Di timori, è speranze al popol use

Quanto d'ingegno, e d'alto valor vago,
E di cetra sonora, e delle muse :

Sol troverete in tal parte men duro
Ove amor mise l'infanabil ago.

VII.

H

OW foon hath time the suttle theef of youth,
Stoln on his wing my three and twentieth

yeer!
My hasting dayes flie on with full career,
But

my late spring no bud or blossom Thew'th. Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth,

That I to manhood am arriv'd so near,
And inward ripenes doth much less appear,

That som more timely-happy spirits indu'th.
Yet be it less or more, or soon or flow,

It shall be still in strictest measure eev'n,

To that fame lot, however mean or high, Toward which Time leads me, and the will of

All is, if I have grace to use it so, [Heav'n; As ever in my great task Masters eye.

10

VIII.

CAP

APTAIN or Colonel, or Knight in Arms,

Whose chance on these defenceless dores

may sease,

If deed of honour 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 spred thy Name o’re Lands and Seas,

What ever clime the Suns bright circle warms. Lift not thy spear against the Muses Bowre,

The great Emathian Conqueror bid spare

The house of Pindarus, when Temple and Towre Went to the ground : And the repeated air

Of sad Electra's Poet had the power
To save th’ Athenian Walls from ruine bare.

IO

IX.

L

ADY that in the prime of earliest youth,
Wisely haft shun’d the broad way and the

green,
And with those few art eminently seen,
That labour

up

the Hill of heav'nly Truth, The better

part with Mary and with Ruth, Chosen thou hast, and they that overween, And at thy growing vertues fret their spleen, No

anger find in thee, but pity and ruth. Thy care is fixt and zealously attends

To fill thy odorous Lamp with deeds of light, And Hope that reaps not shame. Therefore be sure

[friends Thou, when the Bridegroom with his feaftfull

Passes to bliss at the mid hour of night,
Hast gain'd thy entrance, Virgin wise and pure.

X.

DA
AUGHTER to that good Earl, once President

Of Englands Counsel, and her Treasury, Who liv'd in both, unstain'd with gold or fee.

And left them both, more in himself content, Till the sad breaking of that Parlament

Broke him, as that dishonest victory
At Chæronea, fatal to liberty

Killd with report that Old man eloquent, Though later born, then to have known the dayes Wherin

your

Father flourisht, yet by you, Madam, me thinks I see him living yet; So well your words his noble vertues praise, ,

That all both judge you to relate them true, And to possess them, Honour'd Margaret.

IO

XI.

A

BOOK was writ of late callid Tetrachordon ;

And wov’n close, both matter, form and stile; The Subject new: it walk'd the Town a while,

Numbring good intellects; now seldom por'don. Cries the stall-reader, bless us! what a word on

A title page is this! and some in file
Stand spelling fals, while one might walk to Mile-

End Green. Why is it harder Sirs then Gordon, Colkitto, or Macdonnel, or Galasp? [Neek

Those rugged names to our like mouths grow That would have made Quintilian stare and gasp. Thy age, like ours, O Soul of Sir John Cheek,

Hated not Learning wors then Toad or Asp; When thou taught'stCambridge,and King Edward

Greek.

I

XII. On the same.
DID but prompt the age to quit their cloggs

By the known rules of antient libertie,
When strait a barbarous noise environs me

Of Owles and Cuckoes, Asses, A pes and Doggs. As when those Hinds that were transform'd to

Raild at Latona's twin-born progenie [Froggs Which after held the Sun and Moon in fee.

But this is got by casting Pearl to Hoggs; That bawle for freedom in their senceless mood,

And still revolt when truth would set them free.

Licence they mean when they cry libertie ; For who loves that, must first be wise and good;

But from that mark how far they roave we see For all this wast of wealth, and loss of blood.

XIII. To Mr. H. Lawes, on his Aires.
ARRY whose tuneful and well measur'd Song

First taught our English Musick how to span Words with just note and accent, not to scan

With Midas Ears, committing short and long; Thy worth and skill exempts thee from the throng,

With praise enough for Envy to look wan;
To after age thou shalt be writ the man,

That with smooth aire couldst humor best our

tongue. Thou honour'st Verse, and Verse must send her wing

To honour thee, the Priest of Phæbus Quire

That tun'st their happiest lines in Hymn,or Story. Dante shall give Fame leave to set thee higher

Then his Cafella, whom he woo'd to sing
Met in the milder shades of Purgatory.

XIV.

WHEN Faith and Love which parted from

thee never,

Had ripen'd thy just soul to dwell with God,
Meekly thou didst resign this earthy load
Of Death, call'd Life; which us from Life doth

sever. Thy Works and Alms and all thy good Endeavour

Staid not behind, nor in the grave were trod; But as Faith pointed with her golden rod,

Follow'd thee up to joy and bliss for ever. Love led them on, and Faith who knew them best Thy hand-maids, clad them o're with purple

beams And azure wings, that up they flew so drest, And speak the truth of thee on glorious Theams

Before the Judge, who thenceforth bid thee rest And drink thy fill of pure immortal streams. .