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it will ftir you up to make my poem fairer by many of your blots; if not, you know the ftory of the gamester who married the rich man's daughter, and when her father denied the portion, chriftened all the children by his firname, that if, in conclufion, they must beg, they fhould do fo by one name, as well as by the other. But fince the reproach of my faults will light on you, 'tis but reafon I fhould do you that juftice to the readers, to let them know, that, if there be any thing tolerable in this poem, they owe the argument to your choice, the writing to your encouragement, the correction to your judgment, and the care of it to your friendship, to which he must ever acknowledge himself to owe all things, who is,

SIR,

the moft obedient, and moft

faithful of your Servants,

From Charlton in Wiltshire,

Nov. 10, 1666.

JOHN DRYDEN.

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Scarce leaving us the means to claim our own;
Our King they courted, and our merchants aw'd.

2.

Trade, which like blood fhould circularly flow, Stopp'd in their channels, found its freedom loft: Thither the wealth of all the world did go,

And feem'd but shipwreck'd on fo base a coast.

3.

For them alone the heavens had kindly heat;
In eaftern quarries ripening precious dew I:
For them the Idumæan balm did fweat,,
And in hot Ceilon fpicy forefts grew.

1 In caftern quarries, &c. It is a notion with fome people, that precious ftones are drops of dew, condenfed and hardened by the warmth of the fun, or by fubterranean fires.

4. The

4.

The fun but feem'd the labourer of the year;

Each waxing moon fupply'd her watery ftore, To fwell thofe tides, which from the line did bear Their brim-full veffels to the Belgian fhore.

5.

Thus mighty in her fhips, flood Carthage long,
And swept the riches of the world from far;
Yet ftoop'd to Rome, lefs wealthy, but more ftrong:
And this may prove our fecond Punic war.

6.

What peace can be, where both to one pretend?

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(But they more diligent, and we more strong)

Or if a piece, it foon must have an end;

For they would grow too powerful were it long.

7.

Behold two nations then, engag'd so far,

That each seven years the fit muft shake each land: Where France will fide to weaken us by war, Who only can his vast designs withstand.

8.

See how he feeds th' Iberian with delays,
To render us his timely friendship vain :
And while his fecret foul on Flanders preys,
He rocks the cradle of the babe of Spain.

9.

Such deep defigns of empire does he lay

O'er them, whofe cause he seems to take in hand;

And prudently would make them lords at fea,
To whom with ease he can give laws by land.

10.

This faw our King; and long within his breaft
His penfive counfels balanc'd to and fro :
He griev'd the land he freed fhould be opprefs'd,
And he lefs for it than ufurpers do.

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II.

His generous mind the fair ideas drew

Of fame and honour, which in dangers lay; Where wealth, like fruit on precipices, grew, Not to be gather'd but by birds of prey.

12.

The lofs and gain each fatally were great;
And ftill his fubjects call'd aloud for war:
But peaceful kings, o'er martial people fet,
Each other's poize and counterbalance are.

13.

He firft furvey'd the charge with careful eyes,

Which none but mighty monarchs could maintain Yet judg'd, like vapours that from limbecs rife, It would in richer fhowers defcend again.

14.

At length refolv'd t' affert the watery ball,
He in himself did whole Armadoes bring:
Him aged feamen might their mafter call,
And chufe for general, were he not their King.
15.

It seems as every fhip their fovereign knows,
His awful fummons they fo fcon obey;
So hear the fcaly herd when Proteus blows,
And fo to pasture follow through the fea.
16.

To fee this fleet upon the ocean move,

Angels drew wide the curtains of the skies; And heaven, as if there wanted lights above, For tapers made two glaring comets rife.

17.

Whether they un&tuous exhalations are,
Fir'd by the fun, or feeming fo alone:
Or each fome more remote and flippery ftar,
Which lofes footing when to mortals fhewn.

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18. Or

18.

Or one, that bright companion of the fun,

Whofe glorious afpect feal'd our new-born King; And now a round of greater years begun,

New influence from his walks of light did bring.

19.

Victorious York did first with fam'd fuccefs,

To his known valour make the Dutch give place: Thus heaven our monarch's fortune did confess, Beginning conqueft from his royal race.

20.

But fince it was decreed, aufpicious King,

In Britain's right that thou shouldft wed the main, Heav'n, as a gage, would caft fome precious thing, And therefore doom'd that 2 Lawson fhould be flain.

21.

Lawfon amongst the foremost met his fate,

Whom fea-green Sirens from the rocks lament: Thus as an offering for the Grecian ftate,

He first was kill'd who firft to battle went.

22.

Their chief blown up in air, not waves, expir'd,
To which his pride prefum'd to give the law:
The Dutch confefs'd heaven prefent, and retir'd,
And all was Britain the wide ocean faw.

23.

To nearest ports their fhatter'd ships repair,
Where by our dreadful cannon they lay aw'd:
So reverently men quit the open air,

Where thunder speaks the angry gods abroad.

24.

And now approach'd their fleet from India fraught,
With all the riches of the rifing fun :

And precious fand from fouthern climates brought,
The fatal regions where the war begun.

2 Sir John Lawfon rear admiral of the red, killed by a ball that wounded him in the knee.

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