The envying Lillies paler grew The Violets droopt with Fear to spy On Laura's Veins a richer Blew III. She stoopt and gather'd as she went But whilst she slaughter'd sweetly Smil'd As Angells tho for Ruin sent Appear with Looks Serene and Mild. IV. But now grown weary with her Toyl She sits and flow'ry Wreaths she frames Thus with proud Trophies made o' th' Spoyl Her Conquest ore the Flow'rs proclaims The Vsurpers I. USurping Passions held a long Contest For the Supream Dominion of my Brest But whilst in mutural Broyls the Tyrants rag'd Whoso'ver by the Battel Gain'd I still the certain Loss sustain'd For they nere-fail'd when-ever they Engag'd To Wast the Province where the War was wag'd II. Whilst such wild Havock in my Brest was made Reason first came to tender me his Aid And sure with that puissant Prince Ally'd Had I but play'd the Man i' th' Fight My Passions had been put to Flight But I not only to Assist deny'd But Treach'rously fell off to th' Enemies side III. Then from the Powers of Love Redress I crav'd But was by that Allyance worse Enslav'd For tho Loves Forces quickly did degrade These proud Usurpers of my Breast Yet was I not hereby Redrest For Love himself prov'd false when Victor made And seiz'd the Province which he came to Aid IV. But heavier now the Bondage I sustain Then during my tumultuous Passions Reign 'T were now no small Presumption to impore The Indulgent Fates to set me free As in my Native Liberty No! So it please their kind Pow'rs to Restore My former Tyrants I demand no more The Amusement Strephon. WHy Weeps my Sylvia prethee why Sylvia To think my Strephon once must Die To think withal poor Sylvia may When He 's remov'd be doom'd to stay Streph. Nymph you 'r too Lavish of your Tears To spend them on Fantastick Fears Sylv. No for when I this Life resign If Fate prolong the Date of Thine The Tears you 'l give my Funeral Will pay me Int'rest Stock and all Steph. Not so for shou'd this setting Light Ne're Rise again in Sylvia's sight Without a Tear in mine I 'd view Her Dying Eyes Sylv. 'T is False Streph. 'T is true Sylv. Not weep false Shepheard Swear Streph. I Swear I wou'd not give thy Hearse a Tear Sylv. Break swelling Heart Persidious Man Death are you Serious Swear agen Yes Swear by Ceres and by Pan. Streph. Let then great Pan and Ceres hear And punish if I falsely Swear Sylv. Gods can ye hear this and Forgive You may for I have Heard and Live Half this Unkindness timely shown Had kept me Blest kept me my Own E're to your false embrace I came I cou'd have quencht my kindling Flame I cou'd have done 't without Remorse Parting had then been no Divorce Streph. Rage not rash Nymph for I 've Decreed When Sylvia Dies Sylv. Speak what Streph. To Bleed I 'll drein my Life-blood from my Heart But no cheap Tear shall dare to start Sylv. Kind Shepheard cou'd you Life Despise And Bleed at Sylvia's Obsequies Streph. To Ceres I appeal for She Knows this has long been my Decree And knows that I resolve it still Sylv. Since then you cou'd your Vow fulfill Swear Swear once more you never will The Amorist SEe where enammour'd Thirsis lies And cannot cease to gaze On his Larissa's sparkling Eyes But takes Delight to see those Comets Blaze Whose Lustre still is Fatal to the Swain Ore whom they Reign For by their Influence the poor Shepheard Dies Or more to be Lamented Lives in Pain The Surprizal I' th' narrowest walk of a close Grove Whom shou'd I chance to meet but Love I seiz'd the Elf and said At last I 've caught thee and I 'l hold thee fast Now by thy Mothers Doves and Sparrows I 'l rob thee of thy Bow and Arrows I 'l chain Thee up and clip thy Wings Or Strangle Thee in thy own Strings If thou refuse me to relate The Grounds of my Olinda's Hate Then thus the Boy reply'd Fond Swain Vex not your self and me in Vain Your Love as noble is and brave As ere this Bow and Quiver gave But that Olinda flights your Flame Nor Thou nor I nor She 's too Blame