 | Essays upon Several Subjects In Prose and Verse |  |
TO Her Royal Highness The PRINCESS SOPHIA, Electress and Dutchess Dowager OF BRUNSWICK.
1
OF KNOWLEDGE.
To the Ladies.
2
When ancient Greece was for her Arts renown'd,
Was for her Learning and her Honour crown'd;
The Men alone did not the Glory share,
The Muses had their Female Votaries there.
Some Women all the Depths of Knowledge trac'd,
And were with ev'ry Science, ev'ry Virtue grac'd,
Their Understanding, like a Light Divine,
Did thro' their Lives with pleasing Splendor shine.
From thence the Roman Emulation grew,
Some Ladies there did the bright Tract pursue,
Made great Advances in the Paths of Fame,
And, rich in Learning, to her Temple came.
There a Cornelia did her Father grace,
The worthy Daughter of a Conqu'ring Race:
Not he more Glory cou'd from Carthage bring,
Than from her Pen, and from her Tongue did spring.
Was for her Learning and her Honour crown'd;
The Men alone did not the Glory share,
The Muses had their Female Votaries there.
Some Women all the Depths of Knowledge trac'd,
And were with ev'ry Science, ev'ry Virtue grac'd,
Their Understanding, like a Light Divine,
Did thro' their Lives with pleasing Splendor shine.
From thence the Roman Emulation grew,
Some Ladies there did the bright Tract pursue,
3
And, rich in Learning, to her Temple came.
There a Cornelia did her Father grace,
The worthy Daughter of a Conqu'ring Race:
Not he more Glory cou'd from Carthage bring,
Than from her Pen, and from her Tongue did spring.
In other Countries we have Trophies rais'd;
The wise Zenobia can't enough be prais'd;
She famous, as her August Tadmor, grew,
Almost as much as its first Founder knew.
No guilty Passion e're her Glory stain'd,
She still with Justice and with Mildness reign'd,
And when inslav'd, she never once complain'd.
Still was the same in each Extreme of Fate,
Humble when high, and when depress'd sedate.
In latter Times a great Example's found,
A Cottage-Virtue for her Merit crown'd;
An Athenais, by her Learning led
To the bright Honours of a Royal Bed!
Admir'd, tho' poor, both for her Mind and Face,
In both you might surprizing Beauties trace:
But 'twas the First wise Theodosius gain'd,
Such Charms he lik'd, as still the same remain'd,
Which neither Age, nor Sickness, cou'd remove,
Which still would shine, still would attract his Love.
Italian Shores with Female Praise resound,
Amalasuntha there was suff'ring found;
A Lady blest by Nature and by Art:
She'd all the Treasures Knowledge could impart,
A Mind well furnish'd, and gen'rous Heart.
But these, alas! could not a Husband move,
Could not perswade his barbarous Soul to love.
Her shining Qualities glar'd much too bright,
They shew'd those Vices he had hid in Night.
Provok'd, and blushing at the shameful View,
He at the guiltless Cause invenom'd Arrows threw.
Love fled, affrighted, from his Savage Breast,
A Place too cruel for so kind a Guest.
The gentle God to Paphian Shrines retir'd,
And there his Goddess Mother's Aid requir'd:
They join'd their Skill, their utmost Pow'r they try'd;
But he both them, and all their Arts defy'd,
Stood unconcern'd while his fair Princess dy'd,
By him destroy'd, who shou'd have sav'd her Life;
O Wretch! unworthy of so good a Wife:
Inhuman Prince, her Charms had Tygers mov'd,
She'd been for them, by fiercest Lions lov'd;
Thro' wildest Desarts might have safely stray'd,
And there been by the bestial World obey'd,
By none, but treacherous Man, have ever been betray'd.
Virtue's no Shield, it rather does expose;
The Bad are still the Good's inveterate Foes.
Merit in them does always Envy raise,
They hate the Persons they are forc'd to praise.
The wise Zenobia can't enough be prais'd;
She famous, as her August Tadmor, grew,
Almost as much as its first Founder knew.
No guilty Passion e're her Glory stain'd,
She still with Justice and with Mildness reign'd,
And when inslav'd, she never once complain'd.
Still was the same in each Extreme of Fate,
Humble when high, and when depress'd sedate.
In latter Times a great Example's found,
A Cottage-Virtue for her Merit crown'd;
An Athenais, by her Learning led
To the bright Honours of a Royal Bed!
Admir'd, tho' poor, both for her Mind and Face,
In both you might surprizing Beauties trace:
But 'twas the First wise Theodosius gain'd,
Such Charms he lik'd, as still the same remain'd,
Which neither Age, nor Sickness, cou'd remove,
Which still would shine, still would attract his Love.
Italian Shores with Female Praise resound,
Amalasuntha there was suff'ring found;
4
She'd all the Treasures Knowledge could impart,
A Mind well furnish'd, and gen'rous Heart.
But these, alas! could not a Husband move,
Could not perswade his barbarous Soul to love.
Her shining Qualities glar'd much too bright,
They shew'd those Vices he had hid in Night.
Provok'd, and blushing at the shameful View,
He at the guiltless Cause invenom'd Arrows threw.
Love fled, affrighted, from his Savage Breast,
A Place too cruel for so kind a Guest.
The gentle God to Paphian Shrines retir'd,
And there his Goddess Mother's Aid requir'd:
They join'd their Skill, their utmost Pow'r they try'd;
But he both them, and all their Arts defy'd,
Stood unconcern'd while his fair Princess dy'd,
By him destroy'd, who shou'd have sav'd her Life;
O Wretch! unworthy of so good a Wife:
Inhuman Prince, her Charms had Tygers mov'd,
She'd been for them, by fiercest Lions lov'd;
Thro' wildest Desarts might have safely stray'd,
And there been by the bestial World obey'd,
By none, but treacherous Man, have ever been betray'd.
