<< honoured of her: O! how my Soul hath rejoyced at "the Deeds of Valour done for the People of this "Land by John her Brother! yet did they ungraciously fay of him, he was one that delighted in War; and

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now behold, they fay of thee, Thou delighteft in "Peace: Thus are their Mouths always filled with mur«murings.

cr

"THY Kindness to thy Relations, thy Gratitude to "thy Friends, and Care of thy Servants, have drawn << upon thine Head great Indignation and Clamours from "the rude Multitude, than which nothing is more just << and reasonable fo to do; for whom fhall a Man pre«fer to his Relations? Shall he not reward his Friends " and provide for his faithful Servants? All that were « before thee in high Station did the like, or at least "ought to have done it; for Jof-ph Ad--f-n, a Man of « much Wisdom, who was my Landlord and Neigh"bour, held it meet and fitting to be done, as it is "written in his Book of humane Learning, call'd the "Spectator.

"IF thou haft been craftily dealt with by any abroad, "as it is reported, why calleft thou not forth the King's "Men of Might and his Men of Valour to chaften them; "for altho' we be a People of Peace, and will not that "the Blood of Men be fpilled, yet it grieveth us forely "to behold the Tauntings of the Enemy, who lurketh "privily, and lieth in wait for the Milk and Honey of "the Land. Thou knoweft well, that the Children of "England love battling, and rather than be idle, will "fight with one another; of which mine Eyes, as well ❝as thine, have beheld many examples.

"THOU must have read of him who protected the "Realm before thee was't Born, and albeit he did many "unrighteous Acts, and was furrounded with divers

« great

a great Evils, yet his Warlike Spirit made the Nations abroad to tremble. The wicked Mazarine, though c a haughty and fubtle Counfellor, having deign'd to " withhold from him the mighty Tower of Dunkirk, "after it had been wrefted from the People of Spain "by the joint Navies and Hofts of England and France, " and was by folemn Leagues to be given unto us; "the Protector in exceeding great wrath wrote to << him thus:

Thou Traitor, Mazarine,

IF thou refuseft to deliver Dunkirk into the Hands of Lockhart, my Friend and Counsellor, whom I have fent with full Powers to receive it; by the Eternal God I will come and tear thee from thy Mafter's Bofom and hang thee at the Gates of Paris. O. Cromwell.

"WHAT effect this profane Epiftle had on the "Heart of the stubborn Priest, I need not tell thee, "it being well known unto the People of this Land. "I have heard, that at the place call'd Lincoln's-Inn, " where the Lawyers meet to counfel the People, this " Writing is recorded, and is there to be feen of Men, even unto this Day.

"WHEREFORE at this Time stand ye not all up as "one Man against the common Enemy? Forbear fmiting "one another with the edge of the Pen, discharge the « Workers of Iniquity on both fides; Hirelings, who " for gain to-day cry Hofannah, and to-morrow Crucify " him. Let Henry remember the grace that hath been "fhewn unto him, and not take delight in mocking at "the misfortunes of the Land, but cleave unto his "Wife and put away his Concubines, and if he can, "fear God and honour his King. Even my Soul « longeth

B 2

"longeth to fee William the Haughty, and William of "the Weft, and my Friend Little William, and thy

ce

feif, united together in the bands of Peace. More"over, my Heart wifheth that Philip the Wanderer, <if his Heart be turned, and he forroweth for his Ini"quities, he may return home to his own Land in "Peace, for the fake of his Forefathers. Let Nicholas "P-x-n and Nicholas Am-b-ft love each other, "and lay afide their Prejudices, and let there be no "more vain bablings; for behold when these things

come to pafs, will the Land flourish, the Hands of. "the King will be ftrengthened, and his People be able "to avenge the Wrongs of the Enemy. Even tho' my « felf be stricken in Years, I will then array and go "forth to help fmite him in Battle.

Where neither Intereft nor Design have part,
But all the Warmth is Native of the Heart :
Thou know'ft to comfort, footh, or entertain,
Joy of my Health, and Cordial to my Pain.

WHEN Life feem'd failing on her latest Stage,
And fell Disease anticipated Age;
When wafting Sickness and afflictive Pain
By Efculapius' Sons opposed in vain,
Forc'd me reluctant defperate to explore
A warmer Sun, and feek a milder Shore:
Thy steady Love with unexampled Truth,
Forfook each gay Companion of thy Youth:
Whate'er the Profperous, or the Great employs,
Business, and Intereft, and Love's fofter Joys;
The weary Steps of Mifery to attend,

To share Distress, and make a Wretch thy Friend.
If o'er the Mountain's fnowy Height we ftray,
Where Carthage first explor'd the vent'rous Way;
Or through the tainted Air of Rome's parch'd Plains,
Where Want refides, and Superftition reigns;
Chearful and unrepining ftill you bear
Each dangerous Rigour of the various Year;
And kindly anxious for thy Friend alone,
Lament his Sufferings, and forget your own.
Oh! would kind Heavens, these tedious Sufferings past,
Permit me Ickworth, Reft and Health at last;
In that lov'd Shade, my Youth's delightful Seat,
My early Pleasure, and my late Retreat;
Where lavish Nature's favourite Bleffings flow,
And all the Seasons, all their Sweets bestow;
There might I trifle carelefly away

The milder Evening of Life's clouded Day :

From

From Business and the World's Intrufion free,

With Books, with Love, with Beauty, and with Thee;
No farther Want, no Wifh yet unpoffefs'd,

Cou'd e'er difturb this unambitious Breaft.
Let those who Fortune's fhining Gifts implore,
Who fue for Glory, Splendour, Wealth or Power;
View this inactive State with fcornful Eyes,
And Pleafures, they can never tafte, defpife:

Let them ftill court that Goddess' falfer Joys,

Who whilft fhe grants their Prayer, their Peace destroys.

I envy not the firmeft of the Great,

Not W--le's Self, directing Europe's State;
Still let him load Ambition's thorny Shrine,
Fame be his Portion, and Contentment mine.
But if the Gods finifter ftill deny

To live in Ickworth, let me there but die:
Thy Hand to close my Eyes in Death's long Night,
Thy Image to attract their latest Sight;

Then to the Grave attend thy Poet's Hearse,
And love his Memory, as you lov'd his Verse.

D

The Disappointed MAID.

I.

AMON ask'd me but once, and I faintly deny'd,

Refolving to fnap him, the next time he try'd;

But alas, he's determin'd to ask me no more,

And now makes his Court to the fair Leonore.

2.