SERPEN T.

With speckled Pride

A Serpent from the Tomb began to glide :

His hugy Bulk on feven high Volumes roll'd, (Gold.
Blue was his Breadth of Back, but ftreak'd with fcaly
Thus riding on his Curls, he feem'd to pass,
A rowling Fire along, and finge the Grafs :
More various Colours thro' his Body run,
Than Iris, when her Bow imbibes the Sun.

Two Serpents rank'd abreaft, the Seas divide,
And smoothly fweep along the fwelling Tide.
Their flaming Crefts above the Waves they fhow,
Their Bellies feem to burn the Seas below:

Their fpeckled Tails advance to fteer their Course,
And on the founding Shore the flying Billows force.
And now the Strand, and now the Plain they held,
Their ardent Eyes with bloody Streaks were fill'd;
Their nimble Tongues they brandifli'd as they came,
And lick'd their hiffing Jaws, that fputter'd Flame.
(Dryd. Virg.
SERPENT tempting F V E.

The Serpent, fleeping faft, the Devil found
In Labyrinth of many a Round felf-rowl'd,
His Head the midst, well ftor'd with fubtle Wiles :
Not yet in horrid Shade or dismal Den,
Nor nocent yet; but on the graffy Herb
Fearlefs, unfear'd he flept in at his Mouth
He enter'd, Inmate bad, and toward Eve
Addrefs'd his Way, not with indented Wave,
Prone on the Ground, as fince; but on his Rear,
Circular Bafe of rifing Folds, that towr'd
Fold above Fold, a furging Maze: his Head
Crefted aloft, and Carbuncle his Eyes;
With burnish'd Neck of verdant Gold, erect
Amidft his circling Spires, that on the Grafs
Floated redundant:

With Tract oblique

At first, as one who fought Access, but fear'd

To interrupt, fidelong he works his Way.
As when a Ship by skillful Steersman wrought
Nigh Rivers Mouth, or Foreland, where the Wind
Veers off, as oft lo fteers and shifts her Sail;
So vary'd he, and of his tortuous Train

Curl'd many a wanton Wreath in Sight of Eve,
To lure her Eye;

Then as in Gaze admiring, oft he bow'd

His Turret Creft, and fleek enamel'd Nick,

Fawning, and lick'd the Ground whereon the trod :
Lead on, faid Eve; he leading swiftly rowl'd
In Tangles, and made intricate feem ftraight,
To Mischief fwift: Hope elevates, and Joy
Brightens his Creft.

HERCULES killing the SERPENTS. The big-limb'd Babe in his huge Cradle lay, Too weighty to be rock'd by Nurfes Hand,: When lo by jealous Juno's fierce Commands, Two dreadful Serpents come

Miit.

Rowling, and hiffing loud into the Room.
To the bold Babe they trace their bidden Way,
Forth from their flaming Eyes dread Lightnings went,
Their gaping Mouths fork'd Tongues, like Thunder-
(bolts, prefent.

The mighty Infant fmil'd, and feem'd well pleas'd.
At his gay gilded Foes,

And as their spotted Necks up to the Cradle rofe,
With his young warlike Hands on both he fiez'd,
In vain they rag'd, in vain they hifs'd,
In vain their armed Tails they twist,
And angry Circles caft about,

Black Blood, and fiery Breath, and poys'nous Soul he

(fqueezes out. Cowl, Pind.

SHADE.

Behold Alexis, fee this gloomy Shade,

Which feems alone for Sorrow's Shelter made :

Where

Where the glad Beams of Light can never play,
But Night fucceeding Night, excludes the Day:
Where never Birds with Harmony repair,
And Hightfome Notes to chear the dusky Air;
To welcome Day, or bid the Sun farewel,

By Morning Lark, or Ev'ning Philomel!

No Vi'let here, or Dafie eter was feen,

No fweetly-budding Flow'r, nor springing Green : For fragant Myrtle and the blufhing Rofe,

Here baleful Yew; with deadly Cyprefs grows. Cong. Here highest Woods, impenetrable

To Sun or Starlight, spread their Umbrage broad,
And brown as Evening.

SHEPHERD

Milt.

