Thy nobler vessel the vast ocean tries, And nothing sees but seas and skies, Thou great Columbus of the golden lands of new philosophies! Thy task was harder much than his; For thy learn'd America is Not only found-out first by thee, I little thought before (Nor, being my own self so poor, Could comprehend so vast a store) That all the wardrobe of rich Eloquence Could have afforded half enough, Of bright, of new, and lasting stuff, To clothe the mighty limbs of thy gigantick sense. Too strong to take a mark from any mortal dart, And wonders on it grav'd by the learn'd hand of Art! A shield that gives delight Ev'n to the enemies' sight, Then, when they're sure to lose the combat by 't. Nor can the snow, which cold Age does shed Quench or allay the noble fires within; And all that Youth can be, thou 'rt yet! Enjoy the manhood and the bloom of Wit, Here hoary frosts, and by them breaks-out fire! Nature and Causes, we shall see That thus it needs must be To things immortal, Time can do no wrong, And that which never is to die, for ever must be young. DESTINY. "Hoc quoque Fatale est sic ipsum expendere Fatum.” MANIL. STRANGE and unnatural! let's stay and see This pageant of a prodigy. Lo, of themselves th' enliven'd Chess-men move! As full of art and industry, Of courage and of policy, As we ourselves, who think there's nothing wise but we! Here a proud Pawn I admire, That, still advancing higher, Another thing and name; Here I'm amaz'd at th' actions of a Knight, That does bold wonders in the fight; Here I the losing party blame, For those false Moves that break the Game, That to their Grave, the Bag, the conquer'd Pieces bring, And, above all, th' ill-conduct of the Mated King. "Whate'er these seem, whate'er philosophy ""Tis their own wisdom moulds their state, "Their faults and virtues make their fate. "They do, they do," said I; but straight Lo! from my enlighten'd eyes the mists and shadows fell, That hinder spirits from being visible; And lo! I saw two angels play'd the Mate. And some are great, and some are small, Some climb to good, some from good-fortune fall; Some wise-men, and some fools, we call; Figures, alas! of speech, for Destiny plays us all. Me from the womb the midwife Muse did take: She did a covenant with me make, And circumcis'd my tender soul, and thus she spake: "Thou of my church shalt be; "Hate and renounce," said she, "Wealth, honour, pleasures, all the world, for me. "Thou neither great at court, nor in the war, "Nor at th' exchange, shalt be, nor at the wrangling "bar: "Content thyself with the small barren praise, Their several ways of life let others choose, With Fate what boots it to contend? Such I began, such am, and so must end. The star that did my being frame Was but a lambent flame, And some small light it did dispense, But neither heat nor influence. No matter, Cowley! let proud Fortune see, That thou canst her despise no less than she does thee. Let all her gifts the portion be Fraud, Extortion, Calumny, Rebellion and Hypocrisy ; Do thou not grieve, nor blush to be, And all thy great forefathers, were, from Homer down to Ben. BRUTUS. EXCELLENT Brutus! of all human race Virtue was thy life's centre, and from thence The gentle, vigorous influence To all the wide and fair circumference; In all their contrariety : Each had his motion natural and free, [could be. And the whole no more mov'd than the whole world From thy strict rule some think that thou didst swerve |