The Poetical Works of Edmund Waller and Sir John Denham. With memoir and critical dissertation by the Rev. G. Gilfillan

Front matter

THE POETICAL WORKS OT EDMUND WALLER AND SIR JOHN DENHAM. EDINBURGH : PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE AND COMPANY, fade's WORK. THE POETICAL WORKS OF EDMUND WALLER AND SIR JOHN DENHAM. SBitf. Remote anD Critical Dissertation, BY THE REV. GEORGE GILFILLAN. EDINBUEGH: JAMES NICHOL, 104 HIGH STKEET. LONDON : JAMES NISBET & CO. DUBLIN : W. ROBERTSON. M.DCCC.LVII. THE LIFE OF EDMUND WALLEK. It is too trae, after all, that the lives of poets are not, in general, very interesting. Could we, indeed, trace the private workings of their souls, and read the pages of their mental and moral development, no biographies could he richer in instruction, and even entertainment, than those of our greater bards. The inner life of every true poet must be poetical. But in proportion to the romance of their souls' story, is often the commonplace of their outward career.

There have been poets, however, whose lives are quite as readable and as instructive as their poetry, and have even shed a reflex and powerful interest on their writings. The interest of such lives has, in general, proceeded either from the extraordinary misfortunes of the bard, or from his extremely bad morals, or from his strange personal idiosyncrasy, or from his being involved in the political or religious conflicts of his age. The life of Milton, for instance, is rendered intensely interesting from his connexion with the public affairs of his critical and solemn era. The life of Johnson is made readable from his peculiar conformation of body, his bear-like manners, his oddities, and his early struggles. You devour the life of Gifford, not because he was a poet, but because he was a shoemaker ; and that of Byron, more on account of his vices, his peerage, and his domestic unhappiness, than for the sake of his poetry.

And in Waller, too, you feel some supplemental interest, because he united what are usually thought the incompatible characters of a poet and a political plotter, and very nearly reached the altitudes of the gallows as well as those of Parnassus. vi THE LIFE OF EDMUND WALLER. The 3d March 1605 was the date, and Coleshill, in Hert fordshire, the place, of the birth of our poet. He was of an ancient and honourable family originally from Kent, some mem bers of which were distinguished for their wealth and others for the valour with which, at Agincourt and elsewhere, they fought the battles of their country. Eobert Waller, the poet's father, inherited from Edmund, Itis father, the lands of Beacons field, in Bucks, and other territory in Hertfordshire. These had been in 1548-9 left by Francis Waller, in default of issue by his own wife, to his brothers Thomas and Edmund, but Thomas dying, Edmund inherited the whole.

Epilogue

:— Prologue for the Lady-Actors, Spoken before King Charles II 160 Translated out of French . 173 Some Verses of an Imperfect Copy, Designed for a Friend, on his Translation of Ovid's 'Fasti' . . . . lit Prologue to the ' Maid's Tragedy' .... 1G6 Epilogue to the ' Maid's Tragedy,' Spoken by the the King . . . .168 On the Statue of King Charles I., at Charing Cross, in the Year 1674 . . . .173 'B Another Epilogue to the ' Maid's Tragedy,' Designed upon the first Alteration of the Play, when the King only was left Alive . . .168 Pride 174 Epitaph on Sir George Speke 171 Epitaph on Colonel Charles Cavendish . . .175 Epitaph on the Lady Sedley . 177 EPIGRAMS, EPITAPHS, AND FRAGMENTS :— Under a Lady's Picture . 1 69 Epitaph to be Written under the Latin Inscription upon the Tomb of the only Son of the Lord Andover . .173 Of a Lady who Writ in Praise of Mira .... 170 Epitaph Unfinished . .170 To One Married to an Old Man 170 DIVINE POEMS :— An Epigram on a Painted Lady with ill Teeth . . .170 Of Divine Love . . .179 Of the Fear of God . . 189 Epigram upon the Golden Medal . . . .171 Of Divine Poesy . . . 103 On the Paraphrase of the Lord's Prayer, Written by Mrs Wharton . . . .107 Written on a Card that Her Majesty tore at Ombre . 171 To Mr Granville (now Lord Lansdowne), on his Verses Some Reflections of his upon the Several Petitions in the same Prayer . . .108 to King James II. . . 171 Long and Short Life . . 172 Translated out of Spanish . 172 On the Foregoing Divine Poems . . . .200 CONTENTS.

