than Vanity they 'll prove One easily outstrips in course The best that ever back'd a Horse Can ride Bucephalus full speed Or one of Neptune's generous Breed Can make his fiery Courser fly Like winged Lightning through the Sky Another has prodigious store Mountains and Seas of Golden Ore The Miser's heart could wish no more Whom Midas envying would prevent And of his second wish repent One is a Cretan at his Bow Can shoot a very Hair in two Excels the Master of this Art Makes Teucer lay it deep to heart And what was formerly his Pride His Bow as useless throw aside Another has a comely Face And when there 's Beauty in the case What Spell can lay this Spirit what Charms Of humane power resist these Arms H 'as such a Beauty so divine Nireus his Title would resign And emulous Narcissus pine Another prides in Noble Bloud Another in a numerous Brood Of lovely Girls and hopeful Boys Their Countries Props and Parents Joys Of Danaus and Aegyptus Stock A great and a well-order'd Flock This is my Wish let them have theirs Which are the least of all my cares Let me live private and obscure From Noise and Pride and Scorn secure From the drie Complements of Court Glistning Glo-worms Fortunes sport From mean Ambition lying Fame Base Actions and a tainted Name No fine-spun Cobwebs of the Great No gay Contrivances of State No gilded Greatness empty shows Mis-guiding Meteors make me lose That happy Path that I would chose Let me with Aglaus be found Pleas'd in my little spot of ground Or blest with the poor Gardner's fate Envied by Alexander's state Abdolonymus only known To some poor Pot-herbs of his own Gardner degraded to a Throne What if the World should never hear Of such a one as Go l there On Earth let me a Cypher be So I make one my God with thee Here let me as a stranger live At best a nameless Expletive So to my self I am but known And unto thee my God alone Anacreontiques ODE I. Love. AS lately on my sleepy Bed I laid my sick and drowsie head And Night it self with me lay dead The Heavens nodded Nature snor'd When Winking Morpheus gave the word Silence and at the Court of Night 'T was time to hang out every Light Now wearied Limbs took their repose When troubled Minds began to dose When twinkling Stars could hardly keep Themselves from dropping fast asleep Some dimm'd and shot but others fell Close was the silence deep as Hell. Half the Creation joyntly slept Clouds Sympathetick Showers wept The Moon like all the rest was gone To Bed to her Endymion Cupid knock'd at Anacreon's Gate What business have you here so late Said I and ask'd the stranger's name His Message and from whence he came Poor little Beggar-boy said he That is benighted pity me For Heaven's sake Sir let me in For I am almost wet to th' skin I 've been a shooting all this day 'T is dark and I have lost my way The Stars themselves the very Moon Share my Misfortune I 'm undone Let me but in a Stable lie 'T will be a deed of Charity I heard the flattering Rascal speak And could not but for pity's sake In such a case open the Gate Which straight my Youngster enter'd at With Bag and Quiver at his back And having drunk a Glass of Sack To warm within my little Squire I ask'd him to come near the Fire And brought him out a sumptuous hoard Of Victuals on a plenteous Board The best my House could then afford And play'd the Courtier to excuse The barren deserts of my Muse So poor a Meal as he must make And wish'd it better for his sake I rub'd his little hands in mine And wrung his hair so soft so fine Like his own Mother's Locks And now He look'd so charmingly I vow I scarcely could forbear to hug The little fiery wanton Pug. And thus no little time was spent In Ceremony and Complement Now when he found himself grow warm Has the Rain done my Bow no harm Said he and made no more to do But took his pretty little Bow And strung it up and pierc'd my heart So does the Gad-bee's tickling smart Fret and delight th' infected part Up and away then Whip and Spur Crying God b'ye your Servant Sir I wish you well my Host adieu I 'm very much oblig'd to you I see my Bow is well enough But Friend your Heart 's not Arrow-proof ODE II. The Letter-Carrier TEll me amiable Dove Thou great Embassadour of Love A Spokes man fit for amorous Jove Tell me tell me why such hast Whither is 't you flie so fast Where didst thou thy breath perfume From what Spicy Country come From whence with thy Mercurial Wing Dost thou these Heavenly Odours bring Swimming through th' ambitious Air Proud to kiss thy Wings so fair Leaving a scent of sweetness there Tell me who it is will be So honour'd with thy companie The Dove replied What would I give Poor Dove for a Preservative From Coxcombs so inquisitive Pray what are my concerns to you But since 't is your desire to know And Medlers will not be said no Save me ye Gods for what offence Must I be kill'd by Impertinence I am and then she curb'd her Head Her Tail Fan-like by Feathers spread And walk'd in state and clapp'd her Wings And did a hundred pretty things To shew her pride Anacreon's Dove And manage the affairs of Love With his Bathyllus that dear Boy Oh happy state that I enjoy Lovely Bathyllus he that can By one sweet look ev'n conquer Man Can by the Magick of his Eyes Over all things tyrannize Victorious Beauty of all Greece The whole Creation's Master-piece The Pride of Nature and the Fire That raises Venus's Desire Whom thô she envy she must still admire Could make a Stoick change his mind Fixt as the Sun turn like the Wind And in Love's School more Pleasures find Than in his former Hermite's Cell Principles dark and deep as Hell. To Venus once I did belong She sold me for a trifling Song O happy I that us'd to run From place to place from Sun to Sun Managing the Intrigues of Love With Mars and half the Gods above With her Seraglio of Gallants That by turns supply'd her wants Am Servant to Anacreon Who lov'd by all yet loves but one And as you see me now I bear His Letters to his lovely Fair This the perfume that scents the Air. He promises to set me free Excuse me for such libertie No other freedom would I crave Than name and nature of a Slave Nor other slavery can I dread Than being as he tells me freed For to what purpose should I flie And ramble in the spacious Skie By Famine Net or Arrow die Sit starving on a Mountains top Or coo on barren Trees and hop In fear of death from bough to bough I know not where I know not how Either die for want of Meat Else Haws
