On Eagles Wings immortal Scandals fly, While virtuous Actions are but born and die. Slander, the worft of Poyfons, ever finds An easy Entrance in ignoble Minds.
SCHOOL-MEN.
In School-Divinity as able As he that hight irrefragable. Profound in all the nominal, And real Ways beyond them all; And with as delicate a Hand
Could twift as tough a Rope of Sand; And weave fine Cobwebs, fit for Scull, That's empty when the Moon's at full; Such as take Lodgings in a Head,.. That's to be let unfurnished.
He could raise Scruples dark and nice, And after folve 'em in a trice. As if Divinity had catch'd
The Itch, on purpose to be fcratch'd Or, like a Mountebank, did wound, And ftab herself with Doubts profound, Only to fhew with how fmall Pain The Sores of Faith are cur'd again; Altho' by woful Proof we find They always leave a Scar behind. He knew the Seat of Paradife, Could tell in what Degree it lies, And, as he was difpos'd, could prove it Below the Moon, or else above it. What Adam dreamt of, when his Bride Came from her Closet in his Side: Whether the Devil tempted her By a High-Dutch Interpreter. If either of them had a Navel, Who firft made Mufick malleable. Whether the Serpent at the Fall, Had cloven Feet, or none at all. All this without a Glofs or Comment He could unriddle in a Moment
In proper Terms, fuch as Men fmatter,
When they throw out, and mifs the Matter. Huds SCORN.
Who Pride and Scorn do undergo,
In Tempefts and rough Seas Love's Galleys row:
They pant, and groan, and figh, but find Their Sighs increase the angry Wind.
As Water fluid is till it do grow
Solid and fix'd by Snow;
So in warm Seafons Love does loosely flow: Froft only can it hold.
A Woman's Rigour and Disdain Does its fwift Course restrain ; But when kind Beams appear,
It melts, and glides apace into the Sea, And lofes it felf there:
So the Sun's am'rous Play
Kiffes the Ice away.
Thus fome the harfher and hide-bounder
The Damfels prove, become the fonder.
For what mad Lover ever dy'd
To gain a foft and gentle Bride ? Or for a Lady tender-hearted, In purling Streams or Hemp departed? But for fome crofs ill-natur'd Dame, The amorous Fly burnt in his Flame. SCULPTURE. See Statues.
Some carve the Trunks, and breathing Shapes beftow,
Giving the Trees more Life than when they grow.
In midft a Table of rich Iv'ry ftands,
By three fierce Tygers and three Lyons born, Which grin, and fearfully the Place adorn : Widely they gape, and to the Eyes they roar; As if they hunger'd for the Food they bore. SCYLLA and CHARIB DIS. In the Streights,
Where proud Pelorus opes a wider Way, Far on the right, her Dogs foul Scylla hides; Charibdis roaring, on the Left prefides,
And in her greedy Whirlpool fucks the Tides:
Then spouts them from below; with Fury driv'n,
The Waves mount up, and wash the Face of Heav'n : But Scylla from her Den, with open Jaws, The finking Veffels in her Eddy draws, Then dashes on the Rocks: A humane Face, And Virgin's-Bofom hide her Tail's Difgrace. Her Parts obfcene below the Waves defcend, With Dogs inclos'd, and in a Dolphin end.
SEA. See Creation, Jealoufy, Rowing, Storm, Tempeft.
Outrageous as a Sea, dark, wafteful, wild, Up from the Bottom torn by furious Winds, And furging Waves, as Mountains to affault Heav'ns Height, and with the Centre mix the Pole. The Sea it felf fmooths his rough Face a while, Flatt'ring the greedy Merchant with a Smile;
But he whofe fhipwreck'd Bark it drank before, Sees the Deceit, and knows it would have more.
SEA, divided for a Pallage to the Ifraelites. Commanded by thy Breath, th'obfequious Main Stood still, and gather'd up its flowing Train. Th'Almighty did the Sea divide,
And as he rends the Hills, he fplit the Tide: Benum'd with Fear, the Waves erected flood, O'erlooking all the diftant Flood.
Mountains of craggy Billows did arise, And Rocks of ftiffen'd Water reach'd the Skies. Remoter Waves came rolling on to fee
The ftrange transforming Mystery. But they, approaching near, Where the high chryftal Ridges did appear, Felt the divine Contagion's Force,
Mov'd flothfully a while, and then quite ftop'd their Course. Th'Egyptians cry'd, Let us purfue the flying Slaves, We'll bathe the Defart with a purple Flood,
And heal its gaping Wounds with Hebrew Blood.
SERPENT. See Creation, Paradife, Snake. With fpeckled Pride
A Serpent from the Tomb began to glide: His hugy Bulk on feven high Volumes roll'd,
Blue was his Breadth of Back, but streak'd with scaly Gold. Thus riding on his Curls, he feem'd to pass, A rowling Fire along, and finge the Grafs:. More various Colours through his Body run, Than Iris, when her Bow imbibes the Sun.
