so fair a Nymph give honour due 'T is strange great Jove doth not his Juno leave That he might mortal Swains of you bereave Whose Charm's so strong that Heav'n and Earth would prove Sad desp'rate Rivals vying for your love To what intent did Nature you create Of her refined Clay and choicest State Unless to charm all mortal hearts asleep To wound the Gods and penetrate the deep Yet who can't choose but prove and witness this That you through Beauty are the Spring of bliss From whom as from a Fountain do proceed Those golden streams which all true joys do breed And may those happy streams in you still flow And may those cheerful Lilies in you blow And may those Roses planted in your Face Appear most fresh and never lose their grace As long as Phaebus rules the beauteous day And Phoebe doth by night her rays display As long as Atlas bears the Heav'nly spheres As long as Jove his Crown and Scepter bears That happy blest and good that Man may prove Who shall enjoy so fair so sweet a Love. A Fancy IF I had Daedalean Wings my flight I 'd take and see my Fair One ev'ry night I 'd in the airy Mansions soar aloof And emulate fair Heaven's spangled roof No Phaebus then to melt my waxen plume I 'd not like Icarus receive my doom I 'd strike the top of our bright Hemisphere And bring down Starry Venus for my Dear With which I 'd like an Eagle post away And offer to my Caelia this my Prey And when t' her happy Window I was come Being with my rapt'ring joys now stricken dumb I 'd like the burning Phaenix strait begin To flutter till my Phoenix let me in But when she had the passage soon made clear I 'd on my hov'ring Wings salute my Dear And give to her this Emblem of my love To Venus Venus and both from above My bright Idea's arms I 'd then enjoy And 'bout her snowy neck my own display I 'd from her Lips too gently steal a kiss And then congratulate our Heav'nly bliss Like two kind Turtles in the Myrtle shades We'd coo and bill until the Morn invades But when Aurora brings on Phoebus ray And Phosphorus leads on the hateful day And thence breaks off our amours I would seal Up with ten thousand kisses t' her my zeal And then I 'd to my former seats away So till next night adieu unto my Joy. Requesting a Letter from his Mistress AS when the long-tost Ark could find no shore The Dove was sent to view the waves once more Till then with tyred Wings the Pledge of Peace She brought and Harbinger'd the waves decrease So now being wrackt i' th' raging Sea of love My heart implores your hand to play the Dove And grant the Olive-Branch wrapt in one line That I may hope for Peace whilst I 'm still thine Then shall no heart i' th' world be found more true Than mine to that bright charming Goddess you The Nightingale DIsband O Winter this thy sable dress Let florid Garlands new-sprung joyes express The Golden Age returns with speedy Wing And we shall now enjoy Eternal Spring Last night I heard sweet Philomela tune Such warbling notes that even charm'd the Moon Her Syren's Voice made Heaven's Choirs give ear Such charming and sweet melodies to hear She like Amphion made each Tree to dance And ev'ry smiling Stone to give a glance Here was th' Empyreum of sweet harmony Whose Flashes high-born Fancies did descry Whose flourish meteor-like did curl the air Trembling like sweet Apollo's gilded hair Her quav'ring Voice did up to Heaven rove Whilst she sang forth the sweetest cares of love The Winged People of the Skies can't sing Such well-tun'd Anthems to their Heav'nly King As those which this sweet Philomela gave Which charm'd the Gods and did my Soul enslave Vnto a Gentleman very strictly confining my Muse WHen Eagles Wings are clipt how can they soar And gaze o' tho' nearer Beams with dauntless pow'r Should Hills oppose how could vast Nilus flow And with its streams make Aegypt fruitful grow When Fancy is deny'd her tow'ring flight How can a Poet ought but non-sense write Since she delights to wave her frothy Oar In the vast Sea that 's bounded with no shore She loves to wing away from her own source And scorns all Obstacles that stop her course No more let Fops then bound a Poet's Wit Lest they themselves be justly damn'd for it When the Abortive Product doth appear Which their confinement made the Poet bear A very pathetical Poem to a Young Lady WHat prosp'rous Gales did breath upon my sails Whilst love was haven'd without usual toils How calmly Madam did you steal my heart When