everlasting Name You merit to your self a nobler Fame Whilst your own Glory you so much neglect And others with such skill and care protect More lasting Trophies to your self erect But oh how high your Fancy takes its flight Whilst they admire at you gone out of sight So fled Elijah wrapr in Fire and Wind And left Elisha wondring here behind They like Elisha for a Blessing call You hear their Prayers and let your Mantle fall With this they strange unheard-of things can do Had they a Fiery Coach they 'd be Elijah's too So did th' associated Nymphs rejoyce Whom Dian had thought worthy of her choice So they thô fair in all the Gods esteem Yet made her Beauty far more charming seem Let others slander envy or despise The Cyprian Goddess still must have the Prize Daphne to Laurel turn'd a Female Brow Has the best title to a Female Bough Had Fate but plac'd you in the Roman State The Salique Law would have been out of date Alcides scorn'd to gain Divinity By one great labour but still more would try And Heaven Earth and Hell did valorously defy Farther oblige the World good Madam still With the rich products of your fruitful Quill Restore the Muses and true Poetry And shew what Charms do in just measures lie And when you find a time best to retreat Spin out into a curious Web of Wit. Let me your Muse a Legacy inherit With double portion of your sacred Spirit A Fragment of Catullus Advice to Hemiera To Madam A R 1. SEE how the naked widow'd Vine That in the empty Vally grows That wants the happiness to twine About a Husband 's brooding Boughs 2. Is without Virtue Sap or Juice Nor can it raise its drooping head Or one small bunch of Grapes produce Or gather strength to bud and spread 3. Alas it ne'er aspiring shoots For all the help of Wind and Weather The tallest Sprigs ev'n touch the Roots The Vine tyed neck and heels together 4. The churlish Shepherds pluck it up Or without notice pass it by Nor will the Cattel deign to crop Or glance that way one greedy eye 5. If wedded to an Elm they strive Who can their favours most improve With emulation make it thrive All proud to signalize their Love. 6. The blushing Rose if let alone With shame will fade upon the Tree A Maidenhead thus over-grown Will superanuated be The PARADOX To Idera STesichorus and Orion blind receiv'd their sight One by Apollo's Numbers th' other by his Light. Orion basking in his burning Rays Stesichorus singing Hymns in Helen's praise Had I not Idera on you gaz'd nor of you sung I had not lost my Eyes nor with those Eyes my Tongue To Idera Dreaming she was Angry 1. FAirer than all the Grecian Dames Idera too too fair These Touchwood Reliques of my Flames For Heaven's sake forbear For thô your Anger at a distance burn My Soul Love's Tinder will to nothing turn 2. Why would you me from Love disswade Why would you tye my Tongue My Infant Passion thus upbraid Tell me I am too young Oh! why in Visions all my hopes destroy Have you forgot that Cupid was a Boy 3. If thus in Dreams you can despise If thus you can beguile Assume a Visard for disguise Do any thing but smile All the effects of Helen's Weed will be Passions essential to a Deity 4. Ah! Duserastes is undone Unless your goodness spare For thô the heat of your bright Sun He can with pleasure bear Yet if your Lightning strike his dazled Eyes In horrour and confusion Duserastes dies Ovid's Amorum Lib. 3. Eleg. 9. On the death of Tibullus To Mr. William Lloyd IF Heaven's Eye the bright Aurora shrouds Her troubled Face under a Veil of Clouds And every Morning cursing her own Womb With fragrant Tears bedews her Memnon's Tomb If Thetis does her watry Fountains drain And with salt roaring Billows fill the Main Black Waves as Mourners for her Son provide And every day lament him with a Tide If Deities themselves submit to Fate Needs must Mortality sink with such a weight Come mournful Elegy with dishevel'd hair Sad as thy Stile thy Face and hopeless as Despair That as too true thy Nature and thy Name So now thy Habit too may be the same Tibullus stampt with every beauteous Grace So faintly shadow'd in thy pensive Face Inspir'd ev'n from the Womb with thy own strain That Soul that ne're conceiv'd a thought in vain Thy Pride thy Heir thy Glory and thy Fame Thy All is fewel for his fatal Flame Poor Cupid for his dear Tibullus mourns And carelesly his empty Quiver turns Puts out his Torch with streaming flouds of Tears And broken Arrows for a Trophy rears No more his Hymen nor his Iô sings But sighs and sobs and flags his wanton Wings With his own Dart scratches and tears his breast With the same Epidemick Rage possest As Lovers are in Frenzy or Despair And digs for his Tibullus seated there So for Aeneas mourn'd the lovely Boy The Pride of future Rome and Fame of Troy. Nor could sweet Beauties Queen be troubled more For her lov'd Youth torn by a Savage Boar. Lov'd Youth said I alas compar'd with thee What would a thousand such Adoni's be A Poet's thought 't is true to be the