Return him fafe; Learning would rather choose Her Bodley or her Vatican to lofe :
All things that are but writ or printed there, In his unbounded breast engraven are. There all the sciences together meet, And every art does all her kindred greet, Yet juftle not, nor quarrel; but as well Agree as in fome common principle. So, in an army govern'd right, we fee (Though out of feveral countries rais'd it be) That all their order and their place maintain, The English, Dutch, the Frenchmen, and the Dane > So thoufand divers fpecies fill the air,
Yet neither crowd nor mix confus'dly there; Beafts, houfes, trees, and men, together lie, Yet enter undisturb'd into the eye.
And this great prince of knowledge is by Fate Thrust into th' noife and business of a state. All virtues, and fome cuftoms of the court, Other men's labour, are at least his sport; Whilft we, who can no action undertake, Whom idleness itself might learned make; Who hear of nothing, and as yet scarce know, Whether the Scots in England be or no; Pace dully on, oft tire, and often stay, Yet fee his nimble Pegasus fly away.
'Tis Nature's fault, who did thus partial grow, And her eftate of wit on one bestow; Whilft we, like younger brothers, get at best But anall ftock, and must work out the rest.
How could he answer 't, should the state think fit To question a monopoly of wit?
Such is the man whom we require the fame We lent the North; untouch'd, as is his fame. He is too good for war, and ought to be As far from danger, as from fear he 's free. Those men alone (and those are useful too) Whofe valour is the only art they know, Were for fad war and bloody battles born; Let them the ftate defend, and he adorn.
HAT shall we fay, fince filent now is he
Who when he spoke, all things would filent be
Who had fo many languages in ftore,
That only fame shall speak of him in more; Whom England now no more return'd must see; He's gone to heaven on his fourth embassy. On earth he travel'd often; not to fay H' had been abroad, or pass loose time away. In whatfoever land he chanc'd to come, He read the men and manners, bringing home Their wisdom, learning, and their piety, As if he went to conquer, not to fee.
So well he understood the most and best Of tongues, that Babel fent into the Weft;
Spoke them fo truly, that he had (you 'd fwear) Not only liv'd, but been born every where. Juftly each nation's speech to him was known, Who for the world was made, not us alone; Nor ought the language of that man be less, Who in his breast had all things to exprefs. We fay that learning 's endless, and blame Fate For not allowing life a longer date :
He did the utmoft bounds of knowledge find, He found them not fo large as was his mind; But, like the brave Pellæan youth, did moan Because that art had no more worlds than one ; And, when he faw that he through ali had past, He dy'd, left he should idle grow at last.
ON THE DEATH OF MR. JORDAN, Second Master at Westminster School.
Ence, and make room for me, all you who come
Only to read the epitaph on this tomb! Here lies the master of my tender years, The guardian of my parents' hope and fears Whofe government ne'er ftood me in a tear; All weeping was referv'd to spend it here. Come hither, all who his rare virtues knew, And mourn with me: he was your tutor too. Let's join our fighs, till they fly far, and fhew His native Belgia what she's now to do.
The league of grief bids her with us lament; By her he was brought forth, and hither fent In payment of all men we there had loft, And all the English blood those wars have coft. Wifely did Nature this learn'd man divide; His birth was theirs, his death the mournful pride Of England; and, t' avoid the envious ftrife Of other lands, all Europe had his life, But we in chief; our country foon was grown A debtor more to him, than he to 's own. He pluckt from youth the follies and the crimes, And built up men against the future times; For deeds of age are in their caufes then,
And though he taught but boys, he made the men. Hence 'twas, a master, in those ancient days When men fought knowledge firft, and by it praife, Was a thing full of reverence, profit, fame; Father itself was but a fecond name. He scorn'd the profit; his instructions all Were, like the science, free and liberal. He deferv'd honours, but defpis'd them too, As much as those who have them others do. He knew not that which compliment they call Could flatter none, but himself least of all. So true, fo faithful, and fo juft, as he Was nought on earth but his own memory; His memory, where all things written were, As fure and fixt as in Fate's books they are. Thus he in arts fo vaft a treafure gain'd, Whilft ftill the ufe came in, and ftack remain'd :
And, having purchas'd all that man can know, He labour'd with 't to enrich others now; Did thus a new and harder task sustain,
Like those that work in mines for others' gain : He, though more nobly, had much more to do, To search the vein, dig, purge, and mint it too. Though my excufe would be, I must confefs, Much better had his diligence been lefs; But, if a Mufe hereafter smile on me,
And fay, "Be thou a poet !" men shall fee That none could a more grateful fcholar have; For what I ow'd his life I'll pay his grave.
Welcome, great Sir ! with all the joy that's due
To the return of peace and you;
Two greatest bleffings which this age can know! For that to Thee, for thee to Heaven we owe. Others by war their conquests gain,
You like a God your ends obtain ;
Who, when rude Chaos for his help did call, Spoke but the word, and sweetly order'd all. This happy concord in no blood is writ,
None can grudge Heaven full thanks for it: No mothers here lament their children's fate, And like the peace, but think it comes too late.
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