Weigh Circumstances and you 'l find She 's of Necessity Unkind She 's Mortal therefore never can Commiserate a suff'ring Swain For such refin'd Perfections shine In Her that cou'd She but Incline To Pitty Men She were Divine The Vnconfin'd BElieve me Nymph you strive in Vain My Passion to Confine 'T is noble and must need repine To wear the Slaves most Servile Badge the Chain 'T is more than all your Charms can do To lay Restraint on Love But if you are dispos'd to prove Your Beauties utmost Pow'r pursue Some likelier Enterprize but spare Your vain Attempts to bind What is by Nature Unconfin'd For Love 's a Planet not a fixed Star Dialogue Alexis and Laura Laur. Alexis Alex. Dear Laur. Take Alex. What Laur. A Kiss Alex. What means this Unexpected Bliss A Bliss which I so oft in Vain Have crav'd and now unaskt obtain Laur. When to my Swain reserv'd I seem'd I Lov'd him Kist him Less esteem'd Alex. Dear Nymph your Female Arts forbear Nor fondly thus new Ginns prepare For one already caught i'th'snare You may impose a heavier Chain But none that surer will retain 'T is Laura an unjust design To Treat so Plain a Soul as mine With Oracles with mystick sense Religion may perhaps dispense But these Aenigmas mar Love's Joy As Clouds Gems in their worth destroy Laur. Then take it on your Peril Swain Since you compel me to be plain The Kiss I gave you was in lieu Of all Love-debts from Laura due To Swain Alexis since the Hour Of our first Entrance on Amour Alex. What Crimes can I have wrought t' enforce This suddain and severe Divorce 'T is sure impossible such Guilt Should press my Soul and not be felt Laur. Recall false Shepheard what to day I heard you to Dorinda say You said she did Noons Light out-shine More than the Paphian Queen Divine You vow'd respect to her Commands And Heav'n Forgive you Kist her Hands Alex. You wrong me Nymph by Pan you do For if that Courtship you review You 'l find 't was Complement to you Laur. Yes I was Sov'rainly respected By Pray'rs t' Another Saint directed Alex. Dorindas Graces 't is well known Bear such Resemblance with your own That when I made my late Address 'T was in that gentle Shepherdess The sweetness of those Charms to tast Which so divinely Laura grac't Laur. Weak Nymphs with Men contend in Vain Who thus can their Defaults maintain Wise Nature has her care exprest That neither Sex shou'd be Opprest For when to Us she did commit Tyrannick Beauty she thought fit To Teach Men Wit and Arts t' Allay And Temper Beauties Absolute Sway. The Restitution HEr keen Disdain pierct deep my Breast The gaping Orifice dismist The dearest
Licensed November 27. 1676. Roger L'Estrange POEMS BY N. TATE LONDON Printed by T. M. for Benj. Tooke at the Signe of the Ship in St. Pauls Church-yard MDCLXXVII To The LEARNED and much HONOURED Dr. Walter Needham OF Charter-House A Dedication according to the present Mode must be an Harrangue on the Accomplishments of the Person to whom it is Addrest But Sir though your general Acquaintance with the Sciences and your happy Performances in the most usefull of them invite me on the first View to embrace so excellent a Theam yet when I reflect how that on this occasion no Rhetorick can be Pardonable that is not Extraordinary and when I farther Consider how well your Excellencies are known to the World I find that my best Endeavours can prove but an Impertinent Zeal Besides Sir had I been able to do Justice to your worth and Fame yet I have Reason to believe that my Silence on that Subject would with you find better Welcome than the most Elaborate Panegyrick As for the following Poems which I have publisht on Reasons Satisfactory to my self and my Friends they are Fortunate enough in having first been Pardon'd and then receiv'd into your Favour 'T were Injury to the Publick to Intrude on those portions of your time that are employ'd in the Health of your Countrey but if the best products of my humble Fancy may have Access