll you unto one single sense Confine a starry Influence Or when you do the raies combine To themselves only make them shine Love that 's engross'd by one alone Is envy not affection Orinda No Musidorus this would be But Friendships prodigality Union in raies does not confine But doubles lustre when they shine And souls united live above Envy as much as scatter'd Lover Friendship like Rivers as it multiplies In many streams grows weaker still and dies Musidorus Rivers indeed may lose their force When they divide or break their course For they may want some hidden Spring Which to their streams recruits may bring But Friendship 's made of purest fire Which burns and keeps its stock entire Love like the Sun may shed his beams on all And grow more great by being general Orinda The purity of friendship's flame Proves that from simpathy it came And that the hearts so close do knit They no third partner can admit Love like the Sun does all inspire But burns most by contracted fire Then though I honour every worthy guest Yet my Lucasia only rules my breast Rosania to Lucasia on her Letters AH strike outright or else forbear Be more kind or more severe For in this checquer'd mixture I Cannot live and would not die And must I neither tell me why When thy Pen thy kindness tells My heart transported leaps and swells But when my greedy eye does stray Thy threat'ned absence to survey That heart is struck and faints away To give me title to rich land And the fruition to withstand Or solemnly to send the key Of treasures I must never see Would it contempt or bounty be This is such refin'd distress That thy sad Lovers sigh for less Though thou their hopes hast overthrown They lose but what they ne're have known But I am plunder'd from my own How canst thou thy Rosania prize And be so cruel and so wise For if such rigid policy Must thy resolves dispute with me Where then is friendship's victory Kindness is of so brave a make 'T wil rather death then bondage take So that if thine no power can have Give it and me one common grave But quickly either kill or save To my Antenor March 16. 1661 2 My dear Antenor now give ore For my sake talk of graves no more Death is not in our power to gain And is both wish'd and fear'd in vain Let 's be as angry as wee will Grief sooner may distract then kill And the unhappy often prove Death is as coy a thing as Love Those whose own sword their death did give Afraid were or a sham'd to Live And by an act so desperate Did poorly run away from fate 'T is braver much t' out-ride the storm Endure its rage and shun his harm Affliction nobly undergone More Greatness shews then having none But yet the wheel in turning round At last may lift us from the ground And when our fortune 's most severe The less we have the less we fear And why should we that grief permit Which can nor mend nor shorten it Let 's wait for a succeeding good Woes have their Ebb as well as flood And since the Parliament have rescu'd you Believe that Providence will do so too A Triton to Lucasia going to Sea shortly after the Queen's arrival 1. MY Master Neptune took such pains of late To quiet the Commotions of his state That he might give through his fierce
conquer'd me Which though the stream does well impart 'T is better form'd here in my heart In th' entertainment of thy Mind When 't is to pensiveness inclin'd Count if thou canst these Flowers and thou The sum of my desires wilt know Observe these Turtles kind and true Hearken how frequently they woo They faithful Lovers are and who That sees thee would not be so too Of them my fair Aminta learn At length to grant me thy concern Follow what thou in them do'st see And thou wilt soon be kind to me Those mighty Bulls are worth thy sight Who on the plains so stoutly fight Fiercely each others brow they hit Where Beauty does with anger meet Love is the quarrel they maintain As 't was the reason of their pain So would thy faithful Shepherd do If he should meet his Rival too Thy Shepherd fair and cruel one In all these Villages is known Such is his Fathers herd and flock The Plain is cover'd with the stock He the convenient'st pastures knows And where the wholsom water flows Knows where the coolest shadows are And well hath learn'd a Shepherds care Astrology he studies too As much as Shepherds ought to do Nay Magick nothing hath so dim That can be long conceal'd from him When any do these Secrets dread He for himself hath this to plead That he by them such herbs can pick As cure his sheep when they are sick He can foresee the coming storm Nor Hail nor Clouds can do him harm And from their injuries can keep Safely enough his Lambs and Sheep He knows the season of the year When Shepherds think it fit to shear Such inoffensive sheep as these And strip them of their Silver fleece He knows the scorching time of day When he must lead his flock away To Valleys which are cool and near To chew the Cud and rest them there He dares the Fiercest Wolves engage When 't is their hunger makes them rage The frighted dogs when they retire He with new courage can inspire He sings and dances passing well And does in wrestling too excel Yes fair Maid and few that know him But these advantages allow him At our Feast he gets the Praise For his enchanting Roundelayes And on