 | The Penns & Peningtons |  |
241
Upon the Excellently Learned JOHN MILTON.
An Epitaph.
Within this arch embalm'd doth lie
One whose high fame can never die;
Milton, whose most ingenious pen
Obligéd has all learnéd men.
One whose high fame can never die;
Milton, whose most ingenious pen
Obligéd has all learnéd men.
Great his undertakings were,
(None greater of their kind,)
Which sufficiently declare
The worth and greatness of his mind.
(None greater of their kind,)
Which sufficiently declare
The worth and greatness of his mind.
Mean adversaries he declin'd,
And battle with the chiefest join'd.
And battle with the chiefest join'd.
Not e'en the Royal Portraiture
Proudly could before him stand,
But fell and broke,
Not able, as it seems, t'endure
The heavy stroke
Of his Iconoclastes hand.
Thus the so-fam'd Eikon Basilike
Became the trophy of his victory.
Proudly could before him stand,
But fell and broke,
Not able, as it seems, t'endure
The heavy stroke
Of his Iconoclastes hand.
242
Became the trophy of his victory.
On his triumphant chariot too did wait
One who had long the crown of learning wore,
And of renown had treasur'd up good store,
But never found an equal match before,
Which puff'd him up, and made him too elate.
One who had long the crown of learning wore,
And of renown had treasur'd up good store,
But never found an equal match before,
Which puff'd him up, and made him too elate.
This was the great Salmatius, he whose name
Had tower'd so high upon the wing of fame,
And never knew till now
What 'twas, alas! to bow;
For many a gallant captive by the heel
Had he in triumph dragg'd at's chariot-wheel.
But now is fain to stoop, and see the bough
Torn from his own to deck another's brow.
This broke his heart; for, having lost his fame,
He died 'tis hard to say whether thro' grief or shame.
Thus great Salmatius, in his winding sheet,
Lies prostrate at far greater Milton's feet—
Milton in whom all brave endowments meet!
Had tower'd so high upon the wing of fame,
And never knew till now
What 'twas, alas! to bow;
For many a gallant captive by the heel
Had he in triumph dragg'd at's chariot-wheel.
But now is fain to stoop, and see the bough
Torn from his own to deck another's brow.
This broke his heart; for, having lost his fame,
He died 'tis hard to say whether thro' grief or shame.
Thus great Salmatius, in his winding sheet,
Lies prostrate at far greater Milton's feet—
Milton in whom all brave endowments meet!
The majesty of Poesy he reviv'd,
The common road forsaking,
And unto Helicon a new track making,
To write in measures without rhyme contriv'd.
The common road forsaking,
And unto Helicon a new track making,
To write in measures without rhyme contriv'd.
He knew the beauty of a verse well made
Doth in a just and due proportion lie
Of parts, true feet, right cadence, symphony,
(A thing by vulgar poets lightly weigh'd,)
Not in the tinkling chime
Of a harsh and far-fetch'd rhyme.
Doth in a just and due proportion lie
Of parts, true feet, right cadence, symphony,
(A thing by vulgar poets lightly weigh'd,)
Not in the tinkling chime
Of a harsh and far-fetch'd rhyme.
243
Two great examples of this kind he left,
(The natural issue of his teeming brain);
One shows how man of Eden was bereft;
In t'other man doth Paradise regain,
So far as naked notion can attain.
(The natural issue of his teeming brain);
One shows how man of Eden was bereft;
In t'other man doth Paradise regain,
So far as naked notion can attain.
Nature in him a large foundation laid,
And he had also superbuilt thereon
A structure great, indeed, and fair enough,
Of well-prepar'd and finely-polish'd stuff,
Admir'd by all but equalléd by none.
And he had also superbuilt thereon
A structure great, indeed, and fair enough,
Of well-prepar'd and finely-polish'd stuff,
Admir'd by all but equalléd by none.
So that of him it might be said
(And that most truly too,)
Nature and Art
Had play'd their part,
As if they had a wager laid
Which of them most for him should do.
(And that most truly too,)
Nature and Art
Had play'd their part,
As if they had a wager laid
Which of them most for him should do.
His natural abilities
Were doubtless of the largest size;
And thereunto he surely had acquir'd
Learning as much as could be well desir'd.
More known his learning was not than admir'd.
Were doubtless of the largest size;
And thereunto he surely had acquir'd
Learning as much as could be well desir'd.
More known his learning was not than admir'd.
Profound his judgment was and clear;
His apprehension of the highest strain;
His reason all before it down did bear,
So forcible, demonstrative, and plain
It did appear.
His apprehension of the highest strain;
His reason all before it down did bear,
So forcible, demonstrative, and plain
It did appear.
Lofty fancy, deep conceit,
Style concise and language great
Render'd his discourse complete,
On whatsoever subject he did treat.
Invention never higher rose
In poetic strains or prose.
In tongues he so much skill had got,
He might be called The Polyglott.
Style concise and language great
Render'd his discourse complete,
On whatsoever subject he did treat.
Invention never higher rose
In poetic strains or prose.
244
He might be called The Polyglott.
Even they 'gainst whom he writ
Could not but admire his wit,
And were forcéd to confess
(For indeed it was in vain
To deny a thing so plain,)
That their parts than his were less.
Could not but admire his wit,
And were forcéd to confess
(For indeed it was in vain
To deny a thing so plain,)
That their parts than his were less.
Unto him the Muses sent,—
And that, too, not in compliment;
For doubtless 'twas his due,
As all that knew him knew—
The title of Most Excellent,
Of which title may he rest
Now and evermore possess'd!
And that, too, not in compliment;
For doubtless 'twas his due,
As all that knew him knew—
The title of Most Excellent,
Of which title may he rest
Now and evermore possess'd!
| The Penns & Peningtons | |