gAMBRIDGE ENGL[ SH CLASSICS

The Writings

of

Matthew Prior

MATTHEW PRIOR

Born 1 664

Died 1 72 1

MATTHE /V PRIOR

DIALOGUES OF THE DEAD

AND OTHER WORKS IN

PROSE AND VERSE

THE TEXT EDITED BY

A. R . WALLER,M.A.

CAMBRIDGE

at the Univers ity Press

SHELL“ . 5

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERS ITY PRES S \VAREHOUSE,

C. F. CLAY, MANAGER.

loam : FETTER LANE,C hum: so, WELLINGTON STREET.

W in: F. A. BROCKHAUS .

m lath : G. P. PUTNAM'

S SONS .

Bumbag nubm m: MACMILLAN AND C0., Ln .

NOTE .

HE present volume contains the whole of Prior’sEnglish literary works in prose and verse, other

than those published in the folio of 1 7 I8 , wh ich werecontained in the volume edited by me two years ago.

It thus completes the publication of the text of Prior’swritings as des igned, and it is pleasant to rememberthat this publication has been undertaken by the Pressfor which Prior negotiated a pu rchase of Greek typewhen in Paris inMore than half the pages now published contain

additions to the known writings of Prior, and, in respect

of this, the thanks of allwho are interested in the

literature of the 1 7th and 1 8th centuries are due to

the Marquess of Bath, who kindly permitted me to

make an examination of the whole of Prior’s literarypreserved at Longleat , and who readily granted0 the S udics of the Univers ity Press to publish

them. It is but rarely , now,that an addition of this

bulk a n bemade to the works of a writer who exercisedan abiding influence on the form of English verse,

bes ides being a person of importance in his day .

The additions thus made are of varying importance.

The prose Dialogue: qf tbe Dead seem to me to be

among the best of their kind. They were read byPope and thought ‘

very good,’

and they were seen and

a few other and lesser people in the 1 8th

century. The Dialogue between Mr 7d»: Lock and

1 Su J. E. B.Mayor, in Note: and Queries , 8 . n, v. 5, p. 356 .

NOTESeigneur deMonta igne, especially the encounter between

John and Margaret, willbe enjoyed by alllovers of

Montaigne, and the lines on Conscience, a few of whichhave prev iously been printed in collected editions of

Prior, can now be read, in their originaland unabridgedform,

in the delightfulDialogue between Tbe Vicar ofBray and Sir Tbomas Moor .

The poems now first printed cons ist of juvenilelines and mature verses , further addresses to the LadyMargaret, foundress of St John’

s—his Cambridge col

1 e, to which he was ever attached and to which hele his library—Hudibras tic lines

, politicalverse, songs ,an imperfect attempt at a theme fre

quently undertaken

in his days (A Session of tbc Poets), ight vers do socie'te‘,

personaladdresses , ballads, translations , fi-agments intended for Alma , an Answer to tbc Female Pbaeton,prologues, essays in blank verse, portions of an ambitions work on Predestination, epigrams and, perhaps

finest and most characteristic of all,the three-line

stanzas which,adapting a phrase in the poem,

I haveventured to call7inny tbe 71m.

Allthese, together with a few fragments which Ihave kept only in my notes, are printed as found in

the Longleat papers , where they are preserved in the

form of rough originals or fair transcripts , the lattershowing evidence here and there of correction. Theyhave been printed from photographs or from transcripts ,and any alterations I have made (which have been as

few as poss ible)willbe found indicated in the notes .

The appearance of the present volume has beencons iderably delayed in order to examine the anonymous poetry contained in miscellan ies

,collections of

State Poems and other anthologies of the 1 8th centu ry .

It was naturalto suppose that some of the Longleat

VI

NOTE

pp‘ems would be found in these collections , for weOW

in answer to the list of titlesand first lines

in their pfinmd fornn are preserved among the

mpem at Lonfleag and tt atire upon obe Poets, “

b rimtion of tbe Sevenob Satire of j‘w enalhas a bitherto

NOTEthe few Latin verses hitherto published with his poems .Limits of space seemed to urge that the present editionshould be confined, as in the case of Cowley , to Englishwritings . I had collected a few published items and

done a certain amount of collation when I came to thisdecision,

and it may be of interest to mention one

slight matter. The Latin poem On sbe Marriage ofGeorge Prince of Denmark, and tbc Lady Anne, Con

junctum Veneri Martem,Danosque Britannis ,

’

s ignedA. Prior, Coll. Div . Joh . Alumn .

,in certain editions ,

has,usually, a note attached to it signed K Kynaston)

to the effect that This copy, notwithstandi the

s ignatu re, is beyond a doubt the property 0 the

facetious Matthew Prior.’ Had editor or annotator

referred to Hymena us Cantaorigiensis, 1 6 83, in whichthe poem first appeared, while the facetious MatthewPrior was an undergraduate at St John ’

s,it would

have been seen beyond a doubt that the printeds ignature to that poem is M. Prior.

’

A fewwords seem necessary respecting the arrange

ment of the miscellaneous contents of this volume.

After ‘Tbe Hind and sbe Pantber,in the notes to

which willbe found an interesting document, hithertounprinted, abstracted from the Longleat papers , Ihave followed the text of Curll

’

s Supplement. Afterthe Supplement, I have followed the text of the

New Collection of Poems on SeveralOccasions. By Mr.

Prior, and Otbers.,a rare volume, published in 1 7 25.

A few trifling variations between the last printed and

earlier appearances willbe found in the notes . From

p. 83 to p. r52 I have followed the two- volumeedition of Prior’s Miscellaneous Works Now first pub

lished from His ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT5.

Rev ised by H imself, and Copied fair for the Press

viii

NOTEBy Mr. ADRIAN DRIFT, His Executor . The

SECOND EDITION . LONDON : Printed for the

EDITOR ,MDCCXL.

’

I have not reprinted the

second volume of that compilation ,containing THE

HISTORY OF His Own Time,because there appears

to be doubt as to howmuch might fairly be regarded

as Prior’s ; also, because the thorough examination of

Prior’

s historicalpapers is , I understand,in the hands

of the capable editors of the H istoricalMSS Commission . From p. 1 53 to p. 1 75 lhave followed the

text of the excellent edition that usually goes by the

name of T. Evans,1 7 79 . I have not been able to oh

tain much corroborative evidence that allthe additionalpoems in Evans are by Prior, bu t, in the case of the

Songs , I have been fortunate enough to find in the

library of St John ’

s College , Cambr idge, a copy of

the very rare mus ic- book in which the songs were first

published, and one verse is reprinted from it for the

first time. On 364, are printed a few fugitiveitems collected fiy prev iou s editors : others, which

seemed unsupported by sufficient testimony or whichrested on recollection only , have been omitted .

The Appendix of poems attributed to Prior hascau sed some trouble. Through the kindness of

Mr T. J . Wise , who is always willing to place his

unrivalled library of first editions at the serv ice of

students, I have had an opportunity of reading manyrare 1 8 th century poems , published separately in folio,

q uarto and octavo and attributed to Pr ior . There ispractically nothing but internalev idence on which torely , and I have not been able to persuade myself thatmore than a few of these can safely be attributed to

Prior . Two are printed from rare copies in the

possess ion of Mr Wise , and I wish to thank him for

NOTEhis leave to do this . Others

,not printed, are ment ioned

by name in the notes . One, pointed ou t to me byMr Wise , I have printed fromDodsley five, thoughnot with any great feeling of certainty, from Lintott

’

s

undated Oxford and Cambridge Miscellany Poems ; one,

the paraphrase, may be Dorset’s .It remains to thank other helpers for much k ind

ass istance. Mr G. A. Brown helped me in the collation of some of the earl issues

, when I was not

able to undertake it mysel the Librarian and staff

of the Univers ity Library, Cambridge, facilitated in

every poss ible way the examination of the Longleat

papers when they were kindly depos ited in the

Library by the Marq uess of Bath for that purposeMr J . Bass Mullinger, Mr J . H . A. Hart and Dr J. E .

Sandys helped me in matters relating to St John’

s

College ; Mr G. A. Aitken, Mr Austin Dobson and

Dr G. F.Warner , of the British Museum,aided me in

var ious ways ; and Mr R . A. Roberts,of the Public

Record Office, helped me to obtain the first transcriptof the Dialogues, when permiss ion had been granted ,and has , I am afra id, been freq uently bothered by mesmce.

There are many q uestions raised by these poems ,published or hitherto unpublished, which I should liketo discuss, but this must be left untilit is poss ible to

publish a commentary upon them as a whole.

A. R. WALLER.

CAMBRID GE,

1 0 May, 1 90 7 .

CONTENTS.

THE HIND AND THE PANTHER TRANSVERs’D

A SUPPLEMENT To Mr. PRIOR's POEMS

Countess Dowager of Devonshire

The Female PhaetonThe Judgment of VenusSong to his MistressAn Ode in Imitation Of the Second Ode of the Third Book

Of HoraceAn Epistle to Sir Fleetwood SheppardA Satire on the Modern TranslatorsA Satire upon the Poets

POEMS FROM THE New Collection, 1 725

Epitaph ExternporeThe Turtle and the SparrowApplication Of the Turtle and the SparrowDown-HallVerse s Spoke to the Lady Henrietta-Cavendish Holles Harley .

The Conversation

C01III’S MIsmkes o o 4

MISCELLANEOUS POEMS , ETC., FROM THE COLLECTION or DRIPTTHE ExAmNER. 7 SEPTEMBER 1 7 1 0

MrsCELLANEous POEMS , PROM THE COLLECTION or EVANS ,INCLUDING TWENTY- POUR SONGS

Essa y s AND DIALOGUEs OR THE DEADPoEms PROM TIIE LONOLEAT ms s.FRAGMENTs FROM PRIOR

’s LETTERS , ETC .

ApPENDIx

Poems Attributed to PriorNOTEs

lawn or TITLESINDEx OP FIRsT LINES

THE

HINDAND THE

PANTHER

TRANNHH l

To the Story of

The Country-Mouse and the City

-Mouse.

Much Malice mingled with a little Wit. Hind. Pan.

Nee vult Pantbera domari. (Lia: Genus .

LONDON

Printed for W. Dafvis

,MDCLXXXVII.

PREFACE.

HE Favourers of tbe H ind and Panther willbe apt to say inits Defence, Tbat tbe best tbings a re capable of being turn

’

d

to R idicule tbat Homer bas been Burlesque’d,and Virgil

Travested witbout sufi r ing any tbing in tbeir Reputa tion fromtba t Bufloonry ; and tbat in like manner

,tbc H ind and tbc

Panther may be an exab? Poem,tbougb

’tis tbe Subjeé? of our

Ra illery : But tbere is tbis difli rence, rbat tboseAutbors are wrested

from tbeir true Sense,and tbis naturally falls into R idicule tbere

is not/sing Represented bere as monstrous and unna tural,wbicb is

not equally so in tbe Or iginal. First as to tbe GeneralDesign, Is

it not as easie to imagine twoMice bilbing Coacbmen, and suppinga t tbe Devil as to suppose a H ind entertaining tbc Panther a t a

He rmits Cell,discussing tbc greatest Myster ies of Religion, and

telling you ber son Rodriguez wr it very good Spanisb Wbat canbe more improbable and contradictory to tbe Rules and Examples ofallFables, and to tbc very design and use of tbem They werefirstbegun and raised to tbe big/Jest Perfection in tbe Eastern Countr ies ;wbere tbey wrote in Signs and spoke in Pa rables, and delivered tbe

most usefulPrecepts in deligbtficlstor ies wbicb for tbeir Aptnesswere entertaining to tbe most 7udicious, and led tbe vulga r into

understanding by surpr izing tbem witb tbeir Novelty, and fix ingtbeir Atten[tion] . Alltbeir Fables ca rry a double meaning ; tbc

Story is one and intire ; tbe Cbaraéiers tbc same tbrougbout, notbroken or cbang

’d,and always conformable tg rée Nature of tbc

Qreatuf esj lgey introduce. Tbe never tellyou tbat tbe Dogwbicb

snapt a t a sbadow,7ost bis Tijoop of Horse, tba t would be unin

telligible a piece of Flesb is proper for bim to drop, and tbc Reader

w illapply it to mankind they would not say tba t tbe Daw wbo

was so proud of ber borrow’

d Plumes loobt very r idiculous wben

Rodriguez came and took away alltbc boob lu '

tbe 1 7th , 24tb,

A 2 3

PREFACEand 25th Cbapters, wbicb sbe stole from bim But tbis is bis new

way of telling a story, and confounding tbe Moral and tbe Fable

togetber .

Before the Word was written, said the H ind,O ur Saviour Preacht the Faith to allMankind.

Wbat rela tion bas tbc H ind to our Saviour i’or wbat notion

bave we of a Panther’s Bible ? If you say be means tbe Cburcb,bow does tbe Cburcbfeed on Lawns

,or range in tbe Forest Let

it be always a Cb[u]rcb, or always tbe clow n-footed Beast, fi r we

cannot bear bis sbifting tbe scene every Line. If it is absurd [ in]Comedies to make a Peasant talk in tbe strain of a Hero

,or a

Country Wencb use tbe language of tbe Cour t bow monstrous is itto make a Priest if a H ind

,and a Pa rson of a Pantber To

[bjr ing’

em in disputing witb alltbe Formalities and Terms of tbe

Scbool Tbo[u]gb as to tbeArguments tbemselves, tbose, we confess,a re suited to tbc Capacity of tbc Beasts, and If we would suppose a

Hind expressing ber self about tbese Matters,sbe would talk a t

tbat Ra te.

As to tbe Absurdity of bis expressions, tbere is notbing wrested

tomake ’em r idiculous

,tbc terms a re sometimes alter

’d to make tbe

Blunder more visible Knowledg misunderstood is not a t all

better sense tban Unde[r]standingmisunderstood, tbougb ’tis confest

tbc Autbor can play witb words sowell,tba t tbis and twenty sucb

w illpass of a t a sligbt reading.

Tbere are arber mistakes wbicb could not be brougbt in, for tbeywere too gross for Bayes bimself to commit.

"Tis bard to conceive

bow any man could censure tbe Turks for Gluttony, a People tbatdebaucb in Cmfi e

,are voluptuous in a mess 0 R ice

,and keep tbe

stribiest Lent,witbout tbe Pleasures of a rnivalto encourage

tbem. But’tis almost impossible to tbink tbat any man wbo bad

not renounced bis Senses,sbould read Duncomb for Allen : He

bad been told tba tMr . Allen badwritten a Discour se ofHumilitytowbicb bewisely answers, Tbat tbatmagnified Piece ofDuncombswas Transla tedfi omtbe Span ish of Rodriguez, and to set it beyonddispute, makes tbe infallible Guide afiirm tbe same tbing. Tbere

are few mistakes, but one may imagine bow a Man fellinto tbem,and at least wba t be aim’

d at but wba t likeness is tbere between

Duncomb and Allen do tbey somacb as RbimeWe may bave tbis comfor t under tbe severity of bis Sa tyr , to see

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

THE

H IND

AND THE

PANTHER,

Transvers’

d to the Story of the Country and

tbe City-Mouse

Bayes. yobnson. Smitb.

7obnson.

AH ! my old friend Mr. Bayes, what lucky Chance hasthrown me upon you ? Dear Rogue, let me embrace

thee .

Bayes. Hold, at your peri l, Sir, stand off and come not

within my Swords point , for if you are not come over to tbe

Pref. p. 1 . Royalpar ty, I expel? neitber fa ir wa r,nor fair quarter from

Pref. ih.

you.

7 ebns. How,draw upon your friend ? and assault your

old Acq uaintance ? O ’ my conscience my intentions wereHonourable .

Bayes. Conscience ! Ay, ay , I know the dece it of thatword well enough , let me have the ma rks of you r Conscience

before I trust it,for if it be not of the same stamp with mine

,

Gad I may be knockt down for allyou r fair promises .Smitb. Nay, prithee Bayes, what damn ’

d Villany hast thoubeen about

,that thou ’

rt under these apprehens ions ? upon myHonour I’m thy friend ; yet thou lookest as sneaking and

frighted, as a dog that has been worry ing

sheep.Bayes Ay Sir, Tbc Na tion is in too big a ferment for me to

expet? any mercy , or I ’gad, to trust any body.

Smitb. But why this to us , my old friend,who you know

never trouble our heads with National concerns,till the third

bottle has taught us as much of Polit icks , as the next does of

Religion6

H IND AND PANTHER TRANSVERS’D

Bayes. Ah Gentlemen, leave this prophaneness, I amalter

’

d s ince you saw me, and cannot bear this loose talk nowMr. yobnson, you are a man of Parts , let me des ire you to read

tbe Guide of Controversy ; and Mr. Smitb, I wou ld recommendto you tbc Considera tions on tbe Councilof Trent, and so Gentle Page 5.

men our humble Servant. Good life be now my Task.fibns. Nay Faith , we wont part so : believe us we are

both you r Friends ; let us step to the Rose for one q uarter of anhour,and talk over Old Stories .

Bayes. I ever took you to be men Of Honour, and for

you r sakes I will trans ress as far as one Pint .Zobns. Well , Mr.Payer, many a merry bout have we had

in t is House,and shall have aga in

,I hope : Come , whatWine

you for ?

Bayes. Gentlemen , do you as you please, for my part heshall bring me a s ingle Pint of any thing.

Smitb. How so, Mr. Bayes, have you lost your pallat ?you have been more curious .

Bayes . True, I have so, but senses must be starv’d that the

sa ilmay be gratified. Men of your K idney make the senses the Page an

supreamf udg, and therefore bribe ’

em high, but we have laidboth the use and pleasure Of

’

em as ide .

Smitb. What, is not there good eating and drinking on

both s ides ? on make the separation greater than I thought it.Bayes. No, no, whenever ou see a fat Ros ie- colou r

’

d lbid .

fellow, take it fromme, he is cit er a Protestant or a Turk.

yabus . At that rate, Mr. Bayes, one might suspeét your

convers ion ; methinks thou hast as much the face of an Heretick

as ever I saw.

Bayes. Sucb was I,sucb

'

by nature stillI am. But I hope Pace s»ere long I shall have drawn this pamper ’d Pauncb fitter for thestraigbt gate.

Smitb. Sure, Sir, you are in ill hands , your Confessorgives you more severe rules than he praCtiCes for not longago a Fat Frier was thought a true Cbaraéter .

Bayes. Things were misrepresented to me : I confess

I have been unfortunate in some of m Wri tings : but s inceon have put me upon that su

gjeét,

’

le show you a thinghave in my Pocket shall wipe O allthat

,or I ammistaken .

Smitb. Come, now thou art l ike thy self again . Here’sthe Kings Health to thee Commun icate .

MATTHEW PRIORBayes. Well, Gentlemen, here it is, and I

’le be hold to

say, the exaétest Piece the world ever saw, a Non PareilleI ’fa ith . But I must bespeak your pardons if it refieéts anythi ur perswasion .

your Liberty, Sir, you know we are no Bigots.

Why then you shall see me lay the Reformation on’

gad, and justifie our Religion by way of Fable.

obns. An apt Contrivance indeed ! what do you make a

Fab e of you r R eligion

Bayes. Ay I ’gad, and withou t Morals too ; for I tread inno mans steps ; and to show you how far I can on

thing that ever was writ in this k ind, I have takendes ign

,but I’gad, have so out- done h im

, you shal l be asham’d

for your old friend. You remember in him the Story of the

Country-Mouse, and the City

-Mouse ; what a plain simple thingit is, it has no more life and spirit in it, I ’gad, than a Hobbhorse ; and his Mice talk so meanly, such common stuff

,so like

meer Mice,that I wonder it has pleas’d the world so long. Bu t

now will I undece ive Mankind, and teach ’

em to beigbten, and

elevate a Fable. I’

le bring you in the very same Mice disput ingthe depth of Pbilosopby, search ing into the fundamentals Of

Religion, q uoting Tex ts, Fa tbers, Councils, and allthat, I’gad, asyou shall see either Of

’

em cou ld eas ily make an Asse Of a

Countr Vicar . Now whereas Horace keeps to the dry nakedstory, { have more Copiousness than to do that, I ’gad. Here,I draw you general Cbaratters, and describe allthe beasts of theCreation ; there

,I launch out into long Digressions, and leave

my Mice for twenty Pages together ; then I fall into Raptures,and make the finest Soliloquies, as wou ld ravish you . Won

’

t

this do, think youyabus. Faith , Sir, I don’t well conce ive you ; allth is

about two Mice ?Bayes. Ay, why not ? is it not great and Heroica l ? bu t

come, you’l understand it better when you hear it ; and pray

be as severe as you can, I’gad I defie allCriticks. Thus it

begins.A milk-wbite Mouse immortaland uncbang

’

d,

Fed on soft Cbeese, and o’

re tbc Dairy rang’

d ;Witbout, unspotted ; innocent witbin,Sbe fear

’

d no danger , for sbe knew no G inn.

HIND AND PANTHER TRANSVERS ’D

yebns. Methinks Mr. Bayes, soft Cheese is a l ittle too

coarse Diet for an immortalMouse ; were there any necess ityfor her eat ing, you shou ld have consu lted Homer for someCe lestialProvision.

Bayes. Faith, Gentlemen, I did so ; but indeed I have not

the La tin one, which I have mark ’d by me, and could not

readily find it in the Original.Yet bad Sbe of? been scar

’

d by bloody Claws Pas . 1 .

Of winged Owls, and stem Gr imalkins PawsAim’

d at ber destin’d Head

,which made her fly, Pa; 3 .

Tho She was doom’

d to Deatb, and fated not to dye.

Smitb. How came She that fear ’d no danger in the l inebefore, to be scar

’d in this, Mr. Bayes ?

Wh then you may have it cbas’d if you will

for I hope?

a Man may run away without be ing afraid ;

But pray give me leave : how was She doom’

d to

She was fated not to dye ; are not doom and fizte,much the same thing ?

Nay Gentlemen, if you q uestion my skill in the

I’m your humble Servant ; the Rogues the Criticks,

allow me nothing else,give me that ; sure I that

made the Word, know best what I meant by it : I assure you ,doom

’

d andfated, are q u ite different things.Smitb. Faith , Mr. Bayes, if y

ou were doom’d to be hang

’

d,

whatever you were fa ted to,

twou ld give you but smallcomfort.

Bayes. Never trouble your head with that, Mr. Smitb,mind the bus iness in hand.

Not so ber young tbeir Linsy P4 . 2.

Was Hero’

s make,balf bamane, bal/

jDivine.

Certa inly these Hero’

s,balf Humane

, balf Div ine,little Of the Mouse theirMotber .

Gadsokers ! Mr. yobnson, does your Friend thinkI mean nothin but a Mouse

, by allth is ? I tell thee, Man,

I mean a Gbure and these young Gentlemen her Sons, signifieP riests, Martyrs and Confessors, that were han ’

d in Oats’

s Plot.

There’

s an excellent Latin Sentence, which had a mind to

MATTHEW PRIORbring in

,SanguisMartyrum semen Ecclesiz

,and I think I

not wrong’d it in the Translat ion .

9;tbese a slaugbter

’

d Army lay in Blood,bose sanguine Seed encreas

’

d tbe sacred Brood

Sbe multipli’

d by these,now rang

’

d alone,

And wander’d in tbc Kingdoms once ber own.

Smitb. Was She alone when tbc sacred Brood was en

creased

Bayes. Wh thy Head’s runn ing on the Mouse aga in but

I hope a Cburcb'

may be alone,tho the Members be encrea sed,

mayn’

t it ?

yobns. Certainly Mr. Bayes, a Cburcb which is a difliesiveBody ofMen

, can much less be sa id to be alone.

Ba es . But are you really of that Opinion Take it fi omme

,Myr. fiobnson, you are wrong ; however to oblige you, I’le

c lap in some Simile or other,about the Cbildren of Israel, and it

shall do.

Smitb. Will ou pardon me one word more,Mr. Bayes ?What could the [Mouse (for I suppose you mean her now)do

more then range in the Kingdoms, when they were her own ?Bayes. Do ? wh She reign

’

d had a Diadem,Scepter and

Ball,ti ll the depos

’

her.

Smitb. ow her Sons are so encreas’

d,She may try t

’other

pul l for’t .Bayes. I gad, and so She may before I have done with

Her ; it has cost me some pains to clear Her Title. Well, butMum for that, Mr. Smitb.

Tbe common Hunt,She timorousl past by,

For they made tame,disda in

’

d er company ,

Tbey grin’

d,She in a fright tript O

’re the Green

,

For She was lov’

d,whereever She was seen.

yobns. Well sa id l ittle Bayes, I ’faith the Critick musthave a great deal of leasure, that attacks those Verses.

Bayes. I gad, I’le warrant him,who ere he is, Wndet

solido ; but I go on.

Tbe Independent Beast.

Smitb. Who is that Mr. Bayes?

H IND AND PANTHER TRANSVERS ’D

Bayes. Why a Bear : Pox,is not that obvious enough

In groans Her bate exprest.

Which I gad, is very natural to that Animal. Well ! there’s forthe Independent : Now the Quaker ; what do you think I ca llh im ?

Smitb. Wh A Bull, for ought I know.

Bayes. A ull O Lord ! A Bull ! no, no, a Ha re a

quaking Hare. Arma rillis,because She wears Armour

,tis

the same Figure ; and I am proud to say it, Mr. 7obnson, noman knows how to pun in Heroics but my self. Well

, you

shall hear.She thought, and reason good, the quaking Ha re

Her cruel Foe, because Sbe would not swear,

Pag. 3.

And had profi ss’

d neutrality.

fi abns. A shrew’

d Reason that, Mr. Bayes ; but what

Wars were there ?Bayes. Wars ! why there had bin bloody Wars

,tho theywere retty wellreconcil’d now . Yet to bring in two or three

such ne things as these, I don’

t tellyou the Lyon’

s Peace was

proclaim’

d til fifty pages after, tho’twas really done before

I had finish ’d my PoemNex t Her

,tbc Bufi on Ape h is body bent, Pas 3

And pa id at Cburcb a Courtier’

s complement.

That Gauls somewhere ; I gad I can ’

t leave it off,tho

I were cudgel’

d every day for it.Tbc brisl

’

d Baptist Boar , impure as be. P1 8 4

Smitb. As who ?Bays. As the Courtier

,let

’em e

’

n take it as they will, PasIgad, I seldom come amongst ’

em.

17 as wbiten’

d witb tbc fi am of Sanéi ity.

Tbc Welf w itb Belly-gaunt bis rougb crest rears,

And pricks up. Now in one word will I abuse the

whole Party most damnably and pricks up. I gad,I am sure you

’l Laugh bis predestinating Ears. Prethee

Mr. 7obnson, remember li ttle Bays, when next you see a Pres

MATT HEW PRIORbyterian, and take notice if he has not P redestination in the

shape of h is Ear : I have studied men so lo3g

I’

le undertaketo know an Arminian

,by the sett ing of his ig.

His predestinating Ears. I gad there’s ne’

re a Pres

byterian shall dare to show his Head without a Border : I’

le

put’em to that expence .

Smitb. Pray Mr. Bays, if any of’

em shou ld come over tothe RoyalParty, would their Ears alter ?

Bayes. Wou ld they ? Ay, I gad, they would shed the irFana ticalLugs, and have just such well- tu rn’

d Ears as I have ;mind this Ear

,this is a true Roman Ea r

,mine are much

Chang’

d for the better within this two years .

Smitb. Then if ever the Party shou ld Chance to fai l, you

might lose ’

em,fi r wba t may cbange, may fall.

Bayes. Mind, mindTbese fiery Z u inglius, meagr e Calvin bred.

Smitb. Those I suppose are some Out- Landish Beasts,

Mr. Bayes.

Bayes. Beasts ; a good Mistake ! Why they were the

Chief Reformers, but here I put ’

em in so bad Company becausethey were Enemies to myMouse

,and anon when I amwarm’

d,I’ d you shall hear me call ’emDoc

‘tors,Captains, Horses and

bitumen in the very same Breath . You shall he ar how I goon now

,

Or else reforming Gorab spawn’

d tbis Class,

Wben opening Eartb made way fi r allto pass.

yobn . For all,Mr. Bayes :

9

Bayes. Yes,They were alllos t there, but some of

’

emwere thrown up agaIn at the Leman-Lake : as a Catholick

Queen sunk at Cba ring- Cross,and rose again at Queenbitb.

Tbe Fox and be came sbufl ed in tbc dark,If ever tbey were stow

’

d in Noah ’s Ark.Here I put a (b a re

,Whether there were any Socinians before

the Flood,which I’m not very well sat isfied in ? I have beenlately apt to believe that the World was drown’

d for thatHeresy ; which among Friends made me leave it .

uickned witb Fire below,tbese Monsters breed

n Fenny Holland, and in Fru itfulTweed.

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MATTHEW PRIORabn. Faith, Sir, ’

tis mighty pretty, I saw it at the

Coil7cc- House.

Bayes.’T is a Trifle hardly worth owning ; Iwas t

’

other

Day at Will’s throwing out something of that Nature ; and

I’gad,the h int was taken

,and out came that Pifture ; indeed

the poor Fellow was so c ivi l to present me with a dozen of’

emfor my Friends, I think I have one here in my Pocket ; wouldyou please to accept it Mr yobnson

goon. Really ’

tis very ingen ious.ayes. Oh Lord Nothing at all

, I cou ld design twentyof

’

em in an Hour,if I had but witty Fellows about me to

draw ’

em. Iwas proffer’

d a Pens ion to go into Holland,and

contrive the ir Emblems. But hang ’

em they are dull Rogues,and wou ld spoi l my Invention . But come

, Gentlemen,let us

return to our Bus iness, and here ' I’

le give you a delicate de

scription of a Man .

Smitb. But how does that come in ?Bayes. Come in ? very naturall I was talk ing of a

Wolf, and that supposes a Wood, an then I clap an Epithetto

’

t, and call it a Celtic Wood Now when I was there

,I could

not help think ing of the Frencl) Persecution, and I’gad from allthese Thou hts I took occas ion to rai l at the Frencb King, andshow that e was not of the same make with other Men

,which thus I prove.

Tbc Divine Blacksmith in tb’ Abyss of Ligbt,Yawn ing and loll ing witb a careless beat

,

Struck out tbe mute Creation a t a Hea t.

But he work’

d hard to Hammer out our Sou ls ,He blew the Bellows

,and stir

’

d up the CoalsLong time he thought, and cou ld not on a sudden

Knead up witb unskim’

dMilk this Reas ’ning PuddingTender, and mild within its Bag it layConfi ssing stilltbe s

lo

gness of its Clay,

And k ind as Mi lk aids on the ir Wedding-Day.

Till Pride of Empire, Lust, and hot Des ireDid over- boile him,

l ike too great a Fire,

And understanding rown,misunderstood

,

Bu rn’

d Him to th’

ot, and sour’

d his cu rdled Blood.

7olm. But sure this is a l ittle prophane, Mr. Bayes.

HIND AND PANTHER TRANSVERS ’D

Bayes . Not at all do’

s not Virgilbring in his God Vulcanwork ing at the Anvilyobn . Ay Sir, but never thought his Hands the fittest to

make a Pudding.Bayes. Why do you imagin Him an Earthl dirty Black

smitb ?’

Gad you make it prophane indeed. I’le tell you ,there’s as much difference betwixt ’

em, I’gad as betwixt myMan andMilton’s . But now, Gentlemen, the Plot thickens,here comes my t

’

other Mouse, the City Mouse.

A spotted Mouse , the prett iest nex t the White,Ah ! were her Spots wash’d out, as pretty q u ite , p ,“ "5

With Pbylaéteries on her Forehead spred,

Crozier in Hand, and Miter on her Head.

Tbree Steeples Argent on ber Sable Sbield,Liv

’

d in the City, and disdain’

d the Field.

7 01m. This is a glorious Mouse indeed but,as ou have

dress’

d her, we do’

nt know whether she be f ew ,Papist or

Protestant.

Bayes. Let me embrace you , Mr. yobnson, for that ; youtake it right. She is a meer Babelof Religions, and thereforeshe

’

s a spottedMouse here,and will be a Mule presently. Bu t

to go on.

Tbis Princess

Smitb. What Princess,Mr. Bayes 3

9

Bayes. Why this Mouse,for I forgot to tell you, an Old

Lyon made a le Hand Ma rriage with her Mother, and begot Pag. so

on ber Body lizabetb Scbism,who was married to Timotby

Sacr iledg, and had Issue Graceless Heresy . Who allgive the

same Coat with the ir Mother,Tbree Steeples Argent, as I told

you before.

This Princess, tho estrang’

d from what was best,Was least Deform

’d,because Reform

’

d tbc least. Pag. 2

There’s De and Re as good I’gad as ever was .

Sbe in a Ma squerade o Mirtb and Love,

P4 ”

Mistook tbe Bliss of eaven for Baccbanals above,

And grub’

d tbe Thorns benea tb our tender Feet,

To male tbe Patbs of Paradise more sweet,

MATTHEW PRIORThere’s a Jolly Mouse for you , let me see any Body e lse thatcan shew ou such another. Here now have I one damnablesevere, re eétingLine, but I want a Rhime to it, can you helpme Mr. yobnson.

She

Humbly content to be despts d at Home,

gobn. Wbicb is too narrow Infamy for some .

ayes. Sir,I thank you, now I can go on with it.

Wbose Merits are diflies’d from Pole to Pole,

Wbere Winds can carry, and wbere Waves can row].

t does not this reflect upon some of your Friends,Be

f

z

ryes.

’T is no matter for that

,let me alone to bring my

self o I’le tell you, lately I writ a damn’d Libel on a whole

Party, sheer Point and Satyr allthrough, I’gad. Cali’d ’

emRogues, Dogs, and allthe Names I could think of, but withan exceedin

gdeal of W it ; that I must needs say . Now it

happen’d be ore I cou ld fin ish th is Pc ice, the Scheme of Affairs

was altered, and those People were no longer Beasts : Herewas a Plun now : Should I lose my Labour, or Libe l myFriends ? ’Tis not every Body’s Talent to find a Salvo for

th is : But what do me I,but write a smooth del icate Preface ,

where in I tell them that tbe Satyr was not intended to tbem, andthis did the Business .

Smitb. But if it was not intended to them against whomit was writ, certainly it had no mean ing at all.

Bayes. Poh ! There’s the Trick on’

t. Poor Fools,they

took it, and were satisfied : And yet it maul’d ’

em damnablyI’ d.ga

Smitb. Why Fai th , Mr. Ba es, there’s this very Contrivance in the Preface to Dear oys yests.

Bayes. What a Devi l do you think that I’d steal from suchan Author ? O r ever read it ?

Smitb. I can’

t tell,but you sometimes read as bad. I have

heard you q uote R eynard tbc

Bayes . Wh there’s it now ; take it fromme, Mr. Smitb,

there is as Morality, and as sound Precepts,in the delect

able H istory of Reyna rd tbe Fox , as in any Book I know, except1 6

H IND AND PANTHER TRANSVERS’D

Seneca . Pray tell me where in any other Author cou ld I havefound so pretty a Name for a Wolf as Isgr im But prithee,Mr. Smitb

,give me no more trouble, and let me go on with my

Mouse.

One Evening, when she went away from Court, Par . 29

Levee’

s and Coucbee’

s past witbout resort.

There’s Court Lan ge for you ; nothing gives a Verse so

fine a turn as an it of cod Breeding.Smitb. But meth inks t e Levee

’

s and Coucbee’

s of a Mouse

are too reat, espec ially when she is walking from Court to the

cooler S ades .

I’gad now have you forgot what I told you , thatshe was a Princess. But pray mind ; here the two Micemeet.

She met the Country Mouse,whose earfielFace

Bebeld fromfar tbc common water ing lace,

Nor durst approacb

Smitb. Methinks,Mr. Bayes, this Mouse is strangely

alter’

d,since she fi ar

’

d no Danger .

Ba es . Godsokers ! Why no more she does not yet, fear

e ither an or Beast : But, poor Creature, she’s afraid of the

Water,for she cou ld not swim, as you see by this .Nor durst approacb, tillwitb an awficlRoa rThe Soveraign Lyon bad ber fi a r no more.

But bes ides, ’

tis above thir

tiyPages off that I told you she

fea r’

d no Danger ; and I’

ga if you will have no variation of

the Character, you must have the same thing over and overagain ; ’

tis the Beau ty of Writ ing to strike you still withsomething new. Well

,but to proceed.

But when she had th is sweetest Mouse in view,Good Lord

,bow sbe admir’d ber Heavenly H iew

l

Here now to show you I amMaster of allSti les,I let my self

down from the Majesty ofVirgil, to the Sweetness of Ovid.

Good Lord, bow sbe admir’

d ber Heavenly H iew!

What more easy and fami l iar ! I writ this Line for the LadiesThe l ittle Rogues will be so fond of me to find I can yet be so

P. H. B

SS

MATTHEW PRIORtender. I hate such a son h unhewen Fellow as Milton

, that aMan must sweat to read im; I ’gad you may run over this andbe almost as leep.

Th’ ImmortalMouse, who saw the Viceroy come

So far to see Her,did invite her Home.

There’s a pretty Name now for the Spotted Mouse, the

Viceroy !

Smitb. But pra why d’

e call her so ?Bayes. Why ecause it sounds prett ily I

’

le call her theCrown- Generalpresently if I’ve a mind to it . Well.

did invite her HomeTo smoak a Pipe

,and o

’

re a sober Pot

Discourse of Oa tes and Bedloe,and the Plot.

She made a Court’

sy , l ike a Civil Dame,

And,being mucb a Gentlewoman

,came.

Well, Gentlemen, here’s my first part finish ’d, and I think

I have kept my Word with you , and given it the Majestic}turn of Heroicl' Poesy. The rest being matter ofDispute, 1 badnot sucb fi equent occasion fi r tbc magnificence ofVerse, tho I ’gadthey speak very well . And I have heardMen

, and considerableMen too

,talk the very same things , a reat deal worse .

yobn. Nay, without doubt, Mr.Bayes, they have rece ivedno small advantage from the smoothness of you r numbers .Bayes. Ay, ay, I can do’t, if I list though you must not

think Ihave been so dullas tomind these thingsm self,but

’tis the

advantage of our Coflee- bouse, that from their tal one may writea very good polemicaldiscou rse, withou t ever troubl ing ones headwith the Books of Controversie. For I can take the slightest oftheir Arguments, and clap ’

em pertly into fou r Verses, whichshall stare any London Divine in the face . Indeed your knottyReason ings with a long train of Majors and Minors, and the

Devil and all,are too barbarous for my stile but

’

i gad I canflourish better with one of these twink l ingArguments, than thebest of

’

em can fight with t’other. But we return to ourMouse,

and now I’

ve brought ’em together, let ’

em ’

en speak for themselves

,which they will do extreamly well, or I’m mistaken

and pray observe, Gentlemen, if in one you don’

t find allthe

H IND AND PANTHER TRANSVERS’D

delieacy of a luxurious City-Mouse, and in the other allthe

pla in Simplic ity of a sober serious Matron.

Dame,said tbe Lae

‘l

yof tbe Spotted Muj , Pag. 3a.

Methinks your Ti is sour, you r Cates meer stuff.

There did not I tell you she’d be n ice ?Your Pipe’s so foul

,that I disdain to smoak ;

And the Weed worse than e’

re Tom. I—s tool.

Smitb. I did not hear she had a SpottedMuf before.

Bayes. Why no more she has not now but she has a

Sk in that might make a SpottedMaj : There’s a pretty Figurenow, unknown to the Anc ients .

Leave,leave (1 sbe’s earnest you see) this hoary Sbed and M om

lonely H ills, I'm“

And eat with me at Groleau’

s, smoak at Will’s.What Wretch wou ld n ibble on a Hanging- shelf,When at Pontacb

’

s he may Regale himself ?Or to the House of cleanly Renisb go ;Or that at Cbaring- Cross, or that in Cbannel- Row ?

Do you mark me now ? I would by this represent the

vanity of a Town- Pop, who pretends to be acq uainted at all

those Houses,though perhaps he nere was in

’

em. But

heark she goes on.

Come, at a Crown a Head our selves we’ll treat,Cbampain our Liq uor, and Ragousts our Meat.

Then hand in hand we’ll go to Cour t, dear Caz,To vis it Bisbop Martin

,and King Buz.

With Evening Wbeels we ’ll drive about the Park,

Finish at Lech t’

s, and ree l home i’th ’ Dark .

Break clattering Windows, and demol ish DoorsOf Englisb Manufaétures—Pimps, and Wbores. Pag. 63 .

ethinks a P imp or a Wbore, is an odd sort of a

ca ll ’

em so, to give the Parliament a hint not tosuffer somany of

’emtobe exported

,to the decayofTrade at home.

With these Allurements Spotted did inviteFrom Hermits Cell

,the Female P roselyte.

Ob ! witb wbat ease we follow saeb a Guide,Wbere Souls are starv

’d,and Senses gratifl

’

d.

MATTHEW PRIORNow wou ld not you think she’s going? but I gad, you ’

te

mistaken you shall hear a long Argument about Infallibi l ity,before she stirs yet.

But here the Wbite, by observa tion wise,

Wbo long on Heaven bad fix t ber prying E es,With thoughtful Countenance

,and rave Remarkk ,

Said, or my Judgment fai ls me , or tis dark.Lest therefore we shou ld stray, and not go right

,Through the brown borrour of the starless Night.Hast thou Infallibility, tbat Wig/n?Sternly tbe Savage gr in

’

d,and tbus reply

’

d

Tbat Mice may err, was never yetThat I denyy , said the immortal Dame,There is a Gu ide—Gad I

’

ve forgot h is Name,

Who l ives in Heaven or Rome,the Lord knows where,

Had we bu t h im, Sweet- heart, we cou ld not err.

But heark you , Sister, this is bu t a Whim ;

For sti llwe want a Guide to find out Him.

Here you see I don’

t trouble my self to keep on the

Narrat ion, but write wbite Speaks or dapple Speaks by the

s ide. But when I get any noble thought which I en

Mouse shou ld say, I clap it down in my own Person wi

v

h a

PoetaO

Loquitur which, take notice,is a surer sign of a fine

thing mm Writings, than a Hand 1n the Margent any

-whereelse . We lnow says Wbi te,

What need we find Him ? we have certa in proofThat he is somewhere, Dame

,and that’s enough

For if there is a Guide that knows the way,Although we know not him,we cannot stray.

That’s true,I Gad : Well said Wbite. You see he

Adversary has noth ing to say for her self,and therefore t

confirm the Victory, she shall make a Siniile.Smitb. Why then I find Similes are as good after Vifl ory

as after a Surprize.

Bayes. Every Jot, I Gad,or rather better. Well, she

do it two ways , e ither about Emission or Reception of Light, o

20

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Pug. 28 .

h e i s}

MATTHEW PRIORAnd as tbc Moon wbofirst receives tbc ligbt,lVitb wbicb sbe makes tbese neitber Regions brig/ob ,So does be sbine

,refleéting from a far ,

Tbe Rayes be borrow’

d from a better Star

For rules which from Corneille and Rapin flow,Admir’d by allthe scriblin Herd below.

From Frencb Tradition whi e he does dispence,

Unerring Truths, ’

tis Schism,a damn’

d offence,To q uest ion his, or trust your private sense.

Hah Is not that right, Mr. yobnson :9 Gad forgive me he

is fast a sleep Oh the damn’

d stupidity of th is Age a sleepWell, Sir, Since you ’re so drousy, your humble Servant.

bns. Nay, Pray Mr. Bayes, Fa ith I heard you alltheTbe wbite Mouse.

Bayes. The white Mouse ! ay, ay, I thought how youheard me. Your Servant, Sir, your Se rvant.701m. Nay, Dear Bayes, Fa ith I be th Pardon

,I was uplate last Night, Prithee lend me a l ittle Snuff

,and go on.

Bayes. Go on Pox I don’t know where I was

,well I’ll

begin here mind,now they are both come to Town.

Bu t now at Peccadille the arrive ,And taking Coach, t’war Temple-Bar they drive ;But at St. Clement

’

s Cburcb,eat ou t the Back ;

And sl ipping through the Palsgrave, bilk t poor Hack.

There’s the Utile,which ou ht to be in allPoetry, Many a

young Templer will save h is shi ling by this Stratagem of myMice .

Smitb. Why, willany young Templer eat out the back of aCoach

Bayes. No, I gad, bu t you’ll grant it is mighty natural fora Mouse .

Thence to the Devil, and ask’

d if Cbanticleer,

O Clergy kind, or Councellour Cbougb was there ;r Mr. Dove

, a Pigeon of Renown ,By bis bigb crop, and corny Gizza rd known

,

Or Sister Partlet, witb tbe Hooded bead ;No, Sir. She’s booted bence, said IVill

,and fled.

Why so ? Because sbe would not pray a - Bed.

H IND AND PANTHER TRANSVERS’Dyobn. aside.

’

Sdeath Who can keep awake at such stuff?Pray, Mr. Bayes, lend me ou r Box again.

Bayes. Mr. yobnson,How d’

e l ike that Box ? Pray take

not ice of it,

’

twas given me by a person of Honour for look ingover a Paper of Verses ; and indeed I put in allthe l ines thatwere worth any th ing in the whole Poem. Well

,but where

were we ? Oh ! Here they are,just going up stairs into the

Apollo ; from whence my White takes occas ion to talk verywell of Tradition.

Thus to the place where yobnson sat we cl imb,

Leanin on the same Rai l t hat uided him ;

And w ilst we thus on eq ual bspe rely,Our W it must be as true, our thoughts as high .For as an Autbor happily compares

to a well- fixt pair of Stairs ,So this the Scala Sanéta we believe,B which h is Traditive Genius we rece ive.

hus every step I take my Spirits soar,

And I grow more a Wit, and more,and more.

There’s humou r ! Is not that the liveliest Image in the

World of a Mouses going up a pair of Sta irs . More a Wit,

and more and moreSmitb. Mr. Bayes, I beg you r Pardon heart i ly, I must be

rude, I have a particu lar Engagement at this t ime

,and I see

you are not near an end yet.

Ba es. Godsokers Sure you won’

t serve me so : All myfinest iscriptions and best D1scourse is yet to come.

Smitb. Troth , Sir, if ’

twere not an Extraordinary concern

I cou ld not leave you .

Well; but you shall take a l ittle more ; and hereI ’ll pass over two da inty Episodes of Swallows

, Swifts, Cbickens,and Buzzards.

yobns. I know not why they shou ld come in,except to

make yours the longest Fable that ever was told.

Ba es. Why, the excellence of a Fable is in the length ofit. sop indeed, l ike a Slave as he was

,made little

,short

,

s imple stories, with a dry Moral at the end of’

em and couldnot form any noble des ign . But here I give you Fable uponFable ; and after you are satisfied with Beas ts in the first cou rse

MATTHEW PRIORserve you up a del icate Dish of Fowl for the second ; now I wasat allthis pains to abuse one part icu lar person ; for I gad I ’lltell you what a trick he serv

’

d me. Iwas once translating avery good FrencbAutbor, but being something long about it, asyou know a Man is not always in the Humour ; What doesthis 7 ack do, bu t put’s out an Answer tomy Friend before I hadhalf fin ished the Translation : so there was three wholeMonthslost upon his Account. But I think I have my revenge on h imsuffic iently, for I let allthe World know

,that he is a tall

,

broad- back’

d, lusty fellow,of a brown Complex ion, fair Bebav iour ,

a Fluent Tongue, and taking amongst the Women ; and to top it

all, that he’s much a Scbolar,more a Wit

,and owns but two

Sacraments. Don’

t you think this Fellow will hang himself ?Bu t bes ides

,I have so n ick t his Charaéter in a Name as will

make you spl it. I call him—Igad I won’

t tell you unless youremember what I said of him.

Smitb. Why that he was much a Scbolar,and more a

R ight ; and his name is Buzza rd,ha ! ha ha

Very proper indeed, Sir.Nay, I have a farther fetch in it yet than perhaps

you imagine ; for his true name begins wi th a B,which makes

me sl ily contrive him this,to begin with the same Letter :

There’s a pretty device, Mr. yabason ; I learn ’

d it, I mus t

needs confess , from that ingen ious sport,I love my Love with

an A, because she’s Amiable ; and if you cou ld bu t get a knot of

merry Fellows t ether, you shou ld see how little Bayes wou ld

top’

em allat it, gad.

Smitb. Wel l, bu t good Faith,Mr. Bayes, Imust leave you ,I am half an hour past my t ime.

Bayes. Well, I’ve done, I’ve done. Here are eight hundredVerses upon a rainy Night, and a Birds-Nest ; and here’s threehundred more, Translated from two Paris Gazers

,in which the

SpottedMouse'

ves an account of the Treaty of Peace betweenthe Cza rs of uscovy, and the Empereur, which is a piece of

News Wbite does not bel ieve , and this is her Answer. I amresolv d you shal l hear it

,for in it I have taken occas ion to

prove OralTradition better than Scripture. Now you mustknow

,

’tis s incerely my Opin ion, that it had been better for theWorld

,ifwe nere had any Bibles at all.

24

HIND AND PANTHER TRANSVERS’

D

E'

re that Gazer was printed, said the Wbite,

P1 5 50

Our Robin told another story q u ite ;Th1s OralTruck more safely I believ’d,My Ears cannot, your Eyes may be deceiv

’

d.

By word of Mou th unerring Max ims flow,

And Preacbing'

s best, if understood,or no.

Words I confess bound by, and tr ip so ligbt, Pag. 3

We bave not time to take a steady sigbt ;Yet fleeting thus are plainer then when Writ

,

To long Examination they submit.Hard things—Mr. Smitb

,if these two l ines don ’

t recompence you r stay, ne

’

r trus t 7obn Bayes aga in.

Hard things at the first Blush are c lear and fu ll,

God mends on second tbougbts, but Man grows du ll . Pag. as

I gad I judge of allMen by my self,

’

tis so with me,I never strove to be very exafl in any thing but I spoil’d it .Smitb. But allowing your Charaéler to be true

,is it not a

little too severe ?Bayes.

’

T is no matter for that,these general refleélions

are daring,and savou r mos t of a noble Genius

,that spares neither

Fr iend nor Foe.

7 01m. Are you never afra id of a drubbing for that daringof your noble Genius 1’

Bayes. Afraid ! Why Lord you make so much of a beating,I’ gad ’

tis no more to me than a Flea biting. No,No

,if I can

but be witty upon ’

em,let

’

em en lay on,I Faith

,I’ll ne’r

bau lk my fanc to save my Carkass. Well,but we must

dispatch , Mr. mitb.

Thus did they merri ly carouse allday,And

,like tbe gaudy fly, tbeir Wings di splay ;

And sip tbe sweets,and bask in great Apollo’s ray.

Wellthere’s an end of the Entertainment and Mr. Smitb,

if your affa irs wou ld have permitted, you wou ld have heard thebest Billof Fare that ever was serv’d up in Heroicks bu t herefollows a dispute shallrecommend it self

,I ’ll say nothing for it.

For Dapple, who you must know was a P rotestant, , allthis

while, trusts her own Judgment,and foolishly disl ikes the

Wine ; upon which our Innocent does so run her down, that25

MATTHEW PRIORshe has not one word to say for her self

,but what I put in her

Mouth and I gad, you may imagine they won’

t be very goodones, for she has disoblig

’

d me,l ike an Ingrate.

Sirrab,says Brindle, Thou hast brought us Wine,

Sour to my tas t,and to my Eyes unfine.

Says Will, allGentlemen l ike it ; ah ! se 3 Wbite,What is approv’

d by them,must needs be right .

’T is true

, I thought it bad, bu t if the HouseCommend it,I submit

, a private Mouse.

Mind that,mind the Decorum

, and Deference, which our

Mouse pays to the Company.

Nor to the ir Catbolic consent opposeMy erring Judgment, and reforming Nose .

Ah ! ah there she has n ick ’t her, that’s up to the H i lts,I gad, and you shall see Dapple resents it .

Why, what a Devil,shan ’

t I trust my Eyes ?Must I drink Stum because the Rascallyes ?And palms upon us Catbolic consent

,

To give sopbisticated Brewings vent.Says lVbite, What anc ient Evidence can sway,If you must Argue thus and not obey ?

Drawers must be trusted, through whose hands convey’d,You take the Li uor , or ou spoi l theFor sure those Honest Felows have no knack ,Of putting off stum’

d Claret for Pontack.

How long, alas ! would the poor Vintner last,If allthat drink must judge, and every GuestBe allowed to have an understanding Tast 1’Tbus sbe Nor could tbe Pantber wellinlarge,Witb weak defence, against so strong a Cbarge.

There I call her a Pantber , because she’s spotted, which issuch a blot to the Reformation, as I warrant ’

em they willnever claw off

, I Gad.

But with a weary 1”awn that shew

’

d her pride,Said, Spotless was a Villain, and she lyed.

H IND AND PANTHER TRANSVERS ’

D

Wbite saw her canker’

d Malice at that word,

And sa id her Prayers, and drew her Delpbic Sword.

T’

other cry’

d Mur tber,and her Rage restrain

’

d

And tbus ber passive Cbaraéter maintain’

d .

But now alasMr. 7obnson, pray mind me this ; Mr. Smitb

,I’ll ask you

to stay no longer, for this that follows is so enga '

ng hear mebu t two Lines , I Gad, and go away afterwards i you can .

Bu t now, alas,I grieve, I gr ieve to tell

Wba t sad miscbance tbese pretty things befelTbese Birds of Beasts

There’s a tender Express ion, Birds of Beasts’

tis the

eatest Affront that you can pu t upon any Bird, to call it,east of a Bird : and a Beast is so fond of being call

’

d a Pag. rag.

Bird, as you can

’

t imagine.

Tbese Birds of Beasts, these learned Reas ’ning Mice,Were separated, ban ish’

d in a trice .

Who would be learned for the ir sakes, who wise ?Ay, who indeed ? There’s a Pa tbos , I Gad, Gentlemen ,

if

that won’

t move you , nothing will , I can assu re you : Bu t

here ’s the sad thing I was afra id of.

The Constable alarm’

d by this noise,

Enter’

d the Room,direéted by the voice,

And speak ing to the Watcb, witb bead a side, Pag. 1 35.

Said,Despera te Cures must be to desperate Ills apply

’

d.

These Gentlemen, for so the ir Fate decrees,

Can n’

ere enjoy at once tbe But and Peace.

Wben eacb bave separate Interests of tbeir own,

Two Mice are one too many for a Town.

By Scbism they are torn ; and therefore,Brotber

,

Look you to one, and I’ll secure the t’

other.Now whither Dapple did to Br idewellgo,O r in the Stocks alln ight her Fingers blow,

Par- 98

Or in the Compter lay , concerns not us to know .

Bu t the immortalMatron,spotless Wbite,

Forgetting Dapple’

s Rudeness, Malice,Spight,

Look’

d k indly back , and wept, and sa id,Good Nigbt.

Pas . u s.

MATTHEW PRIORTen tbousand lVatcbmen waited on this Mouse ,With Bi lls , and Halberds

,to her Country- House.

This las t Contrivance I had from a judic ious Author, thatmakes Ten tbousand Angels wa it upon his H ind

,and she as leep

too,I Gad.

Come, let’s see what we have to pay.

What a Pox, are you in such hast ? You han’t

told me how you l ike it.7obn. Oh, extreamly well . Here, Drawer.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

To the Right Honourable the'

Countess Dowager ofDEVONSHIRE,

ON A

Piece of WISSIN’

S ;

Whereon were allher GRANDSONS Painted.

By Mr. PRIOR .

ISSIN and Nature held a long Contest,

If She Crea ted, or I'Ie Pa inted best ;W ith pleas ing Thought the wond’rous Combat grew

,

She St i ll form’

d Fairer,He sti ll Liker drew.

In these Seveno

Brethren,they contended last

,

W ith Art increas ’d their u tmost Sk i ll they try’

d,

And Both well pleas ’d, they had Themselves , surpass’

d,

The Goddess Triumpb’

d, and the Painter Dy’d.

That Both, their Sk ill to this vast He ight did raise,Be ours the Wonder, and be yours the Pra iseFor here as in some Glass is well discry’d,Only your self thus often multiply

’d.

When Heaven had You and Grac ious Anna ‘ made,

W hat more exalted Beauty cou ld it add ?

Having no nobler Images in Store,It but kept up to these, nor could do moreThan Copy well, what it well fram’

d before .

If in dear Burleigb’

s generous Face we see

Obligin Truth, and Handsom Honesty ;W ith asthat World of Charms, which soon will moveReverence in Men

,and in the Fair- Ones love

His eve Grace, his fair Descent assures,

He has Z is Mother’s Beauty, She has yours.

Eldest Daughter of the Couu'

rs ss .

MATTHEW PRIORIf ever Cecill’s Face had every CharmThat Thought can Fancy, or that Heaven can Form;

Their Beau ties allbecome your Beauty’

s Due,They are allFair,because they’re alllike You :

If every Ca ’ndisb great and charming Look ,From You that Air, from You the Charms they took .

In the ir each Limb ou r Image is exprest,But on their Brow ffrm Cou rage stands confest ;There

,the ir great Father by a Strong Increase,Adds Strength to Beauty , and compleats the Piece.

Thus sti ll your Beau ty in your Sons we view,Wissin Seven-Times one great Perfeétion drew,Whoever sate

,the Piélure sti ll is You .

So when the Parent Sun with gen ial Beams ,Has Animated many goodly Gems ;He sees himself improv’d, while every Stone,With a resemblin Light, refleéts a Sun .

So when great R ea many Births had given,Such as might govern Earth, and People Heaven ;Her Glory grew diffus

’d,and fuller known,

She saw the Deit in every Son :

And to what Godsoe ’er Men Altars rais’

d,Honouring the Off- spring, they the Mother prais’d.

In short-liv’d Charms let others place their JoysWhich Sickness blas ts,and certain Age destroys

Your stronger Beau ty, Time can ne’

er deface,

’T is sti ll renew’

d, and stamp

’

d in allyou r Race.

Ah ! Wissia , had thy Art been so refin’

d,

As with their Beauty to have drawn the ir Mind,Thro’ c ircling Years thy Labours would survive,And living Rules to fairest Virtue ive

To Men unborn,and Ages yet toSive ;

’Twou ld sti ll be wonderful,and still be new

,A inst what Time,or Spight, or Fate cou ld do,i ll Thine confus

’

d wi th Nature’

s Pieces lie,

And Cavendisb’

s Name,and Cecill

’

s Honou r Die.

32

A SUPPLEMENT, ETC .

Tbe Female PHAETON .

IHUS Kitty

‘, Beautiful and Young,

And wild as Colt un tam’

d

BeSpoke the Fa ir from whom she Sprung,With little Rage inflam’

d.

II.Inflam’

d with Phag

e at sad Restraint,Which wise amma ordain

’

d

And sorely vex’

d to play the Sa int,Whilst W it and Beau ty reign

’

d.

IIIShall I thumb Holy Books, confin

’

d

With Abiga ils forsaken ?Kitt

’s for other Things des ign’d,r I am much mistaken.

IVMust Lady yenny frisk abou t

,

And Vis it with her Cozens ?At Balls must Sbe make allthe Rout,And bring Home Hearts by Dozens ?

V .

What has she Better, pray, than I ?What hidden Charms to boast,That allMank ind for her should Die,Whilst I am scarce a Toast ?

VI.Dearest Mamma

,for once let me,

Unchain’

d, my Fortu ne try ;

I ’ll have my Earl, as well as She,Or know the Reason why.

Lad Kar a t-n uns HYDE : To whom, this , and the followingCopywas sent, 7 the late Honourable Simon Har court, Esq ;

p . n . c 33

MATTHEW PRIORvn.

I ’ll soon with yenny’s Pride q u it score,

Make allher Lovers fall ;They’ll grieve I was not loos

’

d before,

She,I was looe’d at all.

VIII.Fondness prevail

’

d,Mamma gave way ;

Kitty at Heart’s Des ire,

Obtain’

d the Chariot for a Day,And set the World on Fire.

Tbc j udgment of VENUS.

I .HEN KNELLER ’S Works of various Grace,Were to fa ir VENUS shown ,

The Goddess spy’

d in every FaceSome Features of Her own .

II .Just so

, (and pointing wi th her Hand)‘So shone

,says she

,my Eyes,When from Two Goddesses I gain’

d

An Apple for a Prize.

III .When in the Glass and R iver too

,

My Face I lately view’

d,

Such was I, if the Glass be true,

If true the Chrystal Flood.

IVIn Colours of this glorious k ind ‘

i‘

Apelles painted me ;My Hair thus flowing with the Wind,Sprung from my Nat ive Sea.

To tbc Picture of Lady Rans t auou .

t Picture of tbe Lady Sau ssuar .

A SUPPLEMENT, ETC .

V.

Like this, disorder’d, wild, forlornBig with Ten Thousand Fears,Thee, m Adonis

,did I mourn

,

Ev’n Seautifislin Tears.

VI.

But viewing M ra plac’d apart,I fear, says 3 e, I fear

Apelles, that Sir Godfrey’s ArtHas far surpaes

’

d Thine here .

VII.Or I

,a Goddess of the Skies,

I

?Myra am outdone

,

An must res ign to her the Prize,

The Apple, which I won.

VIII.Bu t soon as she had MYRA seen

Majestically Fair,The spark l ing Eye, the Look serene

,

The gay and easy Air.

[1x ]

With Fiery Emulation fill’d,The wond

’

ring Goddess cry’

d,

Apelles, must to Kneller y ield,Or Venus, must to HYDE.

if Lady JANE DOUGLAS , Sister to tbc Duke q ouou ts .

MATTHEW PRIOR

SONGTo h is M istress.

I.HILST I am scorch

’

d with hot Des ire,In vain, cold Friendship you return

Your Drops of Pity on my Fire,Alas ! but make it fiercer burn.

II.Ah ! wou ’d you have the Flame supprestThat k i lls the Heart it heals too fast

,Take half my Pass ion to your Breas t,The rest in Mine shall ever last.

ODE,

In Imitation of the Second Ode Of the

Third Book of HORACE.

Written in tbe Tear 1 692 .

131—1OW long

,deluded Albion

,wilt thou lie ‘

In the Lethargic Sleep,the sad Repose,

y wh ich thy close thy constant Enemy,ByHas softly lull’d Thee to Thy Woes

Condi scat,if Partbos fen ces

Vexet eques metuendus baud.

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MATTHEW PRIORThus Teaches Us to Think and Dare ;As whilst his Cannon °

ust pre’

d to BreatheAvengin

gAnger anti Swift eath

,

In the try d Metal the close Dan erS glow,

And now too late the Dy ing oe

Perce ives the Flame, yet cannot ward the Blow ;So whilst in W ILLIAM

’

s Breast ripe Counsels lie,Secret and su re as Brooding Fate,No more of His Des ign appearsThan what Awakens Gallia ’s Fears ;And (tho

’ Gu i lt’s Eye can sharply penetrate)Distraéted Lewis can descryOnly a long unmeasur’d Ru in n igh.

IV.

On Norman Coasts and Banks of frighted Seine,

Lo ! the Impending Storms be inBritannia safely thro’ her Master

’

s SeaPlows up her Viétorious Way.

The Frencb Salmoneus throws his Bolts in vain,

Wh ilst the true Thunderer asserts the Main’T is done ! to Shelves and Rocks his Fleets ret ire

,

Swift Victory in vengefu l FlamesBurns down the Pride of their Presumptuous Names .

They run to Shipwreck to avoid our Fire,

And the torn Vessels that regain their CoastAre but sad Marks to shew the res t are los tAll this the Mi ld, the Beauteous Q Ieen has done

,

And WILLIAM’S softer Half shakes Lewis’ ThroneMARIA does the Sea command

,

Wh ilst Gallia fl ies her Husbands Arms by Land,So, the Sun absent, with full swa the Moon

Governs the Isles,and ru les the aves alone ;

So am thunders when her 7 ove is gone.lo ritannia ! loose th Ocean ’

s Chains,

Whilst Russelstrikes t e Blow Thy Queen ordainsThus Rescu’d, thus Rever’d, for ever stand,And Bless the Counsel

,and Reward the Hand

,

I8 Britannia ! thy MARIA Re igns.38

A SUPPLEMENT,ETC .

V .

From MARY’S Conq uests, and the Resen’

d Main,

Let France look forth to Sambre’s armed Shore,

And boast her Joy for WILLIAM ’

S Death no more.

He l ives ; let France confess,the Viélor l ives :

Her Triumphs for his Death were vain,And spoke her Terror of his Life too plain .

The mi hty Years begin, the Day draws n igh,In whic Tba t One Of Lewis

’ many Wives,Who by the balefu l force of i lty Charms,Has long enthrall

’

d Him in If; wither’

d Arms,

Shall o’er the Plains from distant Tow’

rs on highCast around her mournfu l Eye,And with Prophetick Sorrow cry

y does my ru in’

d Lord retard h is Fl i ht ?Why does despa ir provoke his Age to fig t ?

As well the Wolf may venture to engageThe angry Lyon’

s gen’

rous Ra

ge ;

The rav’

nous Vu ltur,and the ird of Night,

As safely tempt the stooping Eagle ’s fl ight,As Lewis to uneq ual Arms defyYon

’ Hero, crown’

d with blooming Viélory,Just triumphing o’

er Rebel rage restrain’

d,

And et unbreath’

d from Battles gain’

d.

See ! al yon’

dusty Fields q u i te cover’

d o’

re

With Hostil Troops, and ORANGE at their Head,

ORANGE destin’

d to compleatThe great Des i ns of lab

’

ring Fate,ORANGE

,the ame that Tyrants dread

He comes , our ru in’

d Empire is no more :

Down, l ike the Persian, goes the Gallick Throne,

Darius fl ies, young Ammon urges on.

Sumiret, ebeul ne rudis agminum

Per medias rapit ira Ca des.

MATTHEW PRIORVI.

