your Skill Caesar is good and will forgive an Ill For mine 's a Crime because he thinks so still The Great and Valiant is the Generous Foe He scorns what little petty Conquerors do His Honour prompts him by a better Law The Fault once own'd he soon Forgives the Crime And ne'er upbraids till he 's provok'd again So fiercest Lions tho' their Power great Pardon the Weak when Prostrate at their Feet Such an Acknowledgment decides the Fray And this is certainly the nobler way But Wolves and Bears of an inferiour Race Always the same are fierce in every Place They no Submission take but seize their Prey And rudely bear the trembling Beast away Who was e'er Rougher than Achilles was Yet Dardanus his Griefs took so much Place His VVrongs was read in Fierce Achilles Face Such thoughts as these make me expect Relief That Heav'n will one day mitigate my Grief Had I bin conscious of some Mighty Fault I durst not then so much as this have Thought Had I in VVine profan'd great Caesar's Name Manag'd reflectingly so good a Theme Had I bin Treacherous I shou'd desire to dye Rather than live with so much infamy But for beholding what I cou'd not shun Banish'd for what my Eyes have only done Is hard and yet for this I 'm Banish'd Rome Now what I ask is you wou'd intercede If Liberty is never to be had Pray my Removal from this horrid Place And I 'le rest satissy'd my Friend with this ELEGY VI. To Perilla GO to Perhilla Letter hasty Go Tell her of e'ery Circumstance you know You 'll find her Waiting by her Mother stand List'ning and Running at the least Command What e'er she 's doing of tell her of me She 'll leave it all and quickly follow thee A thousand times she 'll ask you how I do Whether I 'm melancholly still or No Whether my Health e'ent injur'd by my Fate And I grown old and bend beneath the Weight To all she says make her this short Reply I live but live impatiently to Dye Tell her the Mases are my Care again And all the Pleasure that I have's in them And while you talk ask her be sure why she Busy'd in other Studies left her Poetry She had a sort of Right by Birth to plead Her Father's Wit has always bin allow'd 'T was very hard shou'd Children only live Entitl'd to Diseases that their Parents have Sometimes a Fathers Wit 's a happy Share A Promising Portion in the meanest Heir When Nature in Perilla prov'd her Care And Form'd her Perfect as the Nicest are When every Stroak Foretold a certain Reign And Pregnant Wit early deserv'd a Name 'T was then I brought her to the sacred Spring And gave her to the Nine a grateful Offering They soon inspir'd with Art and Thought And all her Lines were Smooth as she were Taught None than Perilla more sublimely Flew Yet never lost her Rules severely True If Charming Lesbia sung a nobler Song Lesbia with Pains had Read the Muses long Perilla in her Infant Age writ strong Often with Pray'rs I blest th' Auspicious Sign Kist the young Girl in all her Actions Mine Often I wonder'd at the mighty Pow'r A Tale I 'ad heard but never knew before Thus was my thoughts Rais d to a vast Height To see my Darling Care Perhilla Great When strait some angry God his Thunder threw And striking me he struck Perilla too No sooner was my Banishment Decreed But my great hopes were in a Moment dead Perilla all her Books aside had laid What tho' by Reading I 'm unfortunate You may expect my Dear a better Fate Beauty 't is true you have a wondrous Share But Beauty Child tho' every Parent 's care Shines but a while and then will Disappear But Ladies that have Wit and Beauty too May boast more Slaves than Richest Tyrants do Nay when Time has Plough'd the lovely Face And all Perilla's thousand Charms decrease Her Eyes less sprightly and her Lips less red Ner Nose her Cheeks look nothing as they did Her Wit shall still a mighty Empire know And all Mankind shall to Perilla Bow Let this my Dear make you assume your Pen And read with care your Authors o'er again And Bless the World with th' Issue of your Brain FINIS VERSES UPON Several Occasions WITH SOME Translations Out of the Latin and Greek Poets By the same Author LONDON Printed for Richard Cumberland 1697. VERSES UPON Several Occasions ODE 3. Horace Lib. 1. To VIRGIL Taking a Voyage to Athens MAy Venus happily Conduct my Friend And Helen's Brothers shining Stars defend May Aeolus whose Voice the Winds obey