to your Leisure Hours 't is the highest Ambition of SIR Your devoted humble Servant N. TATE THE CONTENTS THe Indispos'd Page 1. On a Diseas'd old Man who Wept at Thought of Leaving the World 4 To Mr. Flatman on his excellent Poems 8 On the Present Corrupted state of Poetry 14 The Search 19 The Prospect 24 The Request 26 The Installment 27 The Pennance 29 Laura's Walk 30 The Vsurpers 32 The Amusement Dialogue Strephon and Sylvia 34 The Amorist 37 The Surprizall 38 The Vn-confin'd 39 Dialogue Alexis and Laura 40 The Restitution 44 The Escape 45 The Politicians 47 The Vow-Breaker 48 The Tear 50 The Discovery 52 The Parting 55 On an old Miser that hoarded his Money in a steel Chest and Bury'd it 57 The Vision Written in a dangerous Fit of Sickness 58 Ode to my ingenious Friend Mr Flatman 67 The Banquet 68 The Match 69 The Disconsolate 71 Sliding on Scates in very hard Frost 73 Strephon's Complaint on quitting his Retirement 74 The Gold-Hater 78 The Ingrates 79 Disappointed 80 Some of Martials Epigrams Translated and Paraphras'd From Page 81 to Page 87 The Confinement 87 On Snow fall'n in Autumn and dissolv'd by the Sun 88 Melancholly 89 On a Grave Sir's Retireing to write in order to undeceive the World 92 On a deform'd Old Beldam designing to have her Picture drawn 94 Advice to a Friend designing to publish his Poems 96 The Ignorant 97 The Beldam's Song 98 The Inconstant A Paraphrase on the XV Epod of Horace 100 Of the Ape and the Fox A Paraphrase on one of the Centum Fabulae 102 The Round 104 The Male-Content 105 The Dream 106 Amor Sepulchralis 108 The 3 first Verses of the 46 Psalm Paraphras'd 109 The Mid-night Thought 131 The Counter-turn 113 The Voyagers 114 The Choice 115 On Sight of some Martyrs Sepulchres 116 Of the Few Adherents to Virtue 117 The Requitall 118 To a Desponding Friend Ibid. Disswasion of an Aged Friend from quitting his Retirement 119 Recovering from a Fit of Sickness 120 The Challenge 122 The Cure 124 The Hurricane 131 The Gratefull Shepheard 132 ERRATA PAge 68 line 8. for Dairie's store read Dairies store p. 70. l. 5. for yields r. yield p. 71. l. 7. for sink r. sinks p. 74. l. 3. for are restrain'd r. are now restrain'd p. 89. l. 14. for Egyptian r. t'Egyptian p. 91. l. 19. for springs in r. springs not in POEMS The Indispos'd I. WHat tho th'unweary'd Sun Already has his Race begun Already summon'd to their Pleasant Toyl Th' Inhabitants o' th' open Soyl What Comfort in his Lustre can I find If yet no cheerful Glimpse begin A Glorious Morn Within But Mists and Darkness still oppress my Mind II. What Entertainment can it be To hear the Tunefull Birds from ev'ry Tree With Grateful Songs the rising Day salute Unless my Fancy with the Musick suit If in my Thoughts I find no Harmony I shall Alass as soon Rejoyce At th' Ominous Ravens dolefull Voyce Or be diverted with the Bell That Rings my Own or dearer Friends untimetly Knell III. Whilst in my Breast the Weather 's Fair I ne're enquire the Temper of the Air So Reason o're my Appetites bear sway I 'm unconcern'd what Planet Rules the Day If husht and silent my fierce Passions lye The loudest Gusts that rend the Sky Invite Repose and make my Sleep more sound The Tempest in my Brest Alone can break my Rest Ev'n Hurricanes abroad are sound To Dammage less than smallest Winds hatcht Under-ground On a Diseased Old Man who Wept at thought of leaving the World I. Shame on thy Beard That thou canst Bug-bears dread Fear Death whom thou so oft hast seen So oft his Guest at Funerals been Thy self ' i th' Better Half already Dead 'T is strange to see that Frozen Head Such Plenteous Moysture shed Whence can this Stream be fed The Tears were just which at thy Birth did flow For then Alass thou had'st t' engage Life 's Inconveniences but now Thou art allow'd to quit the Tragick Stage Now to be careful to prolong the Scenâ— And Act thy Miseries o're agen Is Folly not to be forgiv'n in ev'n thy Doating Age. II. Full