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353

soon as the sun's reviving ray

shall warm the northern gale;

and Zephyrs mild their wing display
to wanton in the vale.

When Time upon thine aged brow
shall shed the fatal shower;
the hoary frost, the chilling snow,
will melt from thence no more.

Quick summer flies, and autumn's suns,
and winter's cheerless gloom;
in changeful turn each season runs,
and spring breathes new perfume.
Unchanged o'er us the tempest low'rs,
till death's last hour arrives:

nor robe, nor garland deck'd with flowers,
the bloom of life revives.

What youth on us but once bestows,

age once shall snatch away:

but Fame can stop the fatal blows,
and double life's short day.

Long shall he live, whose bright career
deserv'd a patriot's sigh;

all else flies with the fleeting year,

but Fame can never die.

THE SAME

W. HERBERT

T would less vex distressed man

It would less vex same pace, ran

to ruin him, as he did rise;
but highest states fall in a trice.
No great success held ever long:
a restless fate afflicts the throng
of Kings and Commons, and less days
serve to destroy them, than to raise.
Gook luck smiles once an age, but bad
makes kingdoms in a minute sad,
and every hour of life we drive,
hath o'er us a prerogative.

Then leave (by wild Impatience driven,
and rash resents,) to rail at heaven,

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leave an unmanly, weak complaint
that Death and Fate have no restraint.
In the same hour, that gave thee breath,
thou hadst ordained thy hour of death,
but he lives most, who here will buy
with a few tears eternity.

H. VAUGHAN

THE EXODUS OF THE ISRAELITES

WHEN Israel was from bondage led,

WHE

led by th' Almighty's hand

from out a foreign land,

the great sea beheld and fled.

As men pursu’d, when that fear past they find,
stop on some higher ground to look behind,
so whilst through wondrous ways

the sacred army went,

the waves afar stood up to gaze,

and their own rocks did represent, solid as waters are above the firmament. Old Jordan's waters to their spring

start back with sudden fright;

the spring amazed at sight,

asks what news from sea they bring.

The mountains shook, and to the mountain's side
the little hills leapt round themselves to hide;
as young affrighted lambs,

when they ought dreadful spy,

run trembling to their helpless dams,
the mighty sea and river by

were glad for their excuse to see the hills to fly.

A. COWLEY

355 PANEGYRIC ON THE HIGH PRIEST SIMON,

SON OF ONIAS

H in his coming out of the sanctuary!

OW was he honoured in the midst of the people

He was as the morning star in the midst of the cloud, and as the moon at the full;

as the sun shining upon the temple of the most High, and as the rainbow giving light in the bright clouds: and as the flower of roses in the spring of the year, as lilies by the rivers of waters,

356

and as the branches of the frankincense tree in summer:

as fire and incense in the censer,

and as a vessel of gold set with precious stones,

as a fair olive-tree, budding forth fruit,

and as a cypress which groweth up to the clouds.
When he put on the robe of honour,

and was clothed with the perfection of glory,
when he went up to the holy altar,

he made the garment of holiness honourable.
He himself stood by the hearth of the altar,
compassed with his brethren round about,
as a young cedar in Libanus;

and as palm trees compassed they him round about.

ECCLESIASTICUS

MUTABILITY

HE flower that smiles to-day

THE to-morrow dies;

all that we wish to stay

tempts and then flies:

what is this world's delight?
lightning that mocks the night,
brief even as bright.

Virtue, how frail it is!

friendship too rare!

Love, how it sells poor bliss

for proud despair!

but we, though soon they fall,
survive their joy and all

which ours we call.

Whilst skies are blue and bright,

whilst flowers are gay,

whilst eyes that change ere night
make glad the day;

whilst yet the calm hours creep,
dream thou-and from thy sleep
then wake to weep.

P. B. SHELLEY

SUMMER'S DEPARTURE AND RETURN

FARE

AREWELL! on wings of sombre stain,
that blacken in the last blue skies,

thou fliest; but thou wilt come again
on the gay wings of butterflies:

F. S. II.

II

357

358

spring at thy approach will sprout
her new Corinthian beauties out,
leaf-woven homes, where twitter-words
will grow to songs-and eggs to birds;
ambitious buds shall swell to flowers,
and April smiles to sunny hours.
Bright days shall be, and gentle nights
full of soft breath and echo lights,
as if the god of sun-time kept
his eyes half-open while he slept,
roses shall be where roses were,
not shadows but reality,
as if they never perished there,
but slept in immortality:

Nature shall thrill with new delight,

and Time's relumined river run

warm as young blood, and dazzling bright
as if its source were in the sun.

'TIS

THE TRUE KING

IS not wealth that makes a king,
nor the purple's colouring,

nor a brow that's bound with gold,
nor gates on mighty hinges rolled.
The king is he who, void of fear,
looks abroad with bosom clear,
who can tread ambition down,
nor be swayed by smile or frown,
nor for all the treasure cares

that mine conceals or harvest bears,
or that golden sands deliver
bosomed in a glassy river.

What shall move his placid might?
nor the headlong thunder-light,
nor the storm that rushes out

to snatch the shivering waves about,
nor all the shapes of slaughter's trade,
with forward lance or fiery blade.
Safe with wisdom for his crown,
he looks on all things calmly down;
he welcomes fate, when fate is near,
nor taints his dying breath with fear.

T. HOOD

359

COMPLAINT ON ENGLAND'S MISERIES

AH,

H, happy Isle, how art thou chang'd and curst,
since I was born and knew thee first!"

when Peace, which had forsook the world around,
(frighted with noise and the shrill trumpet's sound),
thee for a private place of rest

and a secure retirement chose

wherein to build her halcyon nest;

no wind durst stir abroad the air to discompose.

When all the riches of the globe beside
flowed in to thee with every tide;
when all that nature did thy soil deny
the growth was of thy fruitful industry;
when all the proud and dreadful sea,
and all his tributary-streams,

a constant tribute paid to thee;

when all the liquid world was one extended Thames. Unhappy Isle! no ship of thine at sea

was ever tossed and torn like thee:

thy naked hulk loose on the waves does beat,
the rocks and banks around her ruin threat:
what did thy foolish pilots ail,

to lay the compass quite aside?
without a law or rule to sail,

and rather take the winds than heavens to be their guide?

360

A. COWLEY

ADVERSITY THE SCHOOL OF HEROISM

O, when the wisest poets seek

a picture of heroic worth,

set forth

(the pious Trojan or the prudent Greek)

they choose some comely Prince of heavenly birth,
(no proud gigantic Son of earth

who strives t' usurp the gods' forbidden seat);
they feed him not with nectar, and the meat

that cannot without joy be eat;

but in the cold of want and storms of adverse chance

they harden his young virtue by degrees;

the beauteous drop first into ice does freeze,
and into solid crystal next advance.

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