Virtue's no Shield, it rather does expose;
The Bad are still the Good's inveterate Foes.
Merit in them does always Envy raise,
They hate the Persons they are forc'd to praise.
24
[O let us rather sink into the Earth]
I.
O let us rather sink into the Earth,Into that Dust from whence we came,
And, mindful of our humble Birth,
All unbecoming Thoughts disclaim.
As well may Flies their Exaltation boast,
Because they in the Sun-beams play;
Because they feel the Warmth of each reviving Day,
Extend their Silken Wings, and o'er the flo'wry Meadows stray.
As well may Ants with a prepost'rous Pride
Their fellow Worms deride,
And fancy they, of all the Reptile Host,
Are the most diligent and wise;
Because with Toil and Care
They for contingent Wants prepare;
25
For that in which his greatest Glory lies;
His Fame, his Riches, and his pompous Train,
With all those Things which make th'aspiring Wretch so vain,
They view with Scorn, as being not design'd
To constitute the Bliss of humane Kind,
Or satisfie th'impetuous Cravings of the Mind.
II.
Sure we should much more humble be,If we our selves could see:
But few, alas! but few,
Can bear the sad, the melancholy View,
They with Disgust avoid the Sight,
And turn 'em from the searching Rays of Light,
More pleas'd to wander in the dusky Shades of Night:
Where only seen by Lunar Beams,
Which weakly glimmer on the Streams,
And but a faint Reflection yield
To ev'ry Grove, and ev'ry Field.
By that pale, that feeble Flame,
Which has of Light no more but Name;
They but like fleeting Phantoms show,
And nor themselves, nor others know;
In Ignorance immers'd, and pleas'd with being so.
26
III.
If Lambent Fires around their Temples blaze,In Fancy's flatt'ring Glass they gaze,
And, fond of the transporting Sight,
Give way to Raptures of Delight.
Too fierce their Joys, too quick their Sense,
They cannot bear what's so intense:
No more they Reason's Laws obey,
No more regard what Truth does say:
But when th'enkindled Vapours cease to shine,
Then they sigh, and then repine;
As much they grieve, as they rejoyc'd before,
With Tears their vanish'd Splendors they deplore;
Till some false Fire again they view,
Till Hope bids them some distant Light pursue.
By it urg'd on, from Place to Place they run;
But still the nimble Flame do's its Pursuers shun:
Yet they th'unequal Chase renew,
Till tir'd and panting by delusive Streams,
They fainting sink, and only quench their Thirst in Dreams
29
[Accursed Pride taught Angels to rebel]
Accursed Pride taught Angels to rebel,Govern'd by That, immortal Spirits fell
From Heav'nly Seats, and Mansions all Divine,
Where they did with a spotless Brightness shine;
Where Light, as glorious as Meridian Day,
Did all around its lustrous Beams display,
And where Delights, for Mortals much too high,
Did them with unexhausted Joys supply,
They sunk to Realms of Darkness and Despair.
No Light but that of livid Flames was there;
A pale, a dismal, melancholy Sight:
All there was Horror, all did there affright,
And there they still must live, excluded from Delight.
30
Will never be by haughty Thoughts undone.
My self I know, and by that Knowledge taught,
My Soul have to a humble Temper wrought.
Nothing that's mine shall proud idea's raise;
Weak little Minds still fondest are of Praise.
'Tis want of Sense that does Mankind elate,
The Wise consider their dependant State;
How short their Views, how little 'tis they know,
By what slow Steps thro' Nature's Labyrinth go,
Where, like mean worthless Worms, they to superior Beings show.
31
OF HUMILITY.
33
[The tow'ring self-sufficient Mind]
The tow'ring self-sufficient MindHastily leaves the World behind;
Like Icarus, does soar too high,
Too near the melting Heat does fly:
It tempts the Dangers it should shun,
And by Presumption is undone:
While such as with a prudent Care,
By small Essays for Flight prepare;
Who raise themselves by slow Degrees,
First only perch upon the Trees,
Or on the Summit of some Hill,
E're they their great Designs fulfil,
There prune their Wings, and thence with Fear
Explore the dusky Atmosphere;
Which having done, they higher rise,
And trembling mount the upper Skies:
Then, more embolden'd, take their Way
Thro' purest Air to brightest Day,
May roam at large in Fields of Light,
And safely leave both Earth and Night.
35
[They whose Fire does dimly shine]
They whose Fire does dimly shine,In Smoke hid from themselves remain;
Their Heat cannot their Dross refine,
Nor chase thick Vapours from their Brain:
They think they see, yet still are blind,
Think they alone are blest with Sight.
This, for their Good, has Heav'n design'd,
That they may still enjoy Delight:
For if it should the Vail remove,
They quickly would themselves despise;
From Ignorance proceeds their Love,
In that alone their Dotage lies.
39
[Reproaches often useful prove]
Reproaches often useful prove,Malice may be as kind as Love;
No matter what the Bad intend,
If I'm the better, I've my End:
If that I to my self propose,
I shall defeat my greatest Foes.
44
[Such only those Delights shall share]
Such only those Delights shall share,Which in Perfection still are there;
Delights too great for us to know,
While we're thus hood-wink'd here below;
While we to Flesh are thus confin'd,
To Flesh, that Darkner of the Mind;
That Medium, which obscures the Light,
That worse than an Egyptian Night:
But when we've thrown this Veil aside,
Dispell'd those Shades, which Day does hide;
When from the Cells in which we lie,
All Thought, to glorious Heights we fly:
We then shall Truths with Clearness see,
Shall then as wise as knowing be;
As finite Intellects can prove,
As much possess, as much shall love,
And all our rapt'rous Hours employ
In highest Extacies of Joy.
45
OF DEATH.
