her Widowhood YOu like a Turtle when her Mate is gone All sad and mourning Madam sit alone Or if there 's ought more sad and mourning yet You Madam well may be compar'd to it Y' ar all alone and every one does know It best becomes a Phoenix to be so And you ar one as in all states of Life Y 'ave well declar'd both Widow Maid and Wife Only in this you want of being one You 'll leave the World no Phoenix when y' ar gone But make Arabia Desert wanting you Who only make it happy Arabia now But if of Stuarts Name Heaven has decreed No more to Richmond's Title shu'd succeed As with the Noblest person it begun It ne'r cou'd end with a more Noble one To ELIZABETH Countess of ARUNDEL and SURREY MADAM YOu alwayes have so virtuously been bred And such a virtuous life have alwayes led Virtue is to you as Con-natural As life and being is unto us all Let others praise you then for other things As being descended from the Race of Kings I 'll praise you for the virtues of your mind The true descendents of a Nobler kind Which you have so sublim'd y 'ave raised all The Cardinal ones to Theological And Virtue 's virtue in others but in you Not only Virtue but Religion too And here I 'd praise you for your Piety But 't is of late in so great obloquy With th' vulgar sort 't is only look't upon As Relique of the Old Religion Or Counterbanded Goods which none for fear Of the Pragmatick longer dares to wear Neither should I be safe if I should praise A thing that 's held so dangerous now adayes Let Angels only priase you for it then Since 't is too bold and high a praise for men To the Lady GERARD of BROMLEY MADAM I Who have writ the praise of many a one Whom I 've had honour to have seen and known And alwayes had the honour 'mongst the rest To celebrate the Noblest and the Best This Testimony needs must give of you And all who know you know it to be true 'Mongst all your Sex I never yet did meet With any in their actions more discreet More prudent in their words and in their mind More nobly nor more virtuously inclin'd And this not ta'n of others by Report But by mine own experience of 't In sort As they shu'd rather be thought envious who Don't praise you for 't than Flatterers who do Let none then think this Flattery in me For I can't flatter nor you flatter'd be To the Lord JOHN BELLASIS on his quitting all his Offices MY LORD IN Camps and Courts and all the Offices Y 'ave been employ'd in both in War and Peace There 's none has been more fortunate than you But you were never happy until now When quitting all the Offices you had We well may say y' ar truly happy made For all along wherever you have been All know y 'ave still been faithful to the King But in this latter Action you have shew'd Your self both true to th' King and true to God And th' King well knows there 's none that can be true To t'on but those are so to t'other too Mean time my Lord i' th' Age we live in now Both such examples and such men as you Were ne'r more needful in the world more rare Such men as you and such examples are To the Lady KATHARINE SEDLEY Daughter to Sir CHARLES SEDLEY WHo know you Madam every day do find New Beauties in your person and your mind And more they know you they discover more Perfections in you than they did before Not all the numerous Train of them nor yet Of all the Graces in one person met Could make a fairer or more beautious show In any person than they do in you Nothing is wanting now unto the Fame Of Noble Sedley's Family and Name Had all the masculine ones before and now Has all the Feminine Graces in it too So when two Sums are by Addition brought Both into one that which before was thought Great in it self does greater still become By adding t'on unto the other Sum. In memory of his Noble Friend JAMES HAMILTON who first lost his Leg at Sea then his Life on Land in our last Engagement with the Dutch HOw like a huge Colossus thou didst stand One Leg i' th' Sea and t'other on the Land Betwixt which two ther being no standing fast Brave Hamilton thou needs must fall at last Ah! Noble Youth Never Innobled more Than when half lifeless thou wert brought ashore And both thy King and Countrey Friends and All Griev'd and Lamented thy untimely fall Who would not choose like thee to fall and dye And live for 't ever after gloriously Than for the use of a few hours breath To dye like others an inglorious death For only War can give that happiness Whil'st 't is no glory for to dye in Peace To the Duke of Newcastle On my Lady-Dutchess writing of his LIFE MY LORD WHilst with your Noble Actions you Indite Unto your Ladies Pen what she shud Write 'T may well be said as 't was of Thetis son That you are doubly happie both to have done Such famous deeds and to have had agen A Pen so famous for the writing them And ne'r was Life more