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The Eagle's Fate and mine are one,
Which on the shaft that made him die,
Efpy'd a Feather of his own,

Wherewith he won't to foar fo high.

Had Eccho with fo fweet a Grace,
Narciffus's loud Complaints return'd,
Not for Reflection of his Face,

But of his Voice, the Boy had burn'd.

Waller.

X.

Ode. Of Wit.

I.

TELL me, O tell, what kind of thing is Wit,
Thou who Mafter art of it.
For the firit Matter loves Variety lefs;
Lefs Women love't, either in Love or Drefs.
A thousand different Shapes it bears,
Comely in thoufand Shapes appears.
Yonder we faw it plain; and here 'tis now,
Like Spirits in a Place, we know not how.

2.

London, that vents of falfe Ware fo much store,
In no Ware deceives us more.

For Men led by the Colour, and the Shape,
Like Zeuxis Birds, fly to the painted Grape;
Some Things do through our Judgment pass,
As through a Multiplying Glafs.

And fometimes if the Object be too far,
We take a Falling Meteor for a Star.

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A clean and Lively Brown was Mcrab's dye,
Such as the prouder Colours might envy,
Michal's pure Skin fhone with fuch taintless White,
As fcatter'd the weak Rays of humane Sight.
Her Lips and Cheeks a nobler Red did fhew

Than e'er on Fruits or Flowers Heav'ns Pencil drew.
From Merab's Eyes,fierce and quick Light'nings came,
From Michal's, the Sun's mild, yet active Flame;
Merab's long Hair was gloffy Chefnut Brown,
Treffes of paleft Gold did Michal Crown.

Such was their outward Form, and one might find
A Difference not unlike it in the Mind.
Merab with comely Majefty and State,

Bore high th' Advantage of her Worth and Fate.
Such humble Sweetness did foft Michal fhow,
That none who reach'd fo high, e'er ftoop'd fo low.
Merab rejoyc'd in her wreck'd Lover's Pain,
And fortify'd her Virtue with Disdain.

The Grief the caus'd, gave gentle Michal Grief,
She wish'd her Beauties lefs for their Relief,
Ev'n to her Captives, civil; yet the excess
Of naked Virtue guarded her no lefs.

Business and Power Merab's large Thoughts did vex,
Her Wit difdain'd the Fetters of her Sex.
Michal no lefs difdain'd Affairs and Noife,
Yet did it not from Ignorance, but Choice:
In brief, both Copies were more fweetly drawn ;
Merab of Saul, Michal of Jonathan.

Mr. Copley.

VI.

In Imitation of Martial's Epigram, Si tecum mihi chare Martialis, &c. L. 5. Ep. 21.

F, dearest Friend, it my good Fate might be,
T'enjoy at once a quiet Life and Thee;
If we for Happiness could Leifure find,
And wandring Time into a Method bind,
We fhould not fure the Great Mens Favour need,
Nor on long Hopes, the Court's thin Diet, feed.
We should not Patience find daily to hear
The Calumnies and Flatteries fpoken there.
We fhou'd not the Lord's Tables humbly ufe,
Or talk in Ladies Chambers Love and News,
But Breks and wife Difcourfe, Gardens, and Fields,
And all the Joys that unmixt Nature yields.
Thick Summer fhades where Winter ftill does lie,
Bright Winter Fires that Summers part fupply.
Sleep not controul'd by Cares, confin'd to Night,
Or bound in any Rule, but Appetite.

Free, but not favage or ungracious Mirth,
Rich Wines to give it quick and eafy Birth.
A few Companions, which our felves fhould chufe,
A Gentle Mifrefs, and a Gentler Muse.

Such, deareft Friend, fuch without doubt fhould be
Our Place, our Bus'nefs, and our Company.
Now to Himfelf, alas, does neither live,
Eut fecs good Suns, of which we are to give
A ftrict Account, fet and march thick away;
Knows a Man how to live, and does he stay?

Cowley:

3.

Hence 'tis a Wit, that greatest Word of Fame,
Grows fuch a common Name;

And Wits by our Creation they become,
Juft fo, as Titular Bishops made at Rome.
'Tis not a Tale, 'tis not a feft,
Admir'd with Laughter at a Feaft,
Nor florid Talk which can the Title gain;
The Proofs of Wit for ever must remain.

4.

'Tis not to force fome Lifeless Verfes meet,
With their five Gouty Feet.

All every where, like Man's must be the Soul,
And Reafon the Inferiour Powers controul.
Such were the Numbers which could call,
The Stones into the Theban Wall.
Such Miracles are ceas'd; and now we fee,
No Towns or Houses rais'd by Poetry.

5.

Yet 'tis not to adorn and gild each Part;
That shows more Coft than Art.
Jewels at Nofe and Lips but ill appear;
Rather than all Thing Wit, let none be there.
Several Lights will not be feen,

If there be nothing elfe between.

Men doubt, because they stand fo thick i'th' Sky,
If those be Stars, which paint the Galaxy.

6.

'Tis not when two like Words make up one Noife,
Jefts for Dutch-Men, and English Boys.
In which who finds out Wit, the fame may fee
In Anagrams and Acroftiques, Poetry,
Much lefs can that have any Place,
At which a Virgin hides her Face;
Such Dross the Fire muft purge away; 'tis just
The Author blush there, where the Reader muft.

'Tis

7.

Tis not fuch Lines as almoft crack the Stage,
When Bajazet begins to Rage.

Nor a tall Metaphor in the Bombaft-way,
Nor the dry Chips of Short-Lung'd Seneca..
Nor upon all Things to obtrude,

And force fome odd Similitude.

What is it then, which like the Power Divine,
We only can by Negatives define?

8.

In a true peice of Wit all Things must be
Yet all Things there agree.

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As in the Ark, joyn'd without force or ftrife,
All Creatures dwel't; all Creatures that had Life:
Or as the Primitive Forms of all

(If we compare great things with fmall)
Which without Difcord or Confufion lie,
In that ftrange Mirror of the Deity.

9.

But Love, that Molds one Man up out of Two,
Makes me forget and injure you.

I took you for my felf, fure when I thought
That you in any thing were to be taught.
Correct my Error with thy Pen;
And if any ask me then,

What thing right Wit, and height of Genius is,
I'll only fhew your Lines, and fay, 'Tis this.

XI.

The Defpairing Shepherd.

Lexis fhun'd his Fellow-Swains,

Their Rural Sports, and Jocund Strains, 'Heav'n guard us all from Cupid's Bow!)

Cowley.

He

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