when I hear her Voice both loud and sweet Where all imagin'd charms of sounds do meet One note calls my soul away And another bids it stay And I to every note cry I obey I the most solemn sentences of death Could gladly hear if but sung by her breath And in that doom would place my Joy and Pride If she would sing still as I dy'd But for her I 'de expire my soul as readily Might it but reach this immortality To live in her 's no otherwise than now And fate me that survivorship allow As the sweet steem of balm or what is sweeter far Her breath mix Natures with the common ayr Lydia 4. Calais now the sweetest youth That ever boasted love with truth Doth love for love to me return And both our hearts in equal ardours burn His love shall raise him monuments more high Then Chloes voice and all your Poetry To either of you can supply For him I 'de dye and dye again And suffer all th' Experiments of pain And would ev'n many lingring Deaths sustain That to his life a minute gain'd might be And in that minute sure hee 'd think of me For since to live the greatest lover is The highest step of Honour and of bliss When once I cease to live I that high fame to Calais give So when to love and death and him I yield And he with Conquest keeps the Field My name shall be too in his Triumphs crown'd Since I by dying make him so renown'd But know O death thou hast no dart So sharp as those of love which pierc'd my Heart I that have lov'd twice can dye once with case Death if compar'd with love 's but a disease 5. But Lydia what if I no trial make Of suffering death for Chloes sake Nor you for Calais and we retrive Those joyes our antient mutual love did give For it is very long ago Or at least to me seems so Since both our hearts a bright example shone For following lovers imitation And what if we our selves should prove Imitators of that love And again my Lydia's fame Obscure the Roman Ilia's name And Chloes voice and Chloes Lute Should be to me for ever mute And having been by wandring fires misled That in Chloes eyes were bred I walk in loves blest paths I knew before And Lydia's eyes do me to them restore As Trav'llers who by false fires lost their way At night the sun at last relieves by day 6. Though he be then the morning Star more bright Yet he shall vanish out of sight Like that star at the suns approaching light Though in the Sea there floats no peace of rind More light then is thy poor unsteady mind And though with ev'ry small occasions winde Your anger more tempestuous be Then the Adriatick Sea I 'le try if from the angry foam Venus a second time can come And my kind heart that to a wrack was near By false lights Calais his eyes did rear As those who dwell on Seacoasts oft betray Mariners that sail by night To rocks and Sands by a false Pharus light And so the shipwrack'd goods become their prey Now further than thy eyes shall never try A guiding Polar star to spy And if with thee I may but live and dye The powerfull Gods have done enough for me But if they can let them do more for thee Ode 1. I Often pray'd my uninspiring Muse That she would for me some great Subject choose Some Hero highly lov'd and highly fam'd Whose thoughts might raise my soul and make my verses live And as she ought then ORRERY she nam'd And said all to them would acceptance give If but of him they sung How e're my Lute were strung As men almost adorers prove Of Priests that for them worship Gods they love Do but said she recite matters of fact Tell but the things which he did act On the World's stage thus write of him and try If ev'ry thing thou write'st will not be great and high Fear not I will thy Name advance All great inventions were the births of chance No longer then with trembling gaze On the great Ocean of his praise But boldly through it make thy way And boldly there my Sovereign Power obey And as the needle is drawn by the North So his attractive virtues shall call forth Both North and South and all the World t' exalt his worth Though round the World none sail but loose a day Thou a poor minutes loss shalt never see Behold what I thy Muse will do for thee Sail here I say and gain Eternity 2. Thus spoke my Muse and straight I did acquire What I nere felt before Poetick fire And now it burns and now 't is upward bent To his high praise as its own Element And by his verses now I see What Wit is and what Wit can be Wit that does scorn to be admir'd as good But as such only would be understood Wit to make which as many things do go As did to make the World from Chaos grow Let there be wit when the first being sayes 't is so Wit that from all the Creatures tribute takes And them