His own true Merits with the publick Voice Had won throughout the Isle as his just claim Above whatever past a gen'ral Choice A Man so perfect none could disapprove Save that he could not or he did not love IX Books were his Business his Diversion Arms His Practice Honor his Atchievements Fame He had no time to love nor could the Charms If any Cyprian Nymph his Blood enflame He thought the fairest print of Womankind Too small a Volume to enrich his Mind X. He lov'd the tawny Lyon's dang'rous Chace The spotted Leopard or the tusked Boar Their bloody Steps would the young Hunter trace And having lodg'd them their tough Entrails gore Love was too soft to feed his gen'rous Fire And Maids too weak to conquer his Desire XI In all his intervals of happy Truce Knowledge and Arts which his high Mind endow'd Where still his Objects and what they produce Was the brave Issue of his solitude He shun'd dissembling Courts and thought less Praise Adhear'd to Diadems than Wreaths of Baies XII Although betwixt him and the youthful King Who at this time the Paphian Scepter sway'd A likeness in their Manners and their Spring Had such a true and lasting Friendship made That without him the King did still esteem His Court a Cottage and her Glories dim XIII One was their Country one the happy Earth That to its Glory these young Heroes bred One year produc 't eithers auspicious Birth One space matur'd them and one councel led All things in fine wherein their Vertues shone Youth Beauty Strength Studies and Arms were one XIV This so establish't Friendship was the cause That when this modest Prince would fain retire From the fond World's importunate applause Oft crost the Workings of his own Desire And made him with a Fav'rites love and skill Devote his Pleasures to his Master 's Will. XV. But once his Presence and Assistance stood In ballance with this hopeful Monarch's Bliss Love's golden Shaft had fir'd his youthful Blood Nor any Ear must hear his Sighs but his Artiphala his Heart had overthrown Maugre his Sword his Sceptre and his Crown XVI From her bright Eyes the wounding Light'ning flew Through the resistance of his Manly Breast By none but his Philoxipes that knew Each motion of his Soul to be exprest He must his Secrets keep and Courtships bear Conceal them from the World but tell them her XVII This held him most to shine in the Court's Sphere And practise Passion in another's Name To dally with those Arms that levell'd were His high and yet victorious Heart t'enflame He sight and wept expressing all the Woe Despairing Lovers in their Frenzy shew XVIII And with so good Success that in some space The magick of his Eloquence and Art Had wrought the King into this Princess Grace And laid the passage open to her Heart Such Royal Suiters could not be deny'd The whole World's Wonder and one Asia's pride XIX The King thus fixt a Monarch in his Love And in his Mistriss's fair surrender crown'd Could sometimes now permit his Friends remove As having other Conversation found And now resign him to the Peace he sought To practise what the wise Athenian taught XX. Solon that Oracle of famous Greece Could in the course of his experience find None to bequeath his knowledge to but this This glorious Youth blest with so rich a Mind So brave a Soul and such a shining Spiriâ— As Vertue might by lawful claim inherit XXI It was his Precept that did first distil Vertue into this hopeful young Man's Breast That gave him Reason to conduct his Will That first his Soul in sacred Knowledg'd drest And taught him that a wise Man when alone Is to himself the best Companion XXII He taught him first into himself retire Shunning the greatness and those gaudy Beams That often scorch their Plumes who high aspire And wear the splendor of the World's extreams To drink that Nector and to tast that Food That to their Greatness make Men truly Good. XXIII 〈◊〉 his unerring Eye had aptly chose â— place so suited to his Mind and Birth 〈◊〉 the sweet Scene of his belov'd Repose â—s all the various Beauties of the Earth Contracted in one plot could nere outvie To nourish Fancy or delight the Eye XXIV From the far fam'd Olympus haughty Crown Which with curl'd Cypress Periwigs his Brow The chrystal Lycus tumbles headlong down And thence unto a fruitful Valley flows Twining with am'rous Crooks her verdant Was 't that smiles to see her Borders so embrac't XXV Upon whose flowry Banks a stately Pile Built from the marble Quarry shining stood Like the proud Queen of that Elizean Isle Viewing her front in the transparent Flood Which with a murm'ring Sorrow kis'd her base As loth to leave so beautifulâ— a place XXVI Lovely indeed if tall and shady Groves Enamel'd Meads and little purling Springs Which from the Grots the Temples of true Loves Creep out to trick the Earth in wanton rings Can give the name of Lovely to that place Where Nature stands clad in her chiefest Grace XXVII This noble Structure in her Sight thus