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Forn Baldicy gulp!

ME GEORGE HERBERT.

THE LIFE

OF

MR. GEORGE HERBERT.

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,
No longer fhall a virgin reckoned be
(What ere with others 'tis) by me,
A female mufe, as were the nine ;
But (full of vigour mafculine)

An effence male, with angels his companions fhine.
With angels first the heavenly youth was bred,

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
ftar?" they said,

Too fondly then, we have fancy'd him a maid:
We, the vain brethren of the rhyming trade;
A female angel lefs would Urbin's* fkill upbraid.

II.

Thus 'twas in heaven: this, Poefy's fex and age;

And, when he thence t'our lower world came down,
He chofe a form more like his own,

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,
And in the starry volume of the fky,

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:
To which so oft the princely prophet fang,
And myftic oracles did difpenfe.
Though had it ftill remain'd below,
More wonders of it we had feen,

How great the mighty Herbert's skill had been;
Herbert, who could fo much without it do;
Herbert, who did its chords diftinctly know;
More perfectly than any child of verfe below.

Oh!

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