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CCCII.

And, while this fam'd emporium we prepare,

The British ocean fhall fuch triumphs boaft, That thofe, who now difdain our trade to flare, Shall rob like pirates on our wealthy coast. CCCIII.

Already we have conquer'd half the war,

And the lefs dangerous part is left behind;
Our trouble now is but to make them dare,
And not fo great to vanquish as to find.
CCCIV.

Thus to the Eaftern wealth through ftorms we go,
But now, the cape once doubled, fear no more;
A conftant trade-wind will fecurely blow,
And gently lay us on the spicy shore,

THRENODIA AUGUSTALIS:

A Funeral PINDARIC POEM, facred to the happy Memory of King CHARLES II.

Fortunati ambo! fi quid mea carmina poffunt,
Nulla dies unquam memori vos eximet acvo.

THUS

I.

long my grief has kept me dumb: Sure there's a lethargy in mighty woe; Tears ftand congeal'd, and cannot flow;

And the fad foul retires into her inmoft room:

VIRG.

Tears, for a stroke foreseen, afford relief;'
But, unprovided for a fudden blow,
Like Niobe we marble grow;
And petrify with grief.

Our British heav'n was all ferene ;
No threat'ning cloud was nigh,
Not the least wrinkle to deform the sky:
We liv'd as unconcern'd and happily,
As the first age in nature's golden scene.
Supine amidst our flowing store,

We slept fecurely, and we dream'd of more:
When fuddenly the thunder-clap was heard:
It took us unprepar'd, and out of guard,
Already loft before we fear'd.

Th' amazing news of Charles at once was spread;
At once the general voice declar'd,

"Our gracious prince was dead."

No fick nefs known before, no flow disease,
To foften grief by just degrees :
But, like an hurrican on Indian feas.

The tempeft rose;

An unexpected burst of woes;

With fcarce a breathing place betwixt,
This Now becalm'd, and perifhing the next.
As if great Atlas from his height
Should fink beneath his heav'nly weight,

And, with a mighty flaw, the flaming wall

(As once it shall)

[this nether ball;

Shou'd gape immenfe, and, rushing down, o'er whelm
So fwift and fo furprifing was our fear :
Our Atlas fell ineed; but Hercules was near.

VOL. I.

G

II.

His pious brother, fure the best
Who ever bore that name,
Was newly rifen from his reft;
And, with a fervant flame,
His ufual morning vows had just addrest
For his dear fov'reign's health;
And hop'd to have 'em heard,
In long increase of years,

In honour, fame, and wealth.

Guiltless of greatnefs thus he always pray'd,
Nor knew, nor wish'd those vows he made.
On his own head fhou'd be repaid.

Soon as th' ill-omen'd rumour reach'd his ear,
(Ill news is wing'd with fate, and flies apace)
Who can defcribe th' amazement in his face!
Horror in all his pomp was there,

Mute and magnificent without a tear;
And then the Hero firft was feen to fear.

Half unarray'd he ran to his relief,

So hafty and fo artless was his grief:
Approaching greatness met him with her charms

Of pow'r and future state;

But look'd fo ghaftly in a brother's fate,

He fhook her from his arms.
Arriv'd within the mournful room, he faw
God's image, God's anointed, lay;

A wild distraction, void of awe,
And arbitrary grief unbounded by a law;
Without motion, pulfe, or breath,
A fenfelefs lump of facred clay,
An image, now, of death:

Amidft his fad attendants groans and cries;
The lines of that ador'd, forgiving face,
Distorted from their native grace;
An iron flumber fat on his majestic eyes.
The pious duke------forbear, audacious Mufe,
No terms, thy feeble art can use,

Are able to adorn to vaft a woe:

The grief of all the rest like fubject-grief did show;
His like a fov'reign did tranfcend;

No wife, no brother, fuch a grief cou'd know,
Nor any name, but friend.

III.

O wondrous changes of a fatal scene,
Still varying to the last!

Heav'n, though its hard decree was past,
Seem'd pointing to a gracious turn again;
And death's up-lifted arm arrested in its hafte.
Heav'n half repented of the doom,

And almoft griev'd it had foreseen,
What by forefight it will'd eternally to come.
Mercy above did hourly plead
For her refemblance here below:
And mild forgivennefs intercede

To stop the coming blow.

New miracles apprach'd th' etherial throne, Such as his wond'rous life had oft and lately known, And urg'd that still they might be shown. On earth his pious brother pray'd and vow'd, Renouncing greatness at so dear a rate,

Himself defending what he cou'd

From all the glories of his future fate.

With him th' innumerable croud

654889 A

Of armed prayers

Knock'd at the gates of Heav'n, and knock'd aloud; The first well-meaning rude petitioners,

All for his life aflail'd the throne,

All wou'd have brib'd the skies, by offering up their own.
So great a throng not heav'n itself cou'd bar;
'Twas almoft born by force, as in the giants war.
The pray'rs, at least, for his reprieve was heard ;
His death, like Hezekiah's, was deferr'd:
Against the fun the fhadow went;

Five days, thofe five degrees, were lent
To form our patience, and prepare th' event.
The fecond caufes took the swift command,
The med'cinal head, the ready hand,

All eager to perform their part;

All but eternal doom was conquer'd by their art;
Once more the fleeting foul came back

T' infpire the mortal frame,

And in the body took a doubtful stand,

Doubtful and hov'ring like expiring flame, [brand. That mounts and falls by turns, and trembles o'er the

IV.

The joyful fhort-liv'd news, foon fpread around,
Took the fame train, the fame impetuous bound:
The drooping town ia fmiles again was dreft;
Gladness, in every face expreft,

Their eyes before their tongues confest.
Men met each other with erected look,
The steps were higher that they took;
Each to congratulate his friend made hafte,
And long inveterate foes faluted as they paft.

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