his head have oftenest been The Garlands and the Prizes seen When the Skrip and Crook he quits And free from all disturbance sits He can make the Bag-pipes swell And Oaten Reeds his passion tell When his flame does him excite In amorous songs to do thee right He makes the Verses which he uses And borrows none of other Muses He neglects his own affairs To serve thee with greater cares And many Shepherdesses would Deprive thee of him if they could Of Alceste he could tell And Silvia's Eye thou know'st it well But as his modesty is great He blushes if he them repeat When in the Chrystal stream he looks If there be any truth in Brooks He finds thy scorn can never be Excus'd by his deformity His Passion is so high for thee As 't will admit no new degree Why wilt not thou his love requite Since Kindness gives so much delight Aminta hearkned all this while Then with a dext'rous charming smile Against her will she let him see That she would change his destiny I promise nothing then said she With an obliging air and free But I think if you will try The Wolves are crueller than I. When my Sheep unhealthy are I have compassion I have care Nor pains nor journeys then I grudge By which you may my Nature judge When any of them goes astray All the hamlets near us may Perceive me all in grief and fear Run and search it every where And when I happen once to find The object of my troubled mind As soon as ever it I spy O! how over-joy'd am I I flatter her and I caress And let her ruffle all my dress The vagabond I kindly treat And Mint and Thyme I make her eat When my Sparrow does me quit My throbbing heart makes after it And nothing can relief afford For my fair inconstant bird When my Dog hath me displeas'd I am presently appeas'd And a tear is in my Eye If I have but made him cry I never could a hatred keep But to the Wolf that kills my sheep Gentle and kind and soft I am And just as harmless as a Lamb. Dispel thy fear cease thy complaint O Shepherd timerous and faint For I 'me a Mistress very good If you 'l but serve me as you should Words of a favourable strain Cry'd out that now transported swain Which do in thy Leontius fate So glad and swift a change create But look about for now I mark The fields already growing dark And with those shadows cover'd all Which from the neighbouring Mountains fall The winged Quire on every tree By Caroling melodiously Do the declining Sun pursue With their last homage and adieu From the next Cottages I here Voices well known unto my Ear They are of our Domesticks who Do pipe and hollow for us too The Flocks and Heards do homwards go I hear them hither bleat and low Thy Eyes which mine so much admire Tell me 't is time we should retire Go then destroying fair one go Since I perceive it must be so Sleep sweetly all the night but be At least so kind to dream of me Translation of Thomas a Kempis into Verse out of Mons Corneille's lib. 3. Cap. 2. Englished SPeak Gracious Lord thy servant hears For I both am and will be so And in thy pleasant paths will go When the Sun shines or disappears Give me thy Spirit that I may perceive What by my Soul thou would'st have done Let me have no desire but one Thy will to practice and believe But yet thy Eloquence disarm And as a whisper to my heart Let it like dew plenty impart And like that let it freely charm The Jews fear'd Thunder-bolts would fall And that thy words would Death procure Nor in the Desart could endure To hear their Maker speak at all They court Moses to declare thy will And begg'd to hear no more thy voice They could not stand the dreadful noise Lest it should both surprise and kill Without those terrours I implore And other favours I entreat With confident though humble heat I beg what Samuel did of yore Though thou art all that I can dread Thy voice is musick to my ears Speak Lord then for thy Servant hears And will obey what thou hast said I ask no Moses that for thee should speak Nor Prophet to enlighten me They all are taught and sent by thee And 't is thy voice I only seek Those beams proceed from thee alone Which through their words on us do flow Thou without them canst all bestow But they without thee can give none They may repeat the sound of words But not confer their hidden force And without thee their best discourse Nothing but scorn to men affords Let them thy Miracles impart And vigorously thy
convenient he should bleed Your Sister hates you she is fair and fierce And if she such Victorious Charmes disperse The head of Pompey only can suffice To win the heart of Caesar from her Eyes PTOLOMY This dangerous Woman hath a busie wit PHOTIN But such a service will out-ballance it PTOLOMY But what if Caesar still her Pow'r obey PHOTIN Then flatter her yet mind not what I say Till first you ask in an affair so Nice Achillas and Septimius best advice PTOLOMY Le ts from the Tow'r see them act Pompey's doom And this Debate at their return resume After the first Act of Pompey the King and Photin should be discovered sitting and hearkning to this SONG SInce affairs of the State are already decreed Make room for Affairs of the Court Employment and Pleasure each other succeed Because they each other support Were Princes confin'd From slackening their Mind When by Care it is rufled and Curl'd A Crown would