Heir Of Immortality Heaven's peculiar Care Large Souls a Colony of the Heavenly Line With something amiable and divine Nought comes amiss to sacrilegious Death That stops the Impious and the devout Breath And no Protection can secure from Fate That loves to prey upon the Good and Great What signified it Orpheus to be born Of Gods by Furies into pieces torn With Melody to charm the Beasts of Prey When men themselves prove greater Bruits than they On barren Mountains does the God of Wit Mourning in melancholick horror sit Sighing a broken Tune to his mute Lyre And wishes for his Linus to expire Homer that Tree of Knowledge Greece's Pride That Pegasus whom all the Poets ride In life hard Fate depriv'd him of the light And after shaded with eternal Night That unexhausted Spring to whom we ow All those small Streams of ours that scattering flow His glorious Works and his adored Name Only survive as proof against the flame For Homer's Troy that Phoenix cannot die So may Penelope's honest guile defie The envious rage of Time and reach Eternity And so shall Nemesis and Delia prove As lasting in their Fame as in their Love Delia that first his youthful Passion warm'd And Nemesis that last and longest charm'd In vain to lazy Gods we duly pray And to their Shrines our constant Homage pay In vain we deaf or helpless Stocks implore Or drowsie dreaming Deities adore That neither will have pity nor regard And righteous Souls can merit no Reward But turn like Bruits unto their native Dust What reason then have we to run on trust I 'm tempted to believe no God or Heaven's unjust Live well and die well
break And all in Tears to his lov'd Hylas speak THYRSIS And canst thou Hylas thou be so unkind Thus to leave me and Life behind And canst thou think of me without regret On Love's account for millions run in debt HYLAS No Thyrsis Hylas can 't unconstant prove Nor have I yet been wavering in my Love But emulous Fate summons us both to part Hast thou not a sufficient Pledge my Heart THYRSIS Yet out of sight I shall be out of mind Ah! Hylas should you prove unkind Officious Fate would need no other Knife To cut in two my ravell'd Thread of Life HYLAS Nature her self shall first unhinged be The whole Creation lose its Symmetry Iron th' attractive Loadstone shall forsake When I the sacred League of Friendship break THYRSIS Into a confus'd Chaos shall be hurl'd The shatter'd Atoms of the World The Needle too the Northern point shall shun And with my Promise Rivers backwards run HYLAS To Hylas then be sure you never fail Kisses to send by every gentle Gale. Let Hylas be your talk Hylas your Dreams Transport me Sighs over the Belgick Streams THYRSIS To Thyrsis without intermission pay Your bounden Duty night and day And nothing less to Thyrsis than to Heaven For Life and Love by both alike are given Pray to the Gods but I can hardly say Whether to them you first presume to pray No your first and last thoughts must be my due Come Hylas then once more renew Your everlasting Vow before your long Adieu HYLAS I swear by all the Thunderbolts of Jove By those revengeful Darts of injur'd Love By Life and Death and all the Powers above To comprehend them all I swear by You That I for ever will be just and true THYRSIS May all the Plagues that Vengeance has in store For Infidelity these and more With Aggravations light on perjur'd Me If I be guilty of Unconstancy Or if an Action be against me brought Of one suspicious Deed or doubtful thought This said ravish'd into an Ecstasie They would in their perfection die And strugling hardly to themselves can come Like Prophets with their Inspiration dumb Cupid the heavenly Mediator came And with two Arrows dipt in Honours Flame Their golden points piercing through both their hearts For tryal of their Faith and Vertue parts Hylas the Seas to Holland troubled bore And left deserted Thyrsis sighing on the shore A Greek EPIGRAM To Idera SHot by th' Artillery of your fair Eye So great my pains I would but cannot die Sicilian Tyrants never yet could Death deny Tears from my fester'd Wound like Matter flow And still the Fire you will not quench but blow What shall I do I 've ransack'd Nature's store She has no Plantain for a Lover's Sore Leucas the only Remedy is no more Ah! Madam you and only you can save Your Beauty that must heal the Wound it gave I 'm Telephus you have Achilles Arms You have and know you have all their inherent Charms However let me not like Chiron lie Cursing my self and you and Immortalitie Qualis conjectâ cerva sagittâ Quam procul incautam nemora inter Cresia fixit Pastor agens telis liquitque volatile ferrum Nescius illa fugâ silvas saltusque peragrat Dictaeos haeret lateri lethalis arundo Vir. Aeneid 4. On John Pig who was very famous for his great NOSE To Mr. R. Nichols TO say the Nose of Pig that cannot be There 's no comparison 't is all Hyperbole But he that would the naked Truth expose Must for distinction say Pig of the Nose Part of the 14th Satyr of Juvenal Against Covetousness With a long Preface taken out of the same Satyr Et quando uberior vitiorum copia quando Major Avaritiae patuit sinus Juv. Sat. To Mr. Will. Percival TOO many things Censorius there be That do entail an endless Infamy That brand a man with a deserved shame And spoil the lustre of an honest Name Which Parents to their Children do transmit And ground them in before their Alphabet 'T is no such wonder now-a-days to see How liquorish a little Boy will be Still craving change of Dainties to invite A squeamish Stomach to an Appetite Disdaining hearty Fare and wholsome Meat Consulting with Apicius what to eat When the old toothless Grandsire with his Gums Mumps Mushrooms Marmalade and Sugar-plums Sucks from