XXXI DENHAM'S POEMS. PAGE Life of Sir Joitn Denham 203 POEMS UPON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. PAGE PAGE Cooper's Hill . . . .215 To the Five Members of the Honourable House of Commons, the humble Petition of the Poets 262 A Western Wonder . . .264 A Second Western Wonder . . 265 A Song 266 On Mr John Fletcher's Works . 267 To Sir Richard Fanshaw, upon his Translation of ' Pastor Fido ' . 268 To the Hon. Edward Howard, on 'The British Princes' . . 270 An Occasional Imitation of a Modern Author upon the Game of Chess . . . .271 The Passion of Dido for Æneas . 272 Of Prudence . . . .279 Of Justice 287 The Progress of Learning . . 291 Elegy on the Death of Henry Lord Hastings, 1650 . . .298 Of Old Age . . . .300 The Destruction of Troy, an Essay on the 2d Book of Virgil's Eneis 226 On the Earl of Stafford's Trial and Death . . . .243 On my Lord Croft's and my Journey into Poland . . . 244 On Mr Thomas Killigrew's Return from Venice, and Mr William Murrey's from Scotland . . 246 To Sir John Mennis . . .248 Xatura Naturata . . . 249 Sarpedon's Speech to Glaucus, in the Twelfth Book of Homer . 250 Friendship and Single Life, against Love and Marriage . . 251 On Mr Abraham Cowley, his Death, and Burial amongst the Ancient Poets 255 A Speech against Peace at the Close Committee . . .

THE POETICAL WOKKS OP EDMUND WALLER MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. OF THE DANGER HIS MAJESTY [BEING PRINCE] ESCAPED IN THE ROAD AT ST ANDERO.1 Now had bis Highness bid farewell to Spain, And reacb'd the sphere of bis own power — the main; With British bounty in his ship he feasts Th' Hesperian princes, his amazed guests, To find that watery wilderness exceed The entertainment of their great Madrid. Healths to both kings, attended with the roar Of cannons, echo'd from th' affrighted shore, With loud resemblance of his thunder, prove Bacchus the seed of cloud-compelling Jove; While to his harp divine Arion sings 2 10 The loves and conquests of our Albion kings. Of the Fourth Edward was his noble song, Fierce, goodly, valiant, beautiful, and young; 1 ' St Andero ' : St Andrews. He had newly abandoned his suit for the Infanta. — 2 ' Arion sings ' : Alluding to the deliverance of Charles I., on his return from Spain, from a violent storm in the Bay of Biscay, October 1623.

A He rent the crown from vanquish'd Henry's head, Raised the White Rose, and trampled on the Red ; Till love, triumphing o'er the victor's pride, Brought Mars and Warwick to the conquer'd side : Neglected Warwick (whose bold hand, like Fate, Gives and resumes the sceptre of our state) Woos for his master ; and with double shame, Himself deluded, mocks the princely dame, 18 20 The Lady Bona, whom just anger burns, And foreign war with civil rage returns. Ah! spare your swords, where beauty is to blame; Love gave th' affront, and must repair the same; When France shall boast of her, whose conqu'ring eyes Have made the best of English hearts their prize ; Have power to alter the decrees of Fate, And change again the counsels of our state. 30 What the prophetic Muse intends, alone To him that feels the secret wound is known.

With the sweet sound of this harmonious lay, About the keel delighted dolphins play, Too sure a sign of sea's ensuing rage, Which must anon this royal troop engage ; To whom soft sleep seems more secure and sweet, Within the town commanded by our fleet. These mighty peers placed in the gilded barge, Proud with the burden of so brave a charge, With painted oars the youths begin to sweep Neptune's smooth face, and cleave the yielding deep; Which soon becomes the seat of sudden war Between the wind and tide that fiercely jar. As when a sort 1 of lusty shepherds try Their force at football, care of victory 1 ' Sort ' : a company. 4i) o Makes them salute so rudely breast to breast, That their encounter seems too rough for jest ; They ply their feet, and still the restless ball, Toss'd to and fro, is urged by them all : So fares the doubtful barge 'twixt tide and winds, And like effect of their contention finds.

