E degli occhi suoi avventa sì gran fuoco VI. PER certo i bei vosır' occhi, Donna mia, Da quel lato si spinge ove mi duole, Scosso mi il petto, e poi n' uscendo poco VII. GIOVANE piano, e semplicetto amante, Poichè fuggir me stesso in dubbio sono, L' ebbi fedele, intrepido, costante, Di pensieri leggiadro, accorto, e buono. Tanto del forse e d' invidia sicuro, Di timori, e 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' insanabil ago. VIII. WHEN THE ASSAULT WAS INTENDED TO THE CITY. CAPTAIN or Colonel, or Knight in Arms, Whose chance on these defenceless doors may seize, 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 spread thy name o'er lands and seas, Whatever clime the sun's bright circle warms. Lift not thy spear against the Muses' bower : The great Emathian conqueror bid spare The house of Pindarus, when temple and tower Went to the ground; and the repeated air Of sad Electra's poet had the power To save the Athenian walls from ruin bare. IX. [TO A VIRTUOUS YOUNG LADY.] LADY, that in the prime of earliest youth Wisely hast shunned the broad way and the green, And with those few art eminently seen That labour up the hill of heavenly Truth, The better part with Mary and with Ruth Chosen thou hast; and they that overween, And at thy growing virtues fret their spleen, No anger find in thee, but pity and ruth. Thy care is fixed, and zealously attends To fill thy odorous lamp with deeds of light, And hope that reaps not shame. Therefore be sure Thou, when the Bridegroom with his feastful friends Passes to bliss at the mid-hour of night, Hast gained thy entrance, Virgin wise and pure. X. TO THE LADY MARGARET LEY. DAUGHTER to that good Earl, once President Broke him, as that dishonest victory Killed with report that old man eloquent, That all both judge you to relate them true XI. ON THE DETRACTION WHICH FOLLOWED UPON MY WRITING CERTAIN TREATISES. A BOOK was writ of late called Tetrachordon, And woven close, both matter, form, and style; The subject new: it walked the town a while, Numbering good intellects; now seldom pored on. Cries the stall-reader, “Bless us! what a word on A title-page is this!"; and some in file Stand spelling false, while one might walk to MileEnd Green. Why, is it harder, sirs, than Gordon, Colkitto, or Macdonnel, or Galasp? Those rugged names to our like mouths grow sleek, That would have made Quintilian stare and gasp Thy age, like ours, O soul of Sir John Cheek, Hated not learning worse than toad or asp, XII. ON THE SAME. I DID but prompt the age to quit their clogs When straight a barbarous noise environs me Of owls and cuckoos, asses, apes, and dogs; As when those hinds that were transformed to frogs Railed at Latona's twin-born progeny, Which after held the Sun and Moon in fee. But this is got by casting pearl to hogs, That bawl for freedom in their senseless mood, And still revolt when Truth would set them free. Licence they mean when they cry Liberty; For who loves that must first be wise and good: But from that mark how far they rove we see, For all this waste of wealth and loss of blood. ON THE NEW FORCERS OF CONSCIENCE UNDER THE BECAUSE you have thrown off your Prelate Lord, To force our consciences that Christ set free, But we do hope to find out all your tricks, May with their wholesome and preventive shears When they shall read this clearly in your charge: XIII. TO MR. H. LAWES, ON HIS AIRS. HARRY, whose tuneful and well-measured song That with smooth air couldst humour best our tongue. Thou honour'st Verse, and Verse must lend her wing XIV. ON THE RELIGIOUS MEMORY OF MRS. CATHERINE THOMSON, MY CHRISTIAN FRIEND, DECEASED DEC. 16, 1646. WHEN Faith and Love, which parted from thee never, Had ripened thy just soul to dwell with God, Meekly thou didst resign this earthy load Of death, called life, which us from life doth sever. |