51
[Thro' the pure Æther wing'd my way]
Thro' the pure Æther wing'd my way,And view'd the Works of Art Divine;
Seen boundless Love it self display,
And Wisdom in Perfection shine:
With the bright Natives of the Sky,
And such as once frail Mortals were,
Had rang'd thro' all the Realms on High,
And trod the liquid Plains of Air,
Where something new would still delight,
Something my Knowledge still improve;
Would me to Songs of Praise invite,
To soft harmonious Hymns of Love.
52
[Where Night here sable Wings shall ne'er display]
Where Night here sable Wings shall ne'er display,Nor rising Vapours hide refulgent Day;
Where Health, and Peace, and Pleasures all divine,
Shall mix their Charms, shall all in one combine,
Then dart themselves into each happy Breast,
And give them Raptures not to be exprest;
53
Which heav'nly Forms can only bear, and God dispense;
Where Hopes shall cease, and Wishes have an end,
And our Fruitions our Desires transcend;
Where no Disgusts, no Griefs, shall Entrance find,
Nothing disturb the Quiet of the Mind;
Where Death's unknown, and Life is only found,
Where with immortal Wreaths the Good are crown'd,
And all together join in Songs of Praise,
Together tune their sweet melodious Lays;
The grateful Tribute of their Voices bring,
And find no other Business, but to Love and Sing.
54
OF FEAR.
60
[Let such as value Life be full of Fear]
Let such as value Life be full of Fear,It is a Trifle much below my Care:
To distant Objects I direct my Sight,
To Prospects pleasant, permanent, and bright:
61
With eagerest Haste the dear Delights pursue.
The Virtuous, cloath'd with Rags, I'll dare to praise,
And make the Poor, if Good, the Subject of my Lays;
But will not be to servile Flatt'ry brought:
My Tongue shall speak the Language of my Thought.
The Great, if vicious, with Contempt I'll shun,
And will not be to base Compliance won
By Bribes, or Threats; nor wealthy Fools caress,
Nor a Respect for gawdy Fops express:
True to my Self, and unsubdu'd by Fear,
I'll meet each Storm, and every Pressure bear;
Maintain my Post until I'm call'd away,
And then the Summons with a chearful Look obey.
65
OF RICHES.
71
[Me sacred Virtue moves alone]
Me sacred Virtue moves alone;I will no Rival Passion own:
Begone, begone, in vain ye sue,
I'll to my firm Resolves be true:
No more shall Riches tempt my Sight
With their false, their glaring Light:
Before me when the Phantoms play,
From them, with Scorn, I'll turn away;
Defy their Power, and slight their Art,
And still be Mistress of my Heart.
73
OF SELF-LOVE.
76
[Love quickly would the World unite]
Love quickly would the World unite,In ev'ry Breast erect its Throne,
Mankind to solid Joys invite,
Joys to poor Mortals now unknown.
Friendship would then no Traffick prove;
But, by much nobler Precepts taught,
All like th'Angelick Forms above,
Would be one Soul, one Mind, one Thought:
To them 'twould then uneasie grow,
To them a Self-denial be,
The smallest Disrespect to show,
Where they superior Merit see.
Then, influenc'd by a Law Divine,
They would become each other's Care,
The general Good would still design,
And seek their own Advantage there.
79
OF JUSTICE.
102
['Twould like the blest Millennium prove]
'Twould like the blest Millennium prove,That Prototype of Joys above,
Where Truth th'Ascendant still shall gain,
Justice shall triumph, Virtue reign:
Where having view'd each other's Heart,
And found them void of Fraud and Art,
Free from Avarice, free from Hate,
Sincerely good, and firm as Fate,
We shall our Souls in one combine,
Shall join them with a Knot Divine,
A Knot so closely, strongly ty'd,
That nothing shall the Bond divide;
And that it may be sure to last,
Love, with a Smile, shall bind it fast:
Where we shall equal Plenty have,
None be poor, nor none a Slave;
None shall wrong, nor none complain,
A peaceful Temper there shall reign.
The tender Lamb and Wolf shall play,
The Kids among the Lions stray;
The lowing Herds with Bears shall feed,
No Guardians no Protectors need;
So mild, so gentle shall they prove,
They at a Child's Command shall move;
Their little Leader, pleas'd, obey,
And follow where he leads the Way.
Weak Infants shall with Serpents sport,
Unhurt, shall to their Dens resort.
103
None there their native Fierceness shew.
Goodness Divine shall there abound,
And Mercy spread it self around,
Shall every where it self display,
Into each Breast it self convey:
Delights so pure, intense, and strong,
Shall fill their Minds, and swell their Song,
That they'll their Thousand Years employ,
In one Extatick Now of Joy.
105
[That Bliss to which I longing haste]
That Bliss to which I longing haste,Those Joys I even faint to taste.
Say, ye bright Forms, who once were Men,
Would you assume your Flesh agen,
And leave your Beatifick Sight,
For all the World can call Delight?
O no! You'd all things here decline
But for a Glimpse of what's Divine;
And if one Glance so dear wou'd prove,
How much must full Fruition move?
106
OF ANGER.
134
[Our Days are crown'd with soft Delights]
Our Days are crown'd with soft Delights,With undisturb'd Repose our Nights:
The Golden Age revives again,
Bears Date from her auspicious Reign:
The Wicked from her Court are fled,
And drooping Truth erects her Head:
See! See! she rises dazling bright!
The Clouds are fled that hid her Light!
Lo! Justice does with Pomp descend,
On her each Virtue does attend;
From her, their Rays themselves disperse,
And all the wide Circumference bless:
With Joy Religion now appears,
And void of Doubts, and void of Fears,
Does all her native Charms display,
Is pure as Light, and bright as Day:
Such as she was, when first she rose,
When first she did her Beams disclose;
When Conscience was supreme within,
And happy Man was free from Sin:
When Goodness for it self was lov'd,
And none by servile Fear were mov'd:
When Nature govern'd void of Art,
And Love was regnant in each Heart:
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And spightful Censures were unknown:
Those Times she will again restore,
And add new Joys unknown before:
She comes! she comes! ordain'd by Fate,
Both to Reform and Shield her State!