appear Too heavy to wear And no Man would govern the World If the Gods themselves who have power enough In diversions are various and oft Since the business of Kings is angry and rough Their Intervals ought to be soft Were Princes confin'd c. To our Monarch we owe whatsoer'e we enjoy And no grateful Subjects were those Who would not the safty he gives them employ To contribute to his repose Were Princes confin'd c. After which an Antick dance of Gypsies is presented Act. II. SCEN. I. Cleopatera Charmion CLEOPATRA I Love him but a Flame so much refin'd How bright soever dazles not my mind For Vertue makes my inclination know What Caesars Mistress does to Pompey owe And none dares own a passion so sublime But she that scorn's the shaddow of a crime I should but smal Respect to Caesar pay To seek his liove in an unhandsom way CHARMION Can you love Caesar Madam and advise That Egypt should in Armes against him rise That they should Pompey against him Protect And his Pharsalian Triumphs should be checkt Sure Love in you does lttle Empire shew CLEOPATRA This to their high extraction Princes owe That by th' Assistance of their Royal Blood Their Passions are more easily subdu'd Their honour still the Victory will have And whilst they trust themselves they still are brave All the Disorders which in Kings we see To others Councels must imputed be This I the cause of Pompey's ruine Deem The King would help but Photin murthers him Whose Coucel hath his Masters faith o'rethrown Which still had sway'd had he observ'd his own CHARMION You then who Caesar love and yet oppose CLEOPATRA The Love I cherish no dishonour knows But worthy him CHARMION Are you of his secur'd CLEOPATRA I think I am CHARMION But are you well assur'd CLEOPATRA Know that a Princess by her glory mov'd No Love confesses till she be belov'd Nor the most noble passion ever shows When it shall her to a Contempt expose At Rome I first did Caesars Heart invade Where he the first expression of it made And ever since he did to me renew The Tribute of his Vows and Laurel too He march'd through Italy through Gaule and Spain With Love in 's Brest and fortune in his Train Nor did he ever make so brave a Price But he pay'd Homage for it to these Eyes With the same hand which did that weapon quit Wi'th ' Blood of Pompey's party reeking yet He writ complaints and put my fetters on Ev'n in the Field which he had newly won Yes from Pharsalia his submissions came And if his speed be equal to his flame Or rather if the Sea be friend his Fleet Egypt shall see him shortly at my feet He comes my Charmion and from me alone Seeks the reward of all that he hath done And all his glory to my Shrine he brings With the same hand that gives the law to Kings So that ev'n in his Triumphs my disdain Can make the Man that rules the World complain CHARMION Yet I dare swear your charms a pow'r enjoy Which though they boast of they will ne're employ And the great Caesar shall no trouble know If it can only from your rigour grow But what can you expect from Caesar's flames Wherein such right another Woman claims His freedom he by marriage hath resign'd And only to Calphurnia is confin'd CLEOPATRA But a Divorce at Rome so common now May remove her and my desires allow Caesar's Experience him to that may lead Since 't was Calphurnia's passage to his bed CHARMION But the same way may you at length remove CLEOPATRA Perhaps I better shall secure his love Perhaps my passion may find out an Art Better to manage that illustrious Heart But let 's to Heaven leave what may arrive And this Alliance if we can contrive Were it but one day 't were enough for me One day the Mistress of the World to be I have Ambition and be 't good or ill It is the only Sovereign of my Will And 't is this noble passion sure or none A Princess may without a blemish own But yet with Glory I would it enflame Nor would buy Greatness with the loss of Fame For I the brightest Crown can scorn to touch When 't is attended with the least Reproach Wonder not then that I so much pursue Pompey's defence and would my Duty do His injur'd vertue since I cannot right My secret wishes must invoke his flight That some kind storm may so his Ships disperse As may preserve him from his Murtherers But faithful Achoreus comes and he Will quickly tell us Pompey's Destiny SCEN. II. Cleopatra Charmion Achoreus CLEOPATRA What is it done and hath some Treacherous hand With that Rich bloud stain'd our unhappy strand ACHOREUS By your commands I to the shore did run And saw this Treason in its horrour done I saw the greatest Mortal lose his breath And though a sad I saw a glorious death And since a story you require from me So much his Honour and our Infamy Hear now his Fate and wonder and bewail His three Ships in the Harbour striking sail When to our ready Gallies he approach'd He thought the King with his misfortunes touch'd By noble sense of Honour did intend With all his Court to meet so brave a friend But when he only saw a Squiff prepar'd And that too fill'd with Ruffians of his guard Th' ingrateful Treachery did then appear And gave him some approaches of a fear But seeing arm'd Men on our Ships and Shore He blush'd his apprehensions were so Poor And when the Danger was so neer him brought He only on Cornelia's safety thought Let 's but expose saies he this single head To a Reception we may so much dread But whilst I only do the shock sustain Hasten thy flight and my revenge obtain King Juba is more generously enclin'd Where thou thy Father and my Sons shall find But if their Deaths should thee of them deprive Never despair while Cato is alive While their contest
