We search among the dead For treasures buried; Whilst still the liberal earth does hold The Baltic, Euxine, and the Caspian, And nothing sees but seas and skies, Thou great Columbus of the golden lands of new philosophies! Thy task was harder much than his; Not only found out first by thee, Has planted, peopled, built, and civilized, it. I little thought before (Nor, being my own self so poor, Could comprehend so vast a store) That all the wardrobe of rich Eloquence Could have afforded half enough, Of bright, of new, and lasting stuff, Too strong to take a mark from any mortal dart, [Art! Even to the enemies' sight, Then, when they're sure to lose the combat by't. Now can the snow, which cold Age does shed Quench or allay the noble fires within; And all that Youth can be, thou'rt yet! Enjoy the manhood and the bloom of Wit, Here hoary frosts, and by them breaks out fire! Nature and Causes, we shall see That thus it needs must be To things immortal, Time can do no wrong, And that which never is to die, for ever must be young. DESTINY. "Hoc quoque Fatale est sic ipsum expendere Fatum." MANIL. STRANGE and unnatural! let's stay and see Lo, of themselves the' enliven'd Chess-men move! As full of art and industry, Of courage and of policy, [but we! As we ourselves, who think there's nothing wise Here a proud Pawn I admire, Here I'm amazed at the' actions of a Knight, Here I the losing party blame, For those false Moves that break the Game, That to their Grave, the Bag, the conquer'd Pieces bring, And, above all, the' ill conduct of the Mated King. "Whate'er these seem, whate'er philosophy And sense or reason tell,” said I, "These things have life, election, liberty; "Tis their own wisdom moulds their state, Their faults and virtues make their fate. They do, they do," said I; but straight Lo! from my' enlighten'd eyes the mists and shadows fell, That hinder spirits from being visible; And lo! I saw two angels play'd the Mate. proves; An unseen hand makes all their Moves; And some are great, and some are small, Some climb to good, some from good fortune fall; Some wise men, and some fools, we call; Figures, alas! of speech, for Destiny plays us all. Me from the womb the midwife Muse did take: She cut my navel, wash'd me, and mine head With her own hands she fashioned; She did a covenant with me make, And circumcised my tender soul, and thus she spake: "Thou of my church shalt be; Hate and renounce," said she, "Wealth, honour, pleasures, all the world, for me. Content thyself with the small barren praise, Their several ways of life let others choose, With Fate what boots it to contend? Such I began, such am, and so must end. The star that did my being frame Was but a lambent flame, And some small light it did dispense, But neither heat nor influence. No matter, Cowley! let proud Fortune see, That thou canst her despise no less than she does Let all her gifts the portion be Of Folly, Lust and Flattery, Rebellion and Hypocrisy ; Do thou not grieve, nor blush to be, [thee. And all thy great forefathers, were, from Homer down to Ben. BRUTUS. EXCELLENT Brutus! of all human race Virtue was thy life's centre, and from thence The gentle, vigorous influence To all the wide and fair circumference; Each had his motion natural and free, And the whole no more moved than the whole world could be. From thy strict rule some think that thou didst swerve (Mistaken, honest men!) in Cæsar's blood; What mercy could the tyrant's life deserve, From him who kill'd himself, rather than serve? The' heroic exaltations of Good Are so far from understood, We count them Vice: alas! our sight's so ill, But as her beams reflected pass Through our own Nature or Ill-custom's glass : |