Man. LO Lo how creeps the long-liv'd Man Whose time 's reduc'd into a span Whose days are spent Lo Lo I seek the Port of bliss And am of Life it self remiss To dy content My only Pray'r is present death O God receive my latest breath O let me dy You 'll thus exterminate my grief And to my Soul bring kind relief O hear my Cry My fatal Thread is spun fie fie O Atropes cut off that May be at rest My Life is worse than Death In vain I cry for help what horrid pain Doth me invest The Sons of Art can find no Cure To heal those pangs which I endure O wretched State Death's stroke's my only remedie How glad how willing should I be T' imbrace my Fate Pandora's Troops do sound Alarms And for my Blood do whet their Arms And Battle give They captivate my trembling parts And wound each Member with their Darts But yet I live How oft I 've call'd upon the Grave With tott'ring steps my limbs to crave Before this day When Nature first began to faint And with her self all joys did taint And drive away My Senses fly my Spirits fall A burthen to my self and all I am now made I cannot taste the daintiest meat I can't distinguish what I eat Be 't good or bad My deafer Ears are stopt up quite Hence Musick proves a dull delight ' Cause 't is not heard My bleer Eyes lose their sight and close As tho' they 're going to repose Yet do retard Alas Alas All joys do go And pleasure 's turn'd to grief and woe May I then dy So that these horrid pains may cease And I at length may be at ease From misery Lo Lo how like a Lamb I dy Without regret a screak or cry Worn out with years I have now run this mortal race I will Christ now in Heav'n embrace who 'll wipe my tears Time brings all to the Grave HOW fleet do Minutes post away How soon the Glass runs out the Day The Morning draws the Noon puts on The Sun doth set the Day is gone And thus the Year is wheel'd about And thus Man's Thread is soon spun out And Death draws nigh Which is a Debt we all must pay Whose pow'r we all must once obey Sceptres and Crowns must yield to Death And Kings with Peasants lose their Breath The pious Saint receives his Fate And stoutest Hectors change their state For all must dye Impartial Death we can't appease With Hecatombs nor get release By all our Sacred Piety Nor can with threats her terrify But all must visit Charon's Boat And o'r the Stygian Waters float When she invades We must once leave all Earthly Toys And vanish from these frailer Joys For Death O Man thy self prepare That thou thy Fate t' embrace may'st dare And ne'r for this thy short Life grieve But live to dye and dye to live In happy Shades A Farewel to Fortune FOrtune farewel No more I 'll court thy Shrine Nor shall thy Smiles my vassal heart combine Thou fickle Goddess of these Earthly Dregs I thee contemn and scorn thy falsest Leagues Why doth the foolish World so dote on thee As though thou wert the greatest Deity I can't nor will not such a one adore And for thy frail inconstant Gifts implore Thou never constant ' less in motion prov'st And now dost hate whom once thou dearly lov'dst If now thou smil'st thou strait wilt grimly frown And whom thou 'st rais'd to day thou 't soon cast down Hence Princes tho' long flourishing in Thrones At length lament their Fate with woful Groans All Mortals who now Fortune's Gifts enjoy E're long will know how quick they fly away I 'll therefore stedfast Vertue 's face adore And hence above this fickle Goddess soar Where me her furious Storms cannot injure But I 'll despise her empty Blasts secure Her Onsets I 'll beat back with Vertue 's Shield For Vertue can to Fortune's Power ne'r yield Qui non est hodie cras minùs aptus erit SO ho thou Fool that dost let loose the reins Whilst lively blood doth boil in youthful veins And think'st thou may'st them time enough recal In latter days before thy deadly Fall Unless thou 'lt sleep secure and pleasures take Till the last sounding Trump doth thee awake Disperse with speed the dismal Clouds of Vice And crush i' th' Egg the priding Cockatrice Begin to day to leave thy evil ways And to divorce thy vain and sinful toys By long delays for they 'll habitual grow And ev'ry hour will greater force bestow Vice like Diseases craves more timely Cures And long being nurs'd no remedy endures He that neglects to purge his Soul to day His Vices him to morrow will more sway But grant thou may'st to Good at length return And all thy former ways and follies spurn Thou can'st not tell but Death may sweep away And put a period to thy Life this day Non est mortale quod opto LET doting Worldlings seek w th grov'ling eyes These vain and earthly Dregs as th' only prize Let Misers with poor Gold fill up their Chests And amplifie their Stocks with â—areful Brests Let Honour's Minions up to Heaven soar Let Statesmen pride and domineer in pow'r Let Beauty's Darling boast of 's Symmetrie And joy because there 's none so fair as