HEROIC STANZAS

On the Death of OLIVER CROMWELL,

A

Written after his FUNERAL.

I.

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

Like eager 6 Romans, ere all rites were paft,
Did let too foon the facred eagle fly.

6 It was ufual to conceal an eagle on the top of the funeral pile, When deftined to receive the dead body of the Roman imperator. 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.

II. Tho'

1

II.

Tho' our best notes are treafon to his fame,

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.

Tho' in his praise no arts can liberal be,

Since they, whofe mufes have the higheft flown,
Add not to his immortal memory,

But do an act of friendship to their own :
IV.

Yet 'tis our duty, and our interest too,

Such monuments as we can build to raise;
Left all the world prevent what we should do,
And claim a title in him by their praife.

V.

How fhall I then begin, or where conclude,
To draw a fame fo truly circular?
For in a round what order can be fhew'd,
Where all the parts fo equal perfect are?
VI.

His grandeur he deriv'd from heav'n alone;
For he was great ere fortune made him fo:
And wars, like mifts that rife against the fun,
Made him but greater feem, not greater grow,
VII.

No borrow'd bays his temples did adorn,

But to our crown he did fresh jewels bring;
Nor was his virtue poifon'd foon as born,
With the too early thoughts of being king.
VIII.

Fortune, that eafy mistress to the young,
But to her ancient fervants coy and hard,
Him at that age her favourites rank’d among,
When the her beft-lov'd Pompey did difcard.

IX.

He private mark'd the fault of others fway.
And fet as fea-marks for himself to fhun:
Not like rash monarchs, who their youth betray
By acts their age too late would wish undone.

X.

And yet dominion was not his defign;

We owe that bleffing, not to him, but heav'n,
Which to fair acts unfought rewards did join;
Rewards, that lefs to him than us were given.
XI.

Our former chiefs, like fticklers of the war,
First fought t'inflame the parties, then to poife;
The quarrel lov'd, but did the cause abhor;
And did not ftrike to hurt, but make a noise.
XII.

War, our confumption, was their gainful trade:
We inward bled, whilft they prolong'd our pain;
He fought to end our fighting, and effay'd

To ftaunch the blood by breathing of the vein.
XIII.

Swift and refiftlefs through the land he past,
Like that bold 7 Greek who did the Eaft fubdue,

And made to battles fuch heroic hafte,

As if on wings of victory he flew,
XIV.

He fought fecure of fortune as of fame :

Still by new maps, the island might be shewn, Of conquefts, which he ftrew'd where-e'er he came, Thick as the galaxy with stars is fown.

XV.

His palms, tho' under weights they did not ftand,
Still thriv'd; no winter could his laurels fade:
Heav'n in his portrait shew'd a workman's hand,
And drew it perfect, yet without a shade.

3

7 Alexander the great.

XVI. Peace

XVI.

Peace was the prize of all his toil and care,
Which war had banish'd, and did now reftore:
Bologna's 8 walls thus mounted in the air,
To feat themselves more furely than before.
XVII.

Her fafety refcu'd Ireland to him owes;

And treacherous Scotland to no intereft true, Yet bleft that fate which did his arms difpofe Her land to civilize, as to fubdue.

XVIII.

Nor was he like those stars which only shine,
When to pale mariners they ftorms portend:
He had his calmer influence, and his mien
Did love and majefty together blend.

XIX.

'Tis true, his count'nance did imprint an awe;
And naturally all fouls to his did bow,
As wands of divination downward draw,

And point to beds where fov'reign gold doth grow.
XX.

When paft all off'rings to Feretrian Jove,

He Mars depos'd, and arms to gowns made yield; Successful councils did him foon approve As fit for close intrigues, as open field.

XXI.

To fuppliant Holland he vouchfaf'd a peace,
Our once bold rival of the British main,
Now tamely glad her unjust claim to cease,
And buy our friendship with her idol, gain.

8 It is faid that at the fiege of Bologna in 1512, a mine blew up that part of the wall of the church of Sancta Maria del Baracano, on which stood a miraculous image of the bleffed virgin. Tho' it was carried fo high, that both armies could fee one another thro' the breach, yet it fell again exactly into its place, so that it was impoffible to fee where it had been separated.

XXII. Fame

XXII.

Fame of th' afferted fea through Europe blown,

Made France and Spain ambitious of his love; Each knew that fide muft conquer he would own; And for him fiercely, as for empire, frove.

XXIII.

No fooner was the 9 Frenchman's caufe embrac'd,
Than the light Monfieur the grave Don outweigh'd:
His fortune turn'd the fcale where'er 'twas caft;
Tho' Indian mines were in the other laid.

XXIV.

When abfent, yet we conquer'd in his right:
For tho' fome meaner artift's fkill were shown
In mingling colours, or in placing light;
Yet ftill the fair defignment was his own.

XXV.

For from all tempers he could fervice d ́aw;
The worth of each, with its alloy, he knew,
And, as the confident of nature, faw

How the complexions did divide and brew.
XXVI.

Or he their fingle virtues did survey,
By intuition in his own large breast,
Where all the rich ideas of them lay,
That were the rule and measure to the reft.

XXVII.

When fuch heroic virtue heaven fets out,
The ftars, like commons, fullenly obey;
Because it drains them when it comes about,
And therefore is a tax they feldom pay.

9

The treaty of alliance which Cromwell entered into with France against the Spaniards, proved of the greatest service to that crown, fince by it Cromwell furnished thereto fix thoufand men, who be haved always very gallantly, and turned the balance in its favour.

XXVIII. From