So dark a Veil obfcur'd her rev'rend Head,
The wifeft Trav'lers knew not where to tread,
Blind Zeal and mad Enthufiafts fhew'd the way,
While wand'ring Meteors led their Eyes aftray;
Thro' the dark Maze, without a Clue, they ran;
And, at Beft, ended where they first began:
But now at last we're brought so near her Throne,
At the next step the glorious Crown's our own.
HORTI ARLINGTONIANI. Ad Clariffimum Dominum, Henricum, Comitem Arlingtonia, &c.
Agnificos propter faltus, & avita Jacobi
Ac Ducis ac Divi nomen commune tuetur,
Surgunt coctilibus fuccinita palatia muris:
Qua pofita ad Zephyrum, radiis fol igneus aureis,
Illuftrat moriente die, nafcente falutat.
Eximiam, interea molem mirantur euntes,
Vulgufque, Procerefque: caducos plorat honores
Aulicus, & rerum faftigia lubrica damnat s
Falicemque vocat Dominum, cui tempora vite
Labuntur variis aule inconcufa procellis.
Et quamvis procul hand abfint, tum plebis iniqua
Improba garrulitas, tum clamon, &nambitus aula,
Circumfufa quies, & pax incognita Magnis
Hic placidè regnant; & verum fimplice cultu,
Propofitique tenax virtus, & pectus honeftum.
Namque ubi prima diem furgens Aurora reducit,
Et matutina fudant fub roribus herba,
Nulla volans fumante viam rota turbine verfat,
Crebra putres fonitu nec verberat ungula glebas :
Hinc procul imbelles persultant pabula Dame,
Atque pia placidos curant dulcedine fœtus;.
·Inde, loquax ripas & aquofa cubilia linquens
Fertur Anas, madidis irrorans æthera pennis.
Vos Q Pierides molli teftudine Mufa,
Dicite pulchricomis depictum floribus hortum:
Nullus abeft cui dulcis honos, quem mille pererrant
Formofa Veneres, pharetrâque Cupido tuetur.
Non illum Alcinoi floreta, aut Theffala Tempe
Exuperant, quanquam hæc qui fingunt omnia, Vates
Mendaci fublime ferant ad fydera cantu.
Areaque in medio eft multum fpectabilis horto, Ordinibus raris palorum obducta, tuentum Latificans oculos ac dona latentia prodens : Nempe hac per fpatia flores tranfmittit iniqua Diftinetos variis maculis, & fuave rubentes. Non illic viola, neque candida lilia defunt: Parva loquor: quicquid noftro Deus invidet orbi, Hic viget, & quicquid tepidi vicinia folis Latior Hefperiis educit germen in arvis. Qualia fæpe inter moriens floreta Cupido Conjugis aterno jacuit devinctus^amore ; Te folam cupiens, in Te pulcherrima Pfyche Arfit,& heu propriis fixit præcordia telis! Nec fine nomine erunt myrteta, nec aurea Poma; Qua quoniam calido nafcuntùr plurima cœlo Et brumas indocta pati nimbofque ruentes, Nec fas hic teneros ramorum effundere fœtus: Protinus hybernis clauduntur ab athere tectis, Spirantefque premunt animas, ne poma caduca Vel glacies ladat, teneras vel frigora myrtos: Tum vero, estate in media, stabula alta relinquunt, Scilicet,& turtas de cortice trudere gemmas, Inque novos foles audent fe credere, molles Ut captent Zephyros impune, ac lumen amicum.
Nec Te præteream, tenebris qua dives opacis Sylva vires, vento motis peramabilis umbris : Hic magnus labor ille & inextricabilis error, Per quem mille viis errantem Thefea duxit, Ah nimis infelix per fila fequentia virgo ! Securi hic tenero ludunt in gramine amantes ;
Nec reperire viam curant, ubi lumina vefper
Deficiente die accendit; fed longius ipfam
Hic fecum placidè cupiunt consumere notłem:
Dum fuper arboreos modulans Luscinia rames,
Dulce melos iterat, tenerosque invitat amores.
Quinetiam extremo surgit conterminus horte
Mons fælix, albis quem circum Gessamis ornat
Floribus, ac la:as dat prætereuntibus umbras.
Hunc fuper afcendit turbá comitante virum Rex
Augustus, Proceresque caput supereminet omnes ;
Atque pedem properans graditur, veftigia volvens
Grandie, nec fera meminit decedere nocti.