he But know they this they will themselves deceive When suddenly these Toys will take their leave Riches have Wings and straight do fly away Honour 's the Darling but of one short day Beauty like Lightning but salutes our eyes With one bright flash and then falls sick and dyes Such vain and frailer Goods I don't admire Nor do such pamphlet trifling Toys desire Immortal Vertue is my only Aim Whereby t' all Ages I 'll extend my Fame Beauty Wealth Honours pass away like Shades But Vertue keeps alive when Death invades Hic vivimus ambitiosâ Paupertate omnes THE poorest Irus here ambitious grows And on his Back now all his Wealth bestows That like a Croesus gay he might appear T' th' World and in his Purple domineer And tho' his meanness should these thoughts suppress He 'll pride and leave the World the rest to guess His Outside proves a Royal Ornament When with poor Food his Belly is content His sordid House perhaps is all of Clay And wants provision for the present day Nay more perhaps he 's o'r-head plung'd in debt And knows not how from Us'rers Bonds to get Thus Beggars fain would wealthy Courtiers seem And eager seek a Gentleman's esteem Go to Thou Fool thy Tyrian Robes now buy And tho' thou' rt poor yet boast of Gallantry At length thou like the priding Jay wilt know When thou art stript of these bright plumes thy wo. 'T is better still a Medium to pursue And live to day like as to morrow too Qui suum jactat genus aliena laudat WHY dost thou boast O Spark of Pedigree And claim thy Parents worth thy own to be
A MISCELLANY OF POEMS UPON Several Occasions BOTH Moral and Amorous WITH Many Odes Songs Acrosticks Epigrams and Elegies AS ALSO DIVINE HYMNS Composed by T.S. LONDON Printed for Joseph Knight at the Blue Anchor in the Lower-Walk of the New-Exchange 1689. To the Worthy Thomas Coventry Esq With his most loving Brother Mr GILBERT COVENTRY Sons of the Right Honourable Thomas Lord Coventry THE high esteem and honour which I'm infinitely oblig'd always to bear your Name hath greatly urg'd me to exert some Specimen of my gratitude although so mean that I cannot chuse but blush at my boldness therein as being conscious to my self that unless your Clemency transcend all this my fond Oblation may justly require a second Atonement But your Merits being daily as perspicuous as the Sun and your Influence too as propitious are so Infallible Probates of your Candor that I should assert my self most unworthy did I even doubt but that you like Heaven whose Image you both most manifestly bear would accept the true and sincere intent of your Oblator be the act in it self never so frivolous and contemptible In quo nil vobis dignum nisi dantis amores Wherefore I here presume as a Candidate of your Favour to tender at your Altar my First-fruits however they may seem at least imperfect if not wholly abortive And whence I likewise hope for your Patronage as being sufficient to defend this my weak Product from the churlish humours of Criticks The former of which if you 'll both be pleas'd to accept and grant the latter you 'll transport me into an Elysium and more if more can be oblige Your most devoted Servant Thomas Steevens TO THE Landid Reader MY Genius being always somewhat inclining to entertain the Muses did by my diligent promotion at length exert some light and aery Flashes of Fancy though truly I fear scarce rightly ballanc'd with sound Judgment by reason of my Immaturity and Nonage when this imperfect and abortive Product did by many interruptions at length creep out of my tender and too too weak I doubt capacity Wherefore I hope should I here expose it how mean soever it may seem that the greatest Censurers and strictest Criticks first considering my Circumstances and justly attributing its Imbecillity to my Minority Dum nihil ortum est simul perfectum may not dart on it a Grande supercilium and so utterly abash it in its Infancy But whether they frown or smile damn or applaud This is my safest Asylum I matter not Only I wish all as much pleasure in the reading as I had in the writing T. S. A MISCELLANY OF POEMS Of humane Frailty MAn's Days are few His Glass is run His Life is spent soon as begun And dy he must A living Man he proves to day To Morrow but a Lump of Clay And turns to dust He 's made of Earth to Earth he goes His Days are full of Grief and Woes Which shorten Life But yet he toils for Earthly pelf Whereby he may enrich himself With utmost strife He presses on with greatest power Not dreaming that his fatal hour Doth draw so nigh But in the midst of all his Joy He many times is snatcht away And forc'd to dy His breath like smoak before the wind Or like a fleeting Cloud doth find An easy way He flourishes i' th' Morning Sun But is cut down like Grass ere Noon And fades away Let 's therefore spend our time to day As tho' we were no more to stay On wretched Earth Lest hasty Fate doth call