Make thee his Care and still the Raging Sea Chain in his Den each Wind but what you want And like a God Protect and Storms prevent And you Fond Ship proud of your Burthen now Sail with more care than usually you do Safely convey him to the Attick Lands The best of Poets and the best of Friends In this you will Preserve my better Half My Virgil Dearer to me than my self His Heart was more than Brass who first durst go And visit distant Shoars as we do now Safe in a Ship the Floting Monsters see And be no more Concern'd i' th' Deep than they Caress the Watery People as they come And smile as tho' some Common thing he'ad done In vain the Prudent Deities divide Confine Mankind by an impetuous Tide While Impious Ships can Cross the Roughest Seas In spite of all the Force of Waves and Skies Nothing 's so Mad that foolish Man won't do Courting Forbidden Ills because they 're so Prometheus long ago begun the Way Stealing Jove's Fire to Animate his Clay But soon the God persu'd him with his Pow'r Sent him Diseases never known before While Death mov'd slowly in a lazy Pace Ages Man liv'd and good and happy was But now his Life 's Contracted to a Span Scarce sooner is he Born than he is gone His Sin made jealous Heav'n snatch him hence With hasty Death confound his Arrogance Fond Daedalus with Wings must needs go Try To Cut the Air and reach the Liquid Sky A Pow'r which Nature's wiser Laws deny Thro' Hell below the Fierce Alcides Ran A Place where none one wou'd 'ave thought wou'd gone Grown Gyants in Impiety we swell And Brave the Gods that wou'd at quiet dwell Nay Jove Assault in his Imperial Throne Uneasy if he lays his Thunder down ODE 5. lib. 1. To Pyrrha WHat Youth unskill'd in Pyrrha's Wanton Art Offers his Love and gives thee all his Heart With Choice Perfumes like a drest amorous Beau Courts Charming Pyrrha as I us'd to do Knocks at thy Door and fears to be deny'd Loving his Pyrrha more than all beside For whom do you those Flowing Locks prepare Careless yet finer than the nicest are When time shall show him what his Pyrrha is How will he Curse his Fond mistaken Bliss When he ne'er us'd to swelling Seas before Looks back and sees the dear
beheld The Grecian Horse with chosen Soldiers fill'd Like Trojans then tho' much in number less My Family their Griefs in Cries express My Wife while standing leaning on my Neck Mixt with her Tears her last dear Words she spoke We must not part I 'll know thy latest Care Shall Ovid suffer and his Wife not share A Passenger i' th' very Ship I 'll go The same far Land shall both our Sorrows know Love forces me and Caesar's Anger you Thus did she talk and sigh despair and groan Repeat again what just before she'ad done Till at the last with Hair disorder'd all Wild as my Griefs my Face a Funeral With much adoe I spoke the last Farewell They say for now no more her Form I saw Half dead she fell when I resolv'd to go With all the Instances of Horror seen Dissolv'd in Tears careless deform'd unclean Her Limbs the Gods with such Exactness made Like common Blood upon the Ground were laid Limbs that the Gods had often stood to view Form'd by their own and as exactly true Thus tho' distracted still she often pray'd Again she wou'd recall the Words she said Weep her Penates with her Husband fled Then as she 'd seen me Tears run down so fast Spread on a Pile and breathing out my last One while her Death she fondly wou'd expect Again she 'd live but only in respect She 'd live to serve her Ovid in his Cares And may she live live long to ease my Fears Now the Ionian Sea all rough we plough Not as the Merchants but as Strangers do Men that are forc'd unwillingly to go Bless me what boyst'rous strange unheard of Winds Blackens the Sea and shakes the quicker Sands A Daring Wave that undistinguisht flys Profane assaults the very Deities As tho' because upon our Ship they 're made The Gods no other place had ever had No never thunder'd from their blest Abode The Pilot's Horror in his face we view No hopes of gaining any Port he knew As when a resty Horse a weak man rides With care a while the Pamper'd Beast he guides But when he can no more his mouth command He throws the Rains and rides him to a stand Just so our Pilot did our Vessel guide 'Till all too little for the Waves and Tide Then like the Horseman let 's her drive apace Without the Rains