worthy to be writ Nor Pen more worthy of the writing it She makes you famous and you her agen By th' famous Subject you afford her Pen Whence 't is a Question ever will remain Wh'er Fame makes Writers or else Writers Fame So whilst you live i' th' Life that she does give And she in writing of your Life will live Betwixt you both your Fame will never die But t' on give t' other Immortality To DIG BY Lord GERARD of Bromley Recommending to him for Motto Virtus vere Nobilitas MY Lord you now unto that Age are com Y' are almost past Pythagoras Bivium And after rarely any one forsakes The way of Vice or Vertue which he takes If Vertue then be true Nobility Ther 's a necessity that you vertuous be Or else that Noble-man who 's otherwise But forfeits his Nobility to Vice Think then whatere you love Vertue is that And Vice is whatsoever you most hate To end then If you love Nobility Love Vertue or you 'll never Noble be If Baseness hate hate to be one of those Who put base Vices on with Noble Clothes But I well know you bear a Noble minde And ar unto all vertuous things inclin'd Nature has done her part to make you so The rest my Lord depends on Heaven and you Love Vertue then let it your Motto be Vertue is onely true Nobility To Mr. HENRY JERMIN On his Retirement into the Country SInce Nen and Manners here ar all so bad By their Example w'ar still worser made And ther ar few can keep their Innocence Where every thing is scandal and offence You 'r happie Sir who in the Country ar And nothing see but good
EUTERPE Revived OR Epigrams Made at several Times In the years 1672 1673 1674 On persons of the greatest Honour and Quality Most of them now living In III BOOKS Printed at LONDON And are to be sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster 1675. THE Preface I Publish these Epigrams as I make them the last the first which may excuse me if I rank them accordingly They are every year a new Work by adding the new unto the old and behold those of this present year Their Subject is chiefly Heroick as are the persons whose praises they contain And I writ them chiefly to let the World know That as we want not many praise-worthy persons so ther want not some to praise them for 't And that you may not think me ambitious of names I mention none but those I have the honour to know and be known unto For the Style you are no more to expect the force and grandeur of Epick and Heroick Poems in an Epigram than the force of a Ship of War or grandeur of a huge Carrack in a Yaught or Pleasure-boat Suffice it if it be such as I describe in this Epigram What Ayres in point of Musick are the same In point of writing is your Epigram Short quick and sprightly and both these and those When th' Ear expects it comes unto a close 'T is but few lines but those like Gold well-try'd Out of the dross of many lines beside And Poetry's language of the gods but these In brief the language of the Oracles 'T is short but in its shortness does comprize The Point of Wit wherein the sharpness lies And 's nothing worth if any thing be sed Or tedious dull or vulgar-spirited Poets can't write nor Orators declame But all their Wit is chiefly Epigram In fine in Verse and Prose and every thing Your Epigram is writing for a King Some may mislike them perhaps because they treat not of Love nor Love-matters but others may like them the better and for my part since the itch of lascivious love is but the scab of Poetry I should be sorry any one should find in my Writings that I with my scratching had exulcerated it TO His Majesty VOuchsafe Great Sire on these to cast Your sight Made chiefly for Your MAJESTIES delight By him has cast off all Ambition But pleasing and delighting You alone Counting it highest Honour can befall To delight Him who 's the Delight of all The first Book of EPIGRAMS Written An. 1673. On the Duke of ORMOND's going along with the KING in Banishment WHen I but onely mention Ormond's Name Methinks it is enough of Epigram Ormond who never left the KING but went Alwayes along with Him in Banishment Whil'st many in that dark and cloudy Time Made too great difference 'twixt the KING and him So nearer Garments never quit their Master When stormy winds do blow but stick the faster While light and looser ones like Scarfs they find Are blown away with every storm of wind And so the KING rewards him now we see With nearest Trust for his Fidelity Who well discerns the difference betwixt them Who follow His Fortune and who follow Him And knows that who in adverse Times ne'r leave Him Are those in prosp'rous Times will ne'r deceive Him To the Earl of OSSORY on his Return from SEA An. 73. MY LORD YOur Friends are glad y' ar safely come ashore And all desire you 'd go to Sea no more Nor put your Life in danger to be lost On Forreign Seas nor on a