away Before w' are ready for that day In vertue 's dearth Of a guilty Conscience ALas the Poets Fictions prove too true Who feign that hellish Furies do pursue And lash with secret strokes a guilty Mind Which hath to wickedness been long inclin'd For lo what horrid Terrours do surround What poyson'd bites Scorpion's stings to wound A guilty Man He falls into a maze His fiery sparkling Eyes about do gaze He thinks each hour he sees a dreadful Ghost As tho' grim Pluto had sent forth his Host To take revenge and hurry him away To his black Cell to prove Perdition's prey He beats his Breast he raves he storms he swears And blatters nonsence intermixt with tears His burning heart doth shoot he 's all on flame As tho' Hell's Fires were now already come He gasps for breath his Hair doth stand on end He tears his flesh and doth his Members rend Yet sometimes seems to rest and close his Eyes But hence a sudden storm doth strait arise And like a Hurricane on Indian Seas A second Tyde of grief disturbs his ease He fain would live but dreads alas to dy Twixt Life and Death he stupefy'd doth ly But yet the pangs and pains that he endures Are worse than death it self and have no Cures He now becomes forlorn and desperate too He now denies that God can mercy shew He nothing doth expect but fatal doom And a long series of woes to come When he shall suffer to Eternity Sad scorching flames due to 's Iniquity O what a state is this what pains are these Which nothing neither Time nor Death can ease O mortal Men correct your evil ways Shake off your Vice before your latter days That when Death Summons gives you may embrace Your instant Fate with an undaunted Face For lo what Comfort and what Peace is this To dying Men to have not done amiss From whence they take the hopes of future bliss Of Beauty's Frailty 1. ALas How soon doth Beauty fade How like unto an empty shade It vanishes away Without delay 2. Thus th' new-sprang Rose i' th' Morning dew Triumphs but ere night bid's adieu Faints falls hangs down her head So soon she 's dead 3. Thus twinkling Stars do give one dash Thus Lightning breaks into one flash And then the vap'ring fire Doth strait expire 4. Lo Beauty but salutes our Eyes Like Sodom's Fruit and then denys All bliss and toucht to clay Doth mould away 5. Alas Alas Anon pale Snow Will sit where cheerful Lillies grow And thus the fairest Face Will lose its grace 6. Each day nay hour receives a spoil And lab'ring storms do seem to toil To plunder beauty's shapes With cruel rapes 7. Sharp Sickness Beauty's fairest blow Doth blast when Fevers beat the brow Like Whirl-winds furious storms Oh burst of harms 8. Old Age plows up the smoothest skin And turns a Furrow too wherein It seems to cast and hide All Beauty's Pride 9. And when at length pale Death invades And calls unto th' Elysian shades The fainting Body dies And Beauty flies 10. What fatal ruins do pursue A bright Idea's Front which do Corrupt all Beauty's joys And plead 'em toys 11. Those fleeting charms of Hellen's Face Do witness to the World no space Of permanence since they Are turn'd to clay 12. Go too thou Fop Thy self admire And doat and pride 't will strait expire The faded Rose's state Doth shew thy fate The old
accounted so rare Now Phillis go to thy tyranny shew But let me abandon you too The Health 1. SO ho Aurora gay Doth call Us all To welcome in the day 2. Bright Sol begins to shine Let 's pay Him joy And Sacrifice with Wine 3. Look Yond the Nymphs do play Fill up Your Cup And drink their Healths away 4. Thus thus let it go round And we Will see That Nectar shall abound The Phoenix 1. AS when Phoebus doth tip the new day And regilds all the World with his ray So the Fair One appears When she lightens our Spheres With the new-blossom'd beams of her brow Where the treasures of nature do grow 2. As when Violets flourish i' th' Shade And to no wand'ring Eyes are betray'd So the Fair One close lies From the rapes of loose Eyes And in some am'rous Rose-Bed doth rest Whence such odours still breathe from her Breast 3. As when Heaven its Manna doth give And through mercy doth Mortals relieve So the Fair one proves kind And doth solace the mind Of poor Lovers that mourn in despair ' Cause they dare not approach one so fair 4. As when Heav'n is spangled with Stars And bright Venus her Beauty declares So the fair Ones fair Eyes Are like Stars in the Skies And do influence all our pierc'd hearts As tho' Cupid thence shot forth his Darts Thus Caelia thus Caelia is all o're divine O that Heav'n that Heav'n would make her but mine A Song by way of Dialogue between Corydon and Amyntas deploring the departure of their Caelia 1. Cor. MAlignant Stars Unhappy Fate That rules the Scenes below We now have lost our happy State And no more bliss can flow For Earth's fair Goddess Caelia's gone And we poor Swains are left alone 2. Am. She like an Eaglet soar'd