That tie which holds our mortal franie,
Which poor unknowing we a foul and body name,
Seems not a composition more divine,
Or more abstruse, than allthat doesin friendship shine.
VII.
From mighty Cæfar and his boundless grace 125
Tho' Brutus, once at least, his life receiv'd,
Such obligations, tho' so high believ'd,
Are yet but flight in such a case.
Where friendfhip fo poffeffes all the place
There is no room for gratitude; since he 130
Who so obliges is more pleas'd than his fav'd friend
Just in the midft of all this noble heat,
While their great hearts did both so kindly beat
That it amaz’d the lookers-on,
And forc'd them to suspet a father and a fon *; 135
(Tho' here ev'n Nature's self still seem'd to be out-
From such a friendship unprovok'd to fall [done)
Is horrid, yet I wish that fact were all
Which docs with too much cause ungrateful Brutus
VIII.
[call. In coolest blood he laid a long design Against his best and dearest friend; Did ev'n his foes in zeal exceed To spirit others up to work so black a deed, Himself the centre where they all did join.
* Cafar was suspected to have begotten Brutus.
Cæsar, mean-time, fearlefs, and fond of him, 145
Was as industrious all the while
To give such ample marks of fond esteem
As made the graveft Romans smile
To see with how much ease love can the wife beguile.
He, whom thus Brutus doom'd to bleed, ISO
Did, setting his own race afide,
Nothing less for him provide
Than in the world's great empire to succeed;
Which we are bound in justice to allow
Is all-fufficient proof to show
155 That Brutus did not strike for his own fake; And if, alas! he fail'd, 't was only by mistake. 157
ON THE DEATH OF HENRY PURCELL.
Good angels snatch'd him eagerly on high;
Joyful they flew, singing and foaring thro' the ky,
Teaching his new-fledg’d foul to fly,
While
we, alas! lamenting lie. He went musing all along,
5Compofing new their heav'nly fong. A while his skilful notes loud hallelujahs drown'd, But soon they ceas'd their own to catch his pleasing David himself improv'd the harmony, [found. David, in facréd story fo renown'd No lefs for mufic than for poetry!
Genius fablime in either art!
Crown'd with applause furpassing all desert!
A man just after God's own heart!
Jf human cares are lawful to the blest,
15
Already settled in eternal rest,
Needs must he wish that Purcell only might
Have liv'd to set what he vouchsaf’d to write;
For sure the noble thirst of fame
With the frail body never dies,
But with the soul ascends the skies,
From whence at first it came.
"Tissure no little proof we have
'That part of us survives the grave,
And in our fame below still bears a share;
Why is the future else so much our care,
Ev'n in our latest moment of despair,
And death despis’d for fame by all the wife and brave?
Oh, all ye bless'd harmonious Choir!
Who pow'r almighty only love, and only that admire!
Look down with pity from your peaceful bow'r 31
On this fad ifle perplex'd,
And ever, ever vex’d
With anxious care of trifles, wealth and pow'r :
In our rough minds due reverence infufe 35
For sweet melodious founds and each harmonious
Music exalts man's nature, and inspires [Muse.
High elevated thoughts or gentle kind desires.' "* 38
Fairest! if time and absence can incline
Your heart to wand'ring thoughts no more than mine,
Then shall my hand, as changeless as my mind,
From your glad eyes a kindly welcome find;
Then, while this note nìy constancy assures, 5
You 'll be almost as pleas?d as I with your's :
And, trust me, when I feel that kind relief,
Absence itself a while suspends its grief:
So may it do with you, but straight return,
For it were crucl not sometimes to mourn
His fate who, this long time he keeps away,
Mourns all the night, and sighs out all the day;
Grieving yet more when he refleets that you
Must not be happy, or must not be true :
But since to me it seems a blacker fate
IS
To be inconstant than unfortunate,
Remember all those vows between as past,
When I from all I value parted last;
May you alike with kind impatience burn,
And something miss till I with joy return;
And soon may pitying Heav'n that blessing give,
As in the hopes of that alone I live.
When I held out against your eyes
You took the sureft courfe ;
A heart unwary to surprise
You ne'er could take by force.
However, tho' I strive no more,
The fort will now be priz’d,
Which if surrender'd up before
Perhaps had been despis’d.
But, gentle Amoretta! tho'
I cannot love refift,
Think not, when you have caught me fo,
To use me as you list.
Inconstancy or coldness will
My foolish heart reclaim;
Then I come off with honour still,
But you, alas! with shame.
A heart by kindness only gain'd
Will a dear conquest prove,
And, to be kept, must be maintain'd
At vast expense of love.
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