far richer and more glorious makes As the Earths steem we call the Ayr Helps the Sun's light and is thereby more fair He is a judicious Wit And has of things as Nature made them writ Just to the likeness of the Life he draws In colours too that proper are In verse he goes by Mathematick Laws Better proportion keeps then Durer farr Never Man writ so before Never Man will write so more Ah to be equal'd he has done too much For in all his Poetry The most impartial Eyes do see Corregio's sweetness Titians boulder touch 3. Great was his verse and great too was his Prose In both he did new Worlds of wit disclose The truth in his Romantick stories told Is but the Silver that allayes their Gold I once Romances dis-esteem'd And full of ill forg'd miracles they seem'd The Heroes they describ'd were such As either did too little or too much In such a glass should nature see her face She either would break that or break the glass This cannot be I cry'd This never yet was try'd And them as prose Burlesque I did deride But when I once read Parthenissa o're Weeping because I read it not before There I saw Natures restauration I saw it and I saw it on a Throne There if what 's Noble shall unpractic'd be The guilty World should blush not he There Greek and Roman Authors are more classick grown And give soft charming pleasures to the World Ore which those Empires Blood and Rapine hurl'd And there the fires and stings and wounds of love Sweeter then Life and then death stronger prove Thence Kings unborn shall learn to love and fight And noble things to do and noble things to write 1. Wonderful man who to the World conveys Of Love and Knowledge all the wayes He has a strange creating pen And can
too uncreate agen All the effects of that when he An Orator thinks fit to be Witness some English Senates where his words Did more then blunt the edge of Legislative swords They his words power like lightning felt And could not in their sheaths but melt And as he all the envious clouds broke through His words were Lightening and Thunder too A trembling in him I have seen When to speak he did begin But having then gone on it was not long Ere trembling seis'd on the attentive throng 'T was strange to see on one Man's tongue The Ears and Hearts of thousands hung 'T was strange that words should charm that were not sung 'T was strange a little ayr articulate Should bind ' Mens souls like chains of Fate But as ayr pent in th' Earth does Earthquakes make So did these Sons of Earth and all their models shake By that their souls did feel from what he spake And come what ever time can cause He by perswasion will give laws While men have ears and while his tongue is free He will perpetual Dictator be 5. Those Arts in which the Romans strove t' excel Fighting and speaking well By him their most renown'd effects have shown Valour and Wit have not been known To be an ordinary conjunction And curious Wits of fear admit Because then others they more dangersspy And it has seldom happened yet But they indulg'd some vice which made them loth to dye But long since he has learn't Lifes noblest use Which is at Fames call living to refuse Thus no Man can so well set off perfumes While in their mass as when he them consumes When Honour calls to take up arms There is loud musick in alarms Pale Death has lovely killing charms O at that call he answer'd still with haste Behold thy Lover fame said he Behold thy Lover Eccho'd Victory Th' assassinating Irish knives Through many English Throats had past Till by his sword he did revenge at last The God of Natures cause on Barbarous Rebells Lives 6. Nor is his conduct in affairs of State Then in the Wars less fortunate His Counsel is the prosperous breath of fate By doubtful words I 've many Statesmen known For Wisdom's Oracles to have gone O Wisdom that that then Wit we more mistaken see And plac'd by many in formality In being still impertinent with a grace And speaking nonsence with a solemn face In praising or in blaming former times Or thinking to amend the Ages crimes Perfectly what thou art I cannot tell But perfectly I know where thou dost dwell And 't is in ORREREY'S Capacious Brain Long may he live and then thou long wilt reign Nor does of Gold the thirst inflame his Breast But of that Luscious bliss of making others blest Gold that makes and unties the knots Of Statesmens suttlest Plots And makes them say the business may be done They swore before could never be begun Accursed Gold in whose Idolatry All Religions agree No Man once did so much prize As He alwayes did despise And wondred how it came to tempt the Wise And Business too that others makes