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"And though its flight no mortal eye fhall fee,
"Yet know, for ever it the fame fhall be.
"That foul, which can immortal glory give,
"To her own virtues muft for ever live.

"Can you believe, that man's all-knowing mind
"Can to a mortal body be confin'd?

"Though a foul foolish prifon her immure

"On earth, fhe (when escap'd) is wife, and pure, "Man's body, when diffolv'd, is but the fame "With beafts, and muft return from whence it came ; "But whence into our bodies reafon flows,

"None fees it, when it comes, or where it goes. "Nothing resembles death fo much as fleep, "Yet then our minds themselves from flumber keep. "When from their fleshly bondage they are free, "Then what divine and future things they fee! "Which makes it most apparent whence they are, "And what they fhall hereafter be, declare." This noble fpeech the dying Cyrus made. Me, Scipio, fhall no argument persuade, Thy grandfire, and his brother, to whom Fame Gave, from two conquer'd parts o' th' world, their name,

Nor thy great grandfire, nor thy father Paul,

Who fell at Cannæ against Hannibal ;

Nor I (for 'tis permitted to the ag'd
To boast their actions) had fo oft engag'd
In battles, and in pleadings, had we thought,
That only Fame our virtuous actions bought;
'Twere better in soft pleasure and repose
Inglorioufly our peaceful eyes to close :

Some

Some high affurance hath poffeft my mind,
After my death an happier life to find.
Unless our fouls from the immortals came,
What end have we to feek immortal fame ?
All virtuous fpirits some such hope attends,
Therefore the wife his days with pleasure ends.
The foolish and short-fighted die with fear,
That they go no where, or they know not where.
The wife and virtuous foul, with clearer eyes,
Before the parts, some happy port descries.
My friends, your fathers I fhall furely fee;
Nor only those I lov'd, or who lov'd me;
But such as before ours did end their days;
Of whom we hear, and read, and write their praise.
This I believe: for were I on my way,

None should perfuade me to return, or stay:
Should fome god tell me, that I should be born,
And cry again, his offer I would fcorn;
Afham'd, when I have ended well my race,
To be led back to my first starting-place.
And fince with life we are more griev'd than joy'd,
We should be either fatisfy'd or cloy'd:

Yet will I not my length of days deplore,
As many wife and learn'd have done before;
Nor can I think fuch life in vain is lent,
Which for our country and our friends is fpent.
Hence from an inn, not from my home I pass,
Since nature meant us here no dwelling-place.
Happy when I, from this turmoil fet free,
That peaceful and divine assembly see :

Not

Not only those I nam'd I there shall greet,
But my own gallant, virtuous Cato meet.
Nor did I weep, when I to ashes turn'd

His belov'd body, who fhould mine have burn'd.
I in my thoughts beheld his foul afcend,
Where his fixt hopes our interview attend :
Then ceafe to wonder that I feel no grief
From age, which is of my delights the chief.
My hopes, if this assurance hath deceiv'd,
(That I man's foul immortal have believ'd)
And if I err, no power fhall difpoffefs
My thoughts of that expected happiness.
Though fome minute philofophers pretend,
That with our days our pains and pleasures end.
If it be fo, I hold the fafer fide,

For none of them my error fhall deride.
And if hereafter no rewards appear,

Yet virtue hath itfelf rewarded here,

If thofe, who this opinion have despis'd,
And their whole life to pleature facrific'd,
Should feel their error, they, when undeceiv'd,
Too late will with, that me they had believ'd.
If fouls no immortality obtain,

'Tis fit our bodies fhould be out of pain.
The fame uneafinefs which every thing

Gives to our nature, life must also bring.
Good acts, if long, feem tedious; fo is age,
Acting too long upon this earth her stage.
Thus much for age, to which when you arrive,
That joy to you, which it gives me, 'twill give.

CON

CONTENT S

O F

DENHAM'S POEM S.

COOPER's Hill

Page 7

The Destruction of Troy, an Effay on the fecond Book of Virgil's Æneis

On the Earl of Strafford's Trial and Death

20

39

On my Lord Crofts and my Journey into Poland, from whence we brought 10,000l. for his Majefty, by the Decimation of his Scottish Subjects there

.40

On Mr. Thomas Killigrew's Return from his Embaffy from Venice, and Mr. William Murray's from Scotland

43

To Sir John Mennis, being invited from Calais to

Bologne to eat a Pig

Natura Naturata

44

46

Sarpedon's Speech to Glaucus in the 12th of Homer 47 Epigram from Martial

49

Friendship and fingle Life, against Love and Marriage

On Mr. Abraham Cowley's Death and Burial amongst the Ancient Poets

50

54

58

A Speech against Peace at the Clofe Committee
To the five Members of the Honourable House of
Commons. The humble Petition of the Poets 62
A Western Wonder

64 A Se

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