תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

IV.

The barb'rous rage that durft attempt thy life,
Harley, great counsellor, extends thy fame :.
And the sharp point of cruel Guiscard's knife,
In brafs and marble carves thy deathless name.

V.

Faithful affertor of thy country's caufe,

Britain with tears shall bathe thy glorious wound :: She for thy fafety fhall enlarge her laws;

And in her statutes shall thy worth be found.

VI.

Yet 'midft her fighs fhe triumphs, on the hand
Reflecting, that diffus'd the public woe;,

A ftranger to her altars, and her land ::

No fon of hers could meditate this blow.

VH.

Mean time thy pain is gracious Anna's care:
Our queen, our faint, with facrificing breath
Softens thy anguifh: in her pow'rful pray'r

She pleads thy fervice, and forbids thy death.

VIII.

Great as thou art, thou canst demand no more,

O breast bewail'd by earth, preferv'd by Heav'n Is No higher can aspiring virtue foar:

Enough to thee of grief, and fame is given.

AN EXTEMPORE INVITATION TO THE EARL OF OXFORD, LORD HIGH TREASURER, 1712.

MY LORD,

[ocr errors]

UR weekly friends to-morrow meet
At Matthew's palace, in Duke-ftreet,
To try for once, if they can dine
On bacon-ham, and mutton-chine:
If weary'd with the great affairs,
Which Britain trufts to Harley's cares,
Thou, humbleft statesman, may'ft defcend,
Thy mind one moment to unbend.;
To fee thy fervant from his foul

Crown with thy health the sprightly bowl;
Among the guests, which e'er my house
Receiv'd, it never can produce

Of honour a more glorious proof-
Tho' Dorfet us'd to bless the roof.

T

ERLE ROBERT's MICE.

In CHAUCER's Style.

WAY mice, full blythe and amicable,
Batten befide Erle Robert's table.

Lies there ne trap their necks to catch,.
Ne old black cat their steps to watch.
Their fill they eat of fowl and fish;
Feaft lyche as heart of moufe more wish.

As guefts fat jovial at the board,
Forth leap'd our mice: eftfoons the Lord
Of Boling, whilome John the Saint,
Who maketh oft propos full queint,
Laugh'd jocund, and aloud he cry'd,
To Matthew feated on t'oth' fide;
To thee, lean bard, it doth partain
To understand these creatures tweine.
Come frame us now fome clear device,
Or playfant rhime on yonder mice:

They feem, God fhield me, Mat. and Charles,
Bad as Sir Topaz, or Squire Quarles

(Matthew did for the nonce reply)

At emblem, or device am I:

But could I chaunt, or rhyme, pardie,
Clear as Dan Chaucer, or as thee:
Ne verfe from me (fo God me fhrive)
One moufe, or other beaft alive,
Certes, I have thefe many days
Sent myne poetic herd to graze.
Ne armed knight ydred in war
With lyon fierce will I compare :
Ne judge unjust, with furred fox,
Harming in fecret guife the flocks:
Ne priest unworth of goddefs coat,
To fwine ydrunk, or filthy ftoat.
Elk fimile farewell for aye,
From elephant, I trow, to flea.
Reply'd the friendlike peer, I weene,
Matthew is angred on the spleen.
Ne fo, quoth Mat. ne fhall be e'er,
With wit that falleth all fo fair:

Eftfoons, well weet ye, mine intent
Boweth to your commandement,
If by these creatures ye have feen,
Pourtrayed Charles and Matthew been;
Behoveth neet to wreck my brain,
The rest in order to explain.

That cup-board, where the mice difport,
I liken to St. Stephen's court:
Therein is fpace enough, I trow,
For elk comrade to come and goe:
And therein eke may both be fed
With hiver of the wheaten bread.
And when, as thefe mine eyne furvey,
They cease to skip, and fqueak and play;
Return they may to diff'rent cells,
Auditing one, whilft t'other Tells.

Dear Robert, quoth the Saint, whose mind,
In bounteous deeds no mean can bind;

Now as I hope to grow devout,

I deem this matter well made out.
Laugh I, whilft thus I ferious pray?
Let that be wrought which Mat. doth say:
Yea, quoth the ERLE, but not to-day.

F

In the fame Style.

ULL oft doth Mat. with Topaz dine,
Eateth bak'd meats, drinketh Greek wine;

But Topaz his own werke rehearseth;

And Mat. mote praife what Topaz verfeth.

* Exchequer.

}

Now fure as prieft did e'er fhrive finner,
Full hardly earneth Mat. his dinner.

[ocr errors]

In the fame Style.

AIR Sufan did her wif-hede well mainteine,
Algates affaulted fore by letchours tweine :
Now, and I read aright that auncient fong,
Olde were the paramours, the dame full young.

Had thilke fame tale in other guise been tolde; Had they been young (pardie) and she been olde: That, by St. Kit, had wrought much forer tryal; Full marvellous, I wote, were swilk denyal.

A FLOWER painted by SIM ON VARELST.

THEN fam'd Varelft this little wonder drew;

W

Flora vouchfaf'd the growing work to view; Finding the painter's science at a stand,

The goddess fnatch'd the pencil from his hand;
And finishing the piece, the fmiling said:
Behold one work of mine, that ne'er shall fade.

To the Lady ELIZABETH HARLEY, fince Marchionefs of CARMARTHEN, on a column of her drawing.

W

HEN future ages fhall with wonder view
These glorious lines, which Harley's daugh-
ter drew;

They fhall confefs that Britain could not raise
A fairer column to the father's praife.

« הקודםהמשך »