Chagrin In his looks was never seen For they were alwayes clear And there nothing did appear But what was sweet serene bright and Divine Like Stars that give their influence and shine 7. Great ORRERY how can I make an end Of praising thee thee the most active Friend Which of few Statesmen can be said But thou a Statesmans Life hast led To shew that Friendship may consist with it Ah else for Devils power were only fit From the Addresses of a multitude VVhat pleasure could into thy thoughts intrude Thy thoughts which nature meant to entertain Angels and God and mankinds noblest uses Reasons great depths and at the worst the Muses Thou knewst the worship power can gain Is receiv'd and paid with pain And Beasts that came not willingly As offerings to fictitious Gods do dye By every Priest were disapprov'd How can that Beast the People then be lov'd That does but forc'd and feign'd oblations give To Gods true Viceroyes with designs to live But loe a Sacrifice thy self thou art And with thy Heaven on Earth for thy friends sake didst part Retirement where on smooth Seas quietly Thou might'st have pass'd from this World to the next And thee no Hirricans of fate perplext So does the vast Pacific Sea Reach to both VVorlds and is from dangers free That can from Storms or Rocks or Pirates be And there the equal trade winds blow And Ships nor met nor overtaen go And there the Pilot may the helm forsake And there long sleeps the passengers may make Till by shrill Trumpets sounds they gladly wake Christs passion 1. ENough my Muse of earthly things And inspirations but of wind Take up thy Lute and to it bind Loud and everlasting strings And on 'em play and to 'em sing The happy mournful stories The Lamentable glories Of the great Crucifyed King Mountainous heap of Wonders which do'st rise Till Earth thou joynest with the Skies Too large at bottom and at top too high To be half seen with mortal eye How shall I grasp this boundless thing What shall I play what shall I sing I 'le sing the mighty riddle of mysterious love Which neither wretched men below nor blessed Spirits above With all their Comments can explain How all the whole VVorld's Life to dye did not disdain 2. I 'le sing the Searchless depths of the Compassion Divine The depths unfathom'd yet By reasons Plummet and the line of Wit Too light the Plummet and too short the line How the Eternal Father did bestow His own Eternal Son as ransom for his foe I 'le sing aloud that all the World may hear The triumph of the buried Conquerour How hell was by its Pris'ner Captive led And the great slayer death slain by the dead 3. Methinks I hear of murthered men the voice Mixt with the Murderers confused noise Sound from the top of Calvary My greedy eyes fly up the Hill and see Who 't is hangs there the midmost of the three Oh how unlike the others he Look how he bends his gentle head with blessings from the tree His gratious hands ne're stretcht but to do good Are nail'd to the infamous wood And sinful Man do's fondly bind The Arms which he extends t' embrace all humane kind 4. Unhappy Man can'st thou stand by and see All this as patient as he Since he thy Sins does bear Make thou his sufferings thine own And weep and sigh and groan And beat thy Breast and tear Thy Garments and thy Hair And let thy grief and let thy love Through all thy bleeding bowels move Do'st thou not see thy Prince in Purple clad all o're Not purple brought from the Sidonian shore But made at home with richer gore Dost thou not see the Roses which adorne The thorny Garland by him worn Dost thou not see the horrid traces Of the sharp scourges rude embraces If yet thou feelest not
And all those wreaths once circled Pompey's brow Exalt his fame less then your Verses now From these clear Truths all must acknowledge this If there be Helicon in Wales it is Oh happy Country which to our Prince gives His title and in which Orinda lives Ode Vpon occasion of a Copy of Verses of my Lord Broghills upon Mr. Cowley 's Davideis BE gone said I Ingrateful Muse and see What others thou canst fool as well as me Since I grew Man and wiser ought to be My business and my hopes I left for thee For thee which was more hardly given away I left even when a Boy my Play But say Ingratefull Mistress say What for all this what didst Thou ever pay Thou 'lt say Perhaps that Riches are Not of the growth of Lands where thou dost Trade And I as well my Country might upbraid Because I have no Vineyard there Well but in love thou dost pretend to Reign There thine the power and Lordship is Thou badst me write and write and write again 'T was such a way as could not miss I like a Fool