that is above a Queen Madam command all shall your Orders wait CORNELIA O Gods how many Virtues must I hate After the third Act to Cornelia asleep on a Couch Pompey 's Ghost sings this in Recitative Air. From lasting and unclouded Day From joys refin'd above allay And from a spring without decay I come by Cynthia's borrow'd â—eams To visit my Cornelia's Dreams And give them yet sublimer Theams Behold the Man thou lov'dst before Pure streams have wash'd away his Gore And Pompey now shall bleed no more By Death my Glory I resume For 't would have been a harsher doom To outlive the Liberty of Rome By me her doubtful fortune try'd Falling bequeaths my Fame this Pride I for it liv'd and with it Dy'd Nor shall my vengeance be withstood Or unattended with a Flood Of Roman and Egyytian Blood Caesar himself it shall pursue His daies shall troubled be and few And he shall fall by Treason too He by severity Divine Shall be an offering at my Shrine As I was his he must be mine Thy stormy Life regret no more For Fate shall waft thee soon a shore And to thy Pompey thee restore Where past the fears of sad removes We 'll entertain our spotless Loves In beauteous and immortal Groves There none a guilty Crown shall wear Nor Caesar be Dictator there Nor shall Cornelia shed a Tear After this a Military Dance as the continuance of her Dream and then Cornelia starts up as waken'd in amazement saying What have I seen and whither is it gone How great the Vision and how quickly done Yet if in Dreams we future things can see There 's still some joy laid up in Fate for me Exit ACT IV. SCEN. I. Ptolomy Achillas Photinus PTOLOMY WHat with that Hand and with that Sword which had A Victim of th' unhappy Pompey made Saw you Septimius fled from Caesar's hate Give such a bloody period to his Fate ACHILLAS He 's dead Sir and by that you may collect What shame foreseen by him you must expect Caesar you may by this slow anger know The violent does quickly come and go But the consider'd indignation grows Stronger by age and gives the fiercer blows In vain you hope his fury to asswage Who now secure does politickly rage He safely for his Fame concern'd appears Pompey alive abhor'd he dead reveres And of his Slaughter by this Art doth chuse To act the vengeance and yet make the use PTOLOMY Had I believ'd thee I had never known A Master here nor been without a Throne But still with this imprudence Kings are curst To hear too much Advice and chuse the worst At the Pits brink Fate does their Reason blind Or if some hint they of their danger find Yet that false light amiss their Judgment steers Plunges them in and then it disappears PHOTINUS I must confess I Caesar did mistake Since such a Service he a Crime does make But yet his side hath streams and those alone Can expiate your fault and fix your Throne I no more say you silently should bear And your Revenge till he be gone defer No I a better Remedy esteem To justifie his Rivals death on him When you the first Act by the last make good And Caesar's shed as well as Pompey's Blood Rome will no difference in her Tyrants know But will to you from both her Freedom owe. PTOLOMY Yes yes to this all Reasons do perswade Let 's fear no more the greatness we have made Caesar shall still from Us receive his Doom And twice in one day we 'll dispose of Rome As Bondage first let 's Freedom next bestow Let not thy Actions Caesar swell thee so But call to mind what thou hast seen me do Pompey was mortal and so thou art too Thou envy'dst him for his exceeding thee And I think thou hast no more lives than he Thy own compassion for his Fate does shew That thy heart may be penetrable too Then let thy Justice threaten as it please 'T is I must with thy Ruine Rome appease And of that cruel mercy vengeance take Which spares a King but for his Sisters sake My Life and Power shall not exposed be To her Resentment or thy Levity Lest thou to morrow should'st at such a rate Reward her Love or else revenge her Hate More noble Maximes shall my fears expel Thou bad'st me once to chuse my Victims well And my Obedience thou in this shalt see Who know no Victim worthier than thee Nor th' Immolation of whose Blood will draw Better acceptance from thy Son in law But vainly friends we thus foment our Rage Unless we knew what strength we could engage All this may be unprofitable heat The Tyrants Forces being here so great But of our Power let us be first agreed And in what time and method to proceed ACHILLAS We may do much Sir in our present State Two miles from hence six thousand Souldiers wait Which I foreseeing some new Discontents Have kept in readiness for all Events Caesar with all his Arts could not foresee That underneath this Town a Vault should be By which this night we to the Palace may Our Men with Ease and without noise convey T' assault his life by open force alone Would be the only way to lose your own We must surprize him and act