blest Was round adorn'd with many a curious piece By ev'ry cunning Master's hand exprest Of famous Italy or Aâ—tick Greece As Art and Nature both together strove Which should attract and which should fix his love XXVIII There whilst the Statue and the Picture vie Their shape and colour their design and life They Value took â—rom his judicious Eye That could determin best the curious strife For naught that should a Prince's Vertues fill Escap't his knowledge or amus'd his skill XXIX But in that brave Collection there was one That seem'd to lend her light unto the rest Wherein the mastry of the Pencil shone Above whatever Painter's Art exprest A Woman of so exquisite a Frame As made all Life deform'd and Nature lame XXX A Piece so wrought as might to Ages stand The work and likeness of some Deity To mock the labours of a humane hand So round so soft so airy and so free That it had been no less than to prophane To dedicate that Face t' a mortal Name XXXI For Venus therefore Goddess of that Isle The cunning Artist nam'd this brave Design The Critick Eyes of Wond'rers to beguile As if inspired had drawn a Shape divine Venus Vrania Parent of their bliss Could be exprest in nothing more than this XXXII And such a power had the lovely Shade Over this Prince's yet unconquer'd Mind That his indiff'rent Eye full oft it stay'd And by degrees his noble Heart enclin'd To â—ay that could this Frame a Woman be She were his Mistriss and no Fair but she Caetera desunt â—To Mr. Alexander Brome EPODE NOW let us drink and with our nimble Feet The Floor in graceful measures beat â—ever so fit a time for harmless Mirth Upon the Sea-guirt spot of Earth The King 's return'd Fill Nectar to the brim And let Lyaeus proudly swim Our Joys are full
congeal'd mirror behold How shrunk thou art wither'd and old Thy Leaf dropt off from thy bald Crown And all an antick Statue grown Then say if ought thou there canst see Fit to present my youth and me Ge. I have fair Nymph consider'd all Thy Youth may tax my Age withall And on my self some Lectures read But cannot find that I am dead For furrow'd though my Skin appears Because old Time these threescore Years Has plow'd it up I 'me fruitfull still And want no power to my will. And though my Leaf be fall'n each Vein Does a proportion'd heat retain One yielding Glance from thy fair Eyes Would make my lusty Sap to rise And glow with germinating heat My wanton Pulses strongly beat Create me then and call me thine We then will in Embraces twine As sweet and fruitfull as the Pair That in their April coupled were Am. Stay Shepherd stay you run too fast This fury is too hot to last And by the crackling Flame I doubt The Fire will be soon burnt out Leave me and stumble to thy Bed Where dream thou hast me and thou' rt sped Ge. Fair and inflexible will Love Pray'rs Tears and Suff'rings nothing move Thus then I leave thee and am gone To die for an ungratefull one When I am dead if thou repent And sigh over my Monument â—y that sweet Breath I shall respire 〈◊〉 Dead enjoy my Life's desire Am. Stay stay for now I better see Tâ—â—nblemisâ—'t truth that shines in thee Thou conquer'd hast I am o'recome Then lead me Shepherd Captive home CHORUS JOlly Shepherds quit your Flocks To the greedy Wolf or Fox Though no Shepherd them attend Hecate will all defend For another Cynthia's led To a lusty old Man's Bed. Tune your Oaten Pipes and Play This is Hymen's Holy-day To one Night a Years mirth bring Winter 's marry'd to the Spring Therefore it becomes each one To Crown the revolutiâ—n An Epitaph on Robert Port Esq design'd for a Monument And now set up in Elum Church in the County of Stafford VErtue in those good times that bred good Meâ— No testimony crav'd of Tongue or Pen No marble Columns nor engraven Brass To tell the World that such a Person was For then each Pious Act to fair descent Stood for the worthy Owner's Monument But in this change of Manners and of States Good Names though writ in Marble have their fates Such is the barb'rous and irrev'rent rage That arms the Rabble of this impious Age. Yet may this happy Stone that bares a Name Such as no bold Surviver dares to claim To Ages yet unbron unblemish't stand Safe from the stroke of an inhumane Hand Here Reader here a Port's sad Reliques lye To teach the careless World Mortality Who while he Mortal was unrivall'd stood The Crown and Glory of his Antient blood 〈◊〉 for his Princes and his Countries trust 〈◊〉 to God and to his Neighbour just A loyal Husband to his latest end A gracious Father and a faithfull Friend Belov'd he liv'd and dy'd o'recharg'd with Years â—â—ller of Honour than of Silver Hairs And to sum up his Vertues this was he Who was what all we should but cannot be To Cupid a foolish Poet occasion'd by as foolish a Poem of his to a bona Roba I. GOod Cupid I must tell you truly Had it not been for Abram Cowley You and your Ode had come off blewly II. With other Thefts that shall be nameless Because their Authors should be blameless Although your Worship 's somewhat shameless III. Could such a spatious Beauty want Matter her native worth to paint That thy Dull Muse was grown so scant IV. As thus to steal from other Muses When thine own Wit at need refuses Elogies for such pious Uses V. Out of her Shoulders or her Haunches Thou surely might'st have Collopt Fancies Enough for Millions of Romances VI. 