Page images
PDF
EPUB

The miniftring angels none can fee;

"Tis not their beauty or face,

For which by men they worship'd be;

But their high office, and their place. 20 Thou art my goddefs; my faint, fhe; I pray to her, only to pray to thee.

THE EPICURE.

[FROM ANACREON.]

BY THE SAME.

UNDERNEATH this myrtle shade,
On flow'ry beds fupinely laid,

With od❜rous oyls my head o'erflowing,

And around it roses growing,

What should I do but drink away

5

The heat, and troubles of the day?

In this more than kingly state,
Love himself shall on me wait.
Fill to me, Love; nay, fill it up;
And mingled caft into the cup
Wit, and mirth, and noble fires,
Vigorous health, and gay defires;

10

The wheel of life no less will stay
In a smooth, than rugged way:
Since it equally doth fly,

Let the motion pleasant be.

Why do we precious ointments show'r,
Nobler wines why do we pour,
Beauteous flowers why do we spread,
Upon the mon❜ments of the dead?
Nothing they but dust can show,
Or bones that haften to be fo.

Crown me with rofes whilft I live,
Now your wines and ointments give:
After death I nothing crave,

Let me alive my pleasures have,
All are ftoicks in the grave.

15

20

25

}"

CLAUDIANS OLD MAN OF VERONA.

BY THE SAME.

HAPPY the man, who his whole time doth bound,

Within th' enclosure of his little ground.

Happy the man, whom the fame humble place, (Th' hereditary cottage of his race)

From his first rifing infancy has known,

And by degrees fees gently bending down
With natural propenfion to that earth,

5

10

Which both preferv'd his life, and gave him birth.
Him no false distant lights, by Fortune fet,
Could ever into foolish wandrings get.
He never dangers either faw or fear'd:
The dreadful ftorms at fea he never heard.
He never heard the fhrill alarms of war,
Or the worse noises of the lawyers bar.

No change of confuls marks to him the year, 15
The change of feafons is his calendar.

The cold and heat winter and fummer fhows,
Autumn by fruits, and fpring by flow'rs, he knows.
He measures time by land-marks, and has found
For the whole day the dial of his ground.
A neighb'ring wood born with himself he sees,
And loves his old contemporary trees.

H' as only heard of near Verona's name,

And knows it like the Indies, but by fame,

Does with a like concernment notice take

Of the Red-fea, and of Benacus lake.

20

25

Thus health and ftrength he to a third age enjoys, And fees a long posterity of boys.

About the spacious world let others roam,

The voyage life is longest made at home.

30

PRAYER.

[ FROM HIS OWN LATIN. ]

BY THE SAME.

FOR the few hours of life allotted me,

Give me (great God) but bread and liberty;
I'll beg no more: if more thou'rt pleas'd to give,
I'll thankfully that overplus receive:

If beyond this no more be freely sent,
I'll thank for this, and go away content.

5

THE NYMPH COMPLAINING FOR THE

DEATH OF HER FAWN.

BY ANDREW MARVELL, ESQ.*

5

THE wanton troopers riding by
Have fhot my fawn, and it will die.
Ungentle men! They cannot thrive
That kill'd thee. Thou ne'er didft alive
Them any harm: alas, nor could
Thy death yet do them any good.
I'm fure I never wifht them ill;
Nor do I for all this; nor will:
But, if my fimple pray'rs may yet
Prevail with heaven to forget
Thy murder, I will join my tears
Rather than fail.

It cannot die fo.

But, O my fears!
Heav'n's King

Keeps register of every thing:

And nothing may we use in vain,

Ev'n beasts must be with justice slain.

Unconftant Sylvio, when yet

I had not found him counterfeit,

10

15

« PreviousContinue »