by what he heà rs below As in some Piece whilst Luke his Skill exprest A Cunning Angel came and drew the rest So whilst you play some Godhead does impart Harmonious aid Divinity helps Art Some Cherub finishes what you begun And to a Miracle improves a Tune To burning Rome when frantick Nero play'd Viewing your Face no more he had survey'd The reigning flames but struck with strange surprize Confess 'em less than those of Anna's Eyes But had he heard thy Lute he soon had found His Rage eluded and his Crime atton'd Thine like Amphion's Hand had rais'd the Stone And from Destruction call'd a Fairer Town Malice to Musick had been forc'd to yield Nor could he Burn so fast as thou couldst Build An EPITAPH ON THE Lady WHITMORE BY Mr. DRYDEN FAir Kind and True a Treasure each alone A Wife a Mistress and a Friend in one Rest in this Tomb rais'd at thy Husband 's cost Here sadly summing what he had and lost Come Virgins e're in equal Bands you join Come first and offer at her Sacred Shrine Pray but for half the Vertues of this Wife Compound for all the rest with longer Life And wish your Vows like hers may be return'd So Lov'd when Living and when Dead so Mourn'd AN EPITAPH ON Sir Palmes Fairborne's TOMB IN Westminster Abby By Mr. DRYDEN Sacred To the Immortal Memory of Sir Palmes Fairborne Knight Governor of Tangier in execution of which Command he was mortally wounded by a Shot from the Moors then Besieging the Town in the 46th year of his Age. October 24th 1680. YE Sacred Relicks which your Marble keep Here undisturb'd by Wars in quiet sleep Discharge the trust which when it was below Fairborne's undaunted Soul did undergo And be the Towns Palladium from the Foe Alive and dead these Walls he will defend Great Actions great Examples must attend The Candian Siege his early Valour knew Where Turkish Blood did his young hands imbrew From thence returning with deserv'd Applause Against the Moors his well-flesh'd Sword be draws The same the Courage and the same the Cause His Youth and Age his Life and Death combine As in some great and regular design All of a Piece throughout and all Divine Still nearer Heaven his Vertues shone more bright Like rising flames expanding in their height The Martyr's Glory Crown'd the Soldiers Fight More bravely Brittish General never fell Nor General 's Death was e're reveng'd so well Which his pleas'd Eyes beheld before their close Follow'd by thousand Victims of his Foes To his lamented loss for time to come His pious Widow Consecrates this Tomb. To the Reverend Dr. SHERLOCK Dean of St. Paul's ON His Practical Discourse Concerning DEATH BY Mr. PRIOR FOrgive the Muse who in unhallow'd Strains The Saint one Moment from his God detains For sure what e're you do where e're you are 'T is all but one good Work one constant Pray'r Forgive her and intreat that God to whom Thy favour'd Vows with kind acceptance come To raise her Numbers to that blest Degree That suits a Song of Piety and Thee Wondrous good Man whose Labours may repel The force of Sin may stop the Rage of Hell Who like the Baptist from thy God wert sent To be the Voice and bid the World repent Thee Youth shall study and no more engage His flatt'ring Wishes for uncertain Age No more with fruitless Care and cheated Strife Chace fleeting Pleasure through this Maze of Life Finding the wretched All He here can have But present Food and but a future Grave Each great as Philip's Son shall sit and view This sordid World and weeping ask a New Decrepit Age shall read Thee and consess Thy Labours can asswage where Medcine 's cease Shall bless thy Words their wounded Souls relief The drops that sweeten their last Dregs of Life Shall look to Heav'n and laugh at all beneath Own Riches gather'd Trouble Fame a breath And Life an Ill whose only Cure is Death Thy even thoughts with so much plainness flow Their Sense untutor'd Infancy may know Yet to that height is all that plainness wrought Wit may admire and letter'd Pride be taught Easie in words thy Style in Sense sublime On its blest Steps each Age and Sex may rise 'T is like the Ladder in the Patriarch's Dream Its foot on Earth its height beyond the Skies Diffus'd its Vertue boundless is its Pow'r 'T is publick Health and Universal Cure Of Heav'nly Manna 't is a second Feast A Nation 's Food and All to every taste To its last height mad Brittain's Guilt was rear'd And various Deaths for various Crimes she fear'd With your kind Works her drooping Hopes revive You bid