Forreign Coast. What need you go Y 'ave hazarded enough And put your Valour to th' extremest proof And as for Honour y 'ave by Land such store You need not go to Sea to purchase more If 't be to serve your Countrey that you go There 's none so ignorant who does not know You with your head may serve it more by Land Than ever any at Sea did with their hand In fine The Brave and Noble Ossory Is known and honoured enough by Sea And now the Land desires to have its share Of knowing and of honouring him there To the Lady MARY CANDISH MADAM IN this our Age when thar so Critick grown They seek to find out spots even in the Moon And Sun it self I scarce should be believ'd If I should tell how virtuously y 'ave liv'd Pure as a Chrystal mirrour chaste as Ice And full as free from stain or spot of Vice Nor Stars in Heaven nor Ermins on the Snow In all their wayes could more unblemisht go One who the Secret and Receipt has got To silence Rumour and stop Slanders Throat When everywhere th' ar so outragious grown To bark and bite at Fames of every one The onely Sanctuary where Vertu 's free And Feminin Honour safe and finally The best example of a Virgins life And perfect pattern of a married Wife These are your praises and you may contest With any of your Sex for all the rest To JAMES Duke of MONMOUTH begun at his going into France An. 1669 and ended at his coming from the Siege of Maestricht An. 1673. VVE to the French as much in Court did yield As they to us did formerly i' th' Field Till Manmouth went and overcame them more I' th' Court than e'r we did i' th' Field before How fatal to the French is Monmouth's Name They shu'd be twice thus Conquer'd by the same By Valour first in War and now no less A second time by Gallantry in Peace Now Noble Monmouth Was it not enough That thou in Court shu'dst give so great a proof How gallant and how brave thou wert but thou I' th' Field shu'dst give no less a proof of 't too Since thou so early dost begin to tread The paths of Virtue which to Honour lead From this great Valour and great Soul of thine What may the World expect of thee in time But for our glory thou shu'dst Conquer more Than ever Harry Monmouth did before To the Duke of ALBEMARLE going to SEA IN these our Warlike Times when every one Is going to Sea and shames to stay at home Your King and Countrey have more care than so Amongst the rest my Lord to let you go For th' honour which your Father left you is Not only yours but your Posterities And they as his Trustees concerned ar Till y 'ave an Heir you shu'd not go to War Like falling Palaces which none repairs Their Honours are whose Houses have no Heirs And they but build without foundation Who have no Heirs to found their Houses on They know upon what ground you found your Right Of being a Souldier and of going to fight But if born of a General as you ar You think y 'ave so great Right to go to War Your Son will have a greater Right than you Not only born o' th' Race of one but two These are their chiefest Arguments and how You 'll answer them my Lord I do not know To FRANCES Dutchess of RICHMOND on
Sandwich has out-done them all To the Earl of Ossory On his going to SEA MOst Noble Ossory who dost possess So much of Honour and of Nobleness As were all Honour all Nobility In others lost they might be found in thee In these our Wars at Sea where Death does stand With twice more force and terrour than at Land Into what danger thou thy life dost bear The less Thou fear'st the more thy friends do fear But when we talk of danger unto him Who Life than Honour does far less esteem This onely's all the answer he does give There 's need to go but there 's no need to live Go then since nothing can be throughly done But where the Noble Ossory is one There 's nothing now that England needs to fear When YORK is Leader and He Follower Who 's both in Peace and War by Land and Sea so fit to serve his Country every way As for true Honour true Nobility England had ne'r a braver man than He. To the Lord HENRY HOWARD of Norfolk now Earl of Norwich And Lord High Marshal of England On his African Voyage COmmanded by your Prince you did not say For your Excuse A Lion's in the way But by Obedience and by Honour led Even into Africh went where they are bred Teaching of Subjects by the haste you made How Kings and Princes are to be obey'd And how they obey but slowly and too late When they demur or else capitulate By your Example then whoere are sent By Kings abroad may learn this Document How they but serve themselves and not their Kings Who onely obey in fafe and easie things And how there 's little Honour to obey When difficulty and danger is away Let then your talking Croud say what they will The greater Danger greater Honour still And that my Lord you went to Africk for Let who 's lift