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Her pious love excell'd to all she bore; New Objects only multiply'd it

more.

And as the Chosen found the

perly Grain

Her care of their Educa tion.

As much as ev'ry Vessel could contain ;
As in the Blissful Vision each shall share,
As much of Glory, as his soul can bear; 210
So did she love, and so dispense her Care.)
Her eldest thus, by consequence, was best;
As longer cultivated than the rest :
The Babe had all that Infant care beguiles,
And carly knew his Mother in her smiles:
But when dilated Organs let in day
To the young Soul, and gave it room to play,
At his first aptness, the Maternal Love
Those Rudiments of Reason did improve :
The tender Age was pliant to command; 220
Like Wax it yielded to the forming hand :
True to th' Artificer, the labour'd Mind
With ease was pious, generous, just and
kind;

Soft for Impression, from the first, prepar'd,
Till Vertue, with long exercise, grew hard;
With ev'ry Act confirm'd; and made, at last
So durable, as not to be effac'd,

It turned to Habit; and, from Vices free, Goodness resolv'd into Necessity.

Thus fix'd she Virtue's Image, that's her

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Still in their own, though from the Pallace far:

Thus her Friend's Heart her Country Dwelling was,

A sweet Retirement to a courser place: 260 Where Pomp and Ceremonies enter'd not; Where Greatness was shut out, and Buis’ness well forgot.

This is th' imperfect draught; but short as far

As the true height and bigness of a Star Exceeds the Measures of th' Astronomer. She shines above, we know, but in what place,

How near the Throne, and Heav'ns Imperial Face,

By our weak Opticks is but vainly ghest; Distance and Altitude conceal the rest. 269 Tho all these rare Endowments of the Mind

Were in a narrow space of life Reflections confin'd;

on the shortness of her life.

The Figure was with full Perfection crown'd; Though not so large an Orb, as truly round. As when in glory, through the publick place,

The Spoils of conquer'd Nations were to pass, And but one Day for Triumph was allowed, The Consul was constrain'd his Pomp to crowd;

And so the swift Procession hurry'd on, That all, though not distinctly, might be shown:

279

So, in the straiten'd bounds of life confin'd, She gave but glimpses of her glorious Mind And multitudes of Vertues pass'd along, Each pressing foremost in the mighty throng; Ambitious to be seen, and then make room, For greater Multitudes that were to come.

Yet unemploy'd no Minute slipt away; Moments were precious in so short a stay

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THE MONUMENT OF A FAIR MAIDEN LADY,
WHO DY'D AT BATH, AND IS THERE INTERR'D.

BELOW this Marble Monument is laid

All that Heav'n wants of this Celestial Maid.
Preserve, O sacred Tomb, thy Trust con-
sign'd:

The Mold was made on purpose for the
Mind:

And she wou'd lose, if at the latter Day
One Atom cou'd be mix'd, of other clay.
Such were the Features of her heavenly
Face;

Her Limbs were form'd with such harmonious
Grace,

So faultless was the Frame, as if the Whole
Had been an Emanation of the Soul; 10
Which her own inward Symmetry reveal'd;
And like a Picture shone, in Glass anneal'd
Or like the Sun eclips'd, with shaded Light:
Too piercing, else, to be sustain'd by
Sight.

Each Thought was visible that rowl'd within:
As through a Crystal Case, the figur'd Hours

are seen.

And Heav'n did this transparent Veil provide,

Because she had no guilty Thought to hide.

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All white, a Virgin-Saint, she sought the
Skies:

For Marriage, tho' it sullies not, it dies. 20
High tho' her Wit, yet humble was her
Mind;

As if she cou'd not, or she wou'd not find
How much her Worth transcended all her
Kind.

Yet she had learn'd so much of Heav'n below,
That, when arriv'd, she scarce had more to
know:

But only to refresh the former Ilint;
And read her Maker in a fairer Print.
So Pious, as she had no time to spare,
For human Thoughts, but was confin'd to
Pray'r.

Yet in such Charities she pass'd the Day, 30
'Twas wondrous how she found an Hour to
Pray.

A Soul so calm, it knew not Ebbs or Flows,
Which Passion cou'd but curl; not discom-
pose.

A Female Softness, with a manly Mind
A Daughter duteous, and a Sister kind:
In Sickness patient ; and in Death resign'd.

ON THE DEATH OF AMYNTAS.
A PASTORAL ELEGY.

'TWAS on a Joyless and a Gloomy Morn,
Wet was the Grass, and hung with Pearls
the Thorn,

When Damon, who design'd to pass the Day With Hounds and Horns, and chase the flying Prey,

Rose early from his Bed; but soon he found

The Welkin pitch'd with sullen Clouds
around,

An Eastern Wind, and Dew upon the
Ground.

THE MONUMENT OF A FAIR MAIDEN LADY. Text from the edition of 1700. The variants

Thus while he stood, and sighing did survey
The Fields, and curs'd th' ill Omens of the
Day,

He saw Menalcas come with heavy pace; 10
Wet were his Eyes, and chearless was his

Face:

He wrung his Hands, distracted with his Care,
And sent his Voice before him from afar.
Return, he cry'd, return unhappy Swain,
The spungy Clouds are fill'd with gath'ring
Rain:

28 as] that.

29 was] seem'd

In 6 with gives a wrong sense, and in 18

below are from the monument in the Abbey thoughts is false grammar. In 29 seem'd may

Church at Bath as reported by Christie.

o off with

18 Thought thoughts

be right: at any rate it gives better sense.

ON THE DEATH OF AMYNTAS Text from the Miscellanies, 1704.

The Promise of the Day not only crossed, But ev'n the Spring, the Spring it self is lost.

Amyntas-Oh! he cou'd not speak the rest, Nor needed, for presaging Damon guess'd. Equal with Heav'n young Damon loved the Boy;

20

The boast of Nature, both his Parents Joy.
His graceful Form revolving in his Mind;
So great a Genius, and a Soul so kind,
Gave sad assurance that his Fears were
true;

Too well the Envy of the Gods he knew:
For when their Gifts too lavishly are plac'd,
Soon they repent, and will not make them
last.

For, sure, it was too bountiful a Dole,
The Mother's Features, and the Father's
Soul.

Then thus he cry'd, The Morn bespoke the News, 30

The Morning did her chearful Light diffuse, But see how suddenly she changed her Face,

And brought on Clouds and Rains, the Day's disgrace:

Just such, Amyntas, was thy promis'd Race.

What Charms adorn'd thy Youth where
Nature smil'd,

And more than Man was giv'n us in a Child.
His Infancy was ripe: a Soul sublime
In Years so tender that prevented time;
Heav'n gave him all at once;
then

snatch'd away,

E're Mortals all his Beauties cou'd survey, Just like the Flow'r that buds and withers in a day.

MENALCAS.

4I

The Mother Lovely, tho' with Grief opprest, Reclin'd his dying Head upon her Breast. The mournful Family stood all around; One Groan was heard, one Universal Sound: All were in Floods of Tears and endless Sorrow drown'd.

So dire a Sadness sate on ev'ry Look,
Ev'n Death repented he had giv'n the
Stroke.

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DR.

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