TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE COUNTESS DOWAGER OF DEVONSHIRE, ON A PIECE OF WIESSEN'S, WHEREON WERE WIESSEN1 and Nature held a long contest, With pleasing thought the wondrous combat grew, In these seven brethren, they contended last, With art increased, their utmost skill they tried, And, both well pleased they had themselves surpassed, The goddess triumphed, and the painter died, That both, their skill to this vast height did raise, Be ours the wonder, and be yours the praise; For here, as in some glass, is well descried Only yourself thus often multiplied. When Heaven had you and gracious Anna 2 made, It but kept up to these, nor could do more 10 21 With all that world of charms, which soon will move If every Cecil's face had every charm, That thought can fancy, or that Heaven can form; 1 William Wiessen, an eminent portrait painter, born at the Hague in 1656.-2 Eldest daughter of the countess. They are all fair, because they 're all like you. So when the parent sun, with genial beams, He sees himself improved, while every stone, So when great Rhea many births had given, And to what God soe'er men altars raised, In short-lived charms let others place their joys, To men unborn and ages yet to live: "Twould still be wonderful, and still be new, 27 40 50 A FABLE FROM PHEDRUS. TO THE AUTHOR OF THE MEDLEY, 1710. THE fox an actor's vizard found, And peered, and felt, and turned it round; ON MY BIRTHDAY, JULY 21. 1 I, My dear, was born to-day, They bring me music, wreaths, and mirth, 2 I, my dear, was born to-day, And bless my birth, and wish to live? 1 A periodical paper by Oldmixon, Maynwaring, and others, set up in opposition to the Examiner.-2 Mrs Anne Durham. Then let me see great Venus chase Thou, my dear, wert born to-day. NOBLES and heralds, by your leave, Here lies what once was Matthew Prior; The son of Adam and of Eve, Can Bourbon or Nassau go higher? FOR MY OWN MONUMENT. 1 As doctors give physic by way of prevention, Mat, alive, and in health, of his tombstone took care; For delays are unsafe, and his pious intention May haply be never fulfilled by his heir. 2 Then take Mat's word for it, the sculptor is paid, That the figure is fine, pray believe your own eye; Yet credit but lightly what more may be said, For we flatter ourselves, and teach marble to lie. 1 Under the title Borrowed Thoughts,' Mr J. W. Singer gives the following lines written by Jno. Carnegie, as the prototype of Prior's Epitaph: Johnnie Carnegie lais heere Mr Bluecowe, Vol. x., p. 216, N and O, gives the following quotation from a correspondent of the Antiquarian Repertory, 1784: 'I lately met with the following very ancient epitaph upon a tombstone in Scotland, and it is undoubtedly that from which Mr Prior borrowed those well known lines intended for his own monument: John Carnagie lies here Descended from Adam and Eve 3 Yet, counting as far as to fifty his years, His virtues and vices were as other men's are; High hopes he conceived, and he smothered great fears, In life party-coloured, half pleasure, half care. 4 Nor to business a drudge, nor to faction a slave, 5 Now in equipage stately, now humbly on foot, Both fortunes he tried, but to neither would trust; And whirled in the round, as the wheel turned about, He found riches had wings, and knew man was but dust. 6 This verse little polished, though mighty sincere, Sets neither his titles nor merit to view; It says that his relics collected lie here, And no mortal yet knows too if this may be true. 7 Fierce robbers there are that infest the highway, So Mat may be killed, and his bones never found; False witness at court, and fierce tempests at sea, So Mat may yet chance to be hanged, or be drowned. 8 If his bones lie on earth, roll in sea, fly in air, To fate we must yield, and the thing is the same; And if passing thou giv'st him a smile or a tear, He cares not-yet pr'ythee be kind to his fame. |