Who to the life an exact piece would make, No, not from Rubens or Vandyke; Much less content himself to make it like No, he before his sight must place The real object must command Each judgment of his eye and motion of his hand. From these and all long errors of the way, Bacon, like Moses, led us forth at last : The barren wilderness he past; Did on the very border stand Of the blest promis'd land; And from the mountain's top of his exalted wit, Saw it himself, and shew'd us it. But life did never to one man allow Time to discover worlds and conquer too; Nor can so short a line sufficient be To fathom the vast depths of Nature's sea. From you, great champions! we expect to get A better troop she ne'er together drew: To do those noble wonders by a few: When the whole host he saw, "They are" (said he) "Too many to o'ercome for me;" And now he chooses out his men, Much in the way that he did then ; To drink with their dejected head The stream, just so as by their mouths it fled: Thus you prepar'd, and in the glorious fight Their wondrous pattern too you take; Which from the spacious plains of earth and sea By sailors' or Chaldeans' watchful eye. Nature's great works no distance can obscure, Of her imperceptible littleness! Y' have learn'd to read her smallest hand, And well begun her deepest sense to understand! Mischief and true dishonour fall on those } } So human for its use, for knowledge so divine. call Impertinent, and vain, and small, Those smallest things of nature let me know, So, when, by various turns of the celestial dance, A star, so long unknown, appears, Does to the wise a star, to fools a meteor, show. With courage and success you the bold work begin; Your cradle has not idle been : None e'er, but Hercules and you, would be At five years age worthy a history. And ne'er did Fortune better yet Th' historian to the story fit: As you from all old errors free His candid style like a clean stream does slide, It does, like Thames, the best of rivers! glide, But gently pour, the crystal urn, And with judicious hand does the whole current guide: 'T has all the beauties Nature can impart, And all the comely dress, without the paint, of Art. SIR FRANCIS DRAKE'S SHIP, Presented to the University Library of Oxford by To this great ship, which round the globe has run, For, lo! a seat of endless rest is given PROLOGUE TO THE CUTTER OF COLMAN STREET. AS, when the midland sea is no-where clear |