a

But lately finding him fo. long at home,
And thinking now his journey's end was come,
And that he had ta'en up his latest inn,
In the kind office of a chamberlin
Show'd him his room where he must lodge that night, 15
Pullid off his boots, and took away the light:
If any ask for him, it shall be said,
Hobson has supt, and’s newly gone to bed.

XII.

Another on the same. HE

ER E lieth one, who did most truly prove

That he could never die while he could move; So hung his destiny, never to rot While he might still jogg on and keep his trot, Made of sphere-metal, never to decay Until his revolution was at stay. Time numbers motion, yet (without a crime Gainst old truth) motion number'd out his time: And like an engin moy'd with wheel and weight, His principles being ceas’d, he ended strait.

Rest rent of seven Lays of pasture-ground lying “nance of this conduit for ever. « in St. Thomas's Lays towards the mainte- at his death he gave rol. towards the further

“ beautifying

5

IO

Moreover

15

20

Rest that gives all men life, gave him his death,
And too much breathing put him out of breath;
Nor were it contradiction to affirm
Too long vacation hasten’d on his term.
Merely to drive the time away he ficken'd,
Fainted, and died, nor would with ale be quicken'd;
Nay, quoth he, on his swooning bed out-stretch'd,
If I mayn't carry, sure I'll ne'er be fetch'd,
But vow, though the cross doctors all stood hearers,
For one carrier put down to make fix bearers.
Ease was his chief disease, and to judge right,
He dy'd for heaviness that his cait went light:
His leisure told him that his time was come,
And lack of load made his life burdensome,
That ev'n to his last breath (there be that say’t) 25
As he were press’d to death, he cry'd more weight;
But had his doings lasted as they were,
He had been an immortal carrier.
Obedient to the moon he spent his date
In course reciprocal, and had his fate

Link'd “ beautifying the same.” I cannot say much death: they abound with that sort of wit, in commendation of these verses upon his which was then in request at Cambridge.

30

Z z 2

This

1

Link'd to the mutual flowing of the seas,
Yet (strange to think) his wain was his increase:
His letters are deliver'd all and gone,
Only remains this superscription.

XIII.

L'ALLEGRO. HENCE loathed Melancholy,

Of Cerberus and blackest Midnight born, In Stygian cave forlorn

'Mongst

This and the following poem are exquisitely 1. Hence loathed Melancholy, &c.] The bebeautiful in themselves, but appear much more ginning of this poem is somewhat like the bebeautiful, when they are considered, as they ginning of Kal. Decembres Saturnales of Statius, were written, in contrast to each other. There Sylvarum Lib. I. is a great variety of pleasing images in each of them; and it is remarkable, that the poet

Et Phoebus pater; & severa Pallas,

Et Mufæ procul ite feriatæ : represents several of the same objects as ex

Jani vos revocabimus Kalendis. citing both mirth and melancholy, and affect

Saturnus mihi compede exoluta, ing us differently according to the different

Et multo gravidus mero December, dispositions and affections of the soul. This

Et ridens jocus, et sales protervi: is nature and experience. He derives the title

Adfint, dum refero diem beatam of both poems from the Italian, which lan

Læti Cæfaris, ebriamque partem. guage was then principally in vogue. L'Allegro