seek And foremost through the Hostile Squadrons break Why wilt thou thus so bravely venture all Oh where 's unhappy Albion should'st thou fall Keep near him still you kind AEthereal Powers That Guard him and are pleas'd the Task is yours All the Ill Fate that threatens him oppose Confound the Forces of his Foreign Foes And Treacherous Friends less generous then those May Heaven success to all his Actions give And long and long and long let WILLIAM live The Vanity of the World In a Poem to the Athenians WHat if serenely blest with Calms I swam Pactolus in thy golden Sanded stream Not all the wealth that lavish Chance cou'd give My soul from Death cou'd one short Hour reprieve When from my Heart the wandring Life must move No Cordial all my useless Gold cou'd prove What tho' I plung'd in Ioys so deep and wide ' Twou'd tire my Thoughts to reach the distant side Fancy it self 't wou'd tire to plumb the Abyss If I for an uncertain Lease of this Sold the fair hopes of an eternal bliss What if invested with the Royal State Of dazling Queens ador'd by Kings I sat Yet when my trembling Soul's dislodg'd wou'd be No Room of State within the Grave for me What if my Youth in Wits and Beautys bloom Shou'd promise many a flatt'ring Year to come Tho' Death shou'd pass the beauteous Flourisher Advancing Time wou'd all its Glory marr What if the Muses loudly sang my Fame The barren Mountains ecchoing with my Name An envious puff might blast the rising Pride And all its bright conspicuous Lustre hide If o're my Relicks Monuments they raise And fill the World with Flattery or with Praise What wou'd they all avail if sink I must My Soul to endless shades my Body to the dust The Athenians Answer NOthing Ah nothing Virtue only gives Immortal praise that only ever lives What pains wait Vice what endless Worlds of Woe You know full well but may you never know The RAPTURE 1. LOrdâ— if one distant glimpse of thee Thus elevate the Soul In what a heighth of Extasie Do those bless'd Spirits roll 2. Who by a fixt eternal View Drink in immortal Raies To whom unveiled thou dost shew Thy Smiles without Allays 3. An Object which if mortal Eyes Cou'd make approaches to They'd soon esteem their best-lov'd Toys Not worth one scornfull View 4. How then beneath its load of Flesh Wou'd the vex'd Soul complain And how the Friendly Hand she 'd bless Wou'd break her hated Chain A Paraphrase on the CANTICLES CHAP. I. 1 WIlt thou deny the bounty of a Kiss And see me languish for the Melting bliss More sweet to me than bright delicious Wine Prest from the Purple clusters of the Vine As Fragrant too as Ointments poured forth Are the loud Eccho's of thy matchless worth Which makes the Virgins kindled by thy fame Wish to expire in the Celestial Flame Come then display thy Lovely Face and we Drawn by resistless Charmes will follow thee Into thy Royal Chambers brought where I May see my Lord and fear no Witness by I 'm black t is true for scorching in the Sun I kept anothers Vine and left my own But tho thus Clouded the reflecting Face Of my Bright Love shall all this blackness chase Say then my Dear much dearer than my Soul Where feed thy Milky Flocks Vnto what cool Refreshing Shade dost thou resort least I Should as I languish in thy absence dye Say Lovely Shepherd say What happy Streams Are gilded now with thy Illustrious Beams 2 I 'll tell thee Fairest of all Women how Thou maist my most frequented Pastures know Follow the Footsteps of my Flocks and there I will not fail to Meet my Charming Fair. Whom I as Mistress of my Flocks will Grace And on her Brows immortal Garlands Place 3 The while my Spicknard shall ascend and Greet My Charmer with its Tributary Sweet Then all the Night upon my Panting Breast As Fragrant Mirrh let my Beloved Rest. So Sweet he is that Mirrh nor Cypress ere With such Delicious Breathings fill'd the Air. When thy Two Lovely Eyes Inflame my Heart It leaps for Ioy and meets th' unerring Dart. 4 Oh