But killing charms your lover's death contrive, Lest heav'nly music should be heard alive. Orpheus could charm the trees; but thus a tree, Taught by your hand, can charm no less than he. A poet made the silent wood pursue; This vocal wood had drawn the poet too. On a Fan of the Author's design, in which was painted the story of Cephalus and Procris, with the motto "Aura Veni," COME, gentle Air! th' Æolian shepherd said, She views the story with attentive eyes, And pities Procris, while her lover dies, IV. COWLEY. The Garden. FAIN would my Muse the flow'ry treasure sing, orange-trees with blooms and pendants shine, The stream at once preserves her virgin leaves, At once a shelter from her boughs receives, Where summer's beauty midst of winter stays, And winter's coolness spite of summer's rays. WHI Weeping. HILE Celia's tears make sorrow bright, The sun, next those the fairest light,' These silver drops, like morning dew, The baby in that sunny sphere That Heav'n, the threaten'd world to spare, V. EARL OF ROCHESTER. On Silence. I. SILENCE! coeval with eternity; Thou wert, ere Nature's self began to be; 'Twas one vast nothing all, and all slept fast in thee. II. Thine was the sway, ere heav'n was form❜d, or earth, Ere fruitful Thought conceiv'd Creation's birth, Or midwife Word gave aid, and spoke the infant forth. III. Then various elements against thee join'd, And fram'd the clam'rous race of busy human-kind. IV. The tongue mov'd gently first, and speech was low, Till wrangling Science taught it noise and show, And wicked Wit arose, thy most abusive foe. V. But rebel Wit deserts thee oft in vain : Lost in the maze of words he turns again, And seeks a surer state, and courts thy gentle reign. 4 VI. Afflicted Sense thou kindly dost set free, And routed Reason finds a safe retreat in thee. With thee in private, modest Dulness lies, VIII. Yet thy indulgence is by both confest ; And 'tis in thee at last that Wisdom seeks for rest. IX. Silence! the knave's repute, the whore's good name, The only honor of the wishing dame, The very want of tongue makes thee a kind of fame! X. But couldst thou seize some tongues that now are free, How church and state should be oblig'd to thee! At senate, and at bar, how welcome wouldst thou be? XI. Yet speech, ev'n there, submissively withdraws From rights of subjects, and the poor man's cause; Then pompous Silence reigns, and stills the noisy laws. |