her read repent adore and live You wrest the Bolt from Heav'ns avenging hand Stop ready Death and save a sinking Land O save us still still bless us with thy stay O want thy Heav'n till we have learnt the way Refuse to leave thy destin'd Charge too soon And for the Church's good defer thy own O live and let thy Works urge our belief Live to explain thy Doctrine by thy Life Till future Infancy baptiz'd by thee Grow ripe in Years and old in Piety Till Christians yet unborn be taught to die Then in full Age and hoary Holiness Retire great Teacher to thy promis'd Bliss Untoucht thy Tomb uninjur'd be thy Dust As thy own Fame amongst the future Just Till in last Sounds the dreaded Trumpet speaks Till Judgment calls and quickned Nature wakes Till through the utmost Earth and deepest Sea Our scatter'd Atoms find their hidden way In haste to cloath their Kindred Souls again Perfect our State and build Immortal Man Then fearless Thou who well sustain'dst the Fight To Paths of Joy and Worlds of endless Light Lead up all those who heard thee and believ'd ' Midst thy own Flock great Shepherd be receiv'd And glad all Heav'n with Millions thou hast sav'd ON EXODUS 3. 14. I am that I am A Pindarique ODE BY Mr. PRIOR MAN foolish Man Scarce know'st thou how thy self began Scarce hast thou Thought enough to prove Thou art Yet steel'd with study'd boldness thou dar'st try To send thy doubting Reason's dazled Eye Through the mysterious Gulph of vast Immensity Much thou canst there discern and much impart Vain Wretch suppress thy knowing Pride Mortifie thy Learned Lust Vain are thy thoughts whilst thou thy self art Dust. Wisdom her Oars and Wit her Sails may lend The Helm let Politick Experience guide Yet cease to hope thy short-liv'd Bark shall ride Down spreading Fate 's unnavigable Tide What tho' still it farther tend Still 't is further from its end And in the bosom of that boundless Sea Loses it self and its increasing way 2. With daring Pride and insolent Delight You boast your Doubts resolv'd your Labours crown'd And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your God forsooth is found Incomprehensible and Infinite But is he therefore found Vain Searcher no Let your imperfect Definition show That nothing less than nothing
display'd Upon some lofty Mountain's top Go set the dreadful Standard up And all around the Hills the bloody Signals spread Forlo the numerous Hosts of Heav'n appear Th'imbattl'd Legions of the Skie With all their dread Artillery Draw forth in bright Array and muster in the Air. Why do the Mountains tremble with the noise And Valleys eccho back their Voice The Hills tumultuous grow and loud The Hills that groan beneath the gathering Multitude Wide as the Poles of Heav'ns extent So far 's the dreadful Summons sent Kingdoms and Nations at his Call appear For ev'n the Lord of Hosts commands in Person there 2. Start from thy Lethargy thou drowsie Land Awake and hear His dread Command Thy black tempestuous Day comes louring on O fatal Light O inauspicious Hour Was ever such a Day before So stain'd with Blood by marks of Vengeance Nature shall from her steady Course remove The well-fix'd Earth be from its Basis rent Convulsions shake the Firmament Horrour seize all below Confusion reign above The Stars of Heav'n shall sicken at the sight Nor shall the Planets yield their light But from the wretched Object fly And like extinguish'd Tapers quit the darkned Skie The rising Sun as he was conscious too As he the fatal bus'ness knew A deep a bloody Red shall stain And at his early dawn shall set in Night again 3. To the destroying Sword I 've said Go forth Go fully execute my Wrath Command my Hosts my willing Armies lead For this Rebellious Land and all therein shall bleed They shall not grieve me more no more transgress I will consume the stubborn Race Yet Brutes and Salvages I justly spare Useless is all my Vengeance there Ungrateful Man 's the greater Monster far On guiltless Beasts I will the Land bestow To them th' Inheritance shall go Those elder Brothers now shall Lord it here below And if some poor remains escape behind Some Relicts left of lost Mankind The astonish'd Herds shall in their Cities cry When they behold a Man Lo there 's a Prodigy 4. The Medes I call to my assistance here A People that delight in War A generous Race of Men a Nation free From Vitious Ease and Persian Luxury Silver is despicable in their Eyes Contemn'd the useless Metal lies Their conqu'ring Iron