Like favour'd Israel's Guardian Light,
She leads us through the Shades of Night:
In vain Egyptian Foes pursue;
She fearless does the Troublers view;
Their Chariots move but slowly on,
Their Wheels are off, their Strength is gone:
Surrounding Waves their Fury show,
And they no Place of Safety know:
Aurora does with Pomp arise,
Returning Day adorns the Skies:
When it has reach'd Meridian Height,
We from the Shore shall please our Sight
With the fam'd Trophies of the Fair,
And say, these who our Terror were,
By whom we've been so long opprest,
Depriv'd of Peace, depriv'd of Rest,
Who did for our Destruction wait,
Are made themselves the Prey of Fate.
142
OF CALUMNY.
146
[With as much Ease may Fire and Ice combine]
With as much Ease may Fire and Ice combine,Together in one Subject meet;
As well may Heat condense, and Cold refine;
Things be at once both soure and sweet;
As well may Cinthia's Beams adorn the Day,
Or Phæbus gild the dusky Night,
Weak Babes with hungry Lions play,
Or Lambs in ravenous Wolves delight.
160
[Sincerity's my chief Delight]
I
Sincerity's my chief Delight,The darling Pleasure of my Mind:
O that I cou'd to her invite
All the whole Race of Humane Kind:
This Beauty, full of tempting Charms,
I freely tender to their Arms.
II
Take her Mortals, she's worth more,Than all your Glory, all your Fame,
Than all your glitt'ring boasted Store,
Than all the things that you can name:
She'll with her bring a Joy Divine,
All that's good, and all that's fine.
III
Will soon your Hearts in one unite,No disagreeing Interest leave;
Love shall to all things give a Right,
And Men shall never more deceive:
Slander and Envy then shall cease,
And Friendship every where encrease.
161
IV
The World shall then as happy be,As 'twas in Saturn's blissful Reign,
All who the wondrous Change shall see,
Will think that Age restor'd again,
And bless their Fate for being born,
Where Truth does ev'ry Breast adorn.
180
OF LOVE.
191
[Ah! wretched Israel! all thy Beauty's fled!]
Ah! wretched Israel! all thy Beauty's fled!
Thy darling Sons, thy great Defenders dead!
Upon thy Mountains they, lamented, dy'd,
Who for thy sake the worst of Ills defy'd,
Saw Death unmov'd, undaunted met their Fate,
Resolv'd to save, or fall the Victims of the State.
Thy darling Sons, thy great Defenders dead!
Upon thy Mountains they, lamented, dy'd,
Who for thy sake the worst of Ills defy'd,
Saw Death unmov'd, undaunted met their Fate,
Resolv'd to save, or fall the Victims of the State.
See! low as Earth thy mighty Chiefs are laid,
They who were as superior Pow'rs obey'd;
Who with Majestick Miens, and Airs Divine,
So lately did in glitt'ring Armour shine,
Led on thy Troops, and, full of martial Fire,
Into each Breast did noble Warmth inspire,
Fearless rush'd on, and stem'd the bloody Tide,
Bravely they fought, and then as bravely dy'd.
They who were as superior Pow'rs obey'd;
Who with Majestick Miens, and Airs Divine,
So lately did in glitt'ring Armour shine,
Led on thy Troops, and, full of martial Fire,
Into each Breast did noble Warmth inspire,
Fearless rush'd on, and stem'd the bloody Tide,
Bravely they fought, and then as bravely dy'd.
Let none in Gath the dreadful News relate:
With Care conceal the conquer'd Hero's Fate.
May none our Loss in Askelon proclaim;
Be silent, all ye busie Tongues of Fame;
Lest with a barbarous Joy, a savage Pride,
Philistine Beauties our just Grief deride;
Lest charming Off-springs of polluted Beds,
Shou'd, with an impious Scorn, erect their Heads;
With artful Dances, and triumphant Lays,
Express their Joy, and their curst Dagon praise.
With Care conceal the conquer'd Hero's Fate.
May none our Loss in Askelon proclaim;
Be silent, all ye busie Tongues of Fame;
Lest with a barbarous Joy, a savage Pride,
Philistine Beauties our just Grief deride;
Lest charming Off-springs of polluted Beds,
Shou'd, with an impious Scorn, erect their Heads;
With artful Dances, and triumphant Lays,
Express their Joy, and their curst Dagon praise.
192
On Gilboa's Heights let no more Dew be found,
Let no soft Rain enrich the Rising Ground;
Let them no more a florid Verdure know,
No more large Crops of springing Plenty show;
No more let Flocks and Herds there Pasture find,
Nothing be left to feed the feather'd Kind;
Nothing be left that can the Priest supply,
Nothing that can on sacred Altars die:
For there the Warriour's Shield was cast away;
For there the Shield of Saul neglected lay,
As if no hallow'd Oil had on his lofty Head
Its odorous Drops with Regal Honour spread.
Let no soft Rain enrich the Rising Ground;
Let them no more a florid Verdure know,
No more large Crops of springing Plenty show;
No more let Flocks and Herds there Pasture find,
Nothing be left to feed the feather'd Kind;
Nothing be left that can the Priest supply,
Nothing that can on sacred Altars die:
For there the Warriour's Shield was cast away;
For there the Shield of Saul neglected lay,
As if no hallow'd Oil had on his lofty Head
Its odorous Drops with Regal Honour spread.
Back from the Feasts of War, the Banquets of the Slain,
The Bow of Jonathan did not return in vain;
Nor thence the Sword of Saul unglutted came;
Where-e'er he fought, it got him Spoils and Fame.