Yet the bold Britons still securely row'd; Charles aud his virtue was their sacred load; Than which a greater pledge Heaven could not give, That the good boat this tempest should outlive. But storms increase, and now no hope of grace Among them shines, save in the Prince's face ; The rest resign their courage, skill, and sight, To danger, horror, and unwelcome night. The gentle vessel (wont with state and pride On the smooth back of silver Thames to ride) Wanders astonish'd in the angry main, As Titan's car did, while the golden rein Fill'd the young hand of his adventurous son,1 When the whole world an equal hazard run To this of ours, the light of whose desire Waves threaten now, as that was scared by fire. Th' impatient sea grows impotent, and raves, That, night assisting, his impetuous waves Should find resistance from so light a thing; These surges ruin, those our safety bring.

Th' oppress'd vessel doth the charge abide, Only because assail'd on every side; So men with rage and passion set on fire, Trembling for haste, impeach their mad desire. The pale Iberians had expired with fear, But that their wonder did divert their care, 1 ' Adventurous sou' : Phaeton. To see the Prince with danger moved no more Than with the pleasures of their court before ; Godlike his courage seem'd, whom nor delight Could soften, nor the face of death affright. Next to the power of making tempests cease, Was in that storm to have so calm a peace. Great Maro could no greater tempest feign, When the loud winds usurping on the main, For angry Juno labour'd to destroy 7 'J The hated relics of confounded Troy ; His bold Æneas, on like billows toss'd In a tall ship, and all his country lost, 90 Dissolves with fear; and both his hands upheld, Proclaims them happy whom the Greeks had quell'd In honourable fight ; our hero, set In a small shallop, Fortune in his debt, So near a hope of crowns and sceptres, more Than ever Priam, when he flourish'd, wore ; His loins yet full of ungot princes, all His glory in the bud, lets nothing fall That argues fear; if any thought annoys The gallant youth, 'tis love's untasted joys, And dear remembrance of that fatal glance, For which he lately pawn'd his heart 1 in France ; Where he had seen a brighter nymph than she 2 That sprung out of his present foe, the sea.

That noble ardour, more than mortal fire, The conquer'd ocean could not make expire ; Nor angry Thetis raise her waves above 100 Th' heroic Prince's courage or his love ; 'Twas indignation, and not fear he felt, The shrine should perish where that image dwelt. no 1 ' Henrietta, afterwards Queen.—2 Venus. Ah, Love forbid! the noblest of thy train m Should not survive to let her know his pain; Who nor his peril minding, nor his flame, Is entertain'd with some less serious game, Among the bright nymphs of the Gallic court, All highly born, obsequious to her sport; They roses seem, which in their early pride But half reveal, and half their beauties hide; She the glad morning, which her beams does throw Upon their smiling leaves, and gilds them so; Like bright Aurora, whose refulgent ray 120 Foretells the fervour of ensuing day, And warns the shepherd with his flocks retreat To leafy shadows from the threaten'd heat.

From Cupid's string, of many shafts that fled Wing'd with those plumes which noble Fame had shed, As through the wond'ring world she flew, and told Of his adventures, haughty, brave, and bold, Some had already touch'd the royal maid, But Love's first summons seldom are obey'd; 130 Light was the wound, the Prince's care unknown, She might not, would not, yet reveal her own. His glorious name had so possess'd her ears, That with delight those antique tales she hears Of Jason, Theseus, and such worthies old, As with his story best resemblance hold. And now she views, as on the wall it hung, What old Musæus so divinely sung; Which art with life and love did so inspire, That she discerns and favours that desire, 140 Which there provokes th' advent'rous youth to swim, And in Leander's danger pities him; Whose not new love alone, but fortune, seeks To frame his story like that amorous Greek's. For from the stern of some good ship appears 145 A friendly light, which moderates their fears; New courage from reviving hope they take, And climbing o'er the waves that taper make, On which the hope of all their lives depends, As his on that fair Hero's hand extends.

The ship at anchor, like a fixed rock, 150 Breaks the proud billows which her large sides knock ; Whose rage restrained, foaming higher swells, And from her port the weary barge repels, Threat'ning to make her, forced out again, Repeat the dangers of the troubled main. Twice was the cable hurl'd in vain; the Fates Would not be moved for our sister states; For England is the third successful throw, And then the genius of that land they know, Whose prince must be (as their own books devise) Lord of the scene where now his danger lies. ieo Well sung the Roman bard, 'AU human things Of dearest value hang on slender strings.' Oh, see the then sole hope, and, in design Of Heaven, our joy, supported by a line ! Which for that instant was Heaven's care above The chain that 's fixed to the throne of Jove, On which the fabric of our world depends ; One link dissolved, the whole creation ends.

