صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

Whatever clime the fun's bright circle warms.

Lift not thy spear against the Muses bow'r:

10

The great Emathian conqueror bid spare
The house of Pindarus, when temple' and tow'r

Went to the ground: And the repeated air
Of fad Electra's poet had the pow'r

To fave th' Athenian walls from ruin bare.

IX.

To a virtuous young Lady.

Lady that in the prime of earliest youth

Wisely hast shunn'd the broad way and the green, And with those few art eminently seen, That labor up the hill of heav'nly truth, The better part with Mary and with Ruth

5

Chofen thou hast; and they that overween,
And at their growing virtues fret their spleen,
No anger find in thee but pity' and ruth.

Thy care is fix'd, and zealoufly attends
To fill thy odorous lamp with deeds of light, 10
And hope that reaps not shame. Therefore be sure
Thou, when the bridegroom with his feastful friends
Passes to bliss at the mid hour of night,
Haft gain'd thy entrance, Virgin wife and pure.

Χ.

To the Lady Margaret Ley.

Daughter to that good Earl, once President
Of England's Council, and her Treasury,

Who

Who liv'd in both, unstain'd with gold or fee,
And left them both, more in himself content

Till fad the breaking of that Parlament
Broke him, as that dishoneft victory
At Chæronea, fatal to liberty,

5

Kill'd with report that old man eloquent. Though later born than to have known the days Wherein your father florifh'd, yet by you, 10 Madam, methinks I see him living yet? So well your words his noble virtues praise, That all both judge you to relate them true, And to poffefs them, honor'd Margaret.

ΧΙ.

On the detraction which follow'd upon my writing certain treatises.

A book was writ of late call'd Tetrachordon, And woven close, both matter, form and stile; The subject new: it walk'd the town a while, Numbering good intellects; now feldom por'd on. Cries the fstall-reader, Bless us! what a word on 5 A title page is this! and some in file

Stand spelling false, while one might walk to MileEnd Green. Why is it harder Sirs than Gordon, Colkitto, or Macdonnel, or Galafp?

9

Those rugged names to our like mouths grow fleek, That would have made Quintilian stare and gafp. Thy age, like ours, O Soul of Sir John Cheek,

Hated

Hated not learning worse than toad or afp,
When thou taught'stCambridge, and kingEdward

[blocks in formation]

I did but prompt the age to quit their clogs
By the known rules of ancient liberty,
When straight a barbarous noise environs me
Of owls and cuccoos, affes, apes and dogs:
As when those hinds that were transform'd to frogs 5
Rail'd at Latona's twin-born progeny,
Which after held the fun and moon in fee.
But this is got by casting pearl to hogs;

That bawl for freedom in their senseless mood, 9
And still revolt when truth would set them free.
Licence they mean when they cry Liberty ;
For who loves that, must first be wife and good;
But from that mark how far they rove we fee
For all this waste of wealth, and loss of blood.
XIII.

To Mr. H. LAWES on his Airs.
Harry, whose tuneful and well-measur'd fong
First taught our English music how to span
Words with just note and accent, not to scan
With Midas ears, committing short and long;
Thy worth and skill exempts thee from the throng,

With praife enough for envy to look wan;
To after age thou shalt be writ the man,

6

That with fmooth air couldst humour best our

Mm

tongue.

Thou

Thou honor'st verse, and verse must lend her wing
To honor thee, the priest of Phœbus quire, 10
That tun'st their happiest lines in hymn, or story.

Dante shall give fame leave to fet thee higher
Than his Casella, whom he woo'd to fing
Met in the milder shades of purgatory.

XIV.

On the religious memory of Mrs. CATHARINE THOMSON, my Christian friend, deceas'd 16 Decem. 1646.

When faith and love, which parted from thee never,
Had ripen'd thy just soul to dwell with God,
Meekly thou didst resign this earthly load
Of death, call'd life; which us from life doth sever.
Thy works and alms and all thy good endevor 5
Stay'd not behind, nor in the grave were trod;
But as faith pointed with her golden rod,
Follow'd thee up to joy and bliss for ever.

Love led them on, and faith who knew them best
Thy hand-maids, cladthemo'er with purple beams
And azure wings, that up they flew so drest, 11
And spake the truth of thee on glorious themes
Before the Judge, who thenceforth bid thee rest
And drink thy fill of pure immortal streams.

To XV.

To the Lord General FAIRFAX. Fairfax, whose name in arms through Europe rings, Filling each mouth with envy or with praise, And all her jealous monarchs with amaze And rumors loud, that daunt remotest kings, Thy firm unshaken virtue ever brings

5

Victory home, though new rebellions raife Their Hydra heads, and the false North displays Her broken league to imp their ferpent wings. O yet a nobler task awaits thy hand,

II

(For what can war, but endless war ftill breed?) Till truth and right from violence be freed, And public faith clear'd from the shameful brand Of public fraud. In vain doth valor bleed, While avarice and rapin share the land.

XVI.

To the Lord General CROMWELL.

Cromwell, our chief of men, who through a cloud
Not of war only, but detractions rude,
Guided by faith and matchless fortitude,
To peace and truth thy glorious way haft plough'd,
And on the neck of crowned fortune proud
Haft rear'd God's trophies, and his work pursued,
While Darwen stream with blood of Scotsimbrued,
And Dunbar field refounds thy praises loud,
And Worcester's laureat wreath. Yet much remains

[blocks in formation]

5

To

« السابقةمتابعة »