The Bow of Jonathan did not return in vain;
Nor thence the Sword of Saul unglutted came;
Where-e'er he fought, it got him Spoils and Fame.
They both were fraught with Graces all Divine,
Attracting Sweetness did with Greatness join:
The Father laid Authority aside,
The Son made Filial Duty all his Pride.
They mutual Kindness their whole Business made,
And now they undivided rest in Death's calm peaceful Shade.
Not tow'ring Eagles, when by lofty Flights,
They reach'd the Summit of Aerial Heights,
Were half so nimble, half so swift as they,
Nor did fierce Lions with such Strength seize on their trembling Prey.
Attracting Sweetness did with Greatness join:
The Father laid Authority aside,
The Son made Filial Duty all his Pride.
They mutual Kindness their whole Business made,
And now they undivided rest in Death's calm peaceful Shade.
Not tow'ring Eagles, when by lofty Flights,
They reach'd the Summit of Aerial Heights,
193
Nor did fierce Lions with such Strength seize on their trembling Prey.
Ye lovely Daughters of a holy Sire,
Your sparkling Eyes must lose their native Fire;
Tears must obscure those beauteous Orbs of Light;
Your Sovereign has to all your Grief a Right.
In moving Accents mourn o'er vanquish'd Saul,
He do's for your intensest Sorrow call;
He, who with tenderest Care did you supply,
Cloath'd you with Scarlet of the richest Dye:
With Gold embroider'd o'er your Garments were,
And glitt'ring Gems adorn'd your flowring Hair.
To these he added many Presents more,
Added Delights to you unknown before.
Your sparkling Eyes must lose their native Fire;
Tears must obscure those beauteous Orbs of Light;
Your Sovereign has to all your Grief a Right.
In moving Accents mourn o'er vanquish'd Saul,
He do's for your intensest Sorrow call;
He, who with tenderest Care did you supply,
Cloath'd you with Scarlet of the richest Dye:
With Gold embroider'd o'er your Garments were,
And glitt'ring Gems adorn'd your flowring Hair.
To these he added many Presents more,
Added Delights to you unknown before.
Amidst the Scene of War, the Horrors of the Day,
How did the Mighty fall a long contested Prey!
Surrounded by their Foes, did full of Wounds expire,
Vast Seas of Blood put out their martial Fire.
How did the Mighty fall a long contested Prey!
Surrounded by their Foes, did full of Wounds expire,
Vast Seas of Blood put out their martial Fire.
O Jonathan! thou noblest of thy Kind,
Thy Fate was equal to thy Godlike Mind!
Upon thy Heights on slaughter'd Bodies laid,
Thou hast thy own immortal Trophy made!
Thy Fate was equal to thy Godlike Mind!
Upon thy Heights on slaughter'd Bodies laid,
Thou hast thy own immortal Trophy made!
O what convulsive Pangs for thee I feel!
Love strikes much deeper than the sharpest Steel:
My Pleasure's gone, my Joys are wholly fled,
All, all is lost, my very Soul is dead:
I'm but the Eccho of my self, a Voice of Woe,
In thee I liv'd, now no Existence know.
While thou wert mine, Heav'n had not sure in store
One dear Delight, one single Blessing more
That I cou'd wish, to heighten my Content:
Fancy it self could nothing more invent:
The whole I cou'd desire in thee I found,
My Life was with continual Raptures crown'd,
And all my Hours but one soft blissful Round:
The Thoughts that thou wert mine made all my Sorrows cease,
Amidst my num'rous Toils gave me a Halcyon Peace;
Contemn'd was ev'ry Danger, ev'ry Pain,
Love made me chearfully the greatest Ills sustain.
When thou wert absent, then my busie Mind
Did in thy dear Remembrance Solace find,
Revolv'd thy Words, on each kind Accent stay'd,
And thy lov'd Image in my Breast survey'd;
Fancy'd thy Eyes each tender Glance return'd,
And with engaging Sweetness for thy David mourn'd:
But when thou didst me with thy Presence bless,
O who th'Extatick Transports can express!
Words are too poor, and Language wants a Name
For such a pure, immortal, fervent Flame!
A while I look'd, a while could only gaze,
My Face, my Eyes, my Heart, betray'd my glad
My Soul to thine would force her speedy Way,
Panting she stood, and chid her hindring Clay:
Trembling with Joy, I snatch'd thee to my Heart,
Did, with tumultuous Haste, my thronging Thoughts impart:
Troubl'd, thou heard'st me my past Toils relate,
My Suff'rings did a kind Concern create,
And made thee, sighing, blame the Rigour of my Fate.
O with what Pity, what a moving Air,
Did'st thou then vow thou would'st my Hazard's share,
Promis'd eternal Faith, eternal Love,
And kind to me, as my own Soul didst prove;
Nay, kinder far, no Dangers didst decline,
Expos'd thy Life to add a longer Date to mine!
Such an Affection to the World is new,
None can such wond'rous Proofs of Friendship shew!
Not the fair Sex, whom softest Passions move,
Can with such Ardour, such Intenseness love.
But thou art lost! for ever lost to me!
And all I ever priz'd is lost with thee.
Honour, and Fame, and Beauty lose their Charms,
I'm deaf to the harmonious Sound of Arms;
Deaf to the Calls of Glory and of Praise,
I'll near thy Tomb conclude my wretched Days:
In mournful Strains employ my Voice and Lyre,
And, full of Grief, by thy lov'd Corps expire.
Love strikes much deeper than the sharpest Steel:
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All, all is lost, my very Soul is dead:
I'm but the Eccho of my self, a Voice of Woe,
In thee I liv'd, now no Existence know.
