V.

E. of ROCHESTER.

On SILENCE.

ILENCE! coeval with Eternity;

SILENC

Thou wert, ere Nature's felf began to be, 'Twas one vaft Nothing, all, and all flept faft in thee.

II.

Thine was the sway, ere heav'n was form'd, or earth, Ere fruitful Thought conceiv'd creation's birth, Or midwife Word gave aid, and spoke the infant forth.

III.

Then various elements, against thee join'd,
In one more various animal combin'd,

And fram'd the clam'rous race of busy Human-kind.

IV.

The tongue mov'd gently firft, and speech was low,

'Till wrangling Science taught it noise and show,

And wicked Wit arose, thy most abusive foe.

V.

But rebel Wit deferts thee oft' in vain;

Loft in the maze of words he turns again,
And seeks a furer ftate, and courts thy gentle reign.

2

VI.

Afflicted Senfe thou kindly doft set free,
Opprefs'd with argumental tyranny,

And routed Reason finds a safe retreat in thee.

VII.

With thee in private modeft Dulness lies,
And in thy bofom lurks in Thought's difguife;
Thou varnisher of Fools, and cheat of all the Wife!
VIII.

Yet thy indulgence is by both confest;
Folly by thee lies fleeping in the breast,

And 'tis in thee at last that Wisdom seeks for rest.

IX.

Silence the knave's repute, the whore's good name, The only honour of the wishing dame; The very want of tongue makes thee a kind of Fame.

X.

But could'st thou feize fome tongues that now are free,

How Church and State fhould be oblig'd to thee?

At Senate, and at Bar, how welcome would'ft thou be?

XI.

Yet fpeech ev'n there, fubmiffively withdraws, From rights of fubjects, and the poor man's cause: Then pompous Silence reigns, and ftills the noify Laws.

XII.

Paft fervices of friends, good deeds of foes, What Fav'rites gain, and what the Nation owes, Fly the forgetful world, and in thy arms repose.

XIII.

The country wit, religion of the town, The courtier's learning, policy o' th' gown, Are beft by thee exprefs'd; and fhine in thee alone. XIV.

The parfon's cant, the lawyer's fophistry, Lord's quibble, critic's jeft; all end in thee, All reft in peace at last, and sleep eternally.

VI.

E. of D OR SET.

ARTEMISIA.
HO' Artemifia talks, by fits,

TH

Of councils, claffics, fathers, wits,
Reads Malbranche, Boyle, and Locke:
Yet in fome things methinks the fails,
'Twere well if she would pare her nails,

And wear a cleaner fmock.

Haughty and huge as High-Dutch bride,
Such naftiness, and fo much pride,

Are oddly join'd by fate:

5

Like a fat corpfe upon a bed,

That lies and stinks in state.

She wears no colours (fign of grace)
On any part except her face;

All white and black befide:
Dauntless her look, her gefture proud,
Her voice theatrically loud,

And mafculine her ftride.

So have I seen, in black and white

A prating thing, a Magpye hight,
Majeftically ftalk;

A ftately, worthless animal,

That plies the tongue, and wags the tail,
All flutter, pride, and talk.

15

20

PH

PHRY NE.

HRYNE had talents for mankind,
Open fhe was, and unconfin'd,

Like fome free port of trade:
Merchants unloaded here their freight,
And Agents from each foreign state,
Here firft their entry made.

Her learning and good breeding such,
Whether th' Italian or the Dutch,
Spaniards or French came to her:
To all obliging she'd appear:
'Twas Si Signior, 'twas Yaw Mynbeer,
'Twas S'il vous plaift, Monfieur.
Obfcure by birth, renown'd by crimes,
Still changing names, religions, climes,
At length she turns a Bride:
In di'monds, pearls, and rich brocades,
She fhines the first of batter'd jades,

And flutters in her pride.

So have I known thofe Infects fair

(Which curious Germans hold fo rare)

Still vary fhapes and dyes;

Still gain new titles with new forms;

First grubs obfcene, then wriggling worms,
Then painted butterflies.