on high Bore up with Angels Wings And to th' Elysium then did fly Where pleasure always springs Thus now we 've lost our Heav'n of joy Which chance before could ne're annoy 3. Chorus Her bright And lofty flight Ravish'd all our delight No more Must we adore But must for e're deplore Good Heav'ns What a black doom is this To burn in constant fire To rage in grief in flames to hiss And ne're attain desire 4. Cor. Hence must my flowing Eyes distil Whole streams of pearly tears And my sincere laments must fill With grief the gloomy Spheres With mournful Songs I 'll bathe my woes And by my sighing seek repose 5. Am. No No We 'll not exhaust our tears Till all our hopes do dy Why should we thus augment our cares Before the sum we try On fiery Wings let 's send our hearts To steal her Soul away by arts 6. Chorus Away Your plumes display Mount swift Souls mount your way One while To reconcile Our griefs bring back a smile No more then we 'll lament in vain Tho' Caelia 's ours no more But hope t' enjoy her once again And ever will implore The Command 1. AWay ye gentle sighs And pierce the liquid Skies Seek out the Fair One's Eyes There pay your Obsequies 2. She 's gone alas she 's gone And must I mourn alone With flaming Wings my heart The distant Region part 3. Into her Breast now Sphere And stamp my Image there Or make her heart to burn And so again return 4. But in thy Centre bring One am'rous smile to spring My fading joys anew And then Despair adieu 5. So ho The Heav'ns rejoice Her Guardian-Angel's Voice I hear She 's well She 's well And still doth flame her Zeal 6. Upon thy Wings then bear My Soul away to her And still Amariel prove My Advocate in love Hope choak'd with Despair 1. A Curse upon that senseless hope That swell'd my heart in vain And made me aim at that fair scope Which I can ne're attain 2. Fond Fop Art thou the Antidote Against despair and grief With vain Idaea's thou dost nought But cheat Ah poor relief 3. The Chymist knows thy fallacy When 's Fire 's expir'd in vain Thy sweet delusions flashes be That sport the damn'd in pain 4. Thus thy fond promises alive My drooping heart have born Till now no hopes I can derive But in despair I mourn On Sylvia 's Recovery 1. AS after a dark stormy Night Fair Phosphore leads the smiling Day The sable Clouds b'ing put to flight And bright the Morning of our Joy. 2. So my Dear Sylvia springs again From the fierce Onsets of dire fate For what Disease could Trophies gain Where one so firm so charming sate 3. Thus bold Disease thy toils were vain For tho' eclipsed were her Eyes She rose more glorious from her pain And doth thy conquer'd pow'r despise 4. Ah Sylvia still fair Beauty's bloom Still guarded round with silent charms Quickly bore up with Angels come To bless thy longing Damon's Arms. An Elegy upon the Death of the hopeful Mr William Rose deceas'd in the fourteenth year of his Age. 1. WHat makes our dull Minerva silent weep As tho' she sought by tears relief What makes us all in sorrow seem asleep Alas astonished with grief The flinty Rock its trembling drops distills And Marble Walls do sympathize our ills The pious Muses mourn and o' th' Castalian shore With shrill and doleful Naenia's their loss deplore 2. Apollo plays upon his Barbiton And on his Lyre no more will toy For his beloved Darling's dead and gone And all the Muses only joy 'T is thee Dear Saint dost cause this mournful state Whilst Learning's Candidates lament thy fate But oh that all our tears being mingl'd with thy dust Could raise thee up our heads into thy Urn we 'd thrust 3. 'T is strange to see the Rosa Mundi fade When in its infant Bud doth smile To see black Clouds the morning beamso're spread And Night our springing Day beguile Ah Death How cou'd'st our blooming hopes destroy And blast our choice Fruit in its early day Whilst he so rare is hoary vertue promis'd fair But dy'd too soon his parts by actions to declare 4. But if he 'd liv'd how great how good he 'd been Each action had been proof so plain That ev'ry Eye would have admir'd and deem'd Him worthy and without a stain But since whilst he the Earth did thus forsake To Heav'n's blest Mansion he his flight did take Let 's stop the Current of our tears and place our Verse As a true Monument upon his sable Herse An Epitaph on the same ALL you whose softer hearts can vent a tear First read my Fate then weep and drop one here Where faded Youth and Vertues hopes do ly Where goodness bud is forc'd to fall and dy Where comely Beauty turns to noisom Clay Where early Zeal Death's sting could not allay His Father's Joy his Mothers sweet delight The Muses Darling and our springing light Oh cruel Fates Impartial Destinies That never had the sense to sympathize But tho' his Body's dead his Fame 's alive And more and more shall ev'ry day
