Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A29887
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An ode on the death of William, Duke of Gloucester by W.B. of St. John's, Oxon.
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W. B. (William Browne)
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1700
(1700)
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Wing B5187; ESTC R4794
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4,960
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16
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AN ODE On the DEATH of WILLIAM Duke of Gloucester By W. B. of St. John's Oxon. Ostendent terris hunc tantum Fata nequeVltra Esse sinent Immodicis brevis est aetas et Rara Senectus LONDON Printed and Sold by J. Nutt near Stationers-Hall 1700. AN ODE On the Death of the Duke of Gloucester I. MOURN all whom Humane Misery can move Who Tread in Virtues Pathes or Honour Love Since Virtues surest Guide is Fled To the bright Realms above And Honour 's Earliest Champion Dead Hard Fate That one to Empire Born Whom all the Graces did Adorn Who Virtues Nicest Precepts Understood Divinely Great and Greatly Good Should shrink into a Winding Shroud And Undistinguish'd Lye clos'd in a common Urn. II. A New Philosopher of late Rais'd by a Wild Enthusiastick Heat Deny'd the Power of Death and the great Works of Fate Affirm'd We only dye because we Fear Else like the Prophet heretofore In Flaming Chariots we should mount the Air And bear Deaths bitter Pangs no more That Courage hath the Power to Save The Earthy part from Mouldring in the Grave Fond Fancy all For were this Notion true How cou'd Great Glou'ster fall His Body like his Soul had been Immortal too III. Nor will the Body be the same But to the Dust returns When the Enlivening Soul is gone that Actuates the Frame The Soul that our low Mansion Scorns And mounts to the bright Orb from whence it came There does God-like Glou'ster sit Amidst the Angelick Choir With Looks compos'd and Aspect sweet Mildly Majestick and Serenely Great He hears with Extasie and listens with Desire Attentive to the soft melodious Song There hee 'l Eternally possess An inexhausted Treasury of Bliss And boundless Happiness Be ever Blooming ever Young Feel Pleasures lasting Raptures strong Each moment shall present before His Sight A wondrous Scene of vast ineffable Delight IV. Nor wonder that He Dy'd For Death's the Race we all must run And we must once arrive The Goal we fear to Reach and strive to Shun And his wide Rule will last till Time it self is done Tho' thy pure Virtues did resplendent shine Thy hopes of Life cou'd ne'er succeed Tho' thou wert half Divine How coudst thou Charm Deaths unrelenting Arm When once the great THREE-ONE For Humane Frailty to Attone Even the God of Nature Bled He wou'd not from his Wisdom derogate so far To infringe the Laws himself had made But gave him power to wage perpetual War And all the World Invade Strange Prodigy That all the World cou'd not supply His vast Ungovern'd Luxury That nothing else cou'd satisfie But that he too who gave him Power shou'd feel his Tyranny V. A gaping Fury always waits At Deaths Inhospitable Gates With eager fierceness to devour When he hath mark'd the fatal hour Alas the bitter Gilded Pill Which when successful was Infallible Is Useful now no more But Wounds the Patient it was meant to Cure Nor can the Artist's Power or Skill Elude or stop Death's Arbitrary Will So when rapid Whirl-winds blow When Billows roar and Tempests toss The Pilot's Art is at a loss Even great Gibbons who cou'd see Thro' Natures inmost Treasury Who the Minutest Parts does know How the Purple Currents Flow And Circulate thro' every Vein Who Understands the whole Anatomy of Man Death cou'd Deride the great Physitians Art His whole Endeavours prov'd in Vain Nor cou'd he Ease the Hero's Pain Or move the Pointed Dart When Fates unerring Hand pierc'd his Unerring Heart VI. Not the Old alone suffice But Fate is Deaf to Tender Infants Cries Tho' Floods of Tears do fall from the sad Parents Eyes Here Royal Princess wou'd my Muse relate The Sorrows which Your Sons Unhappy Fate Does in Your Anxious Breast create The inward Pain and bitter Smart The Anguish of a Bleeding Heart But who alas can tell Grief Unexpressible VII When Ephigenia once in Greece For Virtue Goodness and for Beauty known The Incensed Deities to Attone Was Doom'd a Sacrifice Timanthes saw the sad Procession go In all the Solemn Pomp of Woe Mov'd at th' unusual Sight At once with Sorrow and Delight His Pencil the great Artist drew And took each Posture as they came in View And first he drew the Gadding Multitude In awkward Grief and Clamour loud Whose Grinning Looks