Herculean Bowls the choicest Wines And does whatever Luxury enjoyns Go cries that Lust he runs Come and he 'll fly What Belly-God his Palate can deny No wonder if the Son precisely tread In the same path where his good Father led If he 's for this and t'other costly Bit Can down with nothing but what 's delicate And by Tradition keeps to the old Wish A Princely Kitchin and a Dainty Dish Thus Nature binds us by too hard a Law Domestick patterns easily withdraw Led by the Ignis Fatuus of their Vice We make no question but they must be wise And we fall on refusing to be nice Loth to be made Subjects for Ridicule Single exceptions from a Common Rule But most when great Authorities enforce We hurry on and follow the same course And strive if possible to be much worse Some few there be more vertuously inclin'd Whom Titan made of Clay the best refin'd Whom Titan has inspir'd with a more generous mind Who scorn by evil Precepts to be sway'd And by authentick wickedness betray'd Whilst others keep the track their Ancestors have made The generality go the common Road In which their bigotted Forefathers trod Considering not the way 's too easie and too broad Abstain from Vice if nothing else can move Thô other Reasons insufficient prove Let this prevail a Father's Duty and a Father's Love. Lest your Posterity imitating you Quote your Authority for what they do Your vile Example should infect the Times And you must bear your own and others Crimes There is a natural Veneration due Not only from your Son but for him too If an ill thought but comes into your head His presence ought to strike that Rebel dead And ev'n the Cradle-Infant stifle the misdeed Like Hercules that in his Swadling-bands Two Serpents crush'd between his Infant-hands Contemn not Children that are young and green They 're old enough to imitate your sin Besides with what Authority what face Can you reprove a Child for want of Grace And never think your self how many grains Must be allow'd for your own shallow Brains 'T is a considerable thing thou 'st done In getting of a true and lawful Son And adding to thy People's number one But that 's not all fit him for Peace or War The Clergys Pulpit or the Lawyers Bar The Tradesman's Shop or honest Ploughman's Share Capacitate him for some good Vocation The Service of his God his King and Nation Else to what purpose is this Propagation The Vultures leave their Storehouse in the Fields And bring their young ones what that Store-house yields These as they older grow hunt the
and Chaff and Vetches eat Nor safety in that wretched fare ' Ware Birdlime Turtle and the Snare Where Puddle-water is the best A hollow Tree the softest Nest To hear Owls Musick nor that long She 'll make one dance unto her Song Is this the freedom I have lost Is this the freedom others boast I by my Master now can stand Peck Crums out of Anacreon's hand And have my little Ganymede To give me Wine whene're I need I in a merry mood can sup Wine out of Anacreon's Cup His own pure choice delicious Wine So smooth so sparkling and so fine Which he keeps purposely to treat Bathyllus with when they two meet When I get drunk I clap my wings And dance whilst my Anacreon sings And when I am a sleepy grown Upon his Harp I lay me down Musick and I can there agree In one united Harmonie Both make our Master Melodie Peace and Concord is in brief The perfect sum of my whole Life Free from danger noise or strife Farewel But now too late I must repent That like your self I 'm grown impertinent For when I 'm gone you 'll say you took me wrong To be a Dove with a Crows pratling Tongue ODE III. Gold. COuld the Misers heaps of Gold Flatter Death to quit her hold Or would Hell be so content To take money for her Rent Could a man at any rate Bribe inexorable Fate Could he get Charon in the mind To leave his Passengers behind When he has once his Earnest paid Could this Spirit be ever laid By all the Magick and the Spells Of Conjuring Misers in their Cells Would Mercury but load himself Instead of men with loads of Pelf Cumber up Hell with Bags of Coin Could he prevail with Proserpine 'T would be a notable Design Could all his Wealth and all his Power Purchase Respit for an hour O how I 'd scrape and drudge for Ore O how I 'd ransack Natures Store And when I 'd done still crave for more I 'd drein Pactolus for his Sands And wish for Midas Golden Hands I 'd wash in Tagus to be rich Glad to have that Golden Itch. The World should serve me for a Mine To furnish me with Soveraign Coin And I would serve at Pluto's Shrine Almighty Gold should be my Word Almighty Gold should be my Lord Almighty Gold should all controul I 'd bear his Image in my Soul. By him inspir'd I 'd seek and find Wealth the Saviour of Mankind For Gold is God and something more His Deity would I adore Of my God I 'd make a shrine And out of that a God-head coin I 'd dig to Hell but that I 'd get Enough to pay the common Debt Of Nature a Securitie From all Arrests and thus set free That Hell and I might be at peace And Death might grant a longer Lease But if it be too hard a Task Nay if it be a sin to ask The price of a few fleeting days To add a furlong to ones Race To change one span of life to two A single Thread into a Clue To hire the Fates to sheath the Knife With Gold to purchase longer life Why should I by day-time weep Or in the night-time break my sleep Why should I beat my Breast complain Sigh and whine and all in vain Melt into Tears and tear my Hair Like one in frenzy or despair For if the Fates will so ordain That I must die like other men Nor have I reason to believe From Fate I shou'd my self reprieve If I must die and hence be hurl'd From this into another World What use or pleasure can