There the obfcener birds of night, Birds that in gloomy fhades delight, Shall folitude enjoy, live undisturb'd by light. Shall feream their loud presages there. Heaven fhall in vain its future vengeance show: For thou art happily infenfible, Beneath the reach of miferies fell, Thou need it no defolation dread, no greater curfes fear. TO MR. CONGREVE. AN EPISTOLARY ODE, 1693. Occafioned by the "OLD BACHELON." F I. AM'D wits and beauties share this common fate, To ftand expof'd to public love and hate, In every breaft they different paffions raise, At once our envy, and our praife. For when, like you, fome noble youth appears, For wit and humour fam'd above his years; Each emulous Mufe, that views that laurel won, Muft praise the worth fo much tranfcends their own, And, while his fame they envy, add to his renown. But fure, like you, no youth could please, Nor at his firft attempt boast such fuccefs: Where all mankind have fail'd, you glories won; Triumphant are in this alone, In this, have all the bards of old out-done. II. Then may'ft thou rule our stage in triumph long! May't thou its injur'd fame revive, And matchlefs proofs of wit and humour give, Reforming with thy fcenes, and charming with thy song! And though a curfe ill-fated wit pursues, And waits the fatal dowry of a Mufe; Yet may thy rifing fortunes be Secure from all the blafts of poetry'; Then, great as is thy fame, thy fortunes raife, Join thriving interest to thy barren bays, And teach the world to envy, as thou doft to praise. The world, that does like common whores embrace, Injurious ftill to those it does carefs: Injurious as the tainted breath of Fame, That blafts a poet's fortunes, while it founds his name. IV. When firft a Mufe inflames fome youthful breaff, Like an unpractis'd virgin till she's kind: Adorn'd with graces then, and beauties bleft, She charms the ear with fame, with raptures fills the mind. Then from all cares the Happy youth is free, But thofe of love and poetry: Cares, ftill allay'd with pleafing charms, That crown the head with bays, with beauty fill the arms. But all a woman's frailties foon the shows, Too foon a ftale domeftic creature grows : Then, wedded to a Muse that's naufeous grown, We loath what we enjoy, drudge when the pleasure's gone. For, tempted with imaginary bays, Fed with immortal hopes and empty praise, He fame pursues, that fair and treacherous bait, Grows wife when he's undone, repents when 'tis too late. V. Small are the trophies of his boasted bays, Long did his injur'd Muse complain, An humble roof and an obfcure retreat, Condemn'd to needy fame, and to be miferably great. Thus did the world thy great fore-fathers ufe; Thus all th' infpir'd bards before Did their hereditary ills deplore; Unfully'd still with cares, nor clogged with hope and From tuneful Chaucer's down to thy own Dryden't fear! As from its wants, be from its vices free, From naufeous fervile flattery; Nor to a patron prostitute thy mind, Though like Augustus great, as fam'd Mæcenas kind. II. Though great in fame! believe me, generous youth, Believe this oft-experienc'd truth, From him that knows thy virtues, and admires their worth. Though thou 'rt above what vulgar poets fear, Truft not th' ungrateful world too far; Truft not the fmiles of the inconftant town ; (Which Durfey fhall with Thee and Dryden share); Nor to a ftage's intereft facrifice thy own. Mufe. ví. Yet, pleas'd with gaudy ruin, youth will on, In all his wants, majestic ftill appears, And cherishing that Mufe whofe fatal curfe he bears. THE ТНЕ INЅЕ СТ. AGAINST BUL K. WH "Ineft fua gratia parvis." HERE greatness is to Nature's works deny'd, In a fmall fpace the more perfection 's fhown, 'Tis Nature's fmallest products please the eye, Thus does the little epigram delight, 'Tis the fmall infect looks correct and fair, Thus Archimedes, in his crystal sphere, Whilft the large globe moves round with long delay, Thus fmallest things have a peculiar grace, B' advis'd in time, my Mufe, and learn to know IS no difgrace, brave youth, to own By a Fair Slave yon are undone : Why doft thou blush to hear that name, With powerful charms fubdue? What though a captive, ftill the bore Thofe eyes that freedom could restore, II. Stern Ajax, though renown'd in arms, Did yield to bright Tecmeffa's charms: And all the laurels he had won As trophies at her feet were thrown. Though great in camps, and fierce in war, Proud to become her flave, though late her conqueror When beauty in diftrefs appears, Though Troy was by his arms fubdued, Think not thy charming maid can be Yes, yes, my friend, with royal blood she's great, Now mourns her family's hard fate, Her mighty fall and abject