they prefer before The finest Gold even Ophir's tempting Oar. By these the Land shall be subdu'd Abroad their Bows shall overcome Their Swords and Flames destroy at home For neither Sex nor Age shall be exempt from Blood The Nobles and the Princes of thy State Shall on the Victor's Triumphs wait And those that from the Battel fled Shall be with Chains opprest in cruel Bondage led 5. I 'll visit their Distress with Plagues and Miseries The throws that Womens Labours wait Convulsive Pangs and bloody Sweat Their Beauty shall consume and vital Spirits seize The ravish'd Virgins shall be born away And their dishonour'd Wives be led To the insulting Victor's Bed To brutal Lusts expos'd to Fury left a Prey Nor shall the teeming Womb afford Its forming Births a Refuge from the Sword The Sword that shall their pangs increase And all the throws of Travel curse with Barrenness The Infants shall expire with their first breath And only live in pangs of death Live but with early crys to curse the Light And at the dawn of Life set in Eternal Night 6. Even Babylon adorn'd with ev'ry grace The Beauty of the Universe Glory of Nations the Caldeans pride And joy of all th' admiring World beside Thou Babylon before whose Throne The Empires of the Earth fall down The prostrate Nations Homage pay And Vassal Princes of the World obey Thou that with Empire art exalted now Shalt in the dust be trampl'd low Abject and low upon the Earth be laid And deep in ruines hide thy ignominious Head Thy strong amazing Walls whose impious height The Clouds conceal from human sight That proudly now their polish'd Turrets rear Which bright as Neighbouring Stars appear Diffusing Glories round th' inlightn'd Air In flames shall downwards to their Center fly And deep within the Earth as their Foundations lie 7. Thy beauteous Palaces tho' now thy Pride Shall be in heaps of Ashes hid In vast surprizing heaps shall lie And even their ruines bear the Pomp of Majesty No bold Inhabitant shall dare Thy raz'd Foundations to repair No pitying hand exalt thy abject State No! to succeeding Times thou must remain An horrid exemplary Scene And lie from Age to Age ruin'd and desolate Thy fall's decreed amazing turn of Fate Low as Gomorrah's wretched State Thou Babylon shalt be like Sodom curst Destroy'd by flames from Heaven and thy more burning Lust. 8. The day 's at hand when in thy sruitful Soil No Labourer shall reap no Mower toil His Tent the wandring Arab shall not spread Nor make thy cursed Ground his Bed Tho' faint with Travel tho' opprest with thirst He to his drooping Herds shall cry aloud Taste not of that imbitter'd Flood Taste not Euphrates Streams they 're pois'nous all and curst The Shepherd to his wandring Flocks shall say When o're thy Battlements they stray When in thy Palaces they graze Ah fly unhappy Flocks fly this infectious place Whilst the sad Traveller that passes on Shall ask lo where is Babylon And when he has thy small remainder found Shall say I 'll fly from hence 't is sure accursed ground 9. Then shall the Savages and Beasts of Prey From their deserted Mountains haste away Every obscene and vulger Beast Shall be to Babylon a Guest Her Marble Roofs and every Cedar Rome Shall Dens and Caves of State to Nobler Brutes become Thy Courts of Justice and Tribunals too O Irony to call them so There where the Tyrant and Oppressour bore The Spoils of Innocence and Blood before There shall the Wolf and Savage Tyger meet And griping Vulture shall appear in State There Birds of prey shall rule and ravenous Beasts be great Those uncorrupted shall remain Those shall alone their genuine use retain There Violence shall thrive Rapine and Fraud shall reign Then shall the melancholy Satyrs groan O're their lamented Babylon And Ghosts that glide with horrour by To view where their unbury'd Bodys lie With doleful crys shall fill the Air And with amazement strike the affrighted Traveller There the obscener Birds of Night Birds that in gloomy Shades delight Shall solitude enjoy live undisturb'd by light All the ill Omens of the Air Shall scream their loud presages there But let them all their dire Predictions tell Secure in ills and fortifi'd with woe Heaven shall in vain its future vengeance show For Thou art happily insensible Beneath the reach of Miseries fell Thou need'st no desolation dread no greater Curses fear Out of Horace Lib. II. Ode 3. AEquam Memento I. BE calm my Delius and serene However Fortune change the Scene In thy most dejected state Sink not underneath the weight Nor yet when happy Days begin And the full