In this my Tub I far transcend your Throne None are so brave as those who scorn a Crown Nay more how many snares for Princes wait What Hooks are cover'd with a gilded bait If you 'd your whole Dominions grant I 'd them As dang'rous Toys reject and quite contemn Alexander Dost think my Life-Guards then can't me secure Who with vast Forts my Person do immure My speaking Eye gives Laws to subject Souls My beck the World 's important part controuls Diogenes The sooner then some bold ambitious Spark Will strive t' Eclipse your Light which makes his dark For when one Prince by others is out-shone He 'll try all stratagems them to Dethrone By those how many sacred Monarchs dy From whom they ne'r expected Treachery Alexander But grant my greatness can't enough protect Let me but on thy crazy Tub reflect Can this against a storm a Bulwark stand Here thou mayst perish by a common hand Should Heav'ns crispt Cataracts to rush begin Each gaping Chasm would greedy Death let in Diogenes I rest secure with wrongs Inone offend Whence none to wrong me their intentions bend No dire Assassinates lay snares for me I have no Gold their thirst to satisfie No bloody Traytors tempt to cast me down That they might get my empty Tub my Crown My harmless ways do please the Pow'rs above Still Innocence is Harbinger to Love. Alexander But hark O Old Fantastick Cynick Bard Don't Heav'n more its Vicegerent's safety guard Diogenes Your more may fail Let Heav'n both Patronize You for your Kingdom me for humbler Eyes Alexander Humility's a trifling toy whose worth None recommend but he whose mind 's on Earth That Head 's most sacred that can wear a Crown That Hand is blest that can a Scepter own Diogenes Tho' Heav'n may seem to bless a Prince yet he To 's joy has still annexed misery The burthen of a massy Crown is great And anxious cares a Monarch's heartstrings eat Alexander This gilded World is nothing else but care False fear vain hope and languishing despair In what a wretched state then must those dwell Who Ant'dotes want these poysons to expel I banish cares with the Falernian Wine And with sweet pleasures I my life refine Whilst like the Country Mouse thou quite dost starve And wilt not of more dainty Dishes carve Diogenes Alas your pleasure brings a sting with it And all your happiness is counterfeit Through jealous fear you can't your Nectar taste No Theaters can calm your stormy Breast In feasting the drawn Sword hangs o're your head And restless cares perplex your Soul abed Whilst I poor Water and mean Herbs enjoy And with Philosophy chase time away My thoughtless Breast no Hecticks do combure But in my Tub I sleep whole nights secure 'T is better low and safe be than t' advance And mount upon the waxen Wings of chance Alexander But is' t not brave bare Heads bow'd Knees command And have whole Kingdoms as your Vasals stand Diogenes Your high-aspiring thoughts this Pomp may please But on the ground I 'd rather take my ease Where neither Wars nor Fears nor Fortune's frown Can terrify ' cause can't me low'r cast down Alexander Your Answer 's right and strong I must confess These Arguments do make my Throne seem less Regarded in my Eyes For those who doe Like Spanish Horses feed on Winds must rue The lofty Cedar furious Boreas tears When the low shrub the storm uninjur'd bears Thou safely liv'st thy Life enjoy'st To burn Thy Corpse being dead thy Tub's a Pile and Urn. Hence were I not that Monarch stiled Great I 'd for thy Tub Diogenes entreat My Wish MAY I ye Gods enjoy a Country Life Free from cares and free from tort'ring strife Whilst others to great Cities seek resort Where nought but gilded Vices keep their Court. May I within my native Country dwell And ne're to these my Borders bid farewel For Wealth whilst others plow the angry Seas And for the Indian Toys disturb their ease May I above contempt and Fortune's Pow'r In Summer solstice sleep i' th' shady Bow'r Whilst other Patrons in their Forum plead And for a Fee torment their sweating Head. May I in Winter chase the nimble Harts And wound the Savage Boar with bloody Darts Whilst others in their stately Buildings rest And with hot Liquors burn their freezing Breast May I at night my Caelia's Eyes admire Until my Breast is warm'd with gentle fire Whilst others on their painted Misses doat Until their Veins with flagrant Blood do float May I by night enjoy my dearest Rose Until my Body's ready for repose Whilst others toss awake perplext with cares And dare not sleep for fear of secret Snares May I in constant health spin out my days No Gout nor Stone to interrupt my joys Whilst others of their Serpents stings complain And which they get by riot feel the pain But when Death's sting my Spirits doth surprize Let my poor Caelia Caelia close my Eyes An Epithalamium WHat merry Muse doth now my Breast inspire Or what inflames my Soul Oh! 