While thou wert mine, Heav'n had not sure in store
One dear Delight, one single Blessing more
That I cou'd wish, to heighten my Content:
Fancy it self could nothing more invent:
The whole I cou'd desire in thee I found,
My Life was with continual Raptures crown'd,
And all my Hours but one soft blissful Round:
The Thoughts that thou wert mine made all my Sorrows cease,
Amidst my num'rous Toils gave me a Halcyon Peace;
Contemn'd was ev'ry Danger, ev'ry Pain,
Love made me chearfully the greatest Ills sustain.
When thou wert absent, then my busie Mind
Did in thy dear Remembrance Solace find,
Revolv'd thy Words, on each kind Accent stay'd,
And thy lov'd Image in my Breast survey'd;
Fancy'd thy Eyes each tender Glance return'd,
And with engaging Sweetness for thy David mourn'd:
But when thou didst me with thy Presence bless,
O who th'Extatick Transports can express!
Words are too poor, and Language wants a Name
For such a pure, immortal, fervent Flame!
A while I look'd, a while could only gaze,
My Face, my Eyes, my Heart, betray'd my glad
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Panting she stood, and chid her hindring Clay:
Trembling with Joy, I snatch'd thee to my Heart,
Did, with tumultuous Haste, my thronging Thoughts impart:
Troubl'd, thou heard'st me my past Toils relate,
My Suff'rings did a kind Concern create,
And made thee, sighing, blame the Rigour of my Fate.
O with what Pity, what a moving Air,
Did'st thou then vow thou would'st my Hazard's share,
Promis'd eternal Faith, eternal Love,
And kind to me, as my own Soul didst prove;
Nay, kinder far, no Dangers didst decline,
Expos'd thy Life to add a longer Date to mine!
Such an Affection to the World is new,
None can such wond'rous Proofs of Friendship shew!
Not the fair Sex, whom softest Passions move,
Can with such Ardour, such Intenseness love.
But thou art lost! for ever lost to me!
And all I ever priz'd is lost with thee.
Honour, and Fame, and Beauty lose their Charms,
I'm deaf to the harmonious Sound of Arms;
Deaf to the Calls of Glory and of Praise,
I'll near thy Tomb conclude my wretched Days:
In mournful Strains employ my Voice and Lyre,
And, full of Grief, by thy lov'd Corps expire.
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How soon, alas! the mighty are destroy'd!
Who can the dreadful Stroke of Fate avoid!
How are they fallen! who but lately stood
Like well-fix'd Rocks, and dar'd the raging Floud!
They who dispers'd their missive Terrors round,
From whom their Foes a swift Destruction found,
Now lie, like common Men, neglected on the Ground.
Who can the dreadful Stroke of Fate avoid!
How are they fallen! who but lately stood
Like well-fix'd Rocks, and dar'd the raging Floud!
They who dispers'd their missive Terrors round,
From whom their Foes a swift Destruction found,
Now lie, like common Men, neglected on the Ground.
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OF AVARICE.
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[The sacred Priest the sensless Mob obey'd]
The sacred Priest the sensless Mob obey'd;'Twas Aaron who the Golden Folly made:
From Egypt he the lov'd Idea brought,
The Calf was then imprest upon his Thought,
There, by his Fancy, so exactly wrought,
That ev'ry Trace unalter'd did remain,
The Lines were deeply carv'd within his Brain;
Thence, by Traduction, lineally convey'd
On all his Sons the spreading Mischief prey'd:
The tainted Stock did dire Effects produce,
Venom was mix'd with all its vital Juice:
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As quick as Thought to loftiest Boughs extend,
And thence, by subtile Paths, to lower Branches tend,
Did on each Leaf, each slender Fibre seise:
Moses himself encreas'd the curst Disease,
When, by a wondrous Skill, an Art divine,
To Ashes he their Apis did calcine,
And with their Liquor mix'd the glitt'ring Dust,
Too much he added to their native Thirst:
The crouding Atoms throng'd into the Brain,
Too close they stuck to be expell'd again:
The sacred Tribe not only Suff'rers were,
Others had in their Guilt an equal Share;
The painful Hunger all alike opprest,
The rav'nous Vultur prey'd on ev'ry Breast,
The Love of Gold its Poison did dilate,
Dispers'd it self throughout the wretched State;
From them into the Christian Church it came;
The Christian Church deserv'd an equal blame,
Too fond it grew of Grandeur, Wealth, & Fame.
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[If I'd a Fortune equal to my Mind]
If I'd a Fortune equal to my Mind,I like, my bounteous Maker, would be kind,
Wou'd spread my Wealth with greedy Pleasure round,
Near me no needy Wretches shou'd be found;
But still the Good shou'd have the largest Share,
Both of my Love, my Riches, and my Care;
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Prevent their Prayers, and all their Wants supply.
[That Day, when Clangors all Divine]
[I.]
That Day, when Clangors all Divine,Shall be the Harbingers of Fate;
When dazling Glories all around shall shine,
And God descend in State:
Officious Clouds shall gladly meet,
Shall croud into one solid Mass beneath his Feet,
That God who here our Flesh was pleas'd to wear,
For us Contempts and Pains to bear,
And all the Frailties of our Nature share;
That God, who fell a Sacrifice of Love,
Now comes with glorious Terror from Above:
He comes! he comes! to judge Mankind!
To judge that World for which he dy'd!
The Good shall still the same kind Saviour find,
The Bad be forc'd to own that Justice which they have defy'd.
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II.
See! in the clear expanded Air,A Throne for him Angelick Forms prepare:
Angelick Forms, whose Number do's transcend
Those sparkling Orbs of Light,
Which give a pleasing Lustre to the Night,
And render even its dusky Horrours bright,
Which far exceed those num'rous Heaps of Sand,
Which check the Sea, and bound the Land,
And betwixt both the lasting Barriers stand.