thou more Fair more vastly bright then all The World did ever Bright or Glorious call My Verdant Love still flourishing to thee Shall sixt as our Eternal Mansions be CHAP. II. 1 AT thy Approach my Cheek with Blushes glows And Conscious warmth which with Thee comes and goes Like the Pale Lilly joyn'd to Sharon's-Rose And Thorns to them I sooner would compare Then other Beauties to my Darling Fair. 2 And I as soon would rank a Fruitful Tree With barren shrubs as Mortal clods with thee Beneath thy Shade blest to my wish I sate And of thy Royal Banquet freely eat Whilst o'r my head a Banner was display'd In which oh Melting Sight the God of Love did Bleed Excess of Pleasure will my Soul destroy I 'm ev'n opprest with the Tyrannick Joy Oh therefore turn thy Lovely Eyes away Yet do not for I die unless they stay I faint I faint alas no Mortal yet With eyes undazled half this Splendor met But sure I cannot sink upheld by Thee So would I rest unto Fternity And now I charge you Virgins not to make The least disturbance till my Love awake 3 What Charming Voice is that Salutes my Ear It must be my Beloved's he is near He is and yet unfriendly stays without He â—â—ays as if he did a Wellcome doubt But hark methinks I hear him softly say Arise my Fair arise and come away For loe the Stormy Winter's past and gone And Summer Drest in all her Pride comes on The Warbling Birds in Airy Raptures Sing Their glad Pindaricks to the Wellcome-Spring The Fig-Trees sprout the Chearful Vines look Gay Arise my Lovely Fair and come away Come Forth my Dove my Charming Innocence How canst thou Fear while I am thy Defence 4 Do thou the Spightful Foxes then Destroy That would my Young Aspiring Vines Annoy Not for the World would I exchange my Bliss While my Beloved's Mine and I am His. And till the break of that Eternal Day Whose Rising Sun shall chase the Shades away Turn my Beloved turn again and thy Dear sight shall make the lazy Moments fly CHAP. III. T Was in the deadness of a Gloomy Night My Love more pleasant than the wisht-for Light O're all my Bed I vainly sought for there My Arms could Grasp no more than empty air Griev'd with my Loss through all the streets I rove And every Ear with soft Complaints I move Then to the Watch Impatient thus I Cry Tell me O tell Did not my Love pass by When loe a Glimpse of my approaching Lord A Heaven of Ioy did to my Soul afford So the dark Souls consin'd to endless Night Would smile and wellcome-in a beam of Light I Clasps him just as meeting Lovers wou'd That had the stings of Absence understood I held him fast and Centring in his
Beauty joyn'd with Piety Let Heaven and Heaven's Vicegerent always share Your noblest Thoughts and your most Dutious care WILLIAM's a Name you 're Fated to Record No Pen but yours can match the Heroes Sword If yon ASSOCIATE too you 'll guard Him more Then all the Loyal Myriads gon before Let harden'd Traitors know what 't is to ' abuse The Patience of a King and of a Muse. Let 'em no more a Monarch's Justice dare Draw off his side at once and END THE WAR These just tho' poor Acknowledgments I send From distant Shades to Heav'ns and Cesars Friend Those but debase who weakly strive to raise You 'll ne're grow vain with ' s humble praise THE Contents THE Contents TO the Author of these Poems known only by Report and by her Works Platonick Love Page 1 Humane Love by a Countrey Gentleman in Answer to Platonick Love 3 To Mr. on his Poem 5 To Mrs. Mary Friend knowing her but by Report 7 Paraphrase on John 3. 16. For God so loved the World that he gave his only Begotten Son c. 8 The Expostulation 12 To my Lady Carteret 14 And though after my Skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my Flesh shall I see God Iob 19. 26. 