I have Of Gold or Silver in the Grave They neither revel buy nor sell Nor drink nor dance nor love in Hell. Therefore I hope you will excuse These Recreations that I use Rarely but Natural to my Muse Besides I am not like to meet A Mistriss in a Winding-Sheet Or court a Pretty Maid to Bed To Grave to me when I am dead ODE IV. Grey Hairs WHither fliest thou O my Dear And leav'st a melting Lover here Dying sinking in Despair Is my Reverend Hoary Grey Such a Bug-bear in your way What makes you look so ghast and stare As if you 're frightned at my Hair Because your self 's so wondrous fair Because your Cheeks so lovely red Can make Aurora hide her head And blushing run agen to bed Make baffled Venus lose her Trade The emulous Roses blast and fade Scarlet and Crimson lose their die Beauty it self asham'd to vie Do not scornfully despise Me the Victim of your eyes But accept my bleeding Heart Weak in Nature strong in Art. Then all objections justly mute Will prove our different colours suit For you must own to do me right I 'm ne'er the worse for being white Such a lustre Lillies cast Wanton Roses Lillies chast But when they both together meet The Rivals breathe a fragrant sweet And make a Garland look compleat ODE V. Drink WHen Wine has fum'd into my head My busie Senses all lie dead And melancholy Megrims sink Into the Ocean of my Drink This Whirl-pool swallows them all up And at the bottom of my Cup I meet with all the Gods can give To make a Mortal happy live I never covet to be great Nor envy Croesus his Estate Like Bacchanal I dance and sing And scorn the Title of a King I make a Foot-ball of a Crown Kick glorious Diadems up and down I versifie Extempore And all my Speech is Poetrie So that with reason I may think I 'm made of Poetry Love and Drink Let other men fall out and fight For true or for pretended Right To Arms to Arms I never care A Bottle's all the Arms I bear Serve only under Cupid's Banner Till made a Lord of Venus Mannour But now I think on 't I am told That now my youthful Bloud grows cold Be wise Anacreon as thou' rt old That Fate has ey'd me several years Resolv'd to pay off all Arrears One foot is in the Grave and Death Would fain suck out my fragrant breath But I 'll prevent him and will lie Dead drunk o' th' spot before I die And by this pretty Countermine Baffle the Cannibal's Design Anacreon's Blessing WHen Sleep had clos'd my weary Eyes Sleep that Door of Mysteries On wing'd Chimaera's straight convey'd Where Centinels of Visions play'd Before the Gates of Night and Shade Arriv'd at spacious Fairy Land With Sibyl's Bough and Morpheus Wand My Fancy on an Object wrought An Object worthy of a thought That which by day-time did engage My mind in a Poetick Rage When all my Senses seal'd up lay Free from the business of the day My roving Brains again pursu'd Thô the Conception was but rude And once again with Joy renew'd Methought Anacreon appear'd An old man with a Reverend Beard Old yet had a graceful look With a Bottle and a Book His breath smelt strong of fragrant Wine Ah cursed be the fatal Vine His Lips with Kisses worn and
Disappointments Pains and Fears One Scene of Misery Constant Inconstancy Tempestuous World a Vale of Tears For our chief Happiness Chance the only Pawn 7. Passions and Discontents and Jealousies Publick War and Domestick Strife Perjury and Deceit This Gall confounds the Sweet And poisons all the Joys of Life And our vains Hopes must end in penitential Sighs 8. Oh! I am sick and my head giddy turns The thoughts of noise I cannot bear Impertinence strikes me through Business that kills me too Death is less terrible than Care To get from this Fools Paradise my heart burns 9. Who would not then with us dear Friend retire Accept the happiness to shroud Under a shady Screen To walk along unseen Wrapt like Aeneas in a Cloud And see the World as he did Troy on fire 10. 'T is more than time my Soul that we were gone Delay my Corydon does us wrong The World will grow more bold Still loth to quit her hold For her Temptations they are strong Come then and put blind Pluto's Helmet on 11. What a fair prospect now have we Can undisturb'd together stand Enjoy our selves and all The World her goods can call And touch the Globe but with our hand And all things past present and future see 12. Here at Earth's puff'd up Bubbles we can smile Her fucus'd Vanities despise Divert with pleasant Chat Discourse of this or that Still aiming to be truly wise With Books or harmless sport the time beguile 13. Full of our selves what can we wish for more We find us work enough to tend The habit of our Soul Our Passions to controul To do the Duties of a Friend 'T is the mistaken World not we are poor 14. Here in an empty Theater we sit Retir'd to keep our Holy-day Our Minds the Scenes must be The Critical Spectators we Of one anothers Life the Play The Authors and the Judges of our Wit. 15. If we have acted well in Heaven's sight What thô we hear no ecchoing Stage Or when our State we change What thô our names seem strange Unknown to a succeeding Age Without that Witness happy Democrite 16. Why should we Fame that treacherous Idol court That sets us up for Envy's Mark That burns us with the Rays Of undeserved Praise Only to blind us in the dark To throw us down again for fear or sport 17. Fame's breath is short when she must trumpet loud 'T is seldom that she comes alone She 's an unconstant Guest That loves to change her Nest True Worth true Praise would not be known The Sun looks brightest through a silver Cloud 18. On an embroider'd Bank here we can pick and chuse An unbought savory wholsome Dish On Leaves serve up our Fare Perfum'd with the sweet Air Then Corydon to compleat our Wish Our