OF HIS MAJESTY'S RECEIVING THE NEWS OF THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM'S DEATH.1 So earnest M_th thy God! can no new care, No sense of danger, interrupt thy prayer . The sacred wrestler, till a blessing given, Quits not his hold, but halting conquers Heaven ; Nor was the stream of thy devotion stopp'd, When from the body such a limb was lopp'd, As to thy present state was no less maim, Though thy wise choice has since repair'd the same. Bold Homer durst not so great virtue feign In his best pattern: 2 of Patroclus slain, 10 With such amazement as weak mothers use, And frantic gesture, he receives the news. Yet fell his darling by th' impartial chance Of war, imposed by royal Hector's lance ; Thine, in full peace, and by a vulgar hand Torn from thy bosom, left his high command. The famous painter 3 could allow no place For private sorrow in a prince's face : Yet, that his piece might not exceed belief, He cast a veil upon supposed grief. •20 'Twas want of such a precedent as this Made the old heathen frame their gods amiss.

Their Phœbus should not act a fonder part For the fair boy,4 than he did for his heart ; Nor blame for Hyacinthus' fate his own, That kept from him wish'd death, hadst thou been known. 1 ' Buckingham's death ' • Buckingham was murdered by Felton at Ports mouth, on the 23d of August 1628, while equipping a fleet for the relief of Rochelle. Lord Lindsey succeeded him. The king was at prayers when the news arrived, and had the resolution to disguise his emotion till they were over. — 2 ' Pattern ' : Achilles. — 3 ' Painter ' : Timanthes in his picture of Iphi genia. — 4 ' Fair boy': Cyparissus. He that with thine shall weigh good David's deeds, Shall find his passion, nor his love, exceeds : He cursed the mountains where his brave friend died, But let false Ziba with his heir divide; 28 Where thy immortal love to thy bless'd friends, Like that of Heaven, upon their seed descends.

Such huge extremes inhabit thy great mind, Godlike, unmoved, and yet, like woman, kind! Which of the ancient poets had not brought Our Charles's pedigree from Heaven, and taught How some bright dame, compress'd by mighty Jove, Produced this mix'd Divinity aud Love? ON THE TAKING OF SALLLV Of Jason, Theseus, and such worthies old, Light seem the tales antiquity has told ; Such beasts and monsters as their force oppress'd, Some places only, and some times, infest. Salle, that scorn'd all power and laws of men, Goods with their owners hurrying to their den, And future ages threat ning with a rude And savage race, successively renew'd; Their king despising with rebellious pride, And foes profess'd to all the world beside; 10 This pest of mankind gives our hero fame, And through the obliged world dilates his name.

The prophet once to cruel Agag said, ' As thy fierce sword has mothers childless made, So shall the sword make thine;' and with that word He hew'd the man in pieces with his sword. 1 ' Sallfe ' : Salle, a town of Fez, given to piracy, was taken and destroyed in 1C32 by the army of the Emperor of Morocco, assisted by some English vessels. Just Charles like measure has return'd to these Whose Pagan hands had staiu'd the troubled seas; With ships they made the spoiled merchant mourn ; With ships their city and themselves are torn. One squadron of our winged castles sent, 17 O'erthrew their fort, and all their navy rent ; For, not content the dangers to increase, And act the part of tempests in the seas, Like hungry wolves, those pirates from our shore Whole flocks of sheep, and ravish'd cattle bore.

Safely they might on other nations prey — Fools to provoke the sovereign of the sea! Mad Cacus so, whom like ill fate persuades, The herd of fair Alcmena's seed invades, Who for revenge, and mortals' glad relief, Sack'd the dark cave and crush'd that horrid thief. 30 Morocco's monarch, wond'ring at this fact, Save that his presence his affairs exact, Had come in person to have seen aud known The injured world's revenger and his own. Hither he sends the chief among his peers, Who in his bark proportion'd presents bears, To the renown'd for piety and force, Poor captives manumised, and matchless horse.1 40 UPON HIS MAJESTY'S REPAIRING OF ST PAUL'S.2 That shipwreck'd vessel which th' Apostle bore, Scarce suffer'd more upon Melita's shore, 1 ' Horse ' : the Emperor of Morocco, in gratitude to Charles, sent him a present of Barbary horses, and three hundred manumitted Christian slaves. — 2 ' St Paul's ' : these repairs commenced in the spring of 1633. 16 20 30 Than did his temple in the sea of time, Our nation's glory, and our nation's crime.

