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POE M,

TO THE

MEMORY

Of the RIGHT HONOURABLE the

LORD TALBOT,

Late CHANCELLOR of Great Britain.

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ΤΟ ΤΗΕ

MEMORY

Of the RIGHT HONOURABLE the

LORD TALBOT.

Addreffed to His SON.

HILE, with the public, you, my Lord, lament A friend and father loft; permit the Muse, The Muse affign'd of old a double theme, To praise dead worth, and humble living pride, Whofe generous task begins where int'reft ends, Permit her on a TALBOT's tomb to lay This cordial verfe fincere, by truth-infpir'd, Which means not to bestow but borrow fame. Yes the may fing his matchlefs virtues nowUnhappy that she may. But where begin? How from the diamond single out each ray, .. Where all, tho' trembling with ten thousand hues, Effuse one dazzling undivided light?

Let the low-minded of these narrow days

No more prefume to deem the lofty tale
Of ancient times, in pity to their own,
Romance. In TALBOT we united faw
The piercing eye, the quick-enlighten'd foul,
The graceful eafe, the flowing tongue of Greece,

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Join'd to the virtues and the force of Rome.

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Eternal Wisdom, that all-quick'ning fun, Whence every life, in just proportion, draws Directing light and actuating flame, Ne'er with a larger portion of its beams Awaken'd mortal clay. Hence, fteady, calm, Diffufive, deep and clear, his reafon faw, With inftantaneous view, the truth of things; Chief what to human life and human blifs Pertains, that nobleft science fit for man: And hence, refponfive to his knowledge, glow'd His ardent virtue. Ignorance and vice, In confort foul, agree; each heightening each; While virtue draws from knowledge brighter fire. What grand, what comely, or what tender fenfe, What talent, or what virtue was not bis ; -35 What that can render man or great, or good, Give useful worsh, or amiable grace? Nor could he brook in ftudious shade to ly, In foft retirement, indolently pleas'd With selfish peace. The Syren of the wife, (Who fteals th' Aonian fong, and, in the shape Of virtue, wooes them from a worthlefs world), Tho' deep he felt her charms, could never melt His ftrenuous fpirit, recollected, calm,

As filent night, yet active as the day.

The more the bold, the bustling, and the bad,
Prefs to ufurp the reins of power, the more
Behoves it virtue, with indignant zeal,

To check their combination. Shall low views
Of Ineaking int'reft or luxurious vice,

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The villain's paffionis, quicken more to tail,

And dart a livelier vigor thro' the foul,"

Than thofe that, mingled with our trueft good,

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With present honour and immortal fame,
Involve the good of all? An empty form
Is the weak virtue, that amid the fhade:
Lamenting lyes, with future schemes ́amus'd,
While Wickedness and Folly, kindred powers,
Confound the world. A TALBOT's, different far, 60 %
Sprung ardent into action action, that difdain'd 60
To lofe in deathlike floth one pulfe of life,
That might be fav'd; difdain'd for coward eafe,
And her infipid pleasures, to refign

The prize of glory, the keen fweets of toil,
And thofe high joys that teach the truly great
To live for others, and for others die..

Early, behold! he breaks benign on life.
Not breathing more beneficence, the spring
Leads in her fwelling train the gentle airs.
While gay, behind her, fmiles the kindling wafte
Of ruffian storms, and winter's lawless rage.
In him Aftrea, to this dim abode.

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Of ever-wandering men, return'd again on ole
To blefs them his delight, to bring them back,
From thorny error, from unjoyous wrong,
Into the paths of kind primeval faith,
Of happiness and justice. All his parts,
His virtues-all, collected, fought the good
Of human-kind. For that he; fervent, felt
The throb of patriots, when they model states;
Anxious for that, nor needful fleep could hold
His ftill awaken'd foul; nor friends had charms
To fteal, with pleafing guile, one useful hour;
Toil knew no languor, no attraction joy.
Thus with unweary'd fteps, by Virtue led,
He gain'd the fummit of that facred hill,
Where rais'd above black envy's dark'ning clouds at

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