did thee Obey I wrote and wrote but still I wrote in vain For after all m' expense of Wit and Pain A Rich unwriting Hand carry'd the Prize away 2. Thus I reply'd and streight the Muse reply'd That she had given me Fame Bounty Immense And that too must be try'd When I my self am nothing but a name Who now what Reader does not strive T' invalidate the guift whilst w' are alive For when a Poet now himself does shew As if he were a common Foe All draw upon him all around And every part of him they wound Happy the Man that gives the deepest Blow And this is all kind Muse to thee we owe. Then in a rage I took And out o' the Window threw Ovid and Horace all the chiming Crew Homer himself went with them too Hardly escap'd the sacred Mantuan Book I my own Off-spring like Agave tore And I resolved nay I think I swore That I no more the Ground would Till and Sowe Where only flowry Weeds instead of Corn did grow 3. When see the subtile wayes which Fate does find Rebellious Man to binde Just to the work for which he is assign'd The Muse came in more chearful then before And bid me quarrel with her now no more Loe thy reward look here and see What I have made said she My Lover and Belov'd my Broghill do for thee Though thy own verse no lasting fame can give Thou shalt at least in his for ever live What Criticks the great Hectors now in Wit Who Rant and Challenge all Men that have Writ Will dare to oppose thee when Broghill in thy defence has drawn his Conquering Pen I rose and bow'd my head And pardon ask'd for all that I had said Well satisfi'd and proud I streight resolv'd and solemnly I vow'd That from her Service now I ne're would part So strangely large Rewards work on a gratefull Heart 4. Nothing so soon the Drooping Spirits raise As Praises from the Men whom all men praise 'T is the best Cordial and which only those Who have at home th' Ingredients can compose A Cordial that restores our fainting Breath And keeps up Life even after Death The only danger is least it should be Too strong a remedy Least in removing cold it should beget Too violent a heat And into madness turn the Lethargy Ah! Gracious God that I might see A time when it were Dangerous for me To be o're heat with Praise But I within me bear alas too great allayes 5. 'T is said Apelles when he Venus drew Did naked Women for his Patern view And with his powerful fancy did refine Their humane shapes into a form Divine None who had set could her own Picture see Or say one part was drawn for me So though this noble Painter when he writ Was pleas'd to think it fit That my Books should before him sit Not as a cause but an occasion to his wit Yet what have I to boast or to apply To my advantage out of it since I Instead of my own likeness only find The Bright Idea there of the great Writers mind The Complaint 1. IN a deep Visions intellectual scene Beneath a Bowr for sorrow made Th' uncomfortable shade Of the black Yew's unlucky green Mixt with the mourning Willows carefull gray Where Reverend Cham cuts out his Famous way The Melancholy Cowley lay And Lo a muse appear'd to his clos'd sight The Muses oft in Lands of Visions play Bodies arrayed and seen by an internal Light A golden Harp with silver strings she bore A wondrous Hieroglyphick Robe she wore In which all Colours and all figures were That Nature or the fancy can create That Art can never imitate And with loose Pride it wanton'd in the Ayr. In such a Dress in such a well cloath'd Dream Shee us'd of old near fair Ismena's Stream Pindar her Theban Favourite to meet A Crown was on her Head and wings were on her Feet 2. She touch'd him with her Harp and rais'd him from the Ground The shaken strings Melodiously Resound Art thou return'd at last sayes she To this forsaken place and me Thou Prodigal who didst so loosely waste Of all thy Youthfull years the good Estate Art thou return'd here to repent too late And gather husks of learning up at last Now the Rich Harvest time of Life is past And Winter marches on so fast But when I meant t' Adopt Thee for my Son And did as learn'd a Portion assign As ever any of the mighty Nine Had to their dearest Children done When I resolv'd t' exalt th' anointed Name Amongst the Spiritual Lords of peacefull Fame Thou changling thou bewitcht with noise and shew Wouldst into Courts and Cities from me go Wouldst see the World abroad and have a share In all the follies and the Tumults there Thou would'st forsooth be something in a State And business thou wouldst find and wouldst Create Business the frivolous pretence Of humane Lusts to shake off Innocence Business the grave impertinence Business the thing which I of