and sad Grimace If Grief can be without a Thought Thoughtless Sorrow seem'd to Express Next to his View the Priests were brought With Modest Looks compos'd and Grave As they were touch'd with Inward Sence Of the Virgin 's Innocence As if Compell'd to Kill one they desir'd to Save The Virgin Victim next appear'd In Robes as white as Alpine Snow And when her drooping Head she rear'd Her Beautious Face Seem'd like a Lilly in a Christal Glass The Artist mix'd his blended Colours here And Wisely chose To joyn the Lilly to a Rose Which added Beauties to the Fair. But when the Father touch'd his wondring Eye Surpris'd at Awful Majesty He threw his useless Pencil by Nor did he know To Express such vast Magnificence of Woe He took his Pencil up again Oft Essay'd but still in Vain 'Till knowing he shou'd ne'er succeed He cast a Veil all o'er his Aged Head A greater Reason may be shown Why a Veil o'er You be thrown Your Mourning Beauty so Transplendent bright Wou'd dazle the great Artist's Sight While Your sad Griefs and Sufferings pierce his Heart VIII Tho' for his Death whole Floods of Tears shou'd fall Our Grief cou'd never be Profuse For he deserves 'em all Did we reflect how Good how Just he was We should Lament th' Irreparable Loss And not as common Mourners use With well Dissembl'd Sorrow Grace the Funeral Assist me all you Mighty Nine All your United Forces joyn Fill my Soul with Noble Heat Thoughts sublimely Elevate And let your Inspiration be Divine Lest I should Deviate from the Noble Theme Or something Write Unworthy Him Where shall I End or where Begin His Life has one continued Scene Of Transcendant Glory been Always Effulgent always Bright Without a Glimmering Spark of borrow'd Light On all his Lustre did bestow Always Unobscur'd till now Shall I proceed by Definitions Rules Or the mean Pedantry of Schools No from the bright Original I 'll trace Of his Great Illustrious Race Words cannot reach th' Extent of his Capacious Mind And what is Unexpressive cannot be Defin'd Take all the Actions which are truly Great All the vast Enterprizes draw From the first Norman Conqueror to the Great Nassau Which had Great Glou'ster Liv'd had been in him Compleat IX The Norman had a vast Ambitious Soul A Thirst of Glory nothing cou'd Controul He grew by long Experience Wise And Learnt by knowing Dangers Dangers to Despise Next the first Richard let us Name Worthy the Records of Fame He left his Native soil to free The Holy Land from Infidelity And when the Glorious Act was Done At the Surrender of the Town The Austrian Banner on the
Wall was set As if they only did the Infidels Defeat F … with Resentment and a Sence Of Virtue wrong'd by Insolence As if a Share in Conquest he Disdain'd Only by his Valour gain'd He tore the Sawcy Standard thence And Trampled it beneath his Royal Feet X. Next my Muse of Edward Sing Who from Edward's Branch did Spring Edward the Son and Parent of a King But sure his Conquering Arms will break the Muses string Descriptions force is useless here Where I shou'd Court the Readers Ear With Sound of Horrent Arms and all the Glorious din of War I see his lucid Armour shine I see his Helmet from afar I fee his glittering Spear I see whole Showers of Forked Arrows fly Like Light'ning through the Spissive Air I see the Coward Slaves dissolv'd with Fear Fly like Hunted timorous Deâ—â— I see the Field with Slaughter cover'd ore And all the fertile Ground distain'd with humane Gore While the Glad Father at a distant View Sees the Martial Prince pursure Swift as the Wind the Conquer'd Foe Nor does he wish to share his Victory But when the Gallant Youth return'd All gay with Blood and Wounds Adorn'd He hugg'd him in his Arms and own'd him for his Son Had Godlike Glou'ster liv'd to ride By Victorious William's side He a greater Wonder far Nephew to the God of War Had far great Wonders done XI The great Fifth Harry next appears The Terror of the Gallick shore I see him wondrous Acts perform surpassing Youthful Years He sits upon the Throne And wears the Imperial Crown While the poor Tributary King Bows to superiour Power And Owns him Conqueror Had Gloust'er liv'd and durst they break The Peace that they were forc'd to make Rais'd by a small Advantage dare Provoke us to unequal War Great William should his Fleet and Armies bring A second Glorious Conquest Gain And Glou'ster his Vicegerent Reign Nor shou'd the Kingdom ere be Titular again XII To the Sixth Edward next my Muse encline For tho' his Life was short 't was all Divine A Reformation he began And scarce a Boy his Vertues writ him Man Pious and Young he did remove Like Glou'ster to the Realms above Too like alas was his too Early Fate Nor must we Great Eliza's Worth forget Her Vertues once