Now from the dubious Battel’s mingl’d Heat,Let Fear look back

,and stretch her hasty WingImpatient to secure a base Retreat :

Let the pale Coward leave h is wounded K ing,

For the vile privilege to breathe,To l ive with Shame in dread of lorious Death .In vain : for Fate has swifter VVgings than Fear

,

She follows hard,and strikes Him in the Rear,

Dy ing and Mad the T raytor bites the Ground,His Back transfix

’

d with a dishonest Wound ;Whilst thro‘ the fiercest Troops

,and thickest Press

,Virtu e carries on Success ;Whilst eq ual Heav’n guards the distin isht Brave,

And Armies cannot hurt,whom Angtfi: save.

VII.Virtue to Verse immortal Lustre giveS'l' ,Each by the other’s mutual Friendship liveseEneas sufl

'

er’

d,and Acbilles fou ht,

The Hero’s ACts enlarg’

d the Poet’s Thought,Or Virgil

’s Majesty , and Homer ’s Rage

,

Had ne’

er like last ing Nature vanq u ish’

d AgeWhilst Lewis then his ris ing Terror drownsWith Drum’

s Alarms,and Trumpet’s Sounds

,

W hilst hid in arm’

d Retreats and guarded Towns,From Danger as from Honou r far

,

He bribes close Mu rder aga inst Open War

In vain you Gallic Muses striveWith labour’d Verse to keep his Fame alive ;Your mould’rin Monuments in vain ye ra iseOn the weak as is of the Tyrant’s Praise

A SUPPLEMENT, ETC .

Your Songs are sold,

our Numbers are Prophane,’T is Incense to an dolgiv

’

n,

Mea t offer’d to Prometbeu’s Man

,That had no Sou l from Heav’

n.

Against his Will you chain our frighted K ingOn rapid Rbine’s divided ed ;And mock your Hero, whilst ye SingThe Wounds for which he never bled ;

Falshood does Poyson on your Praise diffuse,And Lewis

’

Fear gives Dea th to Boileau’

s Muse .

VIII.On its own Worth True Majesty is rear

’

d,

And Virtue is her own Reward,With sol id Beams and Native Glory bri ht,She ne ither Darkness dreads

,nor covetsTight ;True to Her self

,and fix

’

d to inborn Laws,Nor sunk by Spite, nor lifted by Applause,She from her settl

’

d O rb looks calmly down,On Life or Death a Prison or a Crown.

When bound in double Chains poor Belgio lay,To forc i Arms, and inward Strife a Prey,Wh i lst Giie Good Man buoy

’d up Her sink ing State,

And Virtue labour’d aga inst Fate ;When Fortune basely with Ambit ion join’

d,

And allwas conq uer’d bu t the Pa tr iot

’

s Mind ;When Storms let loose , and raging SeasJust rea dy the torn Vesse l to o

’

erwhelm,

Eore’

d not the fa ithfu l Pi lot from his Helm ;

Nor allthe S ren Songs of fu ture Peace,

And dazling Prospect of a promis’

d Crown,Cou ’

d lu re his stubborn Virtue down ;But aga inst Charms

,and Threats

,and Hell, He stood,

To that which was severely good ;

Then,had no Trophies justif h is Fame,

No Poet bless ’d his Song wit NASSAU’S Name,Virtue alone did allthat Honour bring,

And Heav’

n as plainly pointed ou t the K ING,As when he at the Altar stood

,

In allhis Types and Robes of Powr,

MATTHEW PRIORWhilst at his Feet Rel igious Britain how’

d,

And own’

d him next to what we there Adore .

IXS

gy, Joyful Macze, and Boyne

’

s Viaorious Flood,or each has mixt his Waves with Royal Blood)When WILLIAM’S Armies past

,did He retire

,

Or view from far the Battel’s distant Fire ?Could He bel ieve His Person was too dear ?

Or use His Greatness to conceal h is Fear ?Could Pray’rs and Sighs the dauntless Hero move ?Arm’

d with Heav’ns Justice and His People’s Love,Thro’

the first Waves He wing’d his vent’rous WayAnd on the Adverse Shore arose

,

(Ten thousand flying Deaths in vain Oppose)Like the great Ruler Of the Day,With Strength and Swiftness mounting from the Seas

Like Him, allDay He Toil

’

d ; but long in NightThe God had eas

’

d His weary’

d Light,E

’

re Vengeance left the stubborn Foes,Or WILLIAM ’S Labours found Repose,W hen His Troops falter’d

,stept not He between ;

Restor’

d the dubious Fight again,Mark

’

d out the Coward that du[r]st fly,And led the fainting Brave to Vidlory ?Sti ll as She fled Him, did He not o

’

ertake

Her doubtful Cou rse , still brought Her bleeding back ?WHis keen Sword did not the Boldest fall ?

as He not K ing, Commander, Soldier, AllHis Danger

’

s such,as,with becoming Dread

,

His Subjeéls yet unborn shall Weep to Read,

And were not those the only Days that e’

er

The Pious Prince refus’

d to hearHis Friends Advices

,or His Subjects Pray’r.

X

Where- e’

er Old Rbine his fru itfu l Water turns,

O r fills his Vassals Tributary Urns ;To Belgia

’

s sav’

d Domin ions, and the Sea,Whose righted Waves rejoice in WILLIAM’S Sway,

42

A SUPPLEMENT, ETC.

Is there a Town where Children are not Taught,‘ Here Holland Prosper

’

d, for here ORANGE Fought,

‘ Thro’ rapid Waters,and thro’ fly ing FireHere rush’d the Prince,here made whole France retire.

By difl'"rent Nat ions be this Valour blest,

In diff ’rent Lan uages confest,

And then let bannon speak the rest

Let Sbannon speak, how on her wond’

ring Shore,When Conq uest hov’ring on his Arms did wait,

And only as’

kd some Lives to bribe her o’

er.

The God- like Man, the more than Conq ueror,With high Contempt sent back the spec ious Bait,And scorn ing Glory at a Price too reat,With so much Pow ’

r such Piety ditfjoin,As made a Perfect Virtue soar

A Pitch unknown to Man before,And lifted Sbannon’s Waves o

’

er those of Boyne.

XI.Nor do his Subjeéls only share

The Prosp’

rous Fru its of his Ind‘u‘llgent Re ign ;

His Enemies approve the Pious ar,

Which , with their Weapon, takes away their Chain

More than his Sword, His goodness strikes h is Foes,They Bless his Arms, and Si h they must oppose.

Justice and Freedom on his Conq uests wa it,And ’

tis for Man’

s Del ight that He is GreatSucceeding Times shall with long Joy contend

,

If He were more a Viétor, or a Friend :So much his Courage and his Mercy strive ;He Wounds

,to Cure ; and Conq uers, to Forgive.

XII .Ye Heroes

,that have Fought your Country’s Cause,

Redress’

d Her Injuries, or Form’

d Her Laws,To my Advent

’

rous Song just Witness bear,Assist the Pious Muse, and hear her Swear,That ’tis no Poet

’

s Thought, no fl ight of Youth,But sol id Story, and severest Truth,

MATTHEW PRIORThat WILLIAM Treasures up a greater Name

,Than any Count any Age can Boast‘ And allthat nc ient Stock of FameHe did from His Fore Fathers take,

He has improv’d,and gives with Int’rest back ;

And in His Constellation does un iteTheir seatter

’

d Ra s of Fainter Light

Above or Envy ’s ash , or Fortune s Wheel,That settl’

d Glor shall for ever dwell,Above the ROlingOrbs and common SkWhere nothing comes that e

’

re shall ie.

XIII.Where roves the Muse ? Where, thoughtless to return,

IS her short-liv’d Vessel born,

By Potent Winds too subjefi to be tost ?

And in the Sea of WILLIAM ’S Pra ises lost ?Nor let Her tempt that Deep

,nor make the Shore,Where our abandon

’

d Youth She sees

Sh ipwreck’

d in Luxu ry, and lost in Ease ;Whom nor Br itannia

’

s Danger can alarm,

Nor WILLIAM’

s Exemplary Virtue warmTell ’

em howe’

re, the K ing can yet ForgiveThe ir gu i lty Sloth, their Homage yet Rece ive,And let the ir wounded Honour l ive

But sure and sudden be the ir just Remorse ;Swift be the ir Virtue’s R ise

, and stron its Course ;1

'For tho’

for certa in Years , and destin d Times ,Merit has lain confiIs

’

d with Crimes ;Tho

’

7 0m seem’

d Negl igent of Human Cares,

Nor scourg’

d our Foll ies, nor return’

d our Pray’rs ;

Desena'

t ped e Claudo.

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MATTHEW PRIORConfirm what formerly you ’ve given,Nor leave me now at S11: and SevensAs SUNDERLAND has left Mun. STEPHENS.No Fami ly that takes a Whelp

,

When first he laps and scarce can yelp,Negleéls or tu rns h im out Of Gate

,When he’s grown up to Dogs EstateNor Parish 1f they once adoptThe spurious Brats that Strowlers dropt,Leave ’

em when grown up Lusty Fellows,To the wide World

,that is

,the Gallows

No thank ’

em for the ir Love, that’s worse,Than if they’d throttl’

d’

em at Nurse,

My Uncle, rest his Sou l, when Living,Might have contriv

’d me ways of Thriving ;

Tau ht me with Cyder to replen ishMy ats or ebbing Tide of Rhen ish .So when for Hock I drew Prickt White- wine,Swear

’t had the flavour, and was right Wine :

Or sent me with ten Pounds to Furai

Vall’s Inn, to some good Rogue- Attorney ;Where now by forging Deeds and cheat ing,I’d found some handsome ways of gett ing.All this you made me q u it to followThat sneak ing Whey- fac

’

d God ApolloSent me among a Fidling CrewOf Folks, I’ad never seen nor knew

,

Calliope, and God knows who.

To add no more Inveélives to it,

You Spoil’

d the Youth to make a Poet .

In common Just ice,Sir

,there ’s no Man

That makes the Whore but keeps the Woman.

Among allhonest Christ ian PeopleWhoe’er breaks Limbs

,maintains the Cripple.

The sum of allI have to say,Is,that you ’

d put me in some way,And your Peti t ioner shall prayThere’s one thing more I had almost slipt

,

But they may do as wellin Post- script ;

A SUPPLEMENT,ETC .

My Friend CHARLES MOUNTAGUE’s preferr

’

d,

Nor would I have it lon observ’

d,That one Mouse eats whi e t

’

other’s starv’

d.

SATIRE

ON THE

Modern TRAN SLATORS.

Odi imitatore: ser vant pews, 8cc .

SINCE the united Cunn ing of the StageHas balk ’d the hireling Drudges of the Age

Since Betterton of late so thrifty’

s grown,

Revives old Plays, or wisely acts his own :

Thumb’d R ider with a Catalogue of Rhimes,

Makes the compleatest Poet of our Times :Those who with Nine Months Toi l had spoil

’

d a Play,In hopes of Eating at a fu ll Third Day,Justly despairing longer to sustainA craving Stomach from an empty Brain ,Have left Sta e- praélice

,chang

’

d the ir old Vocations,Attoning for Ind Fla 3

,with worse Translations ;

And l ike old Stern/w with laborious Spite,

Bu rlesq ue what nobler Muses better write ;Thus while they for their Causes only seemTo change the Channel

,they corrupt the Stream.

So breaking Vintners to increase the ir Wine,With nauseous Drugs debauch the generous Vine

So barren Gypsies for recru it are saidW ith Strangers Issue to mainta in the Trade ;

MATTHEW PRIORBut lest the fa irer Bantl ing should be known

,

A daubing Walnut makes him allthe ir own.

In the Head of this Gang to 7abn Dryden appears,But to save the Town- censure

,and less en his Fears ,

{P in’

d with a Spark,whose Title makes me c ivil

,

or ScandalumMagnatum is the Devil ;Such mighty Thoughts from Ovid

’

s Letters flow,That the Translation is a work for two ;Who in one Copy join’

d, their Shame have shown,

Since TATE cou ld spoi l so many, tho’ aloneMy Lord I thou ht so nerous would prove,To scorn a R iva in its of Love :But well he knew his teeming Pangs were vain,Till Midwife Dryden m

’

d his labouring Brain ;And that when part of Hudibras

’

s HorseJogg

’

d on, the other would not hang an Arse ;So when fleet 7 owler hears the joyfu l Hollow,He drags his sluggish Mate

,and Tray must follow.

But how could this learn’d Brace employ their t ime ?One constru

’

d sure,while t

’

other pump’d for RhimeOr it with these

, as once at Rome, succeeds ,The Bibulus subscribes to Caesar

’

s DeedsThis from his Partners Acts ensures his Name

,

Oh Sacred Tbirst of everlas ting Fame !That could defile those well- cu t Nai ls with Ink ,And make his Honour condescend to think :But what Excuse , what Preface can attone

For Crimes which ilty Bayes has s ingly done ?Bayes, whose Rose lly Ambuscade injoin’dTo be to Vices which he praétis’d k ind,And brought the Venom of a spitefu l Sa tire

,

To the safe Innocence of a dullTransla tor .

Bayes, who by allthe Club was thought most fitTo violate the Mantuan Propbet

’

s W it,

And more debauch what loose Lucretius writ.When I behold the Rovings of h is Muse

,

How soon d ssyr ian O intment she wou ld loseFor Diamond Buckles sparkling at the ir Show.

48

A SUPPLEMENT,ETC .

When Virgil’s hei ht is lost, when Ov id soars,

And in Heroicks ganaee deploresHer Foll ies louder than her Father roars,

I’

d let h im take Almanzor for his Theme ;In lofty Verse make Max imin blaspheme

,

Or sin in softer A irs St . Ca tbarine’s Dream.

Nay, Igcould hear him damn last Ages W it,

And rai l at Excellence he ne’

er could hit ;His envy shou ld at powerfu l Cowley rage ,And ban ish Sense with 7 obnson from the StageHis Sacrelege shou ld plunder Sbalespear ’s U rn

,With a dull Prolo e make the Ghost return,

To bear a second eath , and greater Pain,While the Fiend

’

s Words the Oracle prophane.

But when not satisfy’

d with Spoils at home,

The Pyrate would to foreign Borders roam ;

May he st i ll Split on some unlucky Coast,And have his Works or Diétionary lost !That he may know what Roman Autbors mean,No more than does our blind Translatress Bebn.

The Female W it, who next convié’

ted stands,

Not for abusing Ovid ’

s Verse,bu t Sands

’

;

She Might have learn’d from the ill- borrow’

d Grace,

(Which little helps the Ru in of her Face)That W it,like Beau ty, triumphs o

’

er the Heart,When more of Nature’s seen

, and less of ArtNor strive in Ov id

’

s Letters to have shownAs much of Sk i ll

,as Lewdness in her own.

Then let her from the next inconstant Lover,Take a new Copy for a second Rover

Describe the Cunn ing of a J ilt ing Whore,

From the i ll Arts her self has us’

d before ;Thus let her write, but Parapbrase no more .

Rymer to Crambo Privilege does cla im,

Not from the Poet’

s Gen ius,but his Name ;

Which Providence in contradiction mean t,Tho

’

he Predestination cou ld prevent,And with bold Du lness translate Heav’ns Intent.

P. H .

MATTHEW PRIORRash man ! we paid thee Adoration due

,That anc ient Criticks were excell’

d by you

Each little W it to your Tribunal cameTo hear the ir Doom

,and to secure their Fame

But for Respect you servilely sought Praise,

Slighted the Umpire’s Palm to court the Poet’

s BaysWhile wise RefleCtions, and a grave Discourse,

Declin’

d to loan: a River for a Horse.

So discontented Pemberton withdrew,From sleeping Judges to the noisy Crew ;Chang

’

d awfu l Ermin for a servile Gown,

And to an humble Fawn ing smooth’d h is Frown,

The Simi le will differ here indeed ;You cannot vers ify, though he can plead.

To painful Creecb my last Advice descends,That he and Learnin wou ld at length be Friends ;That he’d command is dreadful Forces home,

Nor be a Second Hannibalto Rome.But s ince no Counsel his Resolves can bow ;

Nor ma thy Fate, 0 Rome,resist his Vow ;

Debarr’ From Pens as Lunaticks from Swords,He shou ld be kept from waging War with Words

Words which at first l ike Atoms did advanceTo the just Measure of a tunefu l Dance,And jumpt to form

,as did his Worlds, by Cbance.This pleas ’d the Genius of the vic ious Town ;

The Wits confirm’

d his Labours with Renown,And swear the early Atheist for the ir own.

Had he stopt here but ruin’

d by Success,W ith a new Spawn he fill’d the burden

’

d Press,Tillas his Volumes swell’

d, h is Fame rew less.So Merchants fiatter’d with increas ing Gain,Stilltempt the Falshood of the doubtful MainSo the first running of the lucky Dice,Does eager Bully to new Betts int ice ;Till Fortune urges him to be undone,And d ines- doe loses what k ind Sixes won .

Witness this Truth Lucretia ’

s wretched Fate,Which better have I heard my Nurse relate ;

SO

A SUPPLEMENT, ETC.

The Matron sufi'

ers Violence aga in,so vi le, as Creecb

’

s Pen ;W itness those hea his Midnight Studies ra ise,Hoping to R ival gilby in Pra ise :Both writ so much so ill

,a Doubt might rise

,

Which with most justice might deserve the Prize ;Had not the first the Town with Cuts appeas

’

d,

And whe re the Poem fail’

d,the Picture pleas 'd.

Wits of a meaner Rank, I could rehearse,But will not plague you r Patience, nor my VerseIn long Oblivion may they happy lie,And with the ir Wri tings

,ma the ir e.

Now, why should we poor (Lid yet pursue,And make his very Book an Ex i le too,

In Words more barb’

rous than the place he knew ?If Virgillabour’d not to be translated,Why suffers he the onl th ing he hated ?Had he foreseen some fiicnous Tongue,Wou

'

d in uneq ual Stra ins blaspheme h is Song;Nor Prayers , nor Force,nor Fame abou

’

d e er preventjust Performance of his wise Intent

Smiling b’had seen his Martyr

’

d Work expire,

Nor l ive to feelmore cruel Foes,than Fire .

Some Fop in Preface may those Thefts excuse,That Virgilwas the Draught of Homer’s Muse :

That Horace’

s by Pinda r’

s Lyre was strung,e greet Image of whose Vo ice be sung.found the Mass

,

’

tis true , but in the ir MouldThey purg’d the drossy Oar to current Gold

Mendin their Pattern, they escap’

d the Curse ;Yet they not writ better

,they’d wri t worse.

°

c up to Rhime,But when we bind the

"Lain

And lose the Sense to e the Poem chimeWhen from their Flocks we force Sicilian Swains,To ravish Milk-maids in ou r Englisb Plains ;And wandring Authors , e

’

er th touch our Shore,’Must like our Locust Hugonotce poor ;I’d bid th

’ importing Club the ir Pa ins forbear,

And traflick in our own,tho

’ homely Ware,

D 2

MATTHEW PRIORWh i lst from themselves the honest Vermin spin,I’

d like the Textu re,tho

’

the Web be thin ;Nay, take Crown

’

s Plays, because his own,for W it ;

And praise what Durfey, not Translating, writ.

A SATIRE upon tbe POETS, in Imitation of tbcSeventh SATIRE of Juvenal.

Et Spas 55’ratio studiorum

,Sec .

SIR,

KL my Endeavours, allmy Hopes dependOn you the Orphans, and the Muses Friend ;

‘

The only great good Man, who will declareVirtue and Verse the objeCt of his Care ;

And prove a Patron in the worst of Times,

When hungr Bayes forsakes his Empty Rhymes,Beseeching alltrue Cath’lick s Charity,For a poor prostitu te which long did lie,Under the Mortal Sins of Verse, and Heresy.

Sbadwell, and starving ‘I

'

a te I cease to name,

Poets of allRel i '

ons are the same :Recanting Settle {rings the tuneful Ware

,Which wiser Smitl) eld damn ’

d to Sturbridge Fair ;Protests his Trage ies and Libels fai lTo yield him Paper

,Penny

- loaves and Ale,And bids our You th by his Example flyThe Love of Pol it icks, and Poetry.

And allRetreats except New-Hallrefuse

To shelter Durfey , and his Jocky Muse ;

There to the Butler, and his Grace

’

s Maid,

He turns,l ike Homer

, Sonneteer for Bread ;Knows his just Bounds, nor ever durst aspireBeyond the swearing Groom

,and K itchin fire.

52

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MATTHEW PRIORAnd may just Heav’n thy hated Life prolonTill thou

,blest Author, seest thy deathless ong,

The dustyLumber of a Smitbfield Stall,

And find st thy Piéture starch’d inst Suburb Wall ,With yobnny Armstrong, and thegrodigal.

And to compleat the CurseWhen A e and Povert comes faster on

,

And sad xperience tells thou art undone.

May no kind Country Grammar- School afl'

ord

Ten Pounds a Year to pay for Bed and Board ;Till void of any fix

’

d Employ , and now

Grown useless to the Army and the Plow,You’ve no Friend left , but trust ing Landlady,

Who stows you on hard Truck le, Garret high,

To dream of Dinner, and cu rse Poetry .

Sir,Iv

’

e a Patron, you reply .

’

T is true,

Fortune and Parts you say may get one too

Why fa ith e’

en try, Write, Flatter, Dedicate,

My Lord’

s , and his Forefathers Deeds relateYet know he’ll wisely strive ten thousand ways,To shun a needy Poets fulsom Praise ;Nay, to avoid thy Importun ity,e leét his State, and condescend to be

A oet,tho

’ perhaps a worse than Thee.

Thus from a Patron he becomes a Friend,

Forgetting to reward,learns to commend ;

Receives your twelve long Months succesless Toi l,

And talks of Au thors, Energy, and St i le ;

Damns the dull Poems of the sc ribling Town,Applauds your Writ ings, and repeats his own,Whilst thou in Complaisa nce oblig

’d,must sit

T’extol his Judgment and admire h is Wit ;

And wrapt with h is Essay on PoetrySwear Horace writ not half so strong as He

,

But that we’re part ial to Antiq u ity.

Yet th is Authentick Peer perhaps scarce knowsWith j ingling sounds to tag ins ipid Prose,54

A SUPPLEMENT ,ETC .

And should be by some honest ‘Manly told,He’ad lost his Credit to secure his Gold.

But if thou’

rt blest enough to write a Play ,Without the hungry hopes of kind third Day,And he bel ieves that in thy DedicationThou’lt fix his Name

,not bargain for the Station

,

My Lord his useless K indness then assures,

And to the utmost of his Pow’

r he’

s you rs ;How fine our Plot

,how exq u is ite each Scene !

And play’cl

7

at Court,wou ld strangely please the (Lueen.

And you may take his Judgment sure, for he

Knows the true Spiri t of ood Poetry ;And might with eq ual Judgment have put inFor Poet-Lau reat as Lord Cbamberlain.

All th is you see and know, yet cease to shun ;

And see ing, knowing, strive to be undone.

So k idnapt Dutchess once beyond Gravesend,Rejects the Councelof recalling Friend ;Is told the dreadful Bondage she must bear

,

And sees unable to avoid the Snare.

So practic’d Thief oft taken ne

’

er afraid,

Forgets the Sentence, and persues the Trade.

Tho’

yet he almost feels the Smoak ing Brand,And sad T. R . stands fresh upon his Hand.

The Author then,whose daring hopes would strive

With well- bu i lt Verse to keep his Fame al ive,

And somethin to Posterity present,That’s very ew and very Excellent ;Something beyond the uncall

’

d drudging Tribe,

Beyond what Bayes can write,or I describe ;

Shou’

d in substantial Happiness abound,His Mind with Peace, h is Board with plenty Crown’

d.

No early Duns should break his Learned Rest,

No sawey Cares his Nobler Thoughts molest,Only the God within should shak e his labouring Breast.In vain we from our Soneteers req u ire,

The He ight of Cowley’

s and flnacreon’s Lyre.

In vain we bid’

em fill the Bowl,

Large as the ir capac ious Sou l,The Chief Charaaer in Mr. ”(ycberlq

’s pla in Dealer.

MATTHEW PRIORW ho s ince the K ing was crown

’

d ne’er tasted W ine,

Bu t write at s ight, and know not where to dine.

In vain we bid dejeéted Settle hitThe T ragick Flights of Sbalrespear

’s towring W it ;

He needs must miss the Mark,who’

s kept so low,

He has not stren th enough to draw the Bow.

Sedley, indeed, an Rocbester might writeFor the ir own Credit

,and the ir Friends Delight,

Shewing how far they cou’

d the rest ou tdo,As in their Fortunes, in the ir Writings too.

But shou ld Drudge Dryden this Example takeAnd Absalom: for empty Glory make,He

’

d soon perce ive his Income scarce enough,

To feed his nostri l with inspiring Snuff ;Starving for Meat, not surfe it ing on Pra ise

,

He’

d find his Bra ins as barren as his Bayes.

There was a Time when Otway charm’d the Stage,

Otway the Hope,the Sorrow of our Age ;When the full Pit with pleas ’d attent ion hung

,Wrapt with each accent from Castalio’

s Tongue .

Wi th what a Laughter was his Soldier read !

How mourn ’

d they when his 7 aflier struck,and Bled !

Yet this best Poet, tho’ with so much ease,

He never drew his Pen bu t sure to please ;Tho

’ lightn ing were less l ively than his W it,And Thunder- claps less loud than those o

’

th’

Pit,

He had of’

s many Wants much earl ier dy’d,Had not k ind Banker Betterton supply

’d,

And took for Pawn the Embryo of a Play,Till he cou ld pay himself the nex t tbird Day.

Were Sbalrespear’

s self to live a in, he’

d ne’

er

Deg’

nerate to a Poet from a P ayer

Now Carlisle in the new- rais’

d Troop we see,

And chattering Mountfor t in the Chancery ;Mountfor t how fit for Pol iticks and Law

,That play’d so well Sir Cour tly and yaclDaw.

Dance then attendance in slow Mulgr ave’

s Hall,Read Maps

,or cou rt the Sconces t ill he call ;

56

A SUPPLEMENT, ETC .

One Actor’s Commendation shall do moreThan Patron now

,or Merit heretofore.

Some Poets I confess,the Stage has fed,

Who for Half Crowns are shown,for two Pence read ;

But these not envy thou,bu t imitate

,

Much rather starve in Sbadwel’

s s i lent Fate,Then new vamp Farces, and be damn’

d with Ta te.For now no Sidneys will three hundred ive

,That needy Spenser and his Fame may Five ;None of our new Nobi lity will sendTo the King

’

s Bencl), or to his Bedlam Friend’ .

Chymists and Whores b Buckingham were fed,Those by their honest labours gain’

d their Bread ;But he was never so expens ive yet,To keep a Creature meerly for h is W it ;And Cowley from Hall- Clden scarce could haveOne gratefu l Stone

,to shew the World his Grave .

Pembroke lov’d Tragedy and did provideFor Butcher’s Dogs, and for the whole Banks ide ;The Bear was fed, bu t Dedicating Lee,Was thought to have a larger Paunch than be.

More I could say, but care not much to meetA Crabtree Cudgel in a narrow Street.Bes ides , your Yawn ing prompts me to give o

’

er

Your humble Servant, Sir, not one word more.

EPITAPH Ex tempore.

Heralds,and Statesmen

,by your leave,Here lye the Bones of MATTHEW PRIOR ;

The Son of ADAM and of EVE,

Can Boua son,or NASSAU

, go higher ?

MATTHEW PRIOR

THE

TURTLE and tfie SPARROW.

TALE.

EHIND an unfreq uented Glade,Where Eugl) and Myrtle mix the ir Shade,A Widow Turtle pens ive sat

,

And wept her mu rder’d Lover’s Fate.

The Sparrow chanc’

d that Way to walk,

(A Bird that loves to chirp and talk)Besure he did the Turtle greet,She answer

’

d him as she thought meet.Sparrows and Turtles by the bye,Can th ink as well as You or I :

Bu t how they did their Thoughts express,

The Margin shows by T,and S.

T. My Hopes are lost,my Joys are fled

,Alas ! I weep Columbo dead :Come allye win ed Lovers

,come,

Drop Pinks and aisies on his Tomb :Sing Pbilomelhis Fun’

ralVerse,Ye pious Redbreasts deck his HerseFair Swans extend your Dy ing-Throats,Columbo’s Death req u ires your NotesFor H im

,my Fr iends, for H im I moan

,

My dear Columbo, dead and gone.

Stretch’

d on the Bier Columbo lies,

Pale are his Cheeks,and clos

’

d his Eyes ;Those Cheeks , where Beauty smi ling laThose Eyes, where Love was us’

d to playAh cruel Fate, alas ! how soon

That Beauty and those Joys are flown !

THE TURTLE AND THE SPARROWColumbo is no more, ye Floods,

Bear the sad Sound to distant Woods ;The Sound let Echo’s Voice restore,

And say , Columbo is no more.

Te Floods, e Woods, ye Bcbaes, moan

My dear éolumbo, dead and gone.

The Driadi allforsook the Wood,And mournful Naiads round me stood,The tripping Fauns and Fairies came,All consc ious of our mutual Flame,To sigb for bim, witb me to moan,M dear Columbo, dead and gone.

ENUS disdain’

d not to appearTo lend my Grief a Friendly Ear ;But what avai ls her K indness now ?

She ne’

er shall hear my Second VowThe Loves that round the ir Mother flew ,

Did in her Face her Sorrows view.

Their drooping Wings they pens ive hung,Their Arrows broke, the ir Bows unstrung ;They heard attentive what I said

,

And wept with me, Columbo deadFor H im 1 sigl), fi r Him I moan

,

M dear Columbo,dead and gone.a

r is Ours to Weep, great VENUS said,’

Tis OVE’s alone to be Obey

’

d

Nor irds, nor Goddesses can moveThe just Behests of Fatal OVEI saw thy Mate with sad egret,And curs

’

d the Fowler’

s cruel Net

Ah, dear Columbo, how he fell,Whom Turturella lov’

d so wellI saw him bleeding on the Ground

,

The Si ht tore up my anc ient Wound ;And w ilst you wept, alas , I cry’d,COLUMEO and ADONrs Dy

’

d.

Weep all e Streams, ye Mountains groan,1 m m Co umbo

,dead and gone ;

Sti ll let my tender Grief complain,

Nor Day, nor Night that Grief restrain,

MATTHEW PRIORI said, and VENUS still repl ’

d,COLUMBO and ADONrs Dy

’

d):

8 . Poor Turturella , hard thy Case,And just thy Tears, alas

,alas !

T. And hast thou lov’d,and canst thou hear

With piteous Heart a Lover’s Care ?Come then, wi[t]h Me thy Sorrows join,And ease My Woes by telling ThineFor Tbou

, poor Bird, perbaps may’

st moanSome Passerella dead and gone.

8 . Dame Turtle,this runs soft in Rhime,

But ne ither su its the Place nor Time ;That Fowler ’s Hand, whose cruel CareFor dear Columbo set the Snare

,

The Snare aga in for Thee may set ;

Two Birds may perish in One Net.

Thou shou’

d’

st avoid this cruel Field,

And Sorrow shou’d to Prudence y ield.

’T is sad to Die. T. It may be so ;’T is sadder yet, to Live in Woe .

S. When Widows use the ir canting Strain,The seem resolv

’

d to wed a in.

When W id’wers wou ’

this Truth disprove,They never tasted real Love .

8 . Love is soft Joy and gentle Strife,

His Efforts alldepend on Life :

When he has thrown Two Golden Darts,

And struck the Lovers mu tual Hearts ;Of his black Shafts let Death send One,Alas ! the pleas ing Game is done

,

Illis the poor Su rvivor Sped,A Corps feels mighty cold in Bed.

VENUS said right , nor Tears can move,

or plaints revoke the W i ll of 707 12.All must obey the gen’ralDoom

,

Down from ALCIDES to Tom Tbumb.Grim PLUTo will not be withstoodBy Force or Craft ; TallRobinhood

,AS well as Little yalm, is dead.

(You see how deeply I am read)

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MATTHEW PRIORI tberefore must for ever moanMy dea r Columbo dead and gone.

S. Columbo never sees your Te

Your Cries Columbo never hears ;A Wall of Brass,and one of Lead,

Divide the Living from the Dead.

Repell’

d by this,the gather

’d Ra in

Of Tears beats back to Earth again,In t

’

other the Collefi ed Sound

Of Groans, when once receiv’d,is drown’d.

’

T is therefore vain one Hour to grieveWhat Time it- self can ne

’

er retrieve,By Nature soft, I know, a Dove

Can never live without her Love ;Then q u it this Flame, and light another ;Dame

, I advise you l ike a Brother.T. What, I to make a second Cboice ?

In other Nuptials to rejo cc ?

S. Why not my Bir T. No Sparrow no,

Let me indu lge my pleas ing woeThus S ighing,coeing, ease my Pain,

But never wish nor love againDistress ’d for ever let me moanMy dear Columbo, dead and gone.

S. Our winged Friends thro’ allthe GroveContemn th

y)mad Excess of Love :

I tell thee, ame, the t’

other DayI met a Parrot and a j ay,Who mock ’d thee in the ir mimick Tone,And wept Columbo, dead and gone.

T. Whate’er the yay or Parrot sa id,

My Hopes are lost,m Joys are fled ;

And I for ever must eploreColumbo dead and gone. S. Encore !

For Shame forsake th is BION- Style,We’ll ta lk an Hou r

,and walk a Mi le.

Does it with Sense or Health agree,

To sit thus mopeing on a Tree ?To throw away a Widow’

s Life,When you aga in may be a Wife.

THE TURTLE AND THE SPARROWCome on

,I’l l tell you my Amours ;

Who knows bu t they may infl’ence Yours ?Example draws, where P recept fai ls,And Sermons are less read than Tales.

T. Spa rrow , I take thee for my Friend,As such will hear thee, I descend ;Hop on and talk

,but hones t Bird

,Take care that no immodest Word

May ventu re to ofl'

end my Ear.S. Too Saint- l ike Turtle, never fear,

By Method Things are best discours’d,

Begin we then with Wife the first :A handsome, senseless, awkward FoolWho wou’

d not Yield, and cou’

d not RuleHer Afi ions did her Charms disgrace,And St i ll her Tongue talk’d off her Face :

Count me the Leaves on yonder Tree,So many dif

’

rent Wills had she ,And like the Leaves, as Chance inclin’

d,Those Wills were chang’

d with every WindShe courted the Beau Monde To- night

,

L’

Assemblie her supreme Delight .The next She sat immur’d

,unseen,

And in fu ll Health enjo’

d the Spleen.

She censur’

d tbat,she ter

’

d tbis,

And with great Care set allamiss ;She now cou

’

d chide,now laugh

,now cry,

Now s ing,now pout, all

, God knows whyShort was her Re ign, she Cough

’

d and Dy’

d,Proceed we to my Second Bride ;WellBorn she was, enteely Bred,And Buxom both at oard and Bed

,Glad to obl ige,and pleas

’

d to please ,q And, as TOM SOUTHREN wisely says,No otber Fault bad sbe in Life,But only tba t sbe was my WIFE .

O Widow-Turtle ! every She,(So Nature

’

s Pleasure does Decree)Appears a Goddess t i ll enjo ’

d,

But Birds, and Men, and ads are cloy’d.

MATTHEW PRIORWas HERCULES One Woman’

s Man ?

Or JOVE for ever LEDA’S Swan ?Ah ! Madam,

cease to be mistaken,Few marry

’

d Fowl peck Dunmow-Bacon.

Variety alone ives Joy,The sweetest eats the soonest cloyWhat Sparrow,

Dame ? what Dove al ive ?Tho

’ VENUS shou’

d the Char’ot drive,Bu t wou ’d accuse the Harness-We ight,If alwa s Coupled to One Mate ;

And oli'

en wish the Fetter broke,’Tis Freedom but to Chan the Yoke.

T. Impious to wish to ed aga in,E

’

er Death dissolv’d the former Chain.

S. Spare your Remark, and hear the rest,

She brought me Sons, but Jova be blest,She Dy

’d in Child- Bed on the Nest.

Well , rest her Bones, q uoth I, she’s goneBut must I therefore I e alone ?What

, am I to her Ndmory t’d ?

Must I not Live,because she Ey’d ?

And thus I Logically said,

(’

T is good to have a Reas’

ning- Head)IS this my WIFE ? P robatur

,not ;

For Death dissolv’d the Marriage-Knot

She was, Concedo, du ring Life ;But

,is a Piece of Clay, a WIFE ?

again, if not a Wife, d

’

e see,h then no Kin at al to meAndy he who gen’ralTears can shedFor Folks that happen to be Dead,May e

’

en with eq ual Justice mournFor those who never yet were born.

T. Those Points indeed ou q uaintly prove ,Bu t Log

'

cl is no Friend to Love.S. M Children then were just pen feather’d

Some litt e Corn for them I gather’d,And sent them to my Spouse’s Mother

,

So left that Brood to get another.

THE TURTLE AND THE SPARROWAnd as Old HAR RY Whilome sa id

,

Refleéting on ANNE BULLEN Dead,

Coclsbones, I now aga in do stand

The jolly’

st Batchelor i’th’ Land.

T. Ah me ! my Joys, my Hopes are fled ;My first, my only Love is Dead.

With endless Grief let me bemoanColumbo’s Loss. S. Let me go on .

As yet my Fortune was bu t narrow,I woo’d my Cous in Pbilly Spa rrow,

O’th

’

Elder House of Cbirping- End,

From whence the ounger Branch descend ;Well seated in a Fiield of Pease

She liv’

d,extreamly at her Ease

Bu t when the Honey-Moon was past,

The following Nights were soon o’

ercas t,

She kept her own, cou ld plead the Law ,

And (hiarrelfor a Barley- Straw ;

Both, you may j udge became less kind,

As more we knew each other’s MindShe soon grew sullen

,I,bard- beamed

,

We scolded,hated

,fought

,and parted.

To LONDON,blessed Town, I went,

She Boarded at a Farm in Kent

A Magpye from the Country fled,And k indly told me she was Dead

I prun’

d my Feathers , cock’

d my Tai l,And set my Heart again to Sale.

My Four tb, a meer Coq uet, or suchI thought her, nor avai ls it much

,

If true or false, our Troubles springMore from the Fanc than the Thing.Two staring Horns, Ioften said

,

But ill become a Sparrow’

s Head ;But then, to set that Balance even,Your Cuckold- Sparrow goes to Heaven.

The Thing you fear, suppose it done,If you enq u ire, you make it known.

Whilst at the Root your Horns are sore,

The more you scratch , they ake the more.

P. II. B

MATTHEW PRIORBut tu rn the Tables and refleét,All may not be

,that you suspeét

By the Mind’s Eye, the Horns, we mean,Are only in Ideas seen,’T is from the ins ide of the HeadTheir Branches shoot, their Antlers spread ;Fru itfu l Suspic ions often bear them

,

You feel ’

em from the Time you fear ’

em.

CuckoolCuckoo ! that Echo’d Word,

Ofi‘

ends the Ear of Vu lgar Bird ;But those of finer Taste have foundThere’s nothing in’

t bes ide the sound.

Preferment alwa s wa its on Horns,And Houshold cace the Gift adorns

This Wa or That,let Faétions tend

,

The Spark is sti ll the Cuckold’s Friend ;This Way, or That

,let Madam roam

,Well pleas’d and q u iet She comes home.

Now we igh the Pleasu re with the Pain,

The plus and minus,Loss and Ga in

,

And what La Fontaine laughing says,Is serious Truth, in such a Case ;Who sl ights the Evil, finds it least

,

And who does Nothing,does the best .

I never strove to ru le the Roast,She ne

’

er refus’

d to pledge my ToastIn Vis its if we chanc

’

d [t]o meet,I seem’

d obliging, she discreet ;We ne ither much caress

’

d,nor strove

,

But good Dissembl ing pass ’d for Love.

T. Whate’er of Light our Eye may know,’

T is only Light it- Self can Show :

Whate’er of Love our Heart can feel,

’T is mutual Love alone can tell .S . My pretty, amorous, fool ish Bird,A Moment’s Patience, in one Word

,

The Three k ind Sisters broke the Cha in,She Dy

’

d, I mou rn’

d,and woo’d aga in.

T. Let me with juster Grief deploreMy dear Columbo, now no more ;

THE TURTLE AND THE SPARROWLet me with constan[t] Tears bewail.S. Your Sorrow does but spoil my Tale.

My Fiftb She prov’

d a jealous Wife,Lord Shield us allfrom such a Life !’Twas Doubt, Complaint, Reply, Chit- Chat,’Twas This, To- day, To-morrow

,That.

Sometimes forsooth, u pon the Brook,I kept a Miss ; an honest Rook

Told it a Snipe, who told a Stear,Who told it those

,who told it her.

One Day a Linnet and a Lark

Had met me Stroleing in the Dark ;The next

,a Woodcock and an Owl

(brick- Sighted, grave, and sober Fowl,Wou’

d on their Corp’ralOath alledge,I k iss’d a Hen behind the Hedge .

Well, Madam Turtle,to be brief,

(Repeating but renews ou r Grief)AS once she watch’

d me, from a Rail ,Poor Sou l ! her Footin chanc

’

d to fai l,And down she fell

,an broke her H ip,

The Fever came,and then the Pip

Death did the only cure apply ;She was at q u iet, so was I.T. Cou’d Love unmov’d these Changes view ?

His Sorrows,as his Joys are true .

S. My dearest Dove, One wise Man says,Alluding to our present Case,We

’

re here To-day, and gone To -morrowThen what avai ls superfl

’

ous Sorrow ?Another full as wise as he

,Adds ; that a Marry’

d Man may see

Two happy Hours ; and which are they ?The First and Last, perhaps you ’ll say ;’

T is true,when blithe she goes to Bed,

And when She peaceably lies Dead ;Women

’

twix t Sheets a re best,

’tis said,

Be tbey of Holland or of Lead.

Now cur’

d of HYMEN’S Hopes and Fears,And Sliding down the Vale of Years,

8 2

68

MATTHEW PRIORI hoped to fix my futu re Rest,And took a Widow to my Nest.Ah Tur tle I had she been like Thee,Sober, yet gentle ; wise, yet free ;But she was peevish , noisy, bold,A Witch ingrafted on a Scold :JOVE in PANDORA’S Box confin

’

d

A Hundred Ills to vex Mank ind ;To vex one Bird, in her BandoreHe hid at least a Hundred moreAnd soon as Time that Ve i l withdrew

,

The Plagues o’

er allthe Parish flew ;

Her Stock of borrow’

d Tears grew dry,And Native Tempests arm’

d her Eye,Black Clouds around her Forehead hung,And Thunder rattled on her Ton ue.

We,Young or Old, or Cock orHen,

Allliv’d in IEOLUS’

S Den ;The nearest her, the more accurst,Ill far’d her Friends , her Husband worst.But 7OVE amidst his Anger spares,Remarks our Faults

,but hears our Pray

’

rs.

In short, she Dy’

d,why then she’s Dead

(Luoth I , and once again I’ll wed.Wou

’

d Heaven this Mourn ing Year was past,

One may have better Luck at last .Matters at worst are sure to mend

,

The DEVIL’S Wi e was but a Fiend.

T. Th Tale as rais’

d a Tur tle’

s Spleen,

Uxorious Kimate, Bird obscene,Dar

’

st thou defile these Sacred Groves,These S ilent Seats of faithfu l Loves ?

Begone,with flagging Wings sit down

On some old Pent- bouse near the Town ;In Brewers- Stables peck thy Gra in,Then wash it down with puddled RainAnd hear thy dirty Off- Spring Sq uallFrom Bottles on a Suburb-Wall .Where Thou hast been, return again

,Vile Bird ! Thou hast convers’

d with Men ;

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MATTHEW PRIOR

DOWN- HALL

BALLAD.

ISing not old JASON , who T ravell

’

d thro’To K iss the fair Maids, and possess the rich Fleece

Nor Sing I IENEAS, who led by his Mother,

Got rid of One WIFE, and went far for another,Derry down

,down

,bey derry down.

Nor Him who thro’ d sia and Europe did roam,

ULYSSES by Name,who ne

’

er cry’

d to go home ;But rather desir’d to see Cities and Men

,Than return to his Farms , and Converse with old PEN.

Hang HOMER and VIRGIL ; their meaning to seek,A Man must have pok ’

d in the Latin and Greek ;Those who Love our own Tongue, we have Reason to hope,Have read them Translated by DRYDEN and POPE.

But I Sing Exploits,that have lately been done

By Two Br itisb HEROES, call’

d MATTHEW and JOHNAnd how they rid Friendly from fine London-Town

,

Fa ir Essex to see,and a Place they call DOWN.

Now e’

er they went out, you may rightly suppose ,

How much they Discou rs’d, both in Prudence and Prose

For before this great yourney was throughly concerted,Fu ll often they met ; and as often they parted.

And thus Ma ttbew said, look you here, my Friend yobn,I fa irly have T ravell’

d Years Thirty and One ;

And tho’ I sti llcarry’d my Sovera ign’s Warrants

,I only have gone upon other Folks Errands.70

DOWN- HALLAnd now in this yourney of Life

,I wou ’

d haveA Place where to Bait

,t’wix t the Court and the Grave ;

Where joyful to Live, not unwilling to DieGadzooks, I have just such a Place in my Eye.

There are Ga rdens so Stately, and Arbors so Thick,A Portalof Stone, and a Fabr ick of Brick.

The Matter next Week Shall be allin your Pow’

r ;

But the Money, Gadzooks, must be Paid in an Hour.

For Things in this World, must by Law be made certa in,

We Both must repair unto OLIVER MARTIN ;For he is a Lawyer of worthy Renown.

I’ll bring You to see ; he must fix you at DOWN.

Quoth MATT HEW, I know, that fromBerw ick to Dover,

You have Sold allour Premisses over and over.And now if your Buyers and Sellers agree,You may throw allour Acres into the Soutb- Sea .

But a word to the Pu rpose To-morrow, dear Friend,We’ll see

,what To—night you so highly commend.

And if with a Ga rden and House I am blest ;Let the Deviland Con y go with the rest .

Then answer’

d Sq u ire MORLEY , pra get a Calescb,That in Summer may Burn, and in inter may SplashI love Dirt and Dust ; and’

tis always my Pleasure,To take with me much of the Soi l which I Measure.

But Mattbew thought better : forMattbew thought right,And hired a Cbariot so trim and so tight

,That extreams both ofWinter and Summer might pass ;For one Window was Canvas

,the t

’

other was Glass.Draw up q uoth FriendMa ttbew ; pu ll down q uoth FriendWe shall be both Hotter and Colder anon. (yobn,Thus Talk ing and Scolding, they forward did Speed ;And RALPHO pae’d by, under NEWMAN the Sweed.

Into an old Inn, did this Eq u i page roll,At a Town they cal l Hodsdon

,the Sign of the Bull,

Near a Nympb with an U rn ,that div ides the H igh-way,

And into a Puddle throws Motber of Tea .

MATTHEW PRIORCome here my sweet Landlady, pray how do you do ?Where is Sisley so c leanly, and Prudence and Sue ?

And where is the Widow that dwelt here be low ?And the Hostler that Sung about E ight Years ago ?

And where is your Sister so mi ld and so dear ?

Whose Voice to her Maids l ike a Trumpet was clear,By my Troth, She replies

,

dyon grow Younger, I think :

And pray Sir, what Wine oes the Gentleman drink ?Why now let me Die

,Sir

,or l ive upon Trust,

If I know to which Question to answer ou first.Wh Thir

l

i

igs s ince I saw you, most strangely have vary

’

d,

An the ostler is Hang’d, and the Widow is Marry’

d.

And PRUE left a Child for the Parish to Nurse ;

And SISLEY went off with a Gentleman’s Purse ;And as to my Sister so mi ld and so dear,She has la in in the Church- yard fu ll many a Year.Well

,Peace to her Ashes ; what s ign ifies Grief :

She Roasted red-Veal, and she Powder’

d lean- Beef :Fu ll n icely she knew to Cook up a fine Dish ;For tough was her Pallets, and tender her Eisb.

For that matter, Sir, be ye Sq u ire, Knight, or Lord,I ’ll give you whate’er a good Inn can afford

I Shou ’d look on myself as unhappily Sped,Did I y ield to a Sister, or Living, or Dead.

Of Mutton,a delicate Neck and a Breast,

Shall Swim in the lVater in which they were Drest

And because You great Folks are with Rarities taken,Addle-Eggs shall be nex t Course

,tost up with rank - Bacon.

The Supper was Serv’d, and the Sheets they were la id ;And MORLEY most lovingly wh isper’d the Maid.

T he Maid was She handsome ? why truly so,so :

But what MORLEY whisper’d, we never Shall know.

Then up rose these Heroes as brisk as the Sun,

And the ir Horses l ike his, were prepared to Run .

Now when in the Morn ing MATT . ask’

d for the Score,JOHN k indly had paid it the Even ing before .

72

DOWN- HALLTheir Breakfast so warm to be su re they did Eat :A Custom in Travellers, mi h ty Disc reet,

And thus wi th great Friendsi ip and glee they went on

To find ou t the Place you shall hear of anon,

call’

d Down,down

,bey der ry down.

Bu t what did they talk of from Morn ing ’

t i ll Noon ?Why, of Spots in the Sun, and the Man in the Moon

Of the CzAR’

s gentle Temper, the Stocks in the C ity,The wise Men of Greece, and the Secret- Committee.

So to HARLOW they came ; and hey, where are You all?

Show U s into the Parlor,and mind when I ca ll

Wh our Maids have no motion, you r Men have no l ife ;

Well as ter,I hear you have Bury ’d your Wi e.

Come this very instant, take Care to provideTea

,Sugar, and Toast

,and a Hor se

,and a Guide.

Are the Ha rr ison’

s here,both the Old and the Young ?

And where stands fair DOWN, the del ight of my Song ?0 Sq u ire, to the Grief of my Heart, I ma say,I have Bu

i

r

y’

d Two Wives Since you T ravell’

this way ;And the arrison

’

s both may be presently here ;And DOWN stands

,I think

,where it stood the last Year.

Then JOAN brought the Tea -pot, and CALEB the Toast ;And the lVine was froth

’

d- out by the Hand ofmy HostBut we clear

’

d our Ex tempore Banq uet so fast,That the Ha rr ison’

s both were forgot in the haste .

Now hey for Down-Hall for the Gu ide he was gotThe Cbariot was mounted ; the Horses did trot ;

The Gu ide he did bring u s a Dozen Mile round :

But 0 ! allin vain ; for no Down cou’

d be found.

O ! thou Popisb Gu ide,thou has t led us astray.

Says he ; how the Devil shou ’d I know the way ?I never yet travell’

d th is Road in my l ife :[B]ut Down lyes on the left, I was told by my Wife.Thy Wife, answer

’

d MATT HEW, when She went abroad,

Ne’

er told Thee of half the bye- ways she had trod

Perhaps She met Friends,and brought Pence to Thy House

But Thou shalt go home without ever a Souse.

MATTHEW PRIORW hat is this thingMORLEY, and how can you mean it ?We have lost our Estate here, before we have seen it .

Have Pat ience,soft MORLEY in anger reply

’

d :

To find out our way, let us send ofl" our Gu ide .

0 here I spy Down cast you r Eye to the West,

Where a Wind-millso stately stands pla inly Confest .On the West reply

’

d MATTHEW, no Wind-millI find :As well Thou may’st tell me, I see the West-wind.

Now pardon me,MORLEY

,the Wind-millI Spy ;

Bu t faithfu l ACHATES , no House is there n igh .Look again, says mi ld MORLEY

, Gadzooks you are blindThe Millstands before ; and the House lyes behind.

0 now a low ru in’

d white Shed I discern,

Unt l’d and unglaz

’

d ; I be l ieve ’

tis a Barn,A urn ? wh you rave : ’

T is a House for a Sq u ire,A Justice of eace,or a Kn ight of our Shire .

A House Shou’d be Bu ilt

,or with Brick, or with Stone.

Wh ’

tis Plaster and Latb and I think,that’s allOne .

Anti,

such as it is,it has stood with great Fame,

Been called a Hall, and has

7giv

en its NameoDown

,down

,bey der ry down.

0 MORLEY,O MORLEY

,if that be a Hall;

The Fame with the Bu i lding will suddenly fallWith your Friend J IMMY GIEES about Buildmgs agree,My Bus iness is Land ; and it matters not me.

I wish you cou’

d tell , what a duce you r head ai lsI show’d you Down-Hall did you look for VersaillesThen take House and Farm

,as JOHN BALLET will let you

For better for worse, as I took my DameAnd now

, Sir, a word to the Wise is enough ;You’ll make very little of allyou r Old Stuff :

And to bu ild at your A by my Troth , you grow s imple .

Are You Young and ich,like theMaster of Wimple ?

If You have these Whims of Apartments and Gardens,FromTwice Fifty Acres you ’ll ne’er see five Farthings :

And in Yours I shall find the true Gentleman ’

s Fate

E’

er you fin ish your House, you ’ll have spent your Estate.

74

DOWN- HALLNow let Us touch Thumbs, and be Friends e’er we part.Here, JOHN , is my Thumb ; and here MATT

,is my Heart .

To Halstead I speed ; and You go back to Town .

Thus ends the First part of the Ballad of

Derry down,down

,bey derry down.

VERSESSpoke to the

LADYHenr ietta Gavana’isbHollesHa rley ,

In the LIBRARY of

St. f obn’

s COLLEGE,CAMBRIDGE,

November the 9tb, An. 1 7 1 9.

MADAM,

INCE ANNA vis ited the Mu ses Seat,

(Around Her Tomb let weeping An elS wait)Hai l THOU,the Brightest of thy Sex , an Best,

Most grac ious Neighbour, and most welcome Guest.

Not HARLEY ’S Self to Cam and Isis dear,In Virtues and in Arts great Oxr-

‘

ORD’S He ir,

Not HE such present Honours shall receive,AS to h is CONSORT We aspire to give .

Writin of Men our Thought to Day negleéts,To pay ue Homage to the Softer Sex

and Tully We forbear to read,

And the ir reat Followers whom this House has bred,To study Bessons from Thy Morals iven

,

And shin ing Charaéters, impress ’d bygHeaven.

Sc ience in Books no longer We pu rsue,

Minerva ’s Self in HARRIET’S Face We view ;For when with Beauty we can Virtue join,We pa int the Semblance of a Form Divine.

MATTHEW PRIORTheir pious Incense let our Ne ighbours bring,

To the k ind Mem’

ry of some bounteous K ing,With grateful Hand, due Altars let Them ra iseTo some good Kn ight’s, or holy Prelate ’s Praise ;We tune our Voices to a nobler Theme,Your Eyes We bless, your Pra ises We proc laim

,

St. yabu’

s was founded in a Woman ’

s NameEnjoin

’

d by Statu te, to the Fair W e bow ;

In Spight of Time, We keep our antient Vow ;What Margaret Tudor was, is Har riet Harley now.

PROLOGUETO THE

ORPHAN .

Represented by some of the Westminster- Scholarsat Hickford

’

s Dancing- Room,the 2d of

February , 1 7 20.

Spoken by the LORD DUPLIN,Who Aéted

CORDELIO.

HAT wou ’d my humble Comrades have Me say ?Gentle Speétators , pray excuse the Play ?Such Work by h ireling Afi ors Shou

’

d be done,Whom You may Clap or H iss

,for half a Crown :

Our generous Scenes for Friendship We repeat ;And if We don

’

t delight, at least We treat.

Ours is the Damage, If We chance to blunder ;We may be ask

’

d whose Patent We a& under.

How Shall W e ga in you ? A-la-mode de France ?We hir’d this Room ; but none of Us can dance

In cutting Capers We Shall never pleaseOur Learn ing does not lye below ou r Knees.

76

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MATTHEW PRIORSir

, Either is a good Ass istant :Said One who sat a little distantTruth decks our Speeches and our Books ;And Modest adorns our Looks :

Bu t farther Progress We must take,Not only born to Look and SpeakThe Man must Aé’t. T he STAGYRITESays thus

,and says extremely right

Striét Justice is the Sov’

raign Gu ide,That o

’

er our Aé’tion shou’

d pres ideThis Queen of Virtues is confest

,

To regu late and bind the rest.

Thrice Happy, if You once can find

Her eq ual Balance poize your MindAlldifferent Graces soon will enter,Like Lines concurrent to the ir Center.

’Twas thus,in short

,these Two went on,With Yea and Nay, and Pro and Con,Thro’ many Points divinely dark ,

And WATERLAND assault ing CLARKE ;’Till, in Theology half lost,DAMON took up the Even ing- Post ;Confounded SPAIN

,compos

’d the NORTH

,

And deep in Pol itics held forth .Methinks We

’

re in the l ike Condit ion,

As at the TREATY of PARTIT ION :

That Stroke, for All K in W ILLIAM’S Care,

Begat another Tedious Wgar :MATTHEW

,who knew the whole Intrigue,

Ne ’er much approv’

d That Myst ic League.

In the vile UTRECHT TREATY too,Poor Man

,He found enough to do

Sometimes to Me He did apply ;But down- right Dunstable was I

,

And told Him,where They were mistaken ;

And counsell’

d Him to save his BaconBut (pass His Pol itics and Prose)I never herded with his Foes ;Nay, in his Verses, as a Friend,

THE CONVERSATIONI still found Something to commend :Sir, I excus

’d his NUT- BROWN-MAID ;Whate’er severer Critics said

Too far,I own

,the Girl was try

’d

The Women All were on my Side.

For ALMA I retu rn’

d Him ThanksI lik ’d Her with Her l ittle Pranks :Indeed poor SOLOMON in RhimeWas much too grave to be Subl ime .

PINDAR and DAMON scorn Trans itionSo on He ran a new Divis ion ;’Till ou t of Breath he turn

’

d to spit(Chance often helps Us more than W it)T’

other that lucky Moment took ,Just nick’

d the Time, broke in, and spoke .

Of allthe G ifts the Gods afford,

(If we may take old TULLY ’S Word)The greatest is a Friend ; whose LoveKnows how to pra ise , and when reprove :From such a Treasure never part

,

But hang the Jewel on your Heart :And

, pray, Sir (it del ights Me) tel l ;You know this Author mighty wellKnow Him ! d’ye q uest ion it ? Ods- fish '

Sir, does a Beggar know his Dish ?I lov’d Him

,as I told You

,I

Advis’d Him Here a Stander- byTwitch

’

d DAMON gently by the Cloak ,And thus unwilling S ilence brokeDAMON, ’

tis Time We shou’

d retireThe Man You talk with is MAT . PR IOR .

ATRON thro’ Life,and from thy Birth my Friend,

DOR SET,to Thee this Fable let Me send

With DAMON’S Lightness weigh Thy solid Worth ;The Foi l is known to set the Diamond forthLet the feign

’

d Tale this real Moral give,How many DAMONS, how few DORSETS Live .

MATTHEW PRIOR

COLIN ’s

MISTAKES .

Written in Imitation of SPENSER ’S Style.

Me ludit AmabilisInsania .

I.AST by the Banks of Cam was Colin bred :

Ye Nympbs , for ever guard That sacred Stream,

To lVimpole’

s woody Shade h is Way he sped :Flourish those Woods, the Muses endless Theme |AS Whilom Colin anc ient Books had read

,

Lays Greek and Roman wou’d he oft rehearse,

And much he lov’d, and much by heart he saidWhat Father Spenser sung in Br i tisb Verse .

W ho reads that Bard des ires like Him to write,

St i ll fearful of Success, sti ll tempted by Del ight.II .

Soon as Aurora had unbarr’

d the Mom,

And Light discover’d Nature’

s chearfulFace ;The sounding Clarion, and the spr

ightly Horn

Call’

d the blyth Huntsmen to the istant Chace .

Eftsoons They issue forth, a good] Band ;T he deep-mouth ’d Hounds with hunder rend the Air ;The fier

yCoursers strike the ris ing Sand ;

Far thro the Thicket fl ies the frighted Deer ;Harley the Honour of the Day supports ;

His Presence glads the Wood ; His Orders guide the Sports .80

COLIN ’

S MISTAKESIII.

On a fa ir Palfrey well eq u ip’t did sit

An Amazon ian Dame ; a scarlet VestFor afi ive Horsemanship adaptly fit

Enclos’

d her dainty Limbs ; a plumed CrestWav

’d o

’

er her Head ; obedient by her SideHer Friends and Servants rode ; with artfu l HandFull well knew She the Steed to turn and gu ideThe will in Steed receiv

’

d her soft CommandCou rage an Sweetness in her Face were seated ;

On Her allEyes were bent, and allgood W ishes waited.

IVThis seeing, Colin thus h is Muse bespake

For alltydes was the Muse to Colin n igh,Ah me too n igh ! Or

,Clio

,I mistake ;

Or that bright Form that pleaseth so mine Eye,Is ffove

’

s fa ir Daughter Pallas, grac ious Queen

Of liberal Arts ; with Wonder and Del ightIn Homer ’s Verse we read Her ; wel l I ween,That emu ’lous of h is Grecian Master

’

s Fl ight,Dan Spenser makes the fav

’

rite Goddess known ;When in her gracefu l Look fair Britomart is shown.

V .

At Noon as Colin to the Castle came,Ope’d were the Gates, and right prepar’d the Feas t

Appears at Table rich yclad a Dame,The Lord

’

s Delight, and Wonder of the Guest.With Pearl and Jewels was she sumptuous deck t

,AS well became her Dign ity and Place ;But the Beholders mought her Gems negleét,To fix the ir Eyes on her more lovely Face,Serene with Glory, and with Softness bright

0 Beauty sent from Heav’

n,to cheer the mortal Sight !VI

Liberal Munificence behind her stood ;And decent Sta te obey

’

d her hi h Command ;And Cba rity diffuse of native (goodP. H.

MATTHEW PRIORAt once portrayes her Mind, and gu ides her Hand.

As to each Guest some Fru its She deign ’

d to l ift,And Si lence with obliging Parley broke ;How grac ious seem’

d to each th’ imparted G ift ?

But how more grac ious what the Giver spoke ?Such Ease, such Freedom did her Deed attend

,

That every Guest rejoic’

d,exalted to a Friend.

VII.Quoth Colin ; Clio, if my feeble Sense

Can well distin nish Yon i llustrious Dame,

Who nobly dot such gentle Gifts dispense ;In La tian Numbers ffuno is her Name

,

Great Goddess who with Peace and Plenty c rown’

d,

To allthat under Sky breathe vital AirDiffuseth Bl iss , and thro’ the World around

Pou rs wealthy Ease, and scatters joyous Chear ;Certes of Her in semblant Gu ise I read ;Where Spenser decks h is Lays with Gloriana ’s Deed.

VIII .As Colin mus’d at Evening near the Wood ;A Nymph undress

’

d,beseemeth, by Him past :

Down to her Feet her s ilken Garment flow’

d :

A R ibbon bound and shap’

d her s lender Waste :

A Vei l dependent from her comely Head,And beau teous Plenty of ambros ial Hair,O

’

er her fair Breast and lovely Shou lders Spread,Behind fell loose

,and wanton

’

d with the Air.The smi l ing Z epbyrs call

’

d the ir am’

rous Brothers :They k iss’d the waving Lawn

,and wafted it to Others .

IX.

Dais ies and Violets rose,where She had trod ;

As Flora k ind her Roots and Buds had sorted :

And led by Hymen, Wedlock ’s In stic God,

T en thousand Loves around the ymph disported.

(luoth Colin ; now I ken the Goddess bright,Whom Poets s ing : All human Hearts enthrall’

d

Obey her Pow’

r ; her K indness the Delight

COLIN ’

S M ISTAKESOf Gods and Men ;

great Venus She is call

’

d,When Mantuan Vir doth her Charms rehearse ;

Belpbebé is her Name, in gentle Edmund’s Verse .

X

Heard this the Muse, and with a Smi le reply

’d,

Which show’

d soft Anger mixt with friendly LoveTwin Sisters St i ll were Ignorance and Pride ;Can we know R ight

,

’t il l Error we remove ?

But Colin, well I wist, will never learn :

Who slights his Gu ide shall deviate from his Way .

Me to have ask’

d what Thou coud’

st not discern,

To Thee pertain’

d ; to Me , the Thing to say.

What Heavenly Will from human Eye conceals,How can the Bard aread

,unless the Muse reveals ?XI.

Nor P allas thou , nor Br itomart has t seen ;

When soon at Morn the fly ing Deer was chac’

t

Nor ove’

s great Wife, nor Spenser’

s Fairy- Queen

At oon- tyde dealt the Honors of the Feas t

Nor Venus, nor Belpbebi did’st Thou spy,The Evening’s Glory, and the Grove’s Del ight.Henceforth

,if ask

’

d,instruéted right, reply,That allthe Da to knowing Mortals Sight

Bright Ca ’ndisb-Holles-Harley stood confest,As various Hou r advis

’

d,in various Habit drest.

Considera tions on pa r t of tba 8 8 tb Psalm.

A College Exerc ise. 1 6 90 .

I.

HEAVY

,O Lord, on me thy judgments lie,Accurst I am,

while God rejeéts my cry.

O’

erwhelm’

d in darkness and despair I groan ;And cv

’ place is hell ; for God is gone .

0 ! Lor arise , and let thy beams controu lThose horrid c louds, that press my frighted sou lSave the poor wand’rer from eternal n ight,Thou that art the God of l ight.

F 2

MATTHEW PRIOR

Downward I hasten to my destin’d place

There none obtain thy aid, or s ing thy praise.

Soon I shalllie in death’s deep ocean drown’

d :

Is mercy there or sweet forgiveness found ?0 save me yet, whilst on the brink I stand ;Rebuke the storm

,and waft my sou l to land.

0 let her rest beneath thy wing secure,Thou that art the God of pow’

r.

III .Behold the prodigal ! to thee I come

,

To hailmy father, and to seek myhome.

Nor refuge could I find, nor frien abroad,

Straying in vice, and destitu te of God.

0 let thy terrors,and my angu ish end !

Be thou my refuge, and be thou my friend

Rece ive the son thou didst so long reprove,Thou that art the God of love.

ONTHE TAK ING

HE town which LOUIS bought, NASSAU reclaims,And brings instead of bribes avenging flames .

