And all her jealous monarchs with amaze Victory home, though new rebellions raise (For what can war but endless war still breed?) TO THE LORD GENERAL CROMWELL.* CROMWELL, Our chief of men who through a cloud To peace and truth thy glorious way hast ploughed. And on the neck of crown'd fortune proud Hast rear'd God's trophies, and his works pursued, While Darwen stream, with blood of Scots imbrued, And Dunbar field resounds thy praises loud, And Worcester's laureate wreath. Yet much remains To conquer still; Peace hath her victories No less renown'd than War: new foes arise Threat'ning to bind our souls with secular chains: Help us to save free conscience from the paw Of hireling wolves, whose gospel is their maw. dressed to Gen. Fairfax at the seige of Colchester, which was carried on in the summer of 1648. In the Author's manuscript is this incription: To the Lord General Cromwell, May 1652. On the proposals of certain ministers at the committee for propagation of the Gospel. R* TO SIR HENRY VANE THE YOUNGER. Vane, young in years, but in sage counsel old, The drift of hollow states hard to be spell'd: Both spiritual power and civil, what each means, What severs each, thou hast learn'd which few have done : The bounds of either sword to thee we owe; ON THE LATE MASSACRE IN PIEDMONT. * AVENGE, O Lord thy slaughter'd saints, whose bones * This persecution of the Protestants in Peidmont broke out in 1655. In May, that year, Cromwell wrote several letters to the Duke of Savoy, and other potentates and states complaining of that persecution. Echard tells us, that he proclaimed a fast, and caused large contributions to be gathered for them in England; that he sent his agents to the Duke of Savoy, a prince with whom he had no correspondence or commerce, and the next year, so engaged Cardinal Mazarine, and even terrified the Pope himself, without so much as doing any favour to the English Roman Catholics, that the Duke thought it necessary to restore all that he had taken from them, and renewed all those privileges they had formerly enjoyed. "So great (adds Echard) was the terror of his name; nothing being more usual than his saying, that his ships in the Medditerranean should visit Civita Vecchia, and the sound of his cannon should be heard in Rome." Lie scatter'd on the Alpine mountains cold Ev'n them who kept thy truth so pure of old, When all our fathers worshipp'd stocks and stones, Forget not in thy book: record their groans Who were thy sheep, and in their ancient folds Slain by the bloody Piedmontese, that roll'd Mother with infant down the rocks. Their moans The vales redoubled to the hills, and they To Heaven. Their martyr'd blood and ashes sow O'er all th' Italian fields, where still doth sway The triple Tyrant: that from these may grow A hundred fold, who having learn'd thy way, Early may fly the Babylonian wo. ON HIS BLINDNESS. WHEN I consider how my light is spent Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide, And that one talent which is death to hide, Lodg'd with me useless, though my soul more bent To serve therewith my Maker, and present My true account, lest he, returning, chide; Doth God exact day-labour, light denied? I fondly ask but Patience, to prevent That murmur, soon replies, God doth not need Either man's work, or his own gifts; who best Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best; his state Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed, And post o'er land and ocean without rest; They also serve who only stand and wait. TO MR. LAWRENCE.* LAWRENCE, of virtuous father virtuous son, The frozen earth, and clothe in fresh attire TO CYRIAC SKINNER.† CYRIAC, whose grandsire, on the royal bench And what the Swede intends, and what the French: To measure life learn thou betimes, and know *This Mr. Lawrence was the Son of the President of Cromwell's council. + Cyriac Skinner was the son of William Skinner, Esqr., and grandson of Sir Vincent Skinner, and his mother was daughter of the famous Lord Chief Justice Coke. Mr. Wood relates that he was one of Harrington's political club, and sometimes held the chair; and further adds, that he was a merchant's son of London, an ingenious young gentleman, and scholar to John Milton. Tow'rd solid good what leads the nearest way; For other things mild Heaven a time ordains, And disapproves that care, though wise in show, That with superfluous burden loads the day, And when God sends a cheerful hour, refrains. TO THE SAME. CYRIAC, this three-years-day these eyes, though clear. Against Heaven's hand or will, nor bate a jot Of which all Europe talks from side to side. vain mask Content, though blind, had I no better guide. ON HIS DECEASED WIFE.* METHOUGHT I saw my late espous'd saint This was his second wife, Catharine, the daughter of Captain Woodcock of Hackney, who lived with him not above a year after their marriage, and died in child-bed of a daughter. |