Living or dying thou hast fulfilled
The work for which thou wast foretold
To Israel, and now liest victorious
Among thy slain, self-killed,

Not willingly, but tangled in the fold

1661

Of dire necessity, whose law in death conjoined Thee with thy slaughtered foes, in number

more

Than all thy life had slain before.

1 Semicho. While their hearts were jocund
and sublime,

Drunk with idolatry, drunk with wine,
And fat regorged of bulls and goats,
Chaunting their idol, and preferring
Before our Living Dread, who dwells
In Silo, his bright sanctuary,

Among them he a spirit of frenzy sent,
Who hurt their minds,

And urged them on with mad desire
To call in haste for their destroyer;
They, only set on sport and play,
Unweetingly importuned

1670

1680

Their own destruction to come speedy upon

them.

So fond are mortal men,

Fallen into wrath divine,

As their own ruin on themselves to invite,
Insensate left, or to sense reprobate,

And with blindness internal struck.

2 Semicho. But he, though blind of sight, Despised, and thought extinguished quite, With inward eyes illuminated,

His fiery virtue roused

From under ashes into sudden flame,

1690

And as an evening dragon came,

Assailant on the perchèd roosts

And nests in order ranged

Of tame villatic fowl; but as an eagle

His cloudless thunder bolted on their heads.

So Virtue, given for lost,

Depressed and overthrown, as seemed,

Like that self-begotten bird

In the Arabian woods embost,

That no second knows nor third,

And lay erewhile a holocaust,

From out her ashy womb now teemed.

Revives, reflourishes, then vigorous most
When most unactive deemed;

1700

And, though her body die, her fame survives, A secular bird, ages of lives.

Man. Come, come, no time for lamentation

now,

Nor much more cause.

himself

Samson hath quit

Like Samson, and heroicly hath finished 1710 A life heroic, on his enemies

Fully revenged; hath left them years of mourning

And lamentation to the sons of Caphtor
Through all Philistian bounds; to Israel
Honour hath left and freedom, let but them
Find courage to lay hold on this occasion;
To himself and father's house, eternal fame;
And, which is best and happiest yet, all this
With God not parted from him, as was feared,
But favouring and assisting to the end.
Nothing is here for tears, nothing to wail
Or knock the breast; no weakness, no con-

tempt,

1720

Dispraise, or blame; nothing but well and fair, And what may quiet us in a death so noble. Let us go find the body where it lies

Soaked in his enemies' blood, and from the stream

With lavers pure, and cleansing herbs, wash off The clotted gore. I, with what speed the while,

(Gaza is not in plight to say us nay),

Will send for all my kindred, all my friends, To fetch him hence, and solemnly attend, 1731 With silent obsequy, and funeral train,

Home to his father's house; there will I build him

A monument, and plant it round with shade
Of laurel ever green, and branching palm,
With all his trophies hung, and acts enrolled
In copious legend, or sweet lyric song.
Thither shall all the valiant youth resort,
And from his memory inflame their breasts
To matchless valour, and adventures high; 1740
The virgins also shall, on feastful days,
Visit his tomb with flowers, only bewailing
His lot unfortunate in nuptial choice,
From whence captivity and loss of eyes.
Cho. All is best, though we oft doubt
What the unsearchable dispose

Of Highest Wisdom brings about,
And ever best found in the close.

Oft He seems to hide His face,

But unexpectedly returns,

And to His faithful champion hath in place

1750

Bore witness gloriously; whence Gaza mourns, And all that band them to resist

His uncontrollable intent.

His servants He, with new acquist

Of true experience frem this great event,
With peace and consolation hath dismissed,
And calm of mind, all passion spent.

LATIN POEMS.

ELEGIARUM LIBER, EPIGRAMMATA,

SYLVARUM LIBER.

Quorum pleraque intra annum ætatis vigesimum conscripsit.

DE AUTHORE TESTIMONIA.

Hæc quæ sequuntur de Authore testimonia, tametsi ipse intelligebat non tam de se quam supra se esse dicta, eo quod præclaro ingenio viri, nec non amici, ita fere solent laudare ut omnia suis potius virtutibus quam veritati congruentia nimis cupide affingant, noluit tamen horum egregiam in se voluntatem non esse notam, cum alii præsertim ut id faceret magnopere suaderent. Dum enim nimiæ laudis invidiam totis ab se viribus amolitur, sibique quod plus æquo est non attributum esse mavult, judicium interim hominum cordatorum atque illustrium quin summo sibi honori ducat negare non potest.

JOANNES BAPTISTA MANSUS, MARCHIO VILLENSIS NEAPOLITANUS, AD JOANNEM MILTONIUM ANGLUM.

Ut mens, forma, decor, facies, mos, si pietas sic, Non Anglus, verùm herclè Angelus ipse, fores.

AD JOANNEM MILTONEM ANGLUM, TRIPLICI POESEOS
LAUREA CORONANDUM, GRÆCÂ NIMIRUM, LATINÂ,
ATQUE HETRUSCÂ, EPIGRAMMA JOANNIS SALSILLI
ROMANI.

Cede, Meles; cedat depressâ Mincius urnâ ;
Sebetus Tassum desinat usque loqui;
At Thamesis victor cunctis ferat altior undas;
Nam per te, Milto, par tribus unus erit.

AD JOANNEM MILTONUM.

Græcia Mæonidem, jactet sibi Roma Maronem
Anglia Miltonum jactat utrique parem.

;

SELVAGGI.