'T is the fire That darts like Lightning from the Lovers Eyes Through which each others Soul its object spyes Whilst like two cooing Turtles they do play And steal with smiles each other 's Heart away The true Elysium they now claim their own Whence they transcend a Scepter or a Throne They banish cares by th' ecstasies of love Where Venus rules we need not envy Jove And that these rapt'ring Joys may long endure Let no sad Omens with black Clouds obscure Our radiant hopes Ye hellish Fiends forbear To light the Torches and be Dancers here Leave not ye Fairies your Tartarian Lakes About your Heads to whip your anguisht Snakes Whose shrill trisulcate Tongues prognosticate That storms will soon loves knot dilacerate Let 's hear no shrieks of the nocturnal Crew Being Harbingers of dissolution too But let each object happiness presage That ye i' th' Bonds of Love surpass the Age Of old Tythonus with his ruddy Bride Who Insect turn'd through years before he dy'd Ye Nymphs and Satyrs here your steps advance Ye Fawns and Graces here unite and dance Let all the rural Deities adorn Their Fronts with Garlands blushing like the Morn With greatest joys and pomp to solemnize The Nuptials that so fair a pair comprize Let Venus come And let old Hymen stand And seal the knot up with a faithful hand That Gordian-like it may ne'r be dissolv'd Until the World i' th' Chaos be involv'd Hence may you flourish in your jugal state And have no cause e're to repent your fate Let neither jars nor frets infringe your joys But in blest union spin ye out your doys But in blest union spin ye out your days Till Death at length severs you when your Souls Must wing their course up to the starry Poles May Heav'n show'r down it's Manna on your Head And bless with an increase your toral Bed May you like Abram's Consort multiply
Monuments shall be my Bride Which don 't like Women glory in their Pride Or else to Heaven I 'll attoll my Eyes And there admire the glory of the Skies With which there 's none on Earth can parallel Whilst glitt'ring Stars the fairest Eyes excel So fair a Front no Earthly Phoenix wears As Phaebe doth riding i' th' lofty Spheres No Earthly Beauty then I 'll more adore Nor e're for Beauty's fairest Queen implore The spangled Heaven shall my Mistress be To which I 'll tend my cries and bend my knee Acrosticks On Mrs Bridget Wood. Boast th' happy World of these Halcyon days Rising from you the native spring of joys In you the fainting World begins to move Drowning all cares i' th' Ecstasies of love Great-Britain's shore a Paradise became Ere since kind Heaven blest it with your name This is our blazing Star our Nation 's Fame Witty brisk kind and fair nay Pious too O Heav'ns you are Who merits thus like you O Muses Darling Hail Hail Beauty's gem Dropt to Earth from Heav'n in a golden dream On Madam Frances Bosworth Farewel to frowning Nature's Tragick Face Resplendent Beauty now the Scene doth grace AVenus lightens our dark Hemisphere Nor doth she less than Heaven's pow'rs appear Confinement only to these Earthly toys Eclipses Madam your Coelestial rayes Seize Heav'n and you shall have Immortal praise Beauty's chief Idol and true vertue 's gem O Heav'ns you prove and honours noble stem Serener Nature all her gifts did heap When you her dearest Darling she did shape Or like Apelles the whole World did fleece Rejoycing to make you her Master-piece The Heav'ns triumph in these too happy days Hail fairest Phoenix and the Font of joys On Madam Anna Cole ASsist O Muse the subject is too high For such a rustick silly Swain as I. All former times your worth Dear Madam shew No sacred Nymph was e're so fair as you Not Greece may charming Hellen more admire A fairer Venus doth our Souls inspire Can't this tho' seem a grand mysterious truth Once that a Cole should prove so fair forsooth Lo candid Lilies in this Cole do blow Each lovely part appears like driven snow If this poor piece my meanness hath betray'd Fair Madam pardon ' cause you were obey'd Another on Madam Frances Bosworth From Beauty Madam flows your Poet's theam Religion's Idol and the Lover's dream Afairer Nymph the World did never know Nor could the Heav'ns a greater gift bestow Conceding you then when they blest our Coasts Each charmed heart since of your influence boasts Sure Nature made you of refined Clay Being kind to Man and studious of his joy Or Heaven's Senate did your beams dismiss Streaming on Mortals their coelestial bliss Wise fair you be nay good and vertuous too Of which each act 's a proof that comes from you Rejoice the World Rejoice ye mortal Crew Two Heav'ns to us the kindest Gods do shew Heav'n with them and Heav'n Dear Madam with you In eandem Fausta dies felix tempus Redit Aurea Proles Redduntur mundi gaudia prima sacri Auster mutatur Zephyro Fugêre labores Nullus adest moeror Nullus adestque dolor Cuncta renascentis gaudent confinia mundi Et nunc virtutes nunc pietasque viget Saturni veteris redeunt sic tempora laeta Buccina nulla strepit Ridet at