Omnibus ante oculos divini ruris imago,
Et fincera quies operum, rerumque nitescit
Incorruptus honos, & nefcia fallere vita.
Nec non hic folus placidi fuper ardua montis,
Clare Comes, tecum meditaris, mente ferenâ
Munera Dadalea natura; animusque recedit
In loca facra, fugitque procul contagia mundi.
Defpicere unde queas miferos, passimque videre
Mortales, vita fubeuntes mille pericla ;
Continuò inter fe niti præftante labore,
Divitiis inhiare & habenas fumere rerum ;
Deturbare throno Regem, magnafque aliorum
Fortunas ambire, ac nigris fervere curis.
Dum Tu, Magne Comes, minimâ fine parte doloris,
Profpicis ex alto viridantes gramine saltus :
Undique confluxam hinc turbam, lautifque crepantes
Sub pedibus cochleas, teneras queis fibula dives
Connectit foleas, gemmis imitantibus ignes:
Inde lacus luftras, puroque canalia rivo
Lucida, magnificam neque lumen ničtat ad aulam.
Inter Purpureos, Regi gratissime, Patres,
O Dium, fidumque Caput, venerabile gentis
Præfidium! O magnos jamdudum exute labores!
Sapius hic tecum placido spatieris in horto,
Traducens faciles, fed non inglorius annosz
Et vitam ftudiis florentem nobilis Oti!
Dum timor omnis abeft, curaque incendia luctus,
Nec Tibi vel telis audet fortuna nocere,
Vel ftruere infidias canis. Tibi libera tranfis
Tempora, & accedis tantum non hofpes ad aulam.
O felix animi, Quem non ratione relictâ,
Spes elata trahit laudumque arrelta cupido ;
Nec miferè infomnes cogunt difperdere noctes!
At fecura quies, anima divina voluptas,
Mitiaque emeritam folantur fata fene&tam.
Unica Regali connubit filia ftirpi,
Anglia quas habuit pulchris prælata puellis.
Qua pofcis meliora Deos.? que pondere vafto
Corruit ufta domus, flamma fecura minacis
Ecce ftat, è tantis major meliorque ruinis !·
Scilicet hanc rerum alma Parens, ut vidit ab alta
Nube Venus; circum divini colla Mariti
Fufa fuper, rofeoque arridens fuaviter ore,
Sic Divum alloquitur: Noftros delectat ocellos
Pulchra domus, favis olim confumpta favillis:
En hujus (fi fata finant) celebrabitur Hares
Herois divina, & me digniffima cura!
Pallas & hoc pofcit; (proprio favet illa Miniftro,)
Qui Divam colit, ac fimiles affurgit ad artes.
Vincitur illecebris Deus; & jubet omine lato
Stare diu, longofque domum fuperesse per annos.
O tell Amynta gentle Swain,
complain:
Thy tuneful Voice with numbers join,
Thy words will more prevail than mine;
To Souls opprefs'd and dumb with Grief,
The Gods ordain this kind Relief;
That Mufick fhou'd in Sounds convey,
What dying Lovers dare not fay.
A Sigh or Tear perhaps fhe'll give,
But Love on Pity cannot live.
Tell her that Hearts for Hearts were made,
And Love with Love is only paid.
Tell her my Pains fo faft encrease,
That foon they will be paft redress;
But ah! the Wretch that fpeechless lyes,
Attends but Death to close his Eyes.
On the KING'S-HOUSE now Building at WINCHESTER.
S foon as mild Augustus cou'd affwage
A bloody civil Wars licentious Rage,
He made the Bleffing that He gave increase,
By teaching Rome the fofter Arts of Peace.
The Sacred Temples wanting due repair,
Had first their Wounds heal'd with a pious Care,
Nor ceas'd his Labour, 'till proud Rome out-vy'd
In Glory all the fubject World befide.
Thus Charles in Peace returning to our Ifle,
With Building did his regal Cares beguile.
London almoft confum'd, but to a Name,
He refcues from the fierce devouring Flame;
Its hoftile Rage the burning Town enjoy'd,
For he reftor'd as fast as that deftroy'd:
'Twas quickly burnt, and quickly built again,
The double Wonder of his Halcyon Reign.
Of Windsor Castle (his belov'd Retreat
From this vaft City troublesomely great,)
'Twas Denham only with fuccefs cou'd write,
The Nation's Glory and the King's Delight.
On Winchester my Mufe her Song bestows,
She that finall Tribute to her Country owes.
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