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ferved a greater commendation than I could give her, they have taken care that I should not tire my pen with frequent exercife on the like fubjects; that praifes, like taxes, fhould be appropriated, and left almost as individual as the perfon. They fay, my talent is fatire: if it be fo, it is a fruitful age, and there is an extraordinary crop to gather. But a fingle hand is infufficient for fuch a harvest: they have fown the dragon's teeth themselves, and it is but juft they should reap each other in lampoons. You, my lord, who have the character of honour, though it is not my happiness to know you, may ftand afide, with the small remainders of the English nobility, truly fuch, and, unhurt yourfelves, behold the mad combat. If I have pleased you, and fome few others, I have obtained my end. You fee I have difabled myself, like an elected Speaker of the House: yet like him I have undertaken the charge, and find the burden fufficiently recompensed by the honour. Be pleased to accept of these my unworthy labours, this paper-monument; and let her pious memory, which I am fure is facred to you, not only plead the pardon of my many faults, but gain me your protection, which is ambitiously fought by,

My Lord,

Your Lordship's

Moft obedient fervant,

JOHN DRYDEN.

ELEONORA:

ELEONORA:

A PANEGYRICAL POEM.

S when fome great and gracious monarch dies,

A Soft whifpers, firft, and mournful murmurs rife

Among the fad attendants; then the found
Soon gathers voice, and spreads the news around,
Through town and country, till the dreadful blaft
Is blown to distant colonies at laft;

Who, then, perhaps, were offering vows in vain,
For his long life, and for his happy reign:
So flowly, by degrees, unwilling Fame
Did matchlefs Eleonora's fate proclaim,
Till public as the lofs the news became.

The nation felt it in th' extremeft parts,
With eyes o'erflowing, and with bleeding hearts;
But most the poor, whom daily she supply'd,
Beginning to be fuch but when she dy’d.

For, while fhe liv'd, they flept in peace by night,
Secure of bread, as of returning light;
And with fuch firm dependence on the day,
That Need grew pamper'd, and forgot to pray:
So fure the dole, fo ready at their call,
They stood prepar'd to see the manna fall.

Such multitudes fhe fed, fhe cloath'd, fhe nurft,
That she herself might fear her wanting first.
Of her five talents, other five she made;
Heaven, that had largely given, was largely paid:
And in few lives, in wondrous few, we find
A fortune better fitted to the mind.

Nor

Nor did her alms from oftentation fall,

Or proud defire of praife; the foul gave all:
Unbrib'd it gave; or, if a bribe appear,

No less than heaven; to heap huge treasures there.
Want pafs'd for merit at her open door:
Heaven faw, he fafely might increase his poor,
And truft their fuftenance with her fo well,
As not to be at charge of miracle.

None could be needy, whom the faw, or knew;
All in the compass of her sphere she drew:
He, who could touch her garment, was as fure,
As the firft Chriftians of th' apostles' cure.
The diftant heard, by fame, her pious deeds,
And laid her up for their extremest needs;
A future cordial for a fainting mind;

For, what was ne'er refus'd, all hop'd to find,
Each in his turn: the rich might freely come,
As to a riend; but to the poor, 'twas home.
As to fome holy house th' afflicted came,
The hunger-ftarv'd, the naked, and the lame;
Want and diseases fled before her name.
For zeal like her's her fervants were too flow;
She was the first, where need requir'd, to go;
Herfelf the foundrefs and attendant too.

Sure she had guests fometimes to entertain,
Guests in disguise, of her great Master's train:
Her Lord himself might come, for aught we know;

Since in a fervant's form he liv'd below:

Beneath her roof he might be pleas'd to stay ; '
Or fome benighted angel, in his way,

Might eafe his wings, and, feeing heaven appear
In its beft work of mercy, think it there:
Where all the deeds of charity and love
Were in as conftant method as above,
All carry'd on; all of a piece with theirs;
As free her alms, as diligent her cares;
As loud her praises, and as warm her prayers.

Yet was the not profufe; but fear'd to waste,
And wifely manag'd, that the ftock might last
That all might be supply'd, and she not grieve,
When crowds appear'd, she had not to relieve:
Which to prevent, she still increas'd her store;
Laid up, and fpar'd, that fhe might give the more.
So Pharaoh, or fome greater king than he,
Provided for the feventh neceffity:

Taught from above his magazines to frame;
That famine was prevented ere it came.
Thus Heaven, though all-fufficient, fhews a thrift
In his œconomy, and bounds his gift:
Creating, for our day, one fingle light;
And his reflection too fupplies the night;
Perhaps a thousand other worlds, that lie
Remote from us, and latent in the sky,
Are lighten'd by his beams, and kindly nurft;
Of which our earthly dunghill is the worst.
Now, as all virtues 'keep the middle line,
Yet fomewhat more to one extreme incline,
Such was her foul; abhorring avarice,
Bounteous, but almoft bounteous to a vice:

}

Had

Had fhe given more, it had profufion been,
And turn'd th' excefs of goodness into fin.

These virtues rais'd her fabric to the sky;
For that, which is next heaven, is charity.
But, as high turrets, for their airy fteep,
Require foundations, in proportion deep;
And lofty cedars as far upward fhoot,
As to the nether heavens they drive the root:
So low did her secure foundation lie,
She was not humble, but humility.
Scarcely fhe knew that she was great, or fair,
Or wife, beyond what other women are,
Or, which is better, knew, but never durft compare :)
For to be confcious of what all admire,

And not be vain, advances virtue higher.
But ftill fhe found, or rather thought the found,
Her own worth wanting, others to abound;
Afcrib'd above their due to every one,
Unjuft and feanty to herself alone.

Such her devotion was, as might give rules
Of fpeculation to difputing fchools,

And teach us equally the fcales to hold
Betwixt the two extremes of hot and cold;
That pious heat may moderately prevail,
And we be warm'd, but not be fcorch'd with zeal.
Business might shorten, not difturb, her prayer;
Heaven had the best, if not the greater share.
An active life long oraisons forbids;

Yet ftill the pray'd, for ftill fhe pray'd by deeds.

Her

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