HEROIC STANZAS On the Death of OLIVER CROMWELL, A Written after his FUNERAL. I. ND now 'tis time; for their officious hafte, Like eager 6 Romans, ere all rites were paft, 6 It was ufual to conceal an eagle on the top of the funeral pile, deftined to receive the dead body of the Roman imperator. When the pile was fet on fire, the bird was fet at liberty, and mounting into the air, was fuppofed by the common people to carry with it to heaven the foul the deceased. of II. Tho' II. Tho' our beft notes are treason to his fame, Tho' in his praife no arts can liberal be, Since they, whofe mufes have the higheft flown, But do an act of friendship to their own : Yet 'tis our duty, and our interest too, Such monuments as we can build to raise; V. How fhall I then begin, or where conclude, His grandeur he deriv'd from heav'n alone; No borrow'd bays his temples did adorn, But to our crown he did fresh jewels bring; Fortune, that eafy mistress to the young, age IX. He private mark'd the fault of others fway. X. And yet dominion was not his defign; We owe that bleffing, not to him, but heav'n, Which to fair acts unfought rewards did join; Rewards, that lefs to him than us were given. XI. Our former chiefs, like fticklers of the war, Firft fought t' inflame the parties, then to poise; XII. War, our confumption, was their gainful trade: To ftaunch the blood by breathing of the vein. Swift and refiftlefs through the land he paft, And made to battles fuch heroic hafte, As if on wings of victory he flew, He fought fecure of fortune as of fame : Still by new maps, the island might be fhewn, His palms, tho' under weights they did not stand, 3 7 Alexander the great. XVI. Peace XVI. Peace was the prize of all his toil and care, Her fafety rescu'd Ireland to him owes; XVIII. Nor was he like those stars which only shine, XIX. 'Tis true, his count'nance did imprint an awe; And point to beds where fov'reign gold doth When past all off'rings to Feretrian Jove, grow. He Mars depos'd, and arms to gowns made yield; Successful councils did him foon approve As fit for close intrigues, as open field. XXI. To fuppliant Holland he vouchfaf'd a peace, 8 It is faid that at the fiege of Bologna in 1512, a mine blew up that part of the wall of the church of Sancta Maria del Baracano, on which stood a miraculous image of the blessed virgin. Tho' it was carried fo high, that both armies could fee one another thro' the breach, yet it fell again exactly into its place, so that it was impoffible to fee where it had been separated. XXII. Fame XXII. Fame of th' afferted fea through Europe blown, Made France and Spain ambitious of his love; Each knew that fide muft conquer he would own; And for him fiercely, as for empire, frove. XXIII. No fooner was the 9 Frenchman's cause embrac'd, XXIV. When abfent, yet we conquer'd in his right: XXV. For from all tempers he could service d ́aw; How the complexions did divide and brew. Or he their fingle virtues did furvey, By intuition in his own large breast, XXVII. When fuch heroic virtue heaven fets out, 9 The treaty of alliance which Cromwell entered into with France against the Spaniards, proved of the greatest service to that crown, fince by it Cromwell furnished thereto fix thousand men, who be haved always very gallantly, and turned the balance in its favour. XXVIII. From |