Thofe radiant eyes, whofe irrefiftless flame
Strikes Envy dumb, and keeps Sedition tame:
They can to gazing multitudes give law,
Convert the factious, and the rebel awe;
They conquer for the Duke, where-e'er you tread,
Millions of profelytes, behind are fed ;

Through crowds of new-made converts ftill you go,
Pleas'd and triumphant at the glorious show.
Happy that Prince who has in you obtain'd
A greater conqueft than his arms e'er gain'd.
With all War's rage, he may abroad o'ercome,
But Love's a gentler victory at home;
Securely here, he on that face relies,

Lays by his arms, and conquers with your eyes.
And all the glorious actions of his life
Thinks well rewarded, bleft with fuch a wife.

M

AY all thy years, like this, aufpicious be, And bring thee crowns, and peace, and victory! Scarce hadft thou time t'unfheath thy conqu'ring blade, It did but glitter, and the rebels fled :

Thy fword, the fafeguard of thy brother's throne,
Is now as much the bulwark of thy own.
Aw'd by thy fame, the trembling nations fend
Throughout the world, to court fo firm a friend.
The guilty Senates, that refus'd thy fway,
Repent their crime, and haften to obey;
Tribute they raife, and vows and off rings bring,
Confefs their phrenzy, and confirm their King,
Who with their venom overfpread thy foil,
Thofe fcorpions of the ftate, prefent their oil.

So the world's Saviour, like a mortal dreft,
Although by daily miracles confeit,
Accufed of evil doctrine by the Jews,
The giddy crowd their rightful Prince refufe;
But when they faw fuch terror in the skies,

The temple rent, their King in glory rife;

Seiz'd with amaze, they own'd their lawful Lord, And truck with gailt, bow'd, trembi'd, and ador'd.

TH

TO THE KING.

HO' train'd in arms, and learn'd in martial arts, Thou choofeft, not to conquer men, but hearts; Ixpecting nations for thy triumphs weit,

But thou prefer'ft the name of JUST to GREAT.
So Jove fufpends his fubject world to doom,
Which, would he pleafe to thunder, he'd confume.
O! could the ghofts of mighty heroes dead,
Return on earth, and quit th' Elyfian fhade!
Brutus to James would truft the people's cause;
Thy juftice is a ftronger guard than laws.
Marius and Sylla would refign to thee,
Nor Cæfar and great Pompey rivals be;
Or rivals only, who fhould beft obey,
And Cato give his voice for regal fway.

H

TO THE KING.
EROES of old, by rapine, and by spoil,

In fearch of fame, did all the world embroil;
Thus to their Gods each then ally'd his name,
This fprang from Jove, and that from Titan came :
With equal valour, and the fame fuccefs,
Dread King, might'ft thou the universe opprefs;
But Christian laws constrain thy martial pride,
Peace is thy choice, and Piety thy guide;
By thy example Kings are taught to sway,
Heroes to fight, and faints may learn to pray.

From Gods defcended, and of race divine,
Neftor in council, and Ulyffes fhine;
But in a day of battle, all would yield
To the fierce mafter of the feven-fold fhield:
Their very deities were grac'd no more,
Mars had the courage, Jove the thunder bore.
But all perfections meet in James alone,
And Britain's King is all the Gods in one.

W

ANSWER

ΤΟ MR. WALLER.

HEN into Libya the young Grecian came, To talk with Hammon, and confult for fame; When from the facred tripod where he stood, The priest infpir'd, faluted him a God; Scarce fuch a joy that haughty victor knew, Thus own'd by heaven, as I, thus prais'd by you. Whoe'er their names can in thy numbers show, Have more than empire, and immortal grow; Ages to come fhall fcorn the pow'rs of old, When in thy verfe, of greater Gods they're told; Our beauteous Queen, and royal James's name, For Jove and Juno fhall be plac'd by fame; Thy Charles for Neptune fhall the feas command, And Sachariffa fhall for Venus ftand: Greece hall no longer boaft, nor haughty Rome,

But think from Britain all the Gods did come.