with which she guided was And if the God that Thunders from his Den Had not chain'd up an Awkward Wind again Much worse we'ad far'd for back we went Half to the Place from whence Augustus sent Which made me Pray with earnest Accents too The Gods wou'd hear me that Augustus knew Heare me I cry for once forgive my Crime One Jove's enough to Thunder at a time Snatch my Departing Life from Gaping Death Give me the Priviledge a while to Breath And if your Power can reverse my Doom Let Caesar smile and I again see Rome ELEGY IV. To his Friend that had been serviceable to him in his Misfortunes Towards the latter end of the Elegy he compares his Sufferings with Ulysses's but makes 'em much greater MY better self whose Friendships run so high My very Life 's a Debt my Friend to thee Well I remember the sad time when you Officious in the Service you cou'd do Advis'd me kindly and would often Sigh And argue still when I resolv'd to dye You know to whom I speak I need not name This Sign implies as much as Letters can Here in the close Recesses of my Soul I keep each Circumstance entirely whole And when Pale Death shall summon me away The latest Instance of the Time I stay I 'll breath your Praise and his commands obey For so much kindness may the Gods bestow More than you ask all that the Happy'st know My Fortune still be proud to serve you well Dispence her best nothing of what I feel But had not Winds detain'd me on the Sea Then I 'ad known less much less perhaps of thee Fam'd Pirithous ne'r knew his Theseus Faith Till his last Act had hurry'd him to Death When Theseus do's to deepest shades descend And dares the Furies that detain his Friend Nor had great Pylades his Friendships shown Had his Orestes never Dangers known Had not the Rutili Eury'lus slain No Story of his Nisus wou'd remain As Gold refin'd by Fire is purer far So Friends by being try'd more certain are While Fortune drops her use of Wings and stays Always appearing in an easie Dress Airy yet constant when less free still good While thus her Fav'rite's lifted by the Croud Happy he lives the general Applause All is admired that he says or does Friends are so many that he only fears He shall be less his own and too much theirs When Fortune jealous of her Constancy Assumes her Wings and shows that she can fly Vain were his Fears of all the flatt'ring Crew Not one my Friend that stays or loves like you Regardless as a Man unknown he goes And he that cring'd but yesterday scarce bows This from th' Unfortunate I early drew But little thought that I shou'd prove it true Not four I 'ad left that wou'd my Dangers share Th' other not mine they Fortune's were Let this ye Pious few Compassion move Assist nor be afraid my Friends to love No angry Being will believe you sin Or from his Heav'n curse your good Design Caesar he lov'd in Enemies a Soul like this Nor can it please him in his Subjects less My Case is better too no Plots I 've laid My Folly only has my ease betray'd Then Pray those Guardians that our Earth attend They'd Punish less when we their Pow'r offend If any one wou'd know my present Grief It 's so Prodigious it is past Belief The Stars are than my Wrongs in number less Nor can the Attoms that i' th' Sun encrease Distinctly all the wond'rous Tale express So strange so terrible the thousands seem They 're more than e're the Melancholy Dream Part tho' uppermost are yet supprest And never must go farther than my Breast Ye Poets that Vlysses wrongs recite Instead of his your Ovid's Suff'rings write 'T is true he spent a certain Term of Years And wandring bent beneath some Cares Between Dulichium and Troy he steer'd This was no Distance to be so much fear'd But we in widest Seas so far from Home Must fail where Stars are seen before unknown He always had a faithful certain Band A happy number at his sole Command So much I differ from Vlysses here That of the many I han't one so near An Exile from a pleasant Country sent Had it been Ithaca I 'd been content Dulichium had scarce been Punishment But Rome from Rome is more than Banishment From seven Hills she views remotest Lands Awful with so much Majesty the stands That highest Gods have made her their Retreat And Rome next Heaven sure 's the sweetest Seat Vlysses Body long inur'd to war Knew nothing of the Ills the weaker
