ON PART OF THE LXXXVIIITH PSALM.
A COLLEGE EXERCISE, 1690.
HEAVY, O Lord, on me thy judgments lie;
Accursed I am while God rejects my cry.
O'erwhelm'd in darkness and despair I groan,
And every place is hell, for God is gone.
O Lord, arise! and let thy beams control
Those horrid clouds that press my frighted soul:
Save the poor wanderer from eternal night,
Thou that art the God of light.
Downward I hasten to my destined place;
There none obtain thy aid, or sing thy praise.
Soon shall I lie in Death's deep ocean drown'd:
Is mercy there, or sweet forgiveness found?
O save me yet, whilst on the brink I stand;
Rebuke the storm, and waft my soul to land:
O let her rest beneath thy wing secure,
Thou that art the God of power.
Behold the prodigal! to thee I come,
To hail my father, and to seek my home.
Nor refuge could I find, nor friend abroad,
Straying in vice, and destitute of God.
O let thy terrors and my anguish end!
Be thou my refuge, and be thou my
friend:
Receive the son thou didst so long reprove,
Thou that art the God of love.
TWO RIDDLES, 1710.
SPHINX was a monster that would eat
Whatever stranger she could get,
Unless his ready wit disclosed
The subtle riddle she proposed.
Edipus was resolved to go
And try what strength of parts would do;
Says Sphinx, 'On this depends your fate:
Tell me what animal is that
Which has four feet at morning bright,
Has two at noon, and three at night?'
"Tis Man, (said he) who, weak by nature,
At first creeps, like his fellow-creature,
Upon all four; as years accrue,
With sturdy steps he walks on two;
In age, at length, grows weak and sick,
For his third leg adopts the stick.
Now, in your turn, 'tis just, methinks, You should resolve me, Madam Sphinx, What greater stranger yet is he
Who has four legs, then two, then three;
Then loses one, then gets two more,
And runs away at last on four?'
RESOLVE me, Chloe, what is this,
Or forfeit me one precious kiss:
"Tis the first offspring of the Graces,
Bears different forms in different places;
Acknowledged fine where'er beheld,
Yet fancied finer when conceal'd.
Twas Flora's wealth, and Circe's charm,
Pandora's box of good and harm;
"Twas Mars's wish, Endymion's dream,
Apelles' draught, and Ovid's theme:
This guided Theseus through the maze,
And sent him home with life and praise;
But this undid the Phrygian boy,
And blew the flames that ruin'd Troy :
This show'd great kindness to old Greece,
And help'd rich Jason to the fleece:
This through the East just vengeance hurl'd,.
And lost poor Anthony the world:
Injured, though Lucrece found her doom,
This banish'd tyranny from Rome:
Appeased, though Lais gain'd her hire,
This set Persepolis on fire:
For this Alcides learn'd to spin,
His club laid down, and lion's skin:
For this Apollo deign'd to keep,
With servile care, a mortal's sheep;
For this the Father of the gods,
Content to leave his high abodes,
In borrow'd figures loosely ran,
Europa's bull, and Leda's swan :
For this he reassumes the nod,
(While Semele commands the god)
Launches the bolt, and shakes the poles,
Though Momus laughs, and Juno scolds.
Here listening Chloe smiled and said,
Your riddle is not hard to read:
guess it'-' Fair one, if you do, Need I, alas! the theme pursue?
For this, thou seest, for this I leave
Whate'er the world thinks wise or grave,
Ambition, business, friendship, news,
My useful books, and serious Muse.
For this I willingly decline
The mirth of feasts and joys of wine,
And choose to sit and talk with thee,
(As thy great orders may decree)
Of cocks and bulls, of flutes and fiddles, Of idle tales, and foolish riddles.'
LORD HIGH TREASURER. 1712.
OUR weekly friends to-morrow meet
At Matthew's palace in Duke-street,
To try, for once, if they can dine
On bacon-ham and mutton-chine.
If, wearied with the great affairs
Which Britain trusts to Harley's cares,
Thou, humble statesman, may'st descend
Thy mind one moment to unbend,
To see thy servant from his soul
Crown with thy health the sprightly bowl,
Among the guests which e'er my house
Received, it never can produce
Of honour a more glorious proof-
Though Dorset used to bless the roof.
IN THE BEGINNING OF ROBE'S GEOGRAPHY.
Of all that William rules, or Robe
Describes, great Rhea, of thy globe,
When or on post-horse or in chaise,
With much
and little ease,
My destined miles I shall have gone,
By Thames or Maese, by Po or Rhone,
And found no foot of earth my own;
Great Mother, let me once be able
To have a garden, house, and stable,
That I may read, and ride, and plant,
Superior to desire or want;
And as health fails, and years increase,
Sit down and think, and die in peace.
Oblige thy favourite undertakers
To throw me in but twenty acres;
This number, sure, they may allow,
For pasture ten, and ten for plough;
'Tis all that I would wish or hope,
For me, and John, and Nell, and Crop.
Then, as thou wilt, dispose the rest
(And let not Fortune spoil the jest)
To those who at the market-rate
Can barter honour for estate.
Now if thou grant'st me my request,
To make thy votary truly bless'd,
Let cursed Revenge, and saucy Pride,
To some bleak rock far off be tied,
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