our design When he is Drunk with Pleasure Love and Wine The People are all ours for when he made His entry horrour did their Souls invade When with a Pomp so arrogantly grave His Fasces did our Royal Ensigns brave I mark'd what Rage at that injurious view From their incensed Eyes like sparkles flew And they so much did with their fury strive That your least Countenance may it revive Septimius Souldiers fill'd with greater hate Struck with the terrour of their Leader's Fate Seek nothing but revenge on him who them Did in their Captains Person so contemn PTOLOMY But what way to approach him can be found If at the Feast his Guards do him surround PHOTINUS Cornelia's Men who have already known Among your Romans Kindred of their own Seem to perswade us they would help afford To Sacrifice their Tyrant to their Lord Nay have assur'd it and much better may Than we to Caesar the first stabs convey His Clemency not only false but vain Which courts Cornelia that he Rome may gain Will to his Person give them such access As may assure our Plot of a success But Cleopatra comes to her appear Only possess'd with weakness and with fear Let us withdraw Sir for you know that we Are Objects she will much abhor to see PTOLOMY Go wait me SCEN. II. Ptolomy Cleopatra CLEOPATRA Brother I have Caesar seen And have to him your intercessour been PTOLOMY I never could expect an act less kind From you who bear so generous a Mind But your great Lover quickly from you went CLEOPATRA 'T was to the Town t' appease some discontent Which he was told had newly raised been Betwixt the Souldier and the
all Lands tremble where thy Ensigns go But her to whom thou Romulus dost owe Subdue the utmost Regions of the Earth But spare the Town where Romulus had birth Forget not her from whom thy City draws Her Name and all her strength but Walls and Laws Alba's thy Parent let that thought arrest Thy greedy Sword nor pierce thy Mother's breast For thy triumphant Arms make other choice And in her Children's Fortune shee 'll rejoice Nay would with natural concern disown All Enemies of thine were she not one JULIA This Language much surprize to me affords For since these Cities first unsheath'd their Swords You have so unconcern'd for Alba stood As if your birth had been of Roman blood I wonder'd at a Vertue so refin'd Which to your Husband Alba had resign'd And therefore so proportion'd my relief As if our Rome alone had caus'd your grief SABINA Whilst such a shock my reason did assail As was too weak to weigh down either Scale Till all my flattering hopes of Peace were lost To be entirely Roman was my boast If at Rome's Fortune I displeas'd have been I quickly chid that mutiny within And when her destiny was not so kind If for my Brothers joy seduc'd my mind By Reason's help that motion I suppress'd And wept for all the glory they possess'd But now these Cities must be lost or sav'd That Rome must sink or Alba be enslav'd And after battel there no hope remains To the subdu'd nor stop to her that gains I should too barbarously my Country treat If I could be a perfect Roman yet A little less to one man's love resign'd To neither City I will be confin'd I fear for both and whilst their Fate is try'd I still will be on the afflicted side Equal to each whilst they unequal are And must their Crief but not their Glory share For I resolve in such a sharp debate To mourn the Conquer'd and the Victor hate JULIA How oft does Fortune with an equal blow On different Souls different effects bestow How distant is Camilla's way from this Your Brother loves her her 's your Husband is Yet in each Army with another eye She can a Lover and a Brother spie When in Rome's Fortunes you were most involv'd She was as much confus'd and unresolv'd She feard the storm from every cloud would spread And the success of either side did dread The most unfortunate she did bemoan And whosoe're prevail'd she was undone But when the day she knew was drawing nigh And one great Battel should the Quarrel try A sudden gladness breaking from her brow SABINA Ah Julia how that joy allarms me now Valerius yesterday she smil'd upon And for his sake she Curtius will disown A nearer Object snatches her esteem And two years absence hath deformed him But though my Brother be to me so dear By care of him I must not injure her My groundless jealousie concludes amiss Who can change love at such a time as this How can a heart receive a wound that 's new When such great shocks give it so much to do Yet from joy too this fatal day deters And from contentments which resemble hers JULIA In me it equal wonder does produce Nor do I know what can be her excuse 'T is Constancy enough if we can wait Without impatience so severe a Fate But 't is too much if we shall chearful grow SABINA See some good Genius sends her hither now Her thoughts on this engage her to reveal From you her Friendship nothing can conceal I 'le leave you Sister talk with Julia now For I 'm asham'd my weakness to avow And so much sorrow does my heart invade That I must hide it in some secret shade Exit SCEN. II. Julia Camilla CAMILLA Why does she wish I should with you converse Does she believe my trouble less than hers Or more insensible of this sad day Does she conclude I have no tears to pay With equal terrour I