on ev'ry Creature Of Favours she was provident But yet not over sparing She gave no loose Encouragement Yet kept Men from despairing 6. Now flying Fame had made report Of Fair Pastora's Beauty That she must needs unto the Court There to perform her Duty Unto the Court Pastora's gone It were no Court without her The Queen her self with all her Train Had none so Fair about her 7. Tom hung his Dog and flung away His Sheep-hook and his Wallet Will broke his Pipes and curst the day That e're he made a Ballet Their Nine-pins and their Bowls they broke Their Tunes were turn'd to Tears 'T is time for me to make an end Let them go shake their Ears RONDELAY BY Mr. DRYDEN 1. CHLOE found Amyntas lying All in Tears upon the Plain Sighing to himself and crying Wretched I to love in vain Kiss me Dear before my dying Kiss me once and ease my pain 2. Sighing to himself and crying Wretched I to love in vain Ever scorning and denying To reward your faithful Swain Kiss me Dear before my dying Kiss me once and ease my pain 3. Ever scorning and denying To reward your faithful Swain Chloe laughing at his crying Told him that he lov'd in vain Kiss me Dear before my dying Kiss me once and ease my pain 4. Chloe laughing at his crying Told him that he lov'd in vain But repenting and complying When he kiss'd she kiss'd again Kiss'd him up before his dying Kiss'd him up and eas'd his pain In a Letter to the Honourable Mr. Charles Montague By Mr. PRIOR 1. HOwe're 't is well that whilst Mankind Through Fate 's Fantastic Mazes errs He can imagin'd Pleasures find To combat against real Cares 2. Fancies and Notions we pursue Which ne're had Being but in thought And like the doating Artist woo The Image we our selves have wrought 3. Against Experience we believe And argue against Demonstration Pleas'd that we can our selves deceive And set our Judgment by our Passion 4. The hoary Fool who many Days Has struggled with continued Sorrow Renews his Hope and blindly lays The desp'rate Bet upon to Morrow 5. To Morrow comes 't is Noon 't is Night This day like all the former fled Yet on he runs to seek Delight To Morrow till too Night he 's dead 6. Our Hopes like tow'ring Falcons aim At Objects in an Airy height But all the Pleasure of the Game Is afar off to view the Flight 7. The worthless Prey but only shows The Joy consisted in the Strife Whate're we take as soon we lose In Homer's Riddle and in Life 8. So whilst in Fev'rish Sleeps we think We taste what waking we desire The Dream is better than the Drink Which only feeds the sickly Fire 9. To the Minds Eye things well appear At distance through an artful Glass Bring but the flatt'ring Objects near They 're all a senseless gloomy Mass. 10. Seeing aright we see our Woes Then what avails it to have Eyes From Ignorance our Comfort flows The only wretched are the Wise. 11. We wearied shou'd lie down in Death This Cheat of Life wou'd take no more If you thought Fame but stinking Breath I Phillis but a perjur'd Whore An ODE By Mr. PRIOR 1. WHilst blooming Youth and gay Delight In all thy Looks and Gestures shine Thou hast my Dear undoubted Right To Rule this destin'd Heart of mine My Reason bends to what your Eyes ordain For I was born to love and you to reign 2. But wou'd you meanly then rely On Power you know I must obey 'T is but a Legal Tyranny To do an Ill because you may Why must I thee as Atheists Heav'n adore Not see thy Mercy and but dread thy Pow'r 3. Take heed my Dear Youth flies apace Time equally with Love is blind Soon must those Glories of thy Face The Fate of Vulgar Beauty find The thousand Loves that arm thy potent Eye Must drop their Quivers flag their Wings and die 4. Then thou wilt sigh when in each Frown A hateful wrinckle more appears And putting peevish humours on Seems but the sad effect of Years Even Kindness then too weak a Charm will prove To raise the Ghost of my departed Love 5. Forc'd Complements and formal Bows Will show Thee Just above Neglect The heat with which thy Lover glows Will settle into cold Respect A talking dull Platonick I shall turn Learn to be civil when I cease to burn 6. Then shun the ill and know my Dear Kindness and Constancy will prove The only Pillars fit to bear So vast a weight as that of Love If thou canst wish to make my Flames endure Thine must be very fierce and very pure 7. Haste Celia haste whilst Love invites Obey the