〈◊〉 any part thou might'st find matter 〈◊〉 the brightest she to flatter 〈◊〉 that she cannot hold her Water VII 〈◊〉 such a Saying of a Bard 〈◊〉 doubtless yet was never heard 〈◊〉 Man that Verses made or mar'd VIII â—â—ou should'st have told her she was tight 〈◊〉 built well tackled new and light 〈◊〉 for Stoage and for Fight IX 〈◊〉 on what Mount was thy Muse Nurst Of Block-heads thou art sure the worst To say she sprang a Leak at first X. Cupid I doubt me not to flatter By your ill handling of the Matter You 're but a simple Navigator XI She 's such a Vessel that who 'll swim her Steer and Man out Carine and trim her Must be no Youth of your small Timber XII Then leave thy Rhiming and be Quiet I tell the She 's not for thy Diet Thou hast another Hulk to ply out XIII And hope thou Dunce for no rewarding She 's not so lean to need thy larding And thou a Poet worth a Farthing Philoxipes and Policrite An Essay to an Heroick Poem CANTO I. The ARGUMENT THis Canto serves first to relate Philoxipes his Birth and parts His Princes Friendship Wealth and State His Youth his Manners Arms and Arts His strange contempt of Love 's dread Dart Till a meer Shadow takes his Heart I. In Thetis lap and by her Arms embrac't Betwixt the Syrian and Cilician Coasts The Poets Cyprus fortunately plac't Like Nature's Casket all her Treasure boasts An Isle that once for her renowned Loves Stood consecrate to Venus and her Doves II. From whose fair Womb once sprung as fair a Seed To shame the brood of the corrupted World The graceful Sexes of her happy Breed In one another chast Embraces curl'd Nor other difference knew than did arise From em'lous Vertue for the Vertues prize III. And these were Strifes where Envy had no place She was not known in such a vertuous War Nor had Ambition with her Gyant Race In such Contentions a malignant share Love was the cause and Vertue was the claim That could their honest gentle Hearts enflame IV. But none amongst that never failing Race Could match Philoxipes that noble Youth In Strength and Beauty Fortitude and Grace In gentle Manners and unblemisht Truth In all the Vertues and the Arts that shou'd Embellish Manhood or ennoble Blood. V. A Prince descended from the Royal Lines Of Greece and Troy united in one Bed Where merit and reward did once combine The Seeds of Aeacus and Leomed And in a brave Succession did agree Bold Felamon and fair Hesione VI. From this illustrious Pair fam'd Teucer sprung Who when return'd from Ilium's fun'ral Fire Without due Vengeance for his Brother's Wrong Was banisht home by his griev'd Father's Ire And into Cyprus fortunately came To build a City to his Country's Name VII Great Salamis whose polisht Turrets stood For many Ages in the course of Time T'orelook the surface of the swelling Flood The strength and glory of that fruitful Clime Was His great Work from whose brave Issue since The World receiv'd this worthy matchless Prince VIII Worthy his Ancestors and that great Name
Bones vvere less Our burthen'd Age cannot the Heav'ns behold But prone still looks upon the parent Mold On three Feet first vve halt on four next fall And on the Earth like helpless Infants crawl To their first Birth and Mother all things tend And vvhat vvas nothing shall in nothing end Hence 't is that leaning Age the senseless Ground Does with his bending Crutch so often wound And with thick steps making a tardy way In a hoarse Voice may thus be thought to say Receive me Mother to remorse incline And in thy Lap cherish these Limbs of mine The Children vvhoot me vvheresoe're I go Why wilt thou let thy Birth so monstrous grovv I vvith the Gods have novv no more to do Each Office of my Life I have run through My vvasted Carcass then at last restore To the cold Clay from vvhence I came before To spin a miserable Life in smart Of a Maternal Care can be no part Then propping his vveak Joynts he feebly cravvls And on his weary Bed neglected falls Lying like livid Corps of Life bereft Only the rafters of the Building left Should I still lie and lying win more space Yet who would think me in a living place 'T is pain to live with heat we burn not warm The Clouds offend the Air and Coldness harm The Dew and soft Showers that in April flow With Autumns jocund Days offensive grow Coughs Flegm and Leprosies afflict the old And ages minutes by his Groans are told How can I him a living Man believe Whom Light and Air by which he panteth grieve Those gentle Sleeps which other Mortals ease Scarce in a Winters Night mine Eye-lids seise Or if it come