VII. AT A SOLEMN MUSIC. BLEST pair of Sirens, pledges of Heav'n's joy, With saintly shout, and solemn jubilee, Singing everlastingly; That we on earth with undiscording voice May rightly answer that melodious noise; As once we did, till disproportion'd Sin 10 15 Jarr'd against Nature's chime, and with harsh din 20 Broke the fair music that all creatures made To their great Lord, whose love their motion sway'd In perfect diapason, whilst they stood, In first obedience, and their state of good. O may we soon again renew that song, And keep in tune with Heav'n, till God ere long To his celestial consort us unite, 25 To live with him, and sing in endless morn of light. VIII. AN EPITAPH. ON THE MARCHIONESS OF WINCHESTER. THIS rich marble doth inter The honour'd wife of Winchester 6. Concent; from the Italian concento, harmony. 7. Ezek. 1. 26. A Viscount's daughter, an Earl's heir, Added to her noble birth, More than she could own from earth. And calls Lucina to her throes; And with remorseless cruelty 96. Lucina, the goddess said by the ancients to be present at births.Atropos, one of the fates. 30 35 40 And those pearls of dew she wears, Gentle Lady, may thy grave After this thy travail sore And some flowers, and some bays, For thy hearse, to strow the ways, Sent thee from the banks of Came, Devoted to thy virtuous name; 60 Whilst thou, bright Saint, high sitst in glory, And at her next birth, much like thee, Through pangs fled to felicity, Far within the bosom bright Of blazing Majesty and Light: 70 There with thee, new welcome Saint, IX. SONG.-ON MAY MORNING. Now the bright morning star, day's harbinger, 63. Syrian shepherdess, Rachel. See Gen. xxix. 9. Woods and groves are of thy dressing, Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing. Thus we salute thee with our early song, And welcome thee, and wish thee long. X. ON SHAKSPEARE. 1630. 19 WHAT needs my Shakspeare for his honour'd bones The labour of an age in piled stones, Or that his hallow'd reliques should be hid Under a starry-pointing pyramid? Dear son of Memory, great heir of Fame, What need'st thou such weak witness of thy name? Thou in our wonder and astonishment Hast built thyself a live-long monument. For whilst to th' shame of slow-endeavouring Art Thy easy numbers flow, and that each heart 10 Dost make us marble with too much conceiving; XI ON THE UNIVERSITY CARRIER. 15 Who sickened in the time of his vacancy, being forbid to go to London by reason of the plague. HERE lies old Hobson; Death hath broke his girt, Hobson is reckoned among the most celebrated Cambridge characters. He was the first who set up an establishment for hack horses, and his resolution in obliging whoever canie to hire to take the one which stood next him, gave birth to the wellknown saying of Hobson's choice, this or none. He made a considerable fortune, and there is a picture of him at Cambridge, for which a very considerable sum has been repeatedly offered and refused. When I was there, it was in the Norwich waggon office, to the walls of which I was told it belonged by an inalienable right. 5 'Twas such a shifter, that if truth were known, And thinking now his journey's end was come, In the kind office of a chamberlain 10 Shew'd him his room where he must lodge that night, Pull'd off his boots, and took away the light: If any ask for him, it shall be said, Hobson has supp'd, and 's newly gone to bed. XII. ANOTHER ON THE SAME. HERE lieth one, who did most truly prove While he might still jog on and keep his trot, 16 Time numbers notion, yet (without a crime 10 15 Too long vacation hasten'd on his term. 20 |