He sits sublime, while they attend,
While they their joyful Homage pay,
While they before him humbly bend,
And at his Feet their shining Honours lay,
Refulgent Crowns, which if compar'd with those below,
Like radiant Suns to glimmering Glow-worms show.
III.
At his Command they bid the Dead appear,Th'affrighted Dead the powerful Mandate hear:
All that have trod the Stage of Life arise,
And on the dread Tribunal fix their Eyes;
The Rich, the Poor, the Princes, and their Slaves,
Come trembling up from their deserted Graves,
From their close Mansions, full of anxious Fear,
They come to breathe superior Air.
Those whose past Lives have pious been,
Who to their Reason calm Submission pay'd,
And ne'er their Passions willingly obey'd,
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But O! what Tongue their Horrors can repeat,
To whom their Crimes relentless Furies prove,
Who now are curss'd with what they once did love!
They can't the sad Remembrance shun,
But must for ever view the Faults which they have done:
Each do's a Nemesis appear,
And each do's justify their Fear:
Not the least Glimpse of Hope remains,
No Joy to mitigate their Pains,
Despair has bound them fast with Adamantine Chains.
They wish, but wish in vain,
They cou'd return to their first Source again,
Back to that Nothing whence they rose,
Or in some deep Abyss cou'd find Repose,
Cou'd in the darkest Shades of Night
Conceal themselves from all revealing Light.
IV.
These he will separate by his Pow'r Divine,To each their proper Place assign:
And as a Shepherd with the tend'rest Care
His Sheep do's from his Goats divide,
Do's richest Pastures for the first provide,
Lets them exulting feed on his Right-hand,
While on his Left the Goats neglected stand;
So for the Good the noblest Station he'll prepare,
And then in Accents soft as Air,
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That Voice which will extatick Raptures move,
Which welcome to their Souls as chearful Light will prove;
To them he'll with Fraternal Kindness say,
Come ye, whom my Great Father's pleas'd to bless,
Come, and immortal Joys possess,
With Raptures come to that exalted State,
Long præ-ordain'd for you by Fate,
That Kingdom destin'd your's, e're since that Day
On which he did the World's Foundation lay.
V.
For me, when hungry, by Compassion led,You readily with wholsome Viands fed;
And when the sultry Heat had made me dry,
Did with refreshing Draughts supply;
When wand'ring, and alone, I sought Relief,
You on my Suff'rings Pity took,
With an endearing Sweetness calm'd my Grief,
And with a kind inviting Look,
A gen'rous Hospitable Air,
Receiv'd the friendless Stranger to your Care.
When I the greatest Poverty endur'd,
When naked bore the Fervour of the Day,
And in the Night, expos'd to piercing Cold, uncover'd lay,
You me with Cloaths from both Extreams secur'd;
And, when in Pain, I languish'd void of Rest,
You kindly came to visit the Distress'd.
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You found me out, and with unweary'd Love,
Became the dear Physicians of my Mind:
Like sovereign Balm did your Discourses prove,
Into my Soul they gently were convey'd,
And clos'd those Wounds which cruel Grief had made.
VI.
Then shall the Righteous, full of Wonder, say,When, our dear Saviour, did we thus to Thee!
O how could Thirst and Hunger on Thee prey,
Who art from all our Frailties free,
Secure from all the Suff'rings of Humanity!
Or how could'st thou, who ev'ry Place dost fill,
Be any where a Stranger found,
Thou, who with Glory crown'd,
Art Lord of all,
The higher Orbs, and this inferior Ball!
Sickness could not its Power to Thee extend,
On whose Almighty Will,
Both Causes and Effects depend,
In whose blest Frame, with Harmony Divine,
The diff'rent Particles combine,
No noxious Humours there
Are found to mix with poisonous Steams, or with malignant Air.
Cou'd Space Infinity confine,
Or what's immense be within Limits brought,
What's much too vast for Place, and spreads beyond th'Extent of Thought!
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VII.
Then shall their God from his resplendent ThroneThus to th'astonish'd Just reply,
Since I for you left my Celestial Height,
And to my Self your Nature did unite,
Made it my own by that mysterious Tye:
The suff'ring Good as Brethren I esteem,
To me they're dear, my Blood did them redeem;
The suff'ring Good, tho' poor, are priz'd by me,
I can thro' Rags interior Merit see.
Whatever Kindnesses to them you do,
All the Regards to them you shew,
With an Affection to Mankind unknown,
With an Affection wonderful and new,
I'll take as if design'd for me alone;
And your Reward shall prove
Worthy my Self, and my unbounded Love.
VIII.
Then turning to the Left, with Looks severe,With Looks that a Majestick Terror wear,
Depart, he says, depart, ye Curs'd, from me,
From Life and Joy, to everlasting Misery;
To Fire condemn'd, and never-ceasing Pains,
To those dire Realms, where, bound in horrid Chains,
Th'Apostate Prince, and his infernal Train,
Devoted to retrieveless Woes remain.
When Thirst and Hunger, with rapacious Haste,
Upon my fainting Entrails prey'd,
When Sickness did my sinking Spirits waste,
With me you never stay'd:
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Show'd no Desire to make my Suff'rings less:
When dying, with a base insulting Pride,
My Groans you laugh'd at, did my Sighs deride:
When in your Streets I wander'd in the Night,
Helpless and tir'd, you with a scornful Eye,
From me kept off, or turn'd regardless by;
While in Distress you thought you had a Right
To treat me ill, and exercise your Spight:
And, when in Fetters, I neglected lay,
You ne'er did one condoling Visit pay.
IX.
Tho' self-condemn'd, th'unhappy Wretches striveTo keep a while their dying Hopes alive;
Low as the Dust their trembling Knees they bend,
And toward Heaven enfeebl'd Arms extend,
With mortal Sadness and dejected Eyes,
Looks where Despair does visibly appear,
Joyn'd with a conscious Shame, and a tormenting Fear;
With fault'ring Lips, and a weak broken Tone,
They to their dreadful Charge reply:
O when, they sighing cry,
Did we so impious prove,
So void of Gratitude and Love?