liv'd but liv'd with Ease But if the Thread of Life the Sisters spun Was but design'd till now and 's a'most done It had bin kind to let me stay'd at Home And there ye Gods expected till it Run Then I 'ad a Grave within my Country had And all my Friends the decent Rites had paid Secure I 'ad slept without Reflection layd Now in a distant Land remote from all Living and dying I unpity'd Fall No tender Friend to do the last kind Work To Close my Eyes for ever after Dark When you receive these Lines my Dearest Wife Let not my cares too much encrease your Grief Inur'd to Sorrows you know better things You know too much Concern a Weakness bring Long you have learnt the Melancholy Trade Read all the Mystery's it ever had Besides Child Death it self's no Punishment You lost your Husband in his Banishment The worst of Deaths the Gods con'd e'er invent A Death with infamy to th' Vilest sent And now if Heav'n wou'd pardon what is past This Pray'r I 'de make and breath it with my last May no Remains of me but all entire Stretcht on the Pile in fiercest Flames expire For shou'd what sond Pythagoras says be true That after Death our Souls a Being know More Wretched still to dye in such a Place Unknown the Way I shou'd be Doom'd to this Converse with Ghosts that Devils liv'd That never cou'd on Earth be once believ'd This makes me Charge those Servants that I have To see all Burnt some Ashes only save And these enclos'd within a well made Urn To Italy with haste I wou'd have Born And thus tho' dead my Dear I shall return And who can blame your pious care in this 'T is all inhumane if it shou'd displease The Theban dead his Corps were stole away And bury'd too in spite of a Decree Let well-chose Sweets be scatter'd o're my Grave And let my Marble this Inscription have Here in this Melancholly Vault below Lyes injur'd Ovid all that 's Ovid now Vndone and ruin'd while he he strove to move By telling Stories of endearing Love Now whosoe'er thou art that passest by Pray Heav'n that Ovid may securely lye Since thou thy self hast lov'd as well as he This is enough to signifie the Man The rest my Books will do they speak my Fame Louder and better than Inscriptions can Much more I have to say much more cou'd find Cou'd I with strength deliver all my Mind Take then unfinish'd what your Husband gives May you enjoy and long the World he leaves May you of Blessings have so vast a store 'Till Heav'n can give or you can ask no more The last good thing your Ovid he presents He gives you Health the Blessing that he wants ELEGY IV. To his Friend Advising him to shun the dangerous Conversation of the Great recommending a Private Life with the Advantages of a Retirement TAke this my Friend in Dangers often known That durst in worst of Times a Friendship own Live to self always avoid a show The Private do the truest Pleasures know Value thy self on Nature's better Care Prefer her Gifts before his Lordship's Ear Despise the Gaudy Titles that he has The Mouldy instances of former Praise Believe me for I know it very true None live so happy as the Private do A small convenient little House I 'd choose With some few Friends try'd by the nicest Laws This I 'd Prefer by much before a Court With all the Powder'd Fops that there Resort Scarce in appearance Men so Antick drest Yet when they Talk their Garb's by much the best To live with such as these is Hell to Wiser Men That love their Ease and Studys more than Gain When Jove in anger Throws his Thunder round He levels taller Buildings with the Ground While Humble Cottages untouch'd are found The naked Sail-yard all Attempts defys Fearless of all the force of Waves and Skies While swelling Sails are drove thro' dangerous ways Russl'd by Winds that trouble widest Seas O had I took what here I now advise You ' ad known me still at Rome in perfect Peace He who by Chance comes down upon a Plain Falls without danger and may rise again Why was Fam'd Daedalus found safe when he With Wings as well as Icarus did Fly This was the Difference and only this One kept the Ground the other Made the Skys When Daedalus fell he rose again with ease But t'other falling from a Praecipice Dy'd i' th' Attempt and dying Nam'd the Seas Believe me Friend and take my very Soul The Truths I tell are good and study'd all Quit not Retirement for Noise and Show Or Pompous Titles as the Great Ones do Happy the good