Now LOUIS take thy titles from ABOVE,BOILEAU shall s ing, and we’ll bel ieve thee JOVE.

JovE gained his mistress with allu ring gold,But JOVE l ike THEE was impotent and old

Afi ive and oung he did like WILLIAM stand,

And stunn’kl

,

the DAME, his THU NDER in his HAND .84

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MATTHEW PRIORVL

Then too alas ! when she shall tearThe lines some younger rival sends,

She’ll give me leave to write I fear,And we shall Sti ll continue friends.

VII.For as our difl

"

rent ages move,

’

T is so ordain’d,wou ’

d fate but mendThat I shall be past mak ing loveWhen She begins to comprehend it.

TWO

RIDDLES .

1 7 1 0 .

PHINX was a monster that wou ld eat,Whatever Stranger She cou ld get ;Unless his ready wit disclos

’

d

The subtle riddle she propos’

d.

OEDIPUS was resolv’

d to go,And try what strength of parts would doSays SPHINx on this depends you r fate ;Tellme what an imal is that,Which has four feet at morn ing bright,Has two at noon

,and three at n ight ?

’

T is MAN, said he,who weak by nature

,

At first creeps,l ike his fellow- creature,

Upon allfour,as years accrue

,With sturd steps he walks on two

In a at en

gth

,

agrows weak and S ick

,

For il

ls third eg opts the stick.Now in your tu rn

,

’

tis°

ust methinks,You Shou ld resolve me

,adam SPHINx

,What greater stranger yet is he,Who has four legs , then two

, then three ;Then loses one, then gets two more,And runs away at last on four

A Prime Minister.

FABLE.

Personam Tragicamfi rte vulpes viderat,O quanta species, inquit, cerebrum non babet .

’

PHE DR .

HE Fox an afi or’

s vizard found,

And peer’d, and felt, and tu rn’

d it round

Then threw it in contempt away,And thus old FR E DROS heard him sayIVba t noble par t can

’

st tbou sustain,

Tbou specious bead w itbout a brain P

SONG .

SET BY

Mr ABEL.

BADING ends in melancholy,Wine breeds vices and diseases ,Wealth is but care, and love but folly,Only FR IENDSH IP tru ly pleasesM wealth

,my books , my flask

,my MOLLY

,

arewelall, if FR IENDSHIP ceases.

MATTHEW PRIOR

CONSUMMATION.

To a FRIEND.

HEN JOVE lay blest in his ALCME NA’S charms,Three n ights, in One,he prest her in h is arms ;

The sun lay set, and consc ious nature stroveTo shade her GOD, and to prolong his love.

From that auspic iou s n ight ALCIDES came,What leSS cou ld rise from JOVE, and such a DAME ?May this au spic ious n ight with that compare,

Nor less the joys, nor less the rising he ir,He Strong as JOVE, She l ike ALCME NA fa ir.

THE

FORTUNE-TELLER .

To A YOUNG LADYIN SEARCH OF HER DESTINY .

OU, MADAM,may with safety go,

Decrees of destiny to know.

For at you r birth k ind planets reign’

d,

And certa in happiness ordain’d

Such charms as your’

s are only givenTo chosen favourites of heaven.

Bu t such is my uncertain State,

’

T is dangerous to try my fateFor I would only know from art

,

The futu re motions of your heart,And what predestinated doomAttends my love for years to come ;No secrets else

,that mortals learn

,

My care deserve, or l ife concern ;

But this will so important he,

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MATTHEW PRIOR

CUPID

TURNED STROLLER .

FROM

ANACREON,

ODE III.

T dead of ni ht,when stars appear,

And stron %OOTES turns the BEAR ;When mortals Sleep the ir cares away,Fatigu

’d with labou rs of the day ,CUPID was knock ing at my gate ;Who’s there, says I , who knocks so late ?

Distu rbs my dreams , and breaks my rest ?

0 fear not me a harmless guest,He said

,but Open

,open pray ;A fool ish child

,I’

ve lost my way,And wander here this moon- l ight n ight

,All wet and cold,and wanting light .With due regard his voice I heard,Then rose

,a ready lamp prepar’d,

And saw a naked boy below,With w in a q u i ver, and a bow

In haste Fran, unlockt my gate,Secu re and thoughtless of my fateI set the Child an eas cha irAgainst the fire, and

as

cll'y ’d his hair ;Brought friendly cups of chearfulwine

,

And warm’

d his l ittle hands with mine ;Allthis did I with k ind intent ;Bu t he, on wanton mischief bentSa id, dearest friend, this bow you see,This prett bow belongs to meObserve

,F,

pray, if allbe right,

I fear the ra in has spoil’d it q u ite .

CUPID TURNED STROLLERHe drew it then

, and strait I foundWithin my breast a secret wound.

This done, the rogue no longer staid,

But leapt away, and laughing said,

Kind bost adieu,we now must pa rt,

Sufi is my bow,but sick tby beart.

SNUPF .

AN EPIGRAM .

OVE once resolv’

d (the Females to degrade)To propagate the ir Sex without the ir aid.

His brain conceiv’

d, and soon the pan and throwsHe felt, nor could th

’

unnatu ral birth discis

ise :

At last when tr’

d,no remedy wou ld do,

The God took NUFF,and out the Goddess flew .

DAPHNE and APOLLO .

IMITATED .

Nympba , Precor, PENEI mane.OVID . Met . Lib. I .

APOLLO .

ABATE, fair fugit ive, abate thy speed

,

Dismiss thy fears , and turn thy beauteousWith k ind rega rd a panting lover view,Less swiftly fly, less swiftly I ’ll pu rsue ;Pathless alas , and rugged is the ground

,

Some stone may hu rt thee,or some thorn may wound.

DAPHNE . (Aside.)This care is for himself

,as su re as death

,

One mi le has put the fellow out of breath ;He’ll never do, I’lllead him t’other round

,Washy he is, perhaps not over sound.

MATTHEW PRIORAPOLLO .

You fly, alas , not knowing who you flNor i ll bred swain, nor rusty clown amI Claros- isle, and Tenedos command

DAPHNE.

Thank ye, I wou ’

d not leave my native land.

APOLLO.

What is to come, by certa in arts I knowDAPHNE.

Pish,PARTRIDGE has as fair pretence as you .

APOLLO .

Behold the beauties of my locks. (DAPH .)AThat may be counterfeit, a Spanish -W ig;Who cares for allthat bush of curl ing ha ir

,Whilst your smooth chin is so ex tremely bare.

APOLLO .

I s ing. (DAPH.)That never shall be DAPHNE’S choice,SYPHACIO had an admirable voice.

APOLLO .

Of ev’ry herb I tell the myst ic pow ’

r,

To certain health the patient I restore,

Sent for,carees

’

d ; (DAPH.)Ou rs is a wholsome air,You ’d better go to town and praétise there

For me,I’

ve no obstruétions to remove,

I’m pretty well, I thank your father JOVE,And phys ic is a weak ally to love.

APOLLO .

For learning fam’

d fine verses I compose,

DAPHNE.

So do you r brother q uacks and brother beaux,

Memorials only, and reviews write prose .

APOLLO.

From the bent yew I send the pointed reed,

Sure of its aim, and fatal in its speed.

92

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MATTHEW PRIORFourscore

, y’

are good at numbers, let us see,

Seventeen suppose,rema in ing sixty- three ,A e, in that span of time, you ’ll bu ry me.

IVf'

ean time if you have tumu lt, noise, and strife,Things not abhorrent to a marry

’

d l ife,They’ll q u ickly end you see, what s ign ifyA few odd ears to you that never die ;And after I y

’

are half you r t ime away ,You know you r bus iness takes you up allday,And coming late to bed you need not fear,Whatever noise I make

, you’ll sleep

,my dear.

O r if a winter- even ing shou’

d be longE

’

en read you phys ic book, or make a song.You r steeds

, you r wife, diachalon, and rhime,May take up any honest God- head’s time,Thus , as you like it, you may love again ,And let another DAPHNE have her re ign

,

Now love,or leave

,my dear : retreat

,or follow,

I DAPHNE, this premis ’d, take thee APOLLO,

And may I Spli t into ten thousand trees

If I give up, on other terms than these.

She sa id,bu t what the am’

rous GOD reply’

d,

So fate ordain’

d,is to our search deny ’d,

By rats alas ! the manuscript is eat,

0 cruel banq uet which we allregret ;BAVIUS , thy labours must this work restore,

May thy good will be eq ual to thy pow’

r.

94

PROLOGUE,

SPOKEN BY

Lord BUCKHURST,

AT

WESTMINSTER- SCHOOL,

At a Representa tion of Mr DRYDEN’S CLEOMENES, The Spartan HERO .

At CHRISTMAS. 1 695.

ISH,lord

,I wish this PROLOGUE was but GREEK

,Then young CLEONIDAS would boldly speak :But can Lord BUCKHURST in poor ENGLISH say,Gentle speélators pray excuse the pla

No,witness allye GODS of anc ient REECE,

Rather than condescend to terms like these,I’

d go to school s ix hours on CHR ISTMAS- DAY,

Or construe PERSIUS while my "

comrades play.

Such work by hireling afl ors shou ld be done,

Who tremble when they see a critic frown .

Poor rogues that smart l ike fencers for their bread,And if they are not wounded are not fed.

But,Sirs

,our labour has more noble ends

,

We aét ou r TRAGEDY to see our FRIENDSOur gen

’

rous scenes are for pu re love repeated,

And if you are not pleas’

d,at least you r treated.

The candles and the cloaths our selves we bought,

Our TOPS negleéted, and ou r BALLS forgot .To learn our parts we left ou r midnight bed,Most of you snored whilst CLEOMENES read ;Not that from this confess ion we wou ld sue

Praise undeserv’d ; we know our selves and you

Resolv’

d to stand or perish by our cause,

We neither censure fear,or beg applause

,

For those are WESTMINSTER and SPARTA’S laws.

MATTHEW PRIORYet if we see some judgment well inclin’

d,

To young desert, and growing virtue kind,That critic by ten thousand marks shou ld know,That greates t sou ls to goodness only how ;

And that your little HERO does inheritNot CLEOMENES more than DORSET’S spirit.

[THE SECRETARY ]WRITTEN at the HAGUE

,

In the year 1 696 .

HILE with labour assid’

ous due pleasu re I mix ,And in one day atone for the bus

’

ness of six,

In a l ittle Dutch - cha ise on a Saturday n ight,

On my left hand my HORACE, a NYMPH on my right.No Memoire to compose, and no Post- Boy to move

,That on Sunday may hinder the softness of love ;For her

,ne ither visits, nor parties of tea,

Nor the long-winded cant of a du ll refugée.

This ni ht and the nex t shal l be her’s,shall be mine,

To goo§ or i ll fortune the third we res ign :

Thus scorn ing the world, and superior to fate,

I drive on my car in process ional state ;So with PH IA thro’ Athens PYSISTRATUS rode

,

Men thought her MINERVA,and him a new GOD.

But why should I stories of Athens rehearse,Where people knew love, and were partial to verse ,Since none can with just ice my pleasures Oppose,In Holland half drowned in int

’

rest and prose :By Greece and past ages

,what need I be try

’

d,When the Hague and the present

, are both on my side,

And is it enough , for the joys of the day ;To think what ANAcREON, or SAPPHO wou ld say.

When good VANDERGOES, and h is provident VROUGH,As they gaze on my triumph

,do freely allow,That search allthe province

, you’d find no man there is

So bless’

d as the Englisben Heer SECRE

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MATTHEW PRIORHow thou didst constantly in private mourn,And wash with dai ly tears thy spouse’s urn

How it employ’

d your thoughts, and luc id time,That you r oung offspring might to honour climb ;How you r rst care by num’

rou s griefs Oppres t,Under the bu rthen sunk, and went to rest ;

How you r dear darl ing, by consumption’

5 waste,Breath

’d her last piety into you r breast ;

How you alas ! tyr’

d with ou r pilggrimage,Bow

’

d down your head, and7dy

’

d in good old age.

Tho’

not inspir’d,0 ! may I never be

Forgetfulof my pedigree, or thee,

Ungratefu l howsoe’er, mayn’

t I foTo pay th is small, yet tributary debt,And when we meet at God

’

s tribunal throne,

Own me, I pray thee,for a pious son .

Bu t why allthis ? is this you r fable ?Bel ieve me MATT, it seems a bauble,If you will let me know th

’ intent on’

t,

Go to your Mice, and make an end on’

t.

Wellthen dear brother,As sure as HUDI’S sword could swaddle

,

Two Mice were bro ht up in one cradle,Well bred, I think,

“

Feq ual port,One for the gown , one for the court

They parted, (did they so an’

t please you)Yes , that they did (dear Sir) to ease you

One went to Holland, where they hufi'

folk,T’

other to vent his wares in Suffolk.(That Mice have travell

’

d in old times,HORACE and PR IOR tell in rhymes ,Those two great wonders of the ir ages,

Superior far to allthe sages .)Many days past, and many a n ight,E

’

er they cou ld gain each other’s Sight ;At last In weather cold (not su ltry)They met at the Three-Cranes in Pou ltry.After much bus , and great grimace,(Usual you know in such a case)

THE MICEMuch chat arose, What had been done,What mi ht before next summer’s sun ;

Much saigof France, of Sufl'

olk’

s goodness,The gentry’s lo ty, mobbs rudeness,That ended ; o er a charming bottle,They enter

’d on th is tittle tattle .

(luoth Suffolk, by preheminenceInyears

,tho

’

(God knows) not in sense ;

Alls gone dear brother, only weRemain to raise posteriMarry you brother ; I’l go down,Sell nouns and verbs

,and lie alone.

May you ne’er meet with feuds or babble,

May ol ive- branches crown your table,Somewhat I’llsave, and for th is end,To prove a brother, and a friend.What I propose is just, I swear it,Or may I perish by this claret.The dice are thrown, chuse th is or that,(’T is allalike to honest MATT)’

11 take then the contrary part,And propagate with allmy heart.After some thought

,some Portugueze,

Some wine,the younger thus replies.

Fair are your words, as fa ir your carr’

age,Let me be free, drudge you in marr’age,Get me a bo call

’

d ADRIAN,Trim me

,I’ do for

’t what I

Home went well pleas’d the Suffolk tony,Heart- free from care, as pu rse from money ,Resolving full to please his tandy,He got a spouse, and jerk

’d her body ;

At last when teeming time was come,Ou t came her bu rthen from her womb

,

It prov’d a lusty sq ua lling boy,

(Doubtless the dad’

s and mammy’

s

djoy.)

In short,to make th ings sq uare an even

,ADRIAN he h am’

d was by DIcIt , STEPHEN.

6 2

MATT HEW PRIORMATT ’S debt thus paid, he now enlarges ,And sends you in a bi ll of charges ,A cradle (brother) and a basket,

(Granted as soon as e’er I ask ’d it)A coat not of the smallest scaud ing,

Frocks, stock ings, shoes, to grace the bantling,These too were sent, (or I’m no drubber)

Nay add to these the fine gum- rubber ;Yet these wo’nt do, send t

’

other coat,

For (faith) the first e’

nt worth a groat,

Dismally shrunk,as herrings Shotten,

Suppos’d originally rotten.

Pray let the next be each way longer,Of stuff more durable, and stron er ;

Send it next week , if you are abfie,By this t ime, Sir, you know the fable ;From this

,and letters of the same make

,You ’ll find what ’tis to have a name- sake.

Cold and hard times, Sir, here, (bel ieve it)I’ve lost my curate too, and grieve it,At Easter, for what I ean see

,

(A time of ease and vacancy)If things but alter

,and not undone

,I ’ll k iss you r hands, and vis it London ;MOLLY sends greeting, so do I Sir,Send a good coat

,that’s all

, good b’

ye Sir.

Tour’

s entirely ,

MATTHEWWednesday

10 o’

Clock,Feb. 1 6

,1 703.

100

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MATTHEW PRIORV .

A patriot of h igh degree,Who cou ld no longer bearThis upstart Viceroy’s tyranny,Against him did declare.

VI.And arm’

d wi th truth impeach’d the Don,Of his enormous crimes

,Which I’ll unfold to you anon,

In low, but fa ithful rimes.VII .

The articles “ recorded stand,Aga inst th is peerless peer,Search but the archives of the land,You ’ll find them written there.

VIII.Attend, and justly I’ll reciteHis treasons to you all,

The heads set in their native l i ht,(And s igh poor GAPHNY’s falf.)

IX.

That trait’rously he did abuse

The pow’r in him repos

’d,

And wickedly the same did use,

On allmank ind impos’d.

X.

That he, contrary to alllaw,

An oath did frame and make,Compelling the mil itia,Th’ i llegal oath to take.

THE VICEROYXI.

Free- q uarters for the army too,

He did exaft and force,On Protestants, his love to Show,Than Papists us

’

d them worse.XII.

On allprovisions destin’

d for

The camp at Limerick,He laid a tax full hard and sore,

Tho’ many men were sick .

XIII .The su ttlers too he did orda inFor licences Shou ld pay,Which the refus

’

d with just disda in,And fle the Camp away.

XIV.

By which provisions were so scant,That hundreds there did die,

The soldiers food and drink did want,Nor famine cou

’d they fly.

XV .

He so much lov’d his private gain,He could nor hear or see,

They might, or die,or might complain,Withou t relief pardie.

XVIThat above and against allright,By word of mouth did he,

In counc i l s itt ing, hell ish spite,The farmer

’

s fate decree.

XVII.That he, 0 ! Ciel, without trial,Straitway shou

’

d hanged be,Tho

’then the courts were open all

,

Yet NERO judge wou ’

d be.

MATTHEW PRIORXVIII .

No sooner sa id,but it was done,

The Borreau did his worst,GAPHNY alas ! is dead and gone,And left his judge accurst.

XIX.

In this conc ise , despotic way,Unhapp GAPHNY fell,Which di allhonest men affray,As tru ly it might well.

XX.

Fu ll two good hundred pounds a year,This poor man’

s real estate,

He set’

led on his fav’rite dear

,

And CULLIFORD can say’

t.

XXI .Bes ides, he gave five hundred poundTo FIELDING his own scribe,Who was his bai l, one friend he found,He ow

’

d him to the bribe.

XXII.Bu t for th is horrid mu rder vile ,None did h im prosecu te

,

His old friend helpt him o’er the sti le

,With SATAN who’d dispute ?XXIII.

With France, fair England’s mortal foeA trade he carry’d on

,

Had any other don’

t,I trow

,

To Tripos he had gone.

XXIV.

That he did likewise trait’rously,

To bring his ends to bear,Enrich himself most knavishly ,O th ief without compare.

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MATTHEW PRIOR

The best of (lUEEN’

S he hath revil’

d,Before, and Since her death,

He, cruel and ungratefu l, smil’dWhen She resign

’

d her breath .XXXIII.

Forgetfulof the favou rs kind,She had on him bestow

’d,

Like LUCIFER,his ranc

’

rous mind,He lov’d nor Her nor GOD.

XXXIV.

But l isten NERO, lend thy ears,

As st illthou hast them on ;Hear what BR ITANNIA says with tears,Of ANNA, dead and gone.

XXXV .

“ O ! sacred be Her memory,For ever dear Her name,There never was

,or e

’

er can be,A brighter,juster

,DAME.

XXXVI.Blest be My SONS, and eke allthose

,

Who on Her praises dwell,“ She conq uer

’d Brita in’s fiercest foes,

She did allQueens excel.XXXVII.

AllPrinces,K ings, and Potentates,

“ Ambassadors did send,All nations, provinces, and states,

Sought ANNA for their friend.

XXXVIII.In ANNA They did allconfide

,

“ For ANNA They cou ld trust,

Her royal fa ith they allhad try’

d,

For ANNA sti ll was just.

THE VICEROYXXXIX.

Truth,Mercy, Justice, did surround

Her awful '

udgment- seat,In Her the RACES allwere found,“ In ANNA allcompleat.

XL“ She held the sword and ballance right,

And sought Her people’s good,In clemency She did delight ;“ Her reign not Stain

’

d with blood.XLI.

Her grac ious goodness, pietyIn allher deeds did Shine

,

“And bounteous was her charity,“ A ll attributes divine.

XLII.Consummate wisdom,

meekness all,

“Adorn’

d the words She Spoke,

“When they from Her fa ir lips did fall,“ And sweet her lovely look.

XLIII.Ten thousa nd glorious deeds to crown

,

She caus’d dire war to cease ,A greater Empress ne

’

er was known,“ She fix

’d the world in peace.

XLIV .

“ This last and Godl ike- a& atchiev’d,

To Heav’n She wing

’

d Her fl ight,Her loss with tears allEurope griev’d,The ir strength

,and dear del ight.

XLV.

Leave we in bl iss this heav’nly SAINT,Revere ye just Her urn

,

Her virtues high and excellent,ASTREA gone we mourn.

MATT HEW PRIORXLVI.

Commemorate my SONS the day,“Which gave great ANNA birth,Keep it for ever

,and for aye

And annual be your mirth .XLVII .

Illustrious GEORGE now fil ls the throne,

Our wise,ben ign , good k ing,

Who can his wond’rous deeds make known ?Or his bright aétions s ing?

XLVIII .Thee

,fav

’

rite NERO, he has deign’d,To ra ise to hi

gh degree

,

Well Thou thy onours hast sustain’

d,

Wellvoucht Thy ancestry.

XLIX.

But pass—These honou rs on Thee la id,Can they e

’er make thee white ,

Don’

t GAPHNY’S blood

,which thou hast shed,

Thy gu i lty soul affright ?L.

O ! is there not,grim mortal tell

,

Places of bl iss and WO ?

0 ! is there not a Heav’

n,a Hell ?

But whither wilt Thou go ?LI.

Can nought change thy obdurate mind ?W i lt Thou for ever rai l ?

The prophet on Thee well refin’

d,

And set thy wit to sale.

LII.

How Thou art lost to sense and shame,Three countries witness be,

Th

i' conduél: alljust men do blame,ib

’

ra nos Domine.

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MATTHEW PRIOR

NELL and JOHN .

An EPIGRAM.

IHEN NELL, given o

’

er by the dofi or, was dying,And JOHN at the chimney Stood decently cry ing,

’T is in vain said the WOMAN, to make such ado

,

For to ou r long home , we must allof us go.

II.True

,NELL, reply

’

d JOHN,but what yet is the worst

For us that remain, the best always 0 first ;Remember

,dear wife, that I said soIast year,

When you lost your white heifer, and I my brown mare .

BIBO .

An EPIGRAM.

HEN BIBO thought fit from the world to retreat,

As ful l of Champagne, as an e g’

s fu ll of meat ;He wak

’

d in the boat,and to CHARONIre said

,

He wou ’d be tow’

d back,for he was not yet dead.

Trim the boat,and s it q u iet, Stern CHARON reply

’d,

You may have forgot, you were drunk when you dy’d.

GABR IEL and bis W IVES.An EPIGRAM.

IDEATH how thou spoil

’

st the best prgeéts of l ife

,

Said GABRIEL, who sti ll as he bury ’d ne wife,For the sake of her fami ly marry’d her cous in ;

II .And thus in an hones t collateral line

,

He stil l marry’d on ti ll his number was Nine,

Fu ll sorry to die till he made up his D

1 10

SILVIA.

An EPIGRAM.

ER time with eq ual prudence SILVIA shares,First writes her Bi llet- doux , then says her

Her mass and toi let ; vespers, and the play ;Thus GOD and ASHTAROTH div ide the dayConstant she keeps her Ember- week , and Lent,At Easter calls allIsrael to her tent

Loose without band, and pious withou t zeal,She st ill repeats the s ins she wou ld conceal ;Envy her self from SILVIA’S l ife must grant,An artfulwoman makes a modern saint.

R ICHARD and NELLY .

An EPIGRAM.

UOTH R ICHARD in jest,look ing wistly at NELLY

,

Methinks child you seem somethmg round in the belly '

NELL answer’

d him snapishly, How can that be ?My husband has been more than two years at sea.

Thy husband ! q uoth DICK, why that matter was carry’d

Most secretly, NELL, I ne’er thought thou wer’t marry’d.

CUPIDIN

AMBUSH .

IT oft to many has successfu l been,Upon h is arm to let his mistress lean,

Or with her airy fan to cool her heat,Or gently sq ueeze her knees, or press her feet.Allpubl ic sports to favour young des ire,With opportun ities like this consp ire ;Ev

’

n where his sk i ll,the G ladiator shows

,With human blood, where the Arena flows.

MATTHEW PRIORThere oftent imes love’s q u iver- bearing- Boy,Prepares his bow and arrows to destroyWhile the speé

’

tator gazes on the fight,

And sees’em wound each other with del ight.

While he his pretty mistress entertains,And wagers with her who the conq uest gains ;Sl ily the GOD takes aim and hits his heart

,

And in the wounds he sees he bears his part.

NANNETTE .

A SONG .

IASTE my NANNETTE, my lovely maid,Haste to the bower, thy swain has made.

II.For thee alone I made the bower

,

And Strew’

d the couch with many a flower.III.

None but my Sheep shall near us come,VENUS be prais’d, my Sheep are dumb.

IV .

Great GOD of love, take thou my crook,To keep the wolf from NANNETTE’S flock.

V.

Guard thou the sheep,to her so dear,

My own,alas ! are less my care.

VI.But of the wolf

,if thou

’

rt afra id,Come not to u s to call for aid.

VII.

For with her swain my love shallstay,Tho

’the wolf strole, and the sheep stray .

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MATTHEW PRIOR

On HALL’

s DEATH .

An EPIGRAM.

OOR HALL caught his death standing under a spout,Expeéting till midn ight, when NAN would come out ;

But fatal his pat ience, as cruel the Dame,

And curst was the Weather that q uench’d the Man’s flame.

Who e’

er thou art that reads these moral l ines,

Make love at home, and go to bed bet imes.”

PROMETHEUS .An EPIGRAM.

ROMETHEUS forming Mr DAY,

Carv’

d something l ike a man in clay.

The mortal ’s work might wellmiscarry ;He that does heav’n and earth controul,Has only pow

’

r to form a soul,His hand is evident in HARRY.Since One is but a movin clod

,

T’

O ther the l ively form 0 GOD,’Sq u ire WALLIS, you will scare be able

,

To prove allpoetry but fable.

THE

WANDERING PILGRIM .

HUMBLY ADDRESSED TO

Sir THOMAS FRANKLAND,Bar’.

Post-Master, and Pay-Master- General

Queen ANNE.

I.

WILL PIGGOT must to Coxwould go,To live, alas ! in want,

Unless Sir THOMAS say No, no,Th’ Allowance is too scant.

1 14.

THE WANDERING PILGRIMII

The gracious Knight full welldoes weet,Ten farth ings ne

’

er will do,

To keep a man each day in meat,Some bread to meat is due.

III.

A Rechabite poor WILL must l ive,

And drink of ADAM’S ale,

Pure-Element, no l ife can give,

Or mortal soul regale.

IV.

Spare diet, and spring-water clear,Phys ic ians hold are good ;Who diet’s thus need never fear

,

A fever in the blood.

V.

Gra’mercy , Sirs, ’are in the right

,

Prescriptions A can sell,

Bu t he that does not eat can’

t sh’

Or piss if good drink fa il.VI .

But pass—The [Esculapian- Crew,

Who eat and q uafl'

the best,They seldom miss to bake and brew,Or lin to break the ir fast.

VII.Cou ld Yorkshire-T ke but do the same,Than He like hem might thrive,But FORTUNE, FORTUNE, cruel DAME

,

To starve Thou do’st Him drive.VIII.

In WILL’S Old mas ter’s plenteous days,His mem’

ry e’

er be blest ;What need of speaking in his praise,His goodness stands confest.

H 2

MATTHEW PRIORIX.

At His fam’d gate stood Charity,

In lovely Sweet array,CERES,and Hospital ity,

Dwelt there both night and day.

XBut to conc lude, and be concise,Truth must WILL

’s voucher be,Truth never yet went in disgu ise,

For naked Still is She.

XIThere is but One, but One alone

,

Can set the PILGRIM free,And make him cease to pine and moan,O ! FRANKLAND it is THEE.

XII.O ! save him from a dreary way,To Coxwould he must hye,

Bereft of thee he wends astray,At Coxwould he must dye.

XIII.0 ! let him in thy hallbut stand

,

And wear a porter’s gown,

Duteous to what Thou may’st command,Thus WILLIAM’S wishes crown.

THE

ADVICEOF

VENUS.

HUS to the MUSES Spoke the CYPRIAN-DAME ;Adorn my altars,and revere my name.

SON shallelse assume his potent darts,

ang goes the how,my GIRLS, have at your hearts .

1 16

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MATTHEW PRIOR

HUSBANDAND

W IFE.

EPIGRAM.

0WITH what woes am I opprest lW. Be st i ll you senseless Calf

What if the Gods shou ld make you blest ?H. Why then I’d sing and laugh

But if they won’t, I’llwail, and cry .

PV. You ’ll hardly laugh, before you die.

TO

FORTUNE .

ANOTHER .

HILST I in Prison on a Court look down,

Nor beg thy favou r, nor deserve thy frown,In vain mal ic ious FORTUNE, hast thou try

’

d,

By tak ing from my state to q uellmy PrideInsu lt ing GIRL,thy present rage abate ;

And wou ld’st thou have me humble,make me GREAT.

CHASTFLORIMEL.

I.0, I’ll endure ten thousand deaths,E

’

er any farther I comply ;0 ! Sir, no man on earth that breathes,Had ever yet his hand so h igh.

CHAST FLORIMEL

II.0 ! take your Sword and pierce my heart,Undaunted see me meet the wound ;

0 ! will you aét a TARQU IN’S partA second LUCRECE you have found.

III .Thus to the press ing CORYDON

,

Poor FLORIMEL,unhapp ma id,

Fearing by love to be un one,

In broken,dy ing, accents said.

IV.

DELIA, who held the consc ious door,

Inspir’

d by truth and brandy, smil’d,

Knowin that Sixteen months before,Our UCRECE had her second ch ild.

VAnd

,hark ye, Madam

,cry

’

d the bawd,

None of your fl ights, you r high- rope dodging ;Be c ivi l here, or march abroad

Obl ige the’Sq u ire, or q u it the lodging.

VI.0 ! have I, FLORIMEL went on

,

Have I then lost my DELIA’S aid ?Where shall forsaken virtue run

,

If by her friends She is betray’

d ?

VII.O lcurse on empt friendship’s name ;Lord, what is al our future view ?Then, dear destroyer of my fame,Let my las t succour be to you .

VIII.From DELIA’S rage , and FORTUNE

’S frown

,A wretched love- Sick maid del iver ;O ltip me but another Crown,Dear Sir, and make me Your’s for ever.

MATTHEW PRIOR

PARTIAL

FAME.

I.

THE sturdy MAN if he in love obtains,In open pomp and triumph reigns ;

The subtil WOMAN if She should succeed,Disowns the honour of the deed.

II.Tho

’ HE for allhis boast,is forc

’d to y ield,

Tho’SHE can always keep the field,

He vaunts His CONQUEST, She conceals Her SHAME ;How PARTIAL is the voice of FAME ?

A

SONG.

SET BY

PURCEL.

I

WHITHER would my pass ion run,

Shall I fly Her, or pursue Her ?Losing Her I am undone,Yet wou ld not gain Her to undo Her.

II.Ye tyrants of the human breast

,

Love and Reason cease your war,And order Death to give me rest ;

80 each will eq ual triumph share.

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MATTHEW PRIOR

UPONHONOUR .

AFRAGMENT .

ONOUR, I say,or hones t FAME,I mean the su Stance, not the name ;

(Not that l ight heap of tawdry wares,Of Ermin, Coronets , and Stars

,

Wh ich often is bymerit soug ,

ht

gold and flatt ry oft’ner bought .

The8 Shade

,for which Ambition looks

,

In SELDEN’

s or in ASHMOLE’S booksBut the true glory which proceeds,Refleéled bright from honest deeds

,Which we in our Own breast perceive,And K INGS can ne ither take nor give.

THE

OLD GENTRY.

I.

THAT allfrom ADAM first began,None but ungodly WOOLSTON doubts

,

And that His son, and His son’

s son,Were allbut plowmen

,clowns

,and lou ts .

II .Each when his rustic pa ins began

,

To merit pleaded eq ual right,’Twas only who left Ofl

‘

at noon,

Or who went On to work till night.

THE OLD GENTRYIII .

But coronets we owe to crowns,

And favour to a cou rt’

s affeélion,By nature we are ADAM’S sons

,

And sons of ANSTIS by eleélion .

IV.

KINGSALE,ci ht hundred years have roll

’

d,

Since thy orefathers held the plow,When this Shall be in story told,

Add,That my k indred do so now.

VThe man who by his labour getsHis bread

,in Independant state

,

Who never begs, and seldom eats ,H imself can fix,or change his fate .

THE

INCURABLE.

EPIGRAM .

HILLIS you boast of perfeét health in vain ,And laugh at those who of the ir i lls complain :

That with a freq uent fever CLOE bu rns,And STELLA’S plumpness into dropsy tu rns .

0 ! PHILLIS, while the patients are n ineteen,

Little, alas ! are the ir distempers seen .

But Thou for allThy seeming health art ill,

Beyond thy lover’s hopes , or BLACKMORE’S skill ;No len itives can thy disease asswage

,

I tell Thee, ’

T is incurable—’

tis AGE.

MATTHEW PRIOR

THE

Insatiable PRIEST.

I

IEKE PREACH- ILL, admires what we laymen can mean

,That thus b ou r profit and pleasure are sway’

d ;He has but three livings , and wou ld be a DEAN,His wife dy’d this year, He has marry’d His maid.

IITo suppress allHis carnal des ires in their birth

,

At allhours a lusty young hussy is near ;

And to take off His thought from the things of this earth,

He can be content with two thousand a year.

DOCTORS Differ.

AN

EPIGRAM .

HEN WILLIS of Ephra im heard ROCHESTER preach,Thus BENTLY said to him,I pr’ythee, dear brother,

How lik’St Thou this Sermon ? ’

tis ou t of My reach,His is One way, said WILL IS, and Ours is Another.I care not for carping

,but this I can tell

,

We preach very sa dly, if he preaches well.

PONTIUSAND

PONTIA .

I.

PONTIUS, (who loves you know a joke

,

Much better than he loves his life)Chanc

’

d t’

other morn ing to provokeThe patience of a well- bred wife.

124,

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MATTHEW PRIOR

TO A

POET of Q JALITY,

PRAISING THE

Lady HINCHINBROKE .

I .

OF thy judic ious MUSE’S sense

,

Young HINCHINBROKB so very proud is ,That SACHAR ISSA,and HORTENSE

,

She looks, henceforth, upon as Doudies .

II.Yet She to ONE must stil l submi t

,

To dear mamma must pay Her duty,She wonders pra is ing WILMOT’S wit

,Thou Shou’

dst forget His DAUGHTER’S beauty.

The PRATER.

An EPIGRAM.

YSANDER talks extremely well ,L On any subjeéI let him dweli,His tropes and figures will content Ye

He shou ld pos es to alldegrees

The art of talk, he praétises

Full fourteen hours in four and twenty.

TRUTHTOLD AT

LAST.

EPIGRAM .

SAYS PONTIUS in rage

, contradiéting his Wife,You never yet told me one Tru th in your l ife

c t PONTIA no way cou ld this Thes is allow,You ’re a Cuckold, say

’

s she, do I tell you Truth now ?”

IEIJHSTAALORM’D half beneath

,and half above the earth

,

We Sisters owe to art our second birthThe Smith’s and Carpenter’s adopted Daughters,Made on the land, to travel on the waters.Swifter they move, as they are straiter bound

,

Yet ne ither tread the air,or wave, or groundThey serve the poor for use,the rich for wh im

,

S ink when it rains, and when it freezes swim.

TWO BEGGARSDisputing their RIGHT to an OYSTER they hadFound ; a LAWYER thus decides the CAUSE.

LIND PLAINTIFF,lame DEFENDANT, share

The friendly LAWS impartial care.

A SHELL for HIM,A SHELL for THEE

,

The MIDDLE is the LAWYER’

s- FEE.

So WORD dec rees the People’s R IGHT,An A CHARTA is a PAPER-K ITE.

MATTHEW PRIOR

FRENCH

SONG .

I .HY thus from the Plain does my Shepherdess rove

,

Forsak ing Her swain,and negleétin His love ?

You have heard allmy grief, you see how 5die,O l give some relief to the swain whom you fly.

II .How can you complain

,or what am I to say,

Since my dog l ies unfed, and m Sheep run astray ;Need I tellwhat I mean

,that langu ish alone

,

When I leave allthe Plain, you may guess ’

tis for ONE.

HUMAN LIFE .

WHAT trifl ing coi l do we poor mortals keep ;Wake, eat

, and drink,evacuate

,and sleep.

CASESTATED .

IOW how Shall I do with m love and my pride,Dear DICK give me counsefi

'

if Friendshi p has any,Pr

’

ythee purge, or let blood,surly RICHARD repl ’

d,

And forget the Coq uet in the arms of your ANNY.

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MATTHEW PRIORIV.

Nor to bus iness a drudge, nor to faé'

tion a slave,

He strove to make int’rest and freedom agree,In publ ic employments industrious and grave,And alone with his friends, Lord how merry was he.

V .

Now in eq u i page stately, now humbl on foot,

Both fortunes he try’

d, bu t to neit er wou ld trust,

And whirl’

d in the round,as the wheel turu ’

d about,

He found riches had wings, and knew man was but dust.

VI.This verse l ittle polish’d, tho’ mighty s incereSets neither his titles nor merit to view

,

It says that h is rel ics colleéted lie here,

And no mortal yet knows too if this may be true .

VII.Fierce robbers there are that infest the highway ,So MATT may be kill’d, and his bones never found

,

False witness at cou rt,and fierce tempests at sea

,

So MATT may yet chance to be hang’

d,or be drown’

d.

VIII.If his bones lie in earth

,roll in sea, fly in air

,

To Fate we must y ield, and the thing is the same,

And if pass ing thou giv’st him a smi le,or a tear

,

He cares not—yet pr’ythee be k ind to h is FAME.

TO

My Lord HARLEY.

EXTEMPORE .

EN,ink , and wax , and paper send,

To the k ind WIFE,the lovely FR IEND ;

Smi l ing bid Her free ly write,What her happy thoughts indite ;Of Virtue, Goodness, Peace, and Love

,Thoughts which ANGELS may approve

1 30

ALETTER

TO

The Honourable LADYMiss MARGARET - CAVENDISH

HoLLEs- HARLEY.

Y noble,lovely, l ittle PEGGY,

Let th is,my FIRST- EPISTLE, beg ye,

At dawn of morn,and c lose of even

,

To lift our heart and hands to heavenIn doub e beauty say you r pray

’

r,

Our jb tber first, then notre pare ;And

,dearest CHILD , alon the day,

In ev’ry thing you do anssay,Obe and please my LORD and LADY

,

So D shall love, and ANGELS aid,Ye.

If to these PRECEs You attend,

No SEOOND-LET I'ER need I send,And so I rest You r constant Friend

TRUTHAND

FALSHOOD.

ATALE .

NCE on a time,in sun- Shine weather

,

FALSHOOD and TRUTH walk ’d out together,

The neighb’

ring woods and lawns to view,

As oppos ites w1llsometimes do.

MATTHEW PRIORThro’ many a blooming mead They past,And at a brook arriv

’

d at last.The purl ing stream,

the margin green,With flowers bedeck ’d,a vernal scene

,Invited each itin’rant maidTo rest a while beneath the shade ;Under a Spreading beach They sat,

And pass’d the time wi th female chat ;

Wh ilst each her charafi er maintain’d ;ONE Spoke her thoughts ; the OTHER feign’d.

At length

,uoth FALSHOOD

,S ister TRUTH,

For so S e caIl’d Her from Her youth,What if to shun yon sult’ry beam,

We bathe in this de l ightful stream ;

The bottom smooth, t e wate r c lear,

And there’s no pryin shepherd near

With allmy heart, t e NYMPH reply’

d,

And threw Her snowy robes aside,

Stript her self naked to the skin,And with a Spring leapt headlong in.

FALSHOOD more le isurely undrest,

And la g by Her tawd vest,

T rick’J

‘

h

l

er self out in RUTH’S array,And cross the meadows tript away .

From th is curst hou r, the FRAUDFUL DAME,Of sacred TRUTH usurps the name,And with a vile

, perfidious mind,Roams far and near to cheat mankind ;False Sighs suboms, and artfu l tears

,

And starts with vain, pretended fears ;In Vimsti ll appears mos t wise,

at church Her saint- like- eyes .

Talks very much, plays idle tricks,While rising- s tock Her consc ience pricks ,W hen be ing

,poor th in extremely gravell

’d,

She secrets ope’d,and un ravel] d.

But on She will, and sec rets tellOf JOHN and JOAN

,and NED and NELL,

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MATTHEW PRIORIII .

Her breath like a rose,

It’

s sweets does disclose,

Whenever you ravish a kiss ;Like iv ’ry ‘

inchas’

d,Her teeth are well plac’d,

An exq u isite beauty she is .

IV .

Her plump breas ts are white,

Delight ing the s ight,There CUPID discovers her charms ;O ! spare then the rest,

And think of the best’Tis heaven’

to dye in her arms.

VShe’s blooming as May,Brisk

,livel and gay,

The GRACES p ay allround abou t her ;She’s prudent and witty,Sings wond’rously pretty,

And there is no l iving without her.

PROLOGUEFOR

DELIA’

S PLAY.

The RoyalM ischief.A TRAGEDY.

ADIES, to You with pleasure we submit,This early ofl'

Spring of a VIRGIN-W IT.

From your good natu re nought ou r AUTHRESS fears,Sure you

’ll indu lge,if not the MUSE, her YEARS,

I34

PROLOGUE FOR DELIA ’

S PLAYFreely the praise she may deserve bestow,Pardon

,not censure, what you can

’t allow ;

Smi le on the work,be to her merits k ind

,

And to her faults, whate’er they are, be blind.

Let Critics follow RULES, she boldly wri tesWhat NATURE difi ates, and what LOVE indites .By no du ll forms her Q IEEN and LAD1ES move

,

But court the ir HEROES, and agn ize the ir love .

Poor MAID ! she’d have (what e’

en no WIEE wouldA HUSBAND love h is SPOUSE beyond the graveAnd from a second-marr iage to deter

,

Shews you what horrid th 1ngs STEPMOTHERS are .

Howe ’er,to CoNsTANCY the Fu n she ives,

And tho'

the SISTER dies the BROTHER ives .Blest with success , at las t

,he mounts a throne

,

Enjoys at once his MISTRESS and a CROWN .Learn, LADIES, then from LINDARAxA

’

S fa te,

What grea t rewards on virtuous Lovers wait.Learn too, if Heav

’n and Fate should adverse prove

,

(For Fate and Heav’

n don’t alwa s smile on love)

Learn wi th Z ELINDA to be still I e same,

Nor q u it your FIR ST for any SECOND flame,

Whatever fate, or death , or life,be

'

ven,

Dare to be true, submit the rest to caven.

AMARYLLIS .

A

PASTORAL .

T was the fate of an unhappy SWAINTo love a NYMPH, the glory of the

In vain he daily did his courtship move,The NYMPH was haughty, and disdain

’

d to love.

Each morn as soon as the SUN ’S Iden rayDispers

’

d the clouds, and Chaced ark night away,‘ 35

MATTHEW PRIORThe sad despairing Shepherd rear

’d his head

From ofl‘

his pillow,and forsook h is bed.

Strait he search’

d out some melancholy shade,Where he did blame the proud disdainful MAID

,

And thus with cruelty did her upbra idAh ! SHEPHERDESS will you then let me dye ;Will nothing thaw this frozen cruelty :But you, lest you shou ld pity, will not hear,You will not to my sq

’

rings give ear ;

Bu t adder- l ike to listen you refuse

To words,the greatest charm that man can use.

’

T is now noon-day, the Sun is mounted high,

Beneath refreshing Shades the beasts do lie,

And seek out cool ing rivers to asswage,

The Lion’

s su ltry heat, and Dog- Star’

s

The Oxen now can’t plow the fru itfiIl

The furious heat forbids the reaper’s toi l.Both beast and men for work are now unfit

,

The weary’

d H inds down to the ir dinner sit ;Each creature now is with refreshment blest

,

And none but wretched I , debarr’d of rest,I wander up and down thro’ desart lands,

On sun- bu rnt mountain- tops,and parched sands.

And as alone,restless I go along

,

Nothing but eccho answers to my Song.

Had I not better undergo the scorn

Of JENNY ? is it not more easy borne ?

The cruelty of angry KATE ? altho’That She is black , and you as white as snow.

O ! NYMPH don ’

t,too much, to you r beau ty trust

,

The brightest steel is eaten up with rust

T he whitest blossoms fall,sweet roses fade

,

And you , tho’ handsom, yet may dye a maid.

With THEE I cou ld admire a country life,Free from distu rbance

,c ity noise

,or strife

Amongs t the shady groves and woods we’d walk,Of nothing else but love’s great charms we’d talk

,

We wou ld pursue,in season, rural sports

,

And then let knaves and fools resort to courts ;

I could,bes ides, some country

- presents find,

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MATTHEW PRIOR

CUPID’

s Promise .

PARAPHRASED .

I .OFT CUPID, wanton, am’

rous Bo

y,

T he other day mov’d with my yre,In flatt

’

ring accents spoke his joy,And u tter

’

d thus his fond des ire.

II.O ! raise thy voice, One SONG I ask,Touch then th

’ harmon ious string,To THYRSIS easy is the task

,

Who can so sweetly play and s ing.III .

Two k isses from my mother dear,THYRSIS th due reward shall be

,

None,none

,ike Beau ty

’

s Q i een is fa ir,

PARIS has vouch’

d this Truth for me.

IV .

I Strait reply’

d,Thou kh ow’

st aloneThat brightest CLOE ru les In breast

,I ’ll sin thee Two instead of NE,

If ou’lt be kind

, and make me blest.V.

One K iss from CLOE’S lips,no more

I crave,He promiss

’

d me success,I play’d wi th allmy skill and power,

My glowing pass ion to express .VI

But O ! my CLOE, beauteous Ma id,Wilt thou the wisht reward bestow ?

Wilt Thou make good what LOVE has said,And by Thy grant, His power show ?

1 38

Lamentation fi r

DORINDA.

AREWEL ye shady walks , and founta ins ,Sink ing vall ies, ris ing moun ta ins :

Farewelye crys tal s treams, that passThro’

fragrant meads of verdant grassFarewelye flowers, sweet and fair

,

That us’

d to grace DOR INDA’S hairFarewelye woods, who us

'

d to shadeThe press in youth , and y ie lding maidFarewelye Ii irds , whose morning songOft made us know we slept too long :Fareweldear bed, so often prest,So often above others blest,With the kind weight of allher charms,When panting, dying, in my arms .

DOR INDA’S gone, gone far away ,She’s gone, and STREPHON cannot stayB sympa thet ic t ies I findhat to Her Sphere I am eonfin

’d ;

My motions St il l on Her must wa it,And what She wills to me is fate.

She’s gone, 0 ! hear it allye bowers,Ye walks

, ye fountains, trees , and flowers ,For whom you made your earl iest show,For whom you took a pride to grow.

She’s gone, 0 ! hear ye n igh tingales ,

Ye mountains ring it to the vales,

And cocho to the country round,

The mournful, dismal, kul ing sound

DOR 1NDA’

S ne, and STREPHON goes,To find wit Her his lost repose.

But ere I go, 0 ! let me see,

That allthings mourn Her loss l ike me“SQ

MATTHEW PRIORPlay, play, no more ye spou ting fountains,R ise ye vall ies, s ink ye mountains ;Ye walks

,in moss, neglefi ed lie,

Ye birds, be mute ; ye streams,be dry.

Fade,fade

, ye flowers,and let the rose

No more it’s blushing buds discloseYe spreading beach

,and taper fir

,

Langu ish away in mourning Her ;And never let your friendly shade

,

The stealth of other Lovers aid.

And thou,O ! dear, del ightfu l bed,

The altar where Her ma idenhead,With burn ing cheeks

,and down cast eyes,With pant ing breasts

,and kind repl ies

,

And other due solemn ity,Was ofl

'

er’

d up to love and me.

Hereafter sufl‘

er no abuse,

Since consecrated to ou r use,

As thou art sacred,don

’

t profaneThy self with any vu lgar stain

,

But to thy pride be sti ll display’d,The print her lovely l imbs have madeSee

,in a moment, allis chang

’

d,

The flowers shrunk up, the trees disrang’

d,

And that which wore so sweet a face,

Become a horrid, desart place.

Natu re Her influence withdraws,Th ’ efl

'

eét must follow st i ll the cause,

And where DOR INDA will res ide,

Nature must there allgay provide .

Deck ing that happy Spot of earth,

Like Eden’

s- Garden at it’

s birth,

To please Her matchless,darl ing Ma id

,

The wonder of her Forming-Trade ;Excelling All who e

’

er Excell’

d,

And as we ne’

er the l ike beheld,So neither is

,nor e

’

er can be,Her Parallel , or Second SHE.

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MATTHEW PRIORII.

’

T is but the last long winter n ight,Ou r Sun wil l rise to morrow bright,And to our suE

’

ring pass ion bringThe promise of eternal Spring,Which thy k ind eyes shall ever cheer

,

And make that Season allour Year.

ONA PRETTY

MADWOMAN .

I.HILE mad OPHELIA we lament

,

And Her distraétion mourn,Our grief ’s misplac’d, Ou r tears mispent,Since what for Her condition’

s meantMore justly fits Our Own.

II.For if

’

tis happiness to be,From allthe tu rns of Fate

,

From dubious joy, and sorrow free ;OPHELIA then is bles t, and we

Misunderstand Her state.

III.The Fates may do whate’er they wi ll,The can

’

t disturb her mind,Insensi le of good

,or ill

,

OPHELIA is OPHELIA still,

Be Fortune cross or k ind.

IV.

Then make with reason no more noise,

Since what should give rel ief,The q u iet of Our mind destroys,Or with a full spring- tide of joys,Or a dead- ebb of grief.

Tba Torment qfABSENCE.

I.

WHAT a tedious day is past !Loving

,think ing

,wishing, weeping

Gods ! if this be not the last,Take a l ife not worth my keeping.

IILOVE

, ye Gods , is LIEE alone !In the length is l ittle pleasure

Be but ev’ry day Our-Own,

We shall ne’er complain of measu re.

THE

NEW YEAR’S GIFTTO

PHYLLIS .

I

THE c ircling months begin this day,To run the ir yearly ring

,

And long- breath ’d t ime which ne’

er wi ll stay,Refits his wings

,and shoots away,

It round again to bring.II .

Who feels the force of female eyes,And thinks some Nymph divine,

Now brings his annual sacrifice,

Some pretty boy , or neat device,

To ofl'

er at Her Shrine .

MATTHEW PRIOR

But I ean pay no offering,To show how I adore,

S ince I had but a heart to bringA downright fool ish, faithfu l thing,And that you had before.

Yet we ma give, for custom sake,What wi to both be New,

My Constancy a Gift I’llmake,And in return of it will takeSome Levity from You.

Coy JENNY.

A SONG .

I.OR God’s- sake—nay, dear Sir,Lord, what do You mean ?

I protest, and I vow Sir,Your ways are obscene.

II.Pr

?give over, O fie,

ish,leave of your fooling,

Forbear, or I’llcry,

I hate th is rude doing.III.

Let me die if I stay,Does the DEVIL possess You ;Your hand take away,Then perhaps I may bless You.

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I46

MATTHEW PRIOR

ENGRAVENOn THREE Sides of

An Antique- LAMP

,

GIVEN BY ME

To the Right HonourableTHE

Lord HARLEY.

M. P .

NTIQUAM hanc Lampademé Museo COLEERTINO allatam

,

Domino HARLEO inter KemrjMa sua

Reponendam D. D. MATTHa-zUs PRIOR .

This Lamp which PR IOR to his HARLEY gave,Brought from the altar of the CYPRIAN-Dame,Indu lgent time, thro’ fu ture ages save,Before the Muse to burn with purer flame.

Sperne dileé’

tum Veneris sacellum,

Sanétius , Lampas , tibi munus orno ;

I fove Casto Vigil HARLEANASIgne Camoenas.

THE EXAM INER.

N° 6 . Tburrday Sept. 7 . 1 7 10 .

THE Collefl ive Bod of the Whigs have already engrossedour R iches ; and t eir Representati ves, the Krr- Car, havepretended to make a Monopoly of ou r Sense . Thus it happens,

that Mr. P r,by being expe lled the Club, ceases to be a

Poet ; and Sir Harry F— e becomes one

,by be in admitted

into it.’

T is here that W it and Beauty are ec ided byPlural ity of Voices : The Child’s Judgment sha ll makeH pass for a Fool ; and acob

’

s Indu lgence shallpreserve Ifady H r from the allow-Candle.

It is the Misfortune of our [ tbem, like that of antient

Greece, to be governed by a Set Number of Tyrants : TheWorks of learned Men are we ighed here by the unerringBallance of Party, and he is sure to be mos t in nious in h 1s

Writings , who is, in their Phrase, most thoroug ed in his

Poli tics . Tra looby ke t the generalApplause [136

a wholeWinter ; wh ile poor P e dra could scarce get into the Theatre,’

till she had thrown herself at the Feet of one of these Regs /i.

It was in this Mint that a curious Piece of poetical Workmanship was lately wrought, and, by the Mas ters of the Company,allowed as current and authent ic Coin. Notwith standingwh ich Stamp of Authority, a Critic, unknown to me

,has

presumed to make some Observations upon th is Performance ;both which , I hope Dr. Bentley willexcuse me for publ ishing,s ince this is such Poetry as he has never found among the

G aelor Latin Writers.

147

MATTHEW PRIOR

To tbe Earlof GODOLPHIN .HILST weeping Europe bends beneath her Ills ,And where the Sword destro s not

,Famine

Our Isle enjoys , by you r successfu l are ,

The Pomp of Peace amidst the Woes of War.

So much the Publ ic to you r Prudence owes,

You think no Labours long for our ReposeSuch Conduft, such Integrity are shown

,There are no Cofl'

ers empt but you r own .

From mean Dependance crit you retrieve ;Unask

’

d you offer, and unseen you give.

You r Favour,l ike the Nile, Increase bestows ,

And yet conceals the Source from whence it flowsSo pois

’d your Pass ions are

,we find no Frown

,

If Funds oppress not, and if Commerce run.

Taxes diminish’d, Liberty ent ire,Those are the Grants your Services req u ire.

Thu s far the State-Machine wants no Repair,But moves in matchless Order b your CareFree from Confu s ion

,settled an serene

,

And, l ike the Un iverse, by Springs unseen.

Bu t now some Star,s in ister to our Prayers,

Contrives new Schemes, and calls ou from AfFairs .No Angu ish in your Looks, nor C

'

ares appear,

But how to teach the unprafi is’

d Crew to Steer.

Thus, like some Vifi im, no Constraint you need,

To expiate the ir Offence, by whom you bleed.

Ingratitude’s a Weed in every Clime,It thrives too fast at first, but fades in Time.

The God of Day, and your own Lot’

s the same,

The Vapours you have rais’

d,obscu re your Flame.

But though you suffer, and a while retreat,Your Globe of Light looks larger as you set.

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MATTHEW PRIORI could wish the Verse would have allowed of the W ord

Plague, or Pestilence ; for I suppose that’s what the Au thormeans. I have heard of the Plague at Dantzicl; but what

Part of Europe Famine rages in,I know not. Why won

’

t

Pbysic stand here ? It is better Sense, and runs as well.What the Pomp of Peace is , I as l ittle comprehend, as how it

can be enjoyed amidst the Woes ofWar.

Sue/J Condufi,sucb Integrity are sbown

,

Tbere are no Cofi'

ers empty but your own.

Since there is so l ittle Poetry in this Couplet, I wish there

were more Truth in it. Some Cofl'

ers,I have heard

,were

empty three Weeks ago ; and if they are not so st i ll, the

Nation is more obliged to the Doctor’s unprac'tised Crew,

than to the experienced Pi lot .Unasb

’

d you mfi r

A reat Discovery ! I always thought ti ll now,he that was

ask d might be said to give ; but not properly to offer. The

mal ic ious Part of the World will, I doubt, be apt to observe,That this Sentence, as it stands here, is as true in Fact, as it

is exact in Language,Tour Favour

,like tbe Ni le

,Increase bestows.

If the Beauty of the Simile is to be judged of by the

freq uent Use which the Poe ts of allAges have made of it,

scarce any can come in Compet ition with the Doétor’s R iver.The Nile on these Occas ions is as trite , as the Stories of Icarusand Pbaeton. I remember I used it when I was about Twelve,in a New - Tear

’

s- Gift to my Unc le, and was heart i ly ashamedof it a Year after. A School - Boy can no more miss the Nile

,

than a Frencb Author,when he dedicates to the Grand

Monarch,can l ive without the Sun, that other Simile in wh ich

the Doctor rejoices.Some Star , sinister to our Prayers,

Contrives new Scbemes.

All: legunt Five Stars ; which makes th is Passa intell igible.

I have often heard Astrologers ta lk of a sort of fluence that

150

THE EXAMINERStars hav fi

'

airs ; but I know of no Stars,but

those in Constellation, that ever contr ivedSchemes ; and those too were erected under no very ben ignAspea .

My Lord’

s Care, he tells us, is to teach the un raftised

Crew to steer. By Crew, we are to understand the rds of

the Treasury. A very c iv il Express ion ! But as to the Sense

of it : What Afi nity is there between Crew and Steering?Is Steering the Bus iness of the whole Ship’s Crew ? This is

a true Image of the Wbig- Scbeme,where every Man is his own

Pilot.If we read the two next Lines, we shall find these People

have wounded him ; and yet, l ike the best- natu r’

d Viétimimaginable, he needs no Constra int to expiate the ir Ofience.All this is what the Frencb call Gallimatia s, and what the

Englisb Cri tics term Nonsense. But what follows ? For wbom

you bleed. Bleed ! What, is the Devil in the Doctor, to

mention such a Word,and give so unlucky a H int ? Ihoped

that this Point had been so well guarded,that there could be

no farther need of an Aft of Secu rity .

Tbc God 4 Day, and you r own Lot’

s tbc same.

A hundred Pound for a Genitive Case ! as old Busby used to

cry ou t upon such an Occas ion.

But to

"go on

,from Grammar to Decency. Of this

Happiness 0 Great Britain, is any Part ascribed to the Queen ?To th is Machine, wh ich moves so like the Universe, does the

Royal Hand gi ve any Turn ? Methinks he might at leas tallow HerMajesty as much as his Friends did in the Corona

VICEM GERI‘I

’

ILL/I.

But,as the Poet observes,

Ingratitudt's a Weed in every Clime.

He will gi ve me leave, in my own Turn, to observeDon Sebastian it is ,

lngratitude's tbc Growtb of every Client.

151

MATTHEW PRIORWhat Occas ion was there of altering a Verse he thought fitto steal ? This is be ing a meer Banditti in Poetry, to rob and

mu rder too. But who is to be charged with this In ratitude ?

The whole Body of the Nation did indeed wish the reasu rer

ou t ; but’

twas Her Majesty only that could diSplace him.

Such are the Compliments which the Crown rece ives fromthis Ant i-monarchical Academy. Excellent Poets

,dut iful

Subjeéts lI cou ld give you many more Observat ions upon the

Beauties of this sublime Panegyric, if I had my Longinus byme. It has been correfi ed, I find, twice or thrice already ;and if the Author corrects it once more

,I am so well ac

q uainted with his lucky Performances that Way, that I don ’

t

doubt,but I shall be tempted to write to you aga in upon the

same Subjeét. He will not be like himself, if he does not sh ifthis Patron as well as his Phrases ; and it won’

t surprize me at

all,if in the next Edition the Poem should come out inscribed

to the late Treasurer of Ireland.

But I believe by th is Time the Town is t ired with the

Verses,and you with the Crit ic isms of

Tour most bumble Servant,

Pa onmoLa.

My unknown Friend Mr. Pbilo has taken myProvince from me : However, I am to him for his

Essay. The best Return which c to an ingeniousMan

,is to afford h im fresh Matter to e b y h is Thoughts,

and more Opportun i ties of Shewing his‘i gacit For thisReason I present my Brother Examiner With a iddle

, whichwas sent me by a Sage, studious of Egyy

ian Knowledge, and

much addicted to the H ieroglyphics.

1 52

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MATTHEW PRIORThen clear your brow, and look more gay,Do not yourself to grief res ign

Who knows bu t that those powers mayThe pair

,they now have parted, join ?

But,s ince they have thus cruel been

,

And could such constant lovers sever ;I dare not trust, lest now they’re in,They should divide us two for ever.Then

,Flav1a, come, and let us grieve,

Remembering though upon what score

This our las t parting look bel ieve,Bel ieve we must embrace no more.

Yet,should ou r sun shine ou t at last ;

And Fortune, withou t more deceit,Throw bu t one reconc il ing cast,

To make two wandering lovers meet ;How great then wou ld ou r pleasure be,To find Heaven kinder than believ

’

d ;And we, who had no hopes to see

Each other, to be thus deceiv’d !But say, Heaven shou ld bring no rel ief,Suppose our sun should never riseW‘

lzy

then what’s due to such a grief,

e’ve paid already with our eyes.

SET BY

MR . DE FESCH .

ET perjur’d fa ir Aminta know,

L What for her sake I undergo ;Tell her,for her how I sustain

A l ingering fever’s wasting pa in ;Tell her,the torments I endure,Which only , only she can cure.

SONGSBut, oh ! she scorns to hear

,or see

,

The wretch that l ies so low as me ;Her sudden greatness turns her bra inAnd Strephen hopes, alas ! in vainFor ne

’er

’

twas found (though often try’d)That pity ever dwelt with pride.

TO PH ILLIS.

SET BY

MR. SM ITH .

HILLIS, s ince we have both been kind,And of each other had ou r fill;

Tell me what pleasure you can find,

In forc ing nature ’ga inst her will.’T is true, you may with art and pa inKeep- in some glowings of des ire ;

But st ill those glowin s which remainAre only ashes of e fire.

Then let us free each other’s soul ,And laugh at the du ll constant fool,Who would Love’s l iberty controul ,And teach us how to whine by rule.

Let us no impos itions set,

Or clogs upon each other’s heart ;But, as for pleasure first we met,So now for pleasure let us part .We both have spent our stock of love,So conseq uently shou ld beTh ts ia expefts you in yon

’ grove ;d pretty Chloris stays for me.

MATTHEW PRIOR

SET BY

MR. DE FESCH .

PHILLIS, this pious talk give o

’er,

And modestly pretend no more ;It is too plain an art

Surely you take me for a fool,

And would by this prove me so du ll,

As not to know your heart.In vain you fancy to dece ive,For tru ly I can ne

’

er believeBut this is alla sham ;

Since any one may plain ly see,You ’

d only save yourself with me,And with another damn .

SET BY

MR . SM ITH .

TILL, Dorinda, I adore ;Think I mean not to dece ive yeFor I lov’d you much before

,

And, alas ! now love you more,Though I force myself to leave ye.

Staying, I my vows shall fa il ;Virtue yields, as love grows stronger ;Fierce des ires will preva i l ;You are fair ; and I am frai l,

And dare trust myself no longer.

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MATTHEW PRIORForbear, alas ! thus to destroyThyself, thy growing power ;For that which wou ld be stretch

’d by joy,

Despair willsoon devour.Ah wound then, my relentless fa ir,For thy own sake and mine ;That boundless bl iss may be my share,And double glory th ine.

A TWO PART SONG .

SET BY

MR . SMITH .

HY,Harry, what ai ls you ? why look you so sad ?

To think and ne’er drink , will make you stark-mad.

’

T is the mistress, the friend, and the bottle , old boy !Which create allthe pleasure poor mortals enjoy ;But wine of the three’s the most cordial brother,For one it rel ieves, and it strengthens the other.

SET BY

MR. DE FESCH .

MORELLA, charming without art,

And kind withou t des ign,Can never lose the smallest partOf such a heart as mine.

Oblig’

d a thousand several ways,It ne

’

er can break her chains ;While pass ion, which her beauties raise,My gratitude mainta ins.

1 58

SONGS

SET BY

MR. SM ITH .

SINCE my words, though ne

’

er so tender,W ith smcerest truth exprest,Cannot make your heart surrender

,

Nor so much as warm your breast

What will move the springs of nature ?What will make you think me true ?Tell me, thou mysterious creature,Tell poor Strephon what will do.

Do not, Charmion, rack your loverThus, by seeming not to know

What so pla inly alldiscover,What his eyes so plainly show.

Fair- one,’

tis yourself dece iving,

’T is a inst

your Reason

’

s aw[s]Atheist-l e (th effect deceiving)Still to disbelieve the cause.

XI .SET BY

MR. DE FESCH .

EVE ! inform thy faithfu l creatureHow to keep his fair- one’s heart ;

Must it be by truth of nature ?

Or by poor dissembling art ?Tellthe secret, shew the wonder,How we both may gain our ends ;I am lost if we’re asunder,Ever tortur

’d if we’re friends.

MATTHEW PRIOR

INCE Mom ,I mun bid adieu,S How can I

' help despairing ?Let Fate its R igou r st illpursue

,There’s nought more worth my caring.’Twas she alone cou ld calm my soul ,When rack ing thoughts did grieve me ;Her eyes my troubles cou ld control ,And into joys deceive me.

Farewel, ye brooks ; no more along

Your banks mun I be walkingNo more you

’ll hear my pipe or song,

Or pretty Moggy’s talk ing.But I by death an end w i ll giveTo grief

,s ince we mun sever

For who can after parting live,

Ought to be wretched ever.

SET BY

MR . SM ITH .

NGE I was unconfin’

d and free,Would I had been so st i ll !

Enjoy ing sweetest liberty,And roving at my will.