go to fetch the Golden Oar. To the Same On his Voyage to CONSTANTINOPLE WHilst Merchants Traffick for their lucre You Traffick for Honour wheresoere you go Of which brave Merchandize you always make A noble and rich Return at coming back Witness that Voyage which you lately made To the Levant where is the richest Trade Besides now into Italy again Now into France and unto farthest Spain How Rich the while must th' Howards be of 't who Have such brave Factors for 't abroad as You And are so honour'd for 't at home as they Without offence and vanity may say As God first made the Light then made the Sun A bright and great Reserve for 't when h 'had done So Kings make Honour's and the Howards are The great Reserves of 't still you finde it there On WELBECK the Duke of Newcastle's House Where he so Royally Entertain'd the last KING WElbeck's a Royal place where every thing Seems made for Entertainment of a King And all the World confesses that he ne'r Was entertain'd more Royally than there Whose Cellar and whose Larder seem t' have bin Of ev'ry forraign Land the Magazin Whilst every where their Rarities were sought By Land and Sea and unto Welbeck brought Let others wonder at thy Lords expence And at the vastness of 's magnificence Whose feast was but Preludium to the cost With which soon after he maintain'd an Host. He who would venture's Fortunes Life and all To serve his Master when his General For me I ne'r shall wonder that he wou'd Not spare his Purse that wou'd not spare his Bloud TO FRANCES Dutchess of Albemarle Madame THe chiefest Office that the Poet has Is to give others their deserved praise And when they finde a true and real worth T' adorn it handsomely and set it forth So there are some they praise for nothing else But Beauty or the outside of themselves Others and more deservedly agen They praise for Vertue or th' inside of them And sometimes for Nobility of Bloud When 't is ennobled by some greater good All which of noble fair and vertuous too Being to perfection Madam found in You Whoever does not praise you for 't must be No Poet or else blinde and cannot see And as for me Madam though I were none The seeing You were enough to make me one IN MEMORY OF The Lady IANE CHEYNEE THe gentlest temper and the mildest brest Most apt to pardon needing pardon least Whose Blush was all her Reprehension And none ere heard her chide or saw her frown Who was so liberal to the Poor she scant Thought any thing her own whilst they did want And scarce had any Passion of her own But was for others All compassion So Innocent she was in guiltiest time Omission of doing good was all her Crime And those omissions chiefly did proceed From the abundance too o' th' good she did In fine a Saint she liv'd and so she di'd And now is gone where onely they abide Make much of her ye Saints for Heav'n knows when Your Quires will ever have her like agen On MARY Dutchess of Richmond WHether a chearful air does rise And elevate her fairer Eyes Or a pensive heaviness Her lovely Eye-lids does depress Still the same becoming Grace Accompanies her Eyes and Face Still you 'd think that habit best In which her Count'nance last was drest Poor Beauties whom a look or glance Can sometimes make looks fair by chance Or curious dress or artful care Can make seem fairer than they are Give me the Eyes give me the Face To which no Art can adde a Grace Give me the Looks no garb nor dress Can ever make more fair or less On GEORGE Duke of Buckingham her Father To the Lord Duke her Brother THe Gallantst Person and the Noblest Minde In all the World his Prince could ever finde Or to participate his private cares Or bear the publick weight of his affairs All which he bore as steady and as even As ever Atlas did the Globe of Heaven Like well-built Arches stronger with their weight And well-built Mindes the steadier with their height Such was the Composition and Frame O' th' Noble and the Gallant Buckingham These whilst he liv'd your Fathers praises were And now he 's dead are Yours my Lord his Heir The winning Carriage and the smiling Grace Of his exterior Person and his Face The noble Vertues of 's interiour Brest And in 's Example you have all the rest To LILLY DRAWING The Dutchess of Cleveland's Picture STay daring man and ne'r presume to draw Her Picture till thou mayst such Colours get As Zeuxis or Apelles never saw Nor ere were known by any Painter yet Till from all Beauties thou extracts the grace And from the Sun the Beams that gild the Skies Never presume to draw her Beauteous face Nor paint the radiant brightness of her Eyes In vain the while thou dost the labour take Since none can set her forth to her desert She who 's above all Nature ere did make Much more 's above all can be made by Art Yet be n't discourag'd for whoere does see 't