When the first monarch1 of this happy isle, Moved with the ruin of so brave a pile, This work of cost and piety begun, To be accomplish'd by his glorious son, Who all that came within the ample thought Of his wise sire has to perfection brought ; He, like Amphion, makes those quarries leap Into fair figures from a confused heap; For in his art of regiment is found A power like that of harmony in sound. Those antique minstrels, sure, were Charles-like kings, Cities their lutes, and subjects' hearts their strings, On which with so divine a hand they strook, Consent of motion from their breath they took: So all our minds with his conspire to grace The Gentiles' great Apostle, and deface Those state-obscuring sheds, that like a chain Seem'd to confine and fetter him again ; Which the glad saint shakes off at his command, As once the viper from his sacred hand: So joys the aged oak, when we divide The creeping ivy from his injured side.

Ambition rather would affect the fame Of some new structure, to have borne her name. Two distant virtues in one act we find, The modesty and greatness of his mind; Which, not content to be above the rage, And injury of all-impairing age, In its own worth secure, doth higher climb, And things half swallow'd from the jaws of Time 1 ' Monarch ' : King James I. Reduce ; an earnest of his grand design, To frame no new church, but the old refine ; 35 Which, spouse-like, may with comely grace command, More than by force of argument or hand. For doubtful reason few can apprehend, And war brings ruin where it should amend; But beauty, with a bloodless conquest finds A welcome sovereignty in rudest minds. 40 Not aught which Sheba's wond'ring queen beheld Amongst the works of Solomon, excell'd His ships and building; emblems of a heart Large both in magnanimity and art.

While the propitious heavens this work attend, Long-wanted showers they forget to send; As if they meant to make it understood Of more importance than our vital food. 50 The sun, which riseth to salute the quire Already finished, setting shall admire How private bounty could so far extend : The King built all, but Charles the western end.1 So proud a fabric to devotion given, At once it threatens and obliges Heaven! Laomedon, that had the gods in pay, Neptune, with him that rules the sacred day,2 Could no such structure raise : Troy wall'd so high, Th' Atrides might as well have forced the sky. 50 Glad, though amazed, are our neighbour kings, To see such power employ 'd iu peaceful things; They list not urge it to the dreadful field; The task is easier to destroy than build. . . . . Sic gratia regum Pieriis tentam modis . . . . — HORACE. 1 ' Western end ' : the western end, built at Charles' own expense, consisted of a splendid portico, built by Inigo Jones.—2 ' Sacred day ' : Apollo.

THE COUNTESS OF CARLISLE IN MOURNING.1 When from black clouds no part of sky is clear, But just so much as lets the sun appear, Heaven then would seem thy image, and reflect Those sable vestments, and that bright aspect. A spark of virtue by the deepest shade Of sad adversity is fairer made ; Nor less advantage doth thy beauty get, A Venus rising from a sea of jet! Such was th' appearance of new-formed light, While yet it struggled with eternal night. Then mourn no more, lest thou admit increase 10 Of glory by thy noble lord's decease. We find not that the laughter-loving dame 2 Mourn'd for Anchises; 'twas enough she came To grace the mortal with her deathless bed, And that his living eyes such beauty fed; Had she been there, untimely joy, through all Men's hearts diffused, had marr'd the funeral.

Those eyes were made to banish grief: as well Bright Phœbus might affect in shades to dwell, As they to put on sorrow: nothing stands, 20 But power to grieve, exempt from thy commands. If thou lament, thou must do so alone ; Grief in thy presence can lay hold on none. Yet still persist the memory to love Of that great Mercury of our mighty Jove, Who, by the power of his enchanting tongue, Swords from the hands of threat'ning monarchs wrung. 1 ' Mourning ' : Carlisle was a luxurious liver, and died in 1636, poor, but, like many spendthrifts, popular. He had represented Prince Charles at his marriage with Princess Henrietta at Paris. — 2 ' Dame ' : Venus. War he prevented, or soon made it cease, Instructing princes in the arts of peace; Such as made Sheba's curious queen resort To the large-hearted Hebrew's famous court.

