Sleep'st by the fable of Bellerus old,

160 Where the great vision of the guarded mount Looks toward Namancos and Bayona's hold; Look homeward Angel now, and melt with ruth: And, O ye Dolphins, waft the hapless youth.

Weep no more, woful Shepherds, weep no more, For Lycidas your sorrow is not dead,

1c6 Sunk though he be beneath the watery floor; So sinks the day-star in the ocean bed, And yet anon repairs his drooping head, And tricks his beams, and with new-spangled ore 170 Flames in the forehead of the morning sky; So Lycidas sunk low, but mounted high, Through the dear might of Him that walk'd the waves, Where, other groves and other streams along, With nectar pure his oozy locks he laves, 175 And hears the unexpressive nuptial song, In the blest kingdoms meek of Joy and Love. There entertain him all the saints above, In solemn troops and sweet societies, That sing, and singing in their glory move,

180 And wipe the tears for ever from his eyes. Now, Lycidas, the shepherds weep no niore; Henceforth thou art the genius of the shore, In thy large recompense, and shalt be good To all that wander in that perilous flood.

185 Thus sang the uncouth swain to th' oaks and rills, While the still morn went out with sandals grey, He touch'd the tender stops of various quills, With eager thought warbling his Doric lay: And now the sun bad stretch'd out all the hills, 190 And now was dropt into the western bay: At last he rose, and twitch'd his mantle blue: To-morrow to fresh woods and pastures new.

160. Bellerus; the Land's Ens, it is supposed, so called from an old Cornish giant.-Namancos and Bayona , fortresses on the coast of Spain.

POEMS

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.

1.

(Anno Ætatis 17.)

ON THE DEATH OF A FAIR. INFANT,

DYING OF A COUGH.

O FAIREST flower, no sooner blown but blasted,
Soft silken primrose fading timelessly,
Summer's chief honour, if thou hadst out-lasted
Bleak Winter's force that made thy blossom dry
For he being amorous on that lovely dye

That did thy cheek envermeil, thought to kiss,
But kill'd, alas, and then bewail'd his fatal bliss.
For since grim Aquilo his charioteer
By boisterous rape th’ Athenian damsel got,
He thought it touch'd his deity full near,
If likewise he some fair one wedded not,
Thereby to wipe away th' infamous blot

Of long-uncoupled bed, and childless eld, [held
Which 'mongst the wanton gods a foul reproach was
So mounting up in icy-pearled car

13
Through middle empire of the freezing air
He wander'd long, till thee he spy'd from far:
There ended was his quest, there ceased his care.
Down he descended from his snow-soft chair,

But all unwares with his cold-kind embrace 21
Unhoused thy virgin soul from her fair biding-place.
Yet art thou not inglorious in thy fate;
For so Apollo, with unweeting hand,
Whilume did slay his dearly loved mate,
Young Hyacinth born on Eurota's strand, 29
Young Hyacinth the pride of Spartan land ;

23. Apollo, it is said by the poets, slew Hyacinth while playing at quoits, and afterwards changed him into the flower bearing his Dame.

But then transform'd him to a purple flower : Alack, that so to change thee Winter had no power. Yet can I not persuade me thou art dead, Or that thy corse corrupts in earth's dark womb, 30 Or that thy beauties lie in wormy bed, Hid from the world in a low delved tomb; Could Heav'n for pity thee so strictly doom?

Oh no! for something in thy face did shine Above mortality, that shew'd thou wast divine. 35 Resolve me then, oh Soul, most surely blest (If so it be that thou these plaints dost hear), Tell me, bright Spirit, where'er thou hoverest, Whether above that high first-moving sphere, Or in th' Elysian fields (if such there were) 40

O say me true, if thou wert mortal wight, {flight. And why from us so quickly thou didst take thy Wert thou some star which from the ruin'd roof Of shaked Olympus by mischance did'st fall; Which careful Jove in Nature's true behoof 45 Took and in fit place did reinstall ? Or did of late Earth's sons besiege the wall

up

To Earth from thy prefixed seat didst post,
And after short abode fly back with speed,

GD As if to shew what creatures Heav'ı, doth breed,

Thereby to set the hearts of men on fire To scorn the sordid world, and unto Heav'n aspire ? But oh, why didst thou not stay here below To bless us with thy Heav'n-loved innocence, 65 To slake bis wrath whom sin hath made our foe To turn swift-rushing black Perdition hence Or drive away the slaughtering Pestilence,

To stand 'twixt us and our deserved smart? But thou canst best perform that office where thou art. Then thou, the mother of so sweet a child, 71 Her false imagined loss cease to lament, And wisely learn to curb thy sorrows wild; Think what a present thou to God has sent, And render him with patience what he lent; 75

This if thou do, he will an offspring give That till the world's last end shall make thy name to live.

II.

(Anno Etatis 19.) At a Vacation Exercise in the college, part Latin,

part English. The Latin speeches ended, the

English thus began. Hail, native Language, that by sinews weak Didst move my first endeavouring tongue to speak, And mad'st imperfect words with childish trips, Half-unpronounced, slide through my infant-lips, Driving dumb Silence from the portal door, 5 Where he had mutely sat two years before: Here I salute thee, and thy pardon ask, That now I use thee in my latter task : Small loss it is that hence can come unto thee, I know my tongue but little grace can do thee: 10 Thou need'st not be ambitious to be first, Believe me, I have thither pack'd the worst : And, if it happen as I did forecast, The dantiest dishes shall be served up last. 68. These verses were written while there was a great

plague raging

1
pray thee then deny me pot thy aid

15
For this same small neglect that I have made :
But haste thee straight to do me once a pleasure,
And from thy wardrobe bring thy chiefest treasure.
Not those new-fangled toys, and trimming slight
Which takes our late fantastics with delight, 20
But cull those richest robes, and gay'st attire
Which deepest spirits and choicest wits desire :
I have some naked thoughts that rove about,
And loudly knock to have their passage out;
And weary of their place do only stay

25 Till thou hast deck'd them in thy best array ; That so they may without suspect or fears Fly swiftly to this fair assembly's ears ; Yet I had rather, if I were to choose, Thy service in some graver subject use,

30 Such as may make thee search thy coffers round, Before thou clothe my fancy in fit sound; Such where the deep transported mind may soar Above the wheeling poles, and at Heaven's door Look in, and see each blissful deity

35 How he before the thunderous throne doth lie, List'ning to what unshorn Apollo sings To th' touch of golden wires, while Hebe brings Immortal nectar to her kingly sire: Then passing through the spheres of watchful fire, And misty regions of wide air next under,

41 And hills of snow and lofts of piled thunder, May tell at length how green-eyed Neptune raves, In Heav'n's defiance must'ring all his waves ; Then sing of secret things that came to pass

45 When beldam Nature in her cradle was ; And last of kings, and queens, and heroes old, Such as the wise Demodocus once told In solemn songs at king Alcinous' feast, While sad Ulysses' soul and all the rest

50 Are held with his melodious harmony In willing chains and sweet captivity.

48. Demodocus ; a musician and poet mentioned in the eighth book of the Odyssey, in which king Alcinous is represented as entertaining Ulysses. The reader, if he be curious to understand the scope of what follows, must have reference to some book of logic.