Which to prevent, the deftinies interpos'd,
And with a partial hand the battle clos'd.
Silence, the vanquifh'd filence, quits her ground:
The conqu'ring Strafford is with myrtle crown'd,
And Drury Lane all loyal whores refound.

E

To FELTON in the Tower. 1628.

NJOY thy bondage, make thy prifon know
Thou haft a liberty, thou canst not owe
To fuch bafe punishments, kept intire, fince
Nothing but guilt fhackles the confcience.
I dare not tempt thy valiant blood to whey,
Enfeebling it with pity; nor dare pray
That thou may'ft mercy find; left thy great ftory
Lofe fomething of its miracle and glory:
I wish thy merit ftudy'd cruelty,
Stout vengeance beft befits thy memory;
And I wou'd have pofterity to hear,
He that can bravely do, can bravely bear.
Tortures feem great unto a coward's eye:
'Tis no great thing to fuffer; lefs to die.
Shou'd all the clouds fall out, and in the ftrife
Lightning and Thunder take away my life,
I should applaud the wisdom of my fate;
Which knew to value me at fuch a rate,
As at my fall to trouble all the the sky,
Emptying upon me Jove's full armory.
Serve in your fharpeft punishments, ufe the rack,
Enlarge each joint, and make each finew crack;
Thy foul before was ftrengthen'd, that thy doom,
To show thy virtue fhe has larger room:
Yet fure, if every artery were broke,

Thou wou'dft find strength for such another stroke.

And now I leave thee unto death and fame,
Which lives to fhake ambition at thy name,
And, if it were no fin, the court by it
Wou'd hourly fwear, before the favourite,

}

Farewel

Farewel; for thy brave fake we shall not sendi
Henceforth, commander, enemies to defend ::
Nor will it ever our juft monarch please
To keep an admiral to lofe the feas.
Farewel undaunted ftand; and joy to be
Of public forrow the epitome.

Let the duke's name folace and crown thy thrall,
All we in him did fuffer; thou for all :

And I dare boldly write, as thou dar'st die,
Stout Felton, England's ranfom, here does lie.

The

P131

Cobler & Vicar of Bray

7

The Tale of the Cobbler and the Vicar of Bray.

Rara eft concordia fratrum.

N Bedfordshire there dwelt a knight,
Sir Samuel by name,

Who by his feats in civil broils,
Obtain'd a mighty fame.

Nor was he much less wife than flout,

But fit in both refpects.

To humble sturdy cavaliers,

And to fupport the fects.

This worthy knight was one that fwore
He would not cut his beard

'Till this ungodly nation was

From king and bishops clear'd.

Which holy vow he firmly kept;
And most devoutly wore

A grizly meteor on his face,
'Till they were both no more,

His worship was in short a man
Of fuch exceeding worth,
No pen or pencil can describe,
Or rhyming bard set forth.

Many and mighty things he did,
Both fober and in liquor,
Witness the mortal fray between
The cobbler and the vicar;