Recreation Friendship and a Muse 19. Sometimes we take a pride to stand and see Bees bring their yellow Harvest home Unload their swelling Thighs And as their Goddess wise Spin it into their Hony-comb Happy Spectators happy Rivals we 20. Sometimes upon a Downy Couch of Grass On Flowery Cushions stretcht we lie To hear a dying Swan More sensible than Man Warble forth a sweet Elegy Or in soft Tunes the purling Rivers pass 21. Or else dissolv'd in Ease lay down our heads In Slumbers as our Natures kind Bound in each others Arms By Virtue 's strictest Charms Lull'd asleep by the whistling Wind On easie Velvet fragrant Violet-beds 22. The name Diogenes justly none can give Nor churlish call our Innocence With Solitude thus crown'd What Firebrand can be found Unless our Happiness give offence For in the World as out of it we live 23. Sometimes hear Eccho her Misfortunes tell See how she 'll watch the lovly Boy Narcissus as he looks Into the Crystal Brooks Her vocal Reparties enjoy Or the melodious Notes of Philomel 24. Sometimes in shady Groves together walk And satisfy'd with humble Sights See Art and Nature both digest In Milton Waller and the rest Full and unparallel'd Delights Of Love and Solitude divinely talk 25. Each Dryad that is worthy of the Wound Each Tree that 's worthy of the Mark Our mutual Friendship know Under our Auspice grow Thyrsis and Corydon on the Bark Thyrsis and Corydon the Woods resound 26. But above all the Ash aspiring shoots Thy Badge of Honour proud to wear The Ash a Tree for Jove The Ash it self a Grove Proud thy Name in hers to bear She nods her trembling Head and strouts her swelling Roots 27. The Nymphs here take their rounds and dance and play The Hamadryads at us peep Crocus and Hyacinth some bring Daisies the Maidenhead of the Spring Others behind us softly creep And steal our Songs and Pastorals away 28. When our light hearts are for a looser Rein To Banquets we our selves invite Consorts of Musick and of Love Ambrosia from above Verses for second Course recite And with alternate Trifles entertain 29. Or we converse with Garden Mysteries See the emulous Roses blast The loving Ivy twine The Wall cling to the Vine And Flora taking her repast Adam might envy in his Paradise 30. And thus withdrawn from business noise and strife We double our few fleeting days And when together fled Fate having cut our Thread Were we sent back into this Maze We'd act but the same Scene our former life Rura mihi rigui placeant in vallibus amnes Flumina amem silvasque inglorius O ubi campi Sperchiúsque virginibus bacchata Lacaenis Taygeta O qui me gelidis in vallibus Haemi Sistat ingenti ramorum protegat umbra c. Fortunatus ille deos qui novit agrestes Panaque Silvanumque senem Nymphasque sorores Vir. Geor. 2. To a young Lady that constantly slept at Church 1. I Often wonder'd as I lay Wishing for my Books and Day What Hag should sit upon my Breast That I could neither speak nor rest What could that Stranger Morpheus keep From his nightly Tribute Sleep 2. When Love with an enchanted Key Thus unlock'd the Mystery Sleep saw and not without surprize The Charms of Idera's piercing Eyes Then paid a Visit to her Heart And now he knows not how to part 3. But here possest with Jealousie Himself the Watch of her fair Eye Lest with Religion tempting Jove Should anticipate her Love From her Devotion in the day Resolves to ravish her away 4. Will seize on Thyrsi's heart no more Stand Centry only at her door Nor will open Casements trust Suspicious are the Rapes of Lust But in her Bath a sweating lies I' th' Exhalations of her Eyes 5. Yet if 't be she does steal my sleep If she my Senses waking keep Let those stolen Goods be sweet Prosp'rous the Pillage of her Sheet Sleep still refresh her flagrant Beams Till with thee she shares my Dreams 6. Sleep still be happy still be proud To bear the Office of a Cloud For if her Sun thus raging burns Unless thy Fan the scorching Fervour turns My Nest will
e'en be set on fire And then the Phoenix must expire To Idera Putting a Copy of Verses in at her Window at Midnight Nox erat Coelo fulgebat Luna sereno Inter minora sydera Hor. THou conscious Night my Strategem conceal May no perfidious Dreams my Theft reveal No Tell-tale Stars come prying near this way By silent signs dumb motions to betray Propitious Venus only she shine bright To blind the rest and give a Lover light Go to the Enemies Quarters happy Scout There unconcern'd undaunted look about Soft as thy Message as thy Master stout If any rude uncivil Hand should press Exclaim against thy own unhappiness Or silent trust th' event Thou sliely fraught With Sinon's Art wilt to the Queen be brought And when into her presence thou art come She 'll read a line or two then see from whom Enquire where taken still her heart will fail The treacherous Prisoner must be sent to Jayl That comes to steal the Hostage of her Heart And lies in Ambush with the charming Art. Idera mov'd with pity will repent Some pretty amorous punishment invent Perhaps as much as she has read she 'll burn 'Till Flouds of Tears the Flames shall inward turn Sympathy only will the Fire remove In the old Channel set the course of Love. Under her Pillow the Remains she 'll lay By night to be her Dream her Song by day Which whilst she quavers out the other part May pass her Guards and seize her captiv'd Heart Thou in Perfumes shalt either ravisht die Or in the Milky Way translated lie Go my Embassadour before 't's too late And oft revolve Scaevola's noble Fate Carry these Kisses Seals of my command Unsully'd let her have them all at second hand Go let her Rosie Mouth her Balmy Lips Where Cupid all his golden Arrows dips The warm Virginity of these Kisses taste