Fourscore Years Bless us a dreadful Space The World has us'd Thee ill Abus'd Thee to Thy Face And Doatard canst Thou still Sollicite her Embrace In vain Thou covet'st to enjoy This haughty Dame when Age and Pains Have shrunk thy Nerves and chill'd thy Veins Who to thy Flourishing Years was so Reserv'd and Coy III. Can Cramps Catharrs and Palsies be Such ravishing Company That thou shou'd'st mourn the Loss of their Society What Pleasures can the Grave deprive Thy Senses of What Inconvenience give Which Thou' rt exempted from Alive At worst thou canst but have Cold Lodging in the Grave Nor ly'st thou Warmer now tho cover'd o're In Furr till thy faint Limbs can bear no more Thou sleep'st each Night in so much Sear-cloth bound thou 'dst need no more wert thou to take thy Lodging Under-ground IV. Go lay thy friv'lous Hopes of Health aside No longer Potions take No more Incisions make Let thy dull Flesh no more be Scarify'd Resign resign thy Fated Breath Consult with no Physitian more but Death When all thy Surgeons Instruments prove vain His never-failing Dart Will Bleed thee gently at thy Heart And let out Life the Sourse of all thy Pain Let then thy Funeral Pile be made With Rosemary and Cypress grac't Aloft on it thy Carcass plac't Beside thee there thy Crutches laid Those Utensills will thus oblige thee more Fomenting the kind Flame then when
your Ear 'T is a strange Mystery But a grand Truth if Popular you 'd be Faith spare your Pains and Write Ex-tempore The Ignorant AN Ignorant I am And Glory in the Name ' I wot not what of yore Rash Furioso's did Nor what the dreaming Sages said I cannot run a List of Old Rome's Tryumphs ore 'T was Knowledge first to Ruin led us on For with this Mortal Itch possest The happy Pair Transgrest Needs must they Know they Knew and were Undone And to this Hour our Mis'ries sole Relief Consists in Ignorance of our Grief Then plodding Mortal cease To boast your dear-bought Faculties For since with Knowledge Sorrow must encrease Let such as on those Terms can Science prize Improve in Science but for me So I may Ignorant and Happy be I 'le ne'r Repine or look with envious Eyes On the Unhappy Learn'd and Miserable Wise. The Beldam's Song APpear my Kib-welkin dear Spirit appear In the Shape Of an Ape A Fire-spitting Dragon or Clump-footed Bear Madge has whoopt me twice from her Ivy-bound Oak And twice have I heard the dull Night-Raven croak Let me stride thee my Welkin and post it away Ere the Moon Reach her Noon For the Night is the Wey-ward Sister's Day Through the Air let us take our fantastical Round And sipp of the Dew While 't is New Ere the Honey-drops fall to the Ground But when we are mounted and in our Carear Make neither Hault nor Stay And to none give the Way Tho Hecat her self shou'd be rounding the Air. For once I 'le encounter And try to dismount her Pitch her Heels over Head To some Quagg-mire below and Reign Queen in her stead Bustle bustle my Kib and be sure e're we part Thou shalt Suck at the Dugg that is next to my Heart The Inconstant A Paraphrase on the XV. Epod of Horace PRecisely I remember All 't was Night Calm Skye and the full Moon shone bright When first you Swore that bleating Flocks shou'd feed With Wolves nor other Keepers need That boistrous Winds husht in Eternal sleep Shou'd cease to Revel on the Deep You Vow'd that these and Prodigies more strange Shou'd fall e're your fixt Heart cou'd change Yet Woman-like to your new Fav'rite now Unswear as oft as you did Vow Ah! if I cou'd and sure if half a man Or some what less than half I can Cou'd I in just Resentment quit your Chain And with more caution chuse again Nymph you 'd Repent my wrongs when flying Fame Shou'd publish to your grief and shame How your wrong'd Swain had found a Nymph more True And equal in her Charms to You. But Treach'rous Rival you that reap my Toils And Pride your self in my stoln spoils Shou'd Fates and Stars Adopt you for their own And show'r their