I'll find a conqueft, in a fafe retreat,
And though they rife, I'll fink to be as great.

Sir Robert Howard's Great Favourite.

He that feek fafety in a ftatesman's pity,
May as well run a fhip upon fharp rocks,
And hope a harbour.

D'ye think that ftatefmens kindneffes proceed
From any principles but their own need?

Ibid.

When they're afraid, they're wondrous good and free; But when they're fafe, they have no memory.

Sir Robert Howard's Veftal Virgin.

A statesman all but int'reft may forget,
And only ought in his own ftrength to trust:
'Tis not a ftatesman's virtue to be just.

E. of Orrery's Henry V.

But fear in flatefmen is the higheft crime.
Those who to empire's upper itations climb,
Are not fo ufeful in their being wife,
As they may hurtful be by cowardice:

For they, fearing to act, what they should do ;
Make with themselves the valiant useless too.

E of Orrery's Muftapha. Ah! had I ftudy'd but as much to gain

Heav'n, as this world, I had not fweat in vain:
Inftead of horrors that purfue me now,

Immortal crowns had waited for my brow;

But my amazing miferies now are
Beyond the aid of penitence and pray'r
To my own idols I too long did bow,
Το put that fawning cheat on heaven now;
For he hath my religion understood
To be but craft, and my devotion blood.
My heav'n was to afcend the papal throne,
Where to fave others fouls, I've lost my own.
And now, alas! 'twere folly to deny
Myself the pleasure to defpair and die.

May

May all great men learn by my wretched fate,
Never to stake their fouls at games of state;
For though a while perhaps they feem to win;
They'll find at last, there is no cheat like fin.

Crown's Juliana.

I'll feem religious to be damn'dly wicked;
I'll act all villany by holy fhews,
And that for piety on fools impofe:
Set up all faiths, that fo there may be none,
And make religion throw religion down.
I will feem loyal, the more rogue to be
And ruin the king by's own authority:
Pretending men from tyranny to fave,
I will the foolish cred'lous world enflave.

Crown's Ambitious Statesman.

SUCCESS.

Let them call it mifchief

When it's paft, and profper'd, 'twill be virtue.
They're petty crimes are punish'd; great rewarded.
Nor muft you think of peril, fince attempts
Begun with danger, ftill do end in glory;

And when need fpurs, defpair will be call'd wisdom.
Lefs ought the care of men or fame to fright you;
For they that win, do feldom receive shame

Of victory, howe'er it be atchiev'd;

And vengeance leaft. For who befieg'd with wants,
Would ftop at death, or any thing beyond it?
Come, there was never any great thing yet
Afpired, but by violence or fraud:

And he that sticks for folly of a conscience,
To reach it, is a good religious fool.

Good fuccefs

Johnfon's Catiline.

Is oft more fatal far than bad; one winning
Caft from a flatt'ring die, tempting a gamester

To hazard his whole fortunes.

Chapman's Revenge for Honour.

Shews

Shews to afpire just objects, are laid on

With coft, with labour, and with form enough; Which only makes our best acts brook the light, And their ends had, we think we have their right: So worst works are made good, with good fuccess; And fo for kings, pay fubjects carcaffes.

Chapman's First Part of Byron's Confpiracy.

And tho' the fortune of fome age consents
Unto a thousand errors grofsly wrought;
Which flourish'd over with their fair events,

Have pafs'd for current, and good courses thought: The leaft whereof, in other times, again

Moft dang'rous inconveniencies have brought; Whilft to the time, not to mens wits, pertain The good fucceffes of ill manag'd deeds: Tho' th' ignorant deceiv'd with colours vain, Mifs of the caufes whence this luck proceeds. Foreign defects giving home-faults the way, Make ev❜n that weakness sometimes well fucceed. Daniel's Mufophilus. What fuit of grace hath virtue to put on, If vice shall wear as good, and do as well? If wrong, if craft, if indifcretion,

Act as fair parts, with ends as laudable?

Which all this mighty volume of events,
The world, th' univerfal map of deeds,
Strongly controuls; and proves from all descents,
That the directest courses best succeeds;
When craft (wrapt ftill in many cumberments)
With all her cunning thrives not, tho' it speeds.
For fhould not grave and learn'd experience,
That looks with th' eyes of all the world befide,
And with all ages holds intelligence,

Go fafer than deceit without a guide ?
Which in the by-paths of her diffidence,

Croffing the ways of right, ftill runs more wide.

Profp'rous

Profp'rous fuccefs gives blackest actions glory;'
The means are unremembred in most story.

Marfion's Sophonisba.

Succefs, like Lethe, to the fouls in blifs,
Makes men forget things paft, and crowns our fins
With name of valour. Be we impious,
A Scelus Felix ftiles us virtuous ?

Mafon's Muleaffes.

Success must follow thofe attempts that rise
From a just cause, and crown the enterprize.

Nabbs's Hannibal and Scipio.

All's but endeavour untill perfected
By the fuccefs, and that is fortune's only;
Defert fhares little in it.

So they thrive,

Whom fate in fpight of ftorms hath kept alive.

Ibid.

John Ford's Lover's Melancholy. Things that in th' period profp'rously succeed; Though crofs'd before, are acted well indeed.

Things once well begun,

Glapthorne's Hollander.

Are half perform'd; the managing an act
With close and hidden practice, 'mongst the wife
And politick people, brings affur'd fuccefs:
Broad open ways the heavy fnail does take,
Whilft untrod paths best please the subtle snake.

Glapthorne's Albertus Wallenflein.

Hope of reward, or one victorious field,
Is no firm ground for any one to build.
May ill fuccefs cloath him with discontent,
That ballanceth the cause by the event.

-Proud fuccefs admits no probe
Of justice to correct or fquare the fate,
That bears down all as illegitimate:
For whatfoe'er it lifts to overthrow,
It either finds it, or elfe makes it fo.
• V o L. III..

K

Lady Alimony.

Cleveland.
My

My intent's good, O let it fo fucceed,
And be aufpicious ftill to each good deed.

-O, fuccefs

Sharpham's Fleire.

Is a rare paint! that which fucceeds is good;
When the fame action, if it fails, is naught.

Baron's Mirza.

All are not ill plots, that do sometimes fail;
Nor those falfe vows, which oft times don't prevail.
Herrick.

In tracing human flory, we fhall find
The cruel more fuccefsful, than the kind.

Sir W. Davenant's Siege of Rhodes.

If we but profper now, not we on fate,
But the on us, fhall for direction wait.

Sir Robert Howard's Great Favourite.
1. If all things by fuccefs are understood,
Men that make war, grow wicked to be good :
But did you vow, thofe that were overcome,
And he that conquer'd, both fhould share one doom?
There's no excufe, for one of these must be
Not your devotion, but your cruelty.

2. To that rash ftranger, fir, we nothing owe;
What he had rais'd, he ftrove to overthrow :
That duty loft, which should our actions guide;
Courage proves guilt, when merits fwell to pride.
Sir Robert Howard's Indian Queen.

As all thofe fins which for a crown are done,
Heav'n does abfolve, when heav'n does put it on ;
So all those crimes which are perform'd in love,
Do lose that name when we fuccessful prove.

E. of Orrery's Black Prince.

That's villany, that by its ill fuccefs
Betrays a man, and into ruin throws:

When once it gains a crown, it virtue grows.

Crown's Second Part of Henry VI.

It is fuccefs makes innocence a fin;
And there is nothing but a fword between :