Where he had feen a brighter nymph than she *
That sprung out of his prefent foe, the fea.
That noble ardour, more than mortal fire,
The conquer'd ocean could not make expire;
Nor angry Thetis raife her waves above
Th' heroick Prince's courage or his love :
'Twas indignation, and not fear he felt,
The shrine should perish where that image dwelt. 110
Ah, Love forbid! the nobleft of thy train
Should not furvive to let her know his pain;
Who nor his peril minding nor his flame,
Is entertain'd with some lefs serious game,
Among the bright nymphs of the Gallick court, 115
All highly born, obfequious to her sport :
They roses feem, which in their early pride
But half reveal, and half their beauties hide;
She the glad morning, which her beams does throw
Upon their smiling leaves, and gilds them fo;
Like bright Aurora whofe refulgent ray
Foretels the fervour of enfuing day,
And warns the shepherd with his flocks retreat
To leafy fhadows from the threaten'd heat.
From Cupid's ftring of many fhafts, that fled 123 Wing'd with those plumes which noble Fame had shed, As thro' the wond'ring world fhe flew, and told Of his adventures, haughty, brave, and bold;
Some had already touch'd the royal maid,
But Love's first fummons feldom are obey'd:
Light was the wound, the Prince's care unknown,
She might not, would not, yet reveal her own,
His glorious name had fo poffefs'd her ears,
That with delight thofe antique tales the hears
Of Jafon, Thefeus, and fuch worthies old,
As with his story best refemblance hold.
And now the views, as on the wall it hung,
What old Mufæus fo divinely fung;
Which art with life and love did so inspire,
That the difcerns and favours that defire;
Which there provokes th’advent`rous youth to swim,
And in Leander's danger pities him;
Whofe not new love alone, but fortune, feeks
To frame his ftory like that amorous Greek's.
For from the ftern of fome good fhip appears
A friendly light, which moderates their fears:
New courage from reviving hope they take,
And climbing o'er the waves that taper
On which the hope of all their lives depends,
As his on that fair Hero's hand extends.
The fhip at anchor, like a fixed rock,
Breaks the proud billows which her large fides knock;
Whofe rage reftrained, foaming higher fwells,
And from her port the weary barge repels.
Threat'ning to make her, forced out again,
Repeat the dangers of the troubled main.
Twice was the cable hurl'd in vain; the Fates
Would not be moved for our fifter states.
For England is the third fuccefsful throw,
And then the genius of that land they know,
Whose prince must be (as their own books devife)
Lord of the fcene where now his danger lies.
Well fung the Roman bard, “ All human things “Of dearest value hang on flender strings.” O fee the then fole hope, and in design Of Heav'n, our joy, fupported by a line! Which for that instant was heav'n's care above, The chain that 's fixed to the throne of Jove, On which the fabrick of our world depends, One link diffolv'd, the whole creation ends.
OF HIS MAJESTY'S
RECEIVING THE NEWS OF THE
DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM'S DEATH.
So earnest with thy God! can no new care,
No fenfe of danger, interrupt thy pray'r?
The facred Wrestler, till a bleffing giv'n,
Quits not his hold, but halting conquers Heav'n.
Nor was the fiream of thy devotion stopp'd,
When from the body fuch a limb was lopp'd,
As to thy present state was no lefs maim,
Tho' thy wife choice has fince repair'd the fame.
Bold Homer durft not so great virtue feign
In his best pattern*: of Patroclus flain,
With fuch amazement as weak mothers ufe,
And frantick gefture, he receives the news.
Yet fell his darling by th' impartial chance
Of war, impos'd by royal Hector's lance;
Thine in full peace, and by a vulgar hand
Torn from thy bofom, left his high command.
The famous painter† could allow no place
For private forrow in a prince's face :
Yet, that his piece might not exceed belief,
He caft a veil upon fuppofed grief.
'Twas want of fuch a precedent as this
Made the old Heathen frame their gods amifs.
Their Phoebus fhould not act a fonder part
For the fair boy ‡, than he did for his hart;
Nor blame for Hyacinthus' fate his own,
That kept from him wifh'd death, hadst thou been
He that with thine shall weigh good David's deeds,
Shall find his paffion nor his love exceeds ;
He curs'd the mountains where his brave friend dy'd,
But let falfe Ziba with his heir divide;
Where thy immortal love to thy bleft friends,
Like that of Heav'n, upon their feed defcends.
Such huge extremes inhabit thy great mind,
God-like, unmov'd, and yet, like woman, kind!
+ Cypariffus
Which of the ancient poets had not brought
Our Charles' pedigree from Heav'n, and taught How fome bright dame, comprefs'd by mighty Jove, Produc'd this mix'd Divinity and Love?
TAKING OF SALLE.
Or Jafon, Thefeus, and such worthies old,
Light feem the tales Antiquity has told:
Such beasts and monfters as their force oppreft,
Some places only, and fome times, infest.
Salle, that fcorn'd all pow'r and laws of men,
Coods with their owners hurrying to their den,
And future ages threat'ning with a rude
And favage race, fucceflively renew'd;
Their king defpifing with rebellious pride,
And foes profeft to all the world befide;
This peft of mankind gives our hero fame,
And thro' th' obliged world dilates his name.
The Prophet once to cruel Agag said,
As thy fierce fword has mothers childless made,
So fhall the fword make thine; and with that word 15
He hew'd the man in pieces with his sword:
Juft Charles like measure has return'd to thefe
Whofe Pagan hands had stain'd the troubled feas;
With fhips they made the fpoiled merchant mourn;
With fhips their city and themselves are torņ.
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