all things hate Business the contradiction of thy Fate 3. Go Renegado cast up thy Account And see to what Amount Thy foolish gains by quitting me The sale of Knowledge Fame and Liberty The Fruits of thy unlearn'd Apostacy Thou thought'st if once the publick storm were past All thy remaining Life should sun-shine be Behold the publick storm is past at last The Soveraign is to sit at Sea no more And thou which all the Noble Company Art got at last to shore But whilst thy fellow Voyagers I see All mark'd up to possess the promis'd Land Thou still alone alas dost gapeing stand Upon the naked beach upon the Barren Strand 4. As a fair morning of the blessed spring After a tedious stormy night Such was the glorious Entry of our King Enriching moysture drop'd on every thing Plenty he sow'd below and cast about him light
But then alas to thee alone One of the Gideons Miracles was shown For every Tree and every Hearb around With Pearly due was crown'd And upon all the quickned ground The Fruitfull seed of Heaven did brooding lye And nothing but the Muses Fleece was dry It did all other Threats surpass When God to his own People said The Men whom through long wandring he had led That he would give them Heaven of Brass They look'd up to that Heaven in vain That Bounteous Heaven which God did not restrain Upon the most unjust to shine and Rain 5. The Rachell for which twice seaven years and more Thou didst with Faith and labour serve And didst if Faith and labour can deserve Though she contracted was to thee Giv'n to another thou didst see Giv'n to another who had store Of fairer and of Richer Wives before And not a Leah left thy recompence to be Go on twice seven years more thy fortune try Twice seven years more God in his bounty may Give thee to fling away Into the Courts deceitfull Lottery But think how likely 't is that thou With the dull work of thy unweildy Plough Shouldst in a hard and Barren season thrive Shouldst even able be to live Thou to whose share so little bread did fall In the miraculous year when Manna rain'd on all 6. Thus spake the Muse and spake it with a smile That seem'd at once to pity and revile And to her thus raising his thoughtful head The Melancholy Cowley said Ah wanton foe dar'st thou upbraid The Ills which thou thy self hast made When in the Cradle innocent I lay Thou wicked Spirit stolest me away And my abused Soul didst bear Into thy new found World I know not where Thy Gold Indies in the Ayr And ever since I strive in vain My ravisht Freedom to regain Still I Rebell still thou dost Reign Lo still in verse against thee I complain There is a sort of stubborn Weeds Which if the Earth but once it ever breeds No wholsom Herb can near them thrive No usefull Plant can keep alive The foolish sports I did on thee bestow Make all my Art and Labour fruitless now Where once such Fairies dance no grass will ever grow 7. When my new mind had no infusion known Thou gav'st so deep a tincture of thy own That ever since I vainly try To wash away th' inherent dye Long work perhaps may spoile thy Colours quite But never will reduce the native white To all the Ports of Honour and of gain I often stear my course in vain Thy Gale comes cross and drives me back again Thou slack'nest all my Nerves of Industry By making them so oft to be The tinckling strings of thy loose minstrelsie Who ever this Worlds happiness would see Must as entirely cast off thee As they who only Heaven desire Do from the World retire This was my Errour This my gross mistake My self a demy-votary to make Thus with Saphira and her Husbands fate A fault which I like them am taught too late For all that I gave up I nothing gain And perish for the part which I retain 8. Teach me not then O thou fallacious Muse The Court and better King t' accuse The Heaven under which I live is fair The fertile soil will a full Harvest bear Thine thine is all the Barrenness if thou Mak'st me sit still and sing when I should plough When I but think how many a tedious year Our patient Soveraign did attend His long misfortunes fatal end How chearfully and how exempt from fear On the great Sovereign while he did depend I ought to be accurs'd if I refuse To wait on him O thou fallacious Muse Kings have long hands they say and though I be So distant they may reach at length to me However of all Princes thou Shouldst not reproach Rewards for being small or slow Thou who rewardest but with popular breath And that too after death Ode Mr. Cowley 's Book presenting it self to the Vniversity Library of Oxford HAil Learnings Pantheon Hail the sacred Ark Where all the World of Sciences imbarque Which ever shall