Can awe the Spirit, or allure the Mind
Of him, who to ftrict Honour is inclin'd;
Though all the Pomp and Pleasure that does wait
On publick Places, and Affairs of State,
Should fondly court him to be base and great;
With even Paffions, and with fetled Face,
He would remove the Harlo's falfe Embrace.
Tho' all the Storms and Tempests should arife,
That Church Magicians in their Cells devife,
'And from their fettled Bafis Nations tear,
He would unmov'd the mighty Ruin bear;
Secure in Innocence contemn 'em all,
And decently array'd in Honours, fall.
For this brave Shrewsbury and Lumly's Name, Shall ftand the foremoft in the Lift of Fame, Who firft with fteddy Minds the Current broke, And to the fuppliant Monarch boldly spoke.
Great Sir, renown'd for Conftancy, how juft Have we obey'd the Crown, and ferv'd our Truft, Efpous'd your Caufe and Intereft in diftrefs, Your felf muft witnefs, and our Foes confefs! Permit us then ill Fortune to accufe, That you at laft unhappy Counsels ufe, And ask the only thing we must refuse. Our Lives and Fortunes freely we'll expofe, Honour alone we cannot, muft not lofe: Honour, that Spark of the Celestial Fire, That above Nature makes Mankind afpise; Ennobles the rude Paffions of our Frame, With thirft of Glory and defire of Fame; The richest Treasure of a generous Breaft, That gives the Stamp and Standard to the reft. Wit, Strength and Courage, are wild dangerous force, Unless this foftens and directs their Course; And would you rob us of the nobleft Part, Accept a Sacrifice without a Heart?
'Tis much beneath the greatness of a Throne, To take the Casket when the Jewel's gone:
Debauch our Principles, corrupt our Race,
And teach the Nobles to be falfe and bafe;
What Confidence can you in them repose,
Who, e'er they ferve you, all their Value lofe?
Who once enflave their Confcience to their Luft,
Have loft their Reins, and can no more be Juft..
Of Honour, Men at firft like Women nice,
Raife Maiden fcruples at unpractis'd Vice,
Their modeft Nature curbs the ftrugling Flame,
And fifles what they wish to act, with Shame.
But once this Fence thrown down, when they perceive.
That they may tafte forbidden Fruit and live;
They flop not here their Courfe, but fafely in,
Grow Strong, Luxuriant, and bold in Sin;
True to no Principles, prefs forward fill,
And only bound by Appetite their Will:
Now fawn and flatter, while this Tide prevails,
But shift with every veering Blast their Sails.
Mark thofe that meanly truckle to your Power,
They once deferted, and chang'd fides before,
And would to morrow Mahomet adore!
On higher Springs true Men of Honour move,
Free is their Service, and unbought their Love :
When Danger calls, and Honour leads the way,
With Joy they follow, and with Pride obey:
When the Rebellious Foe came rolling on,
And shook with gathering Multitudes the Throne,
Where were the Minions then? what Arms, what Force,
Could they oppose to stop the Torrents Course?
Then Pembroke, then the Nobles firmly ftood,
Free of their Lives, and lavish of their Blood;
But when your Orders to mean Ends decline,
With the fame Conftancy they all refign.
Thus fpake the Youth, who open'd firft the way, And was the Phosphorus to the dawning Day; Follow'd by a more glorious fplendid Hoft, Than any Age, or any Realm can boaft:
So great their Fame, fo numerous their Train,
To name were endless, and to praise in vain;
But Herbert, and great Oxford merit more,
Bold is their flight, and more fublime they foar;
So high their Virtue as yet wants a Name,
Exceeding Wonder, and surpaffing Fame:
Rife, glorious Church, erect thy Radiant Head,
The Storm is past, th' Impending Tempest fled:
Had Fate decreed thy Ruin or Disgrace,
It had not giv'n fuch Sons, fo brave a Race.
When for Deftruction Heaven a Realm designs,
The Symptoms first appear in flavish Minds:
Thefe Men would prop a finking Nation's weight,
Stop falling Vengeance, and reverfe ev'n Fate.