Two Serpents rank'd abreaft, the Seas divide, And smoothly fweep along the fwelling Tide. Their flaming Crefts above the Waves they fhow, Their Bellies feem to burn the Seas below:
Their fpeckled Tails advance to fteer their Course, And on the founding Shore the flying Billows force. And now the Strand, and now the Plain they held, Their ardent Eyes with bloody Streaks were fill'd; Their nimble Tongues they brandifh'd as they came, And lick'd their hiffing Jaws, that fputter'd Flame. Dryd. Virg. Serpent tempting EVE.
The Serpent, fleeping faft, the Devil found
In Labyrinth of many a Round felf-rowl'd,
His Head the midft, well ftor'd with fubtle Wiles; Not yet in horrid Shade or difmal Den, Nor nocent yet; but on the graffy Herb Fearless, unfear'd he flept: In at his Mouth He enter'd, Inmate bad, and toward Eve
The common Fate of all things rare May read in thee:
How fmalla Part of Time they share, That are fo wondrous fweet and fair.
Far in the Sea, against the foaming Shoar, There ftands a Rock:
On this the Heroe fix'd an Oak in fight,
The Mark to guide the Mariners aright.
To bear with this, the Seamen ftretch their Oars,
Then round the Rock they fteer, and feek the former Shoars. Four Gallies firft which equal Rowers bear,
Advancing in the wat'ry Lifts appear;
Three Trojans tug at ev'ry lab'ring Oar, The Banks in three Degrees the Sailors bore; Beneath their sturdy Strokes the Billows roar.
The common Crew, with Wreaths of Poplar Boughs Their Temples crown, and fhade their fweaty Brows. Befmear'd with Oil their naked Shoulders fhine ; All take their Seats, and wait the founding Sign. They gripe their Oars, and ev'ry panting Breaft Is rais'd by turns with Hope, by turns with Fear deprefs'd. The Clangor of the Trumpet gives the Sign, At once they start, advancing in a Line: With Shouts the Sailors rend the ftarry Skies; Lafh'd with their Oars, the fmoaky Billows rife,
Sparkles the briny Main, and the vex'd Ocean fries. Exact in Time with equal Strokes they row; At once the brushing Oars and brazen Prow, Dash up the fandy Waves, and ope 'the Depths below. Gyas out-ftrip'd the reft, and fprung before; Cleanthus, better mann'd, purfu'd him faft, But his o'er-mafter'd Galley check'd his Hafte. The Centaur and the Dolphin brush the Brine, With equal Oars advancing in a Line. And now the mighty Centaur feems to lead, And now the fpeedy Dolphin gets ahead: Now Board to Board the rival Veffels row;
The Billows lave the Skies, and Ocean groans below. They reach the Mark; proud Gyas and his Train,
In Triumph rode the Victors of the Main.
But fteering round, he charg'd his Pilot stand More clofe to Shore, and skim along the Sand: Let others bear to Sea. The Pilot heard, But fecret Shelves too cautiously he fear'd,
And fearing, fought the Deep, and ftill aloof he steer'd.
With louder Cries the Captain calls again, Bear to the rocky Shoar, and fhun the Main. He spoke, and speaking, at his Stern he faw The bold Cleanthus near the Shelvings draw Betwixt the Mark and him the Scylla ftood, And in a clofer Compafs plough'd the Flood. He pafs'd the Mark, and wheeling got before; Gyas blafphem'd the Gods, devoutly fwore ; The trembling Dotard overboard he threw, Then fiez'd the Helm himself, his Fellows cheer'd, Turn'd fhort upon the Shelves, and madly steer'd. The following Centaur and the Dolphin's Crew Their vanish'd Hopes of Victory renew; While Gyas lags, they kindle in the Race To reach the Mark, Sergefthus takes the Place; Mneftheus purfues; and while around they wind, Comes up not half his Galley's Length behind. His Crew exert their Vigour, tug the Oar, Stretch to their Strokes.
Now one and all they tug amain, they row At the full Stretch, and shake the brazen Prow. The Sea beneath 'em finks, their lab'ring Sides Are fwell'd, and Sweat runs gutt'ring down in Tides. Chance aids their Daring with unhop'd Success; Sergefthus, eager with his Beak to prefs Betwixt the rival Galley and the Rock, Shuts up th'unweildy Centaur in the Lock. The Veffel ftruck, and with the dreadful Shock, Her Oars fhe fhiver'd, and her Head the broke The trembling Rowers from their Banks arife, And anxious for themselves, renounce the Prize. With iron Poles they heave her off the Shores, And gather from the Sea their floating Oars. The Crew of Mneft heus with elated Minds Urge their Succefs, and call the willing Winds: They ply their Oars, and cut their liquid Way In larger Compafs on the roomy Sea: Sergeftbus in the Centaur foon he pafs'd, Wedg'd in the rocky Shoals, and sticking faft. In vain the Victor he with Cries implores, And practises to row with fhatter'd Oars. Then Mneftheus bears with Gyas, and out-flies The Ship, without a Pilot, yields the Prize. Unvanquish'd Scylla now alone remains, Her he purfues, and all his Vigour ftrains. Refolv'd to hold their own, they mend their Pace, All obftinate to die, or gain the Race.
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