withstand and hast so long withstood Insatiate Times devouring Flood Hail Tree of Knowledge thy leaves Fruit which well Dost in the midst of Paradise arise Oxford the Muses Paradise From which may never Sword the blest expel Hail Bank of all past Ages where they lye T' inrich with interest Posterity Hail Wits Illustrious Galaxy Where thousand Lights into one brightness spread Hail living University of the Dead 2. Unconfus'd Babel of all tongues which e're The mighty Linguist Fame or time the mighty Traveller That could speak or this could hear Majestick Monument and Piramide Where still the shapes of parted Souls abide Embalm'd in verse exalted souls which now Enjoy those Arts they woo'd so well below Which now all wonders plainly see That have been are or are to be In the mysterious Library The Beatifick Bodley of the Deity 3. Will you into your Sacred throng admit The meanest Brittish Wit You gen'ral Councel of the Priests of Fame Will ye not murmur or disdain That I place among you claim The humblest Deacon of her train Will you allow me th' honourable chain The Chain of Ornament which here Your noblest Prisoners proudly wear A Chain which will more pleasant seem to me Then all my own Pindarick Liberty Will ye to bind me with those mighty names submit Like an Apocripha with holy Writ What ever happy book is chained here No other place or People need to fear His happy Chain 's a Pasport to go ev'ry where 4. As when a seat in Heaven Is to an unmalicious Sinner given Who casting round his wandring Eye Does none but Patriarchs and Apostles there espye Martyrs who did their lives bestow And Saints who Martyrs liv'd below With trembling and amazement he begins To recollect his frailty past and sins He doubts almost his Station there His soul sayes to it self how came I here It fairs no otherwise with me When I my self with conscious wonder see Amidst this purifi'd elected Company With hardships they and pain Did to this happiness attain No labour I nor merits can pretend I think predestination only was my friend 5. Ah that my Author had been ty'd like me To such a place and such a Company Instead of sev'ral Companies sev'ral Men And Business which the Muses hate He might have then improv'd that small Estate Which nature sparingly did to him give He might perhaps have thriven then And setled upon me his Child some what to live 'T had happier been for him as well as me For when all alas is done We books I mean you books will prove to be The best and noblest conversation For though some errours will get in Like Tinctures of Original sin Yet sure we from our Fathers wit Draw all the strength and Spirit of it Leaving the grosser parts for conversation As the best blood of Man 's imploy'd in generation Ode Sitting
Bounty they repay And her sole Laws religiously obey Some with bold Labour plough the faithless main Some rougher storms in Princes Courts sustain Some swell up their sleight sails with pop'lar fame Charm'd with the foolish whistlings of a name Some their vain wealth to Earth again commit With endless cares some brooding o're it sit Country and Friends are by some Wretches sold To lye on Tyrian Beds and drink in Gold No price too high for profit can be shown Not Brothers blood nor hazards of their own Around the World in search of it they roam It makes ev'n their Antipodes their home Mean while the prudent Husbandman is found In mutual duties striving with his ground And half the year he care of that does take That half the year grateful return does make Each fertile moneth does some new gifts present And with new work his industry content This the young Lamb that the soft Fleece doth yield This loads with Hey and that with Corn the Field All sorts of Fruit crown the rich Autumns Pride And on a swelling Hills warm stony side The powerful Princely Purple of the Vine Twice dy'd with the redoubled Sun does shine In th' Evening to a fair ensuing day With joy he sees his Flocks and Kids to play And loaded Kyne about his Cottage stand Inviting with known sound the Milkers hand And when from wholsom labour he doth come With wishes to be there and wish't for home He meets at home the softest humane blisses His chast Wives welcom and dear Childrens kisses And when the Rural Holy dayes invite His Genius forth to innocent delight On Earths fair bed beneath some sacred shade Amidst his equal friends carelesly laid He sings thee Bacchus Patron of the Vine The Beechen Boul foams with a flood of Wine Not to the loss of reason or of strength To active games and manly sport at length Their mirth ascends and with fill'd veins they see VVho can the best at better trials