EPITAPH

UPON THE EARL OF ROCHESTER'S BEING DISMISSED FROM THE TREASURY, IN 1687.

HERE lies a creature of indulgent Fate,
From Tory Hyde rais'd to a chit of state;
In chariot now, Elisha like, he's hurl'd
To the' upper empty regions of the world:
The airy thing cuts through the yielding sky;
And as it goes does into atoms fly:

While we on Earth see, with no small delight,
The bird of prey turn'd to a paper kite.
With drunken pride and rage he did so swell,
The hated thing without compassion fell;
By powerful force of universal prayer,
The ill-blown bubble is now turn'd to air;
To his first less than nothing he is gone,
By his preposterous transaction!

EPITAPH.

INTENDED FOR DRYDEN'S WIFE.

HERE lies my wife here let her lie!
Now she's at rest, and so am I.

EPIGRAM,

ON THE DUCHESS OE PORTSMOUTH'S PICTURE,

SURE we do live by Cleopatra's age,
Since Sunderland does govern now the stage:
She of Septimius had nothing made,
Pompey alone had been by her betray'd.
Were she a poet, she would surely boast,
That all the world for pearls had well been lost.

DESCRIPTION OF

OLD JACOB TONSON'.

WITH leering look, bull-faced, and freckled fair,
With two left legs, with Judas colour'd hair,
And frowzy pores, that taint the ambient air.-

1 On Tonson's refusing to give Dryden the price he asked for his Virgil, the poet sent him the above; and added, “Tell the dog, that he who wrote them, can write more." The money was paid.

ODES.

ALEXANDER'S FEAST;

OR,

THE POWER OF MUSIC.

IN HONOUR OF ST. CECILIA'S DAY,

'Twas at the royal feast, for Persia won By Philip's warlike son;

Aloft in awful state

The godlike hero sate

On his imperial throne:

His valiant peers were placed around,

Their brows with roses and with myrtles bound;

(So should desert in arms be crown'd)

The lovely Thais by his side

Sate like a blooming eastern bride,
In flower of youth and beauty's pride.
Happy, happy, happy pair!

None but the brave,

None but the brave,

None but the brave deserves the fair,

CHORUS.

Happy, happy, happy pair!

None but the brave,

None but the brave,

None but the brave deserves the fair.

Timotheus, placed on high
Amid the tuneful quire,

With flying fingers touch'd the lyre:
The trembling notes ascend the sky,
And heavenly joys inspire.
The song began from Jove,

Who left his blissful seats above,
(Such is the power of mighty love)
A dragon's fiery form belied the god :
Sublime on radiant spires he rode,
When he to fair Olympia press'd;
And while he sought her snowy breast;
Then round her slender waist he curl'd,

[world.
And stamp'd an image of himself, a sovereign of the
The listening crowd admire the lofty sound;
A present deity, they shout around :

A present deity, the vaulted roofs rebound.
With ravish'd ears

The monarch hears;
Assumes the god,

Affects to nod,

And seems to shake the spheres.

CHORUS.

With ravish'd ears

The monarch hears;

Assumes the god,

Affects to nod,

And seems to shake the spheres.

The praise of Bacchus then the sweet musician sung;

Of Bacchus, ever fair and ever young:

The jolly god in triumph comes;

Sound the trumpets, beat the drums:

Flush'd with a purple grace,

He shows his honest face.

Now give the hautboys breath. He comes! he Bacchus ever fair and

young,

Drinking joys did first ordain;

Bacchus' blessings are a treasure;
Drinking is the soldier's pleasure;

Rich the treasure,

Sweet the pleasure;

Sweet is pleasure after pain,

CHORUS.

Bacchus' blessings are a treasure;
Drinking is the soldier's pleasure :

Rich the treasure,

Sweet the pleasure;

Sweet is pleasure after pain.

[comes!

Sooth'd with the sound the King grew vain;

Fought all his battles o'er again;

And thrice he routed all his foes, and thrice he slew

The master saw the madness rise;

His glowing cheeks, his ardent eyes:

And while he heaven and earth defied,

[the slain.

Changed his hand, and check'd his pride,
He chose a mournful muse,

Soft pity to infuse :

He sung Darius, great and good;

By too severe a fate,

Fallen, fallen, fallen, fallen,

Fallen from his high estate,
And weltering in his blood;
Deserted at his utmost need
By those his former bounty fed;