Unknown who in a Middle State Contented lives more Vertuous than Great He answers all the Ends the Gods enjoyn No time but 's very well employ'd by him What e'er he says is all severely true He do's not talk as Parasites in Courts must do He 's always just to what he do's pretend And is where e'er he promises a Friend Friendship admits of no dissembling Arts But boasts of pure entire and perfect parts Allows no more of nauseous Flattery Than pious Laws approve of Treachery But all her Rules so well you understand You can in loftyer Strains than I commend You praise it too by practising the Good And living Perfect as the Better shou'd Often I think with what a kind sad look When I left Rome your last Farewell you took With what affection you return'd my Kiss How much concern you show'd in the Surprize What Floods of Tears descended from your Eyes This was Compassionate and very Kind But this is but a part of what 's behind When e'er the Rabble fond of Misery Breath'd out my Name with Infamy You like a Guardian Angel still stood firm And for my Sake oppos'd the loudest Storm For this the World shall pay eternal Praise And read your Name in never dying Verse My Person 's Banish'd but my Name 's still free And boasts a great and glorious Liberty ELEGY V. To his Friend Whom he calls by a Feign'd Name Charus WHen the last Morn's unwelcome Light came on When I must leave my Wife my Friends and Rome Well I remember then how kindly you Profess'd a Friendship ever since prov'd true Nor had I long my Friend the Blessing known Which made it dearer than it wou'd have bin That you while I undone neglected stood Shou'd then an early Friendship too make good Was such a generous and noble thought It reach'd the highest Pitch that Friendship ought Nor yet do's Absence alter your Design But still my Charus you continue Mine Often you dare to take a Sufferer's Part And none than Charus boasts a nicer Art Your Eloquence with so much force can move Severest Judges a'most partial prove What can you do then when a sort of Right Pleads for your Friend and you my Friend Plead it This is my Case in this use all
can I in Briny Waters find What Meat if th' art a God like Heav'n be Kind Conduct me Back and leave me there behind Dolphins avoid the Land and Bulls the Sea But Land or Water all 's the same to thee Next thou 'lt with Wings like Birds perhaps prepare To Mount the Skies and Cut the Yielding Air Unhappy Maid so late my Mother's Care With whom I Wander now unknown or where Kind Neptune hear thy Suppliant's Pray'r Grant me Relief and Ease my Wonderous Fear Allay'd alone by this in hopes that you May prove the God that Bears Europa now At this the Bull in happy'st Accents spoke And Jove discover'd in each Word and Look Fear not Europa Heavens peculiar Care 'T is he Conducts you that design'd you Fair Your Guide with Thunder shakes the Sky When Earth or Heav'n disputes his Majesty And shall he fear the Surges of the Sea Crete shall Receive my Charge and own you Queen No Rusfling Cares shall ever Interveen Betwixt this Day and Ages yet unseen Lockt in your Arms in Balmy Joyes I 'll lye And then my Dear I 'll prove Divinity A Race of Heroes shall Europa Grace Their Father's Courage with their Mother's Face These prove their Force and make the Trembling Earth Admire their Power and freely own their Birth Thus while he spoke her Ghastly Thoughts all Fled And willingly Europa lost her Maiden-Head Idyll 3. Bion's EPITAPH WEep all ye Woods in mournful Whispers Breath And tell the Neighb'ring Groves of Bion's Death Ye Murm'ring Brooks the Fatal News declare 'Till distant Seas the dismal Tidings hear Ye tender Plants Lament your Loss Bemoan No more your juices boast your Virtues own 'T is just you perish when your Bion's gone Ye springing Flowers with-hold your Fragrant Smell Ye Roses Violets and Cowslips tell How good he liv'd how much lamented sell Sing ye Sicilian Muses Bion's Fate For only you can sound a Grief so great Let tuneful Philomel from thickest Boughs In dying Notes the Herdsman's Death disclose 'Till Arethusa's streams receive the News The Doric Muse no longer loves the Plains But hates the Herdsmen and their Skill disdains When Bion sung so good his Song his Theme She proudly boasted what she heard from him Ye Swans that sporting on the Waters Play Droop all your Wings and Weep