Tranfcribe the original in new copies; give
Haftings o' the better part: fo fhall he live
In's nobler half; and the great grandfire be
Of an heroic divine progeny:

An iffue, which to eternity fhall last,

Yet but the irradiations which he caft.
Erect no maufoleums: for his best
Monument is his spouse's marble breast*.

105

* The verfes on Lord Haftings in the "Lachrymæ Mufarum,* are fubfcribed" Johannes Dryden. Scholæ Weftm. alumnus."It appears from a note of the editor's, that they were fent at a late period in the year (1649), after a great part of the book was printed off, and when it was juft ready for publication.

MALONE.

TO HIS

FRIEND THE AUTHOR,

[JOHN HODDESDON],

ON HIS

DIVINE EPIGRAMS*.

THOU haft infpir'd me with thy foul, and I
Who ne'er before could ken of Poetry,
Am grown fo good proficient, I can lend
A line in commendation of my friend.
Yet 'tis but of the fecond hand; if ought
There be in this, 'tis from thy fancy brought.
Good thief, who dar'ft, Prometheus-like, afpire,
And fill thy poems with celeftiall fire :
Enliven'd by thefe fparks divine, their rayes
Adde a bright luftre to thy crown of bayes.
Young eaglet, who thy neft thus foon forfook,
So lofty and divine a course haft took

* Mr. Hoddefdon's poetical effufions were published in 8vo. 1650, under the title of "Sion and Parnaffus, or Epigrams on feveral texts of the Old and New Teftament." To this book is prefixed the author's engraved portrait, "Etat. 18." by which it appears that he and Dryden were nearly of the fame age. MALONE.

Thefe commendatory verfes, which are fubfcribed" J. Dryden, of Trin. C." are here printed from the original edition, which was obligingly communicated by Mr. Malone. JOHN WARTON.

As all admire, before the down begin

Το

peep, as yet, upon thy fmoother chin ; And, making heaven thy aim, haft had the

grace

To look the funne of righteousneffe i'th' face.
What may we hope, if thou go'ft on thus faft,
Scriptures at firft; enthusiasmes at last!
Thou haft commenc'd, betimes, a faint, go on,
Mingling diviner streams with Helicon.
That they who view what Epigrams here be,
May learn to make like, in juft praise of thee.
Reader, I've done, nor longer will withhold
Thy greedy eyes; looking on this pure gold
Thou'lt know adult'rate copper, which, like this,
Will only ferve to be a foil to his.

HEROIC STANZAS

ON THE

DEATH

OF

OLIVER CROMWELL.

WRITTEN AFTER HIS FUNERAL*.

I.

AND now 'tis time; for their officious haste, Who would before have borne him to the sky,

"The death of Cromwell was the firft public event which called forth Dryden's poetical powers. His heroic ftanzas have beauties and defects; the thoughts are vigorous, and though not always proper, fhew a mind replete with ideas; the numbers are fmooth, and the diction, if not altogether correct, is elegant and eafy.

"Davenant feems at this time to have been his favourite author, though Gondibert never appears to have been popular; and from Davenant he learned to please his ear with the stanza of four lines alternately rhymed." Johnson's Life of Dryden. JOHN WARTON.

Ver. 1. And now 'tis time;] We are not to wonder that Dryden, after this panegyric on Cromwell, should live to be appointed poet laureat to Charles II. any more than that Dr. Sprat, after a fimilar panegyric, should live to write the Hiftory of the Rye-houfe Plot, and become Bishop of Rochefter. Men were dazzled with the uncommon talents of the Protector," who wanted nothing to raise him to heroic excellence, but virtue;" they were struck with his intrepidity, his industry, his insight into

Like eager Romans, ere all rites were paft,
Did let too foon the facred eagle fly.

II.

Though our beft notes are treafon to his fame, 5 Join'd with the loud applaufe of public voice; Since heaven, what praife we offer to his name, Hath render'd too authentic by its choice.

III.

Though in his praise no arts can liberal be, Since they, whofe mufes have the highest flown,

Add not to his immortal memory,

But do an act of friendship to their own:

IV.

Yet 'tis our duty, and our intereft too,
Such monuments as we can build to raife';

10

all characters, his fecrecy in his projects, and his fucceffes, beyond all hope and expectation, in the courfe of human affairs. The moft manly and nervous of all Waller's poems, are the Stanzas to Cromwell, which are far fuperior to the poem on his Death, (though that excels this of Dryden,) and on the War with Spain. "Tis obfervable that Milton never addreft any poem to Cromwell; but only one admirable fonnet, in which, not like a mean flatterer, he affumes the tone of an advifer, and cautions him against the avarice and the encroachments of the Prefbytcrian Clergy, whom he calls "hireling wolves." The University of Oxford, notwithstanding its ancient loyalty, fent him a volume of Latin verfes, on his making peace with the Dutch: in which collection are to be found the names of Crew, Mew, Godolphin, South, Locke, and Busby. Dr. J. WARTON.

Ver. 3. Like eager Rom ins, &c.] 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 of the deceased. DERRICK..