State Tracts Containing Many Necessary Observations and Reflections on the State of our Affairs at Home and Abroad; With some Secret Memoirs. By the Author of the Examiner [i.e. William Oldisworth] |
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On a FRIEND. |
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On a FRIEND.
And shall a Friend depart without a decent Verse,To sing his Requiem, and adorn his Herse.
No; tho' dull Sorrow cloud my Lines, I'll show
The kind remembrance to his Name I owe,
And Gratitude at least shall from my Numbers flow.
Fancy to Friendship freely gives the Place,
And Truth to ev'ry Word the Noblest Grace;
Receive dear Soul, the Tribute of my Ink,
Which deeper than my Tears will in thy Marble sink,
And tell the World while thou in Silence lies,
What they shou'd do, to Grace thy Obsequies,
What thou thy self wou'd to thy Friend have done,
Had he, as 'twas thy harder Fate, first gone.
Weep then ye Relicks of the sacred Dead,
And mourn those Virtues which too early fled;
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Among his Servants, Children, or his Wife;
Constant Companion of his daily Care
As he was ever fond and kind to her;
The tendrest Parent here the World might see,
Nature her self ev'n is out-done by thee;
For thou art dead for thy Posterity.
Thy Care in Life was for their Good imploy'd
And for their Happiness at last thou dy'd,
Wondrous Goodness both in Life and Death,
Which was continued to thy latest Breath;
Patient in Sickness, in Distress Content,
To Anger Slow, but easy to Relent;
Indulgence so pursu'd thee to the End,
Thou cou'dst forgive much easier than offend.
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