But now,not master of my heart,

Cupid does so dec ide,That two she- tyrants shall it part

,

And so poor me divide.

Vifl oria’s will I must obey,She acts without controu l

Phillis has such a taking way ,She charms my very soul.

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MATTHEW PRIORTell her too

,not distant places ,

Will she be but true and k ind,Join

’

d with t ime and change of faces,E

’

er shall shake my constant mind.

SET BY

MR . DE FESCH .

FAREWEL, Amynta, we must part ;The charm has lost its power,Which held so fast my captiv

’d heart

Unti l this fatal hour.Hadst thou not thus my love abus

’

d,

And us’d me ne

’

er so i ll,

Thy cruelty I had excus’

d,

And I had lov’d thee still .But know

,my soul disdains thy sway,

And scorns thy charms and thee,

To which each flu ttering coxcomb mayAs welcome be as me .

Think in what perfeét bliss you reign’

d,

How lov’

d before thy fall ;And now

, alas ! how much disdain’

d

By me, and scorn’

d by all.

Yet th ink ing of each happy hour,W hich I with thee have spent,

So robs my rage of allits power,That I almost relent.Bu t pride will never let me bow,

No more thy charms can moveYet thou art worth my pity now

,

Because thou hadst my love .

SONGS

XV I .LES ESTREINES.

SET BY

MR. SM ITH .

CCEPT ,my love, as true a heart

As ever lover gave :’

T is free (it vows) from any art,

And proud to be your s lave.

Then take it k indly, as ’twas meant,

And let the giver l iveWho

,with it, would the world have sent,

Had it been his to give.

And,that Dorinda may not fear

I e’er will prove untrue,

M vows shall, ending with the year,ith it begin anew.

Tears day

XVII .SET BY

MR . DE FESCH .

ANNY blushes when I woo her,

And, with kindly- chiding eyes,Faintly says, I shall undo her,Faintly, O forbear ! she cries .

But her breasts while I am press ing,While to her’s my l ips I join,Warm’

d she seems to tas te the blessing,And her kisses answer mine.

Undebauch’d by ru les of honour,Innocence with nature charms ;

One bids,gently push me from her,T’

other, take me in her arms.

L 2

1 64,

MATTHEW PRIOR

XVIII .SET BY

MR. SMITH .

SINCE we your husband dai ly see

So jealous out of season,Phillis, let you and I agreeTo make him so with reason .

I’m vext to think

,that every n ight

A sot, with in th arms,

Tastin the most ivine delight,Sho d sully allyour charms .While fretting I must lie alone,Cu ts in the powers divine

,That ungeservedly have thrownA pearl unto a swine.

Then, Phill is, heal my wounded heart,My burn ing pass ion cool ;

Let me at leas t in thee have partWith thy ins ipid fool.

Let him,by night

,his Joys pu rsue,

And blunder in the dark ;While I, by day, enjoy ing you ,Can see to hit the mark .

ADVICE TO A LADY.

SET BY MR . C . R .

HILLIS, give this humour over,We too long have time abus

’

d ;I shall turn an errant rover

,

If the favour’

s still refus’d.

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MATTHEW PRIOR

SET BY

MR . DE FESCH .

TOUCH the lyre, on every string,Touch it

,Orpheus

,I w i ll s ing

,A song which shall immortal be ;Since she I sing ’

s a de itz:

A Leonora, whose blest irth

Has no relat ion to this earth .

XXII .SET BY

MR . DE FESCH .

IN vain, alas ! poor Strephon triesTo ease his tortu r

’

d breast ;Since Amoret the cure denies,And makes his pa in a jest.Ah ! fair- one, why to me so coy

?

And why to him so true,

Who with more coldness slights the joy,Than I w ith love pu rsue ?Die then

,unhappy lover ! die ;

For, s ince she gives thee death,The world has nothing that can buyA minute more of breath .Yet, though I could your scorn outl ive,

’Twere folly s ince to meNot love i tself a joy can give

,

Bu t, Amoret, in thee.

SONGS

XXIII .SET BY

MR . DE FESCH .

WELL ! I will never more complain,

Or call the Fates unkind ;Alas ! how fond it is, how vain !But self- conce itedness does reignIn every mortalmind.

’

T is true they long did me deny,Nor wou ld permit a s ight ;I rag’d ; for I could not espy ,

O r think that any harm cou ld lieDisguis

’

d in that del igh t.At last, my wishes to fulfil ,They did their power res i n ;I saw her ; but I wish I sti lHad been obedient to their will

,

And they not unto mine.Yet I by th is have learnt the wit,Never to ieve or fret

Contentedly will submit,

And think that bes t which they think fit,Withou t the least regret.

XXIV .

SET BY MR . C . R .

HLOE beauty has and wit,And an air that is not common ;

Every charm does in her meet,Fit to make a handsome woman .

But we do not only findHere a lovely face or featu re ;For she ’s merc iful and k ind,Beauty

’

s answer’

d by good- nature.

1 67

MATTHEW PRIORShe is always doing good,Of her favours never sparing,

And, as allgood Christians should,

Keeps poor mortals from despairing.

Jove the power knew of her charms,

And that no man cou ld endure’em

,

So, providing ’gainst allharms,Gave to her the power to cure

’

em.

And'

twou ld be a cruel thing,When her black eyes have rais’

d des ire,

Should she not her bucket brinAnd k indly help to q uench t e fire.

TO THE

REV. DR . FRANC IS TURNER,

BISHOP OF ELY

WHO HAD ADVISED A TRANSLATION OF

PRUDENTIUS.

F poets, ere they cloath’

d the ir infant thought,

And the rude work to just perfec'tion brought,

Did still some god, or godl ike man invoke,Whose mighty name the ir sacred s i lence broke :

Your goodness,Sir, will eas ily excuse

,

The bold req uests of an aspiring Muse ;

Who,with your bless ing would you r aid implore ,

And in her weakness justify your power.From your fair pattern she would strive to write

,

And with uneq ual strength pursue your fl ight ;Yet hopes

,she ne

’

er can err that follows you ,Led by you r blest commands

,and great example too.

Then smi l ing and aspi ring influence give,And make the Muse and her endeavours l ive ;Claim allher future labou rs as your due,Let every song begin and end with you :

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MATTHEW PRIORALEX IS.

Say what can more our tortur’

d sou ls annoy,Than to behold, admire, and lose our joy ;Whose fate more hard than those who sadlyFor the last gl impse of the departing sun ?

Or what severer sentence can be given,Than,having seen

,to be excluded Heaven ?

DAMON .None shepherd, none

ALEXIS.Then cease to chide my cares !

And rather pity than restrain my tears ;

Those tears,my Damon, which I justly shed

,

To think how great my joys ; how soon they fled ;I told thee,friend

, (now bless the shepherd’s name,

From whose dear care the k ind occas ion came,)That I

,even I , might happily receive

T he sacred wealth,which Heaven and Daphn is give :That I might see the lovely awful swain

,Whose holy cros ier gu ides our willing plain ;Whose pleas ing power and rul ing goodness keepOu r sou ls w ith eq ual care as we ou r sheep ;Whose praise exc ites each lyre, employs each tongue :Whilst only he who caus

’

d,disl ikes the song.

To this great,humble, parting man I gain’

d

Access,and happy for an hour I reign’

d

Happy as new- form’

d man in paradise,Ere sin debauch

’

d h is inoffens ive bl iss ;Happy as heroes after battles won,

Prophets entranc’

d,or monarchs on the throne ;

Bu t (oh, my friend !) those joys with Daphn is flewTo them these tribu tary tea rs are due.

DAMON.

Was he so humble then ? those joys so vast ?Cease to admire that both so q u ick ly past.Too happy should we be

,wou ld smil ing fate

Render one bless ing durable and great ;1 70

EPIGRAMSBut (oh the sad vic iss itude how soon

Unwelcome n ight succeeds the chearfulnoon ;And rigid winter nips the flowery pomp of June !Then grieve not, friend, l ike you , since allmank indA certa in change of joy and sorrow find.

Suppress your s igh, your down- cast eyel ids raise,Whom present you revere, him absent praise.

THE

REMEDYWORSE THANTHE DISEASE .

ISENT for Ratclifl

'

e ; was so ill,That other dofi ors gave me overHe felt my pu lse, prescrib’d his pill,And I was likely to recover.

But, when the wit began to wheeze,And wine had warm’

d the pol itic ian,Cur’d yesterday of my disease,I dy

’

d last n ight of my phys ic ian.

EPIGRAM,

EXTEMPORE .

ISTOOD,

Sir, pat ient at your feet,Before your elbow- chair ;

Bu t make a bishop’s throne your seat,

I’llKNEEL before you there.

One only thing can keep you down,For your great sou l too mean ;

You’

d not, to mount a bishop’s throne ,Pay HOMAGB to the Q xeen.

MATT HEW PRIOR

EPIGRAM

ON BISHOP ATTERBURY.

EEK Franc is l ies here, friend : withou t stop or stay ,As you value your peace, make the best of your way .

Though at present arrested by Death’s ca itiff paw,

If he stirs, he may sti ll have recourse to the law.

And in the K ing’s- bench shou ld a verdifl be found,That b l ivery and seis in his grave is his ground,

He wil claim to himself what is strifily hIs due,And an afi ion of trespass will stra ightway ensue

,That you w ithout right on his premises tread,On a s imple surmise that the owner is dead.

ONBISHOP ATTE[R]BURY

’SBURYING THE

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM ,

MDCCXX.

IHAVE no hopes, the Duke he says , and dies ;In sure and certa in hopes

,

”the Prelate cries

Of these two learned Peers,I pr’ythee , say, man,

Who is the ly ing Knave, the Priest or Layman ?The Duke he stands an infidel confest

,“ He’s our dear brother

, q uoth the lordly priest.The Duke though Knave

,sti ll “ Brother dear

,

”he cries ;

And who can say, the Reverend Prelate l ies ?

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MATTHEW PRIOR

ANEPISTLE

,

MDCCXVI.Pray, good Lady Harley , let Jonathan know,

How long you intend to l ive incogn ito.

You r humble servant,

ELKANAH SETTLE.

ANOTHER EPISTLE .

Pray, Lady Harriot, the time to ass ignWhen she shall rece ive a turkey and chine ;That a body may come to St. James’s, to dine.

TRUE ’S EPITAPH .

F wit or honesty cou ld saveOur mouldering ashes from the grave,This stone had sti ll rema in’d unmark’d

,

I sti ll writ prose, True st i ll have bark ’d.

But envious Fate has claim’d its due

,Here lies the mortal part of True ;His deathless virtues must surv ive

,

To better us that are al ive.

His prudence and his wit were seen

In that, from Mary’

s grace and mien,He cwn’

d the power,and lov

’d the Queen.

By long obedience he confest

That serving her was to be blest.Ye murmurers, let True evinceThat men are beasts, and dogs have sense !

TRUE ’

S EPITAPHHis fa ith and truth allWhitehall knows

,

He ne’

er could fawn or flatter thoseWhom he believ

’

d were Mary’

s foes

Ne’

er skulk’

d from whence h is sovereign ledOr snarl

’

d against the hand that fed him.

Read this, ye statesmen now in favour,

And mend your own,by True’s behaviour !

EPIGRAM .

0 R ichmond and Peterburgh , Matt gave his letters,

And thought they were safe in the hands of his betters.How happen ’

d it then that the packets were lost ?These were Kn ights of the Garter

, not Knights of the Post.

UPONPLAYING at OMBRE,

WITHTWO LADIES .

KNOW that FORTUNE long has wanted sight,I And therefore pardon’d, when She did not fi ght ;Bu t yet ti ll then it never did appear,That as She wanted Eyes, She cou ld not Hear.I begg’d, that She wou ld give me leave to lose,A thing She does not commonly refuse

Two Matadores are out aga inst my game,Yet sti ll I play, and sti l l my Luck ’s the same

Unconq uer’

d in Three su its it does remain ;Whereas I only ask in One to gain ;

Yet She sti ll contradiéIing, G ifts imparts ;And gives success in ev’ry su it—but HEARTs.

1 76

MATTHEW PRIOR

ON MY

BIRTH- DAY.

IMY dear

,was born to day,

So allmy jolly comrades say ;They bring me music, wreaths, and

And ask to celebrate m birth :Little

,alas ! my comra es know

That I was born to pa in and wo ;To thy den ial, to thy scorn

,

Better I had ne’

er been born,I wish to die ev

’n whilst I say,

I,my dear, was born to day.

I, my dear, was born to day,Shall I salu te the rising ray ?Wellspring of allmy joy and woe,CLOTILDA, thou alone dost know .

Shall the wreath surround my hair ?Or shall the music please my ear ?

Shall I my comrades mirth rece ive,

And bless my birth, and wish to live ?Then let me see great VENUS chaceImperious anger from Thy face ;Then let me hear THEE smi l ing say,THOU

,my dear, wer’t BORN To DAY.

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Contents .

PAGE

Heads for a Treatise upon LearningEssay upon OpinionDialogue between Charles the Emperor and Clenard

the GrammarianDialogu e between Mr John Lock and Seigneu r deMonta igne

Dialogue between the Vicar of Bray and Sir ThomasMoor

Dialogue between O l iver Cromwell and his Porter

An

Essay upon Learning.

Heads for a Treatise

upon

carnin

WHATWe commonly ca ll Schole—Learn ing is so necessarythat he who has it not in some Degree hardly be

counted a Man ; The several parts of it are to the Mind whatou r different Limbs are to the Body. As we cannot see withou tEyes, or walk without feet so neither can we judge rightly of

what we have seen, or tell exaéIly how or where we havewalked without the Ass istance of Arethmetic and GeometryW e cannot bu i ld or enc lose

,we cannot Attain or improve

many other convenienc ies and bless ings of Life without someKnowledge in these parts of Mathematicks . We can neitherrightly understand our own

,or learn any other Modern

Language without a previous insight into the Latin and the

Greek . The good and Excellence of Learning has been the

Theme of the greatest Writers for above Three thousandYears The inconveniences and i lls it may produce if not wellregu lated is the subjeéI ofmy present Letter.As in general, Reading improves the Judgment of a Man of

Sense it only renders the Caprice of a Coxcomb more visible.

It has been tru ly said that he who is Master of three or fou r

Languages may be reckoned three or fourMen. Understandingand being understood in as man Countries : But if he u tters

impertinences he is only the same 001somany t imesMultiplyed.

If he had been bred by his Friends at home to what an honestFarmer wou ld call reading and writing he cou ld have beenrediculous only from Isles of Orkney to the Cliff of Dover, butbe ing Sent to One of our Univers ities first

, and thence to a

fore ign Academy his Sphere ofAfl ivity is enlarged and he has

1 80

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MATTHEW PRIORStyle. Ju l ius Caesar commonly esteemed so happy in that hehad a Pen able to grave in neat Language what his Sword hadfirst more roughly cut out if rightly examined may be censu red

on this head,for he who for the Credit of his own W it makes

the most barbarous People speak in a Style much better thanthey cou ld possibly have, may for the honor of his Conq uestsmake them fight in an other manner than they reall did. But

in Modern H istory it is otherwise. These sort of emoires areproved to be Authentic, and give You the very Pifi ures of the irminds in whose Name they were Publ ished, or at least such anIdea as you ma conceive to be

'

ust. Who ever reads the

Apology of Wil iam the first of range, whom I just now

o ted,will find a Patriot determined

,Valiant and Great.

Who ever peruses the Conferences and Declarations of K ingCharles the First will presently acknowledge a Prince just andPious Tenac ious of his own R ight but with great regard to the

good and safety of his People Pieces of this kind give You as

infallibly an Idea of the Situation of Mind and Circumstanceof Fortune of the Person you read of as an Original Drawingwill show You the hand of any Painter. It can hardely be

Counterfe ited tho by a better hand,nay even as to Minors and

Weak Princes tho it cannot be supposed that they writethe ir own Letters there may be found a l ikeness of theirThought from the better Draught that the ir Min isters havegiven of it.

Again the Customes and Max imes of the Greeks and

Romans are so different from those of the present Nationsand Times, that tho we may be thought more Learned we are

not in proportion so fully instru€ted from these as from moreModern Au thors, and they are only usefu l] as compared to

what is nearer Us,and as to Quoting H istory the greatest Careimaginable is to be taken that the Story be proper to the Subjefl

upon which it was introduced,In this some have a pecu l iar

happyness, and others often Miscarry therefore every Man is to

Consult his own Tallent avoiding long Stories and espec iallyTautology.

Of H istory in general, Chronology is the very l ife and

Qu intisence,the rest without it is but a Rope of Sand

,A Tale

of a Tub,where any Writer has fai led in it his whole Book

has been Condemned,and where any Speaker is not gu ided

1 82

AN ESSAY UPON LEARNINGby it, his Discou rse willnot be minded. Medals are

a help to Chronology, but the scarsity and expence of

Ones make it difiicult for an Man les than a Prince to possesssuch a Series of them as sh be of real use to him. For

,here

I make the greatest difference imaginable between Study and

Curios ity since one is to profit the Mind the t’

other to leasethe Eye. The Gentleman who l ikes Medals very we willalwa s be des irous to possess the best of them

,and the Antiq uary

or ertuose will be sure to top false ones Upon h im,bes ides

that too much Money may be spent in the Acq uisition, toomuch time may be spent in the contemplation of them. Medalsas to reading are what Counters are to Cards, You maycontemplate the Figures upon them while you negleét goingon with your Game. Monsieu r S anhe im one of the greasestAnti naries and Scholars of the Fas t Centuary had no otherMe but those printed in Series and Books but I sti l restra inthis Curios ity rather than condemn it.The antient Poets are more looked into, and oftner q uoted

than the H istorians, the Mythologyof the ir Rel igion, and the

Morality as well as the beauty of t eir Ideas continuing alwaysthe same. Our Judgment as wel l as our fancy is engaged 1n

favor of Poets, we are taught it very young, and findingwhenwe come into the World that it meets with Universal approbation

,as we have learned it from our Fathers we study it

our se lves,and de l iver it to our Children by a k ind ofTradit ion,

bu t here we must take spec ial care for it is eas ier to pla the

Pedant by way of Ogotation in Poetry then in Prose : hereare a hundred scraps of Verses which for above tw ice as manyYears People have success ively q uoted, and by often hearingthem every body are tired of

,these are absolutely to be rejeéted,

as are likewise allcommon Place Jests or observations in prose,

they ought never to be used except they give a grea ter force tothe argument you wou ld mainta in, or a new turn to the

tho ht you would u prm : Then indeed the commonew of

the uotation is so far from taking off that it adds to the Lustreof the Discou rse .

The Ital ian and Spanish Wri ters have q uoted wiSuccess, bu t where the have made hold with PassagesScriptu re which ind is too freq uently they are no

Imitated. The French and the English in the Choice of their1 83

MATTHEW PRIORTexts as well as in the body of the i r Sermons and discou rseshave done Justice to the Writers of the Bible

,who besides the

Truth 8: Loftiness of the ir Thought have really more W it

than any People who have l ived s ince. Amongst the Frenchthe Jesu its have Excelled in th is ; And amongst ou r Engl ishwriters the Author of the whole Du ty of Man

,and of those

books tha t under his Name, some now living as D'

. Atterbury, Smal

'

dge, Gastrel, have placed Texts of Scriptu re as

advantagiously as expert Jewellers would set prec ious Stones :Withou t degrading fromothers

,I think this Nicety of Judgmentpart icu larly eminent : Those bred at Westminster Schole and

°

ned probably from the ir be ing used very Young to wha ta. S rat calls the Genius of that place which is to Versesmade tempore

,andDec lamations composed in very few hours ,

in which sort ofExerc ises when Children they take fromwhenceso ever they can,which when Men the

’grepay with great Interest

from the abundance of the ir own bought thus Exercised,improved and Dilated.

As I have said You must be sure to (hrote with justmor on will be insipid, you may q uote with freedom in mattersof anygeric but with great reserve in those of Satyr. Yoursa

ying is an inscription engraven round an Insense Pot, bu t

a loody Letter if bound to an Arrow. In the first case your

bon mot will be praised for the present and in some timeforgot, but [the] i ll Nature of Men will help their Memand the reflefi ion be ing conveyed in the Sentence yknown the Sarcasm may happen to rema in much longergther He on whom it was spoken, or he who spake it mayesrre.

What ever you read you must so observe and di

lgmt a to

form from it in speski espec ially in your own anguage

a Sti le c lose, distinft and i l iar,and in your writ ingCivil. How many do I know who have read a great

can scarse finish one intelligible Sentence, man have talked to

me ofDemosthenes’ Orations andTu l lys Epis es who tell Youbu t very sadly in the beginn ing of the ir Letter thathealth or at the end of it that they are your humT he First of the first and Second of th e second, Namely,Thirdly, and Lastly &c' . Of the Divines, and the under favor

and w1th submiwion to better Judgments, and pray spare me1 84

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MATTHEW PRIORW it in Conversation, which is easier perceived when one

hears it then expla ined by any Diflinition, d d[s] upon the

Support of great stock and Plentifu l Variety o

e

fprTading, withoutwhich what ever a Mans humor may be his thought willnot

be su ffi c iently various and Plentifu l, h is catch ing in Discourseupon a Subject which he understands will be too easi ly perceived

,and one shal almost know what he wou ld say before

he begins to Speak, his Jest willbe, if I may so express it, tooIdent ica l,he will endeavor to turn every thing into his own

way, as those who have not a sufi cient p olenty ofWater bringevery Brook to the ir own Canal . Villiers

pDuke of Buck ingham

was too much enclined to Burlesq ue, S' . Fleetwood Shepherdran too much into Romance and Improbabil ity, and the lateEarl of Ranelagh in Q i ibble and Banter, Yet each of these

Three had a great dealof W it, and if T had had moreStudy than generally a Court l ife al lows as t eir Ideas wou ldhave been more numerous their W it would have been moreperfefl . The late Earl ofDorset was indeed a great Exceptionto th is Rule for he had Thoughts which no Book could lendhim

,and a way of Express ing themwhich noMan ever knew

to presc ribe. One general ru le is that W it what ever sharea Man has Natura lly of it, or however he may have Fortifyedit b reading, it should be used as a Shield rather than a Swordtodizfend our self bu t not to wound another. However th issort of arfare has sometimes been necess ary as the Worldis at present Ordered, especially in Publ ic Assemblies in our

Parl iaments and even amongst our Div ines in Convocat ion,when a Man sees a blow coming he is actua lly obl iged to

prevent it by strik ing first for if he de ferred the stroke it wi l lbe too late to strik e it all. In this case no ru le is to be givento your Eloq uence more than to your Valou r in the Field,You must ward Cautiously and strike boldly, and as Poet Bays

sayd of his Rant if it is not Civil egad it must be Sublime. Bu t

in ordinary Conversation it is a verylow Charafter to be as

Witty as you can,many l ike the tug but k w Esteem the

Person, and if a Man 18 thought to have so much W it that hisgood Natu re begins to be ca lled in Question , in my Opin ion hehas made bu t a sa d Bargain the Exchange I knew one

Man,and never but One, who th is Talent of Railary in so

particular a manner that while he sa id things severe enough

1 86

AN ESSAY UPON LEARNINGhe rather Surprised than hu rt the Person he Assa i led and broughthimself always off so with the mention of some greater Meritto compensate the Fc ible he Attacked in the same Person thatby a turn imperceptible h is Satyrs slid into Panygeric, whichappeared the finer as it seemed less meant ; But this is a

perfection so hard to Atta in,and a thing so Clumsey if a Man

aims at and misses it, that it is safer and better not to

Attempt it.Bes ides the Serious Study which is to be the general

exerc ise and employment of your l ife, and without beingMaster of which You can never make any grea t figure inthe World You shou ld be pretty well Versed in some morePleas ing and if I may so express it

,some Secundary Sc ience .

This You will find conven ient it will take idle Hours fromyour hand when alone

,and have a proper use in Company,

a double one if You are in any publ ic Station, for it will hinderthe Cu rious press ing upon you as to more solemn matter

,and

enable You withou t appearing Ignorant or i ll bred to tu rn the

Discourse to whatmay at once conceal you r Secret and enterta inyou r Company.

Amongst these Arts of aMechan ical Consideration I reckonArchitecture, Sculptu re, Painting, Garden ing circa .

The Choice of these must be determined by the bent of

every Mans own Mind,and withou t such an inclination or

what we call a Gen ius he will make a very li ttle Progress inthese or any of those Sc iences which tho Supported and

improved by Judgm‘are founded upon imagination. These

Arts I say at once Instruct and amuse,help Men that have

Estates to employ them agreably, and to oblige those who havenot

,and may yet partic ipate of another Mans pleasu re ; and

add at the same time to it ; For there is no Man that doesany thing of this k ind bu t is pleased to show it

,and no Man

that understands it but is obl iged to h im for the Commun icationbes ides the Company wch the Exerc ise of these Arts bring a

Man into is as well Honorable as agreable, Their Studies are

mixed with other Arts,and the conversation they mu st have

met with before they can have arrived to any Perfection in theirown Art must needs have rendered them in a great Measure

Scholars and Gentlemen .

To these I add Mus ic,bu t with these Cautions that it takes

1 8 7

MATTHEW PRIORup too much of our Time, and does not furnish Us with thebest Company. Those who are obl iged to get their Livelyhoodby it have Addifl ed so much of the ir l ife to the Stud of it

,

that they have very l ittle knowledge in any other Sicience.

I wish the Art were more encouraged, and thatMus ic ians werenot forced even to Practice so much that they have not t ime tostudy their own Sc ience much less any other, But so it is. Nowa Gentleman Musically gi ven cannot blow his Flute or strikehis Viol in alone

,and as to Conversation he is insensibly in a

Chorus instead of a Company, and th6 when he came into theOpera he thought he took his Place in the Box or the Pitt beforethe Entertainment is half done he finds himself in the middle ofthe Orchestre.

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1nion .

INCE Opinion is sa id to be the (b een of the World and

Our Aétions must depend a good deal upon the Sentiments which others Conceive of them it may be worth our

while to Enq u ire a l ittle what this Opin ion is, How it is commonly formed, Upon what it Subsists, and in what manner it isA ltered.

Opin ion is in One word the Estimate which every Man

makes of every thing he sees,the Product of what he cal ls

Common Sense, and takes it very i ll if he is not allowed to be

the Master of it ; Many cannot read,more cannot write

,but all

can and will Discourse and Determine : The have Eyes theysa and conseq uently can see ; T he haveEars and must bealowed to hear, so allVisible and Au ible Objects are properlywithin their Connoissance, as to any thing shown or proposedto them

,They can tell if it Del ights or Displeases them

,and

the greatest Judges can do no more. Then aga in the GeneralOpin ion will be found to be on ly a Collection of the Sentimentsof part icu lar Persons, or to u se a Modern Phrase a Majority of

Voices.Let us consider then first the different Sentiments which

Men have of Things, those Sent iments gu ided by difference of

Age, Appetite and Inc lination as well as by the Degrees of

Natural Sense or Acq u ired Knowledge of which the Personjudging is possessed, and then let us Observe the greater difference in Opin ion which must flow from the Sentiment of eachSoc iety, Province and K ingdom,

in which relation must be hadto their Uti lity, their Pleasu re, the ir Manners and Customes.I dont pretend to Examine the Nature and Ess ence of this

Mind of Ours, This Divina particular arm: as a Div ine or a

Phi losopher, but as a stander by to take a little notice of someof its Motions, the feats of Afi ivity it plays, and the sudden

Escapes and Changes it often makes.1 90

AN ESSAY UPON OPINIONMan is to H imself so great a Stranger that New Tr ipmm

is q uoted as one of the wisest Say ings that ever was Pronounced :Our Frame is such as may be Compared to a R iver, the sol idpart are no more than Banks and Dykes, which keep theCurrent with in its Natu ral Course

,the flu id are in perpetual

mot ion, in Eternal Flux and Reflux : As in our Body, so is

there a continued motion in ourMind How far one may havean influence or Operation upon the other, I shal not at presentEnq u ire, But certa in it is that the same Man at different timesalters his Opinion of the same Things .He that in the Opening ofManhood Del i hts in Dogs and

Horses, Huntin and Exerc ises (as Horace fin y describes it)inthe middle of ife turns his Thoughts to the Acq u is ition of

Wealth and search of Honor, and towards the end of it, heinsures his Ease, counts his R iches, and Prattles over the Scenesof his You th to Younger People, who allthe while are wearyof hearing him. Terence founds his finest Comedies upon the

Observation of this change of our Manners wi th our Ages, andthe Concess ions that human Natu re ought to make to it.I have rea d somewhere a Pritty ish Conce it

,that

, as we

are born ourMind comes in at ou r oes,so goes upward to our

Leggs to ourMiddle, thence to ou r heart and brea st, Lodges at

last in our head and from thence flies away ; The mean ing of

which is that Childish sports and youthfulWrestl ings, and

Tryals of Strength, Amorous des ires, Cou ragious and Man lydes igns, Council and Pol icy succeed each other in the Course ofour Lives ’

ti ll the whole terminates in Death ; The Couseq uence of it is Obvious, ou r Passions change with our Ages,and ou r Opinion with ou r Pass ions .Let Us next Observe the different Pass ions by which People

of the same Age are moved,and observe what Power either

Choler or Flegme, a Sangu ine or a Melancholy complexionhave in the Motions or Operat ions of ou r Mind. And here Imight brin in allBurtons Me lancholy . Anger is a short

Frenzy, an fear the worst ofCounsellors, we are hardly thoughtreasonable Men

,or responsible for our Aétions whilst we con

t inne pom sed with the Violence of e ither of these Passions.The Cau tious Man suspects every thing, the bold fears nothing,a harsh and close temper shal spend half his Estate in a Law

Su it, while one more free 6: Open would not give three Pence1 9 1

MATTHEW PRIORfor the most compleat Revenge imaginable of th is ltind. The

Lover retrenches from the Necesse of l ife that the objefl of

his Passion ma sh ine in Velvet an Brocard. The Miser thatsees her thus ressed had rather have her Pettycoat than her

Person. Every Man on this Head may as Actually be tryed as

Achilles when shut up with Licomedes Daughters, in the Chestamongs t the Ribbons Ear- rings and Necklaces, You wi ll presently observe him find the Sword, the Predominantappear thro allDisgu ise ofArtiflce and Hypocricy .

The Two great Pass ions which Triumph over our Judgbment and conseq uent ly subjugate our Opinion are Ambitionand Love, the first makes us think too well, and the latter toomeanly of our Selves. Ambit ion calls in allour Friends to ou r

Amistance,and sends us into Camps and Cities, Noise and

Popularity ; Love retires Us into Sol itude, subjefi s U s to One

person, and makes Us l ike Nothing but what She does, nor

des i re any bu t where She is ; And indeed She Alone.I spealt of ese as the fra i lt ies of the greatest Minds ; Jul iuslost allthe Praises that cou ld be °

ven to a Successfu l] General,and allthe Bless ings that ec ulgl

‘

be heaped upon an honestPatriot only because he wou ld be the first Man in the World.

AndMark An thon forgett in the Pursu it ofh is Vengeance andHonor fled into a (inner of gypt, contentin h imself onl to

Possess that Beauty which the same Jul ius some ears

before Enjoyed and Abmdoned. Add to this that Jul iushis Estate, ve up his Qu iet, and lost his Life for

what in truth could g; him no good ; And Anthony did the

same for what must do him Mech ief. Our Edward the

Fourth had l ike to have lost England for his Pass ion to h is

Beautiful Widow, and Harry the fourth of France was as near

los ing that Crown for leaving h is Army to pay a V is it to La

belle Gabrielle. Yet in some Years so avowedly indifferentwere these Princes to the Objects of their Pass ion that both of

them had otherMistresses , and l ived only with common Civil itytowards those Persons to whom they wou ld sometime beforehave Sacrifized their Fortunes and the ir Lives, 80 hard is it forthe best and greatest of Men to form a just inion of th ingscontribu ting to their own Interest, and to be ided by thei r

own Election.

This Love, and this Ambition it may be Objefl ed were the1 91

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MATTHEW PRIORboth by prov ing beyond allContradifl ion that there is no suchthing as matter, the very subjefl of thei r D ispute

,nor ever was

nor ever can be.

The various Estimate we make as to the Value of Thingscannot be better I llustrated then by the wants we find in the

pursu it of our Studies,every Man adding to h is heap,des irous to compleat his Collection ; Books, Piétures, Medals,

nay d ed flowers, insefl ’

s, Cockle shel ls, any thing will do, butthen

'

the Cruel Los es which we somet imes susta in,the late

Monarch and Court of France were allDisturbed, and CharlesPat in was ban ished the Kingdom because it was suspefi ed bysome that the Otho which he Sold the K ing was not Genuine ;perhaps a l ittle Bo Yesterday at Canterbu ry tore that Butterflyin Pieces, or at over threw the very Shell into the Sea, theS ies of which were the on ly Ones now miss ing in Sir HansS cans Cabinet, and an Oyleman on Fish Street H ill d idmwra up his Anchov ies in the first Horace that was everwhi t Frazer has with useless Pa ins been looking for the Bookth is Two and Twenty Years . How many better Edit ions hasbeen s ince Pu bl ished, or why the worst is the most ValuableI refer to another Opportunity.This d ifference of Gen ius produces the most indifi'

erent

Efl'

efi'

nable upon divers Persons,as to the same Object,while one an is admiring the Beaut ies of a Picture another

shal observe indeed that the frame is very fine. As I showed aFriend of mine who is rea lly a Man of great parts and learn inga flower p iece of Bimbi finely Pa inted

,he observed that the

Butterfly at the Corner was the prettyest th ing he ever saw,

and upon the view of a l ittle Closet,where are some good

Originals, he contented himself by taking Notice that the GreenHangings Edged with Gold looked exceed ing Handsom. One

of the greatest Men of th is Age hates Tragedy, I have heardhimmy, he only goes to a Play to Laugh

,another tho he is far

from be ing a CruelMan in h is Temper l ikes to see the Butcherof the West rea lly wounded at the Bear- Garden , not conten twith the sham red that glows upon the Skirt of Banco’s Ghost .A Country Gentleman I have heard of

,who had seen Shake

spa rs Harry the E igh t, forgett ing unhappily the fal l of Buckin ham

,or the Pol icy of Woolsey

,remarked to his Friend,

a him: of the Town,who carryed him to the Play

,that the

'94

AN ESSAY UPON OPINIONB ishop of Winches ter, who a t at the Trya l of ueen Catharine, was the same Man that snuffed the Candles ween the

Afl s with a greater Dexterity than could be conceived inHuman fin rs. To th is I would add, that the common herdofMankin (and I am afraid the Majority is on the i r s ide)haveno Opin ion

,or they seem to be in the same Case in relat ion to

that which they th ink they have as Bartholmew Coaks was as tohis Pu rse

,They scarse know if they lost it before they had it

,or after ; How difi'

eren t so ever their Incl inat ions may be, theyconsent in th is at least, that they are always changing : It is

imposs i ble for any rational be ing to please them, because it isimposs ible to obl ige them long : T is hard for them to continuein a Mind, which was determined by no prev ious consi deration,not be ing in any wise capable of judging what was right, Theygeneraly think most th ings wrong : Th know just enough to

nd thei r own want, and from that nowledge fancy thatevery body finds it as wel l as themse lves, havin no Opin ion of

thei r own ; The do as an O ld Roman wmfid,who had no

Child The A opt that of the fi rst Man they l ike,and from a

Debate in Harliament or a New Play, go to the next CoffeeHouse to be informed of thei r own Sentiments . If You traceth is Man thro l ife (for one and a hundred of them are the same)You will find him always uncerta in, A Husband or a LoverHe

’

s Jealous or Anxious, an Unequa l Parent and a frowardMaster. As he never thinks he has friendsh ip or reapefl enoughfrom those about him ; his Opin ion of the ir Serv ice and Dutyis alwa Various ; he whispers with one

,Chides t

’other,Embro '

s h imself from the Stories of borh,and hearkn ing to

L ies finds his Servants, as Solomon expresses it , always Wicked .Does his Whim run to building, and has he seen an Housewithin twenty Miles of h is own the New Appartment e madelast Year must as certainly down as the old Parlour did theYear before to give it Place ; And for Garden ing meerly uponthe Observat ion that his Ne ighbors Gravel Walk is too narrowor too large, his own shal be Altered twice in a Year, and hisTerras shal be raised or depressed by the same Rule, he givinYou only the rm on that he l ikes it so ; For fear you shoulthink he was Govern’d by any body. If he comes to Town as

he sees more Objeéts, he finds more Distraction, Loads of i llPiétures, and worse Books are sen t to the Carryers ti l l the end

‘95

MATTHEW PRIORof the Session, but lye unpacked and unthought of when the

ycome into the Country, and if he gives into what the Frenccall La quinqua iI/itrze (as it is ten to one but he does)Qata r :does not set his Watch more afl ually than Mathar does h isunderstanding : he buys a pocket book

,bu t disl ikes before

he has set down one word in it : can he rest when he ha seena Cane better clouded then h is own, and dislilt ing the h inge ofhis Snufi

'

box,must not the D inner stay whilst he immed iate lydrives to Temple- Bar to give five Guineas more to exchange It

for a worse .

Let us leave him and return to the Human mind in genera lupon which so many externa l Objects have an influence

,regu

larity of Diet , Intemperence or Abst inence as to Wine, the

cont inuance or interruption of health,the too frequent excitat ion

or Disuse of any Pass ion from the Neighborhood, or Absence ofits Ob

'

eét, the favor of Fortune or the hand of Advers ity, aword thrownCasual ly into a Discourse, the read ing ofa book, thes ight of a Picture or Statu te, an Emblem,

a Motto, a Seal, everything intell igible in Art, nay eve th ing Vis ible in Nature mayformnew Impress ions in ourMin and alter those al ready formedthere. We judge of things ac cordin

gto the humou r we are in and

that very Humou r is subjeCt to in n ite Variety if Six Bells mJohn Ke i l tel ls me can make more than a thousand Mill ions ofChanges, what mus t be the result of the jangl ing of ten or twelvePass ions sustained by an infinite variety of objeéts in Minds uponwhich every th ing can Operate the Dawnmg of Light excitesus into Chearfulnea ,

the approach of Night depresses us intoMelanchol a different we ight of Air ra ises or depresstx our

Spiri ts, a rumpet alarms us to an Ardour and action of War

and a Fl ute softens us aga in into thoughts of Love and de l ight.An Herb, a Flower, can render us either pleased or Grave as we

cons ider the Beauty of its Colours,or the shortnea of its

Duration,and the very Acc ident that makes Us angry

,

us Laugh at the same t ime if any l ittle Redicule accompan iesthe Aftion So many Things seem, I say, to contribute to the

forming our Opinion the least of which has Power in a

firstMeasure to mak e Us change it ; so that no Man is so d ifrom another as the m e Man is from H imself.Amon theExternal Causeswhich asIsay [have an Infi

upon our inds I have thought One very comi that is the

m6

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MATTHEW PRIORfinest Horses in England , yet never could be brought to rideh im after the E : of G : had sa id freely he could not be of the

same Opinion : and Pyso did not care to show a beautifulPifl ure of which before he was very fond after the D : of B :had told him he thought it was not an Original , What was thematter ? The Pictu re and the Horse were the same the dayafter as they were the Da

ybefore these dreadful Accidents

arrived. Happy is for Us,

ave I often said,that every Man

can find his own amusement,and that we do not alll ike the

same th ing ; That the Man who Gardens or Bui lds follows hisown Plans, and is sat is ed with the Execution of them ; Tha tOne hundred Men in ve each viewin h is Mistress at the

same time (suppose in aTheatre or other Publ ic Place)wondersthat the other Ninety N ine , shou ld see so wron as not to

admit h is part icular Woman to be (what he wo d certa i nlyca ll it)take her altogether the mos t agreable. Bu t how shortalas is this Happ ncss if the Gravel Walk must be Altered fromour Ne ighbors thinking of it too narrow or too broad

,and the

Wall ra ised or depressed from the Person who endeavoring to

look over it be ing Taller or shorter was pleased to exercisea different Critic ismupon it. Your observation comes too late,Sir

,Roan is Sold , and the Pifl ure is sent into Wales . Is this

enough , Pough l the very Mistress celected from the rest ofWoman kind shal be thought to Change as to her Beauty orher Merit

,as a Male Friend to the Lover

,a Female Friend to

the Lady, and perhaps both R ivals to one or t’other shal

desc ri be her, from a h int of this kind she shal be thought firsttoo round Shouldered, too fat

,or not bred enough in the

World,and in a l ittle t ime afte r she is down right Crumtitbacked, a Boss , and knows not how to Live : Ten thoumnd

Instances of this kind show us that the Opin ion of one Man is

al tered by the Sentiments of another in re lation to the sameObjefl : So pla in is it that we do not see with our own Eyes,nor '

udge by our own Understanding.Eu t let us suppose ou r Mind to be a l ittle more Consonant

to itself than I have desc ri bed it. Our Opin ion for allwhatEpifl etus says must be d irec’ted by someth ing without us

, forOpinion it se lf is reall nothing else but the efl'

efi of thatImpress ion, which an ernalor Intel lectua l Object maltaupon our Thoughts . I leave here the Diclination betweenl98

AN ESSAY UPON OPINIONimagination and Judgment as a Speculat ion upon wh ich wemay D ispute, 8: that is all. But true in fact it is that we cannotbut Chuse what we think best ; Bes t not as the th ing is in itself and singly cons idered

,but with relation to the Circum

stances with which we find it Accompan ied : Our Mind l ike a

Looking- Glass refleéts only the Beau ty or deformity of the

Images Placed before it, and as these Images vary so varyesl ikewise our Opin ion . This in plainer Engl ish is before wejudge of things we are a lready determined to shun what weth ink hu rtfull, and to embrace what we esteem Good

, so thatunder the Denominat ion of Profit or pleasure we always pursueour Interest, or gratifye ou r Van it and this s ingle though tthrown into d ifferent forms gi ves 3 allthat Roehfocault everwrit.Upon the natural Fra i lties of our Minds fal ls yet another

Incumbrance very hard to be removed,I mean the pre

'

udice of

Education and Custom. Aga inst this our Tutors Parentsfind themse lves obl iged to oppose reading

,Conversat ion

,T ravell

and Experience, allwhich are commonly of too l ittle force to

efiace the first Not ions engraven upon our Minds, whilst yetth

?’ were Young and soft enough to receive those impressions,

an which as they grew harder st il reta in the same marks. Theconcern which every Man has first for his Family

,and so on to

his Parish, h is Province, his Country is such as from a Pre

vention ereéts it self by Degrees into a Principle. EveryMan

is part ial to the House fromwhence he descended , finds it fil ledwith famous Warriors or great Scholars, or at least suppl ies thatdefeft by the force of h is own fancy. Every Man in Warwicksh ire has part of the Prowess of Guy Earl of Warwick, andevery Woman in Coventry has part of the Chast ity of the

(b een, who rode Naked through that City, wh ich of the TwoUnivers ities are most Antien t or flourishing is the lastingContest of People bred at e ither. Every English Man howeverhe dimgrees with his Countrymen at home let him Travel]from Cala is to Rome, and from Rome to In phaen, wil l venturehis l ife an hour he hears the least refleé

'

tion made upon h isNation. he Swiss are remarked to have a Distemper, whichthey call the Hemvie, a des i re of going home, and where everThey are in Service they get leave to return to the i r Canton atleast once in Some Years, and certa inly desire to Dye there.

1 99

MATTHEW PRIORI have heard King Will iam confess the same longing as to his

io

ig fi

to Holland, and I am sure when I was there I found theof the same Distemper in my Desire to return to

England. I remember a Story which the Same great Man

was used to tell,since it comes not ma ! a proper, to what I am

sa ing ; A Polander who rode in the Dutch Guards desiredHim

,then Prince of O range, to give h im leave to to

Warsaw,the Crown be ing then Vacant, alled

‘

ng that flinga Gentleman he might be chosen King : TheFrince gave himleave, and when the Man, some Months after

, returned to hisPost,His H ighness asked him jestingly if he was Chosen ? No

,

Sir,replyed the Man

,in a very grave and composed manner,I am not chosen King th is t ime

,bu t I retu rn with the Sat is

faction of knowing that the E lect ion was free. Uponimagination the greatness of the Roman Empire wasand the safety of every Common- wea lth,does in a great Measure depend. Whether these Idea ’

s wereimplanted in our Minds by Natu re at our Birth

,or arri ve from

the impress ions made by the first Objefi s we behold, we willrefer at present to the Meta hysic ians. This is certain,that

they hardly leave us t i l l our eath . S‘. Paul does not sc rupleto give this Habitude the Name of Nature. As abroad I haveSometimes ta lked with Carthus ians or Franciscans, Men

seemingly forsak ing the World and lost to it, One has looked

intent] upon my hatt, t’other fe lt my Coat and asked if it wasEngl ish

,

Cloth, a th ird more Politel e u ired about Our NobleFamil of En land. Now as to these eople before th tooktheir Il

s

abits ; he first had been a Hatter, the second agap “,

and the Third a Man of Qua l ity ; And the instance inferredfrom th is, is , that those Primi tive Colours which our understandin first imbibed sticks upon it for ever, nor can be alteredby any

EI'

inéture, which another sort of l ife, and a different wayof th ink in can cast over them. It may be here cons ideredthat our Afiind is such a bu issy thing that it will never standNeuter

,but is medl ing and interestin it sel

If we see a Stranger come into a oompossessed in his favor

,or prejudiced inst

one word,And here comllness of erson

Mien do very often put a Manifest cheatwhich a more thorow knowledge of the

200

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MATTHEW PRIORof h is Fact ion as a Carthus ian or a Jesuit does so the Will ofhis Superior. The Lye of the Day is the Rule of his life, andas his judgment depends upon tha t of other Men

,he must

just ify every thing that h is Party Acts with the greatest Injustice,till from the Degrees ofWarm and V iolent, he comes u to

Furious andWicked. Fa'numbabrr in coma, and every y is

obl iged to yield or run from him.

It may here be Noted that however our Vanities or des iresare unconfined our Abil ities have on ly a Certa in Sphe re of

Aéliv it and every Man is a Wit or a hero some where. In

most amilies You have a Droll Servant,each Club has its

Pres ident, that gives Rules to it,and each Parish has an

Invinc ible Butcher or Tyler,a Witty Cobler, or

Ass istant to the Clerk in rais ing the Psalme. T he

of these, and of the greatest Men recorded in H istory is st imu

lated by the same Ambition, a nd the honor of both hath boundsas certa in tho not as extens i ve

,there be ing no such th ing as

Universal Esteem,however Pritt ily Fame and her Fl ight thro

the World would be Described and magn i by the Poets.In Prose she willbe cramped and l imited. 0 take her in hergreatest Extent, the Man who may be Praised thro Europeis not heard of in As ia or Africa, and aga in how very few are

renowned beyond the Bounds of the i r own Country, so greata hinderance to Knowledge is the Divers ity of Languages, andso prevalent is Custom to the Esteem we put upon th ings.Had Sir Franc is Bacon or Sir Ph il ip Sydney been taken bya T ripolin or Sally Pirate

,the Footman of either of Them

wou ld have been sold for as much more than his Master as he

was stronger. T he same in allprobabil i would happen so

Sir Isaac Newton in relation to the Water an in Southwarkwho makes Amanacks . Suppose the l ike Case to happen to the

best Poet now Liv ing, and to the Z any of a Mountebank uponTower- H i l l

, the fi rst would be left on Board the Ga l l ies stri tand unregarded, condemned to Row there during l ife, whigtthe other would have his Harlequins Coat restored to h im, and

be taken u to the Castle, to divert the Governor.Thus,

say , other People may not be just enough to Us,and we may be too Part ia l to our selves, and not to our se lvesonly

,but to those who most resemble us. Thus one Mans

Vice if examined by another Man equal ly inclined to it is

202

AN ESSAY UPON OPINIONe ither Dimin ished or Christned by the name of some resembl ingVirtue Sordidness of l ife by the Covetous man is ca lledFrugal ity

,and intemperance is ca lled good Fel lowship by the

Bon Vivant,the loosest pleasures of the Amorous are bu t

Gal lantries,and the Caprice or revenge of the Wrathfu l

,lyes

covered under the Shield of his Honor Defi ndit Numerus,who

ever heard of such a th ing as Usury in Lombard Street,or Perjury

at the Custom- House. Now what a jumble must this make inthe difference of our Censures

,To carry the Thought a l ittle

further,the Bounds of V irtue and V iceQua: ultra f irm“ acquit consistere ”Hum

are in many cases pretty difficult to find how n icely must oneDistingu ish between Pat ience and Pus i llan imity, betweenCourageand foolhardiness, and so of the rest. Add to this that as to

Opin ion Success qual ifies the Aélion if Fabius Maximus hadnot ga ined his point by avoid ing Battle, he had past for a Coward,and if Alexander had lost the Day at Arbella

,he had been

Cons igned by H istory for a Madman .

We need not go fromour own Country,or our own Memory

for instances of this kind ; T he Duke of Monmouth came to

England with Liberty and Property and the Protestant Rel igionon his Standard : he was beaten and beheaded ; his Honorswere taken from his Fami ly. T he Prince of Orange doesthe same thing, he is Successfu l, is Crowned King of England

,

transmits an Imortal Memor to Posterit Gives Us a NewEpoche of Time

,and a ditierent Set 0 Princ iples from the

Revolu tion.

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Charlesand

Glenard the Grammarian.

Cba rlcr. Burgundy with Brabant and Flanders, Castile,Arragon, Germany possessed : Italy, France, Africa, Greeceattemmed.

Glmard. Noun Substantive and Ajeétive, Pronoun, Verb,Part ic iple dec l ined : Adverb, Conjonfi ion, Prepos ition, Interje€ti0n undeclined.Cba rler. Into th is Model I had cast Europe. How Glorious

was the Des iClenard. glow happy was the Div ision I made of allGreeceinto F ive Dialefi s .

Cba rla. Thou art pretty bold, Friend, not only to hearkento what I say, but to dare to Mimick it ; stand further off Icommand Thee.

Clenard. Aye, there it is, that Imperative Mood, that St ileof Kings, founded on the reasonable Max im of rd m NorreIain

'

f .pCbarler. Why, how should I speak but l ike my Se lf? I amCharles the Emperor.Glenard. Then dont be offended if I answer l ike my self.I amClenard the School-master.(Iberia . A discovery of great importance truly. What can

the Man mean by it ?That each of us should give a fa i r and just Account

of h imself as a Man, and then

Gberla. And what then ?Clonard. Why then if You would divest Your se lf of that

207

Dialoguebetween

the Emperour

MATTHEW PRIORPrincely way of thinking

,and argue a l ittle cooler

, you wouldnot find so much difference between us Two as you imagine.

Charles. D ifference ? Why I was by B irth Monarch of

Nat ions,by Acquisit ion and Power Emperor of the West

,and

by Stratagem and refinement one of the most Cunning Pol itic iansand most renowned Warrior ofmy t ime.

Glena rd. And I was the best Grammarian of mine,very

v irtuous as to my Morals, well versed in the bel les Lettres, andof an agreable W it in Conversat ion.

Char/er. Why Thou dost not intend I shou ld submit to so

Comica l a Comparison.

Glenard. Comica l ! Egad I am very Serious while I tellyou I think my self as Great, as Wise, and certa inly as happya Man

,as your self.

Cbarler. Why Learn ing has made Thee Mad, Glenard.Thou hast crouded thy head with Not ions, and forgot plainFacts ; refresh th Memory a l ittle. Hast thou not seen meat Franckfort, an Aix la Chapel le, with th e Imperial D iademon m head

,Pres id ing in the Three Colleges ofElefl ors

,Princes

,

and lymperialTowns, Served in allthe State

,and vested in all

the Types and Ornaments that Human Greatness is capable of

receiv ing. The King of Bohemia my Cup- bearer, The threefirst Potentates ofGermany wait ing on me as Men ial Oflicers ;the greatest Ecclesiasticks acknowledging themselves my Chancellours ; and allthe Nobil ity of the Empi re e ither my Soldiersor m Servants.C ward. O raree Show

, pretty show ! and have you not

heard of me at Lovain,and Nu rembou rg pres iding over the

Hebrew,Greek and Latin Schools ? Had I not my Formes

and Classes as you your Squadrons 8: Regiments ? Had not

I equal ly my Captains, and Subaltern Officers,and did not

I distri bute rewards and Pun ishments as I thought good, as

wel l as You ? What were you r Ancestors Fasees but a bundleof Rods

,What you r Scepter but my Ferula ? Could not I exert

as Imperial Power as absolutely as any Emperor al ive, if I hadPleased i but Greek is lost upon You.Cba rler. Rediculous ! while I commanded at the head

of an Hundred Thousand Men by Land and Sea, Embarq uedhalf of them one Campa ign to Africa ; Marched them nextthro Italy : You ruled on ly two or three hundred Boys

,

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MATTHEW PRIORCbarla . Pough , th is is meer Soph istry.Glenard. Rea l Truth, bond fidc, bu t pray go on in you r own

wa

(ylba rler. Wh I tel l you the Eyes of the whole World

were upon me,li very bod enqui ring into my Des igns, and

Sol ic itous to be informed 0 my Measures .Glenard. And every body wish ing You were a ThoumndMile off when ever u left your Kingdoms, which you m ighthave governed q u ietfy

o

; and every boil

iy Praying hea rti ly for you rExit ou t of that World, which you arrassed and Tormen ted.

Cba rlrr. You break in upon me too soon. What Twoglorious Da were those in wh ich I put the Armies of

Solyman an Barbarossa to fl ight ? How compleat was the

Vifi ory of Pav ie, when I took Franc is the First Prisoner, andhow memorable th e Saccage of Rome,when I got the Pope intom Clutches ! the Jest pleases me st i l when I th ink ont. ThatI etained 11 bearirrimopadre Clemente c lose Prisoner, when I pu tmy se lf into Mou rn ing for m Vifi ory, and Ordered publ icProcess ions to be made for hisDel iverance.

Glenard. To crown your Happyness, pray th ink of someother of your great Days. That for instance when you returnedfrom Africa soundly beaten, by the same Barbarossa you justnow quoted . That Day when you were driven from beforeMarse i lles over the Alps,w ith the loss of above Thirty thousandMen. Or, that when you were forced to ra ise the Seige of

Meta,when the Wi ts of the Age were so merry with You

as to

fiive you for Devise a Sea -Crab, and your own Pin: ultra

turne into Plus ritra for the Motto ; WhenEagle cha ined to your Hercules ’s Piat the bottom; and not to trouble you too much (for I couldput many days ofMort ification into your Calendar)what thinkyou of that distinguished One when you

1zga

ve your self up tothe bon e fly of your old Antagonist rancis, and in the

middle of a seeming Triumph was in bodi ly fear lest he shouldyou as scurvilly as you had done the P0pe. And now after

all your Wars carryed on in Ge rmany for your pretendedCatholic ism,you were forced to conclude a Peace in favor of

the Protestants : And after allthe Des igns inst France, youwe re not able to recover even what that rown had gamedupon You.2 10

CHARLES AND CLENARD

Cbarla. Aye, now Thou talkest l ike a Philosopher indeedMust we not allbear our Crosses and Disappointmen ts in lifeGlenard. Yes, but there is the greatest difl'

erence in the

World between bearing and creat ing them. The first arises fromthe Mal ice of Fortune, the latter from the Effects of our own

Folly ; for one we ought to be Pittyed, for the other blamed.Cha rles. In every state of l ife

,Friend Clena rd, a Man is

subjefl toMistake ; and as the Attempt is h igher,the blunder

is more v is ible but (Error excepted)ifwe cast up our Accountsthere is no Comparison between the greatness of my Fortune,and the Omcurity ofYours.In equal ballance laidF l ings up the adverse Scale and scorns proportion.

as Prior says in a Hymn of Cal l[ i]machus.Glenard. Prior ma my what he will in Verse, that H mn

was allEnthusiasm,alHeroes Sta rs and Gods. In prose Iy am

sure he is of another opin ion. But what does his MasterHorace say, and no body can say it better ?

Est modes in rebu,mar (mi Jam

'

s firmQua: “tra n smit romirtmr rcfl um.

For once I’ltranslate it for on,beca use poss i bly you have

forgot your l ittle Lat in you hadOne equal bound there is, one stated line,Which abou’d the Justice of our Aft confineThere right resides

,what goes beyond is wrong ;Grows idly vast, and tra i ls absu rdly long.

Now on Heroes never mind th is Rule,you always over

shoot the mark, or to express it more properly,you do not see

the objeft you Aim at. Yee are so intent upon Cog

ueringthat you have no t ime to govern : Reason should d ir yourv iew

, but ambition daales it. So you never am in your Desi res,you never sufliciently consider what will satisfy them.

Th is is the Cause of allthose troubles which you brin uponSelves and the rest of the World. There is somet ing in

what is called Heroic V irtue,wh ich exceeding the measu re of

Nature from Subl ime turns to rediculous. When You we re a

Boy you used to run your Sword aga inst Ce sar or Senorius in

you r Mothe rs Tapistry ; hopeful Symptoms indeed and whenyou grew bigger you Attacked people who had done you no

0 2

my share

MATTHEW PRIORmore harm than those figures in the Hangings. In short on

Heroes are too forward Children to stop at be ing sensible en ;And while you abuse the Trust which Prov idence reposed inyou in setting you to pres ide over the rest of our Spec ies fortheir Safety and benefit

,ou Debase your Selves beneath the

lowest Rank of your Fclow- Creatures. By Jup iter Ammon,your great Predecessor,a drunken Cobler that gets Ten

Children is a more useful Member of the Commonwealth, thana hott headed Prince

,who without any other cause then that of

his own Pride, leads as many hundred to have their Brainsknocked out.

As to the common excuse of en larging you r Dominions,while You are doing it, you ruin your Subjects : I have some

Verses for You on that Occasion.

Recruits and Arms abroad cause Home- bred wants,

The Monarch Triumphs, but the Nation fa ints.His hungry Fame that Corm'

rant Bird devours,

The Harvest Destin'd to the publ ic stores .New-

ga ther’

d Lawrells load the Viflors brow,But Senates aw

’

d with lower Homage bow.

With Io's whi le they swelthe genera l Voice,

Watch’

d they are Loya l,and constrain

’

d rejoiceThe ir sec ret s ighs belye the i r loud Address ;The speak the ir Masters Fame

,but wish it less

Ty’d

'

to h is Chariot-wheels at once he drawsHis Enemies Ensigns, and h is Peoples Laws.His own Success the Soldier last bewa i ls,Above his Pride his Countrys Love prevai ls ;He dreads the Pow

'

r he did too lon sustain,

And sees the Sword he drops new- forgd into a Cha in.

Charles. Why th is is a meer L ibel, Clenard, down rightSedition every word of it. If I was serious with You,I wou ld

tel l You, You are a dangerous Person, and ought to be la id ina gentle Confinement, for the good of the Publ ic.

Glena rd. Ha,ha

,ha

,You reall

§make me laugh . Dont youimagine that we th ink such as ou dangerous Persons, on ly

that for our Private Safety we dare not sa so. Am I to belaid up because you cant bear Truth ? I telYou that for thegood of the Publ ick you should allhave your Swords takenfrom You as ifYou were actual Lunaticks, and not he suffered2 1 2

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MATTHEW PRIORFlanders

, Ge rman and Spa in as well as You . I passed intoAfrica,not indee! with half so much noise and Tumult

,bu t

with more Satisfaction and safety. In short I contented myse lf to Visi t those Countries in which you were never qu ietbecause you had not Conquered them.

Cbarler. I mus t confess that jo g on in a Passage Boat ora Stage-Coach with three or four rienda is but an odd way ofTravel l ing ; a Fleet and an Arm are del ic ious Attendants.Clenard. Aye Charles, but w at other Company had You ?

fear that the Bread-Waggons should not come up in due time,doubts lest theMagazines might be su rprised. Restlessness andwant of Sleep lest Your Des i n shou ld e ither be Reva led orprevented ; Bes ides your two Pntestine Comrades the Stone andthe Gout.Cbarler. There is too much Truth in what th is pertPhi losopher sa but I must bear up to him for the sake of myHonor, that if; honor

,which makes us too often Comm it

a second mistake in defence of the first—We ll,Friend Clenard,

you are sti l harping at a Comparison between your way of

ivingand mine. Would you inferr from allth is, that everyMan in an inferior Station has an eq ual share of happyness andGlo with those who hold the first Seats in the World ?C ard. Every Man has

,Char les, for as to happynem he

must form it himself,and th is is soon done

,when the necm rys

of l ife, very few and easy to come at,almost with in every Mans

reach , are once Acquired. As for Fame,which you all

mad after, it is not in any Mans own power to pu rchace it. Itdepends upon the ood will and free gift of other People ; andis onl got by a films behav ing himself so, as to oblige the

Worltlto speak wel l of h im. So let the Emperor and the

School-master do what they wil l, One will be called a Tyrant

,

the other a Pedant,unless they rea lly deserve the contrary.

Bu t prythee let me go on. I read books,promoted Knowledge,I was kindly received by my Friends where ever I came : I was

invited into Portuga l ; past, as I tel l You, into Africa in qua tof Oriental Manuscripts ; brought Mahometan Servan ts backwith me, gave them the ir Liberty, taught them Latin, madethem Christ ians

,nay got some of them advanced to the D ign ity

of Priesthood, an honor to which you with allyour Intermtaspired in vain, while you r Tutor Adrian, a Brother

CHARLES AND GLENARDmar ian of mine

,obtained it : and became more a Master to

You,when you were now grown up a Man and an Emperor,

then when you was s imply Charles of Gaunt, and a l itt le Boyunder his Ferula.

Cbarler. Egad that last was a home thrust. I must not letfhim perce ive eelit so sens ibly. Once more, I tellthee,

there is as much difference between our Aa ions, as betweenour Stations and Qual ities. Facts, Clenard, real v isi ble Faéts,are on my s ide. Thy Glory is only Speculati ve ; meet imagination. To alter the Constitution of Prov inces, to ra ise or

Depose Princes, to give War or Peace as I pleased : This hasla id the Foundat ion of a lasting renown for me

,and a Monu

ment upon which Fame must sit for Ever.Glenard. You are a l ittle in the Clouds, Charles, somethingupon the Ph[oe]bus as the French call it, but I shal fetch youdown immediately. A very easy wa of reasoning may set ourActions in the right l ight. Suppose I

"should walk my Ch i ldren

over other Mens Gardens,let

’

em pull down the hedges, rootup the Melons, and rob the Orchards ; what would People say,but that I was a Senseless Creature

,and a drunken Sot but yetwhen One of you Princes takes a fancy to burn whole Towns,

and lay the Prov inces round them desolate,ou seem satisfyedwhen you Answer, it was for your Glory. his m Predeces

sors have Preached to Yours for Two Thousand ears past,and very few ofYou ever mended upon it ; Tho when you are

near Death,when the Clouds of Prejud ice and Ambition are

d ispersed, and as m Mas ter Plato says, the Sou l sees th ingswith a quick er and c carer E some of You have been forcedto acknowledge the Truth 0 these Maximes.

Bu t th is is meer Preaching, Domine Glenard.No matter if it be so,as long as I lteep to my

to your Fa£ts the refore (allErrors excepted, as youjust now des i red) the best would d e almost Stilborn withoutmy Midwifry. Take th is as a axim, Facts depend uponwords : The eates t Monarch and most Fortunate Ca ta in

,

allowin his aux to be most strictly °

ust, and the Eventequa lly ortunate

,is obl iged for the reci to a dealer either in

Syntax or prosodia. The Out l ines 8: Draw ‘

are onl seen

in the bare aetion of the Hero ; but ’

tis the Sc that ds the

heightnings and Colouring that gives the Beauty, nay faith, in2 15

MATTHEW PRIORgreat measure the very l ife and Substance of the Picture. Sothat th is lasting Monument

,of wh ich you seem so fond, is

founded upon the pleasure of us Grammarians ; and yourFame might sit there long enough cool ing her hee ls, silent anddispi rited, except we find Idea's to move her Vigour, and pu tsounds into her Trumpet. Did you never mind a large Shipgoing out of Port

,Charles, with her Sa i ls allspread, and her

streamers fly ing ? how insensibly yet how soon, her Bulkdeminishes to the Eye of those who stand upon the Shoar, ti l las the distance increases She becomes quite lost : After this ifyou would know the Intrins ic Value of the Goods She carryedou t

,You must apply you r Selves to the Surintendants and

Customers that keep the Register.Cba rler. Well

,what then ?

Glenard. Why then one ofyou grea tMen is jus t that s[t]atelyVmel. And You go ou t of the World as she goes ou t of the

Harbour. You are launched into the Ocean of Etern ity,with

allyour Escutcheons and Bandirolls about your hearse ; and

mobably you may have four Marble Vi rtues to support the

onument you were speaking of just now. But alas ! the

Funera l Pomp is soon D imin ished,worn out Sr forgottenl

Age and Acc ident deface the Tomb ; and it is only one of us

Scholars that must take an Account of your True worth,and

transmit it sa fe to Suceeding Generations . Not to go to old

Stories how many of You Heroes dyed unknown before Aga~memnon,because none of the ir Contemporaries writ thei r

Story ; or how Alexander wept for fear he should not be as

advantageously treated as Achil les was before h im. Whatcould E l izabeth of England

,or Henry le Grand of France have

done, without the Ass istance of a Camden or a Perefix Yet

these were Grammarians, Charles, meer Traders in Gerunds andReta i lers of Sup ines : What need any more Examples ? the th ingis Mer idian role cla r ior

,as we say in our Dec lamations. Cae sa r

indeed cou ld descri be what he saw,and Anton ius could tell

how he thought. On my Consc ience, I think, there are not

above three or four more of You,that are Exceptions to my

General rule.Cbarler. Spoke in the Style of a Grammarian l but prytheeMan what sign ifies tel l ing and desc ri bing in comparison to

actingdr Govern ing. Words are your Prov ince, Deeds are ours.2 1 6

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MATTHEW PR IORshort. So true is it

,that eve ry Man th inks he can Govern

,

and few know that they can Teach . I’lgo a l ittle further

with your Majesty,s ince I have you upon th is point. You rvery Ti tles

,Your Streniu imar and d ugmriu imm are

c reated by the Power of us Gramma rians . Rex Germanic,

Hispaniarum, Hungarite , Bohemia: dtc‘: Then on to d u bidax

Austria ,Dax Burgundiz , Brabanriar dre

‘. Then to Prince):

away with it t il l one is out of breath . Now, what is allth isbu t so many words fitted c ivily to the ir respeétive gen itiveCases ; Of which if one be wan t ing

,or misplaced , you

neither eat you r Dinner, nor sup qu ietly in your bed, til l youhave raised new Imposts, and waged new Wars to obta inSatisfaétion for so considerable an Alfront. And after allthatS21“ can do in these great Affai rs, you are forced to addremyourves to Grammarians and Heral ds

,Your recorders of words

and Sentences, that they ma be pleased to set You right aga in .