As gentle Shepherd in fweet even-tide, When ruddy Phœbus gins to welkin weft, High on a Hill, his flock to viewen wide, Markes which doe bite their hafty fupper beft; A cloud of combrous gnats doe him moleft, All ftriving to infix their feeble stings,. That from their noyance he no where can reft, But with his clownish hands their tender wings He brusheth oft, and oft doth mar their murmurings

(Spen.

By purling Rivers, or the grateful Shade,
Our Theme the charming, or the yielding Maid:
The nat❜ral Poppies in the standing Corn,
Out-blush the Rubies that the Crown adorn :
The Leaves are Emʼralds moving in the Air,
The Trees Pavillions, and the Grafs our Chair:
The Lambs our Courtiers, and the Dogs our Friends,
That fawnand follow without dangerous Ends.
No Malice interrupts our quiet Life,

We know no Envy, and we hear no Strife,
But what the feather'd Songfters of the Air
Make ev'ry Morning when they Notes compare

Beft in our felves, we Shepherds only find
That Quiet which is fought by all Mankind.

Behold the Shepherd, fee th' industrious Swain,
who ploughs the Field, or reaps the ripen'd Grain,
How mean, and yet how tasteful is their fare? (Cares)
How fweet their Sleep? Their Souls how free from
They drink the ftreaming Gryftal, and escape.
Th' inflaming Juices of the purple Grape;

And to protect their Limbs from rigʼrous Air,
Garments, their own Domestick Work, they wear.

SHIP.

As when a Ship that flies fair under faile,
And hidden Rock efcaped, hath unwares,
That lay in waite her wrack for to bewaile,
The Mariner yet half amazed stares
At perill past, and yet it doubt ne dares
To joy at his fool happy over fight :

(Dryd.

As a tall Ship tossed in troublous Seas,
Whome raging winds threating to make the prey
Of the rough rocks, do diverfly difeafe,
Meets two contrary billows by the way,
That her on either Side do fore affay,

And boaft to fwallow her in greedy grave;

She, fcorning both their spights, does make wide way, And with her breast breaking the foamy wave, Does ride on both their backs, and faire her felf dorh

Like as a Ship, whom cruell tempest drives Upon a Rock with horrible difmay,

Her flattered ribs in thoufand peeces rives, And spoiling all her geares and goodly ray, Does make her felf Misfortunes piseous pray.

fave.

Like as a Ship with dreadfull ftorme long toft, Haveing spent all her mates and her ground hold, Now farre from harbour likely to be loft;

At

At laft fome fisher-barke doth nere behold,
That giveth comfort to her courage cold.

Like as a Ship, that through the Ocean wide,
Directs her courfe unto one certain coaft,

Is met of many a counter wind and tyde, With which her winged fpeed is let and croft, And the her felf in ftormy Surges toft

Yet makeing many a board, and many a bay, Still wineth way, ne hath her compaffe loft.

Spen.

Guyomar. As far as I could caft my Eyes Upon the Sea, fomething methought did rife, Like blewifh Mifts, which still appearing more, Took dreadful Shapes, and thus mov'd tow'rds the The Object I could first diftinctly view,

(Shore::
Was tall ftreight Trees, which on the Waters Aew :
Wings on their Sides inftead of Leaves did grow,
Which gather d all the Breath the Winds could blow
And at their Roots grew floating Palaces,
Whofe out-blow'd Bellies cut the yielding Seas?
Montezuma. What divine Monsters, O ye Gods? are

That float in Air, and fly upon the Seas?
Came they alive, or dead upon the Shore ?

(thefe,

Guyom. Alas they liv'd too fure, I heard 'em roar All turn'd their Sides, and to each other spoke, I faw their Words break out in Fire and Smoak. Sure 'tis their Voice that thunders from on high, And these the younger Brothers of the Sky. Deaf with the Noife, I took my hafty Flight, No mortal Courage can support the Fright.

Behold a ftately Ship

(Dryd. Ind. Emp.

Proud of her gawdy Trim, comes this Way failing,
With all her Brav'ry on, and Tackle trim,

Sails fill'd, and Streamers waving,

Courted by all the Winds that hold them play."

Q 6

Milt.

This