Had Homer sat amongst his wond'ring guests, He might have learn'd at those stupendous feasts, With greater bounty, and more sacred state, The banquets of the gods to celebrate. 29 But oh! what elocution might he use, What potent charms, that could so soon infuse His absent master's love into the heart Of Henrietta ! forcing her to part 40 From her loved brother, country, and the sun, And, like Camilla, o'er the waves to run Into his arms! while the Parisian dames Mourn for the ravish'd glory; at her flames No less amazed than the amazed stars, When the bold charmer of Thessalia wars With Heaven itself, and numbers does repeat, Which call descending Cynthia from her seat. IN ANSWER TO ONE WHO WRIT A LIBEL AGAINST THE COUNTESS OF CARLISLE. 1 What fury has provoked thy wit to dare, With Diomede, to wound the Queen of Love*.

Thy mistress' envy, or thine own despair? Not the just Pallas in thy breast did move So blind a rage, with such a diff'rent fate; He honour won, where thou hast purchased hate. She gave assistance to his Trojan foe ; Thou, that without a rival thou may'st love, Dost to the beauty of this lady owe, While after her the gaziug world does move. Canst thou not be content to love alone? Or is thy mistress not content with one . 3 Hast thou not read of Fairy Arthur's shield, Which, but disclosed, amazed the weaker ejes Of proudest foes, and won the doubtful field? So shall thy rebel wit become her prize. Should thy iambics swell into a book, All were confuted with one radiant look. 4 Heaven he obliged that placed her in the skies ; Rewarding Phœbus, for inspiring so His noble brain, by likening to those eyes His joyful beams ; but Phœbus is thy foe, And neither aids thy fancy nor thy sight, So ill thou rhym'st against so fair a light.

OF HER CHAMBER. They taste of death that do at heaven arrive ; But we this paradise approach alive. Instead of death, the dart of love does strike, And renders all within these walls alike. The high in titles, and the shepherd, here Forgets his greatness, and forgets his fear. All stand amazed, and gazing ou the fair, Lose thought of what themselves or others are ; Ambition lose, and have no other scope, Save Carlisle's favour, to employ their hope. 9 The Thracian 1 could (though all those tales were true The bold Greeks tell) no greater wonders do ; Before his feet so sheep and lions lay, Fearless and wrathless while they heard him play. The gay, the wise, the gallant, and the grave, Subdued alike, all but one passion have ; No worthy mind but finds in hers there is Something proportion'd to the rule of his; While she with cheerful, but impartial grace, (Born for no one, but to delight the race Of men) like Phœbus so divides her light, And warms us, that she stoops not from her height, 20 THYRSIS, GALATEA.1 THYRSIS.

As lately I on silver Thames did ride, Sad Galatea on the bank I spied; Such was her look as sorrow taught to shine, And thus she graced me with a voice divine. GALATEA. You that can tune your sounding strings so well, Of ladies' beauties, and of love to tell, Once change your note, and let your lute report The justest grief that ever touch'd the Court. 1 ' Thracian ' : Orpheus. — 2 ' Galatea ' *. the lady here mourned was the Duchess of Hamilton, a niece of Buckingham; she died in 1638. so THYRSIS. Fair nymph! I have in your delights no share, Nor ought to be concerned in your care ; Yet would I sing if I your sorrows knew, And to my aid invoke uo Muse but you. GALATEA. Hear then, and let your song augment our grief, Which is so great as not to wish relief. She that had all which Nature gives, or Chance, Whom Fortune join'd with Virtue to advance To all the joys this island could afford, The greatest mistress, and the kindest lord; Who with the royal mix'd her noble blood, Aud in high grace with Gloriana1 stood; Her bounty, sweetness, beauty, goodness, such, That Done e'er thought her happiness too much ; So well-inclined her favours to confer, And kind to all, as Heaven had been to her!

The virgin's part, the mother, and the wife, So well she acted in this span of life, That though few years (too flew, alas!) she told, She seem'd in all things, but in beauty, old. As unripe fruit, whose verdant stalks do cleave Close to the tree, which grieves no less to leave The smiling pendant which adorns her so, And until autumn on the bough should grow; So seem'd her youthful soul not eas'ly forced, Or from so fair, so sweet a seat divorced. Her fate at once did hasty seem and slow; At once too cruel, and unwilling too. 1 ' Gloriana ' : Queen Henrietta. MISCELLANEOUS TOEMS. 17 THYRSIS. Under how hard a law are mortals born! Whom now we envy, we anon must mourn ; What Heaven sets highest, and seems most to prize, Is soon removed from our wond'ring eyes! But since the Sisters x did so soon untwine So fair a thread, I '11 strive to piece the line.