And when ever You have bought and Conquered wi th yourRuyters 8r Swashbucklers, are you not obl iged to call us in

0

a

l

t

-ga in to draw up your Concordates, Your Pafi a and Difamara .

ow s imply would you look even upon your own Mon

your Titles round it were wrong spelt, is not a piece of

Grammar in any Art ic le suffic ient to spoila wholeTr Quaad 1mm sets one Man upon the Throne, and sends anor er in toExi le : Q Mad barremakes allthe Mariages and Divorces uponwhich the Success ion of your Kingdom depend : and for Qua adbar it has cut out more bloody work then e ither the T rajan orCarthaginian Wars. We have had an Account from the otherWorld within this Twenty Year that even the spi rit and wordof an Agreement made between one of your Successors and hisContemporary Princes made and broke the part ition of allyourDomin ions. Two Latin prepos itions Tram and Cam joinedwi th Subtrantiarim (a word invented by Us Schoolmen)werethe Cause of allyour troubles in Germany ; and the sameContention is st i l on foot tho it is now One hundred and fiftyyears Since we were discharged from hav ing any part in it.

And I am credibly informed by an Engl ish Div ine, who is jcome down he ithe r

,that there is at this v time a Schism in

that Kingdom concerning the Doxology. here is E: and 8 :on one s ide

,and Per and in on t'other side. And happy is for

2 r8

CHARLES AND GLENARDthat whims ica l Nat ion

,if the ir two Univers it ies may be

compose the diEerence. To cut the Discourse short ; GreatCharles of Austria, Swords Conque r some, but Words subdueallmen . Since as you sa you love Fafl s , my Dear Emperor,before we leave th is subjefllet me ins tance one Fact to You,which ne ither You nor I can ever forget . When the Misfortunes of the Land ve Phil ip of Hemhad made him consentto Sign a Treaty wit you (grievous enough for him in the bestsense

,for by it he was obl iged to submit to a Confinement,

from which he thought your generosity would release h im as

soon as r Van ity was gratifyed in his Persona l Submiss ion)To per rm his T ree

]?he presented himself to your Majesty.

The Princm of the mpire by whose Perswasion be had doneth is, and he himse lf imagin ing, as I say, that the Confinementwas requ ired only, profi n al

,tha t it would be very short, nay

but for a Ni ht,and that too spen t in feas t ing and Play. But

the next orning your Chance l lor, whom they expected tobring the order of Release for th is unhappy Prince , declared inyour Name that they were allMistaken in the matter, and thatthe Confinement was understood to be Perpetual . As the

matter was looked into, th is difl'erence was found to arise froman Equivoque i n two German words : Eim'

g, some, was agreedto in the Art ic le

,and Ewig, perpetual , was inserted in the

transcri bing it. Now,Charles, for the power of an n and a w ,here is the Grandson of Maximi lian of Austria and Mary of

Burgundy, the Man in whose blood the Span ish and German

Monarchies are Un ited, playing a trick for which a Publ ic

Notary in the smalest imperial District would be Censured .And

,to on no worse of the matter, the Emperor both as to hisSense andlionor depending whol ly upon the Grammarian.

Fel low reeses me hard, and I grow weary ofhis Company. I

'

le'

en du

raw down my ma in Argument,mygreat Battering Piece upon him, and strike h im dead at once.

We ll Clenard, wha t ever there may be of Solid or fickle,pleasurable or Painful in power : He that having Exerted itcan lay it down is a t Man. Now, th is You know I did.I abdicated allmy min ions

,retired to a Monesta ry and

con tented my Self with a Pens ion of Two hundred ThousandCrowns a Year.Glenard. A Physitian, who cures himself of a Dropsy , has

2 19

MATTHEW PRIORgreat Skill , bu t a Man who never had the D istemper hassounder Health . Wel l S ir

,at first v iew th is abd ication of

yours has the appea rance of a great Action . But if it was

wisdom it came very late. Disappointments Dweases and.

Vexat ions preceded it, and the rising Fo rtune of Harry the

Second helpt it on mightil Qm'

“a ba re rm: re more Youknow : Your Rw lution oi

'

quitting the World shewed ve ryPlainly you were Uneasy in it. Nay your self confessed inthe Harrangue ou made to the States of Bruxel les , when youtook your last s towe l of them,

that the greatest Prosperityyou had in the World had been mixt with so much greaterAdvers i ty

,that u could not say that You ever had enjoyed

any rea l Satisfaélibn in it. Bes ides there are Pretty odd Storiesabout that matter, as if You resolved upon your retreat too

rashly, and repented it at leasure. Do on remember what

Your Son Ph i l ip answered to Card inal rainv i l le, when the

Cardinal sa id to him It is now a Year Sir,s ince your Father

Abdicated.” “ It is a Year then sai d Ph il ip, that he was firstso for so doing." Do You remember the Young Monk ofS“. ust

,where you were reti red and waked him too soon in a

Morning. What, said he after you have disturbed the rest of

Mankind are you come to pl e us in our Cloyster. Can

noth ing be qu iet where you are So that you found the Same

reflection retu rned particularly uponYou, after Your Abdication ,that had general ly been made before

,and that

Cba rla . Why thou art not wel l ful l nor fast ing,would

thou neither have me in the World,nor out of it ?

Glena rd. Nay, s ince You were so much in the Worldthat you made your self and every Body else weary of it, Ithink you were in the ri ht to go out of it as fas t as you could.One would not adv ise aFel low to Climb to the top of a Spire ,whe re he is every moment in Danger of fal l ing

,on ly that he

may have the Chance of saving his l ife by leaping down upona feather bed. Bu t now you r Abd ica tion at best shewed, eitherthat you cou ld not stand longer upon the Pinac le, or weretyred with standing there so l ong ; So your head turned, Yourhand sl ipt, and down came you. Pry thee, Charles, rememberthese two Verses.

None cl imb so h igh, or fal l so low,As those who know not where they go.

220

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MATTHEW PRIORkind, who had most pleasure the Man or the Woman

,was

refered to Ca nens, as a Person,whose immediate Experience

ought to be relyed on.It came: at juvenis gra ndam mm: fmmina Ca mus.

I’

lTranslate that for You too,for I am i n a mighty goodhumour.

Ambiguous Ce a us has both Sexes try’d,Let him or her the doubtful point dec ide.

Cbarles. I’

lYe i ld to no Deciss ion I tel l you. I am tyredwith your Pedantry. I was always subject only to my own

Will,and can be tryed b nothing else.

Glenard. So that weEnd just where we began .

Making the Circ le of the ir Re ign compleatThese Suns of Empire where They rise They set.

But however,Charles

,if Princes are Governed on ly b the i r

own Will,you must confess at least it was a MadWor d that

we l ived in.

Cbarles. Adieu, Mess ire Clenard.

Glenard. Adieu Monse igneur Charles.Cbarles. But hark You, one word more, pray dont take theleast Not ice to any of my Fel low Princes of the Discourse wehave had.

Clenard. After allI confess that In '

unftion is pretty hard,

but however I’lobey it. Provided ou remember what Ihave sa id, I’lendeavor to it.

222

A Dialoguebetween

ohn Lockand

Seigneu r de Montaigne.

La d. Is it not wonderfullthat after what Plato and AristotleDes -canes and Malbranch have written of Human understand ing

,it should be reserved to me to give the most Clear

and distinélAccount of it ?Montaigne. Plato and Aristotle are great Names, but as

You discla imAuthori ty you have no righ t to quote them,tho

a great dealmay be sa id even upon the ir subjeCt, if the

Ambigu ity of many Greek words, and the Prejudice we havein favor of Anti u ity were removed . Bu t as for Des- canes,

Malbranch and ou r sel f,Is it not more wonderful] that any

of You should be Satisfyed with our own Writ ings, or havefound readers to admi re them? 0 dea l pla inly with You,th is s ingle reflefl 'ion upon Human unders tanding charges itwith a weakness that all your Books do not suflicnentlyaccount for.

Lad . Short and pithy in good faith by that sprightly wayof th inking as w i ldly as your imagination can suggest

,and by

your expressing that thought as flowin I as

your Tongu e can

throw it off,I should judge You to be ichae Monta igne.

Se igneu r de Mon ta igne, if ou please, Kn ightof theOrder of Michael

,and some t ime yor of Bourdeaux.

La d. Yes, Sir, I know your Person by your insisting so

much upon Your Titles,and I find the same stra in run wi th a

most voluble impetuos ity almost thro every Chapter of ourAs you see the Simplic it of m mind in my very itleYwhere I only cal l my Self John Gentleman .

MATTHEW PRIORMontaigne. D iogenes when he trod upon Platos robe (whom{on named just now)and was asked what he meant by it, mide contemned the Pride of Plato ; A stander by Answered

,

that there was more Pride in Trampl ing upon the Purple thanin wearing of it. Honor you know is my Idol, so I tell youwho I am

,and where I l ive what I Possess and how I act,because I th ink our Van ities may be so managed as to Susta in

our Virtues. Now you divest the Mind from these Humantrappings, and strip off her Cloaths to shew her stark naked.The perfection therefore of your Humi l ity would have appearedin You r giv ing Us a Book without an Name at all. If youhad come out l ike the whole Duty of an in your LanguageI would have sa id someth ing to You. But so it is with us, wewou ld be humble and we are roud

,we fal l into contrary

Excesses, and are gui lty of one \i)

ice by a mistaken Des ign of

avo[i]din another. There is some Crany somewindingMeande rin every ans brain, which he h imself is the last that finds ou t.Lori . It is for that very reason

,good Se i eu r de Monta igne

,

that I searched my own head, and disseéte my understanding,with so great Diligence and Accuracy,that I cannot but think

the Study of many Years, very useful ly bestowedsubjefi . I will give You some Account of it : F irs t I foundout, and explained that an Idea is the objefi of the Humanunderstanding

,that you may call it Idea, Phantasm ,

Not ion,

or Spec ies.Monta igne. Which is that any Man may speak e ithe rGreek or Latin

,as he leases ; then Sir, you proceed.

Lori . O,most happiij' lin proving that we have no innate

Speculative or Practical Princ iples ; That Cornplex proceedfrom simple Ideas, that Ideas of refleftion come later thanthose of Sensation, that uncompounded appearances

Montaigne. O, Sir, I know allthat as we ll as if I had beenone of your D isc iples. Two simple Ideas are the least that canposs i bly be al lowed to make one Complex, many more maychance to be thrown into the Barga in , and a whole set of themmay be resolved aga in into the irNat i ve Simpl ic ity to theTune of

Ex p/ita [ it p/irui, Salvo, Solvig Sadd am“.

Butjrmi , Lock, what canst thou mean, if these words exprewedany rea l th ings, or subsisted any where but i n the Writers bra in224

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MATTHEW PRIORas he would have been if his Friends had Educated h im at

Oxford or Cambridge.

Montaigne. Who the Devil d id not know allthese undoubtedtruths before You set Pen to Paper, and ever ques tioned thems ince ? there are a hundred th ings pla in in themselves that are

on lymade Ambiguous by your Comment upon them. I hold aStone in my hand, and ask you what it is ? You tel l me it isa body. I ask You what is a body ? you reply

f

it is a Substance :I am troublesome enough once more to ask ou what is Substance ? you look raver immed iately

,and informme that it is

something whose cc cons ists in ex tens ion,in such manner

as to be capable of rece iv ing it in Longitude Lat itude and Pro

fundity. The Devil is in it if I am not answered. I maysooner pave the Road between London and York than have athorow knowledge of the leas t Pebble in the way, except I takethis Jargon in fu ll of allAccounts . Soc rates, I have somewhere told You

,asked Memnon what was v i rtue ? There is,repl ed Memnon,the v irtue of a Man

,and of a Woman

,of a

Chi d,and of an aged Person, of a Magistrate

,and of a Private

Citizen ; and as he was going on,Soc rates

,interrupt ing him

,

sa id,I am mightily obl iged to your Generos ity : I asked con

cern ing one V i rtue,and you have already given me half a

Dozen . Now,M'

. Lock, I apprehend c learer what is meantby Understanding

,than I do by your Defin it ion of it : Tée

pow” o tbinl'ing ; and I know better what the Will is, than

when hear you ca ll it Tbc power of Volition. A PloughBoy says to h is Father

,Aye , aye, I understand that as well as

You ; and to his Mother, I won t do it because You bid me,{ft he knows not, allthis while, that he hath exerc ised the

wo great and Princ ipa l Aéliens of his mind, as you ca ll them,or if that Mind had two Actions or two and Twenty .

You have heard of the Ci tizen turned Gentleman,M'

. Lock,who had a mind to be a Scholar, and was dabbl ing in Gramma r.

He discoursed a long time to his Wife of R '

men and Syntax,

and at last asked her,Sweet heart, what is it am talk ing now ?

on my Conscience quoth She, Husband, I think tis Nonsense.That may be he replyed, You simple Woman : Bu t did not

know allth is t ime that it was not Verse but Prose ? NowWoman could not be more obl iged to her Husband

for is Piece of Learn ing then your Young SeCtators are to

23 6

LOCKE AND MONTA IGNEYou for the Discovery of some of those incomparable Axioms,which

‘you Just now Q uoted

,when they find them amidst a

heap o Metaphysical terms. How gratefu l are they to the

Doétor, and in return for our Civ i li ty in giving them Six orE igh t words together of w ich they can make common Sense,how jo fully do they let themsel ves be bambouzled thro as

many hapters ? for among the variety of Errors, to whichweak minds are subject, there is one very conspicuous ; thatthe are most prone to admi re what they do not perfefllyunderstand

,and are very apt to judge of the Dept h of anothers

thou hts by the obscurity of his Exp ress ion. Aristotle I haveheard,vallued himself upon having a Tal lent of concea l ing part

of his mean ing,or tendring the whole Ambiguous : for which

damned Alfeétation I most heart i ly hate Aristotle,and allh is

Imitators in th is kind . I do not say M’. Lock, that you affect

th is Obscurity, bu t I your Pardon,wh ile I take the Liberty

to tell You, that you 0 en fal l into it : while you are sowingWords too Plentiful ly, you do not always foresee what a Crop

This is a pretty large Accusat ion, I hope You can

make it good .igne. y, You confess in your very preface that

when ou fi rst put Pen to Pape r, you thought that all

should ave to say on the matter would have beenone Sheet of Paper, and

'yet, you See, You have Swel led it in to

a Volume. How imper eétly therefore did you j e ither ofthe Ext [e]nt of what was to be written or of the ethod in

wh ich it should be D igested . Bu t as we say in France, theAppetite comes in Eating ; so in Wri ting You sti l found moreto write. From Ideas most unexpectedly sprung Sol id ity, Perception, Extension , Duration, Number, and Infin ity, and fromthese aga in mixed Modes, Complex and Collected Ideas of

Substances, Iden tity, Divers ity, and fifty otherglorious Tresor

trouves, to which you the Maste r of the Soi have the onlyright and Property, and are en tituled to d ispose of them ex meromm 8: pa ra gra tid to allYour Sectators, and Disc iples, inSore/a Serulorum. Now by the same way of working Youmigh t have left them Ten Volumes as well as one.

every Chapter might have been bea ten ou t into a wholeand after Potential ity, Percept iv ity, Mobi l ity, and Motiv ity

r a 227

MATTHEW PRIOR(which by the by You should have added to your Chapter ofthe Abuse ofWords)You might have found out Ten thousa ndother Alitys and Ivitys, that would have looked equal ly welltothe E e in a Handsome Print, and conveyed just as muchKnow edge to the Mind . WhyM'

. Lock, r very Definitionof Liberty, is, that it is something, which ou your Self mustfeel ; what s ignifies it therefore to Define it at all? Can an

words ou t of ano ther Mans Mouth make me understand iffeel a th ing or no ? Bel ieve me, M'

. Lock, you Metaphys ic iansdefine our Objeft as some Natural ists div ide it, in infinitm :

But w ile you are doing so, the parts become so far Sepa ratedfrom each other

,that You lose the s ight of the th ing it se lf.

Another happynw arises from all this that whenever the

Writer of th is sort of Mys terious Demonst rat ion,and h is

Reader Disagree (as happened between You and Stillingfieet,and in a case not un l ike Yours between Sout h and She rlock)both are in the right, and bath are in the wrong : Wh i le no

Man else can well Judge what e ither of them mean t. So theD

'

ute onl term inates as it grows forgot, and as the Propert y ofthe

is

fiooksel r in the Unsold Sheets that conta ined it, is transferredto his next- door Nei hbors, the Grocer and the Pas try Cook.La d. So that ou

,the loosest of Writers, have no great

for my c lose way of reason ing.sard igne. Really, M'

. Locke,I shou ld flatter You

,if I

lmid I had. One may read our Book over as the Irishman eatWhipt- cream,

and when t ey asked him what he had been(doing, he sa id, he had been tast ing a great Noth ing. All thewh i le You wrote you were only thinking that You thought ;You

,and your Understanding are the Peru se Drama tir, and

the whole Amounts to no more than a Dia logue between Johnand Lock.

As I wal k’d by m SelfI talked to my f,And my self sa id unto Me.

You seem in my poor apprehens ion, to go to and fro

To a

Ph i losophical Swing, l ike a Child upon a wooden- ho waysin mot ion but without any Progress ; and to A6 as a Man

i nstead of Praétising his Trade should spend allhis l ife innaming his Tools.228

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MATTHEW PRIORsti l in the same place, suppos ing it kept the m e Distance wi ththe part of the Ne ighboring Land, tho perhaps the Earth hasturned round

,and so both Chess-men and Board and Ship have

every one changed place in respeft of remoter bod ies,which

have kept the same distance one with another, and so on to the

end of the Chapter. Who ever denyed one word of allthis ?and do You th ink now that You have expla ined what mot ionand repose is

, so as to do any good to Mankind. Archimedesfound out the burning- glass. Jacob Metius the Tellesoope.

Sanfl orius the Thermometer, and Flav ia Goia, the Commwithout Consulting or be ing guided by any sort of Verbiagel ike th is, and I dare Swear neither Christopher Colombo, norFrancis Drake ever reasoned one half hour if their Chess- Boardwas in mot ion in relat ion to their Cabin, or thei r Cabin in

regard to the Ship,allthe whi le they were sail ing round the

World, and adding a fourth part to what was known of it

before.

Lori . But when in the name of Patience shal I haveto repl i

targaz. Immediately, as soon a I have waked yourIdea’s into a remembrance t hat you tel l us upon th e Organ ization of the body, That Prince Maurice had an old Parrot inBrazi l, who spoke

,and asked

,and answered (Exestions like a

reasonable Creature Who told the Prince he knew him to be

a General , tha t he h imself be longed to a Portuguese,that he

came fromMarinnar,and that h is Employment was to keep

the Chickens. Now who ever be l ieved th is, but SirWill iamlTemple and your Se lf ? and then aga in upon the rules of

Mot ion ; that a young Gentleman who had lea rned to Dancein t perfection in the Garrat

,where an old Trunk stood,

cou d never as much as cut one Caper rightly in any otherroom

,unless that Trunk or another exceeding l ike it, was setin the same Pos it ion : 50 that the Man rather Danced to the

Trunk than to the Viol in . Faro/m,Squ ire Lock

,I appeal to all

Mankind, if ever I said any th ing so ext ravagan t as this,in myChapter of the force of Imagination in Man and Beasts.

Lott. How this Gascon runs away wi th th ings, I do not

say I have the exafl Criterion Veriratir, but I search it. I don tpretend to Infalibility , but m much as I can I endeavor toavoid E rror. And s ince it is only by my unde rstanding that230

LOCKE AND MONTAIGNEI can j udge of other things It is proper in order to that, thatI make that understanding first j udge of it self.Montaigne. There is a 7 c mu stay aoy in these words that

affords me but l ittle Satisfaction. But you Metaphys ic iansthink with too much Subt ilty to be pleased with what isNatural.Lott. Natural

,why is an th in pla iner than what I sa id ?

I studied to know my self. osee‘Te iprum. You love

AuthoKyg

and I might quote it as the saying of One of the

Wise en of Greece.

Montaigne. I understand You now M'. Lock , but I do no

more respect it (as much as you think I love Authority) forbe ing meerl the sa ing of the Wise Men of Greece,than if it

had been otyone o the Seven Wise Masters of Rome

,or the

Seven Champions of Christendom : T he Truth of the sayingmust just i the Author.Lott. ut according to your own way, has the Maximwe ight with it

,without any regard to Authority ? should

not a Man know H imse lf ? Answer Direct]Montaigne. I wi ll , S ir, and in the saying of another WiseMan

, (ofwhat Country not three Straws matter) he that doesnot talk with a Wiser Man than Himself, may ha to dyeIgnorant . Real ly who ever writes in Folio conv incePeople that he knows someth ing bes ides H imself

,else few would

read h is Book, except his very pa rt icular Friends.

Lori . I wil l give you up as many as you please of thoseparticular Friends, prov ided the few (be they my F riends or no)tha t can th ink consequentially, and reason justly upon Premises,approve my Wri tings. In one word I do not write to the

Vulgar.Montaigne. And they are the only People that should bewrit to. Not write to the Vul quoth thou ; Egad the

Vulgar are the on ly Sc holars. Ifr

they had not Taught Uswe had been S tupid . T he Observations made by Shephe rds inE t and Chaldea gave bi rth to Geometry and Astronomy .

T e variety of sound from the Hammers of Smith s st riking onthe ir Anvi lle was the Original of their Scale of Mus ic. Andsome traces on the sand by a poor Cow- herd gave the first Ideaof Pa int ing. Homer and Virgil w ill scarse be exempted fromthe Company of the Vulgar ; if One went a begging thro all

23 :

MATTHEW PRIORGreece and composed his I l iads for h is bread ; And t’other theSon of a Potter at Mantua , came on foot to Rome, to Solicitethe favor of Augustus . Was not Gun Powder invented by a

poor Monk at Nu rember And Printing by an InferiorTradesman at Haerlem. ook thro your Microscopes and

know that Lewinhoeck that brought them to such perfecti onwas a Glazier ; and when you next set Your Watch, re

member that Tompion was a fa rrier, and began his

Knowledge in the Equat ion ofTime by regulating the w eelsof a common Jack

,to roast Mea t. Nay fa ith the Vulgar are theonly Criticks too forwhat is Praise bu t the Un iversal Colleétion

of the ir Consent,and whence can that Consent be derived bu t

from their Understanding ou rWri t ings ? IEsop and Ep ictetushad more sense than the ir Masters . Sophoc les shewed hisTragedies to his Maid . Since our time Rac ine sa id, bedoubted of the success of his t dra t i l l his Coachman toldh imhe l iked the Character of Hypolitus. And Boileau Addressesone of his Epist les to Antoine his Favorite Ga rdiner. In shortI am one of those Vulgar

,for whom

,you say, You do not

write ; And in the Name of our whole Community,I take

leave to tel l You, I think, You have wronged both us and

your subjeft.La d. You are not Serious when You sa this ?M ata igue. As ever I was in my l i and so I on

M'. Lock, your Mind was gi ven you for the Condufl eg

o

yourl ife, not meet ly for your own Specu lation ; nor should it be

implo ed only upon its se lf,but upon other things. I think we

shoul take our Understandin as Providence hath gi ven it to Us,lupon Content ; As we coul do a handsome Sum of Money

,

sent us by a good Friend and spend our time rather in makinguse of it

,then in counting it. AMan should live wi th hisAlma

(as Friend Prior calls her) as he would do with his “r!

hav ing taken her for better and for worse. He should be Civto her

,keep her in good Humor, but not cutt her up like an

Anatomy to shew the Situa tion of her parts,and read Lectures

upon the soundness or defects of her In trails. If you are

always tuggin at your Purse Strings, you may chance to breakthem ; and if on turn and tumble the Pu rse it self, at last youwilldrop your Money out of it. What occas ion have you fora Tongue if you are to ta lk for ever to your self. If you were232

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MATTHEW PRIORLa d. And pray, Sir, inform us a l ittle

,into what Glamdid

You look ?Montaigu . Into the feat Mirour of the World

,where I

saw the un iversal face of ature,and the images of allobjefi s

xthe Eye canW bly take in. I pursued the Human M ind

ro’allher lurking holes, Gt retreats

,the prevention of Educa

t ion,the Mimicking of habi tude

,and the Power of Custom.

I represented Ignorance and Folly in the ir Nat ive Colours , Igave just encouragement thro allmy wri tings to pla in Honesty,and to open Honor. Shewed very often, as I sa id just now

,how our Van ity might contri bute to our Vi rtue. I endeavoredto find the Medium between the Avers ion to Pain and love of

Pleasure to mingle our hopes and fears so in the ir just tempe rature of what we will at present ca ll Prudence, that if mytho ht could not enjoy full Sat isfact ion

,it might at least find

the vilof l ife Dimin ished. I drew together the reflecti ons,which Courts, Camps, Cities and Nations presented unto

Gave you fa irly my Op inion of Emperors and,Law- Given ,Sold iers and Ph ilosophers . I contemplated the S ituat ion of

Earths and Seas,the revolutions of the Sun

,the difl

'

erent

Motions and operations of the Stars ; and from the Works of

Nature,and m Observat ions upon them

,I deduced the Bei

and forced my eader to own the Power,of a D[e i ]t Yet l

this while,I durst not pretend to fix the bounds of ruth and

Error,at least I thought that could not be done by a sett of

Words. It must rather depend,as I conc luded upon Experi

ence,or at least Probabi l ity. I gave the World my Wri tings,

as the Effects only of my own Meditations ; rather what I myself thought than what otherMen should think

,and was always

so far from setting up for an Instructor, that (as I have oftensa id) I was ready to alter my Opin ion as I might be betterInstructed by the Discourses orWritings of any ofmy Friends.This was mymanner of thinking. Now, Sir, as at the beginn ingof our Discourse we had some of you r Axiomes

,wi l l you let

me here give on half a Dozen of Mine.

lLoct. As You please, Si r, I have Pat ience, and You love

ta kin

Mi raigm. As to our Se lves, first, 0 in ion and Custom doevery thing, div ide Us into Sefi s, make ws and Govern ourL ives. Our wishes contemn what is easy and234

LOCKE AND MONTAIGNEto what is forbid or hard to come at

,and whi lst we des i re what

is not in our Possess ion we less enjo that which is. Our chiefbus iness in l ife is to learn to bear tile i l ls of it. He that fearsto Suffer, suffers already what he fears ; Or would you have itin other words, He that dreads Pun ishment, already sulfers it

,

and he that Merits it,must al ways d read it—Aga in, wewa

ys“beyond our se lves ; fear, des ire, hope throw us forward

into turityty , and take away our Sense of what 18 to Amuse us,with what sha l be, and that too poss i bly when we cannotperce i ve it—We should neither fly nor follow Pleasures, buttake them as they come. The re is no pleasure so

‘

ust and

lawful bu t is blameable if used in intemperance or ExcessHave you composed your own Manners, and l ived as youought to do with our Ne ighbor ? have you done more than hewho has wri ttenVolumes

,or taken Cities ? To be Honest is

the end and Des ign of our Life : To heap up, to build, toConquer,to Reign

,are things oni Acc iden ta l and Secondary.

A Lye is belowgn

the Dignity ofHuman Nature . As we are

dist inguished from other Creatures btyo

Speech, the very bond ofour Soc iety is tyed by the Truth 0 our Words. If fa lsehoodl ike Truth had but one face, how happy should we be . We

shou ld take that for certa in,which was directl contrary t

what the Liar ( if we thought him such)w '

. But a las !Error has fifty dev iat ing Paths, whereas there rs bu t one roaddireétl right—Of Valou r now ; Who cou ld say betterthis , alour has its Limits as wel l as other Virtues, and foolhard iness is as great a V ice as Cowardise—O f Civ i l ity ; the

greatest Civil ity 18 sometimes shown in be ing less Ceremonius.have seen People impertinent by too much good Manners,

and troublesome with the greatest Decorum—As to Government ; the Not ion of L i be rty in a Commonwealth hath the

same effect upon a Man born under that rule, as the Glory ofthe King has upon one born in an absolute Monarchy. Andevery Man loves and speaks well of the Country where he wasborn ; and sucked m his firs t Not ions, be it France or Tartary.Hence it is that after allou r T ravells thro the World we des i reto come and Dye at home—As to Sc ience ,

Plants may bewith too plentiful nourishment, and Lamps ex tinb

z‘too great a supply of le ; We may have so much ai

mrence

t t it may confound our udgmen t. It is not enough to know235

MATTHEW PRIORthe Theory of th ings without be ing able to put them in Practice.In the Commerce of l ife instead of desiring to learn fromotherswe are only seeltin to malte our Selves known

,and are more

in Pain to put 065our old Merchandise than to endeavor to

acquire any New—Of Sol itude ; it is in vain that we retirefrom the World if we carry our Faults with us

, Our Van ityand Our Avarice may follow us wherever we go : No retreat

,

no Cloyster, no Desart can exc lude them : To enable us to l ivein True Sol itude

,we must make our Satisfafl ion depend upon

ou r Sel ves : We should do well sometimes to fancy we had noFamily

,no Wealth

,no Relations, no Servants, that if an of

those Lowes happen to Us, they may not appear New hat

think You of my Contemplations upon Death ? Things somet imes appear greater to us as they are fu rther off. In Health Ihave apprehended the thoughts of Sickness with more Horrorthan I have felt it : Go out of the World as you came into it,without Pass ion and wi thout fear. Your Death is one part ofthe Un i versa l Order of Nature

,and every day you have l ived

was only to bring you nearer to that in which you must Dye.

Can you think on must never arrive at that Place towardswhich on are ways a going ? Comfort your Self you havegood mpany in the way. A Thousand Men

, and ten

thousand Animals Dye in the very same moment with You

Now for Two or Three th ings I have sa id of Princes ; Theadvantages of the cat are most ly imaginary

,the inconvenienca

and h indrances of ife,which they must suEer are rea l ; Wh ile

every Man naturally hates to be watched and Spyed, They arethe only People that must y ie ld to this Subjection, every Su bjectthinks he has a right to observe even the Countenance and

thoughts of his Prince, and the Master dares not blame butmust thank him for his Care. If Princes would begin to

retrench from Luxury, and l ive with Sobrie and Modera tion,there would be no Occas ion for Sumptuary aws : in a Monththe Cou rt would imita te the King

,and the People in a Year

would imitate the Court : Vi rtu e would soon be Prafl iced as

it became fashionable. We owe our Submission and Obed ienceto Kings whether They be good or bad. This regards theirDign ity and Office, But we give them our Esteem and Affectionin proport ion on

c

l

ato the ir Meri t and Vi rtue. The l ives of

Princes are subj to be Examined after their Death . The

236

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MATTHEW PRIORlitt le : I pu t my thou hts down

,just as they occurred to me.

Could I have better Ni thod than that which the course of myl ife gave me,and the order of things as they presented them

selves to 111 View ? How would You have hadme range them?Is it not t e Variety it self that pleases while it Instructs ? ifthe black, the White, the Red, and the Green

,were laid upon

distinét parts of the Canvas, where would be the Harmony ofColouring

,or the taut-mum“: of the Picture ? You may see

the Painters Method upon his Palatte,bu t he condemns it

when he would shew his Science . If allyour L i ll ies werecol lected together in one Bed

,next your House, then allyour

Roses in another,and allyou r Sun- Flowers in a th ird

,who

would admire the beauty of your Garden ? However yourPifture and your Garden are sti l the Effects of Art

, and Arther Se lf 1s gross and poor where her ways of working are seen,

She appears most lovel where she most imi tates her Mistress,Natu re ; But contemt e the great Goddess her se lf,1pm nu}

pol/em apibm : H i l ls,Cities, Woods, R ivers so s ituate

,that the

b rigmakes the beauty of the Prospeét ; and at N ight

consider e Copes of Heavenéqglorious with Myriads of Sta rs ;

not set in ranks, spread 1nto uarca, or c i rc led in rounds, butallshining in a beautiful Superiority to Number and Order.La d.

gOh lbrave Seigneu r of Gascony ; Why th is was a

most noble rant ; tho by the by, the las t pa rt of it was stolenBacon .

It ma be so,and he pe rhaps took it from

Petrarch,and Petra[r ch borrowed it from Cicero, and Cicero

aga in might have it from Soc rates, and Socrates from Dav id .

If I am in the Possess ion of a Medal , or a Jewel, what w e Iif it came ou t of the Arundel Col lection, or was taken b the

Duke of Bourbon in the Plunder of the Vati an. If re newore it in her Bul la, or even if Memmius brought it to Romefrom Corin th ? Truth and reason lye in common to alltheWorld

,l ike Air and Water.

Lott. Hola, good Se igneur, I remember you have sa id (andindeed I l iked the saying ti ll I now find you contradiCt it,)thatwe Pra ise no Creatu re, bes ides ou r Selves except for h is Natural$

1alities and Endowments. We commend a Horse forV1gorous and Handsom

,not for the fine& of his Harneg or

Caparisons ; A Greyhound for his swiftness, not for the richness238

LOCKE AND MONTAIGNEof his Collar ; And a Hawk for his wing, not for his Jesses orhis Be lls. But we dont sa you do the same in regard to Man ;

He has a Magn ificent P rich Equipage,or fine Cloths.

Alas ! these are th ings about Him, bu t not in h im. Now applythis to your way of Writing (the point to which with muchado I have brou ht You)Monta igne has noble Ideas

,but they

are taken fromPlato ; fine Stories, but from Plutarch ; greatExpression, but fromTully and Seneca ; and right Quotat ion,

but from Horace 6: Vi rgi l . Now,do any of these Exce llenc ies

any more belon to You than the Harness to your Horse,the

Collar to your %3reyhound, or the Jesses to your Hawk ? and

wou ld it not fol low, tha t if Plato, Plutarch , Cicero, Seneca,Horace and V irgi l should each rec la im his own,Montaigne

ohath writ no Book ? Speak, Sir, Answer me Logica l ly. uare not used to Pause for a reply.Montaigne. Fa ith I think he has me a l ittle upon the Hipwith his Logic . Where one cannot perfeétly excuse

,allone

can do is to recriminate. You know, Sir, I never was a greatAdmirer of Logic , no friend to our Ergoismes. I have toldthe Wor ld more than once that had rather be a Horseman

,than a subtil Logic ian. You begin as I sa i to you just

now,wi th propos itions, which no body denys ; and go on to

prove Paradoxes, which no body will admit. A Man is not a

Bitch of Bacon, ( ou tdo; Monta igne did not write h is own

Book,Ncga, without the least regard to Bocardo or Baral i ton.

Can I answer your (hwstion fa irer than by return ing YourOy estion ; Who did wri te M'

. Locks Book ?Lott. Why, M'

. Lock himself ; I tell my Readers almostat the Beginn ing of it, that I Sp in my Work out of my ownThoughts .

Monta igne. Spin so does a Spider ou t of her own Bowe l ls ;and yet a Cobweb is good for noth ing else that I know of bu t

to catch fl ies,and stanch cut thumbs. I am so far from con

cealing what ou call Thefts, that I glory in them . I havemade other ens thoughts my own

,and given them to the

World in reater beauty than I rece ived them from theirAuthors . me be compared to a Bee

,who takes something

from every Flower and Shrub,and b that various labour

collefts one of the greatest Ingred ients of,Humane Health

,and

the very Emblem of Plenty . Bu t to come nearer to You239

MATTHEW PRIORM'

. Lock, you like many other writers, decei ve your self inth is point, and as much a Spider as you fancy your Self, youv often cast your Web upon other Mens Textures.

t . What,then ? I make the Work my own

,by not

knowing it was the irs . What ever may have been written bothers, if I have not read the ir Books, what I write is as muchmy own Invention as if no Man had thought the same th ingbefore me. But you , Si r, have only to go to your Commonplace book, find out some Excerpta, andMontoig m. Why, the best one can do is but to compose ; Ihope you do not pretend to create.

La d. I tell you what I write is my own . You rs is at bestbut Compi lation.

Montaigne. Why, there is another mistake now,a trick

which your own Understanding puts upon You . Your Ideas,as you ca ll them

,however you have endeavored to set them

right,were so mixed and blended long before

lyoubeg n to

wri te, in the great variety of things that fel under their

Cogn izance,that it was impomible for you to Dist inguishwhat on invented, from what you remembred. Plato says

that a?! knowledge is only remmiscence, and a Wiser Man

than he, that there was nothin New under the Sun : Bwides

th is, M good M'. Lock, Love

,natura l Van i and

des i re 0 Acquis ition he lp us extremely in these sort of efts .

In the bounding our Estates, we are pretty part ia l to ou r Se lves ;Our Neighbors Acre on the left hand , if taken in, would makeour Garden on that si de

,Square ; and if theWood on the right

could be added to our Grove, that improvement wou ld give itperfect Symetry and beauty. Tho here the Civil Power hasalready determined what is ours and what is not. But as to

the extent of our Knowledge , where neither Nature nor Lawhas made any Prescription, and Human Curios ity is st i l teasingforward

,we ta ke allthat comes fairly in our wa an ei ther

th ink it Original ly our own, or at least not troub e our Selveswhose it was before it came into our Pm ion. Descartes inthe middle of the Joy he felt when he was certai n he doubtedof every thing, and only knew his own Ignorance ; was just inthe same piteous Estate Pyrrho found himself Two thousandYears before : And when he gave Us his subtil matter

,he only

new Christened Ar istot lesMaur ie prim , Gassendi and Rohault,sao

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MATTHEW PRIORLori . And fa ith to do You Justice what ever you write or

find wri tten by any body e ou putt it off with a most nobleassurance. I a nnot but th ink it must have been a Pleasan tScene enough to see you come Strut ting thro by the great Hallof your own Chateau in the Perigord, while one of your Servantsor Tenants Sons were reading your Works wi th an Audiblevoice to the Country, who came in to hear the Wisdom of the

Se igneur de Montaigne, Ba l iff of Bourdeaux : How trul theySpelt and pronounced the ames Demetrius Poliocetes, gubliusSul itius Gal ba

,and Albuquerque Vicero of Emanuel K ing

of ortugal; Allbrought together as if t ey had l ived at thesame t ime, and were as wel l ac ua inted as the three Kings of

Cologn How often the reader top’

d and Admi red,whi le youwe re pleased to expound to them you r (nota t ions of Greek

and Latin Sentences, Shreds of anc ien t Orat ions, and Pieces ofbroken Verses ; the effect of a good Father’s Care,who taugh t

you the Lan b rote ; and of a l ively Memory thatilion of {iireta ined a Mi ea

’

s, and (as I said just now gave themout aga in with very l itt le Judgment, confused and romiscuous

(true French b the way, and good Grammar somet imes wanting). Confess igneur, that it mus t have been v Theatrica l,your dear Self allthe whi le the Hero of the Play. he Descentof your Fami ly,

your Coat of Arms, the H igh Tower in wh ichyou lodged

,the that wai ted on You

,allfa ithfully repre

sented : And your ialogue with your Catt so recited, that ifLaughter were not the incommun icable Property ofMan, Pussal lowed to smi le u so fantast ic a subject.Why

,fa ith , M'

. £22k, if you wou ld have me,you must take me Altogether, Gal lan t or Debonna ire, Se riousor Comica l just in the Humour I happened to be when I wrote ;too confident perhaps in the Strength of my own natura l Parts ,and too partia l to my own Van ities, yet free enough in con

fess ing m defeéts, and submitting my judgment to the Censuren of my riends. I dont d isl ike what I heard one of

,your

Countrymen sa id of me , that by the Style of many Authors hecould imagine at least someth ing of the i r tempe r, and

at the i r inc l inations and Vi rtues ; But when he read me, he

fancyed he knew my Person, and that he had seen and Conven twith me in France, tho I dyed above one hundred Years beforehe was born . My Ideas, as you Observe , are confused and Promis242

LOCKE AND MONTAIGNEcuous ; But st i l describin or Pa int ing someth ing

, produc in the

Picture ofmy Selfand a housand People more . ButM'.Eock

,

ou rWork is meet Grotesque, half images of Centau res and

plynxes trai l ing into Flowers and branches ; Sa rs and Masksinterlaced into Knots with Cupids , allimperf and onl so°

oined that the Chain of the Work is st il continued. ut

owever since You are pleased to give the Comody out of myWritings, I am sure you wil l not take it i ll if I furn ish the

farce, the Petite Piece, as we ca ll it out of Yours .Suppose, M'. Lock, you retu rned to your own Chamber from\

the bus iness, the Vis its,and Pleasures of the Day ; Your

Ivon , your Books before You. John, say you to

ou ma go down and Sup, shut the Door. John,who at his leasure hours had been dahl ing in your Book

,and

consequently admi red the Wisdom of it,reasons thus upon

the matter, the Senses first let in particu la r Ideas into the

Sensorium, the brain, or as my Master admirabl expres es, intothe drawing room ; which are from thence veyed to the

hi therto empty Cabinet of the Mind, right The vibration of

the Air and its Undulation strike the Tympanum of my Ear,and these Mod ifications be in thus conveyed to my Sensorium

,

certa in words in the Engl ishlanguage (for no other do I understand) produce a Determined conc tion. John you may godown and Sup

,shut the Door, now ohn has been a common

Apellative to Millions of Men these many ages, from Apostles,Emperors, Doctors and Philosophers, down to Bu tlers,and

Valcts de Chambre and Persons ofmy uality some ofwhomhowever Chr istened John, and commo y cal led Jack bu t passfor that—Now to none of these could my Master speak, forthey are e i ther dead or Absent, it must therefore be to meDoubtfullaga in for my Masters own name is John

,and be ing

a whims ical Person he may robably talk to himself—No thatcant be ne ither, for if he ha commanded h imself

,why did he

not obey h imse lf, if he wouldgo down , why does he sit stil in

the Elbow cha ir—t’

was certa in y therefore meant to me John,

not to h im John : wel l then go down and sup, go downWhither ? to the Centre of the Earth ? there I may sup withFienda on brimstone broth . To the bottom of the Thames ?there I may Sup with Cod and Mackerel l

,and as Hamlet mys

not Eat but be Eaten. To the Coa l hole or woodhouse there

0 2 243

MATTHEW PRIORdeed I may find what wi lldress a Supper, but noth ing e lse

to the present purpose of my own Supping. It must thereforebe to the Kitchi[n] and in this determined Sense I wi l l receivemy Masters kind admonition—Now, aga in, you may

'go down

and sup ; wh if Ima ,then I may not go down, the iberty of

my Vol ition ge ing un etermined,and the ad ion of going down,

enter going down,be ing in it se lf indiEemnt to me. Aye !

t you may go down and Sup, the Propos ition seems conjoncti ve

,I cannot sup without going down, [and tho going down]

was indifl'

erent,

t Supping is far from be ing so, for I am reallyand sensi bly an feelin ly a Hungry ; besides you may go downand Sup is not a bare Permiss ion but a Civ i ler command ; Andtho I may chuse whether I will sup or no when I am down,yet I ought to go down when my Master enjoins it in so

obl iging a manner—But now comes an es sent ial d ifficulty,which however by right ratiotination I ho to overeJohn you may go down and Su shut the oor, the Detake to be a Combination of Planks in an Oblong F igure

,

artfu l ly compacted by the Ski l l of a Carpen ter, and set uponCornpages, Hooks, or H inges of Iron or brass by the addit iona lScience or labour of the Smith with a Lock appl icable to the

Action which m Maste r enjoins me,of Shutt ing it. Th is

Afl ion is to be eterrn ined by m Eye to find out this Lock,

and by my hand to touch it. u t now again am I,as the

order in which the words are Placed may import, first to godown and Sup,and then to shut the Door : No surely

,for in

th e ma in t ime there may come such a wind from the Stairhead , that m Master may catch his Death before I have fi lledmy Be lly ; here is certa in ly therefore an Anaeronism

,or at

least an unguarded transpos i t ion, in these words,the

concept ion of themmust be thus taken, not John go down and

Sup, shut the Door, bu t John shut the Door,go down and

sup ; Wel l so far I th ink I am right. But now as to shuttingthe Door there is a lock in the ins ide

,and there is a bolt on the

Outs ide,which implyes twoMedia

'

s of performing th is ActionIf I lock the door on this s i de, how the Dev i l can I go downexcept I was a fai and would creep thro the Key hole ;If I bolt it on the ot er s ide , I shut my Master in

,which su re

he could never intend. Two Media’

s I sa id there were, yetneither of these are proper to the present purpose ; there must1 44

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MATTHEW PRIORalways was andwi l l be a Pragmatica l Puppy. Puppy ? SaysJohn i n what Predicamen t do you Place the Human species ?S i rrah

,Robin answers in great anger

,I scorn your words ; I

am ne ither Predicament, nor Spec ies, any more than your self :But I wont stand by and see my Fellow Servant afi on ted.

Here, you find Bel/a plus 9mm Giu ilia . John 8:

[ Margaret form the ir different All iances,the whole

set into a flame by three leaves of your own

may knock your hea rt out for your boyled Chicken, and you r

roasted App es.Lad . Wel l, Sir, and what is the Resul t of allth is ?Montaigne. That probabl ne ither, Robin, John, Marga ret

,o[u] or I, or any other five Persons al ive, have e ither the samedeas of the same th ing

,or the same way of expressing them.

The difference of Temperament in the body,Hot

,cold

,Eleg

matic or hasty, create as manifest a variety in the operationsof our hands

,and the condufl of our Lives ; and ou r Concep

tions may be as various as our faces, Bodies, and Senses (orsensations as you ca ll them). If I l ike Assafetida

,I say it has

a good smel l : If you can t indure a Rose, you compla in it

st inks. In our Taste may not I nauseate the food which youCovet ; and is it not even a Proverb,that what is meat to one

Man is Poyson to another. If we cons ider even the fabrick

of the Eye and the Rules of Optiek , it can hard

t

l

g' be thought

we see the same ; and yet no words can exprm is D iversi ty.So that there may be as much difference between your C00

3tions and mine,as there is between your Band

,and my R

If so, it may happen I sa that if no Mans Ideas bethe same, Locks Human nderstandingmay be fit only for theMeditation of Lock h imse lf. Nay further that those very Idmschanging, Lock may be led into a new Labyr inth

,or sucked

into another Vortex ; and may write a Second Book in orderto Disprove the first.Loci . Aye now Si r I l ike You, We are come to the veryState of the Quest ion .

Monta igne. Are we so,my good Friend ? why then '

tisjust time to break off the Discourse.

146

A Dialoguebetween

The Vicar of Brayand

Sir Thomas Moor.Vicar . Farewelthen to the Dear Vicarage, tis gone at last .I held It bravely out however. Let me see, from the Twen tiethof Hen ry the E ighth, and I dyed in the twen n inth of

El izabeth,just seven and fifty Years ; Attacked °

asals andCommon Prayer, Afl s of Parl iamen t opposed to rees of the

Church,Mortma ins in the Legates Cou rts

,and Premun ires in

Westminster- Hal l, CanonLaw and Statu tes,Oaths ofObedienceto the See of Rome

,and of Supremacy to the King of England,Transubstantiation, rea l Presence

,Bulls, and Premunires, and

that intricate Quest ion of Divorces. But is not that myPat ron

,Sir Thomas who ve me the Liv ing, and ch the

Clerks in his Oflice to £ e no Fees for expediting the Sealsbecause I was poor ; indeed I was so then

,but God be thanked

I took care of my self after, asas every Prudent Man shou ld do.

Aye, tis he indeed. O dear S i r Thomas , I was v sorry foryour Misfortunes ; I was upon Tower- H i l l, when

”

You savedour Beard, tho you lost your Head, but by ou r Lady, I did notjes ting. I saw you ExeCtited. Oh I thatyugly seam,Si r, that rema ins sti l about your Neck . Oh Sir a head sewed

on aga in never s its we l l . I pittyed You, Sir, I prayed forYou .Moor . My old ac uaintance in good Truth , the V icar ofBray

,very wel l Prien

,Iam obl iged to you for you r Pitty an

your Prayers, but you would have heightned the obl iga tion had

you appeared with me on the Scafi'

o d, your Spi ritualAdvicemi ht have been of Service to me.

55a m O Lord, S ir, I would have been there with allmy247

MATTHEW PRIORheart, bu t You remember the t imes were so tickl ish

,and that

point of the Supremecy so dangerous.Moor . More proper therefore for a Divine to have Assisted

a Lay-Man in so n ice a Conjunc'ture .

Vica r . O Lord help You, Sir, I thought you had knownbetter than that (at least s ince your Death)no Sir, more propertherefore for a Layman to have left the Nicety of such a matterto Divines.Moor. We ll

, and did not some of the Clergy suffer uponthe same account with me ?Vicar . And were they the Wiser for so doing ? the greatestof Us were aga inst your Suffer ing Doctrines, and in good

a ith we of the Low- Church thought it very st range that wi thallyour Law and Learn ing you should not have had w itenough to keep your head upon you r Shoulders .

Moor . It was that ve Law and Learnin that made melay my head down pat ient y on the block. nknowledge i nDiv ine and Human Law gave me to understand I was born aSubject to both : That I was placed upon a Bench not onl to

expound those Laws to others, but obl iged to observe emmy se lf with an Inv iolable Sana ion ; That in some Cases theKing himself cou ld not change them

,that I was commanded

to render to God the things that were of God,before I gave to

Caesa r the th ings that are Cmsars , And when I was Accusedupon a point, w“ I thought strictly just, my Philosophybe to dispise my Sufl

’erings, and furn ished me upon the ld

with the same Serenity of mind and Pleasantness of Speechwith which I was used to dec ide Causes at Westminster- Ha ll,

or converse with my Friends in my Gardens at Chelsea .

Vicar . Aye, Si r Thomas , bu t i t is a sad thing to Dye.Moor . For ou ht Men know (I speak to Thee in the

Language of Peopie yet al ive) it was an Uneasy thing to be

born ; and for ought they may know, it will be no great painto Dye : The Friend that stands by in full health, may probablySuffer more rea l angu ish, than the dying Man

,who ra ises hts

Compass ion .

Vicar . Aye, Sir Thomas ; bu t (to Answer on in the samelanguage)to dye as you did, to see the Hea man with the

Axe,after the Law had passed your Sentence stand and

Demand the Execut ion of it ; This sure is terri ble.

248

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MATT HEW PRIORtoo] far into Affa i rs, fromwhich he had better to have receeded.

e spoke so v iolently against Anthony that he could never hopein Prudence to be forgiven by Him

,tho Anthony had good

Nature enough, and you contradicted Henry, who as to his

temper was inflexible, and in his Anger never forgave anyMan.

Moor. But did not Anthony deserve that and more fromCicero. And as to my Case

,if the King

Vicar. Alas,Sir

,let People deserve or not deserve, tha t is

not six pence matter. Have they power or have they not ?

Theres the Quest ion. If they have,never provoke them ; let

me tel l you , m late Lord Chance l lor,as there are an Hundred

old Womens Beceipts of more real use than any that the

Physitians can presc ri be ; by which the Vulgar l ive, whi le the

Learned laugh at them : there are as many common rules bywh ich we Ordinary People are direéted, which you wise Men

$is

anthink

yyour selves)either do not know, or at least neve r

ice ; if ou did it wou ld be better for You .Moor . Prethee good Vi car, if thou hast any of these Rules

to spare let us hear them.

Vicar . Attend then, never stri ve aga inst the Stream,a lways

drive the Na i l that will go, eat your Pudding and hold yourtongue, dont pretend to be Wiser than your Master

,or h is

E ldest Son .

Nali contradiccrc Priori.

Fungcrc qfiicium ralitcr qua/fu r .

Sine Mundum vadcrc sicat w it.

and the never fa i l ing reason of that most Excel len t PreceptNam mundm val: vadcrc ricer w it.

You see I have not forgot allmy Latin, wil l you have anymore of them ?Moor . No Vicar

,if the whole Hundred be such as these

they will make but one great Tautologie,which s ign ifies no

more than take care of your Self, or keep out of Harm way ,A Max im which I presume, you did most particularly observe .

Vicar . You are in the right ont, else I shou ld have made a

Pretty Bus iness of it, i faith . I might have been deprived ofIiy

Living hy old Har,and perhaps not restored by his Sonward for want of a gnend mthe Proteétor. Imight nglin

m

250

THE VICAR OF BRAY AND MOREhave Chanced to be bu rned by (amen Mary

,and if I had

escaped that Storm I had been sure of Starving in the Reignof her Sister E l izabeth .Moor . But what d id you th ink was your Bus i ness in the

World,for what Cause did You l i ve ?

Vicar. Why to teach my Par ish and to rece ive myTythes .

Moor . Oh,as to receivin you r Tythes I have no Sc ruple,

bu t what did you teach your ParishVicar . What a Q uest ion is That

,Why Rel igion .

Moor . What Rel igion ?Aga in, sometimes the Antient Roman Catholick,

some times that of the Reformed Church of England.How came on to teach them the firs t ?Why my anonicalObedience, the order of my

Diocessan B ishop, the Missa l and Brev iary allenjoyned it.Moor . How happened it then you taught the t’other.Vicar . Why New Acts of Parl iament were made for the

Reformation of Popery . My Bishop was pu t into the Towe rfor Disobeying them

,and our Missa ls and Brev iarys were

burn t. You are not going to Catachise me, Are you ?Moor . And You continued st i l in your Vica rage of Bray ?Vicar . Where would you have had me been ? in FoxesBook of Martyrs ?

Soft and fai r, V icar, only one word more. Did oumake allthose leaps and Changes thout any previousamination

,as to the Essent ia l good or i ll of them?Why

,what should I have done ? The King had

a mind to fa l l out with the Pope. Would you have a singleMan 0 pose e ither of these mighty Potentates ? His H ighnessupon t e uarrelbids me read theMm in Engl ish , and I do so.

His Son E ward enjoins the same th ing, and I continue myObed ience. QueenMary is [in] Commun ion with the Church ofRome, and She commands me to turn my Engl ish Mas ap ininto Lat in. Why then things are jus t as they were when firstI took O rders . El izabeth wi ll have it Trans lated back intoEnglish. Why then matters stand as they did when I firstreformed. You see, Sir, it was the Opinion of the Churchof which I was a Member

,that Changed

,but the Vicar of

Bray rema ined always the same Man.

as:

MATTHEW PRIORMoor. What Colours do we pu t on our E rrors and our

fears ? And you D ischarged your Duty allth is whi le ?Vica r . Exaétly : I never missed my Church, was c iv i l to

my Parishoners and gave something to thMoor . And You Preached boldly and brave ly wi thout

respeft to Persons ; You made Farhx tremble ?l ix I u pose You mean O ld Hal l ; No, b

our Lady, Hye made us a tremble . To tell you the Tru

ont,Sir Thomas

,I always preached in genera l at the V ices

of the Times,but took care not to be too particular upon those

of any eat Men. Sometimes indeed I ventured a litt leaga inst u ralities or Non res idence because if any Mtouched he du rst not openly show his resentmen t

,and ne ither

of these Cases afl’

efl ed my self,but I always took care to find

Texts and Deduce Doctrines from them a Proper enough .When Harry went to the S iege of 8 01 ne it was Dav id thatwen t out aga inst the Jebus ites, or the oabites. When hewould be Divorced from O ld Kate

,and had a mind to Nanny

Bullen ,why Vas[h t] i was pu t away, and Esther was taken untoAhasuerus into the House Royal . Little Edward was Jos iah ,

who destroyed the h igh Places. Then Mary again was Deborahor Judith

,who restored the antient Laws and Customes of the

People of Israe l . E l izabeth as she succeeded to the Crown,

had right to the same Texts, onl with new Appl ications andwith this difference that to Exa t her Pra ise I always c lapta little of the Jesabclor Athal ia upon her Predecessor.Moor . So that allth is time you told no body the ir Fau lts ;

Put the case now that you had been a Surgeon, you would

never have a plyedMedicaments to the proper wound. If you

had been a hariner you wou ld not have stopped that part ofthe Ship where the Lea k was Sprung.Vicar . But I was ne ither a Su rgeon

,nor a Mariner

,what

sign ifies putt ing cases ? I was a Parson and PreachedMoor. Rather Panegyrics I percei ve than Sermons .Vicar. No, not qu ite so, but they were rather Sermonsindeed than Satyrs .

Moor . How Sedulously do we endeavor to shun the

Exerc ise of Vi rtue, and wha t excuses do we make to cover

Vice. You never Preached the refore aga inst Ambition or

Luxury before Card inal Wolsey.252

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MATTHEW PRIORMoor . How naturally the shallowness of tho t in thisMan increases the severity of it in the mind a Wiser.When we relief} upon our past l ife, we find it charged withMisfortunes dc Calamities yet we never th ink of the futurebut in expectation of rece iv ing it enl ivened with Joy and

Pleasure. Our whole life allth is while runs l ike the Cu rren tof the same ri ver and to morrow comes on jus t as Yeste rdaypast. Why therefore do we rather hope than dread what 1t

may brin Wklydo we not th ink in Probabilit it mayrather us iserable than happy. How is it t at scarse

enjoying the present we turn our thought forward into a

Futurity which the Willof Heaven in equal Wisdom and

Fitty conceals fromUs. A Futuri ty which may never be Ours.But suppose it sha l be , suppose it coming wi th allthe Del ightsthat the wildness of our imagination a n suggest

,is it more

durable,is it less rapid in its course than the past, than the

Present ? while I am speaking it Approaches, and whi le I sayit is arrived alas ! it is gone for ever. The fugit ive never Stops,but we insens ibly follow it ti l l Tyred with the Pursuit we fallinto our Grave.

Vicar . Aye, Sir, that Grave is an ugly Hole indeed, whencc a Man sl i ps his foot into itMoor. You have therefore thought of Death . I am glad

at least I have brought you to th is point.Thought of Death

, Sir, aye that I have and withdifferent Agi tations ; Sometimes indeed wi th pleasure enough

,

for my Parish is of large Extent, and when any body D init that could pay, I had m D irge and Funeral Fees, idesmy share of Ale

,and the Company of a many Friends,

but then agai n when any of the Poor yed, whom Iforced to Bu gratis

,espec ia lly in the Winter t ime

,Egad I did

not l ike Deat at all.

Moor. Droll , Bu t did You th ink of your own Death ?Vicar . Very seldom,

and yet in good Troth often enough.You must know I buryed my Par ish twice over, and I stroveto forget every one of them as soon as I had laid them underground . There was one Clergyman in my Ne ighborhood,who was four Years older than my self, it was a great Comfortto me tc sec him in good health , Egad I lived at him.

At’other s ide I never was heart i ly a Friend to my Curate, a

254

THE VICAR OF BRAY AND MORElusty young Fellow with large wh ite Teeth, and a Vermi llioncountenance. I was always Apprehens ive He’d out- l iveMe, and

pu t in to be my Successor.Moor. Stran il l usion ! ofwhich even Death has not cured

th is Wretch . e join Ideas whic h in Nature have no Cc

herence. Our fear of Death gives us not sufi c ient leasure tocons ider what Death it self is, we dare hard! th ink that itmakes a total separa tion between our Mind an! our Body, andwe prov ide for our selves after Death as if that separat ion wasnot to be made. Are we to be Al ive and dead at the sametiru id le and superstitious way of thinking. What was it toth is iear who should en

'

oy that Benefice from which deathhas given him an EternalQ tietus. Yet with great regret hecons iders who sha l pomas the Tythes when he sha l ne itherhave Mou th to recei ve, or Stomach to diges t the Produce. Yet

with Envy he mentions tha t Man that sha l present the Insense,or Adorn the Altar, when he sha l nei ther Smel l nor See . But

why shou ld I blame himof an Error common to us AIL Havenot the greatestMen desired Monuments to be raised over themthat the E es of allthe World mi ht Gaze on

,whils t they

have Drea ed the thought that the ust and bones hid underthe Marble should be expmed to the s ight of thei r Surv iv ingFriends.Vicar . Why, really S ir Thomas you Preach very wel l . Ibegin to th ink there was some mistake in our Affa i rs while wewere in the troublesome World, of which you are ta lkin We

should e’

en have changed Stati ons : If ou had been iear of

Bray, the Parish might have had exce l ent Sermons,and if I

had been Chancellor of En land, I ’l l give You my word for it,I would have kept my HMoor . T is true, V icar, we se ldom are in l ife what we

seem to be, I jested upon the Bench, yet guarded my Actionswith the greatest Severity, and You looked gravel and talkedMoral ly in the Pulpit, without any resolu tion of iving up to

that ou ta ught others. Bu V icar, what you allth is whi leeall

'

iving is only breathing . Did you th ink Moral itybut D iscourse, and that Virtue was not to be Preached ; Didnot you know that you must never prefer your Safety to yourHonor

,or your life to your Consc ience . You mid just now

that you had not forgot allYour Latin. Does not Horace tell255

MATTHEW PRIORYou that ne ither the Fury of i ll Men in Power, nor the frownof a Tyrant can alter the Resolution, or bend the Mind of a

Man strictly '

ust and Honest ; And Juvenal that tho Phalarisstood by wit his brazen Bul l

,the Martyr should rather

suffer flames and racks than deviate the least Tittle fromTruth .

On her own worth true Virtue rear’

d

Nor dreads Disgrace nor seeks RewardBut from Her h igher Orb looks greatly down

,

On Life or Death,a Scaffold or a Throne.

Vica r . The meer fi ne of Poets . Ah, Sir Thomas Youwere always too much Ad iéled to that sort of reading ; It isthat which s i led You : Egad those whims ical Fel lows ha vedone more ischief in leading the Minds of Grave Peopleas ide by a contempt of Pain and Death, than in Debauch ingYouth by too l ively Desc ript ions of Love and pleasure.Moor . Come on then , You shal have some Prose -Men ;

I’l l obl ige You if I can has not Plato wri t a whole Volume to

exp la in how reasonable it is that we shou ld rather consent to

Dye than to do Evi l ? and has not his Imitator Cicero, commenting upon the Text instructed us that we ought to be so

far from fearing Death , in th is Case,that we should con temn

it. What th ink you of those Minds who have Practised whatthese Phi losophers taught of Socrates

,Arist ides and Phoc ion , ofRe

gu lus

,Cato

,and Brutus .

ica r . Heathens all,by the Mass, meer Pagan - Heathens ;Why

,I read Plutarch when I was a Young Man at the

Un i vers i ty,he is full of these People . When ever the Game

d id not go wel l they always threw up the Cards,and when

they cou l d not Rule the World, a Whim took them that theywould stay no longer in it.

Moor. Now the Dofi or is in for it indeed. Well , I hOpeSir, s ince you came from the Un i ve rsity you have read of someChr ist ians who were of this Opin ion too : What th ink You of

S‘. Polycarp,who as erted what he thought was Truth in

oppos it ion to the whole Roman Empire, and a growingin the Church, and that too in the moment he was surefor it ? What of S‘. Cyprian, who when an Equivoque, or

S ilence it self might have Saved h im, scorned even Delibera256

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MATT HEW PRIORLaws of the Land. S’ life it would be a foolish mistake if a

Man should fancy himself a Martyr to Rel igion and to be

trussed up in Faét as a Traytor to the King : AMan has but

one Neck, Sir Thomas, and I tel l on it is a Poin t that

ret

iuires very Mature del i berat ion . Sir, do bu t think

a ittle.Moor. Vicar, the beginn ing, P and U lt imate end of

Thought can only inform You that ruth is to direct allyou rAfl ions

,and that Courage is on ly aVinue as amistant to trut h

,

e lse you wander without a Guide,and you Sail without a

Compass. Your Caution is but Cowardise,and your Discre~

t ion is double deal ing. You scarce can pardon your own fearsto your self, your Consc ience the refore must di reét yourPrudence, and your Vi rtue must be en ti re , that your Hmay be unspotted : Life and Death allth is wh i le are onlyth in Accidental .Vii" . Why, Si r Thomas, whi lst you talk thus you are

laying the Model of your own Utopia. Pray, is not selfpreservat ion a Princ iple of Nature, is it necm y that we run

absolum in to danger, should we not comparat ively armCircumstances, and ma not some precepts which youlitteraly be understood ively ; and consequent] may not

some points be essentialonly in relation to some and

ma not others be indifl'

erent, as to other Cases .

car . What are you got into the old Cant, lurkindist inctions, and arming r se lf with Adve rbs .

would not enter into anyKain e of Rel igion wi th Youtake this at least as an Axiom that your Schoolmen have not

only obscured the ir Texts, bu t perverted them. EssentiallyAbsolute ly, formally, comparatively, and Pi tively, welli ngrafted upon Interest and Knavery, are sufggi

’

e

a

nt to d ivideFive Nat ions , and Produ ce as man Heretics . Once for all,Vicar, every Man is obliged to suger for what is right, as so

hat is Unjust .Aye, but a Man may be mistaken in what he th inks

right, as I fancy you were i n the Point of the Popes Supremac y.Odzooks, S ir, to venture ones Head in a doubtful CauseMoor . Suppose the Cause mbe falsq when lhad done my

best so informmy self that what I did was Legal, and could

not be conv inced to the contrary, I had noth ing more to do

258

THE VICAR OF BRAY AND MOREbut to submit my self to the Severity of the New made Law,

and leave the Even t to the Creator,and disposer of the World .