To high exploits, the praifes that belong,
Live, but as nourish'd by the Poet's fong.

A tree of life is facred Poetry,

Sweet is the fruit, and tempting to the eye;
Many there are, who nibble without leave,
But none who are not born to taste, survive.

WALLER fhall never die, of life fecure,
As long as Fame, or aged Time endure,
WALLER, the Mufe's darling, free to tafte
Of all their ftores, the mafter of the feaft;
Not like old Adam, ftinted in his choice,
But Lord of all the fpacious paradife.

Thofe foes to Virtue, Fortune, and Mankind,
Fav'ring his fame, once, to do juftice join'd;
No carping critic interrupts his praife;
No rival ftrives, but for a fecond place;
No want conftrain'd; (the writer's ufual fate)
A Poet with a plentiful eftate;

The first of mortals who before the tomb,
Struck that pernicious monfter, Envy, dumb;
Malice and Pride, thofe favages, difarm'd;
Not Orpheus with fuch powerful magic chat m'd.
Scarce in the grave can we allow him more,
Than living we agreed to give before.

His noble mufe employ'd her generous rage
In crowning virtue, fccrning to engage
The vice and follies of an impious age.
No fatyr lurks within this hallow'd ground,

But nymphs and heroines, kings and gods abound;
Glory, and arms, and love, is all the found.
His Eden with no Serpent is defil'd,
But all is gay, delicious all, and mild.

Miftaken men, his Mufe of flattery blame,
Adorning twice an impious tyrant's name,
We raise our own, by giving fame to foes;
The valour that he prais'd, he did oppofe.

Nor were his thoughts to poetry confin'd,
The ftate, and bufinefs fhar'd his ample mind;
As all the Fair were captives to his wit,
So Senates to his wifdom would fubmit;
His voice fo foft, his eloquence so strong,

Like Cato's was his fpeech, like Ovid's was his fong.

Our British kings are rais'd above the herfe,
Immortal made, in his immortal verfe;
No more are Mars and Jove poetic themes,
But the celeftial Charles's, and just James :
Juno and Pallas, all the fhining race

Of heavenly beauties, to the Queen give place;
Clear, like her brow, and graceful was his fong,
Great, like her mind, and like her virtue strong.

Parent of Gods, who doft to Gods remove,
Where art thou plac'd? And which thy feat above?
WALLER, the God of Verfe, we will proclaim,
Not Phœbus now, but WALLER be his name ;
Of joyful Bards, the sweet seraphic choir
Acknowledge thee their oracle and fire;
The Spheres do homage, and the Mufes fing
WALLER, the God of Verfe, who was the King,

WARN'D, and made wife by others flame,

I fled from whence fuch mifchiefs came, Shunning the Sex, that kills at fight, fought my fafety in my flight.

But, ah! in vain from fate we fly,
For firft, or laft, as all muft die;
So 'tis as much decreed above,
That first, or laft, we all muft love.

My heart which ftood fo long the shock
Of winds and waves, like fome firm rock,
By one bright fpark from Myra thrown,
Is into flame, like powder, blown.

Give ear, ambitious Princes, and be wife;
Liften, and learn wherein true greatness lies;
Place not your pride in roofs that shine with gems,
In purple robes, nor fparkling diadems;
Nor in dominion, nor extent of land:

He's only great, who can himfelf command,
Whofe guard is peaceful innocence, whofe guide
Is faithful reafon ; who is void of pride.
Checking ambition; nor is idly vain
Of the falfe incenfe of a popular train;
Who without ftrife, or envy, can behold
His neighbour's plenty, and his heaps of gold ;
Nor covets other wealth, but what we find
In the poffeffions of a virtuous mind.