15 To Sir Charles Sedley 16 To the Honourable Mrs. E. Stretchy 17 A Pindarick Poem on Habbakuk 18 The Athenians to the Compiler of the Pindarick now Recited 21 A Poetical Question concerning the Jacobites sent to the Athenians 27 The Athenians Answer 28 Upon King William's passing the Boyn c. 30 The Vanity of the World in a Poem to the Athenians 33 The Athenians Answer 35 The Rapture ibid. A Paraphrase on the CANTICLES Chap. I. 36 Chap. II. 39 Chap. III. 42 Chap. IV. 44 Chap. V. 47 Chap. VI. 52 The Fable of Phaeron Paraphrased from Ovid's Metamorphosis 56 The Wish in a Poem to the Athenians â—d Alphabet I The Athenians Answer 3 To one that perswades me to leave the Muses 6 A Poem occasion'd by the Report of the Queen's Death 9 Paraphrase on John 21. 17. 10 Paraphrase on Cant. 5,6 c. 13 A Pindarick to the Athenian Society 15 Paraphrase on Revel Chap. 1. from v. 13. to v. 18. 19 To a very Young Gentleman at a Dancing-School 22 To the same Gentleman 23 A Pastoral 24 To Celinda 27 Thoughts on Death 28 The Female Passion 30 To Strephon 31 Paraphrase on Malachy 3 14. 32 On Mrs. Rebekah 34 By Dispair 35 To Orestes 37 The Athenians Answer to the foregoing Poem 39 Paraphrase on Canticles 7 11 40 Paraphrase on Micah 6. 6 7. 41 The Reflection 43 A Song 44 To Madam S. at the Court 46 The Vision To Theron 49 A Pastoral Elegy 51 Parthenia an Elegy 57 The Reply to Mr. 59 A Pastoral on the Queen 62 A Farewel to Love 65 POEMS ON Several Occasions Platonick Love I. SO Angels Love and all the rest is dross Contracted selfish sensitive and gross Unlike to this all free and unconfin'd Is that bright flame I bear thy brighter mind II. No stragling wish or symptom of desire Comes near the Limits of this holy fire Yet 't is intense and active tho so fine For all my pure immortal part is thine III. Why should I then the Heav'nly spark controul Since there 's no brighter Ray in all my Soul Why should I blush to indulge the noble flame For which even friendship 's a degrading name IV. Nor is the greatness of my Love to thee A sacriledge unto the Deity Can I th' enticing stream almost adore And not respect its lovely fountain more HUMANE LOVE By a Country GENTLEMAN In Answer to PLATONICK LOVE I. SO Angels love So let them love for me As mortal I must like a mortal be My Love 's as pure as their's more unconfin'd I love the Body they but love the Mind II. Without enjoyment Can desire be ill For that which wou'd a Man with pleasure fill This more intense and active sure must be Since I both Soul and Body give to thee III. This flame as much of Heaven as that contains And more for unto that but half pertains Friendship one Soul to th' other doth unite But Love joins all and therefore is more bright IV. Neither doth Humane Love Religion harm But rather us against our Vices arm Shall I not for a charming Mistress dye When Heaven commands increase and mulitply To Mr. on his POEM I. SOme Tuneful Being now my Breast inspire With Thoughts as Gay and Noble as Celestial Fire For Clitus is my Theam But ah in vain born on Pindarick Wings My ventrous Muse The mighty Aim pursues For to his Native Skies still Clitus mounts and Sings And we are distant still to an extream II. Behold the Heavenly Charmer how he keeps aloft While Angels Crowd and Listen to his Song And not an Angel-Critick in the throng That durst correct a Thought So Nobly are they Drest And Gracefully exprest So smoothly glide the Numbers from his Tongue So well his Touch the Charming Strings obey That all his Heavenly Auditors Admire To hear him weild an equal Theam with as much skill as they His Voice and Theam did even their Harps inspire And the Glad Anthem they repeat agen Glory to God Peace and Good-will to Men. TO Mrs. MARY FRIEND Knowing her but by Report 'T Were both unjust and stupid to refuse To so much Worth the Tribute of my Muse Tho Saints as well may those Bright Forms express That in a Rapture they conceive of Bliss As I can give such Wondrous Charms their due Or Dress in Words my Brighter Thoughts of You Charming and Gay your Fair Idea seems As Gay as if compos'd of Love and Beams Such Heavenly Rays adorn your Lovely Eyes That by Imagination they surprize And at your Feet a Female Victim lies But how Fair Nymph will your Approaches Fire If Distant Charms such gentle thoughts inspire PARAPHRASE On Joh. 3. 