80, I tell Thee aga in that an upright and unprejud iced Conscience is our Plea before any Humane Tribunal : Nay more,that it is at once the Law and Judge, that must Convict or

s,in allwe do or think, though we stand Accused

no Man. The Bas is of allReligion and the

Society is founded upon th is Striél adherence to Truth , and

constancy of Mind in the defence of it.

Conscience, Thou solemn Bond of mutua l Trust,

Prop to the Weak, and Anchor of the Just ;Fruétif

'

rous root whence Humane V irtues spring ;The Subjects Law,

and safety of the King :Appeas

’d byThee our inward Tumults cease

,Thou guid st ou r feet into the Paths of PeaceFai r Polar- Star, whose influenc ing rayDirects our Toil, and manifests our way ;Shou

’

d Cloud or Storm, Thy Rad iant beams obscure,Yet thme who hope they follow Thee are

Tho tyr’d by Day, they pass the Night in restAnd going wrong

, yet seeking Right are blest .

Vicar. Are thwe Verses of your own making Sir Thomas ?Why really they are pretty enough, but a l ittle hobling in theNumber.Moor . They are not so much to be Pra ised as Practised ,

I’

l give you some Translated from a Greek Epigram, thatcarry almost the same sense in a Style someth ing more flowing.Wh ile thro the depth of Lifes tempestuous SeaOur l ittle Vesse l cutts its destin’

d way.

Now prosp’

rous Insolence and weal thy prideWith roll ing Billows swel l the im ous Tyde ;Now Care and Want in hollow umalt roar

,

Threatning to dash us on the dangerous Shoar.Around us

lo

and above with various rageH

'

and w alternatel engage ;Fif’l

d on a Rock upon thc dista’ht strand

Bright V irtue does our Only Pba ror standContemns theWinds andWaves, and poin ts us safe to Land.

Pough , hang it, th is is allbut the second part of thesame Tune. Come, Sir Thomas , you us

’

d to love a litt leit 2 age

MATTHEW PRIORMirth . I

’

lrepeat You some Verses that a Friend of minebrought down hither with h im t

’other Day.

Your Conscience,l ike a fiery Horse

,

Shou’

d never know his Nat i ve force :R ide h im but with a Moderate Rein

,

And stroke him down with Worldly gain ;Bring him,by management and Art

,To every thing that made h im start ;And stri ve by just degrees to settleHis Native warmth and height of MettleAnd when by use he once has gottAn honest

,cant ing

,low- Church trott

,He ’l l carry You thro thick and thin,Secure

,tho dirty

,to

your Inn .

But if you give the cast h is head,

And prick and spur him to his speed ;The Creature stra it be ins his Tricks

,

He foams and neighs, %urvets and kicks,He getts the B itt between h is Teeth ,And runs h is R ider out of breathBetter you n

’

er had rid abroad ;For

,down you come—as sure as Laud.

We may be allowed to know who Laud was tho he l ivedsince our t ime

,for sure it is as reasonable for Us here to

ment ion a Man that was born s ince we Dyed, as it is for thosein the t

’otherWorld to quote an Author that dyed before theywere born .

Moor . I l ike your Thought well enough , But the Versesyou repeat were meant as a Satyr upon that very sort of

Conduct,which you seem to commend. You pu t me in mi nd

of some German Doctors that reading the l ittle book of myFriend Erasmus fancyed he wrote a real Panegyric upon thefol] he was laughing at .

Vicar . Be it as it will with the Verses : In honest ProseI must te l l You Sir Thomas

,that in difficult Cases there must

be some Allowances made ; if we cannot bring the Thing toour Consc ience

,we must e

’

en stri ve as much as we can to

bring our Consc ience to the th ing. Mahomet and theMounta in seems to me not so unreasonable as some straitlaced Christ ians th ink it.260

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A Dialoguebetween

Oliver Cromwell,

and

h is Porter.

Oliver . What a Vicisitude does Death bring to HumanAffa i rs ? No Coronet on my head , no Pu rple Robe to myback, no Scepter in my hand ! neither Heralds before, nor

Guards around me justled and affronted by a HundredCaval ier Ghosts whom I mined in t

’ otherWorld ! H is’t andscoffed at by as many Republ ican Spirits whom I Cajoled andBetrayed lPorter . To which You may add

,the Charges of your

Funeral not paid ; Your Son unable to susta in the SoveraigntySix Months The Lives and Fortunes of allEngland Presentedto him in Addresses, now wrapping up Anchovies or l in ing oldTrunks

,and the Subscribers Ashamed of the i r own hands .

Your Counsel lors heads upon Westminster- Hal l ; The RoyalFami ly Restored ; and Publ ic matters turned again into the

Antient Channe l . Your own dear Carcase hanged at Tybum ;

and your quondamSubjeéts stri v ing who canmost emphatieallycurse yourMemoryOliver . Who is this that seems to know my Affairs so well,

and is so fami l iar with my Person ? by the length of his Ear,and the sulleness of his brow it should be my old Porter. T is

he indeed, and glad am I to findOne here that I can command.

hark you Sirrah l make way for me thro that Croud, and tellthose chattering Ghosts who I am.

Porter . Who You were,Friend

,but who you are no Ghost

al i ve wil l mind. Your stern look, and your walrus regibas mg262

CROMWELL AND HIS PORTERtraces willfright no body here. In short, Sir, that Leve llingA& which your Friends above could never obta in , has beenlong s ince made a FundamentalLaw here. In these Kingdomswe are allEqual.Oliver . Show me at least some respeét for what I havePorter. Iwillas far as you may merit that respect, and you

in your tu rn shal render me the same just ice : The conditionof th is Obli

gat ion be ing suc h , I do not doubt but that I sha l

have the pre rence at leas t by allimpart ial Judges.Oliver . To begin then

,I raised my self from a Private

Person to the dign ity of a Prince.And from be ing you r Porter I made my self a

P het.r

glitz” . I was General of the Army, head of the Parl iament,and Supreme Master of the Three n doms .

Porter . I was Senior Inhabt of old Bethlem,Prince of

the Planets, and absolute Disposer of every th ing I saw or

though t of.

Oliver . T is true thou wert for man Years, locked up in al ittle Cell , separated from the World y Iron- ban s , and no

other Furn iture about thee but the torn leaves of th ree or

four Bibles, and had not I allth is while Splendor and Magnifi

cence,Gardens , Parks and Palaces ?

Por ter . And is it not as true that I had every th ing whichI des ired or wanted ? My Potage wel l dressed, my Straw fresh,and m Coverlet clean, whi lst in the midst of the Plunder ofthree ations

ryou were always in Necess ity, and every week

la'

ng new axes upon an Opprest People for the supportof.

an Awkward i ll founded greatness ; dc wh ilst it wereteari Confound ing the best Libraries in Englan did notI pi up those Leaves ou spoke of

,which were both the

furniture ofmy room,an the Comfort of my Life .

Oliver. But before thou camest to th is happy station Friendwert thou ever seen or heard of otherwise than as m DomesticSe rvant, t i l l thy brains run a Wool gathering

, an then thougottest into these strangeWhims of Preach ing and Prophecying.

Porter . And did not I se rve you fa ithfully t ill I saw youcheated every Man on had to do with, tillyou turned thoseOflicers out of theLmy who had prefered you, and made use

263

MATTHEW PR IORParliamentary Power against those very Personsyou with it. I learned to Preach from

(go,

indeed am obliged to You for the ve ry D istemper t mademe turn Prophet . I imitated you. I looked upon you as myIdol tillrunn ing from your Door with my Staff in my handone Thi rtieth of January

,I shal never forget the da I saw

you Order Your Master to be brough t ou t of the indow,

and Murdered at his own Palace gate. I confess when youcutt of[f] the Kings head you tu rned mine into the hamOliver. Uncommon ci rcumstances mus t attend greatPax que rirur belle was my Motto, yet sure I made a

$mfigure. The Commons of England prostrate beforemy rone,

the Peers mingled in the Croud with them,or submiss i vely

retired to Plant Cabbages at the ir own Country Seats , Citizensand Cou rtiers Conduéting me wi th Acc lamations thro Cheaps ide

,Ambassadors sent from the greatest Pri nces in Eu to

beg m friendsh ip, or soften my Resentments, and the

h imsel tre fear that having nothin

g);lse to do I

might send to Plunder Loretto, or my Civ itaVech ia.

Porter . And while you made allthis Bus tle you were a

Slave to your own Apprehens ions, suspicious of every bodythat came near You . You durst not sti r out w ithout a Coatof Mai l under our Cloaths , nor s leep a nights without a Pa irof Pistols loade b your Bed side. When you shut the Captainto appease the ligatiny in the Army you r hand trembled morethan a H i hway mans whi le his tongue has the insolence to

demand ag’u rse, and when you were j ust °

ng to ki ll Moreland, who slept leep, wh ile you toil“

your Mid- n ightSecrets to Thurlo

,ou we re more afraid of a oung Clark

than he could possibly be of an inraged T rant. ln shortdoubted of your Tit le of Protefi or, an I rested assu red

”:

mine of Prophet . My Mind was d ivested of allthose doubtsand fears, which cont inual ly d isturbed yours. I cursed myEnemies but never feared or indee d knew them. I excommunicated or bles t as I thought proper, and when the Palace ofBethlem

,from whence I sen t ou t my Soveraign Edifts, was on

fire,I forbid the Peo le under Pa in of my Displeasu re to

quench the flames ; them the

g?of judgment was come,

and th is was the time when the W d must be Purged by fire ,264

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MATTHEW PRIORhow often in our thought do we jumble th ingsnever Existed in the same t ime and Place

,and neatly

were not, at least were not as we imagined them.mand without as much as once turn ing your Self i n

byou r bedhave not you as reall that is as apparently fought e Battle

at Mars ton Moor, ectored your Crop-ear’d Brethren at

Wes tminster, or th rown Cusheons at your favorites heads inSpringGa rden, as if you had been in these Places ? The nea t

Morning waking you have thought your self dece ived, and so

negefl ed and forgot those Ideas . Bu t if you will imagi ne you rl ife to have been that DreamOIiw r . Oh very wel l then I never d id posses

but only thought that I pomessed (th is Fellow is

whims ica l).Por ter . Aye , most certa inly my quondam Lord Protefl or,what we do in l ife is but to think we possess, and the strength

and impulse of that thought does the rest ; As the livelynessof that Idea decays or changes

,the thing it self is not worth aStraw

,hence it happens that the m e objefts that att ract now,

to morrow become indifferent, and the next day [grow] od ious.A greater Philosopher Noll than e ither You or I , states the

matter thus ; It is not the th ing it se lf, says he, that Pleases orDisquiets a Man , but the Opinion he conceives of the th ing ;Now I wil l go a l ittle further with You , and convince you thatPleasure or trouble be ing only the diffe rent Efi'

eéts of your ownthought

,it does not s ignify three Pence if what you have a

fancy for, or disl ike, has its intrins ic Val ue or not . Na if it

be in the World or no : What you see in a

glam is on the

EM of an imprewion formed in your own rain, et it

ei ther Please or put ou out of Humour ; the thathea r is noth ing e lse, ut a determ ined mot ion of commonYet a Flute delights, a Trumpet sta rtles and a Bell stuns You.Does not the Lover i °

ne charms in his Mistresses face,wh ich no body else ever d, and which indeed She neverPossessed. Did not Don Qu ixot (one of Our Predeceasoes)s igh many years for Dulcin ia

,whom he never saw : What

th ink You of the Poets, who hold long Discourses with the

Muses and Goddesses, whi le they bel ieve in their Consciencethere never were such People upon Earth . Your Mathematic ians

,who Plague themsel ves first, and the i r Correspondent:

266

CROMWELL AND HIS PORTERafterwards with the Produce only of lines and Angles whichnever did or will Exist . And your System-Makers andWorldwrights that as any idle Evening l ies upon the ir hands stamp

an infin ite number of New Stars or People a M ill ion or twoof Earths.Oliver. Why I th ink these People as mad as ever you were,

and that they deserve as much to be locked up. But you dontcompa re thwe notiona l Gent lemen wi th Heroes andConquerors,who by superior sense d irect, or by Viétorious Arms subduethe rest of Mankind. We seek for th in Solid and Vis ible

,

and what you des i re by your own Con '

ou exists only inmeer Speculation.

Porter . Master, take m word for it my Speculations are

real , and your Des i res bu t himerical. You wou ld have whatnever happened to any even from the result of his own thought,Peace with Ambition, and tranqu illity founded upon injustice.

lwas pleased with Hope in Pr y and happyness in ex

peéb tion. You were never satisfyed wi th the Present.always anticipated and even enjoyed the future. To amusego

:no longer, Master, e Mortal Man is mad more or less.

e Lover qua ad bas e,the iser qua ad bar, but the Ambit ious

Man gun ad Omnia. Pray observe those miserable Peoplewhom you cal l Heroes, how the

‘Lgo about roaring and crying

l ike spoiled Children for every they see, throwing awaythe ir own, and des iring other P es goods, never contentedwith the Common and easy use of th ings

,and stil drawing new

troubles upon themselves from the incons istency and perverse»ness of their own Projects. What th ink you of Pornpe and

Ce sar,one could bear no Superior, the t

’other no Kauai,Fellows ! and upon th is each plagued that part of theWor d where he by turns ruined thei r ownCountry

,and themselves Murdered. What do You ta lk

of being up i that sarne Czsar was more confined inGa llia, Alm nder in Asia and you in the three KingdomsYou Usurped, than ever Iwas in Bethlem; For it is not the ‘

s ituation of the body but the mind,my most worthy friend,

that either restrains a Man, or gives h im l i berty.there is some sort of Sense in what

said last, I find he has his lucid intervalls. I'lhumor him a

little in his own way : And so friend as you were saying eve ry267

MATT HEW PRIORMan is Mad

,but in a dili

'

erent manner, and upon someParticular ob '

eéia.

Por ter . ost certainly, and allwe t Men are moreemphatically mad than other People. hen you Pm ched

our head was as hott as an Oven, Mahomed,m h

had the fall ing Sickness, and to tell you truth inof my Prophecys , I was now and then tyed down to my goodbehavior.Oliver. I was therefore Mad

, but not so mad as you.Parr”. Excuse me, Sir, I never sa id or thought any th ingl ike that. You were ten times madder, so mad that no Man

durst e ither Advise or tye you. You had brought th ings to

that miserable pas that your ors alldreaded and yourD i vines allflattered You, so wi ld about the Streetsthreatning yet terrified, Vexing and vexed. A l ittle bit of

Gravel stopt in your Kidneys took away the Relish u hadfor allthe Earth , which ou possw ed fromDover-Cl ' to the

Isles of O rkney, and a ind Feaver gave you some rel ief bytaking You out of the World, to which you were a Earthen.

There is indeed one d ifference [between] You Publ ic Mad

men,and we sedenta ry Gentlemen if we ha n to be a little

crased about Love, Learnin or Rel igion wh ' you are ra vagingNations, and setting the orld on fire. You find others bitwith the same Tarantula

,who second your fury, partake of thePlunder and just ify your Error. Yee allHerd together, and

it is a very hard thing to catch one of You, but we are fev er

in number, divided, una rmed, and difi'

erent in our Princ iples.If the least disturbance happens from any impetuos ity of ourtemper the Neighborhood has an Eye upon Us, and away weare hurried the next dark Night to Morefields or Hodgdon.In truth whether from the fear or weakness of Mankind

,I

shal not argue, bu t you have commonly the Majority on yourSide, which as your Excellency very well knows, is no sma l

n England.Hark you friend , dont talk so loud

,yonder stand

Efir

st of Shabby Fellows, whom I dont like, they seem to

v mp.

Porter . 0 The are very honest Gentlemen take my wordfor it. There is iogenes, Epiftetus, Peter Aret ine, and GuyPatin . EveryMan you mus t know brings a Piece of his former268

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POEMS FROM THE

LONGLEAT MSS .

To Madam K. P.

A Pastoral Dialogue .

DAMON.EE Strephon see what a refu lgent rayDispel ls on Clouds, and gilds the rising day

The smi l ing Freilds their early Treasures bringAnd warbl ing B irds procla im the coming springYoung tender Plants and swellin buds appearWhilst Nature smil ing seems to less the YearLively the N mphs and sport i ve are the ir Swa insAll Sorrows anish

’

d from the cheerful Pla insSave onl what Thy troubl

’d Soul conta ins

Then te lme Strephon, prythee tell me whyDost Thou in mournfu l shades obscurely lye ?Why dost Thou s igh

,why strike Thy panting breast

And steal from l ife the needful hours of rest ?

Are thy Kids starv’

d by rig’

rous Winter’s frost ?Are any of thy bleat ing straglers lost ?Have Strangers Cattle trod thy new Plow

’

d groundO r (what is worst) has great JOANNA frown’

d.

STREPHON .On yonder H i lls my bleat ing straglers play

(Ah ! were their Master unconcern’

d as they)No beasts (at Noon I look ’d) had trod my groundNor have I lost my Kids, nor has Joanna frown’

d.

DAMON.Then stop the lav ish founta ins of your Eyes

Nor let those Sighs from your swoln bosom rise,Send allthese melancholy thoughts away

And once again rejoice, and once aga in look gay.STREPHON .

Ah Damon what can add to Sorrows moreThen thoughts of happyness enjoy

’

d before ?What more disturbs the Sl ighted Lovers breastThen sad remembrance how he has been bless

’

d

What kind recept ion once his Pass ion foundAnd how he flourish

’d e

’

er his fa ir one frown’d

27a

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MATTHEW PRIOR

TO a Lady Sleeping.

TILL Sleep st i l fold those lovely ArmsSti l be free from noise and harms

Whilst allthe Gods of Love defend Thee(The Gods of Love which st i l attend thee)Whilst around in humble state

A Thousand wanton Angels wa itWhilst Gods oflic iously findPleas ing Dreams to charm thy mind,Dreams of things (if such there are)Like yourself Serene and fair,And when You open those bright EyesWhen Morpheus with the wel- cloath

’

d Vis ion flyes

May You that happyness renewAnd allthe pleasures Of your Dream prove true.

Charity never faileth .

I Cor : xm . 8 .

I .AY wou ld’st Thou gain eternal Pra ise

,

Go fool ish Man thy great des igns pursue,GO

, tr ten thousand waysThy Toi l

1'

k S isyphus each hour renewYet know that after allThy Pa in

Like him thou dost bu t rol l a heavy Stone in va in .

I I.Rush

,if thou wilt into the Camp, and tryTo purchace Fame by V ictory,

Let Fortune st i l aga inst thy foes conspireSt i ll on Thee,her Darl ing wai t

And kindly seem to make her great,Great as thy soaring wishes can requ ire

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS .

Yet when thy Troops retu rn with Conquest crown’

d

Thy recompence is only shouts and noise(The Rabbles un intel l igible voice)And scarce a Lawrel- leaf for every wound .

II I .But say the Senate should thy Serv ice own

And to thy Memory with comely PrideEreéla sh in ing Pyramide

B this Thou canst not be for ever known,

he Marble will decay, the Polish’d Iron rust,

And both wi ll be as soon as Thou art, Dust.IV .

Then throw your Sword and GauntletChange your Armour for a GownRead allthe Secrets of PhilosophyAnd thus endeavor to obta in renown,

Yet here thy Study wil l prove va inNO glory can

’

st Thou hence Obta inSince Men the mighty Stagyrite disda in.

V .

Should’st Thou invoke the Muses then,and try

If honor can be gain’

d by Poetry,Alas ! no glory wil l from hence arise

Tho (which is much improbable) thy Rh imesAfi

‘

eét the Squeamish Criticks of these t imesWhat they Admire the i r Ch ildren may dispiseHomer is Censur’d, Enn ius quite thrown by

,Then how short-liv’d wil l be thy PraiseLike what thou labour’est for, a sprig of Bayes’Twil l with its Transitory Master Dye .

VI .Hard fate ! can noth ing then secure ou r NameFrom Envys cruel rageAnd the devou ring Teeth of Age

Can noth ing Purchace everlasting Fame ?

MATTHEW PRIORYes

,CHARITY wil l do’t, ’

tis This aloneWill make its Author always known

The Charitable Man shal l iveWithout what needless Art can giveAnd every Tongue his ACts rehearse

Tho noMan bui lt his Tomb,or sung his Pra ise in Verse.

VII.O ld T ime and Envy

.

shal his glory viewEach vainly striv1ng to pursue

Whilst looking back he sees them fly beh indAnd scapes the fatal Gulph which swal lows allMank ind

Nay even in that dreadful DayWhen allMen else to Rocks and CavernsAnd desperately strive an angry GOD to shunWhen t ime it se lf shal be no more

Who fed the Orphan, and reliev’

d the PoorShal with undaunted Courage stay

And Ten times more rece ive,then e

’

er he gave

There he Those that leaveTheir Names beh ind them.

Ecc : 8 .

In Praise Of the Lady Margaret Foundress OfSt John

’

s.

I .

I F gi lded flaggs and heaps of polish

’

d Stonean make the Deads memorial known

If from the wel l- cutt brass will long appearThe Just the Gener’ous the Good lies here

How long will Margaretta’s Name be prais’d,Who spent her Wea lth another wayWho built what never wi ll DecayWho Living Pillars of Her Glory rais

’

d ?

276

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MATTHEW PRIOR

Many Daughters have done we ll ,bu t Thou Excellest them all.

Prov : 3 I. 29 .

As Spoken in a Vision to the Lady Margare t

Foundress of StJohn’

s.

T’WAS n ight, the Drousy Diety beganTo cha in with sleep the bu isy thoughts of

When free from Noise and troubles of the DayOur Poet in those flow’

ry Meadows layWhere reverent Cham cuts out its famous wayWhen loe ! O strange,an unexpefted l ight

Dispers’

d the Nati ve darkness Of the N ightAnd rais

’

d at once h is wonder and del ightBu t how

,how welcome did that l ight appearWhich u sher

’

d in a form allHeav’nly fa i rA Form which lately left its Mansh’

on there.

A Woman proper, beaut iful and fineHer garb was Noble and her Me in div ineMajestick greatness T riumph

’

d in her face

And every Limb had its pecul iar graceWith sober Pace the lovely Ghost drew near

Her smi l ing seem’

d to Chide his use less fearAt length he knows the venerable ShadeRuns to meet that of which he was afra idAnd thus with reverence Thrice bowing sa idHa il mighty Patroness ! Hai l great and Good !Ha i l doubly fam’

d for V irtue and for blood !Hai l Thou

,whose Acts shou

’

d I presume to showI shou ’

d blasphem by Epithets too low.

Ha i l St or Princess royal or DivineHa i l wonder of ou r Sex and Fame of ThineBe Thou my Muse vouchsafe to look on meThe meanest Of thy learned ProgenyInspire my Soul that I may s ing Thy fameAnd ra ise a work eternal as my Theam

278

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS.Inspire m Soul that I ma loudl tellHow far

Zl'

hou dost all oman (ind Excel lHow Thou bless’d ShadeWhen York had Lancaster so long withstoodAnd Englands face was stain

’

d with En l ish bloodDid’st bless the Nation with a Godl ike SonWho recompenc

’

d the Ills the ir Arms had doneWho made allFaction allRebell ion cease

And gave Us Plenty,Libe and Peac e.

You heard each Tongue w i joy your glory singEach bless the Parents of so good a KingWith allthe Pram Gratitude cou’d brinBut thought the Gift not worthy et of ouUnless with Peace You gave Us n ing too

Then , then indulgently both paps you drewAnd rais

'

d Two fabricks which shal ever beGreat Monuments of Pie and TheeFain wou’d the ch Poet have gun onTo Sing the Works her Cha rity had done

But She who did l ike Heav’n her Gifts dispenceWithou t the Hopes of any recompenceSeem’

d by a frown to ch ide his saue E loquenceAnd moving from him with a grac l PaceAscended to that bright that happy PlaceWhere Sa ints l ike Her enjoy an everlast ing Peace.

On the Coronation .

I.O ’

tis in vai n ; what l imits shal control lThe rovin Of my active Soul ?

That Soulwhich orns to be to place confin'

d,And leaves its dul l Companion earth beh ind.Whilst fancy with unbounded fl ightEn

'

oys that object of del ightWh ich av ioua d istance wou’d concea l from sight.Giv ing Poets to partake(L ike those De ities they make)Of infinite Ubiq uity .

279

MATTHEW PRIORII

Thus methinks I see the bargePleas

’

d with the sacred we ight of its Majestic chargeO ld Argo with a we ight less glorious fraughtThe treasure from impov

’

rish’

d Colchos broughtAnd Hel lespont now vanq u ish

’

d must confessHis burthen meaner and his triumph lessSince richer Thames does ames and Mary bearHe great as Jove She as uropa fa ir.

They come ! Joy doubles strength to every Oar

Resounding Ecchoes fil l the crowded ShoarThe waves with an unusual pridePay homage to the LordOf our Asserted Ma inAnd ca lmly as they gl ideAuSpitiously affordAn Omen of his Reign.

III .See glorious as the Eastern SunOur Monarch from the Waters riseWhilst Crowds l ike Z ealous Pers ians run

TO own the bless ing Of their SacrificeHe comes

,rel igious Shouts procla im him near

James and Hosannah bless each ear,Del ighted Heav’n confirms the mighty JoysAnd in glad sounds reflects the Image of the Voice.

IV .

Triumphant Carsar in less glory rodeWhen heighten

’

d from 3 V ictor to a God

When captiv’

d Monarchs trembl’d by his s ideAnd by the ir Shame encreas

’

d his PrideNO private Sorrows here allay

The common transports of the happy DayBu t in each exalted breas tOf happyness and James possess’dIs evidently shown

His Peoples bless ings greater then his own

And he that gives the Triumph tri umphs least.280

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MATTHEW PRIOR

Arria and Fetus

ou t Of Martial .Paraphrase.

N7 1TH Roman constancy and decent prideThe dying Matron from her wounded s ide

Drawing forth the gui lty bladeTo her lov’d Lord the fatal gift convey’dBut then in streams of blood and sorrow drown’dPardon she crys an unbecoming Tear

(The Womans weakness will appear)Yet think not tis that I repent the Deed

Or that my firm resolves gi ve groundWitness just Heav’n ’

tis nothing that I bleedBut that You must

,there Fetus, there's the Wound.

TO the Countess Of Dorset

walk ing in a Garden .

ES I did stubernly bel ieveThe place no added Beauty cou’d rece ive

’Till bright Dorinda’s pass ing byConvinc

’

d my Infidel ity.Where e

’

er She came new Glories fel lThe dul lest Plant grew Sens ible

Its will ing branches every TreeBy grateful instinét spreadAnd round the fa ir Divin ity

Cast the glad shade of its proteéling head .282

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS .The open ing Flowers where e

’

er She wentDifi

'

us’d their tributary scent

Crowding beneath her beauteous feetOfi c iousl they bow’

d

With pleas’d {lumility to meetThe fresher beauties of their sacred Load .Nature seem’

d to serve and woo

As she wou’d make her Q i een of Seasons too

T he Sun for her prolongu’

d the DayKindly stop’

d his sett ing l ightShe went

,that onl cou’d engage his stay

And allwas gloomy, allwas Night.Ah shou

’d the God return in

gshow

The wonders be has seen be owThe amazing Truth his am’

rous Sire wou’d moveMake h im confessHis Thunder less

Then are the Shafts of LoveDescending h is transform’

d Div in ityHe

’

d to your bosom pourAnd Poets once might hope to see

An other Golden Shower.

To the E. of D.

UPOD

His Marriage.

THE scorching Dogstar and the Suns fierce rayConspir

’

d with mingl’d flames to vex the dayWhen by young Damon Lyc idas was la idBeneath a Spac ious Oaks obl iging shade

And thus with harmless strife the emulous Shepherds pla id.283

MATTHEW PRIORDAMON .

Let this bless’d day our fruitless Quarrels end

Soften the R ival to the friendAnd make our kindness not our ski l contend.

LYCIDAS.Begin

,ra ise Thou thy tuneful Voice

So may my Muse approve thy happy choice.

DAMON.May Venus so my choice approve

As I begin with mighty th ings and Love.

When first Heav’ns Eldest offspring Light,Sprang from the fert i le Womb of sol id n ight ;What made the melanchol discord cease

And charm’d the warring Elements to peace ?From what great cause what brooding influence cameThis wel l proportion’d frame ?

From Thee, blest QEeen of Harmony and Love ;Thou greatest pow’

r on arth , thou brightest star above.

LYCIDAS.When Loves great Diétates were obey’d

,

And Heav’

ns last noblest Master Piece was madeTo make the new form’

d Monarch truly blestAnd in one richer Gift compleat the rest

What secret pow’

r unlock’

d his pregnant s ide,To the soft Yoak how’d his del ighted mind

Taught the unpraCtic’

d Lover to be kindAnd bless the wound whilst he embrac’d the Bride’Twas Thou Almighty King of Heav

’

n and LoveThat Govern

’

st allbelow, and blesse’st allabove.

DAMON.

’Twas Love subdu’

d the noble Daphn is heartLove gave the welcome happy wound,And with th is triumph allh is Conquest crown

’

d

Whilst Daphn is blest the wound and met the DartPleas

’

d with the grateful bondage moreThen with his early spoyls, and boasted L iberty before.

284

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MATTHEW PRIORDAMON.

Let Nature allher Tri bute bringTo make the ir Year but one continu

’

d Spring.

LYCIDAS.With softest Violetts strow her bed,

DAMON .With freshest Myrtillcrown his head.

LYCIDAS.With Hymens Tree Apol lo’s joyu ,

And round his brow the ir mingl’d honors twineThe ir mingl’d honors sure to him are due

Who with the Nymph has gain’d the Lawreltoo.

DAMON .The Joys of Harvest crown their Cares,

And sti l encrease the ir Plenty with the ir Years.LYCIDAS.

The Joys of Vintage swel l their Bowers,And if they overflow, o

’

erflow on Ours :DAMON .

Fly swift the smi l ing Hou rs, let each glad MornThe fruitful pleasures of the last return.

LYCIDAS.Fly smi l ing Hours, let each succeeding NightImprove the transports of the first del1ght.

DAMON .In glad Process ion let each rolling Year

See the joyfu l Mother bearA beau ty Second only to her own .

LYCIDAS.Or if the kinder Gods conspire to crown

Her stronger wishes with a Son

His Parents great Perfeétions let h im shareAnd prove her Beauty ’s, and his V i rtue’s He ir.

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS.

journey to Copt-Hall.HIRTY Six Miles—too far to wa lk a footAnd Pegasus, God knows, will never do’t

Yet I wi ll on—It is decree ’d,I’

lhire a more substantial Steed .Accoutrement of Sword and CoatUselm O rnament I vote.Thus borrowing Whip and Cordibeck,Proceed we next to Tick for Hack .

With Faith pay, and six pence ea rnestI got my (é

mndam Coach- ho rse ba rnestI mount

,an great as Hudibrass,With unarm’

d kick urge on my horse ;Whi lst he by inst inct sti l approachesHis old acqua intance of the CoachesWith whipping constan t as his trott,My Beast and I to Eppr'n gott,From whence, wi th 1m of Whip and Leather,I brought my sober Mach in he ither.I came I sa —what once to see aga inMy Horse d pardon , and renew my Pain.

Here we ll- set Simi le mi ht sh ineOf

Sigrim e to Power ivine,

Of ous ersian who wou'd runTo gaze on beams of d istant Sun ;But th 'are abus

’

d by franfi ic L u

And sung to Stu ttring Dmfey’

r Ge solre.

Well then—t o Supper admirableI sit, near Mahon grave and head of TableMethod ica l ly She ca rves CunneyWhi ls t Frenchman talks of blood and monyDifl’ rent Discourses c rown the MealMuch of Rel igion past and much of VealBut one th ing spoilt my appet ite

ti l l ten from Candle- l ightExtended Three Prodigious L ies—Good n ight.

28 7

MATTHEW PRIOR

On Mr Fleetwood Shephards

K illing the FrenchTo the E. of D

My LordAfter ten thousa nd thanks for the kindest en terta in

ments I ever rece i ved,and as many Sighs for leav ing C . and

Your Lordsh ip, I presume to informYou that I have O beyedM'

commands, summond the Muses, told Them of h is

28 8

k i lling!the F. K . and upon that subject presented him w ith

such oetry as Smal- beer and College Mutton cou’d Insp i re.

To F. S .

HE joyful Slaves , whom your report set fi'

ee

From Taxes,wooden Shoes

,and Slavery ;The ir Ne ighbours too

,who by the Bul ly sear

’d,

His Warl ike Bombs and Pol itic Rats bane fear’d ;All that have trembling sbaal at bis Alarms,

Dutch-Men and Protestants rba t felt bis 1 ! rms,

And wisely hop’d, his less Rel igious SonWou ’d tolerate the Mass or AlcaranLast, German Bis/ups, who began to think

,They now might see less Fighting,and more drink

All these the ir humblest Thanks to S send,France’s Del iv’erer, and the Muses Friend.

S the lory of whose lasting NameShal crack ime’s Iran Teetb and sweltbe ( bed s of fameS whose mighty Monarcb-murtbering wordR ivals the force of St Raviliac

’

s SwordSay, (fi r Thou lam est) thou bero- bea rt’m'

ng Muse !

What wou’d his presence, what his Arms produce ?Whose bare Report has nobler Misch iefs done,Then Oates’s Mustard Bal ls,or Picker in

’

s gun :That at more distance kills, and Ecchoes louder,Than Aurum fulminans or German Powder ?

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MATTHEW PRIORBut lest the ir horrid Force too weak shou

’

d prove,Add i"tempting Woman’

s more destruétive LoveGive the Ambit ious Fa irAll Natu re’s Gifts refin

’

d by subtlest Art,Too able to betray that easy Heart,And with more charms than Helen

’

s to destroyThat other Hope of our mistaken Troy.

T he Scene from Dulness, and Dutcb Plots bring o’

er,

And set the hopeful Parracide ashore,Fraught with the B less ings of each boorish Friend,

And the kind helps the ir Pray’rs and Brandy lend,With those few Crowns

Some Englisb f etus, and some Frend) Cbristians send.Next in thy darkest Colours paint the 1'Town,

For old Hereditary Treason known,Whose Infant Sons in early misch iefs bred

,Swear to the Cov’

nant they can hardly read ;Brought up with too much Charity to hateOught but their Bible, and the ir Magistrate .

Here let the gawdy Banner be display ’d,While the kind Fools invoke their Ne ighbours AidT ’

adore that Idol they themselves have made,

And Peasants from neglected Fields resortTo fillhis Army, and adorn his Court.Near th is, erected on a Drum unbrac

’

d,

Let Heaven’

s and ames’

s IEnemy be plac’

d,

T he Wretch that ates, like false Argyle, the Crown,The Wretch that, like v i le Oates, defames the Gown,And through the Speaking-Trumpet of h is NoseHeav

’

n’

s sacred Word profanely does expose,Bidding the large- ear’d Rou t with one accord

Stand up and figh t the Batte l of the Lord.Then nigh the Pageant Prince (alas too n igh !)Pa int [Gray] with a Romantick Constancy

,

Resolv’

d to Conquer,or resolv

’

d to Fly ;Lady Harr . Weatworflc. 1

" Tarmless. I Ferguson.

290

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS .

And let there in his Guilty Face appearThe Rebel’s Mal ice and the Coward ’s Fear

,That future Ages in thy Face may see

Not h is Wife falser to h is Bed,than to allParties he.

Now let the curst Triumvi rate prepareFor allthe baneful Ills of horrid War ;

Let zea lous Rage the dreadful Work begin,

Back’

d with the sad var iety of Sin ;Let Vice in allits numerous shapes be shown

,Crimes which to mi lder Bremms were unknown,And innocent Cromwelwou ’d have blush ’d to own.

The ir Arms from pillag’

d let’

em bring,

And rob the De ity to wound the King.Exc ited then by the ir Camp- Priest’s long Pray ’rThe ir Country’s Curses

,and the ir own Despair,While Hel l combines with its v i le Offs pring Night,To hide the ir Treachery,or secure the ir Flight

,

The watchful Troops with cruel hast come on,Then shou t

,look terri ble

,discharge, and run .

Fal’n from his short-liv’d Pow’

r and flatter’

d Hopes,His Friends destroy ’d by Hunger, Swords, and Ropes ;To some near Grove the Western Monarch fl ies,In va in the innocent Grove her Shade den ies.The Juster Trees

Who when for refuge Cba rles and Virtue fled,By grateful Instinct the ir glad Branches spread,

And round the Sacred Char e cas t the ir inlarged Head ,Stra ight when the outcast Agsalom comes n igh,Drop Off their fading Leaves

,and blasted dy .

Nor Earth her se lf will h ide her Gui lty Son,Tho he for refuge to her ! Bowels run.

Rebell ious Coral) to her A rms she tookWhen Heav

’

n , and Israelhis old Cause forsook ;But now provok

’

d by a more just disda in,

She shrinks her frighted Head,and gives our Rebel back again .

The lead taken of the Cathedral ofWells tomake Bullets .]1" Taken in a Ditch .

MATTHEW PRIORNow Artist, let thy juster Penc i l draw

The sad effeéts of necessary Law .

In pa inted Words, and speaking Colours tel lThe dismalExi t th is sham Prince hefel ;On the sad Scene the glorious Rebel place,With Pride

,and Sorrow strugling in his Face ;Describe the Pangs of h is distraéted Breast

(If by thy Labours Thought can be exprest)Shew with what difference two vast Pass ions move,And how the Hero with the Christ ian strove .

Then place the Prelate by his s ide,To ra ise his Sorrow

,and confound his Pride

With the dear dreadful Thoughts of a God crucify’

d.

Paint,if thou canst

,the Heavenly Words that hung

Upon the Holy Mens perswas ive Tongue,Words sweet as Moses writ , or Asapb sung ;Words whose preva i l ing Influence might have wonAll bu t the haughty harden’

d Absalon.

At d istance round the i r weeping Mother, placeThe too unmindfu l Fathers beauteous Race ;But l ike the Grec ian A rtist

,spread a Ve i l

O’er the sad Beau ties of fair [fl Annabel.No Art

,no Muse those Sorrows can express,Which would be render

’

d by Description less .Here c lose the dismal Scene

,conceal the rest

That the sad Orphans Eyes will teach us best ;Thy gui lty Art might raise ou r i l l- tim’

d Grief too h igh,

And make us,whi le we pity h im,

forget our Loyalty .

Bishop of Ely .) ['l' Dutchess ]

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MATTHEW PRIOR

God is Love.

I .LMIGHTY PowerWhom Angells Hymns, men’

s Prayers adore.

For whom no Speech , no thought cou’d frame

A comprehens ive Name ;Till Thou from Heav’n vouchsafst a ray,Thy glory and our knowledge to improve ;Thou mixt Thy beams with our exalted Clay,And we

,enl ightened, learn to cal l the Love.

All was in Chaos and confusion la idTill by Loves creat ing wordThe melancholy Mass was stir

’

d

And the commanded E lements with hasty joy obey ’d .Then peacefu l Sphears with wond’rous Mus ic roll

’

d,Time his harmon ious cou rse began

,

T he c irc l ing Years in glad process ion ran,Order and beauty blest the New- born World .

And every objefi strove to proveThat allwas made and allpreserv’

d by love.

I I I .When Heav’ns last noblest Masterpiece was madeLove

, pow’

rfullove,unlockt his pregnant s ide

And kindly thence call’

d forth the blush ing BrideLove to his heart a secret was convey

’

d

And made him bless the wound court the Ma idLove did the will ing Sou ls un ite

Whilst he became her strength She his de l igh tThis happy Pair more tru ly One

Then when both Sexes lay in Adams side alone .

294

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS .

IV .

Thus theyliv

’d and thus they Lov’(1

Each sm1 1ng Hour the i r bl iss improv’d

Bu t when for knowledge and Sins sake they stray’dWhen God and love were disobey’d

.By God and love the mi ld decree was giv’n (Heav’n .

Which threw them down from Paradise and rais’d them up to

V.

Exalted Lyre thy tunefuls inews moveTeach Man div in ity and love

ForgetfullMan in Bethlems poor abodeBehold new born Etern ityAnd hear the Thunderers voice chang

’

d to an Infants cryNourish ’d l ike Thee with c ircu lating bloodCompound l ike Thee with l imbs and cloath

’d with skin

Like Thee in every thing,but Sin.

VI .Then cast (if Tears restra in not) cast thy EyeUp to the dismal top of frighted Calvar

yy

See whom th

yPray’rs so oft invok

To whom thy fat ings fyell

,thy Altars smoak ’d

See to the fatal Cross He’s ty’d

The thorns his temples wound, the spear his s ideAnd to compleat h is glorious Miserys ,Imperious Love, what wou ’

dst thou more ? he Dyes.What wou ’dst Thou more ? Thy De ity we own

B thy mysterious Power aloneThe $ orld was fram’

d, Man sav

’

d, God cruc ified .

TO the E. Of Dorset

on the Birth Of His Son .

I .AKE Goddess wake Thy drousy L re

Let the neglected Chords to louder tra ins be strung,

And raise Thy voice,and swel l thy numbers higher

,No common Theme requires Thy Song

MATTHEW PRIORFor loe ! from old Etern it ies glad WombThe promis

’

d day, the lorious B i rth is come’T is come ; the noble Babe securely l iesOn his fa ir Mothers joyful breast ;(Happy his Age whose Infancy enjoyA Seat of Plenty and a Heav

’

n of rest.)But Oh ! what Clouds of glory, clouds of l ightTOO strong for feeble Mans external EyeRollround the noble Babe, and mock my drownedThat Light

,that glory I wou’d see ;

Hear,Goddess

,hear thy Votary

The meanest of thy Sons inspireCome to my breast, and with Thy pow’

rfulrayDrive dimm human ity awai yre.Wake, Goddess, wake thy

II.Hark the q uicken

’

d Lyre awaks

Each wil l ing string melodious tremblings makesAnd see ! the appeas

’

d Air,and opening skyProcla im the Goddess n igh.

She’s here,I feelthe generous rage within

En l iven each extended ve in.

I feel the kind the cruel Goddess rol lAll through each part of my exalted SoulAnd prest with Joy and pa in

’d with extacyLoe ! what mighty th ings I see.

IIIMids’t a fa ir Troop of smi l ing De itiesGrave Janus with Majestic pace draws near

The sacred place where the blest Infant l iesJanus wi th pleas ing Care and easy JoyDoes allhis happy Eyes imploy

T he lovely Babe to v iewEmploys ’

em all,and thinks them alltoo few.

Pleas’

d and ravish’

d with the si ht

He wings the coming Hours with new gelightNo more looks backward now,bu t here

From th is blest B irth dates the enobl’

d Year.296

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MATTHEW PRIOR

Hymn to the Spring.

IAIREST Child of flowing t ime,Earths refreshment, Heav’ns del igh t,Beauties honor, Natures prime

Joy of ou r Soul, and glory Of our s ight !0 bridle in the post ing hours ;Thy too prec ipitated course restra in,Cast ou t thy blossoms, spread thy flow

’rs,Augment our pleasure, and prolong thy re ign.

For t’were impiety to wish Thee gone,Tho Summer next and allher fruits come on.

IIAll

,thy absent De ity

With repeated Pray’rs implore ;All rejo ice,thy Presence n igh,Behold thy Mirac les , and bless thy Pow’

s.

The Farmer from thy looks receivesT he blooming promise of a fruitful Year '

The Lover from thy bounty weavesAn early Honor for his Mistress’ ha ir :The sullen Warrior smi les

,to see thee spread

The future Pride of his ennobled head.III .

Senseless as the Year we lye,’T i l l kind spring’s enl iven ing firesWakens our afl ivity,Improves ou r Joys

,and he ightens our des ires.

For thee ev’

n Venus we’ldespiseThou brighter (lueen of Harmony and Love !And Thee too born above the skies

Withou t a fiétious Metaphor we’lproveFor what is Heav’n but bright recesses, whereA constant Spring inriches allthe Year ?

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS .

A Session of the Poets

(imperfec t).

SINCE the King l ike a venterous Gamster at LooThrew by his old Court iers

,and took in for new

Till by shuffl ing and drawing the cards were so mix ’tThat those which Won this deal were laid as ide nex t

The Sons of the Muses began to repineThat who e’

er was turu ’d ou t John Dryden kept inSo, Numerous and Noisy to Phtr bus they cameTo ask why of All the Knaves he shou

’d be Pam.

John Dryden appear’

d at the head of the Gang,And with a low bow and learned HarangueHe sa id with Submission he thought t

’

wou’

d be hardIf he of the Bays shou

’d at length be debar’d

Who so wel l had writ and so frankly declar’d.

Dec laring says Phte bus,concerns not this court ;

They that set you at work let ’

em e’

en pay you for’tWhats Rel igion to Us,tis wel l known that many

Have manag’d the Place wel l without having Any.

For matter of Writing ’

tis frankly confest

If we’

ltake your bare word for’t You do it much best.next thing that advances

Is the Priest to the Sacrifice honest St Franc isOchanti, Huy Harmon, Rozarno, TzinzummeyB loody hands, blazing Comets, Priests dev i ls and MummySure this will engage You ? Apollo says NoAll these pritty tricks Lee in Bedlam can showWhy then (tho Despina and Tamerlane fai l)I’m my Lord Dorsets Friend, I hope that may prevai l ,Apollo bow’

d low at the name,and declar

’

d

What a just Veneration he had for my Lord.But heark

’

yee Sir Kn ight, says the God,that wont do

For if he had the Bays whom his honor best knewW. R. has fa irer pretences than You .

MATTHEW PRIOROld Waller came next

,and handsomly pleadedThat none writ so neat and so calmly as he did

That wi th very much W it he no anger exprestNor sharpen’

d h is Verse with a Venemous Jest.And granting allth is, sa id Apollo, old Friend’Twilsign ify l ittle to’th’ business in handFor as he that’s dubb’d Hero, must .first to the Wars

And bring home sore bruises and hazardous scars

SO, he that wou’d rise and be prov’d a true Bays

(To be fitted in every respect to the Place)Must be damn’d for h is plays and for Satyr Susta inTo beatings at least in a l ittle By- Lane.

Next l ittle Tom Durfey demanded the BaysFor the sense of h is Songs and the Plot of his PlaysA double pretence wh ich I’lvow very StrongBut I

’

ve heard says Apollo a Scurri lous SongIn which You’ve afl

'

ronted my friend Mrs. LongAnd heark-

yee Squire Durfey the Man that refusesRespeét to the Sex is no friend to the Muses .

Next Maidwelwho young Poetasters can bringAs some do tame B lackbirds

,to Whistle and S ing

His Tropes and h is Figures most finely emplo 5

To purchace the Wreath for h imse lf and his BoysFor if he that Taught best had most right to the Lau re lO ld Busby not he must determine the Qt

rrarrel

Apol lo inform’

d h im he shou’

d be most ad

If from his own Works any Plea cou’d e madeBut at present he though t his pretences but bad.

From the Island of Love with a Sh ipload of VerseComes Afra and asks the Court leave to RehearseEnjoyment and Raptures and pretty Dev isesEnamell’d on Watches for Damon and Is isThe Poetess Sung : at length swore She’d proveThat She and Jack Hoyle taught the whole Age to LoveAnd on with

’

t She ran,nor had ended t i ll now

Bu t Phazbus reprov’

d her,and gave her to know

That her Tongue went too fas t,and her Love watch too Slow.

If e’

er he was foundTo chuse words for any th ing else but the sound .300

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MATTHEW PRIORIn va in I saw : each object thrd my EyeTouch

’

d my Soul quick with something st i l of TheeMy Friend and I sat there, we that way mov ’

d

These read these Talk’d,and every where we Lov

’

d.

Bu t when twas sa id thou n’

er must hope to see

That Friend return to things below and Thee .

Happy He triumphs, happy has possestA Seat Of Glor and a Heav’

n of rest’Twas base to Sigh and grew a Crime to moanSo much I Prize Your B l iss beyond my own .

Theseus sti l lov’d,and sti l desir’d his Friend

Whilst great Alc ides yet on Earth rema in’d :But when the Hero to his Heav

’

n arriv’

d,Most the Youth wanted him

, yet least he griev ’

d

Pleas’

d that the Friend was in the God improv’

d,

He learn’

d to Worship what before he lov’d.

Accept my first Oblation, thy own heart,

(For Friendship sha l be forc ’d to let it part)’

T is Love demands it, and I wi ll resign :

Honoria gave her own,and merits Thine

,

And to retu rn it thus I triumph moreThen keeping it from allthe Sex before .

Accept my Wishes too ; meet allthe CharmsThe Mu ses gave, in Dear Honoria’s Arms.[Herself a Muse more Noble than the Nine

For when we harmony it self wou ’d pa intArt does bu t in One gracefu l figure join

The Lovely Woman and the Pious Saint.)May allthy Hou rs in glad Process ion passKind as her look and soft as her EmbraceAnd every Hou r new Pleasu res may’st thou findAll fa ir and Love ly as thy M1stress

’ MindAnd su re that’s very lovely

,very fa ir

Nothing but Heav’n and You,my friend, are there.

May allher fu ture Minu tes happy proveAS are Thy Numbers when Thou writst Of LoveHow strange] happy these wel l beauty knewShe fled Apollo but she ran to You

302

POEMS'

FROM LONGLEAT MSS.

May smi l ing Peace and gentle Concord spreadThe i r blooming Sweets around thy spotless BedAnd may Mankind with pleasin wonder see

Successi ve Hopes of Thy great rogeny’Till Dear Chamonts and Virgi ls labours Dye.

Letter to

MY little Wid : to you I sendOr as my Dofi ress or my FriendHoping these Lines may find You S g

As I am at this present writingI yestern ight read Nendicks bi llsBeliev

’

d his l ies and took his PillsNo sooner was the Rascallswallow

’

d

Ah can you guess what follow’

d ?

I’

lswear I thought I shou ’

d have q u icken’

d,

And from that moment fondly reckon’

d.

At last my Physic l ike you r MarriageB rought nothing forth bu t a Miscarriage.

When I had sufi'

er’

d as I te l l Yee

Those plaguey wamblings' in my Bel lyBackwards I much Dismist,and after

Indeed I scarse cou ’d hold my Water.Faith J e those Pi lls are past enduringThat work at once by Stool and Urine ;I shou ’

d not,were you here, intreat Yee

To give me l iberty to beat Yee ;For gentle walking wil l aloneBring ne ighbor Nendick kindly down.

Thus hav ing Thirty times I thinkDrank your dear health in posset drinkI Answer to my B i l let doux RequireAnd res t

Sweet J e

You r filthy FriendM .

MATTHEW PRIOR

To Dr

in a Letter to Beverleydisswading him from drink ing

Waters.0 c lear the B ra in or purge the thoughtYour Waters are not worth a Great,

The Spaw it self cou’d never do’tUn less Your Brain lay in your GuttYour Costi ve fancy if You ’d st i r up,Add to your Waters Pil ls or Syrrup.

So your loose Muse may chance to store yeeWith Arguments a PosterioriYou ( l ike the Span iard)may be writingSome handsom Tract of easyO r making some c lean Retu rnelloOf who white or who yellow.

Bu t if some labour you des ignLike allits Breth’ren fair and fine

Lay by you r Element and ratherDrink (by my Lords good leave) Forefather.When Jove his Godhead purg’d with waterHe got some Sneaking Fountain Daughter.

But for the Offspring of h is brainHis head ak

’

d much,and he cry

’

d Alas !Twas Wine that brought the generous pa in

T he God drank hard, and ou t sprang Pallas.To her pale Sons, insipid IsisThe draught of her own Stream advises ;But wel l We know

,our Alma -Ma ter

Holds Claret wholsomer than Water

And by her Caudle and her CupB ids Sitt up late, and drink allup.

304

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MATTHEW PRIORThat I bel ieve, the dullest of the kind,Wou ’d he bu t Husband and Manure h is Mind

,

Might find some Exce ’l lence there, which wel l- improv ’

d

At home might make h im Pleas’

d,in publ ic Lov’d.

Some with grave Judgment can dec ide the Cause,

And govern Nations and Establ ish Laws .Others in rou her Policy Excel ],Manage the ir gTroops and wage the Battel wel l .With usefu l Sc ience

,some

,and wholsom rules,Improve ou r V irtues, and exalt ou r Souls.

And some search cunn ing Natu re,and dec lare

How allth 1ngs did, and why they thus appear.Some know to bound the Earth ; and some to Gu ideThe lab

’

ring Bark above th’ impetuous Tyde.

Some can with Art alu re the trembl ing string,

And happy wonders in apt Measures Sing.Others can form the Hero or the Saint

,

In breathing Stone,or an imated Pa int.

Thus some may profit us,and some may please ;All may have dilPrent Honors, dilPrent ways.

Some have large Wea lth and may rece ive the guestOthers have W it and Mirth to crown the feast .

Then allthat Vice,and those absurdi t ies

,Which every moment every body sees,A rise, (might I dec lare my thoughts,) from this ;

Not that Men want,bu t u se the ir Parts amiss :

Not One in Twenty the ir own Tallents know ,

T he Ox wou ’d champ the bitt,the War horse plough ;

T he Coward Sieges and Campaigns rec i tes,The Cripple dances, and the Coxcomb writes.[ I .] Is there a Man

,on whom indulgent fate

Has smil’d, and thrown a competent Estate ?With Sense enough to use the bless ing right,To h is own Pleasu re

,and his Friends del ight.

On he shal run,where Natu re never mean

’

t,

Nor friends,nor force

,nor Bedlam

,shal prevent.Perhaps h is Whim runs to D iv in ity

,

Not Pulton then,not Casu ist ABC,

Or the i r new Converts, troublesome as he.

306

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS.

Perhaps to Law ; his Cases then shal ti reA City O rphan, or a Norfolk Squire ;His unintel l igible Talk shal putA Widow

,or a realLa er, ou t

Take heed (crys allthe

v

Shunt come not near !’

T is Term- t ime at h is Table a the Year.Is there another

, with such moderate SenceAs just suflices not to give offence ?T is odds bu t he shal Print his Poetry

,

Tho such perhaps as H igdm wri tes or INestles amongst the Criticks in the Pitt

,

And talks at W ill’s, and wou’d be thought a W it.

( I) No Anc ient Piece, much harder than the rest,That by Translat ion scorns to be exprest,

But allthose People who to Ph il l is ch ime,

And make admiring and desiring Rhime,With Emu’lous Labour turn and tumble it,

And heads forthwith are scratch’

d,and nailes are bitt.

No happy Pictu re, whose rich features showVandyke ! Thy labour, or Thine, Angelo !But whilst the Dawbers with joint pains combineTo rivaleach in imi table l ine

,

The great Original comes forth a Sign.

Painters and Poets any th ing may dareI grant You , Sir, but with a previous careOf what thei r Strength denys

,what t’wilbear.

Who,after Waller s ings the Holland- fight,Tells but how Ill ’

tis poss ible to write8: who wou ’d throughl

yshow h is want of Skill

,From Lely draws my ady Cleveland il l .Well ; most the i r bus iness , thei r D iscourse

,the i r Cloaths

,The ir very V ice,unfit for them will chuse.

The Squire from Mother sent unfleg’

d and raw,To learn good breeding and to read the Law

,Though he has l ittle else to justifyHis parts, bu t Innocence and modesty

,

Qntts these as soon as possibly he can,

And swears, and drinks, and fa in wou’d be0 2

MATTHEW PRIORThe rough Tarpaul in when be home has brough tHea lth , Strength , and Treasure

,every th ing bu t T houghtMust needs turn Spark forsooth ; and to be known

Keeps very H igh, is j ilted, and Undon .

The Land- Commander, whose illfavor’d faceMight make him ra i l at Love, and break his glass ;

If he’

as been once in France, affects to goOdly i l l - drest, and spruce as any Beau,Ogles

,and Combs

,and Bows

,and does not doubt

To ra ise his Fortunes by the Pettycoat.

T he Awkerd City Spark, who shou’

d not SwearBut sneaking Shop- Oaths to put oiI

~

bad Ware,

Nor drink bu t at the chusing of the May’rGetts very drunk, and with it very rudeSome Suit the ir Inc l inat ions

,and are lewd ;

On V ice,in him

,

’

tis Saucy to intrude .

Vice (Says the Moral ist,and wou’d dispute)With no Mans Nature realy can Su it.

It may Dece ive us tho,Sir ; bu t in these

It looks so i l l,it scarse appears to please.

Bu t to my Theme—I firmly sti l l averT is not through want of parts, but want of care

,To use those Parts aright,so many err.

They wont spare t ime to we igh the good or i l l,

We blame the i r Intel/ea,the fau l t lyes in the ir w ill.

I know a hopeful You th about the Town,Whose Friends and Parts design’

d h im for the Gown ;

His body was but weak, h is qu iet mindTo gentle peace seemed happi ly inclin’

d

Yet Thoughtless he, and erring in this Care,

Of his own strength is fall’n in love with War ;Herds with the Fighters,and with pleasure feelsA long Toledo jarring at his Heels

Talks i l l of Sieges rais’

d,and Armys led

,

And wears his Cravat string,and Breeches red.

I met the You th,and truly

,far from Spight,Told him his Tal lent never was to fight

He frown’

d,and sa id

,

“Nor Your : perbapr to Write.

308

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MATTHEW PRIOR

[Answer to an]

Orange.

Qod People,I pray

Throw the Orange away,’

T is a very sour Fruit, and was first brought in Play ,When good yuditbIn her Pocket brought Milk,

And with Cush ions and Warming- Pans labour’d to b ilkThis sa me

When the Army retreats,And the Parl iament s its

,To vote ou r King the true u se of his Wits ;’Twill be a sad means

,When allhe obta insIs to have his Calf’s Head dress’d with other Mens Bra ins,

And an

The Sins of his YouthMade him think of one Truth

,When he spawl’d from h is Lungs, and bled twice at the Mou th,That

your fresh sort of Food

Does is Carcase more good,And the damn’d th ing that cur’d his putrify ’d Blood

Was an

This hopeful young SonIs surely his own,Because from [an] Orange it cry

’

d to be goneBu t the Hereticks say,He was got by Dada

,For neither King nor the Nancie dare stayNear an

3 10

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS .

Since Lewis was cut

From his Breech to the Gu t,

France fanc ies an Openarse del icate FruitWe wiser than so,Have two Strings to our Bow

,

For we’ve a good (lueen [that’s] an Open [arse]And

Till Nanny writ muchTo the Rebe ls the Dutcb,

Her Mother,

cod Woman, ne’

er ow’d her a Grutch :And the ox on the Ear

Made the Matter appear,That the on ly foul Savou r the (lueen could not bearWas an

An honest old Peer,That forsook God last year

,

Pull’

d off allhis Plaisters,and arm’d for the War

But his Arms would not do,

And his Aches throb’

d too,That he wish’d h is own Pox, and his Mistress’s too

On anOld Tyburn must groan ,For 7 efler ies is knownTo have perju r’d his Consc ience to marry his Son ;And [Devonsbires] CauseMust be try

’

d by the Laws,

And Herbert must taste a most damnable SauceWith an

Pen,Lab

,and a score

Of those honest Men more,Will find this same Orange exceedingly sour ;

T he (lueen to be seiz’

d,Will be very i ll pleas’d,

And so wil l King P ippin, too dry to be sq ueez’

d

By an

MATTHEW PRIOR

SongSet by M

r

KI

OVE has often threaten’d War

Beauty led up allthe Fa irYet sti l my heart repell

’

d the HarmsThe ir cruelty intended

Bu t when my Caelia took up ArmsUnable to res ist her CharmsThe Fort no longer I defended.

II .Strength and Wisdom useless prove,Once to see her is to LoveOthers in Time a heart may ga inBy Treaty or Perswasion

,The ir Conquests They by Siege obta in ;You o

’

er my heart were born to re ignAnd bravely took it by Invas ion .

SongSet by Messrs Pickering and Tudway .

OVE I confess I thought Thee bu t a NameThe Pa inters fancy and the Poets Theme,

The O ld Wives Tale, the wishing V irgins dreamBut if indeed Thou art a God

Supreme in Goodness and in Pow’r

Now make it c learly understoodAnd I’lrepent and I

’ladore .

Or use thy Mercy,and wi thdraw the dart

Gently ! Ah ! gently, from my fester’

d heart ;Or strike the weapon thromy Czelia’s breastAnd be Th Godhead by thy Pow ’

r exprest.For whilst follow and m Czelia fl iesWhilst I entreat and he denys

I own my Self a harden ’

d Athe ist st i lAnd must deny thy Power, or blame thy Will .3 1 2

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3 14

MATTHEW PRIOR

Caelia .

WERE Ca l ia Absent and remembrance brough tHer and past Pleasures th ick upon my though tWith Bacchus’ Liquors I’d Loves flames defea t

He’

d soon leave flut’ring, if his Wings were wet .

E lse to my Books I’d dedicate my Days,Forget my Daphne whilst I sought the BaysOr shou ’

d allother Cures successless proveTo some kind Present She my Suit I’d moveBu rns are expell’d by fire and Love by Love

But when I want my Friend, when my vext hea rtBeats short,and pants and seeks its nobler part

That absent one not mi llions can attoneAmidst a Mult itude I’m st i l AloneMy mind l ike Te lephus’s hu rt is found.T he cause that gave can only Cure the wound .

The same

Varied.

WERE C[ae]lia absent and remembrance brough tHer and past raptu res thick upon my thought

The next kind She might meet my rais’

d des ireAnd beastly Lust quench Loves disabl’d Fire.

But when I want my Friend, when my vex’t heartBeats short , and pants and seeks its nobler partFor the sad II! no medi ’c ine can be found’

T is You that made, ’

tis You must cure the Wound.

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS .

A Hymn to Venus,

upon a Marriage .

I

ALMIGHTY pow

’r of Harmon and Love

That Governst allbelow an blessest allaboveAt whose command th is wellproportion’d frameFrom the dark womb of empty Chaos cameWhose smi le bid wild confusion cease

And charm’

d the jarring E lements to peace,Who l ife and joy to th’

earl iest be ings gaveAnd st i l with new suppl ies defeats the conquest of the Grave

Marriage I s ing be thou my MuseTo thy young Prophets Sou l infuseSuch v igorous heat such aétive fire

As tun’d thy dear Anacreons LyreThat my oflicious Song may proveNoble as was our Lovers first des ireSweet as the i r Courtship lasting as thei r Love.

II .Yes Venus your D iv in ity we own

Your pow’r and goodness equally are shown

,Since this happy pair you joinForsake Cythera’s crouded shrineVictims of vulga r hearts disclaim

Nor seek new Conquests but the last m[a i]nta inYour last which has outdoneAllother glories which your Cupids wonSince yielding to your Godhead Jove

Confest his Thunder less then were the Shafts of LoveGo let your darl ings use less arms be brokeLet his torch languish in enactive Smoak

His l ittle De ity must now dispairTo see such Lovers at his Altars crown’

d

Or vanquish with an equal woundSo great an Hero

,and a Bride so fair.

MATTHEW PRIOR

On these may allyour Bless ings flowOn these your choicest Gifts bestowLet alltheir after minutes proveKind as is you r kindest Dove

And soft as down upon the wings of loveSti l l with the ir years encrease the i r joy

Sti l be the ir raptu res full yet never c loyWhilst each succeedin Ni ht

Improves the Transport of the ast gelightIn glad process ion may each roll ing Year

See the joyful Parent bearA Beauty second on ly to her own

O r if the smi l ing Gods consp ire to crownHer stronger Wishes in a Son

,

His Fathers Sou l as Image let him shareAnd prove his Honors 8: h is Vi rtues He ir.

A Fad/e.

N E sop’

s Tales an honest Wretch we findWhose Years and Comforts equal ly decl in d ;

He in two Wives had two domestick Ills,

For different Age they had,and different Wills ;

One pluckt his black Ha irs ou t,and one h is Grey

,

The Man for (hnetness did both obey,Till allh is Parish saw his Head qu ite bare,

And thought he wanted Bra ins as wel l as Ha ir.

Tbe Moral.

T he Parties,hen-

peckt W m,are thy Wives,

T he Ha irs they pluck are thy Prerogat ives ;Tories thy Person hate, the Whigs thy Power,Tho much thou yieldest, sti ll they tug for more,Till this poor Man and thou al ike are shown,

He without Hair, and thou withou t a Crown .

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MATTHEW PRIOR

[A PrOphecy.]

THY King (0 may I ca ll h im by tha t Name ?

But he shal be the last that e’

er shal bea r it).No Man more heart i ly shal hate his WifeThen he shal Thee ; nor fly with more impat ien ceInto a yieldin Mistress ’ dear EmbracesThen he to gelgia’s shore

,Belgia th R i val

In Empire and in Interest. She sh Triumph,Shal to the farthest East send forth

New Colon ies and build her proud AbodesOn Ganges and in India

, She shal have Treat ies ’

Made for Her sake a lone and Kingdom given .

Thy Miters shal be worn by Men at bestStupid and I norant

,scarce capableTo ide a Parish Flock, by others famous

ForTapes, and Outlaw’d from the ir Nati ve Coun try

For having by V ile Treasons giv’n upThe Masters that had fed them

,Fools and Madmen

Shal Prophecy false dreams, that take distemperFor RevelationAnd comment Blasphemy on sacred ScriptureThese

,these shal Rule thy Clergy.

Thou shalt have Priests immerst in Lust 8: Glu ttonyAnd B ishops Three t imes Married

, thy Cathedra lsThe Seats where Prayer and Hosp ita l ityShou

’d dwell, shal be the Taverns of the Land ,Where drunken bowles incessantly go round

In leud debauch and midn ight D ice are Hurl’

d,

The Beds where in the weari’

d Pilgrim us’d

To case h is crippled Limbs, he now shal findPossess

’

d with Women,Nurses, She Attendants

And a dishonest Brood of ugly Ch ildren.

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS .

Ballad.

HE Factions which Each other c lawBy joint consent have both undone Thee

Thou l ike the Goat in Moses LawHast allthe Nations Sins upon Thee.