richest Blessings down Nought shou'd secure you from the sure Praesage Of an Offended Poet's Rage The time shall come and to inhance your sear Know Wretch that fatal time is near When you shall perish by th' Inconstancy Of Her that first learnt breach of Faith from thee Whilst from the safe shore your sad wreck I see Of the Ape and the Fox A Paraphrase on one of the Centum Fabulae TO his four-footed Subjects through the Nation The King of Bruits thus issues Proclamation Being well informed we have incurr'd Disgrace By Harb'ring in our Realm a Scandalous Race A Sect that have No Tails These Presents are T' enjoyn such Miscreants All and singular Strait to depart our Land or on Demurr Our Laws Grand-Treason Penalties incurr Sly Reynard strait sists out this state Design Turns Goods and Chattels All to ready Coyn. The unprojecting Neighbour-hood Admire And Flock th' Occasion of his March t' Enquire Where 'mongst the Rest the ceremonious Ape Accosts him with Grimmace and formall Scrape Bon jour Monsieur You pass for a prime Witt But in this Project give small Proof of it We of the Cur-tailed Tripe b'express Command Of our great Cham prepare to quitt the Land But why Sir shou'd you Budge Whose Posterns bear A Swashing Train well furrd to guard your Rear Had Nature lent me but an Inch of Dock A Tust to Shade or Scutt to grace my Nock I shou'd Presume I had no Obligation From the late Act to take this Peregrination Then thus the Fox You 've spoke an Oracle Doubtless your Gravity reads Machiavill I must Confess I 've no pretence to rail Or Curse my starrs for stinting me in Tail But grant my Train might with a Commet's measure Suppose withall that 't were his Highness Pleasure To say I 've None which if he once Assert Nere doubt but he has Sycophants will swear 't Thus charg'd shou'd I attempt my own Defence To give his Lawless Tyranny Pretence 'T is Odds but I am Dockt upon the Spott And then for want of Tail poor Reynard goes to Pot. The Round HOw Vain a Thing is Man whom Toyes Delight And shdadows Fright Variety of Impertinence Might give our Dotage some Pretence But to a Circle bound We Toil in a dull Round We sitt move Eat and Drink We Dress Undress Discourse and Think By the same Passions hurri'd on Imposing or Impos'd upon We pass the time in Sport or Toil We Plow the Seas or Safer Soil Thus all that we Project and Do We did it many a year agoe VVe Travel still a beaten way And yet how eager rise we to pursue Th' affairs of each returning day As if its Entertainments were Surprizing All and New The Male Content MOngst winding Rocks his swelling griefs t' allay The disappointed Thirsis took his way In the Wild Clifts a natu'ral Vaut he found With woven Ivye Cheaply deckt around He rusht into the Solitary Nook Where into these Pathetick Sounds he broke Oh when will Nature take the life she gave And Lodge me free from Trouble in the Grave Sleep there alone deserves the Name of Rest No frightfull Dreams the sleep of Death infest Whilst shrouded in this marble Cell I Lye What can be more Commodious than to Dye Each Object Here wears such a mournfull Face That Dying seems the Business of the Place Here from the wrangling VVorld I will Retire And as I Liv'd Unknown Unknown Expire Then let that hanging Rock that shades my Head Sink down and shutt this Vaut when I am Dead Rude as it is this Marble Cell wou'd save Th'expensive Rites that formall Burialls crave It self my Cossin Monument and Grave The Dream BEneath the Syc'more shade Amintas sat to sing and Play On his shrill pipe i'th'Heat o' th Day His Amarill beside him laid Charm'd with the Musick of his Reed The listning Ewes forgat to Feed The sportive Lambs gave ore their Play And to their Master's Song attentive lay The Song as Soft and Innocent as They Mean while on the pleas'd Amari'll A downy slumber fell 'Till with a Sigh and Suddain start She ' woke and Cry'd Heav'n save my Swain Are you not hurt I will provide a Dart