TO HIS VERY WORTHY AND MUCH HONOURED FRIEND MR. IZAAK WALTON, Upon his Excellent LIFE of MR. GEORGE HERBERT. I. HEAV'NS youngest fon, its Benjamin, Divinity's next brother, facred Poefie, An effence male, with angels his companions fhine. And, when a child, inftructed them to fing The praises of th' Immortal King Who Lucifer in triumph led: For, as in chains the monfter fank to hell, And tumbling headlong down the precipice fell, By him first taught, "How art thou fallen thou morning Too fondly then, we have fancy'd him a maid: II. Thus 'twas in heaven: this, Poefy's fex and age; And, when he thence t'our lower world came down, Y y Raphael Urbin, the famous painter. And And Jeffe's youngest fon infpir'd with holy rage, The fprightly fhepherd felt unusual fire, And up he took his tuneful lyre; He took it up, and ftruck't, and his own foft touches did admire. Thou, Poefy, on him didst bestow Thy choiceft gift, a honour fhew'd before to none; And, to prepare his way to th' Hebrew throne, Gav'ft him thy empire and dominion; The happy land of verfe, where flow Rivers of milk, and woods of laurel grow; Wherewith thou didst adorn his brow, And mad'ft his firft, more flourishing, and triumphant crown. Affift me thy great prophet's praise to fing, David, the poet's, and blefs'd Ifrael's king; And with the dancing echo, let the mountains ring! Then on the wings of fome aufpicious wind, Let his great name from earth be rais'd on high, A lasting record find: Be with his mighty pfaltery join'd; Which, taken long fince up into the air, And call'd the harp, makes a bright conftellation there. III. Worthy it was to be tranflated hence, And there, in view of all, exalted hang: How great the mighty Herbert's skill had been; Oh! |