alma quies Ofelix aevum Quam prospera secula currunt Sic tu laetitiam Nympha Venusta paris Virtus influxu radiis tua forma coruscis Vultus sideribus pectora nostra beat O faciles superi Claro de limine Coeli Redditur alma Venus Numen habemus Ave. Tellus fit Coelum Coelum Dea pulchra tulisti Hinc tibi sacra cadant Hinc tibi Thura fluant Of Man. May'st thou Hyperbolized nothing Man An empty shade or Bubble know thy span Now Life strait Death so frail a Creature 's Man. On Beauty in its praise Bright Beauty doth the World's chief Idol prove Each charming feature doth affection move A Heav'n on Earth through Beauty we enjoy Vain are all Forts where Beauty leads the way The Gods themselves to Beauty's charms indulge Year's frozen Ice fair Beauty's beams infulge On Time. Time stays for none but still with fleeting wings Is posting on With Scythe our doom she brings Made bald behind she 's too Take Lock before Else once being past you ne're will see it more On Death Death's fatal stroke in time will pierce all hearts Each mortal Man lies subject to her Darts A Prince and Peasant in thy Laws agree Thou Death that summon'st all away to thee Hence we but frail and fading Blossoms be Epigrams Unto Madam Wood. THE Fawns and Satyrs once the saced Woods did store But never was a Wood a Goddess made before We now have thanks to Fate a Goddess and a Wood In you the double comfort of this mortal brood For like a Goddess you do fill the World with grace And in your arms you like a shelt'ring Wood embrace In Paulam nasum oblongum sortientem AVricomâ Venere formâ formosior ipsâ Paula foret brevior si modo Nasus erat Mille juventutis flagrantis basia Paula Acciperet brevior si modò Nasus erat Denique connubio frueretur Paula beato Ter felix brevior si modò nasus erat Consilium si Paula meum petis ultima nasi Dâ—rahe nec Tantum Rhinocerotis habe In Rosellam odoribus nimis indulgentem JVrabo quod sis hederâ formosior albâ Et puto quod morbis pulchra Rosella cares Sed quorsum cunctis membris diapasmata spirant Crede mihi bene olet nil olitura Venus De Leone Cane DVM pavidum Leporem sequitur Canis acris Asylum Commiserans tutum praebuit ora Leo. Hoc decus en fuerat Romani Caesaris olim Dignius at tu nunc Maxime Caesar habes Dum Canis atque Leo concordant vivitur una Amplexasque Canem dormitat ungue Leo Quos decet esse hominum tali sub Principe mores Dum fera mitescens nil feritatis habet Ad Amicam NYmpha Venus Pallas Virtus Dea Virgo Virago Indulge lachrymis Verba suprema cape En Lachrymae trivêre genas suspiria pectus Venit summa dies Captus amore cado On Phillis COY Phillis vows she hates a kiss And swears from thence proceeds no bliss And if in Company you dare Her Lips but touch she 'll tear your hair But if in private you her greet She 'll with her open Mouth you meet Thus Maids affect a silent joy And kissing love tho' they seem coy On Superba WHat double Scents Superba thou dost bring Thou' rt sweet yet stink'st Thou smel'st of ev'ry thing The sweet Pomanders do thy toys perfume Thy poys'nous breath my Spirits doth consume On Ficosa WEll-bred Ficosa doth so tune her speech Thro' Nose you 'd swear she 'd imitate your Breech Nay 't is force put for she is an old Strumpet Whose half-eat Nose doth wrattle like a Trumpet
blest Throne he sits in now Before he seiz'd he did acquire below So falls this Pharaoh's Tow'r our Ages cost I' th' dust so this Ephesian Temple's tost Whose great renowned Fame shall never dy But prove the Mirror of Eternity But oh our Fate Why did'st Dear Saint so soon Turn from our Eyes thy Morning Beams to Noon We now like Hermites live all desolate Depriv'd of thee we 've lost our happy State. Like Adam when expell'd from Paradise We rove in Desarts and can find no bliss We like Heraclitus do nought but mourn And water with our tears thy silent Urn But oh that hence we Phoenix-like could bring Out of thy ashes a new Soul to spring Whose Numen might triumph o're conquer'd Fate And all our fading Joys refuscitate But ah how vain 's our wish Death's fatal stroke When once is giv'n we never can revoke O cruel Fate Could'st thou not pitch thy Toyl For other preys Must thy black doom assail This starry Sphere Do not ten thousand ly Who fondly court their Fate yet cannot dy Than him we might a Myriad better spare Whose breath and name like bubbles in the air Might vanish and the World yet feel no wo He was our Phosphore and Palladium too His worth whole Millions did preponderate Hence he so soon was struck by envious Fate So that if any one would sphere on high Transcending all he must resolve to dy For Herriot-like Fate loves to seize the best She takes them first to mend she leaves the rest Now in what Eulogies my Muse doth faint And can't express thy worth pardon Dear Saint Pardon I beg In matters so sublime To be deficient may not seem a crime But where my Pen enough can't celebrate Let Fame's