the Fatal Day In Notes such as were his your Tuneful Voices Try No Common Breath shou'd sound his Elegy Acquaint the Distant Virgins with your Song That often heard the Musick of his Tongue And Sigh'd as Mov'd by that his Wonderous Skill But Panting Breasts and Wishing Eyes reveal What they unhappy Nymphs wou'd fain conceal Sing ye Sicilian Muses Bion's Fate For only you can sound a Grief so great The Cows so late th' Indulgent Herdsman's care Refuse their Food and Wander any where No more an Aged Oak shall boast he sate And kindly made her swelling Root his Seat No more her List'ning Boughs shall hear him Play And Curse the Wind that bore the Sound away Sing ye Sicilian Muses Bion's Fate For only you can sound a Grief so great When first his Death the great Apollo knew He Mourn'd they Satyrs Wept Priapus too Pan mist his Notes and sighing sadly said Lament ye Nymphs the Artful Bion's dead The listning Eccho in her Cavern ly's As Bi n dumb and scorns the Vulgar Noise The Trees refuse their Fruit their Leaves all Cast And Withering Flowers fondly Breath their last The Dolphin Weeps and Wanders o'er the Shore The Nightingale in Notes unknown before By Grief instructed sings the Word No more The thousand Birds beside so late his Care Affrighted tell their Parents what they hear And gratefully to sing his Death prepare But who shall e'er Attempt his Oaten Pipe So lately sounded by so Sweet a Lip The Eccho keeps the happy Songs he made Pan has his Pipe but Pan to Play 's affraid Sing ye Sicilian Muses Bion's Fate For only you can speak a Grief so great Poor Galatea Weeps she who so late Admir'd his Strains and list'ning fate And often Wish'd she cou'd his Songs repeat Had Cyclop Play'd like him his Tunes so good The Nymph had follow'd never Fled the God For Bion's sake she Treads the lonesom Shore And Feeds the Herds with him she Fed before No more endearing Songs the Muses Boast With him their Songs are gone their Numbers lost No more the Tender Virgins Kisses Move No more they hear the Stories of his Love Attend ye Loves and speak your Venus Loss More than Adonis she her Bion's was When Homer Dy'd Caliope she Sung And told the Wonders of her Homer's Tongue How he cou'd Move for Thunder in his Song Bion a Bard as great as he 's no more His Thoughts as good his Verse his Skill his Pow'r One drunk the Stream from Pegasus that flow'd The other Arethusa's full as good One told of Wars what Wonders some had done As Menelaus and great Thetis Son The other sung his Pan his Pan his Care His Pan the Virgins and his Herds his Fear He taught the Youth t' attempt the lovely Prise And tell his Heart by speaking with his Eyes He taught the Nymph to Move the Roughest Swain And make him sigh admire and dye in vain And own a Conquest when she pleas'd to Reign Sing ye Sicilian Muses Bion's Fate For only you can sound a Grief so great Vast Cities Mourn'd that once admir'd his Song Not Asera for her Hesiod wept so long Boetian Woods their lofty Pindar spar'd With less Reluctance than his Death they heard The strong Wall'd Lesbus lov'd Alcaeus less And Ceius City will the same Confess Parus Archilochus lov'd less by far And Mitylena Sappho tho' her Care Ausonian Strains my Numbers Move Such as the Muses and their Bion love Whose Pipe rather than all his Herds I 'de have The Plants the Product of a Fruitful Earth They dye like us but know a second Birth But Man tho' great tho' good tho' strong tho' Wise Can dye but once and never more must rise Cou'd any thing Exempt our Bion's Skill Had sav'd the Bard and all had known him still 'T was Poyson kill'd him but 't was very strange His sweeter Breath the Poyson did not Change O that I as Orpheus once cou'd Tread Or as Alcides or Vlysses did I 'de quickly pay a Visit to his shade And if he Plays below I 'de hear and see What Modes what Strains will please the Deity In vain Eurydice had Orpheus Mourn'd Without his Musick she had ne'er return'd As Orpheus her may I my Friend receive I 'll Pipe to Try and Dye to make him live Anacreon ODE 3. WHen silent Night the Wand'ring Signs employ'd And Weary Mortals welcome Sleep enjoy'd Young Cupid came and made a Woeful Noise Knocking and calling with a loud shrill Voice Open your Doors my Friend no harm I 'll do I 'm but a Boy a very young one too All Wet I 'ave Wander'd in a Rainy Night The Moon or