The Beauties which adorn'd that age,
The fhining fubjects of his rage,
Hoping they should immortal prove,
Rewarded with fuccefs his love.

This was the generous Poet's fcope;
And all an ENGLISH pen can hope;
To make the Fair approve his flame,
That can fo far extend their fame.

Verfe, thus defign'd, has no ill fate,
If it arrive but at the date

Of fading beauty; if it prove

But as long-liv'd as prefent love.

Upon the Earl of RoscoMMON's Tranflation of HORACE, De Arte Poeticâ : And of the Ufe of Poetry.

R

OME was not better by her HORACE taught,
Than we are here to comprehend his thought:

The Poet writ to noble P1So there;

A noble Piso does inftruct us here:
Gives us a pattern in his flowing style;
And with rich precepts does oblige our Isle:
BRITAIN! whofe genius is in verse express'd;
Bold, and fublime; but negligently drefs'd.
HORACE will our fuperfluous branches prune,
Give us new rules, and fet our harp in tune:
Direct us how to back the winged horse,
Favor his flight, and moderate his force.

Tho'

Tho' Poets may of infpiration boast,
Their rage, ill-govern'd, in the clouds is loft.
He that proportion'd wonders can disclose,
At once his fancy, and his judgment, shows.
Chafte moral writing we may learn from hence;
Neglect of which no wit can recompence.
The fountain which from HELICON proceeds,
That facred ftream! fhould never water weeds;
Nor make the crop of thorns, and thiftles, grow,
Which envy, or perverted nature, sow,

Well-founding verses are the charm we use,
Heroic thoughts, and virtue, to infuse:
'Things of deep sense we may in profe unfold;
But they move more, in lofty Numbers told:
By the loud trumpet, which our courage aids,
We learn that found, as well as fenfe, perfuades.

The MUSES' friend, unto himself severe,
With filent pity looks on all that err:
But where a brave, a publick action shines,
That he rewards with his immortal lines.
Whether it be in council, or in fight,
His country's honour is his chief delight:
Praise of great Acts he scatters as a feed,
Which may the like in coming ages breed.
Here taught the fate of verses, (always priz'd
With admiration, or as much defpis'd)
Men will be lefs indulgent to their faults;
And patience have to cultivate their thoughts.
Poets lose half the praise they should have got,
Could it be known what they discreetly blot:
Finding new words, that to the ravish'd ear
May like the language of the Gods appear:

Such as, of old, wife Bards employ'd, to make
Unpolish'd men their wild retreats forfake:
Law-giving Heroes, fam'd for taming brutes,
And raifing cities with their charming lutes.
For rudeft minds with harmony were caught,
And civil life was by the Mus ES taught.
So, wand'ring bees would perish in the air,
Did not a found, proportion'd to their ear,
Appease their rage, invite them to the hive,
Unite their force, and teach them how to thrive:
To rob the flow'rs, and to forbear the spoil;
Preferv'd in winter by their fummer's toil:
They give us food, which may with Nectar vie,
And wax, that does the absent sun supply.

Ad COMITEM MONUMETENSEM de BENTIVOGLIO fuo.

FLO

LORIBUS ANGLIGEN IS non hanc tibi necto corollam,

Cùm fatis indigenis te probet ipfe Liber:

Per me ROMA fciet tibi se debere, quòd ANG LO
ROMANUS didicit cultiùs ore loqui.

Ultima quæ tellus Aquilas duce CÆSARE vidit,
Candida ROMULI DUM te duce fcripta videt.
Confilio ut quondam Patriam nil juveris, efto!
Sed ftudio cives ingenioque juvas.

Namque dolis Liber hic inftructus, et arte BATAVA,
A BELGA nobis ut caveamus, ait.

Horremus per te civilis dira furoris

Vulnera; difcordes FLANDRIA quaffa monet.

Hic difcat miles pugnare, orare senator;

Qui regnant, leni fceptra tenere manu.
Macte, COMES! virtue novâ; veftri ordinis ingens
Ornamentum, ævi deliciæque tui!

Dum ftertunt alii fomno vinoque fepulti,
Nobilis antiquo ftemmate digna facis.

To Mr. KILLEGREW, upon his altering bis Play PANDORA, from a Tragedy into a Comedy, because not approv'd on the Stage.

IR, you should rather teach our age the way

your Play:

You had oblig'd us by imploying wit,
Not to reform PAN DORA, but the Pit.
For, as the nightingale, without the throng
Of other birds, alone attends her fong;
While the loud daw, his throat displaying, draws
The whole affembly of his fellow-daws :
So, muft the writer, whose productions should
Take with the vulgar, be of vulgar mould:
Whilft nobler fancies make a flight too high
For common view, and leffen as they fly.

On the Duke of MONMOUTH's Expedition into SCOTLAND, in the Summer Solftice.

WIFT as JovE's meffenger, (*the winged god)

SWI

With fword as potent as his charming rod,

He flew to execute the King's command:
And, in a moment, reach'd that northern land;
Where day, contending with approaching night,
Affifts the Hero with continu'd light.

On foes furpriz'd, and by no night conceal'd,
He might have rufh'd; but noble pity held
His hand a while, and to their choice gave space,
Which they would prove, his valor, or his grace.
This not well heard, his cannon louder spoke;
And then, like lightning, thro' that cloud he broke.
His fame, his conduct, and that martial look,
The guilty Scors with fuch a terror ftrook;
That to his courage they refign the field,
Who to his bounty had refus'd to yield.
Glad that fo little loyal blood it cost,

He grieves fo many BRITONS should be loft:
Taking more pains, when he beheld them yield,
To fave the flyers, than to win the field:
And at the Court his Int'reft does imploy,
That none, who scap'd his fatal Sword, should die.
And now, these rash bold men their error, find,
Not trufting one beyond his promise kind:

One! whofe great mind, fo bountiful, and brave,
Had learn'd the art to conquer, and to save.

*Mercury.