Godhead's gentle Voice Fill every Sense with soft Delights And give thy Soul a loose to Joys Let millions of repeated Blisses prove That thou art Kindness all and I all love 8. Be mine and only mine take care to guide Your Looks your Thoughts your Dreams To me alone nor come so far As liking any Youth beside What Men e're court thee fly 'em and believe They 're Serpents all and thou the tempted Eve 9. So shall I court thy dearest Truth When Beauty ceases to engage And thinking on thy charming Youth I 'll love it o're again in Age. So time it self our Raptures shall improve And still we 'll wake to Joy and live to Love TO A LADY of Quality's Playing on the Lute By Mr. PRIOR WHat Charms you have from what high Race you sprung Have been the Subject of our Daring Song But when you pleas'd to show the lab'ring Muse What greater Theams your Musick could produce Our Babling Praises we repeat no more But hear rejoyce stand silent and adore The Persians thus first gazing on the Sun Admir'd how high 't was plac'd how bright it shone But as his Pow'r was known their Thoughts were rais'd And soon they worship'd what at first they prais'd Eliza's Glory lives in Spencer's Song And Cowley's Verse keeps fair Orinda young That you in Beauty and in Birth excell The Muse might dictate and the Poet tell Your Art no other Art can speak and you To shew how well you play must play anew Your Musick 's pow'r your Musick must disclose For what Light is 't is only Light that shows Strange force of Harmony that thus Controuls Our inmost Thoughts and sanctifies our Souls Whilst with its utmost Art your Sex could move Our Wonder only or at'best our Love You far beyond both these your God did place That your high power might worldly thoughts destroy That with your Numbers you our Zeal might raise And like himself Communicate your Joy When to your Native Heaven you shall repair And with your Presence Crown the Blessings there Your Lute may wind its strings but little higher To tune their Notes to that Immortal Quire Your Art is perfect here your Numbers do More than our Books make the rude Atheist know That there 's a Heaven
you the weak Definer know 3. Say why shou'd the collected Main It self within it self contain Why to its Caverns shou'd it sometimes creep And with delighted Silence sleep On the lov'd Bosom of its Parent Deep Why shou'd its numerous Waters stay In comely Discipline and fair Array Prepar'd to meet its high Commands And with diffus'd Obedience spread Their op'ning Ranks o're Earth's submissive head And march through different Paths to different Lands Why shou'd the constant Sun With measur'd steps his Radiant Journeys run Why does he order the Diurnal Hours To leave Earth's other part and rise in ours Why does he wake the correspondent Moon And filling her willing Lamp with liquid Light Commanding her with delegated Power To beautifie the World and bless the Night Why shou'd each animated Star Love the just Limits of its proper Sphere Why shou'd each consenting Sign With prudent Harmony combine To keep in order and gird up the regulated Year 4. Man does with dangerous Curiosity These unfathom'd Wonders try With fancy'd Rules and Arbitrary Laws Matter and Motion he restrains And studied Lines and fictious Circles draws Then with imagin'd Sov'raignty Lord of his new Hypothesis he reigns He reigns how long till some Usurper rise And he too mighty Thoughtful mighty Wise Studies new Lines new Circles feigns On t'other's Ruine rears his Throne And shewing his mistakes maintains his own Well then from this new toil what Knowledge flows Just as much perhaps as shows That former Searchers were but bookish Fools Their choice Remarks their Darling Rules But canting Error all and Jargon of the Schools 5. Through the aerial Seas and watry Skies Mountainous heaps of Wonders rise Whose tow'ring Strength will ne're submit To Reason's Batteries or the Mines of Wit Yet still Enquiring still Mistaking Man Each hour repuls'd each hour dare onward press And levelling at God his wandring Guess That feeble Engine of his Reasoning War Which guides his Doubts and combats his Despair Laws to his Maker the learn'd Wretch can give Can bound that Nature and prescribe that Will Whose pregnant Word did either Ocean fill And tell us how all Beings are and how they move and live Vain Man that pregnant Word sent forth again Through either Ocean Might to a World extend each Atom there And for each drop call forth a Sea a Heav'n