Go nor thy time nor their sweet odour waste These give her as a Pledge that I will own Thyrsis a humble Slave to Idera's Throne Go my Soul with thee take thy Fortune try Dangers and Difficulties all defie What if thou shouldst like Codrus or like Decius die To Idera Speechless Dicere quae puduit scribere jussit amor Ov. 1. LOng has this grand Mistake deceiv'd Mankind To think that Love is only blind The Serpent too has lost his Tongue When he has any untaught Novice stung 2. He leaves his Venom in the rankled Wound That closes up as it were sound Spreads out into a blushing Cheek And yet the Lips hard by can nothing speak 3. Whether 't is Ecstasie or Fear or Zeal Whose prevalent motions thus we feel I know not yet but this I know These are my Symptoms and my Case is so 4. Here in a Hective Fever I must burn And I can neither speak nor turn Can neither have nor hope for Ease Sure 't is an Incubus is my Disease 5. Fain would I tell her plainly all my mind But neither Tongue nor Heart can find My conscious guilt and modest shame In Virgin Red stifle my youthful Flame 6. 'T is true my Eyes long since betray'd their smart When Love shot through into my Heart When all your Charms took so much pains T'infuse an amorous Heat into my Veins 7. Excessive hot or beyond measure cold My Fits too violent to hold By heat incapable I'm made When cold I am indifferent and afraid 8. Turtles for Mates thus one another Prove Their Eyes the measures of their Love. And thus Pygmalion chose a Wife An Ivory Statue carv'd out to the life INCVRABLE To Idera Hei mihi quòd nullis amor est medicabilis herbis Ovid. 1. HOW oft have I like wretched Dido swore I 'd court Inconstancy no more But 't is in vain for I must still adore 2. I pluck not up the root but lop the Tree Weave Vows as Webs Penelope Still tempted I and still as charming she 3. I strive to skin the Wound of Cupid's Dart With a new Itch and tickling Smart Still it breaks out again upon my heart 4. I pour into the fifty Sister Urn And Sisyphus his Stone I turn Leave off t' begin again and quench my self to burn 5. How oft have I dragg'd home my Fugitive But still my Heart the slip will give My Heart that cannot without vital Passion live 6. With Books and Business I would entertain But Books are toil and Business pain He 's gone I know not how and all my Art 's in vain 7. The Oak and Ivy which together grow If parted by an unkind Blow Their Arms will about one another throw 8. So Birds that now forsake their Nests through fear When they some danger see or hear Will build again in the same place another year To the Ingenious Mr. Barker Saul's Witch of Endor A Long and prosperous Reign had Saul enjoy'd With the excess of Peace and Plenty cloy'd Of dayly Triumphs and new Trophies proud Not one Eclipse nor melancholy Cloud In Peace his Peoples Guardian and their Shield Always his Arms victorious in the Field Fraught with Success and passive Duty crown'd None that durst question his Proceedings found When now for Bloud his thirsty Spirits crav'd Like Diomede's Horses he for Man's flesh rav'd His Sword already had been satisfy'd Reaking from Enemy's fresh Wounds new dy'd With purple Gore and a polluted Tide Well then for change th' ungrateful wretch intends To sheath it in the bosom of his Friends And he must have that Life that was laid down For God's for Israel's Honour and the Crown When conscious Jealousie and pretended Zeal Upon Ambition whet the envious Steel David who did a Miracle for Saul Must stand a Mark for Javilins at the Wall Goliah's head must make him lose his own Because he kill'd the Monster he alone With a small Sling and little Pebble-stone Because he did that which none else could do Six Cubits with five hundred Shekels slew Unhappy Youth whose service thus repaid By him that must have fal'n without thy aid And must his Life and Kingdom be restor'd To kill thee with the same Victorious Sword In what innocent Youth couldst thou offend A crime to be a Saviour and a Friend No Arms wast thou beholden to from Saul A little Stone and Leather Thong was all Goliah did not challenge but defy Not only Treason belch but Blasphemy If to save Saul's a capital offence Thy death be justify'd by that pretence It cannot be imputed sin or shame To stand up bravely for Jehovah's Name Nor can they make out any other Plea To tax thee with the least disloyalty For David never yet his Prince forsook Ambitious only of a Shepherds Crook Nothing receiv'd but what was justly due Nor that till promis'd once and proffer'd too Here by the way could I sit down and shed Whole flouds of Tears for thee and in thy stead Lay down my Soul the Javelin cuts the Air And trembling glances through the Champion's hair Thou stand'st upon thy
Snow Snow Water reassumes My Flames do all your Cold withdraw Till we resolve on better Law That you shall never freeze to thaw For thus well arm'd you can defie A thousand Deaths at once let flie Laugh to see Duserastes die With your Temptations millions strong To do me right you do me wrong Nay ev'n with Chymical Experiments entice Your very Name can make a Burning-glass of Ice A Propitiatory Sacrifice To the Ghost of J M by way of Pastoral in a Dialogue between Thyrsis and Corydon To his dear Brother Mr. Ash Wyndham THYRSIS GOod morrow Corydon but why so strange What makes your jolly Countenance thus change What have you lost a Kid or pine and mourn For Galatea's slights or Amarylli's scorn Did melancholy Dreams disturb your rest Ease then on me the burthen of your breast A hearty Friend will not your Grief despise And Thyrsis will be proud to sympathize CORYDON Ah Thyrsis see after unpleasant food The very Cows will chew no bitter Cud Can my repeated Sorrows