Medea A Tragedy |
TO Sir Edw. Sherburne, Kt,
ON Our Mutual Friendship, and his Ingenious and Learned Labours.
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 | Medea |  |
TO Sir Edw. Sherburne, Kt, ON Our Mutual Friendship, and his Ingenious and Learned Labours.
Dear
Friend! I question, nor can yet decide
Whether thou more art my Delight or Pride?
O my Defence, and choicest Ornament!
Whose Flame inspires me now my own is spent.
Kind was the Storm, and the Times furious Rage
Did both to shelter in one Port ingage.
By Fortune our Acquaintance there begot,
Confirm'd by Chance, up into Friendship shot.
Our willing Spirits quickly understood
The double Tye of Sympathy and Blood.
Thy Share of publick Griefs thou didst allay
By Conversation then with Seneca.
That great Philosopher who had design'd
To Life the various Passions of the Mind,
Did wrong'd Medea's Jealousie prefer
To entertain the Roman Theater.
Both to instruct the Soul and please the Sight,
At once begetting Horror and Delight.
This Cruelty thou didst at once express,
Tho in a strange no less becoming Dress;
And her Revenge did'st rob of half its Pride,
To see it self thus by it self out-vy'd.
Whether thou more art my Delight or Pride?
O my Defence, and choicest Ornament!
Whose Flame inspires me now my own is spent.
Kind was the Storm, and the Times furious Rage
Did both to shelter in one Port ingage.
By Fortune our Acquaintance there begot,
Confirm'd by Chance, up into Friendship shot.
Our willing Spirits quickly understood
The double Tye of Sympathy and Blood.
Thy Share of publick Griefs thou didst allay
By Conversation then with Seneca.
That great Philosopher who had design'd
To Life the various Passions of the Mind,
To entertain the Roman Theater.
Both to instruct the Soul and please the Sight,
At once begetting Horror and Delight.
This Cruelty thou didst at once express,
Tho in a strange no less becoming Dress;
And her Revenge did'st rob of half its Pride,
To see it self thus by it self out-vy'd.
Nor was't enough t'afford his Scenes this Due,
But what thou gav'st to us, as kindly too
Thou would'st bestow on him, nor wer't more just
Unto the Author's Work than to his Dust.
Thou did'st make good his Title, aid his Claim,
Both vindicate his Poems and his Name;
So shar'st a double Wreath; for all that we
Unto the Poet ow, he ows to thee.
The Learn'd what we assert must needs confess,
Reading Medea, Phædra, Troades.
Tho Change of Tongues stoln Praise to some afford,
Thy Versions have not borrow'd, but restor'd.
But what thou gav'st to us, as kindly too
Thou would'st bestow on him, nor wer't more just
Unto the Author's Work than to his Dust.
Thou did'st make good his Title, aid his Claim,
Both vindicate his Poems and his Name;
So shar'st a double Wreath; for all that we
Unto the Poet ow, he ows to thee.
The Learn'd what we assert must needs confess,
Reading Medea, Phædra, Troades.
Tho Change of Tongues stoln Praise to some afford,
Thy Versions have not borrow'd, but restor'd.
Next I remember well thou didst distil
The Prose of Seneca through thy smooth Quill,
Into soft Numbers, such as might prefer
The Poet, high as the Philosopher.
And thy great Master was well pleas'd to see
His Sufferings chose to grace good Mens, by thee.
The Prose of Seneca through thy smooth Quill,
Into soft Numbers, such as might prefer
The Poet, high as the Philosopher.
And thy great Master was well pleas'd to see
His Sufferings chose to grace good Mens, by thee.
He dead, thou didst withdraw from Town, an Air
More innocent, chusing with me to share.
Begg'ring the Place guilty of Royal Blood,
By bringing from it a large Stock of Good.
There, thy Retirement suiting with thy strain,
Antient and modern Poets entertain;
And, lest such Strangers should converse alone,
Thou civilly mix'dst with their Songs thy own.
Till ravish'd thence by a Desire to view
The happy Regions where those Lawrels grew.
Then having gather'd all the learned Store
Which scatter'd lay in several Lands before,
Back to thy longing Country didst thou come,
And gratefully unlade thy Freight at home.
More innocent, chusing with me to share.
By bringing from it a large Stock of Good.
There, thy Retirement suiting with thy strain,
Antient and modern Poets entertain;
And, lest such Strangers should converse alone,
Thou civilly mix'dst with their Songs thy own.
Till ravish'd thence by a Desire to view
The happy Regions where those Lawrels grew.
Then having gather'd all the learned Store
Which scatter'd lay in several Lands before,
Back to thy longing Country didst thou come,
And gratefully unlade thy Freight at home.
To this great End, Manilius, who had long
The Spheres oblig'd and rival'd by his Song,
Was chosen by his thankful Stars to be
The Subject of a sweeter Harmony.
But first, (as to great Seneca before)
The Author to his Work thou didst restore;
And Marcus, if not noble, free at least,
Of what the Bond-man seiz'd is re-possest.
His Poem then thou didst sing o'er again,
In such a noble yet so sweet a Strain,
As might at once his Pride and Envy raise,
To hear himself out-sung in his own Lays.
The Spheres oblig'd and rival'd by his Song,
Was chosen by his thankful Stars to be
The Subject of a sweeter Harmony.
But first, (as to great Seneca before)
The Author to his Work thou didst restore;
And Marcus, if not noble, free at least,
Of what the Bond-man seiz'd is re-possest.
His Poem then thou didst sing o'er again,
In such a noble yet so sweet a Strain,
As might at once his Pride and Envy raise,
To hear himself out-sung in his own Lays.
Yet, as in Rivers where they smiling creep
Gently along, the Waters are most deep;
All who till now on the smooth Surface sail'd,
To fathom the vast Depth despair'd or fail'd.
This thou hast done; whose Notes like Sea-marks stand
To guide us to the new-discover'd Land.
Upon the Author's Triumph, all the rest
Attend, who e'er Astronomy profess'd.
Of whom the most obscure are proud to be
Crown'd by thy hand with Immortality;
And they who were from Death secur'd by Fame,
Congratulate th'Accession of thy Name.
Gently along, the Waters are most deep;
All who till now on the smooth Surface sail'd,
To fathom the vast Depth despair'd or fail'd.
This thou hast done; whose Notes like Sea-marks stand
To guide us to the new-discover'd Land.
Attend, who e'er Astronomy profess'd.
Of whom the most obscure are proud to be
Crown'd by thy hand with Immortality;
And they who were from Death secur'd by Fame,
Congratulate th'Accession of thy Name.
Tho. Stanley.
| Medea | |