Fearless he fees, who is with virtue crown'd,
The tempeft rage, and hears the thunder found;
Ever the fame, let Fortune fmile or frown,
On the red fcaffold, or the blazing throne;
Serenely, as he lived, refigns his breath,
Meets destiny half way, nor fhrinks at death.

Ye fovercign Lords, who fit like Gods in state,
Awing the world, and bustling to be great;
Lords but in title, vaffals in effect,
Whom luft controuls, and wild defires direct :
The reins of empire but fuch hands difgrace,
Where Paffion, a blind driver, guides the race.

What is this Fame, thus crowded round with flaves?
The breath of fools, the bait of flattering knaves:
An honeft heart, a confcience free from blame,
Not of great acts, but good, give me the name:
In vain we plant, we build, our stores increase,
If confcience roots up all our inward peace.
What need of arms, or inftruments of war,
Or battering engines that deftroy from far?
The greateft king, and conqueror is he,
Who Lord of his own appetites can be ;
Bleft with a pow'r that nothing can destroy,
And all have equal freedom to enjoy.

Whom worldly luxury, and pomps allure,
They tread on ice, and find no footing fure;
Place me, ye Powers ! in fome obfcure retreat,
O! keep me innocent, make others great :
In quiet ihade, content with rural fports,
Give me a life remote from guilty courts,
Where free from hopes or fears, in humble ease,
Unheard of, I may live and die in peace.

Happy the man who thus retir'd from fight,
Studies himfelf, and feeks no other light:
But moft unhappy he, who fits on high,
Expos'd to every tongue and every eye;
Whofe follies blaz'd about, to all are known,
But are a fecret to himself alone :

Worfe is an evil Fame, much worse than none.

CE

EASE, tempting Siren, ceafe thy flattering strain, Sweet is thy charming fong, but fung in vain : When the winds blow, and loud the tempefts roar, What fool would trust the waves, and quit the shore? Early, and vain, into the world I came,

Big with falfe hopes, and eager after fame;
Till looking round me, ere the race began,
Madmen, and giddy fools, were all that ran;
Reclaim'd betimes, I from the lifts retire,
And thank the Gods, who my retreat infpire.
In happier times our ancestors were bred,
When virtue was the only path to tread :
Give me, ye Gods! but the fame road to fame,
Whate'er my fathers dar'd, I dare the fame.
Chang'd is the fcene, fome baneful planet rules
An impious world, contriv'd for knaves and fools.
Look now around, and with impartial eyes
Confider, and examine all who rife;

Such precedents are numberlefs, we draw
Our right from cuftom; cuftom is a law
As high as heaven, as wide as feas or land;
As ancient as the world is our command.
Mars and Alcides would this plea allow :
Beauty was ever abfolute till now.
It is enough that I pronounce it mine,
And, right or wrong, he should his claim refign:
Not bears nor tygers fure fo favage are,
As thefe ill-manner'd monsters of the bar.

*

Loud rumour has proclaim'd a nymph divine, Whofe matchlefs form, to counterbalance mine, By dint of Beauty fhall extort your grace: Let her appear, this rival, face to face; Let eyes to eyes oppos'd this ftrife decide; Now, when I lighten, let her beams be try'd. Was 't a vain promife, and a gownfman's lie? Or ftands the here unmark'd, when I am by? So heav'n was mock'd, and once all Elys round, Another Jupiter was faid to found; On brazen floor the royal actor tries To ape the thunder rattling in the skies; A brandifh'd torch, with emulating blaze, Affects the forky lightning's pointed rays: Thus borne aloft, triumphantly he rode Through crowds of worshippers, and acts the God. The fire omnipotent prepares the brand, By Vulcan wrought, and arms his potent hand; Then flaming hurls it hiffing from above, And in the vast abyfs confounds the mimic Jove. Prefumptuous wretch! with mortal art to dare Immortal power, and brave the thunderer!

