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, A female inufe, as were the nine; An efsence male, with angels his companions fhine. 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 star?" they faid, Too fondly then, we have fancy'd him a maid: We, the vain brethren of the rhyming trade; II. Thus 'twas in heaven: this, Poefy's fex and age; And Jefse's youngest fon infpir'd with holy rage, And up he took his tuneful lyre; He took it up, and struck't, and his own foft touches did admire. Thou, Poefy, on him didft beftow 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; Raphael Urbin, the famous painter. The happy land of verfe, where flow Rivers of milk, and woods of laurel grow; Wherewith thou didst adorn his brow, And mad'st his first, more flourishing, and triumphant crown. And with the dancing echo, let the mountains ring! 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, How great the mighty Herbert's skill had been; But then, my friend, there had been left for you That though he did not want his bays, These friends are in their old embraces twin'd; For in this book they meet again, as in one heav'n they love. April BENSTEAD,} SAM. WOODFORDE, D. D. IN VITAM GEORGII HERBERTI, AB ISAACO WALTONO SCRIPTAM. Quàm erubefco cùm tuam vitam lego, Tu fancte vates, templum ibi, et cœlum, et Deus. Speculum Sacerdotale, tu qualem piis Paftoris ideam et libro et vitâ tuâ Tu quale Sanctitatis elementis bonæ, Morumque nobis tradis exemplum ac typum! Typum*, Magiftro nempe proximum Tuo, Exemplar illud grande qui folus fuit. Canonizet ergò quos velit Dominus Papa; Colátque; fancte Herberte, tu Sanctus meus; Oraque pro me, dicerem, fi fas, tibi. Sed hos honores par nec eft fanctis dari; * Sic Chriftum folens vocavit quoties ejus mentionem fecit. |