am threaten'd too And I shall lose as much as she can do The man to whom I did my heart resign Must for his Country die or ruine mine And all that I can love such is my fate Must now deserve my sorrow or my hate Alas JULIA Yet her affliction is more strange We may a Lover not a Husband change Receive Valerius love Curtius forget And you 'l no more the other side regret But wholly Ours and recompos'd within You 'l nothing have to lose when Rome does win CAMILLA Ah give me Council more legitimate Nor teach me with a Crime to shun my Fate For though my tide of Woes I scarce can stem I rather would endure than merit them JULIA Can you believe a prudent change a fault CAMILLA And can you think a Perjury is not JULIA What can engage us to our mortal foes CAMILLA But what can disengage what honour owes JULIA You would in vain disguise a thing design'd And which Valerius yesterday did find For the reception you to him did give Hath made his late repining hope revive CAMILLA If to Valerius I then paid respect You nothing thence must for his hope collect Another subject did my joies produce But I your errour now will disabuse And for my Curtius keep a flame too sure Such a suspicion longer to endure You know his Sister was no sooner led By happy marriage to my Brother's Bed But that my Father prest by him desir'd I should reward the love I had inspir'd That time produc'd happy and fatal things At once our marriage and the War resolv'd Our hopes created and those hopes dissolv'd It promis'd all and then snatch'd all away It makes us Foes and Lovers in a day How violent our grief did then appear How many blasphemies Heav'n then did hear And from my Eyes how many Rivers fell I tell you not you saw our last farewell The trouble of my Soul you since have seen And of my vows for Peace have witness been At every news in my distracted breast My Country and my Lover did contest Toss'd with uncertain thoughts I fled for ease To the relief of sacred Oracles Judge if what yesterday I did obtain Might not assure my drooping heart again That famous Greek who at the Aventine dwells And Heav'n's dark purposes to men foretels He whom Apollo never yet betray'd By this reply my stormy thoughts allay'd Alba and Rome to morrow changing face Shall to thy wish'd for peace at last give place And to thy Curtius thou shalt then be ty'd So as no Fortune ever shall divide I wholly on this answer did depend And finding it my utmost hopes transcend My Soul to raptures of Contentment flew Beyond what happiest Lovers ever knew Judge of their height Valerius then I met And could ev'n him behold without regret He spoke of Love too and I that could hear And never thought Valerius had been there His Courtship could from me no anger draw For every thing seem'd Curtius that I saw I thought all sounds told me
how he did burn And all my answers Eccho'd my return The general Field which must to day be fought I yesterday had heard but minded not My Soul those fatal Objects did reject And still on peace and marriage did reflect But Night those charming errours has expell'd And made my Soul to dreadful Visions yield Wherein vast heaps of horrour Floods of Gore Did rob my Joy and all my fear restore I saw men dying and then lost the sight A Ghost appear'd and then it took it's flight The fatal shades each others shape suppress And by confusion terrour did increase JULIA An opposite construction dreams require CAMILLA I would believe what I so much desire But I and all my hopes of good success Find this a day of Battel not of Peace JULIA 'T will end the War and then a peace is sure CAMILLA The pain is less then such a guilty cure If Rome or Alba must defeated be Dear Curtius can have no pretence to me No it Camilla never can become To wed the Conquerour or Slave of Rome But what new Object does my sight surprize Is it thee Curtius may I trust my Eyes SCEN. III. Curtius Camilla Julia. CURTIUS Camilla doubt it not that Man is come Neither the Conquerour nor Slave of Rome Nor think he could before your face have stood With Roman Fetters charg'd or Roman blood Glory and Rome you love at such a rate You would despise my chain and Conquest hate And since alike in an extream so great I fear'd a Victory and a defeat CAMILLA 'T is enough Curtius I can guess thy aim Thou fly'st a Field so fatal to thy Flame Rather then me thy amorous heart would lose It to thy Countrey does thy Sword refuse Let others make reflections on thy Fame And if they please so great a passions blame I can no quarrel have to this design What most thy Love shews most obliges mine And if to Alba succour that denys 'T is to make me the greater Sacrifice But hast thou seen my Father and could he Allow his house should thy retirement be Does Policy or Nature him o'recome And which is dearest to him me or Rome And to assure our Fortune let me know Did he appear a Father or a Foe CURTIUS With as much Kindness my approach he saw As could be challeng'd by a Son-in-Law But me he hath not by a treason seen Which had unworthy his allyance been I quit not Alba by adoring you But keep my passion and my honour too And all the War your Curtius hath not been A better Lover then a Citizen Nor to his Countries Cause could Love prefer But whilest he sigh'd for you he Fought for her And