Whilst H. . upon thy Faults descantsH and M . shaljoinNot one but roars at Irish grantsBu t allforget You past the Boyne.

Five hundred Hams allpleas’

d allproudThat they the ir Fathers Shame discoverBu t not one Japhet in the CrowdTo draw the Decent Mantle over.What in Thy Government is rightTo Name shal stand recorded

T he Lawrels Thou hast gain’

d in fightLet 0 . d

’

s Merit be rewarded.Thy Minist supports the Throne,With pruyence alldisastersWhat proves successfu l is the ir own

,

And what Miscarrys is their Masters .Twas by a House of Commons wroughtThat Priests and Papists shan’

t Alarm ye

Bu t twas His Majestys own faultThat we have ne ither Fleet nor Army.

[A Ballad of Vigour.]

THE Crown once againIts R ights shal ma inta in

And the Nation shalmake a good FigureFor ou r Glorious RedeemerTe lls Harley and Seymour

T is t ime They shou’

d A6} with great vigor.

MATTHEW PRIORWhen the Hands of the PagesFind how sad a th in Age is

In our l ittle dispirited ErT is l ikely his Bra insew fire shou

’

d reta inAnd He’laft with abundance of Vigor

His Majesty’s ActionsShal soon suppress Factions

And by May he shal Paris beleaguerFor without Troops or PenceWithout Counsels or Sense

The King has a fancy for Vigor.Whilst He lays h is concerns on

The shoulders of VernonHis Credit will surely grow biggerAnd if Sunderland comesSound Trumpet beat DrumsNo doubt but We

’

laft with great Vigor.Albemarle leads the wayDrest l ike Mars in a playWith Cass ie as fierce as a TygerAnd Miremont the PrinceShal his Countr convinceThat His Majesty s Fav’rites have V igor.Vice Chamberla in Bart ieIs in the Cou rt Part ieLord Cuts for the Combat is eagerAnd for Jore and Laloe

Grand Louis shal knowWhat it is to be given to Vigor.Bu t if Whigs get the betterYou ’l see how He

’

lfetter

And Hamstring our Royal IntreguerIf the Tory prevai lsIn comes l ittle W

And have We not actedwith V igor ?

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MATTHEW PRIORWhere shalt Thou be when thou art laid in Earth

Where we’rt Thou t imorous thing,before thy b irth ?

Disolv’d in Chaos, on the formless Mass ,

Of what may be contending with what was,O ld Night and Death extend the ir noxious Pow ’r,

O’

er allthe Man,the Body they devour

,

Nor spare the Soul,a Kingdom in the dark

Furies that Howl three hea ded D that barkAre empty Rumors form’

d in Chiigiens SchoolsThe Tales of Pedants, and the Dreams of Fools .

Translated from the

Original French .

HILE soft She Parly’d with becoming grace,And cou rteous smi les adorn

’

d her lovely face ;Who heard her speak H imse lf might soon dece ive ;And fondly hope she felt the wound she gaveBu t

,Oh ! great Love Thy Votarie’s must take ca re

To Serve Thee wel l,but trust Thee not too far.

[Reality and Image ]OR instance, when You think You see a

Fa ir Woman,

’

tis bu t her IdeaIf You her real L ips Salute,O r but the ir shade, will bear dispute.

“ Look there (sa You) I see a HorseLord Sir how Idly you discourse ?I see a Horse

,I’m su re thats true.

I say the Dev i l a Horse see You ;

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS.You see a Horse’s Image

,la in

In Min iature upon your bra in ;But what you take for fourteen Hand,Is less than ha lf a grain of Sand.Thin must be sta ted by the i r Nature ;The first; eant comprehend the greater .

Now,if our Groom wou’d n '

er be ableTo set

lf

oiild Crop into the Sta ble,Unless (pra mind) the Door at leastWas so ing larger than the beast :T he Fellow sure wou 'd never beDevoid of Sense to that Degree,As to des i re, much less to try ,To thrust his Nagg into your Eye.

Verses Intended for Lockand Montaigne.

OCK,wou’d the Human understandin show ;

In va in he squanders Thought 6: 5Time and Ink.People themselves most certa inly must know

,Better than He cou’d tel l,how they can think ?

I fancy things y quickly be agreed,

If once for All we state our not ions rightAnd I[thank grac ious Heav’n) need never read

One me that Thou, Friend Lock, did'st ever wri te.

Sie a m u mpeas : if my head3“

been exactly made, and fill’d l ike Thine

,I shou’d have known what ever thou had 'st sa id,Tho in Thy work I had not read a l ine.

And if sp at, pra min Thy head and Mineform’

d an m6"? quite diff’rent from each other ;I n’er shal understand oneqs ingle l ine,Tho I abou'd read thy Fol io ten times over.

Written at Down- Hall.x a 323

MATTHEW PRIOR

Fragments WrittenAt Down - Hall .

FOR when your Judge becomes you r FoeThink nor to give nor ward the blow

The danger prudent ly to shunForbear to plead and learn to run

What good can Culprits staying doWhen Laws explain

’

d by Pow’

r pursue ?Ava i ls it [a]ught what you can sa

If allthe Bench resolves the NayWhen Truth ou t- voted comes too lateWhat does She but Prevaricate ?The Circumstances change the case

,’

T is now no Tryal bu t a race,What s ignifies Ach illes speed

Bu t to be rid in t ime of need ?W hen angry Paris aim’

d the DartAga inst the Heroes MortalpartInstead of Fighting

,had he fled

,

His Heelmight have secur’

d his Head.

To her loose dress She cal ls some fore ign AidThat shows the wanton fears to dye a Ma idSome flow’

ry Honor from the ne ighbo’ring fieldO r Emblem taken from her Lovers ShieldYet when her fine de ees thy Column riseThe ir secret charms ilude ou r captive EyesWith too much Sc ience we admire Thee wrough tYet pra ise thy Beauty while we own thy Fault.

The Plowshares now deform the martial pla inRaking the Sculls of the once glorious Slain.

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MATTHEW PRIORFor hark You, Richard, shou

’

d we pu t

The Conscience lower towards the G ut

It wou’d remain inept and quietAnd st i l go downward w ith our DietHence the Des ires She wou’d ProduceWou’d allbe Sordid Base 8: Loose.Now place her in a higher partAmid’st the Region of the heartFrom thence so many Conduits leadDirectly upward to the headThat mount ing by too swift advancesAnd bursting in ten thousand fancysShe wou ’d from Ne ighborhood of place .

Be a lways fiyin in your faceAnd fire your ra in with so much Hea tThat You wou’d neither Sleep nor Eat

For D ick Your Consc ience

Yet happy Human race my FriendDid here the s ickly madness end.

But Mitis troubl’

d half the nationAbout his Offsprings Education ;And urg

’

d b some unhappy fateGave him wo Thirds of his EstateTo sett le the sad Wretch in Mariage(This of his l ife the Sole Miscari

;ge)

Yet Hopeful counts his Fathers ears,

And blames the Sloth of Clotho’s Sheers ;That thus protrafts the long wish’d deathOf whom? the Man who gave him breath

,

Say this,and the i l l jesting CalfRepl es ye with an 1mpious lau h

His other help’d, and he cou’

spareHer too

,from allthis Worldly care :

Were She, good Soul, but once in Heav’nHer Jointure wou’d set matters even.

Wou’d Fate this double Bless ing gi veA happy Orphan he shou

’

d L ive.

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS .Hence Frant ic Att- al l’s endlessHates the Recess req u ir

’

d by Age0 s s s s 0

Most People l ive by Drink and Diet,

He feeds on other Mens disquiet.EternalWatch the Madman keepsWhen e

’

er he knows his Ne ighbor Sleeps.Sear’d with his own injurious DeedHe thinks it safest to proceed.Hears fingling Cha ins and Cl inking FettersAnd wou d impose ’

em on his BettersWhich does the Bedlam fear the most

Alive or G ’

8 GhostLeave him as God an Man has doneAnd let the Muse go gently on.

With the Image of his own i l l deedFrighted he must to worse proceedHearing the Clinck of Chains 8: FettersHe hopes to put them on his Betters .And make Him say what just they pleaseAs Statesmen do with Witnesses.

Further tis easy to producePeople who make the proper useOf others Limbs, for Instance now

The General (Poets thus AllowAnd Socrates) ga in the Price of War

The Lawrelhides his want of Ha ir.

Bes ides, Dear D ick, tho You and IW ith ipse dixet shou

’

d complHe never will obtain his EndsOn many of ou r Gresham friends ;Who with Authority dispenseAnd in its Place have setl

’

d sense.

MATTHEW PRIORBesides a Man must never put

His Oar into anothers Boat.Are there not Bells in every SteepleTo Summon in the Doci le People ?And Deans and Prebends

,whose great

Some Two and F ifty t imes a YearShou

’

d to thei r Parish gravely read ?Bu t if They send them in thei r steadSome Curate who can hardly spell,This some conce ive does e

’en as well.

World was 200 Year in the

following Aristotle .

ILL great Des -Cart and his SeCtatorsLight up thei r Ph ilosophic papersWhich say th

’ Aristotel ians againWere but Jack- a- lents by which menThinking they saw mistook thei r wayMore then before.

Fragments.

DD is the Justice of that LandWhich only lopps the Thiefs right- hand

The left, before inur’d to Robb,

Is each new Sess ions in your Fobb.In Brita in We with wiser careChastise a Limb that has no pa i r ;And when You hang him by the NeckE

’

en trust him for a Second Trick .

But that of which he was bereftAlas

,had n

’

er a fel low left.

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MATTHEW PRIORJust so at least a Year stood ISmote breast and back and hip and Th ighFull twenty Foes around me cameAnd each at me took several AimAga inst some part each tookOne at my head with Mal ice StrokeT’other ram’

d Perjury at my throatThis with Sophisticated reasonShot at m hand for writ ing TreasonAgainst Tliem All I stood .

We bid the Men stand and del iver their Pu rsesAnd tying the i r Hands up we laugh at their -Curses.

To Florimel.

ARELESS and Young 0 FlorimelThou little Think ’st of whats to come

0 it wou ’d fright Thee shou’

d I te llWhat soon must be Thy Countries Doom.

W ritten under a Picture pa intedby Mr Howard.

Invocation to Fortune .

ASSIST my Cause with Honour, Justice, Tru th

,

And Thou great Fortune wont to favor You thFor me Thy Godhead by Thy Mercy proveCha in cruelrage, and aid afflicted LoveGreat Heavens Decrees undaunted let me tryAnd l i ve with Empire or with V irtue dye.

33°

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS .

True Statesmen .

TRUE Statesmen on ly Love or HateWhat Lessens them,

or makes them great.With wond'rous k indnes each Ascends,Supported by h is Shouldring Friends :And fleering Criticks somet imes NoteHis di rt imprinted on his Coat.Some Lords l ike W ife and Husband uableFor th is fine thing

,for that blew baub e,

But soon the present foll endsAnd common Intrest es them Friends.Wh ilst yet Brinnis h hAnd Paper Darts in Famphiets flyHe whose hot head wou’d interposeIs sure to have his share of blowsBut in the reconc iling feas tWhen allthe bustle proves a JestWhere matters are adjusted fairly,And sweet ly kisses H yThe little Agents of the Plot tThe unde rstrappers are forgotAnd if the Doctor un invitedAfra id to fancy he was s l ightedComes in, his Labours he may spyFix

'

d to tbe bottom of a P e

Or find how those reward is troubleThat l ight thei r Pipes with Dear T . . D .

Be not the Bully of the

Nor foam at month for Moderat ionTake not thy Sent iments on trustNor be by others Not ions justTo Church and Q reen and Laws be heartyBut hate a Trick and scorn a PartyAnd if thou ever has't a voiceTho it be only in the ChoiceOf Vestry Men or grey- Coat- Boys

33 '

MATTHEW PRIORVote right th6 certa in to be blam’

d

And rather Starve than be asham’

d

This Method I shou ’

d fancy bestYou may think otherwise. I rest.

S im ile.

HE worthless Cypher, when alone,Is in himself much less then one ;

But plac’d behind more Cunn ing Men

,Exalts each figu re up to Ten

And when Two thoughtless Noughts have blunder’d,

The Knave before becomes a Hundred.So rise

,by Aid of worthless Fools,

The Men who know to use their Tools.

The Courtier.Fragment.

UR Courtiers traflick for the ir fameLike Nymphs for what I need not name

If this and that time they hold ou t

It is the ir Virtue ? Yes no doubtIn short they happen to despiseThe Lover now and now the PriceBu t be the Youth Gal lant, the SumSuffic ient, what reply they—MumNature and Intrest must prevai lAnd flesh and blood you know are fra i l.To charm the fa i r to cheat the WiseTo lure us to the Proifer

’

d V ice’T is allbut coming to our Price.

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MATTHEW PRIORWhilst yet it flourishes with fullest graceT is bound by distance and confin

’d to placeTho joyful hea lth and blooming Youth combin e

To bring the sacred flame to Cupids Sh rine.

Narc issus.

0HAPPY Youth what ean destroyThe long Excesses of thy JoyFor nothing in the whole Creat ion

Will prove a R ival to thy Pass ion.

On the Marchioness of

Caermarthen .

future time shalsayHow Harleys Daughter studious past the dayWhile four- fold to the Patriot Father She restor’

d

B lessings, which from h im She at Morn implor’

d .

Virgils Georgie 4 Verse 5I r

Qlalis 1mplet

Tran slated.

O Philomel beneath the Poplar shadeMou rnfu l bewa i ls her Brood whom the rough h ind

Finding has taken Callow from the NestAll n ight she weeps and s itting on the branchOften repeats her Melancholly songAnd fil ls the Country with her sad compla int.

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS.

Answer to the Female Phaeton.

AS Almoner in

OOd

Holy WeekDealing

good George’s Cloth and bread

Sends forth iis Oflice rs to seekThe People who stand most in need.So Thou Direftor great in W itAmongst Us Authors rule’st the roastDistribut ing as Thou think

’

st fit

To those that seem to want the mostThou dids t to me a Bard half starv’dA plenteous Dole of Fame provideAnd gav

’

s t Me what I n’

er deserv’d

Something of Phaeton and Hyde.Respect and Memory 0 look backRecall the beauteous Mothers YouthCurl thou hast put me on the Wrack

And now be l ieve I tel l thee truthThat bright great

goo

i yNymph such I foundSuch ! howg? durst I . u

'

d Kne ller te llHow man Yea rs h id I the WoundWhich forc’ by Curl I now reveall

The Mothers beauties as I lov’dAnd thought She rui'd R ight Div ineI saw the Daughters ha rms improv’dI courted in the Legal L ineWhen I saw what can they mSa id I that e

'

er can think of KittyAs Kath ’arine w and pleas

’

d my v iewPoor Cha rlotte I eld wi th pittyNext Charlotte comes and on TheyL ike Banco ’

s offspring in Mackbeth

All to the Rebells of their ThroneDenouncing Anger wrath and Death

335

336

MATTHEW PRIORIf beauteous Hyde ean thus supply

Her everlast ing Store of DartsCome on I cry’d we allmust dyeTho every Man had twenty HeartsWhat e

’

er may to my charge be la idIn publ ic Prints or Secret WhispersI ’l l tell thee allI ever saidOf j inny or her beauteous Sisters.In these I the Graces threeAll beautiful] alll ike the i r MotherAnd Each the reignin Toast shal beWhy ? because Each is Iikest t’ OtherIf You three Sister Roses viewFrom that which is the fu l lest blownT he beaut ies of the other Two

W ithout much forecast may be knownSoft Apri l, bloomin May, bright J[u ]neDo each in difl’ rent harms appearYet wi th succeeding Pleasures crown

The Joys and Honors of the YearBut Phaeton or Kittys A61

Has set ou r Amorous World on fire

If Simi les are not qu ite exaft

Why must they needs be made by Prior ?Alas By adding to my fameOh gentle Curl

,thou hast undone me

Making me richer than I amThou draws’t my Creditors upon Me

From Blanket and Purgation free,Thou long shal ’t live and we’el be friends,Pu t out my Name 8: We

’

el agreeMake me at lea st this smal Amends.Then Curl for Mine and for Truths SakeThey righteous Print ing Press employTo prove I never did mistakeA Lady for a Boy .

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MATTHEW PRIOR

A Prologue intended to the P layof Ch it Chat

,but never finished .

THE ugly Beau too part ial to his Glass,As more he looks, and better l ikes his face,

In .every place is certa in to appearAbroad I mean but there are None such here.

’T is much the same with those who trade in verseFondly they write

,then sauc i ly rehearse,

By frequent Repetition bolder grownF1rst t i re thei r Friends and after plague the Town .

This from Our Author I am bid to sayAs some Excuse for his F i rst coup d’Ess ayWhen next he dares his Cens’uring Pen to drawE

’en leave him to the Letter of the LawWith gentle Stripes Correét the young beginner,And hang h im if he proves a Harden

’

d Sinner.W hat he attempts to paint is Human l ife

,A good Man inju r’

d by a Modern wife ;Whi le ne ither Sense or kindness have the charmsTo keep the Cocq uet from the Coxcombs arms.Had the w rong

’

d Husband been deseas’d and O ldOr to her play deny’d the needfu l gold

,

The Lady might have done as She thought fit,

And these lose Scenes perhaps had n’

er been writ.Bu t in the flower and v igour of His AgeTo Cuckold him

,creates so just a rage

It is a very Scandal to the Stage.

Now it propos to what we nam’

d,these Scenes

Some will be asking what the Author means.Loose and irregular they are

’

tis true,

Bu t pray refleéi it is your Lives he drew.

A wel l la id Plot,c lose order

,c lear design

Shou’

d allconspire to make the Dramma ShineHis Plot he hopes will pardon every fault’

T is what wou’d puzzle Machiavels own thought’

T is such pray find it out

As Alberon i to his Pupi l taught.338

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS .Steps, e learn

’

d i n Sta te Intreagues !Who deal in Poli tic and Powder’d W iE

’

er et quite form’

d, your Schemes are sfi

i

reveal'

d,

But ere

The afi ion’

s done, but yet the Plot conceal'

d.

For the des ign, '

tis twenty several facts,First dropt in Scenes, then shufll’

d into A613 .

He bui lds his Schemes in the Lucretian way ;Atoms the ir mot ions into forms conveyAnd Chance may rule in wit, as well as playOne th ing he bids me beg in his Defence,That none may Praise or blame that have not Sense.Take not poor Culprits just request amis ;

It reaches None of You—pray free ly Clap or H iss.

Prelude to a Tale from Boccace

in blank Verse .

To the D3of Shrewsbury

Frederick 8CC

HAT Bocace with superior Gen ius Cloath’dIn Tuscan dress

,and l ud icrous Fontaine

(Modern Anacreon) we l l has imitatedn Ga ll ic Style

,H imself in imitable :

How e’

er unequa l to the glorious Task,Yet of the noblest Heights and best Examples,Ambitious, I in English Verse attempt.But not as heretofore, the l ine prescrib’dTo equa l cadence

,and with semblant Sounds

Pointed, (so Modern Harmony adv ises)But in the Ancient Guise, free, uncontroll

'

d,

The Verse , compress’

d the Period,or di lated,

As close discourse requires, or fine desc ription .

Such Homer wrote ; su ch Milton imitated ;And Shrewsb’ury,candid Judge of Verse, approve .

Y 2 339

MATTHEW PRIORWhat Sh rewsb’ ma approve, to whom pertains it ?

But to the Lady,

u

l

r

gvingySh ba t,And best by Him belov

’d ? To hee

, fa ir Matton iThe warm debate I bring and soft rec italO f constant Pass ion, and rewarded friendsh ip.Weak the Performance haply, yet the workBeneath Thy feet I lay ; and bless

'

d in this,As Thou good Princess, in each of L ifeThat I but a& what Thy great commands.As Dorset’s smi le ben i and fa i r Example

,

In pleasing Rhime indulgd my Infant Years ;0 be his Memory ever wept and Honor

'

d l)y Shrewsb’ury’s will presc ri be my E lder MA diff'

rent course,Great

,bounteous Adelida !

Be Thou my Friend, my tle IThat thy eat Lord wi th is Illustrious NameMay sh iel the Goddess from the Darts of Censu reUnwounded

,and assure her future fli t

With equa l favour and success ive ees.

How e’

er again refleéting, She must blameHer own Ambition

,that with vain AttemptWou'd bring Thee [a]ught from Paris or from Rome,

Transfer’

d and Habited in Engl ish dress :When Thou, great Mistress l in Ital ian sounds,Canst breathe Th thou

ght, not Petrarch ’s LauraWhen thou in (gall ic r‘yle can we ll indite,

80 wel l, the famous Scu cry’s learned Sister.O r Faber's Daughter might attentive learn .Yet Thou hast right

,fair Dame

,to cla im the

In B ritish sounds ; amongst her best lov’d daugh tersBritannia Numbers Thee, by Twofold TitleTo her endear

’d : Partner of Talbots bed,

And righ t descended from the race of Dudley.And we ll hast Thou with correspondent GraceAnswer

’

d thy tle Mother’s Love endearing,To form her ccents, and to speak her languageIn Womanhood,indust rious to Recla im

By Study and by Art the lmlPortion340

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342

MATTHEW PRIORAround the Throne the Nat ions to the i r ueen

Obedient stand,and bid Her Live for Ever .

I llustrious Patroness, excuse the Prelude,And Thou Cal l iope begin the Song.

0 O O O O

I NFLORENCE heretofore (who knows not F lorenceBeautiful Sov’raign of Etrurias Cities)

Liv’

d FRanamc from a Noble race DescendedWith fa ir Revenues blest and large Estate.

His Years were '

ust arriv’

d to perfect ManhoodWell limb’d h is Body and his Person come lyHis Mind with allthose Open Virtues brightWhich an Indulgent Mothers prev ious HopeCan figure for her best lov’d Infants Age.

Unmarri’d yet (his Marriage is my Story)On Frederic therefore every Eye was cast

What e’

er he did was Ta lk’d : he went or cameThe publ ic Care : The P: the GIllustrious Houses courted his All ianceAnd every noble Virgin s igh ing wishtHer Father might succeed

,but 0 in va in

Propose the Paren ts,or the Daughters HopeCLITIA

,so Venus dest ins

,must alone

Gain Frederic’s Love ; and Love must ru le his Fortune.R ich Young She was a Widow,of One Son

The Mother and the Tu toress : Frederic courts Her

Courts her but How ? With Presents,with ExpenceSurpass ing allhis R ivals

,of that sort

How many ther,where the prevalent charms

[At] once 0?Beauty and of Wealth AttractFrom Homer’s time to ours stand fa ir recorded .The Tilt and Tournament, so GallantryAnc ient allow

’

d,and Frederic wel l Excell’d

In Feats of Arms and Man ly Exerc isesTook up the Dance del ightful : Clitia SeatedSubl ime, commands the sports. Clitia

’

s Dev icePortray

’

d on Frederics Shield declares her Champion.

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS .Music the Splendid Bal l and cost] banquetF irst fruits to hopeful Love by ailhis Z ealotsOffer

’

d employ the softer Hours of N ight,ueen of the Feast reigns Clitia, Clitia’s Name,A orns the Song

,and at her Hea lth alone

B reathes the shri ll Hautboy,and the Clarion sounds .

O O O O O O

The Mem’ory of kind Frederic and good ClitiaThey drink, and tel l the Story of the Hawk.

She sigh’

d she wept and gave the Year to Mourn ingAs Decency req u ir

’

d, but mighty LoveHad erst possess ’d her heart, that Monarch GodAdmits no rival Pow ’

r,his Ardent flames

Dispel the l ittle damps which sorrow casts

Upon the Soul,nor suffers others Tears

To falladown the Cheek, but those aloneWhich his Attendant Cares and fears create.

Bu t where Necess ity obliges, PatienceLessens the III,and grief is born away

Upon the wings of Time.

Not Snow melts faster on the cr mountThe Alp, or Appen[n] ine, when So in SpringAris ing cheers the World, not Waves and windsSubs ide more sudden, when greet Neptune rearsHis awful Trident

,and commands a Calm

Then in one moment fell from Clitia’

s breastT he coldness of Disda in, the Widows PrideAnd Prudery of the Sex .

Here since Great Maro dos not doubt to SingCayeta Nurse to his eternal HeroLet poor good T hestylis my Muse be mention’

d

Not without pra ise :Fresh F lowers upon her Grave were strew

’

d by Clitia’s hand .And on her Tombstone stand Engrav’d her V irtueGrac ious acknowledgments of faithfulServ ice.

MATTHEW PRIORand allthat chain of mad expenceWhose extreme l ink is ruin, Lands are Sold

And Mortgages contraéted, false TrusteesGreedy She Wins, and Frederick wi l ling Loses .

And Fa ithless Stewards join to wrong the Maste r

and profit by those Negligence:Which ’

twas thei r on ly Serv ice to retrieve.for not the Noble Matron

Whose Womb bore pens ive Frederic lov’d h im betterThen did old Thestylis whose breast had fed h im.

as he now has fed

His darl ing Hawk, and in h is Garden water’dT he Rose and Jess

’mine or with careful handPropt the F igg- tree luxuriant from the dangerOf its own we ight, or view

’

d

The l i ttle promise of h is futu re Vintage cluster’

d grapesHalf pu rple round the verdant Elm enc i rc ledHis l ittle hopes of V intage.

For better then my Se lf thee Thee I loveMy Self how can I name hav ing prefer’dMy Ease to Thine

,hav ing in Lux’ and wea lth

Secu re ly slept, whi le Thou perchance hast Wak’

d

With fear of Debts alarm’

d and shame of wan t.0 to Thy Arms rece ive that Pen itentThat never shal aga in repent of [a]ughtBu t of too late Convers ion 0 my FredericMine wilt Thou be

,rece ive Thy Clitia Thine

And be our next Endeavor join’d to saveThe l ingt ing l ife of him

,

And Thou wilt grant I next to Thee shou’

d LoveMy Son.

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MATTHEW PRIORColleéted to my self I sadly findTen thousand doubts div ide m anxious mind.

The potent bias of my crook wil lI found averse to good, and prone to ill;

Whence rises th is deprav ity of thoughtWas it from mine or my forefathers fau ltSha l I descend and say that Death and SinDid from i l l judging Adams crime beginOr trac ing them from springs perhaps too h ighTo good and Ill gi ve Coetern ity ?Say did the Godhead infin itely wiseCreate allgood ? then whence did i ll arise ?Do two great Pow’

rs the i r adverse strength employTh is to preserve

,and t

’other to DestroyWou’d God set free what Deemon cou’d enslave ?Cou’d Sin annoy what Sanfi ity wou’d save ?Of th is no further Mortal man can know

,Than as from Scripture God has deign’

d to show .

Here too we find the mi hty Probleme la idIn Mystic darkness

,and Prophetic shade

Pen’d by the Poets rage and breast enlarg’

d,

Adorn’d with Emblems, and with figures charg’

d ;Form’

d to the Lyre,and fitted to be Sung

To proper measures of the Hebrew Tongue ;By t ime corrupt, at firs t however pure ;And by Translation render

’

d more obscure ;By Sea s eluded

,and by Scholes perplext,Till in the Comment we involve the Text.

E’

er Time was bid h is measures to begin,

E’

er Angels knew to pra ise, or man to sin,

(Say Aust in’

s words transfer’

d to Calvins school,)God fix ’

d one firm unalterable rule.

The word was fated which th’ Almighty spoke

Nor can h is future Will that will revoke.All th ings determin’d by this Solemn Doom

,

And settled in the order they must come.

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS .Seleét to pleasures, or condemn’

d to pains ;Man only Execute s wha t God ordains .

Is God subserv ient to his own Decree ?Is that Omnipotent which is not free ?

Providence then in he r continua l courseMust st i l be st t by some superior forceThen upon srntri

o

fgenqu iry wil l be found,That God himself by his own Aft is bound ,That in a l ike dependence, he and Man

Must own a Pow r which ne ither can restra in ?Then those E lect by th is eternaldoomMust have been Sav’d, tho it had never come ;And the reprov

’

d in va in for Mercy cal lTo him who came to free and save us All.Va in therefore prudent tho ht, and prev iousUse less our Alms

,and foolfi is ou r Pray

’

:r

And with superfluous babling we have said,“Gi ve us th is da our Father ! da 1 breadIf what we ask y flxt decree of eav

’n

Was giv’n before, or never can be giv

’

n.

Now what is Man ? a reas'

nable Machine,A puppet danc 'd u th is Earth ly Scene,An instrument in (Raids o’

erbearing hand,Mov’d by his Pow’r and forc ’d by,his command .

Cou’d destin’d Judas long before e fel l

Avoid the terrors of a future Hel l ?Cou’d Paul den res ist

,or not embrace

Obtruded Heav n , and efi cac ious Grace ?Yet is the great Apostle heard to my,“ Does not the Potte rs hand dispose the Clay ?And shalthe Vase his makers Art upbra id,If or to honour or Destrufi ion made ?”

’T is true ; bu t v iew we then the dt Sta teOf be inn

lgsl iv ing and inan imate

Incapab of Sense and void of mind,The pass ive Vemelcou’d no pleasure find,Tho where Sa ints and An

ge ls

And ellbeneath,cou'd fee no

Nor in his attion is that Agent free

MATTHEW PRIORWho must fulfil l immutable dec ree .

Allow we freedom to the wh irl ing Stone ,W h ich in the Battel from the sl ing is th rown ?

Allow we freedom to the flying reed ,From the drawn Bow elanc

’

d with violen t speed ?

If these atta in,or if they lose the ir Aim

,The i r rectitude or Error is the sameWho blames the ir fault, or celebrates their fame

Now scale ou r Deeds and let the Plummet fallBetwixt the senseless and the rational.If Both al ike by primit ive decreeAre bound to Aft, and if what is must beFor Sla in Goliah to young Davids praiseCan we in just ice greater triumph raise,Than to the chosen Pebble, which he tookAmong the thousand from the Neighb

’

ring brook ?Or greater Crime impute to furious Saul ,Than to his Jav’el in struck against the Wall ?Far other sure with Human Mind it faresNow raised to pleasures now deprest with Cares .

Poss ess we not free l ibert of WillHow are our Acts imbu ’ with good or i l lAllow Gods promises and threatnings madeE

’er the foundations of the World were la id ;They were cont ingent, and condit ional ;From Adams Choice proceeded Adams fall.By Cains free afl ion Abe lls blood was spi lt,His Pun ishment must presuppose his Gu i lt.And Abra’ms fa ith on Isaac doom’

d to dye

Was founded on the Patriarchs p iety.When Judah breaks Jehovahs great command,He turns his wrathful V iols on the land :When of her Sins in Ashes she repents,The weeping Priest attones and God re lents.Ou r Deed is form’

d and guided by our thought,

And equal to our Du ty or our fault.By means however hid from human eyesGods future threatnings and his Mercy rise.

While yet we reconc i le free Will to fatesTo solve th is doubt we greater doubts create

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MATTHEW PRIORAlmighty Lord the way, the door, [the] light,0 let me stil find favor in thy s ightExcuse my going wrong or set me right.0 Soveraign ! great Three in One i O God and Man !

Who set those Measures wh ich I dare not Scan ;If I have leave to chuse, I beg that choiceGuided at least by thy Ass istant Voice.

If I must pursue a Destin’d wayDirect my Footsteps for thou can’st not strayFrom dan

’

rous doubts my wandering SoulI cannot rgue, grant me to be l ieve !Lifeless I lay, thou wak

’st me into Sense

Frailty is mine, and Thine Omnipotence.

Dare we reply or frighted stand we MuteShal l Man

,assertion dire ! to God impute

Or Ignorance, or Mutabil ity,Or want of Pow

’r to finish his Decree ?

Wh i le God does in his hand SustainThis last great Link of this eternalChain.

So run the c lose Meanders of our mindBy th is first Cause sti l secretly inclin’

d

This guidance of our though tTo th is h igh power be broughtand backward we must run

To that h igh Origin where allbegun .

Nor can we justly say that we Poss essA Wil l which we can Govern as we please.

Who reasons thus his sense in terms confoundsSpeaks one Idea in two difl

'

erent sounds .Before we grant or Answer let us bringOur pow’

r of thinking to its prist in spring.Trace we this Thought to its OrigindLet Heav’n be justify

’d in Adams fal l.

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS .All was settl’d by Gods primeva l W i ll.Nor do I ask whence Sin came, bu t it was such that to

Save the World from it the Son of God must Dye.Could the Heathen by the diCtates of Nature obta i n Sal va

tion, where was the necess ity of Christs comic

r

lg,and if they

could not,how happens it that they were not led to pertake

the benefit of His pass ion.

Nor matters it that God ve a free Will to Man since byhis Presc ience he had ordered? thatMan could not employ thatfree willotherwise then he had forseen Man should employ it.If we had not freedom of Willthere would be neither

Good or i ll in our Actions . There would be no occasion fora Judgement, nor Pun ishment, nor reward.Now if we have not Liberty of WillHow are our Deeds imbu’d with good or ill.

is it in Our ChoiceTo love or hate to weep or to rejoice ?Are not the Texture of our Afi ions wroughtBy someth ing inward that direéts our thoughtAnd we perce ive del ight and sufl

'

er painWh ich we can nei ther quicken nor restra i n ?Now change the Scene my friends St let us see

How are our Afl ions 8: our Motions free.Whence else a Dying Saviors grief fameAnd dire Convulslon of this general frameThat shook the Earth

,made frighted

And the great Fathers will that must be done.some middle means

Which Man but hardly comprehendsand let us see

How destin’d Sentence and free W i l l agree.

That with spontaneous L iberty we moveIn vain the adverse Sea desires to proveFrom inward Power and Nature of the SoulWhich Natures God can alter or controll .

MATTHEW PRIOR

If God does Un iversa l Vows rejeéiOr only justi s his own Eleéi:

Or those m l imes remote who never heardHis Word reveal

’d are from his Anger Spa r ’d.

time and Age its Notions are disrang’

d

pass ions short and by distemper chang’dlet us vaunting fancy we are free

That we can mend or alter Heavn’s decree .

Or with our l ittle Arms go up to fightW ith Omnipresence with InfiniteOur Ope rations by his Will were wroughtAnd when he gave he fixt the Pow’

r of thought.All matters particles, allMotions laws,Cou’d not produce so great a Second cause.

Attoms, how ever sep’rate or combin’d,Cou’d not compose or an imate the mind.

That with spontaneous Liberty we move,In vain the adverse sefi des ires to prove,From inward Pow’

r and Nature of the Sou lWhich Natures God can alter or controll.Earth cou ’d not form it then from heav

’n it came

A part it self of the Celestial flameLet Christ ians sanfi ify the Heathen chainAnd that Prometheus which the i r Poets fei nWas Gods great Spirit enlight

’ning pass i ve i arth

And kindl ing Human action into birthIf then its v igor from Heav

’n proceed

B Heav’

n its force and measure is dec reedhat First who did this Second cause produceProportions it to each rec ip ients use

Tis Sisyphus’ Stone return ing sti lIf God who gave the freedom form’

d the WillTo form it and incl ine it was the sameYou grant the thing while you dispute the Name.

As runn ing Streams thei r parted Waters spreadAdown the hil l or thro the flow’ry MeadHere ris

isibold and Turbu lent in waves

There 3 in Sand or sunk in Rocky Caves

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MATTHEW PRIORBefore we Grant or Answer let u s br ingOur pow’

r of Thought to its prime va l spring.

0

The deep decrees the fatalist replyes

Of an eternal God supremely WiseAs firmly fixt are permanently sure

Thro endless chains of Ages shal endure.

Made before heav ’n and Earth the word sha l last

Unchangeable when heav’n and Earth are pas t.Allow free will that Sentence is destroy’dA Covenant Seel’d which after Acts may void

A Casual Fabric bui lt upon the sandWhich can nor winds nor fall ing ra ins withstandBut yields inflex ’d and sapp

’d by human pray

’

rs

Blown down with Sighs and wash’

d away by tears .

Or trace your steps thro the determin’

d wayOr from the Christ ian Princ iples You strayThe Godhead thd with allperfection crown

’

d

Inclin’

d to Mercy is by just ice boundE lse whence the wond’rous kind necess ityThat to Absolve poor Adam Christ must DyeWhence the old sta ins imprest on human race

The heav’nly means that must those sta ins efl

'

ace

And Nature lost redeem’

d by saving Grace.

Hence the long Series of Events to comeAnd four Monarchic Empires stated doomE lse future knowledge of Three thousand Yea rsThe Psalmists raptures and the Prophets tears

The unveil’

d Mysteries to a world restor’

d

Forseen by Angels and by Men ador’

d ;Hence the great Objeft of our future hopeAnd bless ings fol lowing in that bitter CupWhich God incarnate lov ing and belov

’

d

How’

ever yielding beg’d might be remov’dWhen prest with Agon ies the suffering SonSa id Father not my will but Thine be done .

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS .

[Fragment from Br itanicua ]

WHO would preva i l o’er Men must first ObserveThe i r Darl ing pass ion of thei r hearts, and thence

Govern the i r Duétile reason, in BritanicusThe power of Love prevails the Dazl’d Lover.

the Horse ofHenry the Fourthof France .

ETIT Cheval, genti l ChevalPropre a monter, propre a descendreTu n

’es pas grand comme BucephaleTu porte plus q ue l’Alexandre.

To a Lady, given w ith aNosegay.

SOUVIENS Toy, Cloe, du dest inDe ces fleurs si fraiches si bel lesE lles ne durent q u ’

un mat inComme El les vous bri llez

,vous passerez comme El les.

To C loe .

THERE’S allHel l in her Hea rt

,and allHeaven in her eye

He that sees her must love, he that loves her must Dye.

Epigram .

Y Lord there’s a Christ’

ning the Cflicer sa id,

The Goss ips are ready, the Cush ions are la idWhat

,without m

yleave ask

’d ? sa i d the Prelate inflam’

d

Go lock up My ont,let the Infant be damn’

d.

Z 2

MATTHEW PRIOR

Translation of an Epitaph u ponGilbert Glanville Bishop of R0

Chester as written in Roc he sterCathedral .

ILBERTUS Glanv il le whose heart was as hard as an

Anv ilAlways l it igious who shou

’

d have been highly re l igiousFull fraught with Law suits he to that Court aptly desc endedWhere quiet appears not,and quarrels never are ended .

From Ronsard’

s FranciadeBook the IVth Folio 465.

N yonder Gu i lty Pla in,long Seasons hence

Perhaps a thousand Years, Helmets and S h ie lds,

And plated harnois shal be found,sad marks

Of memorable War,with sudden wonder

Appal’

d the Villager lab’ring the GlebeShal hear his Plow- Share crash on buried Armou r

,

And throw up bones of Horses sla in in Battle .

[Fragments in Prose and Verse ]HO e

’

er forsakes O ld Mother ChurchAnd of new Doctrines makes profess ionWill find h imse lf soon left ith Lurch

O r c ited to the (luarter Sess ion.

I learn to th ink no Precept strangeThat Convocat ion can propose

Nor ever wish nor seek for changeExcept in Mistresses Cloaths .

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MATTHEW PRIORWe often yield to Importun ity, and do good to those who

do not Deserve it, meerly for our own Ease . Th is kind ofGeneros ity is at best Blameable, and shews Us rather theWeak

ness of our Tempers than the goodness ofOur Inclinations.

Rega rds no Judges Frown,nor Cou rtiers fawn

Contemns the Knave tho hid in Furra or Lawn

Not covetous of Pra ise nor fearing blameWith Honour Dyes, but will not l ive with Shame.

Aft Honest] however blam’d

And ratherDye than be asham’d.

Broghild id Cowleys thankful Muse commendAnd is not Broghils Grandson Prior’s Friend ?Roscommons Verse indulg’d poor Drydens PrideWhile to the Patrons Voice the Bard reply

’

d.

Roscommon writes to that unerring HandMuse—slay the Bu ll that spurns the yel low sand .

Sheffield great Buckingham I llustrious NameO ld in Policy and in Civ i l FameT ransferr

’d h is Lawrelto his Pupi l Pope

The Patrons goodness paes’d the Poets hope.

Let Reason then her Arts imployLet her conv ince Thee doubtful Ma idThat Venus is the (l

t

t

lteen of Joy

And Thou art gen e when Obey’d.Let reason therefore leave the breastWhich va in ly we wou’d Strive to hold

And try h is strength in Ca l ia’s breastSevere and disengaged and Cold.There bid her allher Arts imployAnd showin Thy eternal SlaveConvince herVictors ma destroyBu t LegalSov’raigns a ways save.

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS .Thou arm’

st thy Se lf in Czlias EyesGreat Love when reason wou’d rebel ]

And cv’

ry time I dare be wiseThy rage more terrible I fee l.Repeated thoughts present the i llWhich see ing I must sti l endureThey tel l me Thou hast Darts to ki l lAnd Wisdom has no Pow

’

r to Cure.

Ava i ls it [a]ught to see the I l lWhich see ing I must sti l endureTo know that Love has Darts to ki l lWhile Wisdom wants the Pow

’

r to

0 Dear to God and Man 0 Prince approv’

d

And try’d by Heav’n

,by Earth Confest and lov

’

d

Oh for ou r good Ascend thy Nat ive Seat :In Thee let Judah once aga in be great .Let the glad Oyle from thy Anointed head,Upon a bleeding Nat ion’

s wounds be Shed,Pardon 8: Rule, let kindness grace thy Pow’

r

The Throne on Mercy founded Stands Secure.

Song.

ET Us my Dear my l ife be FriendsForget allfears and troubles pas tOur Pleasu re on th is Hour depends,And hence for ever may it last.St i l to improve each open ing Da

yBe allour futu re thought imp oy’dAnd let our Fa ithful Tombstone sayThat we liv’d lov

’

d,and Joy

’d.

Nor more e er let our Tombstone sayThen that we Liv’

d, and lov

’d, Joy

’

d.

Since allindeed was done by FateWe va inly of the Events complain

Our Sorrows why Shou ’

d we re lateIf Mem

’ory bu t renews the Pa in ?

MATTHEW PRIORThose i l ls that were before too grea tWe sti l augment whi lst we compla in

Our Sorrows why shou’

d we rela teIf Memory but renews the Pa in.

Mankind whose various Afi ion strivesEach others bless ing to destroyWou’d smi le mal ic ious if our LivesKnew any Interval of Joy.

[Jinny the Just ]ELEAS’D from the noise of the Butcher and BakerWho, my old Friends be thanked, did se ldom forsake her

And from the soft Duns of my Landlord the Quake rFrom chiding the Footmen and watching the Lasses

,From Nell that buru ’d Milk,and Tom that broke G lasses

(Sad mischiefs thro which a good housekeeper passesFrom some real Care bu t more fancy’d vexat ionFrom a l ife party Colour’d half reason ha lf pass ionHere l ies after allthe best Wench in the Nat ionFrom the Rhine to the Po, from the Thames to the R honeJoanna or Janneton, Jinny or JoanTwas allone to her by what name She was knownFor the Idiom of words very l ittle She heededProvided the Matter She drove at succeededShe took and gave Languages just as She neededSo for Kitching and Market, for barga in 8: SaleShe paid Engl ish or Dutch or french down on the Na i lBut in tel l ing a Story she sometimes did fa i lThen begging Excuse as She happen’d to StammerWith respeft to her betters bu t none to her GrammerHer blush helpt her out and her Jargon became her360

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MATTHEW PRIORDec l in ing allPow

’

r she found means to perswadeWas then most regarded when most she Obey ’dThe Mistress in truth when she seem

’

d but the Ma i dSuch care of her own proper Aélions She tookThat on other folks l ives She had no t ime to lookSo Censure and Pra ise were struck out of her Book

Her thought st i l confin’

d to its own l ittle SphereShe minded not who did Excel l or did ErrBut just as the matter re lated to her

Then too when her Private Tribunal was rear’

d

Her Mercy so mix ’

d with her judgment appear’

d

That her Foes were condemn’

d 8: her friends always clear’

d

Her Rel igion so wel l with her learn ing did suite

That in raélice s incere,and in Controverse Mute

She shew’

d She knew better to l ive then disputeSome parts of the B ible by heart She rec i tedAnd much in historical Chapters del ightedBut in points about Fa ith She was someth ing short s igh tedSo Notions and modes She refer

’

d to the SchoolsAnd in matters of Consc ience adher

’

d to Two RulesTo advise with no Biggots, and jest with no FoolsAnd scrupl ing but l ittle, enough she believ

’

d

By Charity ample smal s ins She retriev’

d

And when she had New Cloaths She always receiv’

d

Thus sti l whi lst her Morn ing unseen fled awayIn ord

’

ring the Linnen and making the Tea

That she scarce cou ’d have time for the Psalms of the Day

And while after D inner the Night came so soonThat half she propos’d very seldom was doneWi th twenty god bless Me

’

s how this day is goneWhile she read and Accounted 8: payd 8: abatedEat and drank, Play’d dzWork

’

t,laught 8: Cry ’d, lov’d dzhated,

As answer’

d the end of her be ing Created .

362

POEMS FROM LONGLEAT MSS .

In the midst of her Age came a c ruel DeseaseWhich neither her Juhps nor recepts cou’d appeaseSo down dropt her Clay, may her Soul be at peaceRet i re from th is Sepulchre allthe ProphaneYOp that love for Debauch or that marry for ga inRetire least Ye trouble the Manes of JBut Thou that know’

st Love above Intrest or lustStrew the Myrtle and Rose on this once belov’d DustAnd shed one pious tear upon Jinny the JustTread soft on her Grave, and do right to her honorLet neither rude hand nor i l l Tongue l ight upon herDo allthe smal Favors that now can be done herAnd when what Thou lik ’t shal return to her ClayFor so I’m perswaded she must do one DayWhat ever fantastic Asgilmay say

When as I have done now, thou shalt set up a Stone

For something however distinguisht or knownMay some Pious Friend the Misfortune bemoanAnd make thy Concern by reflex ion his own.

MATTHEW PRIOR

FRAGMENTS FROM PRIOR’

S

LETTERS,ETC .

FROM A LETTER TO THE EARL OFDORSET.

Hague1

24 May, 94.

PARE Dorsett’s sacred l ife, decerning fate,And death shal l march thro’ courts and camps inEmptying his quiver on the vulgar great ;Round Dorsett’s board lett peace and plenty dance ,

Far off lett famine her sad re ign advance,And war walk deep in blood thro’ conquered France .

Apollo thus began the mystic strain

,

The muses ’ sons allbow d and sayd Amen.

ON THE DEATH OF QUEEN MARY .

From the Lexington Papers , 1 851 .

In a Letter from Prior to Lord and Lady Lexington ,

1 March,1 695.

‘Written on Scheveling Sands, with the point ofmy sword.’UMBER the sands extended here ;So many Mary ’s virtues were :

Number the drops that yonder roll ;So many griefs press Will iam’

s sou l .

WRITTEN IN THE LIBRARY ,

[Wimpole] Dec. 2,1 720 . M.P.

FAME count ing thy books, my dear Harley, shal l te l l

,No man had so many and knew them so wel l .364

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MATTHEW PRIOR

AN

ANSWERTo THE

Curious MAID.

A TALE .

To Cloe’

s Lop allMen must y ieldAgainst tbis Port tbere is no Jbield.

Late Miscel.

HY Muse, O Bard ! that Wonders te l l,Fa ir CLOE’

: Cbarmr Below Reveals ;T he B l issful Seat allMen Adore,When felt ; when seen, that strikes no moreTho

’

thus thy Muss D isplays the Place,Full oft Review’

d in SHINING GLASS ;Yet st i l l Neg/ea r thy vent’rous Lyre,The Grea test j oys which Youths insp ire.

As Lab’

rorr in the Oozy Mine,Must deep Descend, (as Lakes of Brine)In Caverns dark

,thro’ Ve ins below,Thro’ Mazes

,Turn ings , Windings

go,Earth’s Treasures far beneath unbin

The Gold and Silver Oar to find ;So must each Swa in his Courage prove,Within,to seek the Joys of Love .

When Sbipr at Sea,in Storm: a re tort

,B furious Gales in Tempest lost ;hen foaming Waves disturb the Ma in ;

Below the Wa ters move Serene ;Thus R af to view tho’

CLOE’

: Pride,

Witbin the greatest Cba rnu res ide.

366

POEMS ATTRIBUTED TO PRIOR’T is no One Toy that wins the Swa in,That '

ves to Youthful DAMON Pain ;The Egyes l ike Stars , and shining Hai r,The lobous Breasts our Youths Ensnare ;Fine fvory L imbs conceal

’d, Surprize ;

The Vale,and Mount

,and Snowy Thighs,

Of Beauteous CLOE ne’

er employ’dIn Love

,nor Ever Once Enjo

’d

He’

s more than Man that 7 ese can view,And not the Game of Love persue.

When pant ing Breast to Breast is join’d,We Feast on Raptures unconfin

’

d,Vast and Luxuriant, such as prove,

T he Immortal ity of Lovs .

Love’s Fallace fi lls each Breast with F ire,This Damon moves with strong Des i reAs Lillie: fai r the Banks adorn

,

And Violets in the Bosom worn ;As near some purl ing Streams are seen,

The spreading Bong/or of Willow Green ;As Trees that grace the verdant Plain,And Hills compleat the Rura l Scene ;As Noble Mansion: fitrnisb

’d round,With Hangings fa ir and Fr inge abound ;So CLOE gay has pow

’rj‘itlCbarrnr

,

To set of wbat tbe Lover wa rms.

No single Joy the Swa in exc ites,

’

T is Allrée Female that invites ;Her Sense, her W it, her Beauties all,By which the Youthful Lovers fal l.As Warriors in ”the Martial Field

,Make stubborn Foes to Condufi ield ;By va rious elrtr and Toils pree d iWhen Canon: loud and Mortars fail;Thus when the i r Cbarmr Below are va in,By arbers Females Conquest ga in.

FINIS.

MATTHEW PR IOR

THE

LYONAND THE

FOX .

LYON by his val iant Deeds preferr’d,A Was made the shepherd of a stately Herd ;And carefully defends his Flock from Foes ,Tho’ pow ’

rfulEnemies the ir Peace oppose ;And the who offer any InjurySoon fee his Fury and are sure to die ;The Trust he bore he did so wel l discharge ,His Mistress dai ly did his Pow’

r enlargeFor each good Deed She bore so much regard,That each great A& ne

’

er mist a great Reward .Whilst he abroad thus serviceable were,Reyna rd at Home did no less G lory shareWith Prudence manag’d mystick State Affai rs,As sk ill

’

d in them as th’ other was in Wars .

He with such Fa ithfulness discharg’d his Trust,

Esteem’

d by allto be both Wise and Jus t ;And in h is Serv ice so successful Prov’d,His Mistress Him next to the Lyon lov’dWhich when the L

yon saw he angry grew

Be ing now grown G reat he was grown haughty too.

A Partner in Glory he wou’d not al low,

And strives to work the Fox’s overthrow.

As wicked Men do never want pretence,When they wou ’d wrong unspotted Innocence .

So He wou ’d Treason lay upon his Head,

And make h im bleed for what another did :He wou’d aga inst allReason and allLaws

,F i rst have him flea’

d,and then he’d tell the Cause .

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MATTHEW PRIOR

An EPISTLE from the E lec tor of

BAVARIA to the FRENCH K ing,after the Battle of RAMILLIES .

F yet, great Si r, your hea rt can comfort know ,

And the return ings ighs less frequent flow ;

If yet your ear can su er Anna ’

s fame,And bear, without a start

,her MARLBRo’s name ;

If half the sla in o’

er wide Ramillia Spread,Are yet forgot, and in your fancy dead :Attend, and be yourself, while I rec ite

(Oh ! that I only can of loss es wri[t]eTo what a mighty sum our i l ls amount,And give a fa ithfu l, tho’ a sad account.Let not Bavaria be condemn’

d unheard,Nor

,

’

t i l l examin’

d,have h is conduct clear

’

d ;Charge not on me alone that fatal day,Your own commanders bore too great a sway.Think ! Sir, with pity think ! what I have lost,M nat ive rea lms and my paternal coast,A ! that a firm confed

’

rate could bestow,Ev

’

n fa ith and fame, if you bel ieve the foe.

Think what a heavy load o’

erwhelms my breast,With its own sorrows and with yours opprest ;After one batt le lost, and country gone,Vanq u ish

’

d aga in, alas ! and twice undone.

Oh ! where shal l I begin ? what language findTo heal the raging anguish of your mind ?Or if you de ign a wi ll ing ear to lend,Oh ! where will my disastrous story end ?

Conquest I often promis’

d,I confess ,

And who from such a pow’

r could promise less ?There Gallia ’s force,and here Bavaria ’s shines,Th ’ experienc

’

d houshold fi lls our crowded l ines ;Alread had our tow’

ring thoughts o’

er thrownThe galgian host, while we survey

’

d our own,37°

POEMS ATTRIBUTED TO PRIORDestroy

’

d thei r provinces with sword and flame,Let in the i r seas , and sack

’

d the i r Amsterdam;Already had we shar’d the fancy

’d spoil,

(Imaginary troph ies crown’

d our toi l)Ba tavian standards at th is temple gave,In that the Britt

'

s!) crosses doom’

d to wave,A rural seat ass ign’

d each capt i ve ch ief,In flow

’ry gardens to assuage his grief

,

And b his Arts, and first escape prepar’d,On ARLBRO had bestow

’

d a double guard.Paris impat ient for the conq uer

’

d foe,Hasten’d the tuneful hymn and solemn show ;

Triumphal chariots for the vifl or stay’

d,

And finish ’d arches cast a pompous shade ;With n icest art the bards had dress ’d the ir lays

,

Of noth ing fearful but to reach our praise ;But allour hopes and expectat ion crost

,What l ines have we ? what fame has Boileau lost ?Your army now

,fixt on its h igh des igns

,Rush forth l ike vernal swarms,and quit the ir l ines ;Eager the Dyle they pass to seek the fight

,

udoina’

s fields with sudden tents are white,

he foe descends, l ike torrents from the hil ls,

And allthe neighb’ring vale tumultuous fills :

Preluding cannons tel l th’ approach ing storm,

And working armies take a dreadful form.

Soon your victorious arms,and stronger force

,Tore allthe left,and broke the Belgian horse ;The ir scatter

’d troops are rally

’

d to the fight,

Bu t only rally’

d for a second fl ightAs when h igh heav’n on some aspi ring wood,Which in c lose ranks

, and thickest order stood,Pours its collected stores of vengeance down ,Cedars are seen with firs and oaks o

’

erthrown,Long ravages and intervals of waste !

So gor’d the i r l ines appear’d,and so defac

’

d.

The th ird attack had ended allthe war,Sunk their whole force

,and sav

’

d your fu ture care,

Had MARLBRO,only MARLBRO

,not been there.

As some good gen ius fl ies, to save the realmsM 2

MATTHEW PRIORWhich

,in his absence born

, a plague o’

erwhelms,Through op’

ning squadrons did the hero has te ,And rais

’

d the ir droop ing courage as he past .

Amidst the routed Belgians he arriv’d,Turu ’d the pursuit, the fa inting fight reviv

’

d,

Supply’

d each rank, fill’d ev’ry vacant space,And brought the battle to its former face.

With trembl ing hearts we see our fate dec reedWhere MARLBRO fights how can a foe succeed ?To reach his l ife our boldest warriors strive,On him the storm wi th allits thunder dri ve ;He stems the war

,and half encompass’d roundSti l l c lears his way, and st i l l ma inta ins h is ground

Amaz’

d I saw him in such dangers l ive,And envy

’d him the death I wish’d to ive.

But how our ris ing pleasure shallI te l?The thund

’

ring steed,and the great rider, fell

We thank’

d kind heav’n, and hop’

d the viétor s la in,

But allour hopes, and allou r thanks were va in :

Free from the gui lt of any hosti le woundAlive he lay, and dreadfu l on the ground .As when a l ion in the toils is cast

,That uncontroul’

d had laid the country waste,Th’ insulting h inds surround him,who before

Fled from h is haunts, and trembled at his roar ;So round beset the mighty Briton l ies,And vulgar foes attempt the glorious prize.

’Till fresh battal ions to his succou r brought,Contending armies for the hero fought ;The wanted steed some friendly hand prepar’d,And met a fatal

,bu t a great, rewardA glorious death ; of his lov

’

d lord bereft,The pious ofiice unperform

’

d he left.The rescu

’

d chief, by the past danger warm’

d

Our weaken’

d boas/mid with new fury storm’

d

While allaround to our admi ring eyesFresh foes

,and undiscover

’

d squadrons, rise.

The boas ted guards that spread your name so far,

And turn’

d where- e’

er they fought the doubtfulwar,With heaps of s laughter strow’d the fatal plain,

372

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MATTHEW PRIORAnd reign o

’

er distant prov inces for hire ?Shal l I with borrow’

d government dispense,A royal servant and another’s prince ?These countries too (oh my hard fate !) are lost,And I am banish

’

d from a fore ign coast ;Now may I fight secure of futu re toi ls

,

Of no new countries a th ird battle spoi ls .Oh,TaIIard ! once I did thy chains deplo re,

But env now the fate I mourn’

d before ;lily

bon age bless’

d, proteéted by the foe,

on l i ve contented with one overthrow ;Her capti ve

,Brita in kindly kept away

From the disgrace of the last fata l day.

How does my fal l the haughty viétor raise,And join div ided nations in his pra ise ;Grateful Germania unknown t itles frames,And CHURCHILL writes amongst her sov

’reign names .

Part of her states obey a Br itirb lord,Smal l part ! of the great empire he restor

’

d.

From the proud Spania rd he extorts applause,And ri vals with the Dutch the i r great Nassam.

In ev’ry language are h is battles known,The Swede and Pole for his, despise the ir own.

A thousand sea s in h im the ir safety place,

And our own sa ints are thank’

d for ou r disgrace .

England alone,and that some pleasure gives ,Env ies herse lf the bless ings she rece ives.

My grief each place renews where- e’

er I go,

And ev ’ry art contributes to my woe ;Ramillia

’

s pla in each painter’s penc i l yields,Bavaria fl ies in allthe ir canvas fieldsOn me

,young poets thei r rude lays indi te

,

And on my sorrows practise how to write ;I in the i r scenes with borrow ’

d passion rage,

And aét a shameful part on ev’ry stage.

In Flandria will the tale be ever told,

Nor will it grow,with ever tell ing

,old

The l isping infants will the ir MARLBRO raise,

And the ir new speech grow plainer in h is praise ;His story wil l employ the ir middle years

,

374

POEMS ATTR IBUTED TO PRIORAnd in their latest age recal l thei r fears,While to the i r ch ildren’s ch ildren they relatThe business of a day, their country ’s fate :Then lead them forth, the i r tho hts to enterta in ,And shew the wond

’

ring ou th amillia ’s pla in ;’Twas here they fought, t e houshold fled that way,And th is the spot where MAa taao prostrate lay.

Here they, perhaps, shal l add Bavaria ’s name,Censure his courage, and his condufi blame :

’

T is false,

’

tis false, I did not base ly yield,I left indeed, bu t left a bloody fieldBel ieve not, future ages, ne’er believeThe v ile aspers ions which these wretches give ;If ou too far my injur

’

d honour t

gT e heed, my ghost, it wi ll, it sh f, be nigh

,R ise in his face, and give the slave the lie.Why should the stars thus on Britannia smile,

And partia l bless ings c rown the fav’

rite isle ?Holland does her for their great founder own ;Britannia gave to Portugala crown :

Twice by her queens does proud Iberia fal l ;Her Edward: and her Henry: conq uer

’

d Gaul

The Swede her arms from late oppression freed,And if he dares oppress, wil l curb the Swede .

She, from herself, decides her neighbours fates,Rescues by turns, by turns subdues the i r states ;

In the wide globe no part could nature stretchBeyond her arms, and out of Brita in

’

s reach :Who fear’d, she e

’

er could have Bav'

aria seen ?Such realms

,and kingdoms, h ills, and seas betwu n ?

Yet there—oh sad remembrance of my woe !Distant Bavaria does her triumphs show.

Proud state ! must Ear-ape lie at thy command,No prince without thee r ise, without thee stand !What share ? what part is thine of allthe spoil ?Thine only is the hazard and the toi l.An empire thou hast sav

’

d and allits states,

Iberia'

s rea lms have felt severer fates :What wou’dst thou more ? sti l l do thy arms advance ?Heav

’

n knows what doom thou hast reserv’

d .for France !

375

MATTHEW PRIORFrom whose wise care does allthe treasure r ise

,That slaughter’d hosts and shatter

’

d fleets su pp l iesFrom whence such boundless conquest does she reap ,Purchas

’d with allher boasted mi l l ions cheap ?

0 bless’d ! oh envy

’

d QUEEN ! that does command

At such a t ime,in such a happy land ;Great in her armies and her pow

’

rfulfleet !Great in her treasures ! in her triumphs greatBut greater st i l l and what we envy mos t,That can a MARLBRO for her subject boast !Oh

,Gallia ! from what splendors art thou hu rl’d

The terror once of allthe Western World ;Thy spreading map each year did larger grow,

New mountains st i l l did rise, new ri vers flow ;But now surrounded by th anc ient mounds ,Dost inward shrink from t y new- conq uer

’

d bounds .

did not nature,far from MARLBRo’s worth

,

stant ages bring her Louis forth ?Each uncontroul

’

d had conq uer’

d worlds alone,Happy ! for Europe, they together shone.

Cease ! Louis, cease ! from wars and slaughter cease !

Oh ! sue at last, ’

tis t ime to sue,for peace

|

Urge nor too far your twice unhappy fate,Nor MARLBRo’s stronger arm confess too lateWho never camps or rough encounters saw

,

Can no just image of the hero draw :

He must,alas ! that MARLBRO truly knows

Face h im in batt le,and whole armies lose .

Be l ieve me,Sir

,on my unwill ing breast,Fate has h is vi rtues one by one imprest :With what a force ou r Srbellemberg he storm’

d

And Blenbeim’

s battle with what conduct form’

d '

How great his vigi lance ; how quick his thought ;What h is contempt of death,Ramillia taught.

These nature coo l for peace and counsel forms,

For battle those with rage and fury warms ;But to her fav

’

rite Br itain does impartThe coolest head at once and warmest heart ;So does Sicilia ’s lofty mounta ins showFlames in her bosom,

on her head the snow .

376

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MATTHEW PRIOR

Apology to a Laafy, wbo told

I cou’

a’not love Iver bea r tibr,

cause I bad lov’

a’otber s .

In Imitation of Mr . Waller .

AIR Sylvia , cease to blame my Y outhFor having lov’d before ;So Men,e’

er they have learnt the Tru th,Strange De ities adore.

My Youth ( ’tis true) has often rang’

d,Like Bees o

’

er gawdy Flow’rs ;

And many thousand Loves has chang’

d,Til l it was fix t in yours .

For, Sylvia , when I saw those Eyes,’Twas soon determin’

d there ;Stars might as wel l forsake the Skies

,

And van ish into Air,If I from th is great Ru le do err

,

New Beaut ies to explore ;May I aga in turn Wanderer

,

And never settle more.

Hgaz’

nst Modeszy in Love.

OR many unsuccessful YearsAt Cyntbia

’

s Feet I lay ;And often bath’d ’

em wi th my Tears,Despair

’

d,but durst not pray.

No prostrate Wretch before the ShrineO f any Sa int above

,

E’

er thought his Goddess more divine,O r paid more awful Love .

St i l l the disda inful Dame look ’d downWith an insulting Pride ;

Receiv’d my Pass ion with a Frown

,

O r toss’

d her Head aside.

When Cupid wh isper’

d in my Ear,Use more prevai l ing Charms,

POEMS ATTRIBUTED TO PRIORFond

,whin ing, modest Fool, draw near

,

And c lasp her in your Arms.With eager Kisses tempt the Ma id

,From Cyntbia’

s Feet depart ;The Lips he warmly must invade,Who wou ’d possess the Heart.With that I shook off allmy Fears,My better Fortune try

’

d ;And Cyntbia gave, what she for Yea rs

Had fool ishly deny’d.

On a y oung La afy’

s going to Town

tba Spr ing.

NE Night unhappy Celadon,Beneath a friendl Myrtle’s Shade,With folded Arms and yes cast down,Gently repos’

d his Love- sick HeadWhilst Tbyrsis sport ing on the neighb

’

rin Plain,Thus heard the discontented Youth compIain.

Ask not the Cause why sickly Flow’

rs

Faintly rec l ine the i r drooping Heads ;As fearful of approach ing Show’

rs,They strive to h ide them in the ir Beds,Grieving with Celadon they downward grow,

And feel with him a Sympathy of Woe.

Caloris wil l go,the cruel Fai r,Regardless of her dying Swain

Leaves him to languish, to despa i r,And murmur out in Sighs his Pain.

The fugit ive to fair Augusta fl ies,To make new Slaves, and gain new Victories.So restless Monarchs, tho’ possess’dOf allthat we cal l State or Pow

’

r,Fancy themselves bu t meanly blest ,Vain ly ambitious still of more .

Round the wide World impatiently they roam,

Not satisfy’

d with private Sway at home.

380

MATTHEW PRIOR

Wban tbe Cat’

s away ,

Tbe M ice may play .

AFABLE

,

Humbly inscribd to

Dr. Sw —t.In Domibw Mures (w ide da te omnia

Lady once (so Stories say)By Rats and Mice infested

,With Guns and Traps long sought to s layThe Tbiew s ; but st i l l they scap

’

d away,And dai ly her molested.Great Havock ’mongs t her Cheese was made

,

And much the loss did grieve herAt length Gr imall'in to her AidShe call

’

d (no more of Cats afra id)And begg’d him to rel ieve her.Soon as Grimallin came in view

,

The Vermin back retreated ;Grimallin swift as Lightning flew,Thousands of Mice he da i ly slew

,Thousa nds of Rats defeated.Ne’er Cat before such Glory won

,All People did adore him :

Gr imallin far allCa ts out- shone,

And in his Lady’

s Favour noneWas then preferr

’

d before him.

