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VII.

On his being arriv'd to the age

of 23.

How foon hath Time, the fubtle thief of youth,
Stoln on his wing my three and twentieth year!
My hafting days fly on with full carreer,
But my late spring no bud or blossom fhew'th.
Perhaps my femblance might deceive the truth,
That I to manhood am arriv'd fo near,
And inward ripeness doth much less appear,
That fome more timely-happy spirits indu'th.
Yet be it lefs or more, or foon or flow,

It shall be still in ftrictest measure even

To that fame lot, however mean or high,

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Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heaven;

All is, if I have grace to use it so,

As ever in my great Task-master's eye.

VIII.

When the affault was intended to the City.

Captain or Colonel, or Knight in arms,

Whose chance on these defenfeless doors may feize, If deed of honor did thee ever please,

Guard them, and him within protect from harms. He can requite thee, for he knows the charms That call fame on such gentle acts as these, And he can spread thy name o'er lands and feas, Whatever clime the fun's bright circle warms.

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Lift

Lift not thy fpear against the Mufes' bower:
The great Emathian conqueror bid fpare
The house of Pindarus, when temple' and tower
Went to the ground: and the repeated air
Of fad Electra's poet had the power

To fave th' Athenian walls from ruin bare.

IX.

To a virtuous young Lady.

Lady, that in the prime of earliest youth
Wifely haft fhunn'd the broad way and the
And with thofe few art eminently seen,
That labor up the hill of heav'nly truth,

The better part with Mary and with Ruth
Chofen thou haft; and they that overween,
And at thy growing virtues fret their spleen,
No anger find in thee, but pity' and ruth.
Thy care is fix'd, and zealously attends

To fill thy odorous lamp with deeds of light,

green,

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And hope that reaps not fhame. Therefore be fure Thou, when the bridegroom with his feaftful friends Paffes to blifs at the mid hour of night,

Haft gain'd thy entrance, Virgin wife and pure.

X.

To the Lady Margaret Ley.

Daughter to that good Earl, once President
Of England's Council, and her Treasury,
Who liv'd in both, unstain'd with gold or fee,

And left them both, more in himself content,

Till fad the breaking of that Parliament

Broke him, as that dishonest victory

At Charonea, fatal to liberty,

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Kill'd with report that old man eloquent.

Though later born than to have known the days
Wherein your father florish'd, yet by you,
Madam, methinks I fee him living yet;
So well your words his noble virtues praise,
That all both judge you to relate them true,
And to poffefs them, honor'd Margaret.

XI.

10

On the detraction which followed upon my writing certain treatises.

A book was writ of late call'd Tetrachordon,
And woven close, both matter, form and stile;
The fubject new; it walk'd the town awhile,
Numbering good intellects; now feldom por❜d on.
Cries the ftall-reader, Bless us! what a word on 5
A title-page is this! and some in file

Stand fpelling falfe, while one might walk to MileEnd Green. Why is it harder, Sirs, than Gordon, Colkitto, or Macdonnel, or Galasp?

Thofe rugged names to our like mouths grow fleek, That would have made Quintilian ftare and gasp.

Thy

age, like ours, O Soul of Sir John Cheek, Hated not learning worse than toad or asp,

When thou taught'ft Cambridge, and king Edward

Greek.

XII. On

XII.

On the fame.

I did but prompt the age to quit their clogs
By the known rules of ancient liberty,
When strait a barbarous noife environs me
Of owls and cuckoos, affes, apes, and dogs:
As when thofe hinds that were transform'd to frogs 5
Rail'd at Latona's twin-born progeny,

Which after held the fun and moon in fee.
But this is got by cafting pearl to hogs;

That bawl for freedom in their fenfelefs mood,

And still revolt when truth would fet them free. 10
Licence they mean when they cry Liberty;

For who loves that must first be wife and good;
But from that mark how far they rove we fee
For all this wafte of wealth, and lofs of blood.

XIII.

To Mr. H. LAWES on his Airs.

Harry, whofe tuneful and well-measur'd fong
Firft taught our English mufic how to span
Words with just note and accent, not to scan
With Midas' ears, committing fhort and long;
Thy worth an fkill exempts thee from the throng, 5
With praise enough for envy to look wan;

To after-age thou shalt be writ the man,

That with fmooth air could'st humour beft our tongue.

Thou

Thou honor'st verse, and verse must lend her wing
To honor thee, the priest of Phoebus' quire,
That tun'ft their happiest lines in hymn, or ftory.
Dante fhall give fame leave to set thee higher
Than his Cafella, whom he woo'd to fing,
Met in the milder fhades of purgatory.

XIV.

On the religious memory of

ΤΟ

Mrs. CATHARINE THOMSON, my chriftian friend, Deceas'd 16 Decem. 1646.

When faith and love, which parted from thee never, Had ripen'd thy juft foul to dwell with God, Meekly thou didst refign this earthly load

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Of death, call'd life; which us from life doth fever. Thy works and alms and all thy good endevor Stay'd not behind, nor in the grave were trod: But, as faith pointed with her golden rod, Follow'd thee up to joy and blifs for ever.. Love led them on, and faith, who knew them best, Thy hand-maids, clad them o'er with purple beams And azure wings, that up they flew fo drest, And spake the truth of thee on glorious themes Before the Judge, who thenceforth bid thee rest And drink thy fill of pure immortal streams.

VOL. XII.

N

XV. To

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