if we must that sad contest renew I still must fight for her and sigh for you Yes and in spight of all my passions charms Did the War last I should be now in Arms. But a new Peace gives me this free access And 't is to that we owe this happiness CAMILLA O! Who can faith to such a wonder give JULIA At least you may your Oracle believe And may discover by this good success This day of battel ha's produc'd a peace CURTIUS Who could have thought it the two ARmys met And Both to Fight resolv'd with equal heat When our Dictator 'twixt both Armys stands And a short audience from your Prince demands Romans said he then whence comes all this rage What fury makes us thus in Arms engage At least let Reason our Instructor be Our daughters are your Wives your Neighbors we Hymen so much our union did pursue That our Sons challenge Grand-Fathers in you We but one Kinred and one People are Why should we tear our selves with Civil Wars Where he that Conquers loses too and wears His noblest Lawrel water'd with his Tears Our common Foes expect this Bloody Day That they that win it may become their Prey Nor can the Guilty Conqu'rour that avoid Having himself his own defence destroy'd They smile to see us thus our Force abuse Which against them we should more Nobly use Let us these little discords then forsake Which so bad Kinsmen of good Souldiers make But if a thirst of Empire be the Cause Which either People to this madness draws If with less Slaughter that may be supply'd It will unite us rather then divide Let either City Combatants design And all her Fortune to their Swords resign And as of them the Gods shall then ordain Let the weak vield and let the stronger Reign But so as blushes to the Loser sav'd They may Subjected be but not enslav'd And to no shame or Tribute condescend But on the Victor's Standards to attend Thus our two States we may one Empire call He said no more but this affected all Each on the hostile Ranks casting his Eyes A Friend a Kinsman or a Brother spies They wonder how their greedy anger flew In their own blood their weapons to embrew And this reflection on each brow did write Heat for the choice and horrour for the Fight At length this offer through the Squadrons born On these conditions the wish'd peace was sworn Three fight for each but the Commanders take More leisure this important choice to make Ours to the Camp yours to the Senate went CAMILLA Oh Gods how much you study my Cotnent CURTIUS 'T is the agreement that within two hours Our Champion's Fortune must determine Ours Till they are nam'd we freely go and come Rome in our Camp is and our Camp in Rome And since no Orders now access refuse His old acquaintance every man renews I by my passion led your Brothers found And my Love since with such success is Crown'd That now your Fathers word my hope allows We shall to morrow joyn our Marriage Vows You 'l not I trust dispute what he commands CAMILLA A Daughters duty in obedience stands CURTIUS Come then that pleasing Order now receive Which must an end to all my sufferings give CAMILLA I go in hope my Brothers there to see And know the Period of our Misery JULIA Be that your way the Temple shall be mine Where for you both I 'le praise the powers divine Exeunt Act II. SCEN. I. Horace and Curtius CURTIUS THus Rome hath not divided her esteem Another choice to her unjust would seem You and your Brothers this proud City calls The greatest Souldiers that are in her Walls And whilst before all she you three prefers She all our Houses braves with one of hers And one may think as this Election runs Rome hath no Souldiers but your Fathers Sons By this three Families must raise their Name And nobly consecrate themselves to Fame Yes by this choice we so much Honour see Giv'n to one House as might Eternize three And since in yours my Fortune and my Flame Hath plac'd a Sister and a Wife does claim You justly may expect Concerns in me From what I am and what I am to be But yet another reason does constrain My Joy and mingles
That could deserve so sharp revenge as this Or against thee what could my honour doe That thou shouldst it so cruelly pursue But be content t' have forc'd it to a Bay And let me finish this important day Thou hast o're me a strange advantage got But as thou lov'st thy Husband triumph not Go then a doubtful Victory were here unfit 'T is shame enough to have dispatched it O let me bravely end my daies at least SABINA Go fear not me thy party is encreas'd SCEN. VII Old Horace and all the rest Old HORACE How 's this my Sons trifling with Womens charms When Rome and Alba call you to your Arms You must shed blood then why should tears surprize But shun th' infectious sorrow of their Eyes For if you stay their cunning tenderness Will on you both obtain the first success And in such Wars to flie is to subdue SABINA Fear nothing Sir they are too worthy you In spight of us you in them both shall see All that your Son and Son-in-law should be If our tears could an impression give We 'll them to your severer vertue leave Come Sister come let 's no more sorrow lose These Rocks will still resist such floods as those 'T is to despair alone that we must flie Go Tygers fight we 'll find a way to die SCEN. VIII Old Horace Young Horace Curtius Young HORACE Sir by your