ON THE DEATH OF AN INFANT.
Oh no! for fomething in thy face did fhine
Above mortality, that fhow'd thou wast divine.
Refolve me then, oh Soul moft furely bleft,
(If so it be that thou these plaints doft hear)
Tell me bright Spirit where'er thou hoverest,.
Whether above that high first-moving sphere,
Or in th' Elysian fields (if fuch there were)
Oh fay me true, if thou wert mortal wight,
And why from us fó quickly thou didst take thy flight.
Wert thou fome ftar which from the ruin'd roof
Of flak'd Olympus by mifchance didst fall;
Which careful Jove in nature's true behoof
Took up, and in fit place did reinstall?
Or did of late earth's fons befiege the wall
Of theeny Heav'n, and thou fome Goddefs fled
Amongst us here below to hide thy nectar'd head?
Or wert thou that just Maid who once before
Forfook the hated earth, O tell me footh,
And cam'st again to visit us once more?
Or wert thou that sweet smiling Youth?
Or that crown'd matron fage white-robed Truth?
Or any other of that heav'nly brood
Let down in cloudy throne to do the world fome good?
Or wert thou of the golden-winged hoft,
Who having clad thyself in human weed,
To earth from thy prefixed seat didst post,
And after short abode fly back with speed,
As if to fhow what creatures Heav'n doth breed,
Thereby to fet the hearts of men on fire
To fcorn the fordid world, and unto Heav'n afpire?
But oh why didst thou not stay here below
To bless us with thy heav'n-lov'd innocence,
To flake his wrath whom fin hath made our foe,
To turn fwift-rufhing black perdition hence,
Or drive away the flaughtering peftilence,
To ftand 'twixt us and our deferved fmart?
But thou canst best perform that office where thou art.
Then thou the Mother of fo fweet a Child
Her falfe imagin'd lofs ceafe to lament,
And wifely learn to curb thy forrows wild.
Think what a present thou to God haft fent,
And render him with patience what he lent!
This if thou do, he will an offspring give,
That till the world's laft end fhall make thy name to live.
Anno Ætatis 19. At a Vacation Exercise in the college, part Latin, part English. The Latin speeches ended, the English thus began *.
AIL native Language, that by finews weak
Didit move my firft endevoring tongue to speak,
And mad'ft imperfect words with childish trips,
Half unpronounc'd, flide through my infant-lips,
Driving dumb filence from the portal door,
Where he had mutely fat two years before:
Here I falute thee, and thy pardon afk,
That now I use thee in my latter task :
Small lofs it is that thence can come unto thee,
I know my tongue but little grace can do thee :
Thou need'ft not be ambitious to be first,
Believe me I have thither packt the worst :
And, if it happen as I did forecast,
The daintieft difhes fhall be ferv'd up
I pray thee then deny me not thy aid
For this fame finall neglect that I have made:
But hafte thee ftrait to do me once a pleasure,
And from thy wardrobe bring thy chiefest treasure,
Not those new fangled toys, and trimming flight,
Which takes our late fantastics with delight,
* These verses were made in 1627, that being the 19th year of the author's age; and they were not in the edition of 1645, but were firft added in the edition of
But cull those richeft robes, and gay'st attire
Which deepest spirits and choiceft wits defire:
I have fome naked thoughts that rove about,
And loudly knock to have their paffage out;
And weary of their place do only stay
Till thou haft deck'd them in thy best array ;
That fo they may without fufpect or fears
Fly fwiftly to this fair affembly's ears;
Yet I had rather, if I were to chufe,
Thy fervice in fome graver subject use,
Such as may make thee search thy coffers round,
Before thou clothe my fancy in fit found:
Such where the deep tranfported mind may foar
Above the wheeling poles, and at Heav'n's door
Look in, and fee each blissful Deity.
How he before the thunderous throne doth lie,,
Liftening to what unfhorn Apollo fings
To th' touch of golden wires, while Hebe brings
Immortal nectar to her kingly fire :
Then paffing through the spheres of watchful fire, 40
And misty regions of wide air next under
And hills of fnow and lofts of piled thunder,
May tell at length how green-ey'd Neptune raves,
In Heav'n's defiance muftering all his waves;
Then fing of fecret things that came to pafs
When beldam Nature in her cradle was;
And last of kings and queens and heroes old,
Such as the wife Demodocus once told
In folemn fongs at king Alcinoüs' feast,,
While fad Ulyffes' foul and all the rest
Are held with his melodious harmony
In willing chains and sweet captivity.
But fie, my wandering Mufe, how thou doft ftray!
Expectance calls thee now another way,
Thou know'ft it must be now thy only bent
To keep in compass of thy predicament :
Then quick about thy purpos'd business come,
That to the next I may resign my room.
Then Ens. is represented as father of the Predicaments this ten fons, whereof the eldeft ftood for Substance with his canons, which Ens, thus fpeaking, explains.
GOOD luck befriend thee, Son; for at thy birth
The faery ladies danc'd upon the hearth;
Thy droufy nurse hath sworn she did them spie
Come tripping to the room where thou didst lie,
And fweetly finging round about thy bed
Strow all their bleffings on thy fleeping head.
She heard them give thee this, that thou fhouldst still
From eyes of mortals walk invifible :
Yet there is fomething that doth force my fear,
For once it was my difmal hap to hear
A Sibyl old, bow-bent with crooked age,
That far events full wifely could prefage,
And in time's long and dark prospective glass
Forefaw what future days should bring to pass;
Your fon, faid the, (nor can you it prevent)
Shall fubject be to many an Accident,
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