to shade my setting Beams T is clad in all the shapes of frightful Dreams The softest Feather-beds seem hard as Stones And lightest Quilts oppress my naked Bones I quit my Bed at mid-night to the Floor And suffer much I may not suffer more Our own Infirmities our selves invade And by the way we hate we 're Captives made Our Entrails suffer Dissolution By which the noble Structure is o'rethrown Unlookt for Age o'reburthen'd with these things Has learnt to bow under the weight he brings Who therefore would desire in Griefs so sour When the Minds vanisht to prolong his hour Better die once than dying live by far Making the Trunk the Senses Sepulchre But I repine not my time wasted is And Nature's shame to open is amiss Sinewy Bulls in time invalid grow The Horse that once was fair's mishapen now Time tames the fury of the Lions wild And Age will make the Caspian Tygers mild Antiquity the Stones themselves will race And to old Time all Natures Works give place But I were best prevent mischance to come And by one blow anticipate my doom To haste a certain Ruin is less pain Than is the fear of Mischieâ—s that remain But in the other World what Torments are Suspends and well becomes and old Man's Care. Contempt and Mischiefs ev'rywhere attend And in distress I find no helping Friend The Boys and Girls deride me now forlorn And but to call me Sir now think it scorâ— They jeer my Count'nance and my feeble Pace And scoff that nodding Head that awful was And though I nothing see I can perceive My Pains by this contempt redoubled grieve He 's happy Merits a smooth Life to spend And shut his Days up with a constant end That 's hard at last we Reputation call From which height tumbling still augments the fall Ad Furium Ep. 23. Ex Catullo THough Furious Servant have nor Chest Spider nor Fire nor creeping Beast He has a Syre and a Stepdame yet Whose greedy Teeth a Flint would eat And doubtless leads a happy Life With 's Father and his wooden Wife No Wonder for their Healths are clear They eat together nothing fear No Conflagrations Ruins great No impious Facts nor foul Deceit 〈◊〉 accidental dangers scorn â—nd having Bodies dry as horn 〈◊〉 what we still do dryer hold â—he Sun or hunger or the cold â—mongst the happy are enroll'd 〈◊〉 sweat nor salivation flows â—rom thee no drop hangs at thy Nose â—nd to this cleanness cleaner far â—hy A se is than a Salt-Seller 〈◊〉 Ten times in a Year does Sh te â—nd that parcht Pease or Stones doth quite 〈◊〉 hardness pass which if thou list 〈◊〉 rub and crumble in thy Fist â—hou may'st securely do it and â—e're stain the Whiteness of thy Hand These Benefits do not despise â—or rashly Furius lightly prize â—et begging then for shame alone â—or thou art rich enough for one De Catella Publ. Mart. Ep. 110. Lib. 1. PAR. AS Lesbias Sparrow Tricksy wanton is And purer than the Turtle 's Kiss Fairer than Maids deckt in their Morning beams And of more price than Indian Gems Tricksy that little Bitch is my delight My Sport by Day my Love by Night She apprehends her Master's joy and woe And wanton 's or 's dejected so And if in play or love she quest or whine Men think she speaks in Language fine She rouses with me at the dawning peep And by my side al Night doth sleep So calm so still no sigh does interpose Betwixt me and my sweet repose Or if an accident unlook'd for come To ease the gripings of her Womb 〈◊〉 slips no drop of any kind to stain Or to ill sent the counterpain 〈◊〉 nimbly rises up and whining tells What her necessity compells 〈◊〉 innate Chastity adorns the Beast She knows not lust nor have we guest â—â—roughout mankind one worthy to invade The treasures of so fair a Maid 〈◊〉 lest the Fate of her extreamest Day Should snatch her Memory away 〈◊〉 wisely have in cunning colour set The Beauty of her counterfeit â—â—hich fair Tricksy you so like may see That She is not more like to She. 〈◊〉 fine expose her and her Shade to view You 'll think both painted or both true 〈◊〉 ad Pictorem Ausonii Epig. â—â—'Express me in a Face vain Painter why Or court an unknown Goddess with thine Eye From Hyre and Tongue I 'me sprung mother of vaiâ— Report who Voice without a Mind retain Catching last Syllab'es from their dying tone And mocking others Language with my own Shrill Eccho only in the Ear is found But if thou 'lt paint her like go paint a Sound De Myrone Laide Ausonii Epig. OF Lais hoary Myron begg'd a Night But she repulst him with a slight He soon perceiv'd the cause and his white Head With shining black soon overspread Myron the same in Face but not in Hue Returns his Love-suit to renue But Face and Hair compared by the Dame Thinking him like but not the same Perhaps the same Top yet dispos'd to play She to the subtle Youth could say â—oâ—dling forbear to importune me so Thy Father I deny'd but now De Vita beata Paraphras'd from the Latin. COme y' are deceiv'd and what you do Esteem a happy Life 's not so He is not happy that excels 〈◊〉