Caffiope, preferring with difdain,
Her daughter to the Nereids, they complain;
The daughter, for the mother's guilty fcorn,
Is doomed to be devoured; the mother's borne
Above the clouds, where, by immortal light,
Revers'd the fhines, expofed to human fight,
And to a fhameful pofture is confin'd,
As an eternal terror to mankind.
Did thus the Gods fuch private nymphs refpect?
What vengeance might the Queen of Love expect?
But grant fuch arbitrary pleas are vain,
Wav'd let them be; mere juftice fhall obtain.
Who to a husband juftlier can fucceed,
Than the foft partner of his nuptial bed;
Or to a father's right lay ftronger claim,

Than the dear youth in whom furvives his name?
Behold that youth, confider whence he fprings,
And in his royal veins refpect your kings:
Immortal Jove, upon a mortal fhe,
Begat his fire: Second from Jove is he.

Well did the father blindly fight your caufe,
Following the cry-of Liberty and Laws,
If by thofe laws, for which he loft his life †,
You fpoil, ungratefully, the fon and wife.

A report fpred of a beautiful young lady, niece to the Lord Chief Juftice, who would appear at the bar of the Houfe of Lords, and eclipfe the charms of the Duchefs of Grafton; No fuch lady was feen there, nor perhaps ever in any part of the world.

The Duke of Grafton, flain at the fiege of Cork in Ireland, about the beginning of the Revolution,

What need I more? 'Tis treafon to difpute:
The grant was royal; that decides the fuit.
"Shall vulgar laws imperial power constrain?
"Kings and the Gods, can never act in vain."

She finish'd here, the Queen of every grace,
Difdain vermilioning her heavenly face:
Our hearts take fire, and all in tumult rife,
And one with sparkles in a thousand eyes.
O! might fome champion finish these debates!
My fword fhall end, what now my pen relates,
Up rofe the Judge, on each fide bending low,
A crafty fmile, accompanies his bow;
Ulyffes like, a gentle paufe he makes,
Then, raifing by degrees his voice, he fpeaks.

In you, my Lords, who judge; and all who hear,
Methinks I read your wishes for the fair;
Nor can I wonder, even I contend
With inward pain, unwilling to offend;
Unhappy! thus oblig'd to a defence,
That may difpleafe fuch heavenly excellence,
Might we the laws on any terms abuse,
So bright an influence were the best excufe;
Let Niobe's juft fate, the vile difgrace
Of the Propœtides' polluted race;
Let death, or fhame, or lunacy furprize,
Who dare to match the luftre of those eyes!
Aloud the fairest of the Sex complain
Of captives loft, and loves invok'd in vain ;
At her appearance all their glory ends,
And not a ftar, but fets, when the afcends.

Where Love prefides, ftill may fhe bear the prize; But rigid Law has neither ears nor eyes: Charms, to which Mars and Hercules would bow, Minos and Rhadamanthus difavow. Juftice, by nothing bias'd, or inclin'd, Deaf to perfuafion, to temptation blind, Determines without favour, and the laws O'erlook the parties, to decide the caufe. What then avails it, that a beardlefs boy Took a rafh fancy for a female toy? Th' infulted Argives, with a numerous hoft, Purfue revenge, and feek the Dardan coaft; Though the Gods built, and though the Gods defend Thofe lofty towers, the hoftile Greeks afcend; Nor leave they, till the town in afhes lies, And all the race of royal Priam dies: The Queen of || Paphos, mixing in the fray, Rallies the troops, and urges on the day; In perfon, in the foremoft ranks she stands, Provokes the charge, directs, affifts, commands; Stern Diomed, advancing high in air, His lofty javelin ftrikes the heavenly Fair; The vaulted skies with her loud fhrieks refound, And high Olympus trembles at the wound.

Niobe turned into a ftone for prefuming to compare herself with Diana.

† Proptides, certain virgins, who, for affronting Venus, were condemned to open proftitution, and afterwards turned into ftone.

Minos and Rhadamanthus, famous legiflators, who for their ftrict administration of juftice, were after their deaths made chief judges in the infernal regions. Venus.