shrill Trump the rest ebuccinate An Elegie on the Death of his Grace the Duke of Ormond deceas'd July the 20th 1688. WHen Heav'n's bright Orb withdraws his ruddy Face And Nights black Scene invades the World apace How do the Persians veil their streaming Eyes And still emplore their flying God with cries So when our radiant Earthly Stars do fall Their horrid Fate lamented is by all Whose stony hearts are not enmarbl'd round And where a place for pity may be found Thus all now mourn cause the great Ormond's dead Ormond with whom now all our joys are fled Ah Tragic Scene Tears sparkle in our Eyes And with sad groans we all do sympathize The Marble melts through grief The Rocks rebound And from all Coasts most doleful shrieks resound The Court which sparkling Jewels did adorn In Sables is now drest in blacks doth mourn Whilst all the Great Ones Eyes do silent weep Which manifests their sorrow 's the more deep Nor is it e're to be compris'd in Verse How many Mourners did pursue his Herse But should we all our Tribute-tears now pay Equal to 's worth and our own loss this day The Strand would like the Thames with Water flow And ev'ry street would a deep River grow White-Hall would feed the streams with new supplies And to make Waves would vent out deep-fetcht sighs Since he from noble Veins deriv'd his Blood He by great acts his Pedigree made good If Loyalty on Earth hath now esteem It 's Magazine was situate in him No greater loss could on our State befal He was the great Palladium of all His sacred Vertue did transcend each Sphere He dwelt in Heaven when he sojourn'd here No Pride no Pomp nor praise puft up his Soul 'T was Zeal that wing'd him to the Starry Pole. Humility her Darling might him call So ready he would condescend to all If Honour then and Vertue e're in One Conjoin'd he was that Heav'nly One alone Divine Poems AND HYMNS Divine Poems AND HYMNS A Penitential Hymn 1. AWake Awake my drowsy Soul How long wilt sleep secure Shall nothing nothing thee controul Dost rest Oh! this is pure When Hell for thee doth gape her thirsty jaws And Satan threatens with his angry Paws 2. Break forth my Breast in sudden cries Prevent th' approaching woes Rouze alas rouze my slumb'ring Eyes Will ye for ever close Ah! Gush forth tears deplore those fruitless ways Wherein I foolish spent my former days 3. The dying Tree doth now revive And I forsaking Death Do now begin to seem alive And draw my wav'ring breath I 'll triumph now and drown my crimes in tears I 'll trust in God and cast off Hellish fears 4. Begon O works of darkness fly No more I 'll call you mine I now shake off sin's Lethargy And am O Lord all thine O guide me therefore in these steps to thee And grant that I thy Servant still may be A Spiritual Hymn 1. O Greatest God! O Highest Pow'r Mercy afford O mighty Lord Who dwell'st in the Coelestial Tow'r 2. The Heav'n The Earth doth thee obey Thou calm'st the Waves Thou free'st sin 's Slaves O're all things thou dost bear the sway 3. O cleanse me from Sin 's Leprosie O purge my heart And ev'ry part Let me no more sin's Vassal be 4. O wash O wash away each spot Let not one stain In me remain And all my former Crimes out blot 5. My Soul O Lord create anew And pure like thee O let it be That I thy wond'rous works may shew 6. In thee my God! I 'll put my trust I 'll serve thee still And fear none ill Let envious Satan do his worst 7. My God! My God! I 'll spread thy Fame I 'll sing always Hallelujahs And will for ever praise thy Name Penitence PUT on O Muse a penitential hue And with Castalian drops thy Face bedew That with a weeping show'r of mournful Verse I may the praise of penitence rehearse Welcome O pleasing Legacy of tears Welcome deep sighs which pierce the Heav'nly Spheres A contrite heart is Heav'n's best Sacrifice Acceptable'st in great Jehovah's Eyes The Cordial of Repentance doth revive Our Souls being dead in sin tho' seem alive The groans of Converts open Heaven's Gate And do provide for them a happy State. Thus pious David tho' had gone astray Did Heaven's wrath by 's penitence allay And as his sins were great when he rebell'd ' Gainst God so he in penitence excell'd 'T is this that doth our drossy Souls refine And makes us in pure innocence to shine No Man's own Merits can him ever save ' Less he for Christ with penitence doth crave Thou must with trembling and with careful fear O Man thy own Salvation work out here Since none alas can prove so innocent Who may not for 's repeated Crimes repent Whilst still we swell the number of our sins And ev'ry day a new addition brings The best of men in frequent errors fall And can't preserve themselves scot-free from all The tempting lures of sin But forc'd to yield Do beat it off again with Christian Shield But grant we could persist without a fault And ne're from sacred Righteousness revolt We all did in Sin 's Leprosie begin Our Lives and from