cheerful smiles did at me seem to dart Your Crystal Front did bright like Stars appear Whose gloss enlighten'd our dark Hemisphere Grant me Dear Madam but your charming hand And you shall have my heart at your command My Soul and Body would grow proud if they Could but attain your Mandate to obey To serve so fair a Nymph is not a doom But Heav'n on Earth as well as Heav'n to come If th' envious Fates should storm and prove unkind And we from mutual Amours be confin'd Like Heav'n's Monarch I 'd break the strongest Tow'rs T' imbrace my Danae in golden show'rs I 'd with Leander cross the stormy Seas That you my fairest Hero I might please If Heath'nish Crews my living Mass should burn If I were headlong thrust into my Urn And like Mezentius were interr'd alive Against the solid Globe of Earth I 'd strive Th'establish'd Laws of Nature I would cross Nor shou'd th' Elysian toys repair my loss Like Jove to 's Semele I 'd rise again To you in Thunder to express my pain Lightning Sparks splendent like your lovely eyes Shou'd be my Pages and the Angels spies The airy Spirits should my Servants stand To wait on me who wait to kiss your hand Your sacred Deity I know can bear These radiant Trains without the least of fear In your imbraces I 'd consume the day And then at Night I 'd soar the Milky way Now an Amphibious Creature I should prove And live part here below and part above But when you had spun out your fatal thread I 'd lead you to th' Elysium of the dead Where we in shades with clasped arms would ly Imbracing Bliss to all Eternity The Change. I Once admired Beauty's charming pow'r And dreamed on my Fair One ev'ry hour But now since I 'm the object of her scorn Than which I 'd rather death it self have born Farewel the Follies of a gilded Brow Where Crimson Roses and fair Lilies grow Which like the Damask Jewels fade away And flourish fall and dy all in one day Thus Vi'lets blushing on the Morning Sun Do hide their Heads before his course be done If I on Beauty have a mind to gaze I 'll have that mine which so short time shan't raze Aegyptian
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
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
survive Epitaphium in egregiam Pellicem HOc jacet in tumulo Pellex memoranda futuris Quae rapuit pectus diripuitque bona Pestiferis factis sibimet monumenta reliquit Dicere namque licet de bonitate nihil Orce tibi caveas ne Fato Fata pararet Littoribus nostris pessima pestis erat An Elegy upon the Vertuous Lady Rebekka Townsend WHat means this Tragick Scene this tyde of grief Which Heav'n condoles yet will not send relief The crackling Poles do echo forth their groans And poor fond Nature her dire fate bemoans The Sun with dismal Clouds doth veil his face As tho' he 'd find for Mourning a fit place In Night's black sables hence the glimm'ring day Involv'd repines Each Sphere in dark array Distills her show'rs of tears which calms her Breast With a fierce Hurricane of grief possest The Winds do sigh the Storms lament our woes And the whole Scene of Earth in mourning goes Sure Nature's choicest Darling now lies dead And Earth's sole Paradise to Heaven 's fled The World 's rare Phoenix ha's now taken Wing And soar'd unto the glories of th' eternal King For Heav'n's great Agent did in 's Eyes foresee That She was worthy of maturity And that as great as Heav'n the World would grow If blest Dear Saint with thy bright beams below Hence he to stop the Worlds just growing pride Took thee to his and this our Heav'n defy'd The Tagus streams wherein there flow'd the joy Of all this Earthly Globe are past away And run into the Font from whence they came Yet nought can put a period to their Fame Her merits were so great they 'l never dy But like time live to kiss Eternity Nay our own loss in her our bereft State With tears will still her worth commemorate Since when against her cruel Death did rage We lost the splendent Jewel of our Age. Ah Death so soon how could'st thou sweep away Our blooming hopes Could pity not delay Nor sighs nor tears thy fatal stroak But must Our rising Day-Star so soon set in dust Impartial Fates Faithless Mortality All hopes of never dying dead here ly Dead too and having left no branch behind Which might spring up and parallel its kind When Fate shall Nuptial Joys so swift pursue Small are the benefits which thence accrew From noble Veins she did her Blood derive And by heroick Actions whilst alive She