Selected quad for the lemma: power_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A53525
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The poet's complaint of his muse, or, A satyr against libells a poem / by Thomas Otway.
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Otway, Thomas, 1652-1685.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing O556; ESTC R21975
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11,145
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28
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all things else he curst The Cell in which he though but seldom slept Lay like a Den uncleans'd unswept And there those Jewells which he lov'd he kept Old worn-out Statutes and Records Of Commons Priviledges and the Rights of Lords But bound up by themselves with care were laid All the Acts Resolves and Orders made By the old Long Rump-Parliament Through all the Changes of its Government From which with readiness he could debate Concerning Matters of the State All down from Goodly Forty one to Horrid Forty eight 15. His Friendship much our Monster sought By Instinct and by Inclination too So without much ado They were together brought To him Obedience Libell swore and by him was he taught He learnt of him all Goodness to detest To be asham'd of no Disgrace In all things but Obedience to be Beast To hide a Coward 's Heart and show a hardy Face He taught him to call Government a Clog But to bear Beatings like a Dog T' ave no Religion Honesty or Sense But to profess them all for a Pretence Fraught with these Moralls he began To compleat him more for Man Distinguisht to him in an hour 'Twixt Legislative and Iudicial power How to frame a Commonwealth And Democracy by stealth To palliate it at first and Cry 'T was but a Well-mixt Monarchy And Treason Salus Populi Into Rebellion to divide the Nation By fair Committees of Association How by a lawfull means to bring In Arms against himself the KING With a distinguishing old Trick 'Twixt persons Naturall and Politick How to make faithfull Servants Traitours Through-pac'd Rebells Legislators And at last Troupers Adjutators Thus well inform'd and furnisht with enough Of such like wordy canting Stuff Our Blade set forth and quickly grew A Leader in a factious Crew Where e're he came 't was he first silence broke And swell'd with every word he spoke By which becoming sawcy Grace He gain'd Authority and Place By many for Preferments was thought fit For talking Treason without Fear or Wit For opening Failings in the State For loving noisy and unsound Debate And wearing of a Mysticall green Ribband in his Hat 16. Thus like Alcides in his Lion's skin He very dreadfull grew But like that Hercules when Love crept in And th'Hero to his Distaff drew His foes that found him saw he was but Man So when my faithless Clio by her Snare Had brought him to her Arms and I surpriz'd him there At once to hate and scorn him I began To see how foolishly sh 'ad drest And for diversion trickt the Beast He was Poetry all o're On ev'ry side behind before About him nothing could I see But particolour'd Poetry Painter's Advices Letanies Ballads and all the spurious excess Of ills that Malice could devise Or ever swarm'd from a licentious Press Hung round about him like a Spell And in his own hand too was writ That worthy piece of modern Wit The Countrey 's late Appeal But from such Ills when will our wretched State Be freed and who shall crush this Serpent's head 'T is said we may in Ancient Legends read Of a huge Dragon sent by Fate To lay a sinfull Kingdom wast So through it all he rang'd devouring as he past And each day with a Virgin broke his fast Till wretched Matrons curst their Wombs So hardly was their loss endur'd The Lovers all despair'd and sought their Tombs In the same Monster 's Jaws and of their Pains were cur'd Till like our Monster too and with the same Curst ends to the Metropolis he came His Cruelties renew'd again And every day a Maid was slain The Curse through ev'ry Family had past When to the Sacrifice at last Th' unhappy Monarch's onely Child must bow A Royall Daughter needs must suffer then a ROYALL BROTHER now 17. On Him this Dragon Libell needs will prey On Him has cast His sordid Venom and prophan'd With spurious Verse his spotless Fame Which shall for ever stand Unblemisht and to Ages last When all his Foes lie buried in their Shame Else tell me why some Prophet that is wise Heav'n took such care To make Him every thing that 's rare Dear to the Heart desirous to the Eyes Why do all Good men bless Him as he goes Why at his presence shrink his Foes Why do the Brave all strive his Honour to defend Why through the World is he distinguisht most By Titles which but few can boast A most Iust Master and a Faithfull Friend One who never yet did wrong To high or low to old or young Of Him what Orphan can complain Of Him what Widdow make her Moan But such as wish Him here again And miss his Goodness now He 's gone If this be as I am sure 't is true Then prithee Prophet tell me too Why lives He in the World's Esteem Not one man's Foe and why then are not all men Friends with Him 18. When e're his Life was set at stake For his ungratefull Country's sake What Dangers or what Labours did He ever shun Or what Wonders has not done Watchfull all night and busy all the day Spreading his Fleet in sight of Holland's shore Triumphantly ye saw his Flags and Streamers play Then did the English Lion roar Whilst the Belgian couchant lay Big with the thoughts of Conquest and Renown Of Britain's Honour and his own To them He like a threat'ning Comet shin'd Rough as the Sea and furious as the Wind But Constant as the Stars that never move Or as Women would have Love The trembling Genius of their State Lookt out and straight shrunk back his head To see our daring Banners spread Whilst in their Harbours they Like Batten'd Monsters weltring lay The Winds when Ours th 'ad kiss'd scorn'd with their Flags to play But drooping like their Captains hearts Each Pendant every Streamer hung The Seamen seem'd t' have lost their Arts. Their Ships at Anchor now of which w 'had heard them boast With ill-furl'd sails and Rattlings loose by every Billow tost Lay like neglected Harps untun'd unstrung Till at the last provok'd with Shame Forth from their Dens the baited Foxes came Foxes in Council and in Fight too Grave Seldom true and now not brave They bluster'd out the day with shew of Fight And ran away in the good-natur'd Night 19. A bloudy Battel next was fought And then in Triumph home a welcom Fleet He brought With Spoils of Victory and Glory fraught To Him then every heart was open down From the Great man to the Clown In Him rejoic'd to Him enclin'd And as his Health round the glad Board did pass Each honest fellow cry'd Fill full my glass And shew'd the fulness of his Mind No discontented Vermin of ill Times Durst then affront him but in show Nor Libell dash Him with his dirty Rhymes Nor may he live in peace that does it now And whose Heart would not wish so too That had but seen When his tumultuous misled Foes Against Him rose With what Heroick