Pert Mrs. AbigailaloneEnvy

’d Grimallin

’s Glory

Her favourite Lap Dog now was grownNeglefi ed, h im she did bemoan,And rav

’

d l ike any T[or]y.She cannot bear

,she swears she won’

t,To see the Cat regarded,

But firmly is resolv’

d upon ’

t,

And vows, that, whatsoe’er comes on’

t,

She’

llhave the Cat discarded .

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382

MATTHEW PRIORNor Corn secure in Garret h igh,Nor Cheesecake safe in Closet ;The Cellars now nu ded lye,On ev’ry Shelf the ermin Preyy

,

And sti l l Grimaléin does it.The Ga ins from Corn apace decay

’

d,No Baggs to Market goComplaints came from the Dairy- ma id

,

The Mice had spoil’

d her Butter Trade,

And eke her Cheese also.

With this same Lady once there liv’dA trusty Servant Maid,Who

,hearing this

, full much was griev’d,Fearing her Lady was deceiv’d,And hasten’d to her Aid.Much Art she us

’d for to d isc lose

And find out the Deceit ;At length she to the Lad goes

,D iscovers her Domestick oes,

And opens allthe Cheat.Struck with the Sense of Her Mistake,The Lady discontented,Resolves again Her Cat to take

,

And ne’

re aga in Her Cat forsakeLeast she aga in repent it.

A FABLE OF THE

WIDOW AND HER CAT .

WIDOW kept a favourite Cat,At first a gentle Creature ;

But when he was grown Sleek and Fat,With many a Mouse, and many a Rat

,

He soon disclos ’d his Natu re .

POEMS ATTRIBUTED TO PRIORThe Fox and He were friends of old

,Nor cou’d they now be parted ;They Nightly s lunk to rob the Fold

,

Devour’d the Lambs, the Fleeces sold,And Puss grew Lion- hearted.

He scratch’d her Maid

,he stole the Cream,

He tore her best lac’d Pinner ;Nor Chant icleer upon the Beam,Nor Chick

,nor Duckl ing ’

scapes, when GrimInvites the Fox to D inner.The Dame ful l wisely d id Decree,For fear he shou

’d dispatch more,That the false Wretch shou

’d worry

’d be ;

But in a saucy manner HeThus Speech’d it l ike a L[ochme]reMust I

,against allR ight and Law,Like Pole-Cat v ile be treated ?

“ I ! who so long with Tooth and ClawHave kept Domestick Mice in awe,And Foreign Foes defeated !Your Golden Pippins, and your Pies,How oft have I defendedT is true, the Pinner which

lyon prize

“ I tore in Frol ick ; to your yesI never Harm intended .I am a Cat of honour.” Stay,QK

o’She,

“no longer parley ;W ate

’

er you did in Batt le s lay,By Law of Arms became your Prey

,“ I h0pe you won it fairly.Of this, we’ll grant on stand acquit

,

But not of your Outa gesTel l me,Perfidious ! Was it fit

To make my Cream a Perquis ite,And Steal

,to mend your Wages ?

384

MATTHEW PRIORSo flagrant is Thy insolence,“ So v i le Thy Breach of Trust is,That longer with Thee to DiSpense,Were want of Pow

’

r, or want of Sense

Here, Towzer —Do Him Justice .

”

A Pa rapbrase on tbe FRENCH .

N Grey- bai r’d Celia’s wither’d ArmsAs mighty Lewis lay,

She cry’

d, if I have any Charms,My Dearest let’s away .

For you, my Love, is allmy Fear,Hark how the Drums do RattleAlas

,Sir ! what shou

’

d you do hereIn dreadful Day of Battle ?

Let l ittle Orange sta and fight,

For Danger’s h isDi vers ion ;The Wise will th ink you in the R ight,Not to expose your Person

Nor vex your Thoughts how to repairT he Ruins of your Glory :You ought to leave so mean a CareTo those who Pen your Story.

Are not Boileau and Carneile pa idFor Panegyrick Writing ?They know how Heroes may be madeWithout the help of Fight ing.When Foes too sauc i ly approach,

’T is best to leave them fairl

éoach,Pu t Six good Horses in yourAnd carry me to Marly.

Let Bouflers, to secure your Fame,Go take some Town

,or buy it ;

Whilst you,great Sir, at Nostredame

,

Te Deum s ing in quiet .

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NOTESthan ’

tis like an Ele hant, the Rhinoceros is as good a represen tation of theC. of E . as the Pant er.Then the Beasts should keep such Company as tis lik ely they m y love as

tis probable they should know.or else ’tis not a Fable. A hind , who is so

uiet and innocent a beast would not in allprobability be much d hted in

t e Conversation of so fierce Cruel a Creature as a Panther. or if he was,they wou ld discourse rather ofWoods and Shades and S treams th an of S t Paulto the Corinthians and the Council ofTrent. The bind, I fan would not run

over the Fathers , or repeat the Canan Law and the Code. an if S he did the

Panther would scarse be able to tell her where she quoted false or when Sheargued foul .Amoags t Authors who have written a Fable, Correct and wellHorace has

0told the mmonTale of the CityM: and the C :M: in Latin , and Mr : Cowleyhas Translated it into English. This Fable we have rediculed and told in the

same way Mr. Dryden does his H : and P : it being really as p robable andNatura l that twoMice should take a Coach. 0 to the Tavern, get drunk , bea k

windows and be taken by the Constable, as t t a hind and a Panther shouldsit up allN

'

ht together a talk ing ; One proving Oates and Bedlow wereVillains , and esiring the Penal Laws may begeetpealed. and t’

other defendmg’

the Doctrines ofNon resistance and Passive O ’

ence.

Tomak e the thing yetmore rediculous we took the same humour the D ofB : had some years since in his play. the Rehearsal, that is we Bri in B : bywhomwe mean D : defendin (as his way is)the foolishest things in is Poem,

and Smith Johnson b w om we mean any two Gentlemen of TolerableSense and judgement fin ing these faults which are most Obvious , andB . to be rediculous . Thus M: I have given you[r] Honor an Account 3 the

Original of this Trifle, the Credit it happened to gain at L. was indifl'

ereut

to me till my L : of Ex : was pleased not to discommend it at Bu rleigh , and

what ever was said of it before Ihad no reason to sit down contented with theValue of it, or of any thing Ieverwrit, till Your Honor thought it not unworthyYour AcceptanceSo thd we chance to have some smal Estate

And few dispise and some ap rove our FateRe

gaining stil we view our lit e S tore

£u ge the World errs , and think our Selves but poorut when we ofl

'

er to the Pow’rs above

Wh en they are k ind, when they our Gifts approvel

Then our own Happiness we justly PriseAnd bless the Stores that gave the Sacrifice.

I begyour Honors pardon for mak ing S imilies . a Yo Poet can no morewrite w1thout them, than a parson preach without a Text,

May it please Your HonorYour Honorsmost Devoted and Obedient

ServantM. PRIOR .

p . 3 , l. a3 . misprint] Atteninto.

4, l . 9 . misprint] Church. I. to. mispr int] in. l . r4 . wisps-int]hrin’g. l. 15. mispn

’

nt] Though. I. 22. mbpn’

nt] Undetstanding.

Alt. readin 2gBut when to Haav’u that very Wealth we giveAnd the kind Pom our little Gifts receive.

1mljenner’s toolr.1701 ] obaeru tlous. h sy. tyofl But thanlt you.

p . at , 1 7o71does in Darkums.1 7o71maltes the. L4. 1 7o7] of a. t7o7] tribe

below. tyofl with her.

P: ‘ 3. l . 1 7. woolwhich this .tyoylus not.

p. 39 . The original title inc ludes (between ‘ Friends ' and ‘ Vain '

) the

By it 1343 1m”h copiei ’ n

i

s

ti ismh”

a exlslwi e

and a Dublin impmnt :‘ Printed by 8r for George

in Esaex S t. t7u .

’

p. 3 t . The footnotes throughout are tboae of the teat repriuted.

l. 9] Obtaina.

as a 38 7

NOTESitmay not be uncharitable to say of Curl l that he had few scruples , and his lackof accura cy is attested in the pb immediately preced ing th e one

above, wherein. speak in of t e poemto tire Countess Dowagerhe says it was ‘

(the lastPerformance of that Master , in his ownHand -wring ,

without tak ing a Co of it)He

‘gave near Thirty Years ago to h is Friend

Anthon Hammond, and to at Gentleman the Reader is now obligedfor its rst Publication.

’ We have seen above that, as a matter of fact, the

poemwas published two years before Curll’s Memoirs and S upplement saw theight. The evidence a

'

ust the attribution of Tile j asd of Venus and

Tlie Female P izaeton to rior appears to be strengthened y the Answer nowfirst published.

p . 36 . Tlie Song to his Mistress was published in Dryden'

s MiscellanyPoems , The First Part , 1 701 , in the unauthorised ed ition of Prior

’

s

ublished in 1 7 16 and also in the Oxford and Cambr'

Miscella ny ga s-1s .

gee Vol. 1 of present edition, p. 361 . The text of 1 7 1 misprints Des ires inthe first line. The four poems that follow were part of the same col lection.

An was first ublished in 169 1 ,‘ London , Printed for f eed

Tomon at thej udges -Head in Am ery-Lane near Fleetstreet .

’Prior

’s author

ship is acknowledged ou the title-

page.

p . 37 , l . 8 . 169 1 ] Enervate. l. 1 1 . misprint] Henecforth .

p. 42 , l . to. 169 1 ] or S ighs. l . 1 3 . map-int] dust. l . 3 1 ] a comma

been taken away after only.p. 45. This poem had previous ly appeared in the S ta te Poems of 169 7 and

the collections of 1 707 , 1 7 1 6 , 1 7 1 1 , etc .

p . 47 . Published in Poems on IAffa irs of State : from The time ofOliver Cromwell , to the Abdication of K . James the cond. Written bythe reatestWits of the Age. viz. Duke of Buck ingham, Earl of Roch ester,Lor Bu st, S ir John Denham, Andrew Marvell , Esq ; Mr. Milton ,

Mr. Dryden, Mr. Sprat, Mr. Waller, Mr. Aylofl'

e , Ste. [in double columns ] fWith some Miscellany Poems by the same : Most whereof never beforePrinted. Now carefully examined with the Originals , and Published withoutany Castration. Printed in the Year 169 7 .

In “The Table , ’ the poem is , possibly erroneously , dated 1 684. The 1 69 7text shows the following variants :

p . 48 , l . 1 ] fa ir. I. 3] too j onn Dry den . l . 1 7] halloo.

p. 49 , l . 5] Verses . l . 8 ] can hit.p . 51 , l . 9] I wou ’d .

In copies of the Poems on Aj a irs of S ta te , dated 1 698 , the Satir e is s tatedto be By Mr. P r,

’

and the following variations occur

p . 1 1 ] Or if.

p . 49 , l . 5] Verses . l . 8 ] can h it.p . 51 , l . 9 ] Iwou ’

d . l. 1 6] Horace.

The Satire on the Aloder n Translator s and the Satire upon tlte Poets form

part of the collections of 1 707 , 1 7 16 (see Vol. 1 of this edition , p . vii, viii

and 36 1 )and 1 7 1 1 . In the Memoirs of the Life and Public Em loyments 1of Matthew Prior, Esq , with A Copy of his Last Will randTestament . Drawn up by Himself 1n the Year MDCCXXI Iwhich formedpart of Curll

’

s 1 7 1 1 edition , it is stated . in the part not‘ drawn u by

'

Prior, but, resumably , by Curll , that ‘ In the S ear 1 7 1 0, He pu ished

his Work s , y Subscription, in one Volume in Folio, and met with that388

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NOTESThen owns her Weakness , wishes, rages , grieves ;And with mad trouble the wron ’

d subject leavesYet Vows her Labor She’l one ay renew,

With strengthn’d Wings the glorious Toil pursue

And sing of wondrous Pliety and You.

amShir“ , it please You ,

our most obl'

andmost Obedientfi wn n t

PRIOR.

The following variants occur in the text of 1 707

p . 47 , l . 1 1 . lik e TomStemhold.

p . 48 , l. 3. J . Dryden. l . 4. censures. l . 3 1 . of his .

would.

p. 49 , l . 8 . can h it.

Z— ns. he oonld.l . 1 8 . Not be. 1. 35. bullies. l . 36 . urges’

em.

p. 51 , l . 9 . Iwould. I. 1 5. it knew.

p . 51 , l . 16 . who long.

p . 53 , l . 37 . be o’

.

p . 54, l. 3] a Duck Lane. 1. 4] stuck’

gainst. l. 14] you in.

me two. 1. 1 0] wisely try .

p. 55, l. 1 0] And she’

s . l . 1 9] the miscall’d. l . 33] dun .

p . 56 , l . 10] so their. 1. 1 1 ] their example. 1. 33] As Carlisle now i’

th’

.

p . 57 . Epitaph E x tempore. These ll. are to be found in th e followingcol lection, from which the poems that immed iately follow are taken. Someed itions (e.g. Evans)readNobles and Heralds , by your leave,Here lies what once was Matthew Prior.

A New Collection of Poems on SeveralOccasions . By Mr. Prior ,and Others . Adorned with Cuts . [des ign] London : Printed for Tho.

Osborne , in Gray’

s -Inn , near the lVaIks , MDCCXXV.

A prefatory letter To S ir Henry Hussey , Ba rt. runs as fol lowsIt will certainly be allowed , S ir, by allwho have the ha piness of YourAcquaintance, that I do as much Justice to the Memory 0 Mr . Prior, by

inscribing to You these his Remains , as I should have done Injury to thePublic b concealing them.

TheTender I hereby make , will I hope, he the more acceptable , as Yousometimes d1vert a Solitary Hour in the same agreeable Amusement ; and Ilikewise hope , that Your Own Productions will One Day convince both theempty Pop , and the cavilling Critic , that the Gentleman , and the Poet are

inseparable Com anions .

May every 1 ea You form, he pleasing, 81 may every Action of Your Lifemeet the just Reward of true Honour, Generosit and Friendship , (Virtueswhich tho'

seldom found , are fully possessed by on.) is the S incere wish ofHonoured S ir, Your most Obliged ,Most Obedient,

and most DevotedHumble Servant,PHILO-MUSIS .

‘ATrue

p . 58 . The originaltitle page is as follows

the late hlatthewl’rior,near the Arms, in | Warwick»

p. 60, l . 7. 1 71 5mi sprints] wish . l . 10. 1 7 1 3] Pasce1ella. l. 13.

It 56 1 1 1 1 . 1 7 1 3 omits] From.

1 7. 1 71 5”W 1 10. ll. 1 4—1 5. A copy at Longlestinserts here

These Notions oft’ did I recite,She drsnlt them in with vast delight

At home with eq ualfreedom blestWe acted Both as eseh thought best

p. 67 , l. 1 . 1 71 5mispr inh ] constam.

A copy at Longleat resds

And as that veilshe backward drewAnd show’

d her Opener face to View

Printed fromDrift’s volume See my Note, p. viii. A copy at

ln ngleat gives, as an alternative to ll. 5 and 6 of the

Grow Ancient in a worthy husbauds armsEnamour’d by Thy Virtues deathless charms

and states that the lines were addressed to u rs Marganet Harley.

39 !

NOTES

p. 70. The original edition contains the following title-page and

pre ace

Down-Hall : a Poem. By the Late Mr. Prior .

PV/iene’er in moving Lines Me Barri unfold sTile Solomonia n Pltrase, Ale strikes our Souls ;We scorn ,

tlse while we read file solemn Lay s ,The World ’s Delusion, and Me Bubble Pra ise.

e ene’er lie gi rts witd Wreath the Victor's B row ,

Wlten Chloe’s Form, and Emma’s Fiance he tells,

7 71’infectious Passion ev

’

ry Reader fa b .

Eaclt dif rent Song does ev'

Breast inspire,Our Hearts are tun

’d acc to so Ly re !

London, Printed for J . Roberts, in Warwick -Lane, MDCCXXIII.[Price 6d . ]

r un PREFACE.

The uncommon Success that always attended theWork s of Mr. Paws , is

sufficient Encouragement to any one , to publish any Performance of thatGentleman’s . But strongerwere the Motives that induced me to it ; I thought

it an Injury done to the Memory of the Dead , and a Wrong to the World, toscreen from Light any Thing of that immorta l Man's ; especially when it was inmy Power to oblige theWorld therewith .

I thought it pro r, on this Occasion, to inform the Reader , that the

posthumous Work s 0 Mr. PRIOR , publish’d some Time ago by Mr. 0— 1 , are

thought to be spurious . That this is cunine , will surely be doubted by none.

unless of a very de raved Tas te. Loo on the TIrief and Cordelier , and DomeHall, then think i they could be wrote by separate Hands . See the Easinessof Thought, and Nature so artificially drawn, and judge if they can be any one’sbut a Pmon’

s .

Such are the Sentiments of some judicious Correspondence ; b whoseAdvice I no longer conceal’d the following Poem, (the Copy ofwhich beenabo

lye a Year in my Hands)but took this Opportunity to favour the Ingenious

wit it.

70, l . 1 6 . 1 7 1 3] must 0 poke in. l. 4. 1 71 3 adds- footnote to

Ca zook s] A Word that Mr. y often uses .

p . 7 1 , l . 1 0. 1 71 3] repair to Oliver M— n. l. 14. 1 7 1 3] allyour.

1. 1 0. 1 71 3] D— l. l. 1 1 . 1 71 3] Friend M— y. l. 3 1 . 1 7 1 3 add :

footnotes to Ralpho and Newman] The Name of a Hors e and The Name of aMan. [Cf. p . l . 35. 1 71 3 addr/ootnote to Nymph] At Hodsdon,where in the Road is the Shape of a Nymph pouringWater out of an Urn.

7 1 , l . 1 . 1 71 3 adds /ootnote] Mr. M y speaks . l. 3. 1 7 1 3] thatI. 1 1 . 1 71 3] strangely are. ll . 30, 31 . 1 71 3] M— y—

y .

p . 73 , l . 5. 1 7 1 3] call’

d hey Down, hey. l. 8 . 171 3] and the S tock s.1. 9 . 1 7 1 3] Of the wise. I. 10. 1 71 3 addré

’

ootnote] Mr. M— y speak s.l . 1 3 . 1 7 1 3] of our. 1. 1 9. 1 7 1 5mi spri nts] ut.

p. 74, ll . 1 , 3 , 9 , 1 1 , 1 1 . 1 71 3] M— y. l . 1 4. 1 7 1 31 6 be.1. 1 8 . 1 7 1 3] B— tt. l. 1 9 . 1 71 3] B— tty . l . 33 . 1 7 1 3 ad s

footnote] My Lord Harley.392

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NOTESp . 89 . Published in Dryden’s Miscellany Poems , 1 701 , wh ich reads

1. 30] But when. 1. 3 1 ] Then we presently.There is also a copy at Longleat.p. 90. Published in PoeticalMiscellanies , Part 1 704 , which reads

1. 1 1 ] sa id. 1. 1 1 ] Dream. 1. 15] I lost. 1. 1 Moonles s . I. 14] I

gave . 1. 1 8 ] did I.

p. 9 1 , ll. 15 et seq .] A copy at Longleat describes it as ‘ Fa ith fully Translated fromOvid’s Metamorphoses , Book and gives rustic form t] (p . 3)

and beauty for beauties (p. 9 1 , l.p. 95. Compare with the Prologue to ti e Omban , p. 76 .

p . 96 . The Lo leat copy of this poem is entitled simply Wr itten in the

Yea r 1 696 . l. 1 3 age, notpoem)reads] Horace and on .

p. 98 , l. 3 1 ] a superfluous bracket at tbe beginning cf tbe line 54 1 been

1 1 1 , l. 1 . A copy at Longleat shows the follo varia tionsl . 3]Caelia . l . 5] For mass . 1. 9] without bound. 1. 1 1 Caelias .

p. 1 1 1 , l l. 1 7 et seq . There is a copy of this poemat Longleat .

p . 1 1 7 , ll . 10 et seq . There is a copy at Longleat wbicb read s (1. 4 ofE nigma)o

’er the waters , and gives , as an alternative to Me la s t line :And half the Year they S ink and half they Swim.l. 1 0. These lines are also among the Longleat papers , where they are en titled

Tbe Lame £9“ tbe Blind (disputing the rig/ct to an Oy ster found ; Tbe Lau y er

decides tbc controversy . The last two lines , however, appear to be a separate

p. 1 1 8, ll. 1 7 et seq . There is a copy of this poem at Longlea t.

p. 1 1 9 , l . 1 7 . Cf. p . 360, l . 1 7.ha

p . 1 30, ll. 1 6 et seq . Tbe Longleat copy adds : Written in Lady Harriettesnd .

p . 1 37 , l. 1 5. mi sprints] cease .

p. 140 , l. 3 1 ] a comma bas been deleted after happy.p. 153 . The text of Evans

’

s edition has been collated with the music - bookin which these songs were first published , and one verse , the fifth of the 1 8 th

song, which previous editions have lacked , is now reprinted. This music - book

is very rare. There is a co y in the Librar of S . ohn’

s Colleie;Cambridge.

The title -

page runs thus : Eyric Poems ; ing wenty Four n

g: I(Never

before Printed by the Late lMatthew Prior Set to usie lbySeveral EminentMasters . [Portrait] Printed for& Sold by Sam: Hard ing,

On the Pavement in S ‘. Martins -Lane . MDCCXLI Publish’

d Jan" .

1 74011 .The order of the songs here adopted is that of the above edition.

1. 14] title obta ined from music-boob.

p. 154, l. 1 1 . E vans] should Heaven.

p . 1 56 , l l . 1 0, 1 3 . Evans] you . 1. 1 6. Evans] will sure prevail .p. 158 , l . 10] title obtained frommusic-book .

p . 1 59 , l. 1 7] tbc s bas been added to rhyme wit/1 cause.

p . 1 60, l . 4 . Evans ] Let cruel fate us still . I. 8 . Evans] trouble.

p. 1 6 1 , l . 9 . Evans] when the other.394

Evanslof paces. Em eldisdain'd.

-bool.

Evans ] in ber does .

this poemat eat shows the l’

ollovarfitionu l. cerot to.

1. 1 9] command .

1. 3 1 ] Tomake.Where closely both with glad

embraces join'd. 4] twin

'

d. to Your virtue due that cou ld.

‘

10] the sac1ed Songt

whicb. 11. 1 1 et seq . Cli notenote to p. s 7 1 . There is

ot tbis poemat entitledone the ! hour of rest. 1. 1 1 ] by 11g

'rous

Winters

omits ll. .4 and 5 1. 6] Say vthat.that caus ’d. l. 30] on their throne. l . 3 1 ] Bu t Dwms.W atc hed. 1. 31 ] tears lshed.

1. 51501101111 . adie, between

Come. give thy anrious Soulits wonted PeaceAnd from this Hour let allsad tmubles cease.

1. 6] Supprm thy dghg

of

those downcast.

1

{anaghsn

1.

A

310Mye

lrzk

fi fli‘

ranco 7a

53144le

Amay. 1 1 ] a single»

pp. 1 75 and 1 76. These two poems (Ombre and Birtbday)ahould bavebeen

oprinted along with those contained in Drift

‘s collection and not at the

end thou uken hom Em n though both are w be lound in Evans.

p. 1 8o. These essays and dialogues exist inmore thanoneMSA t Im gleat.

iew variants have been noted in a collation byMr G. A. a olthe varioua

coples and are given below xl. 1 3] olthe Mathematicks. J fl aMToiotl

bas been added after Greek and in simflar caser at tbed am tenee

p . 1

1. 1 8] olthe Mind. 1. 1 1] a coavma bar been

11. 19 and 38] commas bane been added afler

184. 1. 1 1] a colon lcas added afi er eminent. 1. 1 5] se in “e n viedMM M M W M$ M but in the Latter the Illant ir n ayAr th u r

-red ressing. 1. 1 6] in Sentence.

395

NOTESp. 1 85, l . 7] a colon bas been added afler thing. 1. 16] continue in . 1. 1 7]

my part.1 86

,l . 1 MS . printed /517m (rgfer red to ben der

-ward as MS .) n ab ]Diflgnition depend . 1. 14] into Qutbble. ll. 1 6 and 1 9 ] commas bar esupplied after Ordered and Convocation. l. 31 ] ward as Cautiously .

p . 1 87 , l. 33] a semi-colon Itas been supplied rafter Communication .

p. 1 88,l. 1 3] ofOrchestre.

p. 1 90, l. 3 1 ] but a.

p . 1 9 1 , 1. 1 1 ] Exercise. 1. 1 1 ] th16 our Leggs .p . 1 9 1 , l. 8 ] a comma bas been supplied q fter Sword.

p . 194, l. 36] the Shirt of.p . 1 95, 1. 36] a comma has been supplied afler Rule. 1. 3 7 ] on ly for

reason.

p . 1 96 , l. 5] dis likes it before. 1. 39] has .

p. 1 97 , 1. 37] a colon bas been supplied afta'ensued.

p. 1 98 , l. 5] h im that he. 1. 8 ] is it for. 1. 1 9] or levelled from.

1. 1 9] Crump.

p. 1 99 , 1. 1 1 ] grow.

p . 1 01 , l. 7] yield to or.p . 1 07 , 1. 10] a comma has been supplied after Prepos ition.

p . 1 08 , l. 1 7] Why Hast. l . 36] blank . 1. 38 ] of one Hundred.

1. 39] them the next.

p . 1 09 , 1. 1 1 ] were useful. 1. 33] not I.

p . 1 1 0, 1. 14] at Pavie . l. 1 8 ] Ordered Processions.p . 1 1 1 , l . 1 ] in this life. 1. 9] Errors . 1. 15] Calliamachus . Cf.Vol. 1

of this edition , p . 1 98 . l . 1 3] forgot the little.

p . 1 1 1 , l . 1 ] than the Heroes in. l . 8 ] Commonwea lth , Qua ad bot , than .

1. 1 4] upon that.p . 1 1 3 , l . 7] and ran over. 1. 1 0] Assaulting every Body he .

throughout Ch ristendom. l. 1 4] That of Franck fort.p . 1 14, l. 1 4] and Gout.

p . 1 1 5, 1. 1 5. MS . ] Pheobus . 1. 19] Orchard . 1. 1 3 ] you haveAnswered , it was for Your Interest or your. 1. 33] now so desired . 1. 36]be strictly . 1. 40] Colourings .

p . 1 1 6 , 1. 1 ] to the Picture. 1. 1 5. MS .] sately . 1. 16] she does out.1. 1 5] S tories of how. 1. 3 1 ] were mere Grammarians . 1. Declamations . On to Conscience I think there are but two very great c ptions tomy General ule , Julius Caesar and Antoninus who could either tellwhatthey did or how they thought.

Cbcs . What S ignifies tel ling, words are your Province, Deeds are Ours ,

for

xoder favor

, S ir, allthe while you live upon us you only write whatwe ct.

p . 1 1 7 , l . 1 3] part of the .

p . 1 1 8 , 1. 1 1 ] nor sleep quietly. l . 40] is it for.p. 1 1 9 , l . 4] Nay Charles, before. 1. 1 1 ] Eq uivoke two.

1. 35] power. He.

396

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NOTESp. 1 45, l. 3] Side, nor to. l. 1 0. MS .] kit

Truemadams. 1. 1 9] a comma bas been taken awa er retain.

tho Margaret you. 1. 1 3] Barrel or q uart. l. 1 5]yhundred Old .

p. 1 46 , l. 1 3. MS . ] your.

p . 1 47 , l. 1 7] the Wri tings because.

p. 148 , ll. 3 1 82] 111. It is a debt we must allpay to Natureyears sooner or later mak es little difference in the Question cornpared with theyears either past or to come, which joined t thermust make one Eternity i n

oughtwe know itwas an uneasy thing to be rn, and for t we may know,

we may not be sensible of those Pangs of Death under whi th e S tanders bythink we labour.V. But to Dye as you did, to see the Headsman with the Axe after the

Law had ast your Sentence and Demanded the Execution of it.

M. 0 more than for the patient to see theApothecary bring the QuietingDraught after the Physician has just given himover.

V. But that Pomp and A paratus of Death, the Black C loth and Cofi n

prepared , your Relations and riends surrounding You

M Reason and Religion will soon get the better of these appreh ensions.

You see it did not as much as change or debase even my good Humour .

p. 349. l . 37] Iwas going toAnimadvertise upon, he. 1. 40] He lost hishead because.

p. 1 50, 1. 1 . MS .] to. 1. 1 4] Nilmali de Superiori.p. 1 51 , l . 5] a comma has been supplied afler World. I. 33] is Com

munion.

p . 1 51 , 1. 1 ] put upon our. 1. 6] respect of Persons . 1. 1 0] in to hisHouse. I find than.

1p . 1 54, 1 3. MS .] Prudens futuri temporis excitum Caliginosa nocte

premit Deus . A . l . 14] coming fraught with. l. 1 6] a comma bas

been supplied after durable. l. 36] laid him under.

p. 1 55, l . 1 3] with regret.p . 1 56 , 1. 1 3] whimsical Persons have. 1. 1 7] M. Letme give you some

Examp les in proof then [rest defective] .p. 1 57 , l . 1 1 ] You are pleased . 1. 1 7] the Mass of. l . 1 9] upon any .

p . 1 58 , l. 1 ] Law. 1. 10] a Compass , and. 1. 3 1 iii ] Heres ies . I tellthee plainly, Vicar once more that every Man is obliged to sufl

'

er for what isright, as to o

ppose which is Unjust, and conscience is at once the Law and

1Judge that wi Convict or absolve You th6 you stand accused by no Man andthe Bas is .

p. 1 60, l . 1 5] mention Men that were born.

I dpéd1 6 1

, l. 8 ] many indeed there are that. 1. 3 1 ] whereas without ityp . 1 63 , 1. 16] ofThree. 1. 36] and thou.

p . 1 64, 1. 9 . MS .] of.

p . 1 65, l . 9] a comma bas been added after real .1 66

, l. 1 0. MS .] grows . l. 1 1 ] commas have been added after se lfan he. 1. 38 ] their own Conscience.

p . 1 67 , 1. 14] have had what. 1. 36] but of the mind.

398

away the obucusity of the

p. 169, l . 1 1 . MS .] Every Acts . OneMS . reads] EveryMan Acts.p. a7a, l. 1 . lndexed in the MS . volume as 7 bMadamKaa eM .

Portious of the poa n are utilised in the PaslomltoDr . Tum r x seem169snea

'

l’

here are seveu lpu sages in the poems now repriuted t reca llymhshed fines mmmsome casesms in the under noticeJ ines

been ily shified fromone to another. in the case of allthe

poema etc.. prtnt°

ed frout MSS punctuafim is lefl as in the MSS save

where noted, 0r save in the add ition of full'

ts at the ends of sentences .

The MS . volume in which this a0d the fo poemsa

P W L 1 1 . MS .] the. MS .] Tbe.

MS.] repentence.Aw a inm index adds1w1itten very young.

The phme'To the EarlofDomet ' is crossed out in ths iudes .

ll. 1 land 1 1 ] word ‘ Sir' before the beginning of the poemhas been cml-ed

out in the MS .

'

l'

his poemwas printed anonymously in Poems on /flam8 11 121 703. lhave followcd the text of the printed versiominsertlug a fezadditionaluotes m square brackets from the longleat MS . Ct Geosge

g , hck ambridn erkins found this true'

if

g

. fl e s’

ndex d drjwritten very young. 1. 1 7] blank.

31293, when it is w titled ‘ A Song in of the S The Longleat

aMr. B.M.] Joy andlin thy p

ecting. l. 8 . RM.)too swift

BM ] }W01 011 we cannot wish.

399 . ll. 1 112 Cf. Second M o] Mummy FgflbEd p. 94, earlier editions.

p. 301 , lL1 5the transeript by error.

'

l‘itla in sq uare bn clnets are mine. The fragment proceeds

‘ Your writing to me ldare not thank You for that were M undm alue it Jtshallbe the bus iness ofm life to acknowledge as it has been the honor of itwhave reccived so great a vor. ldeferr

'

d too wellknow'

my owainabillties to perform your 1.0111!D Commands . A my lo rd. ure

mia” little

Wit stirring at oa twhatHany Paln has bmught up for the Dis a sters)m if thm wa e a Dk tfi butim mada so little would fallto my shasen hat itwould scarsc be worth the smding

'

The Harry Pain '

is probably.

Henry Nev ille Payne.

p. 1. 18 . 4 h ermn'

w rm ed in MS . You mite ao that.

398

NOTESp . 306 , 11. 1 5

—30. Alt. readr

'

r

;g]

Our vice error chie y spring from thisNot that we want but use our Parts amiss .

' Not Two in Twenty their own Talent know,

The Ox would champ the bitt, the War-horse plow,

The Coward S ieges and Cam'

gns recites ,The Cripple dances and the xcomb writes .There is a note to these last four lines as follows : I was very Young when I

wrote these 4' Verses in a Copy lost.’p. 307 , l. 30. AIt. reading] Who fain wou

’

d.

p. 309 , ll. 1 dated 1 689. l. 33. MS .] safe.

p. 3 10, ll. 1 6 . Printed in Poems on Aj a r'

rs of S tate, Vol. iii. , 1 704.I have followed the text of the printed version and supplied , in square brackets.a few words from the LongleatMS .

p . 3 1 1 , l. 6] the line in S tate Poems reads Queen has an Openp. 3 1 3 , l. 15. MS .] Vitory .

p. 3 14, 1. 19. MS .] Cmclia.

p. 315, l . 1 1 ] a comma Iras been taken away after earliest. l. 1 6 . MS .]mentarn.

p. 3 16 , ll . 1 8 ff. This poem was printed in Poems on A if : y S tate,Vol. 11. 1 703. In the index of the volume of S tate Poems the as are statedto be

‘ written by the Lord J— s .

' A copy at Longleat reads : Whose Tearspick

’d that he wanted SenseThey tugg.

p. 3 1 7 , ll. 1 This poemwas printed in Poems on Aj a r'rs of S tate ,Vol. iii. ,1 704. The text agrees with that of the Longleat MS .

p. 3 1 8 , l. 10. Alt. reading] towring abodes .

p . 3 1 1 , l. 6 . MS .] pier’

d . 11. 1 4—1 7. Alt. reading]Far as the East and West extended goes ,Far as light Glitters , far as matter flows ,All beings have a certain Space to run.

3 1 1 , ll . 1 1 ff. The MS . states that the original of thes e verses were

mad: by Theobald the fourth Comte of Cham aign called Le faiseur deChansons , ’ ‘to Blanche the Wife of Louis the VII Kin of France inVide the Chansons du Roy de Navarre .

’ ll . 1 9 ff. entitled Fragmentin MS . 1. 1 4] q uotation ma rks have been added after horse.

p. 3 14, l . 9 . MS .] ought.p . 3 1 5, l . 1 3 . MS .] You .

p . 3 1 7 , 11. 1 6—19] crossed out in the MS .

p . 3 19 , ll . 1 5—1 8 ] these lines are crossed out. 1. 1 9. Alt. read ing] e’

er

with serious.p . 33 1 , 1. 1 9] blank .

p . 331 , l . 1 1 . Alt . reading] So by the Aid.

p . 333 , l . 1 7 . AIt. reading] to sigh her Chains . ll . 1 5 if. These frag

ments are given to show Prio 5 poems in the mak ing. At end of l . 4 on1p

334the couplet Far as the nymph , ’ etc ., is repeated , with fee l ’ or sigh t

to‘own .

’ Lines 5—1 1 of the preced ing fragments are crossed out in the

transcript.

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NOTESNow alas nor Bird have I nor ClitiaNor shal have : short he stopt, com

'

d his lookAnd charg

’d his Manhood to concml

mliis grief.

He said, and from his Tongue persuas ive VenusGreat harbinger and friend of Love shot forthPropitious ; but she the God , the God himse lfOn the Youths tho htfulmodest flaming EyeElate from out his ery Quiver lnne'dThe chosen beam transfixing Clitia

’

s heart.p. 345, ll. 1 ff. I am indebted to Mr Dunn, of the University Library,Cambridge, for the transcript of this poem. 1. 10. MS . ] preseve.

349 , 1. 1 1 . The next fragment is a draft as followsIwas made by God, and ampreserved by him, else I shalbe ann ih ilated.Whence illCalvin says we were allPredestinated .

The consequences are that we are Machines , that our good Endeavorssignify nothing.

Yet the Apostle says we are Clay in the hands of the Potter.That Argument Answered Man 81 Inanimate being compa red.

The Solution of this Doubt that God foresaw 81 permitted which is just thesame as if he Predestinated.

11. 1 4—1 6] crossed out in the MS . 1. 33. MS .] chose.350, l . 1 . I bar/e added] the. l. 19. Alt. reading] This h ighes t link

of t is perpetual chain.

p . 351 , ll . 1 7 and 10] marks of interrogation have been added . 1. 1 6] acomma has been added afler Earth .p. 353 , 1. 1 ] a colon has been added . 1. 1 3] a comma bas been amid

after req uir’

d and a colon aflcr Obey’d. l. 1 7] a full int has been added.

1. 1 9] a mark of interrogation has been added. 1. 1 7 a ful l -point has beenadded .

p . 354, ll. 7 and 9] fu ll -points have been added. 1. 3 1 ] a semi - colon hasbeen added .

p. 355, 11. 1—5. There are severa l folios among the Longleat papers of‘Mrnutes for a Tragedy ’ to be entitled ‘ Britanicus ,

’

but the draft is too

imperfect to be printed. I have included these four lines mainly to put on

record that such a poemwas contemplated by Prior. The MSS . also inc lude along ‘Argument of Ladislaus , ’ another Tragedy, ’ and many fragmentaryObservations on Homer and Ovid ,

’of the nature of note-book entries.

11. 6 17. To these French scraps may be added the lines given by Mitfordin his edition of Prior, 1 8 35, Vol. i. p. xviii. In a French company, wheneveryone sang a little song or stanzas , of which the burden was givenBanrssons la mélancolie,—when it came to his turn to sing, after the performance of a young lady, he produced these extemporary and elegant lines

Mais cette voix , et ces beaux yeuxFont Cupidon trop dangereux ,Et je su is triste quand je crie

Banissons la mélancolie.

’

p . 356 , ll . 10 Dated ‘W. Dec .

p . 357 , 11. 5—8 . These four lines were printed in the Aldine edition ofPrior. I have rinted them as they a r in the Longleat fragm,

ents.ll. 9 and 1 1 . M Phyche. l . 1 7 . Mgselzrsooth . l. 1 7. MS .] shews .402

NOTESltmay he worth while to preaerve the additional

And lx gme w ys

er in a riper AgeWhen l in fact shalAct SLet ev’ry fair le andra her

14 and 16] fu ll -points have beeu added.

MS .] ought.

p. 360. An earlier draft shows the following variants :

p. 36 r, l 1. 14 ] Th0 the blew .stillthe. a nice trim.

at the.

1. 1 ] Was always most humoured as most 1. 1 8 ]And in points.cs of Divinity adher

'd So suppressing her scruples

d. l. 3 1 ] and shel

work t,

l'vtsvhille she pay

’

d.

L a

“)1.

1. 7fBut ye that place 1 16] like me you shouldset up a stone. l. 1 8 ] Friend y0ur Misf0rtune.

The following three ven es are crossed out :With her Parrot and on

the k of the close

g

55“ a

.

5 E

O

And when that Day comes since no more can

to tak e a due Care of her COrps k ha Honourunsanctify

'd liands or llltongues l

'

q ht upon0 0 0 O O

lf a little befmehand her peaiaes mention) y0u

'11 aseribe to m intention

Doctors give Physic y of l‘revention.

p. .363m

fl e followm ts m allfromthem Pfi

orMSS .

of firs t meets Priorsecond yand thi rd are items seleeted fromd‘fi ar notes of too

W Wto accompany and the three doeuments diat followare of tooa nature to rernain oblivion.

( t) Thus the fair Vine with grs test Plenty crown’dEnd ines her head “

Shest ro ground

While with her123

g

bethe

distant

”b

im adorns her blvws

th riches t Vintage c

tawn

'd

m m m w

w

tree lowest bears her heafwm’

thickest round her hu db'ring Swains

403

NOTESThus when the Vine looks nearer to the groundWith swelling Vintage her rich brows are crown

’d.Thus the rich Vine with swelling Vintage crown’d

With humble grace bows nearer to the ground.

(1 ) I read Horace Virgil above Forty Years , but I never understoodtwo passages of them till I saw Down.

Horace. O rus lquando ego Te aspiciam q uandoq ; LicebitDucere Sollicitae jucunda oblivia vitae.

Virgil. Oh ! q ui Me gelidis submontibus EmiSistat et ingenti ramorum protegat umbra

(3) Pam'

rrtm.

It is not enough to have Eyes , You must have understanding also, and in

proportion t

c

t

l) that understanding the pleasure you have from seeing the picture

is a cute

I any man views the C0perniean System upon paper he takes notice onlyof so many Circ les that compose one great Scroll, as he appreh ends it moredistinctly he will more particularl admi re it, and when he is Mas ter of it, Hewill wonder how it came into the it ofMan to invent it ; The lik e in Painting.an ignorant Person sees Men, Women, or Animals, Buildings or Landsa pes.and contents himself by think ing these thin

gs thus painted resemble what he

has seen in theWorld. As he remarksmore ifl'

erence in these Representations,he begins to reflect how far one Painter exceeds another, and as he grows up toa fuller knowledge, and examines more studiously the beauties of the design,the disposition, and the colouring, he falls into admiration that it should be inthe Wit or power of Man to draw these lights and shades forth from a flat

ground, and to raise a little Creation from a poor piece ofwood or an extended

canvas .

To S ' : Humphry Polesworth.May , the 1 3

m1 7 1 1 .Look You S ' : Humphry, as to the Promissory circumstances of our

repairing, I cannot be upon the Categorica l for Friday ; In cas e thereforethat You correspond with S teny upon the Premises of that acciden tal, praydon

’

t precipitate nor be a Fixer : I tip You this wink accordingly , that youmay rather improve the point to an occas iona l prevention than otherwise , for asI amno specious Gilder but a downright under-flanker I shou

’d deserve to be

Chop’

t most damnably by You if from an omission, that is to say , ofmine youshou

’d happen to be Nebust ; This i Your Cogitation lies never so little

towards the mature you will eas rly smoke to be Explicit, which is the necessaryfrom

,

Your old Correspondercustomary Fma id,

I

MATTHEW.

Know allMen by these Presents that I Matthew Prior of the Parish ofS ‘ : Margaret Westminster, Do for several weighty cons iderations me thereuntomovingmak e over Consign and give up to Oviuton ofWimple in Cambridge

- shire , Esq ' : His Heirs Adminis trators and Assigns the Person and Bodyof one damned , lame , blood - roan, farcy , good for noth ' Horse, for the use

and behalf of the Hounds of my good Friend the Right onorable the LordHarley, And I do freely and of my own motion make 1 Present to the saidLords Hunts -man of the Sk in and Shoes of the abovenamed Horse, Desiring404

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NOTESwhose Manner ofWritingI have Endeavour’d to Imitate, was Censur’d

by some of his Friends for leaving the Study of the Laws for tha t of Poetry :but I hope the Subject of the followi Poem, and the Example of Your Lordshi , as wellas of the GreatestMen of t presentAge who have Condescendedto admir’d for these Sort of Productions, will sufi ciently Defe nd me fromany Reproaches of this Kind. The most Eminent for their Ap licatiou toBusiness have sometimes employ

’d their Vacant Hours in these ‘

versious :

And those who have the Honour to Atte nd Your Lordship ’s Cou rt will findLeisure enough to Exercise themselves in Poetry, if Your Lordsh ip Continuesto Deter

e

r

‘

r

lnirne Causes with the same Expedition with which You have hitherto

proceedOur Generalhas not S ignaliz

’d himself more in the Field , than YourLordship has done in the Courts of ustice. The Injur

’d and th e Oppress

'

d

have been remarkably Reliev’d in bo Places ; and if in the One Towns havebeen Taken in a few Days that have been thought Impregnable, in the OtheControversies have been Decided in a fewHours that have formerly been look

‘

dupon as theWork ofA

ge.

But the Publick dministration of Justice, and those Extraord inaryQualifications , with which Your Lordship so Eminentl Adorns Your HighStation, are everywhere Admir’d and Celebrated. Be ore a Performance ofthis Nature, itmight be more proper to take Notice of the great Insight YourLordship is allow d to have in allthe Politer Parts of Learning. As in otherRes cts Your Lordshi falls short of none of Your Predecessors , so in this Youshal be Deservedly am’

d with S ir Thomas ”on , my Lord Ver s ion , and

what is a far greater Honour, my Lord Somme” . This Particu la r Accomplishment of Your Lordship, would Discourage me fromOffering You th is Trifle, ifIwere not less Ambitious of gaining Your Applause, than of shewing my se lf,

MY LORD.

Your Larch /try :Dari/9d , and

Humble 50 04 131.

To rm;DUKEOF

MARLBOROUGH .

Pardon, Great DUKE , if Bri ta in’

s S tile delights ;Or if th

’Imperial Title more invites ,

Pardon, Great PRINCE , the Fa ilings of a Muse ,That dares not h0pe for more than Your Excuse.Pore

’

d at a Distance to atten

gpt Your Praise ,

And S ing Your Victories in oumfulLays ,To cas t in Shadows , and allay the Light,That Wounds, with nearer Rays. the dazled S ight,Nor durs t in a direct and Open S train

Such Acts, with her unhallow’

d Notes , pr0plnarneIn tow

'

ring Verse let meaner Heroes grow,

And to Elab’rate Lines their Greatness owe ;Your Actions , cwn’

d by ev’

ry Nation, wantPraises , no greater than a Foe may grant.

Oh ! when shall E urope, by her MARLBRG’S Sword,To lasting Peace and Liberty restor'd ,Allow her weary Champion 9. Retreat,To his lov

'

d Country and h is rising Seat ?

NOTESWhere your soft Part’ner, far fromMartialNoise,Your Cares shal l sweeten with Domestick Joys :Your Conquests she with doubtful Pleasure hears ,And in the midst of Ev’ Triumph fears ;Betwixt her Queen and on divides her Life,A Friend Obseq uious , and a Faithful Wife.

Hail Woodwork ! Hail ye Celebrated Glades !grow fast ye

w

Wo

gds , and flourish

:dhick ye Shades !

e rising To rs or your new Lo repareLike ur old Henry come from Gal’s War

The’rals Arms as far the King

’s o

’erpow

’r,

As this new S tructure does surpass the Bow’r.

The Pleasing Prospects and Romantick S ite,The Spacious Compass , and the Stately HeightThe painted Gardens , in their flow’ Prime,Demand whole Volumes of Immor Rhime,And if the Muse would second the Des ign,Mean, as they are, should in my Numbers shineThere live, the Joy and Wonder of our Isles ,Happy in Albion’

s Love and ANNA’s Smiles .

While from the Godlike Race of Cnuacmu . born,Four beauteous Roramondr th is Bow’

r adorn,Who with the ancient Syren of the Place,In Charms mi ht vie and ev

'

ry blooming Grace ;But bless

’

d wit hfinal Virtues had she been,Like them she been Favour’d by thWhom your high Merit. and their own,To allthe worthiest Beds of England

’s

Thus the Great Eagle, when Heav’n’s Wars are o‘

er,

And the loud Thunder has forgot to rore,

j ow’

s Fires laid b with those of Vanna burns,To his forsaken Mite and Shades returns ;

On some proud Tree, more Sacred than the rest,

With curious Art he Builds his s'

ous Nest ;In the warm Sun 1 Bask ing the Day ,While round their ire the gen

'rous Eaglets playTheir S ire , well-pleas’d to see the Noble Brood,Fill allthe Lowest Cedars of the Wood.

The text rinted is from ‘ A Collection of Poems in Six Volume . BySeveral Han s. London : Printed by J . Hughs , For R. and J . Dodsley, atTully’s -Head in Pall Mall. M.DCC .LVIII. This also seems to me to bePrior’s. MrWise tells me that it was identified as Prior’s by Birkbeck Hill.I. 8 . Folio] If all. I. n . mi spr ints ] wire.

p. 37x, l . 5. Folio] to this .p . 376 , ll. 1 r. 3 1 , 32] Exclamation marks have been substituted formarks of

interrogation.

NOTESp . 378 . Printed from Oxford and CambridgeMiscellany Poems . .LondmPrinted for Bernard Lintott, at the Cross-Keys, between the “ 0 TempleGates , in Fleet- street.’ They were first attributed to Prior by J.Nichols in ‘A Select Collection of Lion Passage, Fleet Street,MDCCLXXX .

’

They follow immediately after A S imile. By Mr . P —r .

’in Lintott

’s

volume and before Sanazarius on Venice. English? by Mr . H0 k ins .’

Itmaybe part of the arrangement ofLintott

’

s volume to put pieces by e same authord

ther, even when he does not repeat the hrase B {be some or B] a. ra re

and . There is some slight evidence of but by no means sufi cient tojustify certain attribution. My co y of the Oafi rd and Cambridge volumebelonged to John Boyle, fifth Ear of Cork and Orrery, whose e it

contains (dated November asth , and who has writtezr

n

t

fipasite the S is-ile

by M. Prior. Esq . To Tom Southerne. ’ The S r'

au'

le found in thefirst volume of the present edition, p.

114.

p. 380. Printed from a copy m e possession of Mr T. Wise.London : Printed for A.Baldwin, in Warwick -lane . Price Two a nd

p. 382. Mr T. J .Wise has very kindly collated the Fable cy'

th Widow e d

Her Calforme with his copyc f the original folio.These two poems also were first printed as robably Prior‘s by Nichols,whose emendations are in square brackets, and w 0 says The hints of this andthe next [i.e. Tile Wr

'

doro, etc. ] ap to have 0 ed fromThe Fable of

the Old Lady Her Cats , rint in the Gene Postscript, Nov. 7 , r7They have both been ascrib to Dr. Swift) And of Tke Widow, etc . , Nisays In Tindal’s Continuation of Ra in xv11. 454 , this fable is said to be byPrior or Swift. In Boyer's Politica State 1 720, 519 , where it is appliedto the Duke of Marlborou h , it is said to be by Swi t or Prior. ’ I have spent

much time , and my friend r G. A. Brown has spent more, in endeavou ring tofind fresh evidence , but the search has proved fruitless .p. 384. This paraphrase is printed among the poems ofDorset by Johnson.

I have taken the text fromDryden’

s Marcella"; Poms , Part 3. Its attri bution

to Prior by previous editors , following Nichols , explains its presenceThe followin

i apoems , amongmany others , have been attributed to Prior

A w against Cuckoldom. 1 700.

The Shoe -Maker Beyond his Last. 1 700.

The Virtuous Wife. 1 700.

Wed lock a Paradise. 1 70 1 .

The Character of a Covetous Citizen. 1 702.

The Lawyer Turn’d Butcher. 1 701 .The Perquis ite-Monger. 1 7 1 2.

Yarhell’

s Kitchen. 1 7 1 3.

The Ra An E istolary Poem. 1 7 14.

To his race the uke of A ll . 1 7 16 .

To the Knight of the Sable S ield. 1 7 16.

Austin, and the Monk s of Bangor. 1 7 1 8 .

The Enjoyment. 1 7 19.

The S ilent Flute. 1 729 .

Th e Statues : or, the trial of Constancy. 1 739 .

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INDEX OF TITLESEnigma. An 89Enigma, A11 1 1 7Epigram 1 75Epssram 355Ep1gram Extempore 1 7 1

Epistle , An 1 74Epistle , Another 1 74Epistle to Lord 305Epitaph Extempore 57Examrner, The, N° 6 147Exeter, To My Lady 309

To Dr, in a Letter to Beverley,etc. 304Fable , A 8 7Fable , A 3 16The Moral 3 16Fart, On a , let in the House ofCommons 1 1 3Female Phaeton, The 33Fema le Phaeton, Answer to the 335

Florimel, To 330Fortune -Teller, The 8 8Fortune , To 1 1 8

Fragments 3 1 8Fragments 333[Fragments in Prose and Verse]356French , A Paraphrase on the 384French Song, A 1 1 8

French , Trans lated from the Origina l3 1 1Friend on his Marriage, To a 30 1Friend , Upon a, who had A Painin h is Left- S ide 1 45

Gabriel and his Wives , A11 Epigram1 1 0Glanville Gilbert, Bishop of R0

chester , Epitaph upon 356God is Love 1 94

Hall’s Death, On. An Epigram 1 14Harley, To My Lord , extempore1 30Harley, Verses Spoke to the LadyHenrietta -Cavendish Holles . In theLibrary of St. John’

s College ,Cambridge 75Harle A Letter ToThe HonourableLady

y Miss Margaret-Cavendish

Hol les 1 3 1H ind and the Panther transvers’d To4 1 0

the Sto of The Country -Mouseand the ity

-Mouse, The 1Honour, Upon. A Fragment 1 1 1Horace, An Ode, In Imitation of the

Second Ode of the Third Bookof 36Horse of Henry the

France , To the 355Howard , Written under a Picturepainted by Mr 330Howe’s Ovid ’s Epistles , Wri tten inLady 1 7Human Life 1 1 8Husband and Wife, An Epigram 1 1 8

Fou rth of

Incurable , The , An Ep igram 1 1 3Insatiable Priest, The 1 1 4

[Inspired Wit] 305

Letter to 303{Jinny the Just] 360Judgment of Venus, The 34

K—s Tune , To Mr 3 1 3K . P ., Not Writing to 1 8 1

K . P To Madam, A Pas tora l Dialogue 1 7 1

Lady , To a , given with a Nosegay ,355Lady S leeping, To a 1 74Lamentation for Dorinda 1 39Learning, An Essay upon 1 79Leonora, To. Encore 1 4 1

Le s Estreines 163Library, Written in the 364Lock , Mr John, and S eigneu r de

Montaigne, A Dialogue be tween,

1 1 3Lock and Montaigne , Verses Intended for 3 1 3Lyon and The Fox, The 368

Many Daughters have done wel l, butThou Excellest them all1 78

Marlborough , To the Duk e of, 406Mary, On the Death of Queen 364Mice , The 97Mistress , Song To his 36Monument, For My own 1 1 9

Namur, On the tak ing of 8 4Nannette 1 1 1

INDEX OF TITLESNarcissus 334Nell and John, An Epigram 1 10

Nelly’s Picture 1 33New-Year’s Gift to Phyl lis , The 143Non Pareil , In Praise of Phyllis 1 1 1

Old Gentry, The 1 1 1

Opinion, An Essay upon 1 8 9Orange [Answer to A11] 3 10Orphan, Prologue to the 76

Painter, To a 337Painting 403Partial Fame 1 1 0

Parting with Flavia 1 53Phillis, To 1 55Playing at Ombre with Two Ladies ,Upon 1 75Poet of Quality, To a 1 1 6

Pontius and Pontia 1 1 4

Prater, The, An Epigram 1 1 6

Predes tination , A Poem 345Pretty Madwoman, On a 141

Priest and the Shepherd , The. AnImitation of a Greek Epigram1 1 3

Prometheus . An Epigram 1 14

[Prophecy, A] 3 1 8[Reality and Image] 3 1 1Remedy Worse than the Disease,The 1 7 1

R ichard and Ne'lév,An Epigram 1 1 1

Riddles , TwoRochester, To the Bishop of 1 3Ronsard

’s Franciade, From 35

Satire on the Modern Trans lators,A 47Satire upon the Poets , in Imitationof the Seventh Satire of Juvenal , A51

Scaligeriana , Upon this passage in

l°9[Secretary, The] Written at theHagueSenem, Act 1 d 3 1 1

Sess ion of the Poets , A 1 99Shephards , On M' Fleetwood , Killingthe French K . 1 8 8

Sheppard , An Epistle to S ir Fleetwood 45

S ilvia , An Epigram 1 1 1

S imile 331Snuff 9 1

Song 359Song, A, set by Mr Abel 8 7Song, A, set by M1 Purcel 1 10

Song Set by M' K. 3 1 1

Song Set by Mess"s Pickering and

Tudway 3 1 1

Songs , Twenty-Four 1 53Spring, A Hymn to the 1 98

S tandmg-Army, A new Answer to

an Argument against a 3 1 7

There be Those that leave TheirNames behind them 1 76Torment of Absence, The 143True S tatesmen 33 1True 's Epita h 1 74Truth and alshood 1 3 1Truth told at Las t. An Epigram 1 1 7Turner , Dr. , A Pastora l to 169Turner, To the Rev. Dr. Franc1s 168Turtle and the Sparrow, The 58

Ap lication of the above 69Two eggars 1 1 7Two Part Song, A 1 58

Venus , A Hymn to 3 15Viceroy, The 10 1

[Vi our, A Ballad of] 3 19Vilers house , In a Window in Lord337Virgils Georgic 4 verse 51 1 334

Wandering Pilg‘rim, The 1 14

Westminster- Se 001.Prologue Spokenby Lord Buckhurst, at 95When the Ca t’s away etc. , A Fable380

Widow and her Cat, A Fable of the

38 1

Wiss in'

s , To the Right Honourablethe Countess Dow er of Devonshire, on a Piece 0 3 1

Young Lady’s going to Town in theSpu n-gr On a 379

INDEX OF FIRST LINES

A Lady once (so S tories say) 380A less desert may gain a People’strust 357A Lyon by his val1ant Deeds preferr

’

d 368A milk -white Mouse immorta l andunchang

’d 8

A Widow kept a favourite Cat 38 1Abate, fair fugrtive, abate thy speed 9 1Accept, my love, as true a heart 163All my Endeavours, allmy H0pesdepend 51Almighty Power ! 1 94Almighty pow’

r ofHarmony and LoveAnd be the Wretch thy Pitty or

delight 3 19And giving ou both Yea and Nay

333And I was last Year 11 Ladys Page401

And if the Motion by the Sense youprove 3 1Antiquam anc Lam adem 146Apostles teach , and Holy booksdeclare 345

As Almoner in Holy Week 335As Doctors give physic by way of

prevention 1 1 9Assistmy Causewith Honour, Justice,Truth 330At dead of night, when stars appear

9°

Behind an unfrequented Glade 8Blind Plaintiff, lame Defendant, s are

1 1 7Broghildid Cowleys thank ful Musecommend 358

But that of which he was bereft

3 1 8

4 1 1

By birth I’m a slave, yet can give

you a crown 89

Careless and Young 0 Florimel330Cease, Leonora, cease to mourn 14 1Chamont was absent. and remembrance brou ht 30 1Chloe beauty as and wit 1 67Come, weep no more, for

’tis in vain

153

Early in Life We learn the Migh tyRule 357

Even Chast Diana mindless of herway 357

Fair Sylvia , cease to blame my Youth78Fairest Child of flowing tinw 1 98Fame conati thy books , my dearHarley , sh 1 tell 364Farewel, Amynta, we mustFarewelye shadywalks , and onu t

1 39Fas t by the Bank s of Camwas Colinbred 80

For God ’s - sake—nay , dear S ir 1 44For instance, when You think Yousee a 3 1 1

For K -n- tt call’

d White,Gil. show 333

For many unsuccessful Years 3 78For when your Judge becomes yourFoe 3 1 4

Form’

d half beneath, and half abovethe earth 1 1 7Future time shal say 334

and

Gilbertus Glanville whose heart wasas hard as an Anvil 356

Good People, I pray 3 10

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INDEX OF FIRST LINESMy noble , lovely, little Peggy 1 3 1

Nanny blushes when I woo her 163No, I

’llendure ten thousand deaths

1 1 8

No ’tis in vain ; what limits shal

controll 1 79Now how shall I do with my loveand my pride 1 1 8

Number the sands extended here 3640 Dear to God and Man 0 Prince

a prov’

d 359carest daughter of two dearest

friends 690 Death how thou spoil

’st the best

projects of life 1 10

0 Happy Youth what can‘

destroy334

O with what woes am I op trest 1 1 8

Odd is the Justice of that nd 3 1 8

Of Nero, tyrant, petty k ing 10 1

Of thy(judicious Muse

’s sense 1 1 6

On yon er Guilty Plain , long Seasonshence 356Once I was unconfin

’d and free

1 60Once on a time , in sun- shine weather

1 3 1

One commonly talk s most when one

has least to say 333One Night unhap y Celadon 379Our Courtiers tra ck for their fame

332

Pardon, Great Duk e , 1f Britain’

s S tyledelights 406

Pen, ink , and wax , and paper send

1 30

Petit Cheva l , gentil Cheval 355Phillis , give this humour over 1 64Phillis , since we have both been k ind

1 55Phillis , this p ious talk give o’

er 1 56

Phillis you boast of perfect health invain 1 1 3Pish , lord , I wish this Prologue wasbut Greek 95

Pontius , (who loves you know a jok e1 1 4

Poor Hallcaught h is death s tandingunder a spout 1 14

Prometheus forming Mr Day 1 14

Quoth Richard in jest, look ing wistlyat Nelly 1 1 1

Reader I was born, and c ry’

d 1 1 3Reading ends in melancholy 8 7R

grds no Judges Frown , nor

urtiers fawn

Releas'd from t e

8

noise of theButcher and Bak er 360Say would’st Thou ga in eternalPraise 1 74

Sa Pontius in rage , contradictingis Wife 1 1 7

See S trephon see wha t a refu lgentray 1 71

S ince Anna vis ited the Muses Seat

75S ince by illfate I

’m forc ’d away 165S ince by just Flames the gu ilty Pieceis lost 1 89

S ince, Moggy, I mun bid adieu 1 60S ince my word s , though ne

’

er so

tender 1 59S ince the King lik e a venterous

Camster at Loo 1 9S ince the united unning of theS tage 47

S ince we your husband dai ly see 1 64So from Divimty and things above

1 8 1

So good a W1fe doth Lissy mak e 1 1 5S o Philomel beneath the Pop larshade 334

So when the meanest Priest comesnear the Cel l 305

Soft Cupid , wanton, am’

rous Boy1 38

Some k ind angel . gently flying 1 6 1Souviens Toy , C loe , du destin 3 55Spa re Dorse tt

’

s sacred life , decern ingfate 364

Sphinx was a monster that wou ldeat 86

S til base to those who meant Theewell 3 1 5

S til like to keep their fancy up 3 1 5S till craving yet stil Roger cry

’d

3 25S till , Dorinda , I adore 1 56

S till S leep sti l fold those lovely A rms274

S trephonetta , why d’

ye fly me 1 53

INDEX OF FIRST LINESTell, dear Alexis, tell thy Damon,why 1That all rom Adam firs t began 1 1 1That with much Wealth and largeencrease , My Lord 305

The circling months begin this day143

The Crown once again 3 19The Factions which Each otherclaw 3 19

The Fox an actor’s vizard found 8 7

The God of Love was but a Boy357

The joyfu l S laves , whom your reportset free 1 88

The Parties , hen -

peckt Ware thy Wives 3 1 6

The Plowshares now deform themartial plain 3 1 4

The scorching Dogstar and the Sunsfierce my 1 8 3

The sturdy Man if he in love obtains

1 10

The town which Louis bought, Nassau reclaims 84

The ugly Beau too partial to hisGlass 338The worthless Cypher, when alone33 1There’s allHell in her Heart, and allHeaven in her eye 355Thirty S ix Miles—too far to walk a

foot 1 8 7Though doom’d to small-coal, yet to

arts ally’d 1 73Thus Kitty, Beautifu l and Young 33Thus the fairVinewith greatest Plenty

crown’

d 03Thus to the uses Spoke the CyprianDame 1 16Thus wounded and thus it 31 9Th King (0 may I cal him byName ? 3 18Thy Muse , O Bard ! that Wonderstell 366Till great Des -Cart and his Sectators 3 1 8

To clear the Brain or purge thethought 304

To her loose dress She ca lls someforeign Aid 31 4

To mak e thy Fortune fair Amends37 9

To Richmond and Peterburgh , Mattgave his letters 1 75Touch the lyre, on every string 166True Stat- en only Love or Hate33 IT’was ni

ght, the Drousy Diety be

gan 1 7Two Mice (dear boy) of genteelfashion 97Virtue and Love instructme well 3 1 9Wake Goddess wake Thy drousyLy"; 1 9sWe b1d the Men stand and dehvertheir Purses 330Well Iwil l nevermore complain 1 67Were Caelis Absent and remembrance brought 3 14What a tedious day is past 143What Bocace with superior GeniusCloath

’

d 339What trifling coil do we poor mortalskeep 1 1 8What wou’d my humble Comradeshave Me say 7 76When Bibo thought frt from theworld to retreat 1 10

When Crowding Folk s , with strangeIllFaces 45When hungry wolves had trespass

’d

on the fold 1 1 3When Jove lay blest in his Alcrnaena’scharms 88When Kneller’s Works of variousGrace 34When Nell, given o

’

er by the doctor,was d

'

ng 1 10

When y fair Soul ascends herNative Skys 33When you with l-I’igh -Dutch Heerendine rwillis of Ephraim heardWhenRochester reach 1 1 4While mad helia we lament 1 41

While soft 5 e Parly’d with be

coming cc 31 1While wit labour assid

’ous dueleasure Imix 96

Wtilst I amscorch

’d with hot Desire

3Whilst I in Prison on a Court lookdown 1 18

INDEX OF FIRST LINESWhilst others proclaim 13ge

a longWhilst weeping Europe nds be Contest 3 1neath her Ills 148 With humble hopes Your goodneWhither would my passion run 1 1 0 willexcuse 1 93Who e

’er a serious wewwilltake 3 With Roman constancy and decent

Who e’er forsakes Old MotherCh pride 1 8 1

56 Would they who have nine yearsWho would prevailo

’er Men must look’d sour 3 1 7

firs t Observe 355Why, Harry , what ails you ? why Yes I did stubernly believe 1 8 1look you so sad ? 158 Yet Distanc

’

d and Undone by thoseWh thus from the Plain does my 31 9She herdess nove 1 1 8 You, Madam, may with safety go 88Will Piggot must to Coxwould go You need not thus so often pray 145

1 14

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