16 For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son c. I. YEs so God loved the World But where Are this Great Loves Dimensions Even Angels stop for baffled here Are their vast Apprehensions In vain they strive to Grasp the boundless thing Not all their Comments can explain the mighty Truth I Sing II. Yet still they pause on the Contents Of this Amazing Story How he that fill'd the wide extents Of Uncreated Glory He whom the Heaven of Heavens cou'd not contain Shou'd yet within the Sacred Maids contracted Womb remain III. They see him Born and hear him Weep To aggravate their Wonder Whose Awful Voice had shook the Deep And Breath'd his Will in Thunder That Awful Voice chang'd to an Infant 's Cry Whilst in a Feeble Woman's Arms he seems constrain'd to lye IV. A God Ah! Where are Humane boasts Extended in a Manger The Lord of all the Heavenly Hosts Expos'd to Scorn and Danger The Onely Blest the All-sufficient Weeps But Oh who Guides the Staggering World while its Protector Sleeps V.
And canst thou Man ungrateful prove When 't was for thy Salvation He left those Splendid Seats above His late bright Habitation Where all his Deity Shone without the Allay Of a Seraphick Vehicle or deficated Clay VI. Where he Transcendently possest The Fullness of Perfection Tho here benighted and opprest The Type of all Dejection He asks for Food that gave the Ravens Bread And the Great Founder of the World wants where to lay his Head VII But Oh what Dark Catastrophe Does Hell at last Conspire Behold upon a Cursed Tree The Lord of Life Expire From this Amaz'd the Sun withdraws his Eye Afraid to see his Maker Bleed and the Eternal Dye VIII The Seraphims that throng'd about 'Twixt Hope and Consternation Now Blaze the Wondrous News throughout The Radiant Corporation Who vainly strive the Mistery to scan And Fathom the Stupendious Depths of this Great Love to Man IX He on the Rights of Justice stood With their Exalted Nature That now through Streams of Sacred Blood Wafts the Terrestial Creature Wafts Dufty-Man to that Felicity Which the Apostate Son of Light must never hope to see THE Expostulation I. HOw long great God a wretched captive here Must I these hated marks of bondage wear How long shall these uneasy chains controul The willing flights of my impatient Soul How long shall her most pure intelligence Be strain'd through an infectious screen of gross corrupted sence II. When shall I leave this darksome house of clay And to a brighter mansion wing away There 's nothing here my thoughts to entertain But one Tyr'd revolution o're again The Sun and Stars observe their wonted round The streams their former courses keep No Novelty is found III. The same curst acts of false fruition o're The same wild hopes and wishes as before Do men for this so fondly life caress That airy huss of splendid emptiness Unthinking sots kind Heaven let me be gone I 'm tyr'd I 'm sick of this dull Farce's repetition To my Lady CARTERET TOo great your Power and too soft my Breast The charming Inspiration to resist But Oh in what bold Strain shall I begin To breathe th' unusual Potent Instinct in Such pleasing looks in midst of Spring adorn The Flowry Fields so smiles the Beauteous Morn But What are these dull Metaphors to you Or What is all my Fancy has in view A Form more fine more accurately wrought Was ne'r conceiv'd by a Poetick Thought So mild your eyes so beautiful and bright That lovelier eyes did ne'r salute the Light With such a gentle look and such an air So lovely so exceeding sweet and fair To us the Heavonly Messengers appear Whilst Man too feeble for their bright extreams With such soft Smiles as yours they 'r forc't to allay their Beams And though after my Skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my Flesh shall I see God Job 19. 