When did'st thou to this Earth descend,
And in a mean Disguise,
Thy Creatures into Faults surprize?
Since unto us thy Wants were never known,
O let our Ignorance for our Crimes attone:
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Nor yet bewilder'd in the Glooms of Night;
Nor cou'd we think that thou couldst Garments need,
Could'st need our poor supply,
Who sit'st enthron'd on high,
In Robes of dazling Light,
Robes glorious as the Sun in his Meridian Height:
Or could'st be sick, from whom Health does proceed,
Or made a Prisoner, who dost Nature sway,
And whom superior and inferior Pow'rs obey.
X.
Th'avenging Judge shall then to them reply,In vain you on your weak Defence rely;
What you've alledg'd can't make your Guilt the less,
You must my Justice, and your Crimes confess:
You knew my Laws, knew their Observers prov'd
My Favourite Care, the Objects that I lov'd:
Yet them you've treated with a barbarous Scorn,
As if they were for your Diversion born,
Left destitute of Pow'r to be your Prey,
Design'd your Slaves, and form'd but to obey;
But know, mistaken Wretches, 'twas on me
You threw the Pain, the Shame, the Infamy;
'Twas me you did despise,
I was the Subject of your Cruelties:
To me th'Indignity was shown,
On me each Obloquy was thrown,
I each Affront resented as my own:
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Made it as piercing, as 'twas great,
He did once more their dreadful Doom repeat;
His Voice, like Thunder, awful Fear imprest,
It struck a Terrour in each guilty Breast;
It scatter'd Horrour wheresoe'er it came,
And fill'd with dire Amaze the universal Frame:
'Twas heard from Heights above, to Depths below,
None cou'd from it to close Recesses go;
It was in vain from it to run,
No Place there was where they the dreadful Sound cou'd shun.
Take them, he said, ye Messengers of Fate,
Into the flaming Gulph let them be thrown,
Where they shall know, when 'tis too late,
Too late shall own,
Their Business lay in being good alone;
In Offices of Love,
In being just, compassionate, and kind,
And in a Charity so unconfin'd,
It should it self to all Mankind extend,
And, like my wond'rous Mercy, know no End.
Past Actions shall torment them there,
Their Thoughts shall Furies prove,
Shall fill their anxious Souls with Fear,
With deep Remorse and black Despair,
Still shall they lash, and still shall blame,
Shall still excite an inward Shame;
A Shame, which shall for ever present be,
And like their other Pains, extend to vast Eternity.
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XI.
But ye, who liberal were and kind,Who made good Works your chiefest Care,
Bestow'd your Alms with an impartial Mind,
Resolving all that needy were
Shou'd freely of your gen'rous Bounty share;
Who knew no Parties, but to Virtue true,
Her Vot'ries pity'd in Distress,
Thought a Concern was to their Suff'rings due,
And strove those Suff'rings to redress,
The noblest way your Kindness did express;
Look'd without Scorn upon their mean Estate,
Defended them from Envy, Pride and Hate,
And buoy'd them up amidst the cross Events of Fate;
Shall now be for your righteous Deeds repay'd,
And hence with Pomp to Heav'nly Seats convey'd,
Where you, with me, shall feast on Joys Divine
Like me, shall with distinguish'd Glory shine.
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OF SOLITUDE.
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[Dear to the Gods Ambrosia prov'd]
Dear to the Gods Ambrosia prov'd,As dear are Books where they're belov'd;
They're still the Mind's delicious Treat,
Its healthful, most substantial Meat;
The Soul's ennobling, sprightly Wine,
Like Nectar sweet, and as Divine:
Castalian Springs did ne'er produce
A richer, more spirituous Juice.
When by't inspir'd, we fearless rise,
And, like the Giants, brave the Skies.
Pelion on Ossa boldly lay,
From thence both Earth and Sea survey:
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Then to the tow'ring Summet go,
Thence take a View of Worlds on High,
From Orb to Orb with Pleasure fly;
Still upward soar, until the Mind
Effects do's in their Causes find,
And them pursue till they unite
In the bless'd Source of Truth and Light.
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[Where new and brighter Objects I shall see]
Where new and brighter Objects I shall see,Objects which with my intellectual Sight agree:
Find Wonders greater than these here below,
And what I see shall with Exactness know:
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But live with Crouds of Spirits ever kind,
Cœlestial Forms from every Passion free,
But Love, blest Bond of their Society;
That sacred Bond, which do's their Hearts unite,
Do's them to Friendship's pleasing Sweets invite,
To Sweets which we can never here possess,
To Joys which only separate Souls can bless;
When freed from Earth, and all its base Alloy,
They taste such Pleasures as shall never cloy;
Pleasures, whose Gust is much too high for Sense,
Too strong, too pure, too lasting, too intense;
Joys to exalted Reason only known,
Of which not here the smallest Glimpse is shown:
What we call Friendship does from Interest rise,
'Tis mean, 'tis vile, 'tis what the Good despise;
Is but a Trade, a Trafficking for Gain.
How few are they who little Tricks disdain,
Scorn wheedling Arts, and uncorrupted Truth maintain?
But those Above, those wise, those spotless Minds,
Are still sincere, it there the noblest welcome finds,
Love reigns supreme, and its diffusive Fire,
Warms every Breast, do's every Heart inspire;
Its Flames still rise, till that dear happy Day,
When Heav'nly Glories all their Pomp display;
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And they in shining Bodies mount the Skies,
Shall meet their God in Extasies Divine,
And to his Love each meaner Bliss resign.
FINIS.
| Essays upon Several Subjects In Prose and Verse | |