Yet on the soften'd quarry would I score
My plaining verfe as lively as before;

For fure fo well instructed are my tears,
That they would fitly fall in order'd characters.
VIII.

Or fhould I thence hurried on viewless wing,
Take up a weeping on the mountains wild,
The gentle neighbourhood of grove and spring
Would soon unbosom all their echoes mild,
And I (for grief is easily beguil'd)

50

Might think th' infection of my forrows loud 55 Had got a race of mourners on fome pregnant cloud. This fubject the Author finding to be above the years he had, when he wrote it, and nothing satisfied with what was begun, left it unfinish'd.

FL

V.

On TIM E.

LY envious Time, till thou run out thy race, Call on the lazy leaden-stepping hours, Whose speed is but the heavy plummet's pace; And glut thyself with what thy womb devours, Which is no more than what is falfe and vain, And merely mortal dross;

5

So little is our lofs,

So little is thy gain.

For when as each thing bad thou haft intomb'd,
And last of all thy greedy self confum'd,

M 3

Then

Then long Eternity shall greet our bliss

With an individual kiss;

And Joy fhall overtake us as a flood,

When every thing that is fincerely good

And perfectly divine,

15

With truth, and peace, and love, shall ever shine About the fupreme throne

Of him, t'whose happy-making fight alone

When once our heav'nly-guided foul shall clime,
Then all this earthy grofnefs quit,

20

(Time.

Attir'd with ftars, we fhall for ever fit,
Triumphing over Death, and Chance, and thee, O

VI.

Upon the CIRCUMCISION.

YE

E flaming Pow'rs, and winged Warriors bright That erst with music, and triumphant song, First heard by happy watchful shepherds ear, So fweetly fung your joy the clouds along Through the soft filence of the list'ning night; Now mourn, and if sad share with us to bear Your fiery essence can distil no tear,

5

Burn in your fighs, and borrow

Seas wept from our deep forrow:

He who with all Heav'n's heraldry whilere
Enter'd the world, now bleeds to give us ease;

10

Alas, how foon our fin

Sore doth begin

His infancy to seise!

O more exceeding love or law more juft?
Juft law indeed, but more exceeding love!
For we by rightful doom remediless
Were loft in death, till he that dwelt above
High thron'd in fecret bliss, for us frail duft
Emptied his glory, ev'n to nakedness;

And that great covenant which we ftill tranfgrefs
Entirely fatisfied,

And the full wrath befide

Of vengeful juftice bore for our excess,

15

20

And seals obedience first with wounding smart 25 This day, but O ere long

Huge pangs and strong

Will pierce more near his heart.

VII.

At a SOLEMN MUSIC.

BLEST pair of Sirens, pledges of Heav'n's joy,

Sphere-born harmonious fifters, Voice and Verse,
Wed your divine founds, and mix'd pow'r employ
Dead things with inbreath'd sense able to pierce,
And to our high-rais'd phantafy present
That undisturbed fong of pure concent,
Ay fung before the faphir-color'd throne
To him that fits thereon

With faintly shout, and folemn jubilee,
Where the bright Seraphim in burning row

M 4

5

10

Their

Their loud up-lifted angel-trumpets blow,
And the cherubic host in thousand quires
Touch their immortal harps of golden wires,

With those just Spirits that wear victorious palms,
Hymns devout and holy psalms

Singing everlastingly;

That we on earth with undiscording voice
May rightly answer that melodious noise;
As once we did, till difproportion'd fin

15

Jarr'd against nature's chime, and with harsh din 20 Broke the fair music that all creatures made

To their great Lord, whofe love their motion sway'd In perfect diapafon, whilst they stood

In first obedience, and their state of good.

O may we foon again renew that fong,

And keep in tune with Heav'n, till God ere long To his celeftial confort us unite,

25

To live with him, and fing in endless morn of light.

VIII.

An EPITAPH on the MARCHIONESS of Winchefter.

HIS rich Marble doth enter

TH

The honor'd Wife of Winchester,

A Vicount's daughter, an Earl's heir,
Besides what her virtues fair

Added to her noble birth,

More than she could own from earth.

5

Sum

Summers three times eight save one

She had told; alas too foon,

After fo fhort time of breath,

To house with darknefs, and with death.

Yet had the number of her days
Been as complete as was her praise,
Nature and fate had had no ftrife
In giving limit to her life.

Her high birth, and her graces sweet
Quickly found a lover meet;
The virgin quire for her request
The God that fits at Marriage feast;
He at their invoking came

But with a scarce well-lighted flame;
And in his garland as he stood,
Ye might discern a cypress bud.
Once had the early matrons run
To greet her of a lovely fon,

And now with fecond hope fhe goes,
And calls Lucina to her throws;
But whether by mischance or blame
Atropos for Lucina came;

And with remorseless cruelty

Spoil'd at once both fruit and tree:
The hapless babe before his birth

30

Had burial, yet not laid in earth,
And the languish'd mother's womb
Was not long a living tomb.

So