I. 167 Whether above that high first-moving sphere, Or in th' Elysian fields (if fuch there were)
Oh fay me true, if thou wert mortal wight, And why from us fo quickly thou didst take thy flight.
Wert thou some star which from the ruin'd roof, Of shak'd Olympus by mischance didst fall ; Which careful Jove in nature's true behoof Took up, and in fit place did reinstall? Or did of late earth's fons besiege the wall
Of sheeny Heav'n, and thou fome Goddess fled Amongst us here below to hide thy nectar'd head?
Or wert thou that juft Maid who once before 50 Forfook the hated earth, O tell me footh, And cam'st again to visit us once more? Or wert thou that sweet smiling Youth?
Or that crown'd matron fage white-robed Truth? Or any other of that heav'nly brood
55 Let down in cloudy throne to do the world fome good?
Or wert thou of the golden-winged hoft, Who having clad thyself in human weed, To earth from thy prefixed feat didst post, And after short abode fly back with speed, As if to fhow what creatures Heav'n doth breed, Thereby to fet the hearts of men on fire To fcorn the fordid world, and unto heav'n aspire ?
But oh why didft thou not stay here below To bless us with thy heav'n-lov'd innocence, To flake his wrath whom fin hath made our foe, To turn swift-rushing black perdition hence, Or drive away the slaughtering peftilence,
To ftand 'twixt us and our deferved smart? 69 But thou canft beft perform that office where thou art. XI.
Then thou the mother of so sweet a Child Her false imagin'd lofs cease to lament, And wifely learn to curb thy forrows wild; Think what a present thou to God hast sent, And render him with patience what he lent; 75 This if thou do, he will an ofspring give, (live. That till the world's last end shall make thy name to II.
Anno AEtatis 19. At a Vacation Exercife in the college, part Latin, part English. The Latin fpeeches ended, the English thus began:
AIL native Language, that by finews weak Didst move my firftendevoring tongue to speak, And mad'st imperfect words with childish trips, Half unpronounc'd, flide through my infant-lips, Driving dumb filence from the portal door, Where he had mutely fat two years before: Here I falute thee, and thy pardon ask,
That now I use thee in my latter task :
Small lofs it is that thence can come unto thee, I know my tongue but little grace can do thee: 10 Thou need'ft not be ambitious to the first, Believe me I have thither packt the worst: And, if it happen as I did forecast,
The daintieft dishes fhall be ferv'd up laft. I pray thee then deny me not thy aid For this same small neglect that I have made : But hafte thee ftrait to do me once a pleasure, And from thy wardrobe bring thy chiefest treasure, Not those new fangled toys, and trimming flight Which takes our late fantastics with delight, But cull those richest robes, and gay'st attire Which deepest spirits, and choiceft wits defire: I have some naked thoughts that rove about, And loudly knock to have their passage out; And weary of their place do only flay Till thou haft deck'd them in thy best array; That so they may without fuspect or fears Fly swiftly to this fair affembly's ears; Yet I had rather, if I were to chufe,
Thy service in fome graver subject use,
Such as may make thee search thy coffers round, Before thou clothe my fancy in fit found : Such where the deep transported mind may foar Above the wheeling poles, and at Heav'n's door Look in, and fee each blissful Deity
How he before the thunderous throne doth lie,
Lift'ning to what unfhorn Apollo fings
To th' touch of golden wires, while Hebe brings Immortal nectar to her kingly fire:
Then paffing through the spheres of watchful fire, And misty regions of wide air next under, And hills of fnow and lofts of piled thunder, May tell at length how green-ey'd Neptune raves, In Heav'n's defiance muftering all his waves; Then fing of secret things that came to pass When beldam Nature in her cradle was; And last of kings and queens and heroes old, Such as the wife Demodocus once told In folemn fongs at king Alcinous feast, While fad Ulyffes foul and all the rest Are held with his melodious harmony In willing chains and fweet captivity. But fie, my wand'ring Muse, how thou doft stray! Expectance calls thee now another way, Thou know'ft it must be now thy only bent 55 To keep in compass of thy predicament: Then quick about thy purpos'd business come, That to the next I may resign my room.
Then Ens is reprefented as father of the Predicaments his ten fons, whereof the eldest stood for Substance with his canons, which Ens, thus fpeaking, explains:
OOD luck befriend thee, Son; for at thy birth
The faery ladies danc'd upon the hearth; 60
Thy drousy nurse hath sworn she did them spy Come tripping to the room where thou didst lie, And sweetly finging round about thy bed Strow all their bleffings on thy fleeping head. She heard them give thee this, that thou shouldst From eyes of mortals walk invisible:
(ftill Yet there is fomething that doth force my fear, 67 For once it was my dismal hap to hear A Sibyl old, bow-bent with crooked age, That far events full wifely could presage, And in time's long and dark prospective glass Forefaw what future days should bring to pass; Your fon, faid fhe, (nor can you it prevent) Shall fubject be to many an Accident. O'er all his brethren he shall reign as king, Yet every one shall make him underling, And those that cannot live from him asunder Ungratefully fhall strive to keep him under, In worth and excellence he fhall out-go them, Yet being above them, he shall be below them; 80 From others he shall ftand in need of nothing, Yet on his brothers fhall depend for clothing. To find a foe it fhall not be his hap,
And peace shall lull him in her flow'ry lap; Yet fhall he live in ftrife, and at his door Devouring war fhall never cease to roar: Yea it shall be his natural property To harbour thofe that are at enmity.
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