X. TO THE LADY MARGARET LEY. DAUGHTER to that good once AUGHTER to that good Earl, once prefident Who liv'd in both, unftain'd with gold or fee, And left them both, more in himself content, Till fad the breaking of that Parliament Broke him, as that dishoneft victory At Chæronea, fatal to liberty, Kill'd with report that old man eloquent. That all both judge you to relate them true, 5 ΤΟ 14 XI. ON THE DETRACTION WHICH FOLLOWED UPON MY WRITING CERTAIN TREATISES. A BOOK was writ of late call'd Tetrachordon. And woven clofe, both matter, form and style; The fubject new; it walk'd the Town awhile. Numb'ring good intellect; now feldom por'd on. Cries the tall-reader, Blefs us! what a word on 5 A title page is this! and fome in file Stand fpelling falfe, while one might walk to MileEnd Green. Why is it harder Sirs than Gordon, Colkitto, or Macdonnel, or Galatp? Thofe rugged names to our like mouths grow fleek, That would have made Quintilian ftare and gafp. 11 Thy age, like ours, O Soul of Sir John Cheek, Hated not learning worse than toad or alp, When thou taught'ft at Cambridge, and King Edward [Greek. XII. ON THE SAME. I By the known Pults of ancient linerty, DID but prompt the age to quit their clogs When ftrait a barbarous noife environs me Of owls and cuccoos, affès, apes and dogs: As when thofe hinds that were transform'd to frogs 5 Rail'd at Latona's twin-born progeny. Which after held the fun and moon in fee, That bawl for freedom in their fenfeleis mood, For who loves that, muft first be wife and good; HAR ΙΟ 14 5 XIII. TO MR. H. LAWES, ON HIS AIRS. [ARRY, whose tuneful and well-measur'd song Firft taught our English mufic how to span Words with just note and accent, not to fcan With Midas' ears, committing short and long; Thy worth and kill exempts thee from the throng, With praise enough for Envy to look wan; To after age thou fhall be writ the man That with imooth air could't humour beit our tongue. Thou honour'it verfe, and verfe muft lend her wing To honour thee, the priest of Phoebus' quire That tun'ft their happieft lines in hymn or story. Dante fhall give Fame leave to fet thee higher Than his Cafella, whom he woo'd to fing, Met in the milder fhades of purgatory. ΙΟ 14 XIV. ON THE RELIGIOUS MEMORY OF MRS. CATHARINE THOMSON, MY CHRISTIAN FRIEND. Deceas'd 16 Dec. 1646. HEN faith and love, which parted from theè WHEN never, Had ripen'd thy juft foul to dwell with God Love led them on, and Faith who knew them best Thy hand-maids, clad them o'er with purple beams 5 And azure wings, that up they flew so drest And fpake the truth of thee on glorious themes Before the Judge, who thenceforth bid thee reft, And drink thy fill of pure immortal streams. XV. TO THE LORD GENERAL FAIRFAX. FAIRE AIRFAX, whose name in arms through Europe Filling each mouth with envy or with praise, And all her jealous monarchs with amaze Victory home, though new rebellions raise O yet a nobler task awaits thy hand, And public faith clear'd from the shameful brand Of public fraud. In vain doth Valour bleed, While Avarice and Rapine share the land. XVI. TO THE LORD GENERAL CROMWELL. CR II 14 10 14 [cloud, ROMWELL, our chief of men, who, through a Not of war only, but detractions rude, Guided by faith and matchlefs fortitude, To peace and truth thy glorious way haft plough'd, And on the neck of crowned Fortune proud 5 10 Haft rear'd God's trophies, and his work purfu'd, While Darwen ftream with blood of Scots imbru'd, And Dunbar field refounds thy praises loud, And Worcester's laureat wreath. Yet much remains To conquer ftill; Peace hath her victories No lefs renown'd than War: new foes arife Threat'ning to bind our fouls with fecular chains: Help us to fave free confcience from the paw Of hireling wolves, whofe gospel is their maw. VOL. II. T 14. XVII. TO SIR HENRY VANE THE YOUNGER. VANE, in better fenator ne er held ANE, young in years, but in fage council old, 5 The helm of Rome, when gowns, not arms, repell'd The fierce Epirot and the African bold, Whether to fettle peace, or to unfold The drift of hollow ftates hard to be spell'd Then to advife how War may beft upheld Move by her two main nerves, iron and gold, In all her equipage: befides to know Both fpiritual power and civil, what each means, IQ What fevers each, thou haft learn'd, which few have done : The bounds of either fword to thee we owe : Therefore on thy firm hand Religion leans In peace, and reckons thee her eldest fon. 14 XVIII. ON THE LATE MASSACRE IN PIEMONT. AVENGE, O Lord, thy slaughter'd faints, whose bones Lie scatter'd on the Alpine mountains cold; E'en them who kept thy truth fo pure of old, When all our fathers worthipt stocks and ftones, Forget not; in thy book record their groans Who were thy theep, and in their ancient fold Slain by the bloody Piemontese, that roll'd Mother with infant down the rocks. Their moans The vales redoubled to the hills, and they W XIX. ON HIS BLINDNESS. WHEN I confider how my light is spent 5 10 14 Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide, And that one talent which is death to hide, Lodg'd with me ufelefs, though my foul more bent That murmur, foon replies, God doth not heed Bear his mild yoke, they ferve him beft; his state Is kingly; thou lands at his bidding speed, And poft o'er land and ocean without reit: They also serve who only stand and wait. XX. TO MR. LAWRENCE. LAWRENCE, of virtuous father virtuous fon; 34 Now that the fields are dank, and ways are mire, Where fhall we fometimes meet, and, by the fire, Help waste a fullen day, what may be won From the hard feafon gaining? time will run On smoother, till Favonius re-inspire The frozen earth, and clothe in fresh attire The lily and rofe, that neither fow'd nor spun. What neat repast shall feast us, light and choice Of attic tafte, with wine, whence we may rife To hear the lute well touch'd, or artful voice CY XXI. TO CYRIAC SKINNER. YRIAC, whofe grandfire on the royal bench T 2 10 14 10 |