prudence their escape prevent Or they 'll pursue us with their discontent And with a noise unwelcome and abrupt Their love and grief our fight will interrupt Which may give envy a pretence to stick Upon our names that poor and crafty trick And our great choice would be too dearly bought If we were charg'd with one unworthy thought Old HORACE I shall be careful go your Brothers stay Think only what your Countries claim to day CURTIUS How shall I bid adieu or by what art Old HORACE Ah! do not quite dissolve my trembling heart My tongue so sad a farewel does deny Nor can my heart thoughts strong enough supply See! ev'n my Eyes swell with unwilling tears Go do your parts and let the gods do theirs ACT III. SCEN. I. Sabina alone I Must my party chuse in this sad strife And either be all Sister or all Wife I 'le no more vain divided cares express But somewhat wish and fear a little less Yet ah what party in this dismal Fate Can I a Husband or a Brother hate Nature and love for each does intercede And sence of Honour for them both does plead Let their sublimer thoughts yet govern mine And so my different duties will combine Their Honour is the Object I 'le adore Their Vertue imitate and fear no more Since there 's such beauty in the death they court I must unmov'd encounter the report And no more think my Fate compassion wants But weigh the Cause and not the Combatants The Conquerors I 'le with that gladness view As will from all their Family be due And not reflecting at whose bloods expence Their Vertues raise them to that eminence I 'le in their Houses fame concern'd appear Here I am Wife and am a Daughter there And to each party am so strictly ty'd That I must be on the triumphant side Fortune though thou art studious in thy spight Yet I have learnd thence to extract delight And now can fearless see the fight the slain Without despair the Victors without pain Flattering delusion I sweet but gross deceit My labouring Spirits weak and flying cheat By whose false light my dazled Soul 's misled Alas how quickly is thy comfort fled A flash of Lightning thus relieves the night Making that darker by its hasty flight As these faint beams of joy my Soul betray'd But to involve it in a thicker shade For Heav'n which saw my griefs by this decrease Hath dearly sold me this short minutes peace And my griev'd heart from no one wound is free'd At which a Husband or a Brother bleed Which sad reflection so much terrour draws I onely view the Actors not the Cause Nor can the Conquerours fame salute my thought But to remember with whose Blood 't was bought The vanquish't Family claims all my care Here I 'm a Wife and am a Daughter there And to each party am so strictly ty'd That I must be on the unhappy side Is this the Peace I thought so long deferr'd And thus great Gods have you my Prayers heard What Thunder-bolts then can your anger find Since y' are thus cruel when you would be kind Or which way will you punish an offence If thus you treat the Vows of innocence SCEN. II. Sabina and Julia. SABINA Is it done Julia and what fatal news Must I a Husband or a Brother lose Or to their impious Arms does this befall That angry Heav'n has sacrific'd them all And lest my horrour for the conquering fide Should ease my woes must that too be deny'd JULIA To what is past are you a stranger yet SABINA I am and can you be surpriz'd at it Know you not Julia that the House you see A Prison for Camilla is and me They here confine us both and are afaraid Our pious tears their fury should disswade And that the sorrows of our spotless love Should in both Armies some compassion move JULIA They needed not such Orators as you For they were hinder'd at their interview No sooner they appear'd prepar'd to fight But either Army murmur'd at the sight To see such friends persons so near ally'd Their Country's quarrel chosen to decide This man 's with pity that with horrour fir'd Another highly their brave heat admir'd One with his praises imps their spacious Fame Another calls it by a guilty Name But yet their different thoughts have but one Voice To blame their Leaders and detest the choice All did this barbarous Combat so condemn That with united haste they parted them SABINA O Gods what Incense my contentment owes JULIA Stay yet Sabina e're you pay your Vows You may increase your hopes abate your fears But there 's enough still to deserve your Tears In vain alas the Champions they would save For they remain as obstinate as brave And their ambitious Souls were so much touch'd With the great Glory which they now approach'd That what the Souldiers pity'd they ador'd And seem affronted when they are deplor'd They think that kindness does their fame no right And with both Armies they will rather fight And by the hands that sever'd them be slain Than give their Countreys honours back again SABINA Can so much cruelty their bosoms fill JULIA It did but yet both Armies murmur'd still And universally their purpose held To ask new Champlons or a general Field The Leaders presence they no longer fear'd Their power scarce valu'd or their Voices heard Th' amazed King this mischief to oppose Since every one says he enraged grows Let us on this consult the powers above What impious man dares their command disown When they in sacrifice have