did Undiminish'd shine And tho' she wore a Female Dress And had a Beautious Female Face Her vast Heroick Soul was Masculine But lo Maria rears her Sacred Head And drowns like Blushing Noon her paler Dawn Her Brightness is Obscur'd and Fled And all her ' Splendor gone As Stars that Disappear before the Sun Here wou'd my Drooping Genius raise And Dwell eternally on Great Maria's Praise But why do I a Task pursue Which tho' it Please will Wound us too For while a Just Account I give What Benefits we did from her receive It will her sad lamented Death renew And that if possible Augment our present Woo XIII Here I 'm reminded of great William's Name Tho' mention'd Last the First in Fame How shall I stop the Muses Horse Resolv'd to run his Furious Course He Champs the Foaming Bit and here disdains The Riders Feeble Hands and breaks the slender Reins Bending his winged Course around the Fland'rian Plains How shall I justly write the Hero's Praise His Virtues Rhetorick cannot Raise Nor Defamation make 'em Less And tho' no strong Poetick Ardour shines Fair Truth shall grace the Coming Lines XIV Who that can draw a Sword or hold a Shield Will e'er forget the Fight of Landens Bloody Field To this great Action let us join The mighty Wonders at the Boyn Horatius gain'd a vast Esteem A Never-dying Fame He plung'd in Tyber's rapid Stream To avoid a Conquering Foe How then can we bestow On Great Nassau his Praises due Who waded thro' the Boyn the Conquer'd to pursue How shall we Celebrate his Name WHo kept his Neighbouring Foes in Awe And gave Proud France a Law And forc'd their King resign the Forts he did unjustly claim Tho' his bright Arms strike Horror from afar Tho' he 's the Thunderbolt of War Yet can he make Confusion hear his Voice And dreadful Uproars cease So well he Understands the Arts of Peace By him we all Rejoyce By him with Plenty Blest In Undisturb'd and Quiet Slumbers Rest XV. He Came Accepted Empire here When it was hardly worth his Care When the whole Nation felt the Stroke Of Arbitary Power And bent their Servile Necks beneath the Roman Yoke He Came and set us Free From Superstitious Fear and Vain Idolatry And from Remorseless Cruelty Nor did he sit Upon his Throne supinely Great Lull'd in the Slothful Arms of Peace But made our Quarrels his And Conquer'd all our Enemies As if His Life was not His Own But born for Us alone Born to preserve the Brittish Laws and wear the Brittish Crown XVI Wert thou of the Trojan Line The Trojan Virtues all were thine Wert thou of the Roman Race Or of the Families of Antient Greece All the Nations thou do'st Grace The Hero's of the Roman State Were but Comparatively Great Since Thou the Great Columbus did'st Explore Bright Tracts of Glory never known before And must be own'd without Dispute O'er all the World for Glory Absolute XVII Oh! Had the God-like Prince we now bemoan Liv'd to Succeed and Wear the Brittish Crown What might we not expect But Fate alas does our vain Wish reject For Nassau's Self who can command Even all our Powers cannot Deaths Power withstand But must resign his Triumph up to His all-Conquering Hand And tho' his Soul can never die Which fill'd with Heavenly Fire In Bliss must Reign among his Kindred of the Sky Yet must his Mortal part Expire And a Third Heroine sit upon the Throne To which by Virtue she has Right and not by Blood alone Goodness and Generous Actions are To her alone Peculiar Not only when with Need oppress'd The wretched Suppliants Cry Their bitter Wants she does supply But they are oft with Unexpected Bounty bless'd The Grateful Muses must her Favours own To them may her Indulgence still be shown The Muses best can make her Vertues known Great Williams Acts and Hers they shall proclaim A long Laborious Toil of Fame And to the utmost Thule shall spread their glorious Name XVIII Here I must beg the Reader to Excuse The Errors of an Injudicious Muse Tho' I cou'd mount the Tow'ring height Of Pindars Steady yet Unequal Flight I now shou'd sink beneath my Sorrows weight Even Ovid who when e'er he strove The strings of the touch'd Heart cou'd move And bend the yielding Soul to Love When Sorrows did his lofty Genius bow His Thoughts were mean and his Expressions low How then can I when Uninspir'd Nor with Poetick Rapture fir'd Who ne'er cou'd the Meanders trace Or intricate Delightful Paths Explore Expect a harsh Censorious Age to please Alas I only strive to shew What all in Gratitude are bound to do And leave it to the mighty Few who trod the Muses pleasant Maze before Let them the Glorious Task pursue A Mausoleum raise A Monument of Everlasting Praise Let Congreve or some greater Genius tell If any Congreve can excell How much Belov'd he Liv'd how much Lamented Fell. FINIS