26. WHat tho my Soul rent from the close imbrace Of this material consort take its flight Exil'd the Confines of her Native place And leave these eyes clos'd in a Dismal Night She shall agen resume the dear abode And cloath'd in Flesh I shall behold my God II. Tho in the Gloomy Regions of the Grave Forgotten and insensible I lye That tedious night shall a bright morning have The welcome dawnings of Eternity My Soul shall then resume her old abode And cloath'd in flesh I shall behold my God III. Altho resolv'd unto my Native dust It s proper part each Element refine Yet at my awfull Makers breath they must The Individual Particles resign And then my Soul shall take her old abode And cloath'd in Flesh I shall behold my God TO Sir CHAREES SEDLEY BVt stay 't is Sedley and it were a crime For me to grasp a Subject so sublime Since nothing but his own Coelestial lays Are fit the Authour of such flights to praise Nor dare my thoughts make the unequal choice My Infant-muse has yet but try'd her tender voice To the Honourable Mrs. E Stretchy THe Artful hand of Nature ne'r display'd More skill then when your Charming Self was made A Shape a Face and Meen so rare that we Think you her boasted Master-piece to be Whilst that Bright Soul that Heaven has plac't within Makes every Charm with double-lustre shine But since I on my Lyre can touch no String Equal to those great Merits I would Sing Hopeless to give such mighty Charms their due I 'll leave the World to Brighter Thoughts of you A Pindarick POEM on HABBAKUK I. WHen God from Teman came And cloath'd in Glory from Mount Paran shone Drest in th' unsufferable Flame That hides his dazling Throne His Glory soon eclips'd the once bright Titan's Rays And fill'd the trembling Earth with Terror and Amaze Resplondent Beams did crown his awful Head And shining brightness all around him spread Omnipotence he graspt in his strong Hand And listning Death stood waiting on his dread Command Waiting 'till his resistless Bolts he 'd throw Devouring Coals beneath his Feet did glow All Natures Frame did quake beneath his Feet And with his Hand he the vast Globe did mete The frighted Nations scattered And at his sight the bashful Mountains sled The everlasting Hills their Founder's Voice obey And stoop their lofty Heads to make th' Eternal way The distant Ethiops all Confusion are And Midian's trembling Curtains cannot hide their Fear When thy swift Chariots pass'd the yielding Sea The blushing Waves back in amazement flee Affrighted Iordan stops his flowing Vrn And bids his forward Streams back to their Fountain turn 2. Arm'd with thy mighty Bow Thou marchedst out against thy daring Foe And very terrible thou didst appear To them but thus thy darling People cheer Know Iacob's Sons I am the God of Truth Your Father Iacob's God nor can I break my Oath The Mountains shook as our dread Lord advanc'd And all the little Hills around 'em danc'd The neighb'ring Streams their verdant Banks o'reflow The Waters saw and trembled at the sight Back to their old Abyss they go And bear the News to everlasting Night The Mother Deep within its hollow Caverns roars And beats the silent Shores The Sun above no longer dares to strive Nor will his frighted Steeds their wonted Iourney drive The Moon to see her Brother stop his Car Grew pale and curb'd her sable Reins for Fear Thy threatning Arrows gild their flaming way And at the glittering of thy Spear the Heathen dare not stay The very sight of thee did them subdue And arm'd with Fury thou the Vict'ry didst pursue So now great God wrapt in avenging Thunder Meet thine and William's Foes and tread them groveling under The ATHENIANS To the Compiler of the Pindarick now Recited 1. WE yield we yield the Palm bright Maid be thine How vast a Genius sparkles in each Line How Noble all how Loyal how Divine Sure thou by Heaven-inspir'd art sent To make the Kings and Nations Foes repent To melt each Stubborn Rebel down Or