be Such was the Life the prudent Sabins chose From such the old Hetrurian vertue rose Such Remus and the God his Prother led From such firm footing Rome grew the VVorld's head Such was the Life that ev'n till now does raise The honour of poor Saturns golden dayes Before Men born of Earth and buryed there Let in the Sea their mortal fate to share Before new wayes of perishing were sought Before unskilful Death on Anvils wrought Before those Beasts which humane Life sustain By men unless to the Gods use were slain Claudians's Old Man of Verona HAppy the Man who his whole time doth bound Within th' enclosure of his little ground Happy the Man whom the same humble place Th' hereditary Cottage of his Race From his first rising infancy has known And by degrees sees gently bending down VVith natural propensions to that Earth VVhich both preserv'd his Life and gave him birth Him no false distant lights by fortune set Could ever into foolish wandrings get He never dangers either saw or fear'd The dreadful storms at Sea he never heard He never heard the shrill alarms of war Or the worse noyses of the Lawyers bar No change of Consuls mark 's to him the year The change of seasons is his Calendar The cold and heat VVinter and Summer showes Autumne by fruits and spring by flourish knows He measures time by Land-marks and has found For the whole day the Dial of his ground A neighbouring wood borne with himself he sees And loves his old contemporary trees He only heard of near Verona's Name And knowes it like the Indies but by fame Does with a like concernment notice take Of the Red-Sea and of Benacoes lake Thus Health and Strength to a third age enjoyes And sees a long Posterity of Boyes About the spacious VVorld let others roam The Voyage life is longest made at home Martial Book 10. Epigram 96. An Epigram ME who have liv'd so long among the great You wonder to hear talk of a Retreat And a retreat so distant as may shew No thoughts of a return when once I go Give me a Country how remote so e're VVhere happiness a mod'rate rate does bear VVhere poverty it self in plenty flowes And all the solidness of Riches knowes The ground about the house maintains it there The house maintains the ground about it here Here even hunger's dear and a full board Devours the vital substance of the Lord. The Land it self does there the feast bestow The Land it self must here to Market go Three or four suits one Winter here does waste One suit does there three or four Winters last Here every frugal Man must oft be cold And little Luke-warm-fires are to you sold There fires an Element as cheap and free Almost as any of the other be Stay you then here and live amongst the Great Attend their sports and at their tables eat When all the bounties here of men you score The places bounty there shall give you more A Paraphrase on the 9 th Ode of Horace his third book that begins with Donec gratus eram tibi 1. WHile but thy self I did think nothing fair And all thy heart fell to my share And others did at distance gaze On the glories of thy face Like Persians worshiping the Sun My Empire o're thy Soul was great Thy power o're mine too was compleat And then my greatest Power and Wealth begun When to thee I most tribute paid When to thee I my self was tribute made 'T was then my self I did repute Even than a Persian King more absolute And then him to be happier far Though he were Brother to his God the Sun and every Star Lydia 2. Before you did my Beauties power depose And Chloe was my bright Successor chose I was far happier too Then Persian Queens or Kings or you Although I grant it is a nobler thing To be a Roman Poet than a Persian King Honour which Women value more Than Men their beauties can adore I did enjoy while I was woo'd by thee More then the Roman Ilia that great she Who brought forth him that did to Rome give birth Rome the great Queen and Mistress of the Earth Rome that is thirty thousand strong in Gods Yet of them all with ease I got the ods While I did worship only thee And thou too didst as much for me And the World thought our love a Deity Horace 3. I have another Empress at this hour And own fair Chloe as the present power O when ever Chloe sings And her Theorbos trembling strings The passions of her voice express As her voice doth those of her soul confess I think not of her face and hand Nor of the wit her tongue doth then command Nor of her quick and sparkling eye From whence Meridian beams do alwayes fly Her voice alone doth all my thoughts controul In that Air lyes the Center of my Soul Just as the Earth the Center of the World Is fixt in ambient ayr about it hurl'd And