Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A62908
|
An elegy on the Most Reverend Father in God, His Grace, John, late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury by N. Tate ...
|
Tate, Nahum, 1652-1715.
|
1695
(1695)
|
Wing T186; ESTC R188
|
3,951
|
15
|
AN ELEGY ON THE Most Reverend Father in God HIS GRACE JOHN LATE Lord Archbishop of CANTERBURY By N. TATE Servant to His Majesty LONDON Printed for B. Aylmer at the Three Pigeons against the Royal-Exchange in Cornhill and W. Rogers at the Sun against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-street MDCXCV TO THE READER T WAS Reverence for so Extraordinary a Subject not Want of Inclination that so long withheld me from making This Attempt And I could willingly have supprest it in the Consternation that has since befall'n us But 't is now Publish'd in Submission to some Persons whose Respect for the Great Deceas'd inclin'd them to think too favourably of the Performance However if the Picture I have drawn of so great a Man be dislik'd it may oblige some more Skilful Hand to do Right to His Memory for whose Character the World has so just a Veneration N. T. Licensed JANUARY 1. 1694 5. AN ELEGY On His GRACE JOHN Late Lord Archbishop of CANTERBURY COmplaints like Ours in Ramah's Vale were heard When Samuel's Awful Reliques were interr'd Like Him by Heav'n approv'd and Earth admir'd Our Age's greatest Prophet is Expir'd Just Honours to his Sepulchre we 'll pay But some kind Seraph must instruct the way A Garland for his Marble we 'll compose Of Syrian Lillies and the Sharon Rose Arabia's Spice in one rich Pile should flame And Gilead's Balm less precious than his Name But when the Treasures of the East are spent In pious Off'rings at his Monument All Rites perform'd that to his Urn belong To whom shall Fame entrust the Fun'ral Song The Graces Speechless to his Shrine repair Ev'n Art and Wit stand silent Mourners There Yet bolder Zeal will Bands of Duty break And Gratitude be priviledg'd to speak True Passion too can Inspiration bring 'T was Grief first taught the Nightingal to sing From His as from Elijah's powerful Tomb Ev'n my dead Muse shall vital Warmth resume Heark from on high I hear a Seraph say Hence ye unhallow'd for my Charge make way The Crowd retire a Matron streight appears Stars on her Head her Face bedew'd with Tears How charming are her Looks Tho doubly now opprest with Grief and Years Divine Eusebia tho in Sables drest Is still by her Angelick Mien confest Charm'd with her Voice the listning Winds repair While Thus her balmy Sighs perfume the Air. Pity me Heaven for your All-searching Eye Can only to my Grief 's deep Centre pry Behold me once of Mothers the most blest Of Mourning Mothers now the most distrest Compell'd my Temple's Glory to resign My SUN extinguish'd who with Rays divine Blaz'd out and taught my Younger Stars to Shine My Pow'rful Pan my Ruling Pastor's dead Whose Pious Care my Flocks and Shepherds fed When mighty Realms enslav'd to Error lay And Empires stoop'd to Mystick Babel's sway Then could I boast such was my Patriarch's Care To shew th' Apostate World an Apostolick Chair To Envy I appeal for we may trust Envy her self with such Religious Dust If ever Guide with more Reluctance took Or menag'd with such Skill my Ruling Crook A Crook that once committed to His Hand Wrought Miracles and bloom'd like Aaron's Wand Endu'd with Power to work my Flocks Increase And charm Contending Shepherds into Peace Not wily Jacob's Mystick Arts of old Prevail'd with such Success on Laban's Fold As his unblemish'd open Life to gain The Separating Straglers of the Plain Matrons Abroad for Reformation fam'd From Superstitious Vanities reclaim'd My Temple 's Ancient Honour saw Renew'd And bless'd my Stars and for my Friendship su'd On Me these Blessings my kind Saint conferr'd Transporting Blessings but with him interr'd With faint Delight shall I my Vintage press Listless the Harvest of his Toils possess Bereav'd of Him who did my Comforts bless As Israel's Guide from Pisgah's Mount withdrew The Desart pass'd and promis'd Land in view To such rebated Joys my Tribes are led Canaan in Prospect but their Leader dead How short-liv'd was the Transport I possest For which with Tears I had so oft addrest For This did Saints and Angels long intreat And Caesar court him to my Past'ral Seat Approach my Sons with Me approach his Shrine In One Condoling Dirge your Voices join Your Albion-Rocks with these sad Accents rend We have a Father Lost Mankind a Friend Thus mourn'd the Matron and with Sighs opprest His Sacred Urn embracing Wept the Rest. With no less Passion Britain's State Complain'd No less the Loss that Britain's State sustain'd When threatning Danger did the Realm surprize Not Homer's Nestor could like Him Advise His Words as if Inspir'd Impression made Ulysse's Skill without his Craft display'd His Counsels ne'er were varnish'd o'er with Art With Policy He still did Truth impart Spoke Oracles but always spoke his Heart No passive Gorgon did his Reason charm To hang dead Weights on our Restorer's Arm His Measures He from sacred Sanctions drew To Heav'n and to his Countries Int'rest true Hence by respect to Him her Friends were known And she discover'd in His Foes her own When first in Learning's Orb His Lustre blaz'd The World look'd up transported and amaz'd Nor less surpriz'd bewail his Beams withdrawn Pensive and hopeless of another Dawn So pleas'd and wondring our great Parent view'd The first day's Sun and with charm'd Eyes pursu'd And when from Sight the setting Lamp withdrew So He out-wept the Night's distilling Dew In sable Shades Grief's Vigil kept untir'd With Looks still Westward fix'd where Day expir'd The Labyrinths of knowledge He descry'd With REASON like a Sibyl for his Guide And with Her Oracles divinely blest As happily her Dictates he exprest His pow'rfull Style an artfull Nature grac't Expressive words and all with Judgment plac't Hence they like chosen well-rank'd Troops prevail'd And through the Hearer's Ear his Soul assail'd His Eloquence was neither course nor vain From Arrogance and Stiffness did refrain Courtly Familiar and Majestick Plain Extensive Sense He into compass drew Said what was Just and always something New That did surprizingly our Souls delight As sov'raign Beauty conquers at first Sight He thus compleatly Arm'd for Truth 's Defence His pious Warfare early did commence Gigantick Atheism first His Vigour try'd A daring Foe that Heaven it self defy'd Ev'n Hell at first this Monster 's Brood disclaim'd Nor one fall'n Angel knew for Atheism damn'd But Earth more impious than the Realms of Night Sent Hell a Race of Fiends that did her Furies fright Ah stupid Crew who Reason wou'd employ Eternal Reason's Essence to destroy The Fable's now to impious practice grown These Sons of Earth wou'd Heav'ns true Jove dethrone Rome's Dragon next our Champion did engage The same that dar'd of old th' Arch-Angel's Rage And flush'd once more with Arbitrary Pow'r Waited Eusebia's Off-spring to devour But when his Torrent-Pride did highest swell Confronted by this second Michael fell And when at last he saw as 't was but just The Champion with his rescu'd Charge to