do thee good And yet for thee my Grief will I controul For thee I 'll offer Violence to my Soul Know then nor need I give that Caution weep Thy Eyes are neither drie nor Heart asleep Know then the rise of it is Daphny's death And since the Fates have stopt my Daphny's breath I have my Pipes my Flocks my Loves forswore And well I might since he is now no more THYRSIS When the Day 's Lamp's shadow'd before the Night's And spangled Heaven sets out her glittering Lights Sweet Philomel her little Throat does tune And charm with warbling Notes the listning Moon When the sharp watchful Thorn has gor'd her breast And bleeding Philomel can take no rest So may your Muse unfledg'd yet try her Wing And Grief and Love joyntly together sing So may we well pull up the Sluces of our Eyes For Death has stopt the Springs of Paradise Which in profuse Meanders curling ran Baptiz'd us Poets and gave life to Man. For Death has seiz'd our Mint of learned Ore And sweep'd away all our Poetick store So when an ancient Oak falls on the ground The Woods all tremble and the Rocks resound Nor falls alone but hovering in the Air A thousand little Fates the Branches bear Arcadians mourn Daphnis a publick loss And well may all our Tears and Grief engross Sound then his Obsequies Daphnis deceast Come sing away the burthen of thy Breast For he deserves thy Song and well deserves the best Or both alternately our parts will sing You shall the Laurel I the Myrtle bring CORYDON Ord'nary Tears sufficient are to fall Attendants of a common Funeral Daphnis deserves for each a drop of Blood And for each single drop a scarlet Flood As Nightingales sing sweeter than the Thrush The Cedar's better than the Bramble-bush Sweet Marjoram and Musk than stinking Weeds Daphnis our Merit and our Praise exceeds The Elm for Daphnis groans will let the Vine No more in his embraces fondly twine Bees leave their Flowers which droop their sickly head Have lost their sweet repast on which they fed Since he whose breath inspir'd it all is dead Our Flocks all keep a Fast for Daphnis sake Our Isle the sweet-tongu'd Chanters too forsake None but the inauspicious Ravens croke The Nymphs and Demy-Gods their Pipes have broke And bid adieu to all their Fairy Kings The Scriech Owl howts and the black Swallow sings Nature her self puts on her Mourning-Weed One Wound makes the whole Universe to bleed THYRSIS As Day without the prospect of the Sun As Night without the conduct of the Moon Such Daphnis is the World now thou art gone For Daphnis too too well belov'd of Heaven Only to teach us Self-denial given Is dead alas O Paradox is dead Voracious Grave and consecrated Head What could not Daphnis charm ambitious Death From gathering all the Reliques of his breath Could He not ev'n the Powers of Hell defy And by soft Airs bring them to Harmony Been something more than Mortal No Hard Fate Spares not the Rich the Good the Wise the Great The proudest Dust must hid in silence lie The proudest Dust must in oblivion die CORYDON Thô Fortune acted oft the Stepdame's part Yet would not Daphnis curse her in his heart Thô Gall infus'd into his bitter Cup Taught by Philosophy he drank it up Ah too too soon a shining Cherub made Of that blest place thou hadst so long survey'd My Muse must tell the Groves Great Daphnis dead Whilst pining Eccho answers what is said Eccho for him must die a second death Us'd to retort his words and suck his fragrant breath THYRSIS Trees full of Tears hide their heads bowing down All Rivals once which should be made his Crown All proudly conscious of their welcome Shade Where Judgment Wit and Innocence were laid Nurse of his Thought and Midwife of his Brain That fruitful teeming Womb that knew no pain But brought the well digested Product forth Pregnant with joy and boasting such a Birth Nor must we here his forward Youth forget To pay whose Portion Nature ran in debt So soon the Bard and so divine a share He well deserv'd who was her only Heir Her Darling-Son and her peculiar Care. He could teach Reverend Sages how to write And prescribe Rules ev'n to the God of Wit. Like Tages born a Poet from the Womb And sung himself from 's Cradle to his Tomb. Inspir'd with Melody with his first breath Improving Art and Learning till his death Still as his annual Circles rowl'd about They unknown Worlds of Sciences found out Here only Mother Nature for his sake Did her own Laws out of Indulgence break From Youth and Age one spiritual Compound make But when his Age and Fruit together ripe Of which blind Homer only was the Type Tiresias like he mounted up on high And scorn'd the filth of dull Mortality Convers'd with Gods and grac'd their Royal Line All Ecstasie all Rapture all Divine CORYDON So the Philosopher would needs be blind T' improve the nobler Eye-sight of his Mind Not to mean earthly Opticks be confin'd THYRSIS No wonder if th' ambitious Laurel's dead Degraded to a Mercenary Head. If Birds forget their Notes and sit alone With melancholy Progne in the Deserts moan Since this our Bird of Paradise is flown Daphnis the great Reformer of our Isle Daphnis the Patron of the Roman Stile Who first to sence converted Doggrel Rhimes The Muses Bells took off and stopt their Chimes On surer Wings with an immortal flight Taught us how to believe and how to write And could we but have reach'd his wondrous height We'd chang'd the constitution of our State. Where Reason must enlightned Souls confute To common Earth 't is still forbidden Fruit For all in Torrents his Inventions flow And drown the little Vales that lie below And yet so sweet Malice would silenc'd die So perfect they could Prejudice defie Daphnis whose Modesty might justly boast His Errours least his Excellencies most