state, And her illustrious race conceals with noble pride, V. Ah, think not an ignoble house Could fuch a heroine produce; Nor think fuch generous fprightly blood Could flow from the corrupted crowd; But view her courage, her undaunted mind, And foul with virtues crown'd; Where dazzling intereft cannot blind, Nor youth nor gold admittance find, But ftill her honour's fix'd, and virtue keeps its ground. VI. View well her great majestic air, And modeft looks divinely fair; Too bright for fancy to improve, And worthy of thy nobleft love. But yet fufpect not thy officious friend, All jealous thoughts remove; Though I with youthful heat commend, And if the makes thee bleft, 'tis all I ask of Love! For thee I all my wishes fend, TO MR. WATSON, On his EPHEMERIS of the CELESTIAL MOTIONS, prefented to HER MAJESTY. A RT, when in full perfection, is defign'd To pleafe the eye, or to inform the mind: This nobler piece performs the double part, And make her haughty lord, the proud Achilles, bow. With graceful beauty and instructive art. VOL. V. K Since Since the great Archimedes' sphere was loft, With charms the ancients did invade the Moon, Thus from your hand w' admire the globe in fmall, A copy fair as its original : This labour's to the whole creation just, THE RAPE OF THE UTILLA. Imitated from the Latin of FAMIANUS STRADA. THE INTRODUCTORY ARGUMENT. Swifter than lightning to his breaft it came, Than break her vows to heaven, than blot her fame, The night from its meridian did decline, An hour propitious to the black design: When fleep and reft their peaceful laws maintain, And o'er the globe b' infectious filence reign; While death-like flumbers every bosom seize, Unbend our minds, and weary'd bodies ease: Now fond Amalis finds his drooping breast Heavy with wine, with amorous cares oppreft; Not all the joys expecting lovers feel Can from his breaft the dropfy charm repel; In vain from wine his passion feeks redress, Whose treacherous force the flame it rais'd betrays: Weak and unnerv'd his ufelefs limbs became, Bending beneath their ill-fupported frame; Vanquish'd by that repofe from which he flies, Now flumbers close his unconsenting eyes. But fad Theutilla's cares admit no rest, Repose is banish'd from her mournful breast; A faithful guard does injur'd virtue keep, And from her weary limbs repulfes fleep. Oft the reflects with horror on the rape, Oft tries each avenue for her escape; Though ftill repulfe upon repulfe the bears, And finds no paffage but for fighs and tears: Then, with the wildness of her foul let loose, And all the fury that her wrongs infuse; She weeps, the raves, the rends her flowing hair, Wild in her grief, and raging with despair, At length her reftlefs thoughts an utterance find, And vent the anguish of her labouring mind: Whilft all diffolv'd in calmer tears she said, "Shall I again be to his arms betray'd! "Again the toil of loath'd embraces bear, "And for fome blacker scene of luft prepare! First may his be! my guiltless grave become, "His marble root my unpolluted tomb; Theutilla, a fair young virgin, who, to avoid the addrelles of thofe many admirers her beauty drew about her, affumed the habit of a religious order, and wholly withdrew herself from the eye and converfe of the world: but the common report of her beauty had fo inflamed Amalis (a young perfon of quality) with love, that one night, in a debauch of wine, he commands his fervants to force ber dormitory, and bear off, though by violence, the lovely votarefs; which having fucceffully performed, they bring Theutilla to their expecting lord's" apartment, the fcene of the ensuing Poem. OON as the tyrant her bright form furvey'd, SH He grew inflam'd with the fair captive maid: A graceful forrow in her looks fhe bears, Then, juft to honour, and unftain'd in fame, "The urn that hides my duft conceals my shame. "Heaven gave me virtue, woman's frail defence, "And beauty to moleft that innocence: "In vain I call my virtue to my aid, "When thus by treacherous beauty I'm betray'd. "Yet to this hour my breast no crime has known, "But, coldly chaste, with virgin brightness shone, "As now unfully'd by a winter's fun. "Not arts, nor ruder force of men prevail'd, "My tears found pity, when my language fail'd. "Oft Oft have thefe violated locks been torn, "And injur'd face their favage fury borne ; "Oft have my bloody robes their crimes confeft, "And pointed daggers glitter'd at my breast; "Yet, free from guilt, I found fome happier charm "To vanquish luft, and wildest rage disarm. "But ah! the greatest labour's yet behind; "No tears can foften this obdurate mind; "No prayers inexorable pity move, "Or guard me from the worft of ruins, Love: "Though fleep and wine allow this kind reprieve, "Yet to the youth they 'll ftrength and fury give ; "Then, wretched maid! then think what artifice, "What charm, fhall rescue from his nerv'd embrace! "Whea with fupplies of vigour next he storms, 66 And every dictate of his luft performs. "But you, bleft Power, that own a virgin's name, "Protect my virtue, and defend my fame, "From powerful luft, and the reproach of shame "IfI a ftrict religious life have led, "Drank the cold ftream, and made the earth my bed! "If from the world a chafte reclufe I live, "Redress my wrongs, and generous fuccour give; Allay this raging tempeft of my mind, "A virgin fhould be to a virgin kind: While thus the afflicted beauty pray'd, she spy'd "This weapon's mine!" fhe cries, (then grafp'd it faft) "And now the lustful tyrant fleeps his laft.' With eager hand the pointed fteel the draws, Ev'n murder pleafes in so just a caufe; Nor fears, nor dangers, now refiftance make, Since honour, life, and dearer fame, 's at stake. Yet in her breaft does kind compaffion plead, And fills her foul with horror of the deed; Her fex's tenderness resumes its place, And fpreads in confícious blushes o'er her face. Now, ftung with the remorfe of guilt, the cries, "Ah, frantic girl, what wild attempt is this! "Think, think, Theutilla, on the murderer's doom, "And tremble at a punishment to come: "Stain not thy virgin hand with guilty blood, "And dread to be fo criminally good. "Lay both thy courage and thy weapon down, "Nor fly to aids a maid muft blush to own; "Nor arms, nor valour, with thy fex agree, "They wound thy fame, and taint thy modefty." Thus different paffions combat in her mind, Oft fhe's to pity, oft to rage inclin'd: Now from her hand the hated weapon's caft, Then feiz'd again with more impetuous haste : Unfix'd her wishes, her refolves are vain, What the attempts, the ftraight rejects again; Her looks, the emblems of her thoughts, appear Vary'd with rage, with pity, and despair: Alone her fears incline to no extreme, Equally poiz'd betwixt revenge and fhame. At length, with more prevailing rage poffeft, Her jealous honour fteels her daring breaft: The thoughts of injur'd fame new courage gave, And nicer virtue now confirms her brave. Then the fam'd Judith her whole mind employs, Urges her hand, and fooths the fatal choice: K 2 This great example pleas'd, inflam'd by this, With wild diforder to the youth fhe flies; One hand the wreaths within his flowing hair, The other does the ready weapon bear: "Now guide me (cries) fair Hebrew, now look down, "And pity labours thou haft undergone. "Direct the hand that takes thy path to fame, "And be propitious to a virgin's name, "Whofe glory's but a refuge from her shame!" Thus rais'd by hopes, and arm'd with courage now, She with undaunted looks directs the blow: Deep in his breast the spacious wound she made, And to his heart dispatch'd th' unerring blade, When their expiring lord the fervants heard, Amidst her fufferings, ftill her mind is great, But heaven, that's fuffering virtue's fure reward, Exerts its power, and is itself her guard : Amalis, confcious of his black offence, Now feels remorfe for her wrong'd innocence; Though now he's ftruggling in the pangs of death, And all life's purple fream is ebbing forth: Yet, railing up his pale and drooping head, He recollects his fpirits as they fled, And, with his laft remains of voice, he said, "Spare the chafte maid, your impious hands reftrain, "Nor beauty with fuch infolence prophane : "Learn by my fate wrong'd innocence to spare, "Since injur'd virtue's heaven's peculiar care.' But you, brave virgin, now shall stand enrol'd Let every reftlefs paffion ceafe to move! The fureft refuge mournful grief can find; In vain were remedies apply'd, His hand and voice alone the charm could find, V. Now let the trumpet's louder voice proclaim For ever facred let it be, To skilful Jubal's, and Cecilia's name. Great Jubal author of our lays, With wonder and delight he play'd, While the harmonious ftrings his skilful hand obey'd. VI. But fair Cecilia to a pitch divine Improv'd her artful lays : When to the organ fhe her voice did join, In the Almighty's praise; Then choirs of liftening angels ftood around, Admir'd her art, and bleft the heavenly found. W HAT raging thoughts tranfport the woman's breaft, That is with love and jealousy poffeft! More with revenge, than foft defires the burns, Dread Scylla's rocks 'tis fafer to engage, Such were the transports Dejanira felt, In love triumphant, though a slave in war ; Fix'd with her grief the royal matron stood, Then o'er the palace of falfe Hercules, Nor can the spacious court contain her now; Loafe |