And now too late he wishes for the fight
That strength he wasted in ignoble flight:
But when he sees the eager chase renew'd,
Himself by dogs, the dogs by men purfu'd,
He ftraight revokes his bold refolve, and more
Repents his courage, than his fear before;
Finds that uncertain ways unfafeft are,
And doubt a greater mischief than despair.
Then to the ftream, when neither friends, nor force,
Nor speed, nor art avail, he shapes his course; Thinks not their rage so desperate t' afsay
An element more merciless than they ;
But fearless they pursue, nor can the floud
Quench their dire thirst; alas, they thirst for bloud.
So towards a ship the oare-fin'd gallies ply,
Which wanting fea to ride, or wind to fly,
Stands but to fall reveng'd on those that dare
Tempt the laft fury of extream despair.
So fares the stag, among th' enraged hounds,
Repels their force, and wounds returns for wounds,
And as a hero, whom his bafer foes
In troops furround, now thefe affails, now those,
Though prodigal of life, difdains to die
By common hands; but if he can defcry
Some nobler foe approach, to him he calls,
And begs his fate, and then contented falls.
So when the king a mortal shaft lets flye
From his unerring hand, then glad to dye, 320
Proud of the wound, to it refigns his blood,
And ftains the cryftal with a purple flood.
This a more innocent, and happy chase,
Than when of old, but in the felf-fame place,
Fair Liberty purfu'd, and meant a prey
325
To lawless power, here turn'd, and stood at bay.*
When in that remedy all hope was plac't,
Which was, or should have been at leaft, the laft.
Here was that charter feal'd, † wherein the crown
All marks of arbitrary pow'r lays down: 230
Tyrant and flave, those names of hate and fear,
The happier stile of king and subject bear :
Happy, when both to the fame center move,
When kings give liberty, and fubjects love.
Therefore not long in force this charter stood;
Wanting that feal, it must be seal'd in blood. 336
The fubjects arm'd, the more their princes gave,
Th' advantage only took, the more to crave;
Till kings, by giving, give themselves away,
And even that power, that should deny, betray.
"Who gives constrain'd, but his own fear reviles,
"Not thank'd, but fcorn'd; nor are they gifts but
spoils."
Thus kings, by grafping more than they could hold, First made their subjects, by oppreffion, bold:
* Runny Mead, where that great charter was first sealed. + Magna Charta.
And popular sway, by forcing kings to give 345
More than was fit for subjects to receive,
Ran to the fame extreams; and one excess
Made both, by striving to be greater, lefs.
When a calm river rais'd with fudden rains,
Or fnows diffolv'd, o'reflows th' adjoyning plains,
The husbandmen with high-rais'd banks fecure
Their greedy hopes, and this he can endure.
But if with bays and dams they strive to force
His channel to a new, or narrow course;
No longer then within his banks he dwells,
First to a torrent, then a deluge fwells:
Stronger and fiercer by restraint he roars,
And knows no bound, but makes his power his
fhores.
BY RICHARD LOVELACE, ESQ.*
WHEN Love with unconfined wings
Hovers within my gates,
And my divine Althea brings
To whisper at my grates;
When I lye tangled in her haire,
And fetter'd with' her eye,
The birds' that wanton in the aire
Know no fuch liberty.
When flowing cups run swiftly round
With no allaying Thames,
Our careleffe heads with roses crown'd,
Our hearts with loyall flames;
When thirsty griefe in wine we fteepe,
When healths and draughts go free,
Fishes that tipple in the deepe
Know no fuch libertie.
When, linnet-like, confined' I
With fhriller note fhall fing
The fweetnefs, mercy, majesty,
And glories of my king;
When I fhall voyce aloud how good
He is, how great should be,
[Th'] inlarged windes, that curle the flood, Know no fuch libertie,
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