for every Star 6. Let cunning Earth her fruitful Wonders hide And only lift thy staggering Reason up To trembling Calvary's astonish'd top The mock thy Knowledge and confound thy Pride By telling thee Perfection suffer'd Pain An Eternal Essence dy'd Death's Vanquisher by vanquish'd Death was slain The promis'd Earth prophan'd with Deicide Then down with all thy boasted Volumes down Only reserve the Sacred One Low reverently low Make thy stubborn Knowledge bow Weep out thy Reason's and thy Body's Eyes Deject thy self that thou may'st rise And to see Heaven be blind to all below Then Faith for Reason's glimmering light shall give Her Immortal Perspective And Grace's presence Nature's loss retrieve Then thy enliv'ned Soul shall know That all the Volumes of Philosophy With all their Comments never cou'd invent So politick an Instrument So fit as Jacob's Ladder was to scale the distant Skie THE Last parting OF Hector and Andromache FROM THE SIXTH BOOK OF Homer's Iliads Translated from the Original BY Mr. DRYDEN ARGUMENT Hector returning from the Field of Battel to visit Helen his Sister-in-Law and his Brother Paris who had fought unsuccessfully hand to hand with Menelaus from thence goes to his own Palace to see his Wife Andromache and his Infant Son Astyanax The description of that Interview is the Subject of this Translation THus having said brave Hector went to see His Virtuous Wife the fair Andromache He found her not at home for she was gone Attended by her Maid and Infant Son To climb the steepy Tow'r of Ilion From whence with heavy Heart she might survey The bloody business of the dreadful Day Her mournful Eyes she cast around the Plain And sought the Lord of her Desires in vain But he who thought his peopled Palace bare When she his only Comfort was not there Stood in the Gate and ask'd of ev'ry one Which way she took and whither she was gone If to the Court or with his Mother's Train In long Procession to Minerva's Fane The Servants answer'd neither to the Court Where Priam's Sons and Daughters did resort Nor to the Temple was she gone to move With Prayers the blew-ey'd Progeny of Jove But more solicitous for him alone Than all their safety to the Tow'r was gone There to survey the Labours of the Field Where the Greeks conquer and the Trojans yield Swiftly she pass'd with Fear and Fury wild The Nurse went lagging after with the Child This heard the Noble Hector made no stay Th' admiring Throng divide to give him way He pass'd through every Street by which he came And at the Gate he met the mournful Dame His Wife beheld him and with eager pace Flew to his Arms to meet a dear Embrace His Wife who brought in Dow'r Cilicia's Crown And in her self a greater Dow'r alone Aëtion's Heyr who on the Woody Plain Of Hippoplacus did in Thebe reign Breathless she flew with Joy and Passion wild The Nurse came lagging after with her Child The Royal Babe upon her Breast was laid Who like the Morning Star his beams display'd Scamandrius was his Name which Hector gave From that fair Flood which Ilion's Wall did lave But him Astyanax the Trojans call From his great Father who defends the Wall Hector beheld him with a silent Smile His tender Wife stood weeping by the while Prest in her own his Warlike hand she took Then sigh'd and thus Prophetically spoke Thy dauntless Heart which I foresee too late Too daring Man will urge thee to thy Fate Nor dost thou pity with a Parent 's mind This helpless Orphan whom thou leav'st behind Nor me th' unhappy Partner of thy Bed Who must in Triumph by the Greeks be led They seek thy Life and in unequal Fight With many will oppress thy single Might Better it were for miserable me To die before the Fate which I foresee For ah what comfort can the World bequeath To Hector's Widow after Hector's death Eternal Sorrow and perpetual Tears Began my Youth and will conclude my Years I have no Parents Friends nor Brothers left By stern Achilles all of Life bereft Then when the Walls of Thebes he o'rethrew His fatal Hand my Royal Father slew He slew Action but despoil'd him not Nor in his hate the Funeral Rites forgot Arm'd as he was he sent him whole below And reverenc'd thus the Manes of his Foe A Tomb he rais'd the Mountain Nymphs around Enclos'd with planted Elms the Holy Ground My sev'n brave Brothers in one fatal Day To Death's dark Mansions took the mournful way Slain by the same Achilles while they keep The bellowing Oxen and the bleating Sheep My Mother who the Royal