well did answer her Original Nor did these tempting toys her pow'rs enthral But Angel-like she did the World out-brave And took pure Innocence into her Grave For Prudence she like Sheba did appear Whose Fame ha's mounted our bright Hemisphere O' th' Wings of Pegasus she oft did soar Where now she dwells to the Coelestial Tow'r The Vocal Choirs of Muses in her Breast More than i' th' sacred Helicon did rest From whence they vented Oracles of love And warbled out their charms enchanting Jove She like the Sun to all display'd her rayes From whence she built her Pyramids of praise A safe Asylum to th' opprest she gave Her Heart and Hand did still rejoice to save Poor Wretches from their doom and to supply The wants of all that did for mercy cry If then true Vertue ever dwelt on Earth 'T was here enshrined too with Beauty's worth The Universe intitl'd her the Fair Whose Charms no Cynick could unconquer'd bear But now alas she like the beauteous Rose Doth fall and fade when furious Auster blows Thus when with Ruddy Wings the Morning ray Seems proud to usher in the new-born day Then on a sudden an untimely night O'reclouds and darkens the new-blossom'd light But were Aurora's smiles but half so fair As hers the Clouds would have vouchsaf'd to spare How hard 's then Fate that summoned away Without remorse this fairest Flow'r of May To whom Posterity shall pay respects Because the best Example of her Sex. An Elegie on the Death of the Right Honourable John Lord Coventry LET Europe's Confines flow with streaming tears Let deep-fetcht sighs now pierce the sable Spheres Weep mourn deplore and let your Eyes now flow Till ye like Niobe do Marble grow The fatal influence that doth rule this day Doth summon grief commands our Eyes to pay Tears as just Tribute Nature doth assume New dismal shapes which do portend our doom Each object clad in Fates black Livery Doth Comet-like some dire event descry The Heav'n being veil'd with Clouds in mourning goes The gloomy day Nights dark resemblance shows Our Guardian-Angels flutt'ring in the air Start back as tho' they would remit their care Each dreading Fate with murm'ring sighs condoles And vents fond passion which doth shake the Poles Th' etherial crew with doleful shrieks bemoans Our horrid Fate and panting Atlas groans Poor Echo's broken Voice doth iterate Thus grief surprizes Speech O Fate O Fate Each Zone her pearly show'rs of tears distills And sympathizing doth lament our ills Our Mother Earth too a chief Mourner proves Her pious grief since Natures instinct moves But what 's the cause of these Effects What strange Chimaera's Heaven's Face and Earths thus change Our Play 's sure Tragical our Scene is sad And the Catastrophe's exceeding bad The whistling Winds with a faint whisper seem T'infuse into my Ears a just esteem Of grief they prompt that the great Coventry Conquer'd by Fates too hasty hand doth ly Alas Too true He 's dead he 's dead and gone Now all our hopes dy too so good a one We ne're shall more enjoy nought can repair The loss wherein we all this day do share What recompence would Heaven's Darlings be Since none can bear so brave a Soul as He No Hero e're can parallel his Name Whose Merits seiz'd the Pinnacles of Fame He Pharus-like i' th' azure Skies did tow'r Yet was not in the least puft up with pow'r Profound Humility was the high sum To which all his ambition e're would come The splendent Palace of our Brittish Sun From this bright Pillar it 's sole Basis shon Hence glorious rays our Coasts with light did gild And quick'ning Beams great Solaces did yield Under his Wings th' opprest a refuge found And 's Charity like Streams did still abound His only joy was to supply the wants And gratify the Pray'rs of Supplicants 'T was no State-Cushion nor a golden Ass Whose trappings made him for Heroick pass But was a mighty Column of our State Whose sacred Vertues did themselves dilate The gilded blandishments of Court which Souls Clog'd with this drossy World too much controuls His noble mind as Trifles did neglect Such Pamphlets Souls so great do still reject His Sails were ne're swel'd up with flattery But he 'd discern such Plots with a quick Eye His justice would allow no undue praise His Merits only shou'd his Trophies raise Heav'n him too good to live on Earth did count Hence he like Bird of Paradise did mount Maeand'ring to the Mansion up on high Which Heav'n provided for 's integrity Just Heav'n For the