Let other Nations boast their fruitful Soil,
Their fragrant Spices, their rich Wine and Oil;
In breathing Colours, and in living Paint
Let them excel, their Maftery we grant.
But to inftru&t the Mind, to arm the Soul
With Virtue, which no dangers can controul;
Exalt the thought, a fpeedy Courage lend,
That Horror cannot shake, or Pleafure bend:
Thefe are the English Arts, these we profess
To be the fame in Mis'ry and Success;
To teach Oppreffors Law, affift the Good,
Relieve the Wretched, and fubdue the Proud.
Such are our Souls: But what doth Worth avail,
When Kings commit to hungry Priefts the Scale?
All Merit's light when they difpofe the Weight,
Who either would embroil, or rule the State;
Defame thofe Heroes who their Yoke refuse,
And blaft, that Honefty they cannot use ;
The ftrength and fafety of the Crown deftroy,
And the King's Power against himself imploy
Affront his Friends, deprive him of the Brave;
Bereft of thefe, he must become their Slave.
Men, like our Mony, come the most in play,
For being base, and of a coarfe Allay.
The richest Medals, and the pureft Gold,
Of native Value, and exa&eft Mould,
By Worth conceal'd, in private Closets shine,
For vulgar ufe too precious and too fine;
Whilft Tin and Copper with new ftamping bright,
Coin of bafe Metal, counterfeit and light,
Do all the Bufinefs of the Nation's turn,
Rais'd in Contempt, us'd and employ'd in Scorn:
So fhining Virtues are for Courts too bright,
Whofe guilty Actions fly the fearching Light;
Rich in themfelves, difdaining to aspire,
Great without Pomp they willingly retire:
Give place to Fools, whofe rafh misjudging Senfe
Increases the weak measures of their Prince;
Prone to admire, and flatter him in Eafe,
They ftudy not his Good, but how to please;
They blindly and implicitly fun on,
Nor fee thofe Dangers which the other fhun:
Who flow to act, each bus'ness duly weigh,
Advise with Freedom, and with Care obey;
With Wifdom fatal to their Intereft ftrive
To make their Monarch lov'd, and Nation thrive..
Such have no place where Priests and Women reign,
Who love fierce Drivers, and a loofer Rein.
I Spend my fad Life in fighs, and in eties,
And in filent dark Shades mourn the frowns of your Eyes;
Lewd Satyrs and Fawns foft pity do fhow,
And Wolves howl in Confort to the noise of myWee:
Even Mountains and Groves are kinder than she';
Groans rebound from each Rock, Tears drop from
each Tree:
And all things, but Galia, fhew pity, fhew pity on
Come Calia, come learn of these Shades to be kind,
Learn to yield when I figh, Trees bend with the Wind;
When drops often fall, Rocks, Stones, will relent,
Ah! learn, cruel Maid! when I weep, to repent.
Kind Ivies do ne'er from Embraces remove,
Rivers mix, and that mixture a Marriage may
vers, to Love.
Learn of Trees to Embrace; of Rivers, cold Ri-
more on my Knees to a Beauty I'll fue, My Heart that was Captive, shall learn to fubdue;
I'll court the fair Idols no more to comply,
Nor from their Refusals conclude I must dye :
Let infipid Lovers their Paffion discover,
With Hearts almoft drown'd in a Deluge of Woe.
To Phillis I'll go, where a whisper or so,
Makes way to the Fountain where Pleasures o'erflow.
There in Love's Garden I'll rifle each Flower,
Contemning young Cupid, and scoffing at's Power,
'Till Appetites rais'd; then give o'er to pursue
Those pretty Intrigues, and briskly fall to.
At every Motion, or amorous Notion,
The rifings of Nature with Love-tricks allay;
To an Alcove hard by, where Jove cannot spy,
My Phillis and I most pleasingly ftray.
Where whilft I enfold the foft Dear in my Arms,
I wallow in Joy, 'till diffolv'd by the Charms
Of her foft melting Kiffes, I gafp for fresh Breath,
Each minute reviving to die a new Death.
Thus in unparallel'd Raptures of Bliss
We confume the fwift Minutes of troublesome Life,
'Till Nature retire, and puts out Love's Fire,
And Age puts an end to our amorous Strife.
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