The royal bird poffeffes all the boughs, But fhade and fhelter to the flock allows.
Joy of our age, and safety of the next! For which so oft thy fertile womb is vext: Nobly contented, for the public good, To waste thy spirits, and diffuse thy blood: What vast hopes may these islands entertain, Where Monarchs, thus defcended, are to reign Led by commanders of so fair a line,
Our feas no longer shall our power confine.
A brave romance who would exactly frame First brings his knight from some immortal dame : And then a weapon, and a flaming shield, Bright as his mother's eyes, he makes him wield; None might the mother of Achilles be,
But the fair pearl, and glory of the sea : The man to whom great Maro gives fuch fame, From the high bed of heavenly Venus came : And our next Charles, whom all the stars defign Like wonders to accomplish, spring from thine.
THE APOLOGY OF SLEEP,
For not approaching the Lady, who can do any thing but fleep when she pleaseth.
Y charge it is those breaches to repair,
Which nature takes from forrow, toil, and care:
Reft to the limbs, and quiet, I confer
On troubled minds: but nought can add to her,
Whom Heaven, and her tranfcendent thoughts, have Above thofe ills which wretched mortals taste. [plac'd
Bright as the deathless Gods, and happy, she From all that may infringe delight is free: Love at her royal feet his quiver lays,
And not his mother with more haste obeys. Such real pleasures, fuch true joys fufpenfe, What dream can I prefent to recompenfe?
Should I with lightning fill her awful hand, And make the clouds feem all at her command: Or place her in Olympus' top, a guest Among th' Immortals, who with Nectar feaft: That power would feem, that entertainment, short Of the true fplendor of her present court: Where all the joys, and all the glories, are Of three great kingdoms, fever'd from the care. I, that of fumes and humid vapors made, Afcending do the seat of sense invade, No cloud in fo ferene a manfion find, To over-caft her ever-fhining mind:
Which holds resemblance with those spotless skies, Where flowing Nilus want of rain supplies; That crystal heaven, where Phoebus never shrouds His golden beams, nor wraps his face in clouds. But what fo hard which Numbers cannot force? So ftoops the moon, and rivers change their course. The bold* Mæonian made me dare to steep
Jove's dreadful temples in the dew of fleep.
And, fince the Muses do invoke my power, I fhall no more decline that facred bower, Where Gloriana their great mistress lies: But, gently taming those victorious eyes, Charm all her fenses; till the joyful fun Without a rival half his courfe has run :
Who, while my hand that fairer light confines, May boast himself the brightest thing that shines.
E Gods, that have the power
To trouble and compofe
All that's beneath your bower,
Calm filence on the feas, on earth, impose.
Fair Venus, in thy foft arms
The God of Rage confine; For thy whifpers are the charms
Which only can divert his fierce defign.
What though he frown, and to tumult do incline?
Kindled in his breaft canft tame,
With that fnow which unmelted lies on thine.
Great Goddess, give this thy facred island rest, Make heaven finile,
That no ftorm disturb us, while
Thy chief care, our Halcyon, builds her neft.
Great Gloriana! fair Gloriana!
Bright as high heaven is, and fertile as earth;
Whofe beauty relieves us,
Whofe royal bed gives us
Both glory and peace :
Our prefent joy, and all our hopes increafe.
To the QUEEN-MOTHER of FRANCE, upon her Landing.
REAT Queen of Europe! whence thy offspring
All the chief crowns; where Princes are thy heirs : As welcome thou to fea-girt Britain's shore,
As erft Latona (who fair Cynthia bore)
To Delos was here fhines a Nymph as bright, By thee difclos'd, with like increase of light. Why was her joy in Belgia confin'd?
Or why did you fo much regard the wind?
Scarce could the ocean (though inrag'd) have toft Thy fovereign bark, but where th' obfequious coaft Pays tribute to thy bed: Rome's conquering hand More vanquish'd nations under her command Never reduc'd: here Berecynthia fo
Among her deathlefs progeny did go :
A wreath of towers adorn'd her reverend head, Mother of all that on Ambrofia fed.
Thy god-like race must sway the age to come; As the Olympus peopled with her womb.
Would thofe commanders of mankind obey Their honor'd parent; all pretences lay
Down at her royal feet; compofe their jars, And on the growing Turk discharge these wars: The Chriftian knights that facred tomb should wrest From pagan hands, and triumph o'er the East: Our England's Prince and Gallia's Dolphin might Like young Rinaldo and Tancredi fight: In fingle combat by their swords again The proud Argantes, and fierce Soldan, flain: Again might we their valiant deeds recite, And with your * Tuscan Muse exalt the fight.
The COUNTRY to my Lady of CARLISLE.
ADAM, of all the facred Mufe infpir'd
Orpheus alone could with the woods comply; Their rude inhabitants his fong admir'd,
And nature's felf, in those that could not lye : Your beauty next our folitude invades, And warms us, fhining through the thickest shades.
Nor ought the tribute, which the wondering court Pays your fair eyes, prevail with you to fcorn The anfwer, and confent, to that report,
Which echo-like, the country does return: Mirrors are taught to flatter, but our springs Prefent th' impartial images of things.
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