Now join your griefs with mine! and now deplore

Delia, the pride of Beauty, now no more!

Behold where now fhe lies depriv'd of breath ' Charming, though pale, and beautiful in death! A troop of weeping virgins by her fide. With all the pomp of woe and forrows pride! O, carly loft! O, fitter to be led In cheerful fplendor to the bridal bed, Than thus conducted to th' untimely tomb, A fpotlefs virgin in her beauty's bloom! Whatever hopes fuperior merit gave, Let me, at least, embrace thee in the grave; On thy cold lips imprint a dying kifs: O that thy coynefs could refufe me this! Such melting tears upon thy limbs I'll pour, Shall thaw their numbness, and thy warmth reftore:

Clafpt to my glowing breaft, thou may'st revive;
I'll breathe fuch tender fighs fhall make thee live;
Or, if feverer fates that aid deny,

If thou canst not revive, yet I may die.
In one cold grave together may be laid
'The trueft lover and the loveliest maid.
Then fhall I ceafe to grieve, and not before;
Then fhall I ceafe fair Delia to deplore.

But fee, thofe dreadful objects disappear!
The fun fhines out, and all the heavens are clear;
The warring winds are hush'd, the fea ferene,
And Nature, foften'd, thifts her angry fcene.
What means this fudden change? nicthinks I hear
Melodious mufic from the heavenly sphere!
Liften, ye fhepherds, and devour the found!
Liften: the faint, the lovely faint, is crown'd!
While we, mistaken in our joy and grief,
Bewail her fate, who wants not our relief:
From the pleas'd orbs fhe views us here below,
And with kind pity wonders at our woe. [above,
Ah, charming faint! fince thou art blefs'd
Indulge thy lovers, and forgive their love:
Forgive their tears, who prefs'd with grief and

"Who ne'er compaffion knew. "By nobler actions their's condemn : "For what has been reproach'd in them, "Can ne'er be prais'd in you."

XIII.

These subjects suit not with the lyre: Mufe to what height doft thou afpire, Pretending to rehearse

The thoughts of gods, and godlike kings? Ceafe, ceafe to leffen lofty things

By mean ignoble verse.

THE GOLDEN AGE RESTORED, 1703.

IN IMITATION OF

THE FOURTH ECLOGUE OF VIRGIL.

Suppofed to bave been taken from a Sibylline

Prophecy.

Paulò majora canamus."

SICILIAN Mufe, begin a loftier flight;
Not all in trees and lowly fhrubs delight:
Or if your rural shades you still purfue,
Make your fhades fit for able statesmen's view.

The time is come, by ancient Bards foretold,
Restoring the Saturnian age of gold;
The vile, degenerate, whiggifh offspring ends,
A high-church progeny from heaven defcends.
O learned Oxford, fpare no facred pains
To nurse the glorious breed, now thy own Brom-
ley reigns.

And thou great Scarfdale, darling of this land,

Doft foremost in that fam'd commiflion ftand;
Whose deep remarks the listening world admires,
By whofe aufpicious care old Ranelagh expires.
Your mighty genius no ftrict rules can bind;
You punish men for crinies, which you want
time to find.

Senates fhall now like holy fynods be,
And holy fynods fenate-like agree.

Monmouth and Moftyn here instruct the youth,

There Bincks and Kimberley maintain the facred

truth.

come on;

Receive juft honours, and furround the throne.
Hedges now rules the fate, and Rooke the main.
Boldly your loyal principles maintain,

Grimes is at hand the members to reward,
And troops are truited to your own Gerhard.
The faithful club aflembles at the Vine,
And French intrigues are broach'd o'er English
wine.

Freely the fenate the defign proclaims,
Affronting William, and applauding James.
Good ancient members, with a folemn face,

Propofe that fafety give to order place;
And what they dare not openly diffuade,
Is by expedients ineffectual made.

Ev'n Finch and Mulgrave, whom the court carefs,
Exalt its praifes, but its power deprefs;
And, that impartial juftice may be seen,
Confirm to friends what they refus'd the Queen.

* Bishop Sprat.

Bishop's who most advanc'd good James's caufe
In church and state, now reap deferv'd applause:
While thofe who rather made the Tower their
choice,

Are flyl'd unchriftian by the nation's voice.
Avow'dly now St. David's cause they own,
And James's votes for Simony atone.
Archbishop Kenn fhall from Long-Leat be drawn,
While firm Nonjurors from behind ftand crowd-
ing for the lawn.

And thou, great Weymouth, to reward thy charge,
Shalt fail to Lambeth in his grace's barge.

See by bafe rebels James the Juft betray'd, See his three realms by vile ufurpers fway'd; Then fee with joy his lawful heir reftor'd, And erring nations own their injur'd lord.

O would kind heaven fo long my life maintain, nfpiring raptures worthy fuch a reign!

Not Thracian Saint John fhould with me contend, Nor my fweet lays harmonious Hammond's mend: Not though young D'Avenant, Saint John should protect,

Or the fhrewd Do&or, Hammond's lines correct. Nay, fhould Tredenham in Saint Mawes compare his fongs to mine,

Tredenham, though Saint Mawes were judge, his laurel fhould refign.

Prepare, aufpicious youth, thy friends to meet; Sir George already has prepar'd the fleet. Should rival Neptune (who with envious mind In times of danger ftill this chief confin'd) Now fend the gont, the hero to difgrace, Honeft George Churchill may fupply his place.

* Rooke.