The Poetical Works of John Dryden Volume I Part 2

23 No sooner was the Frenchman's cause[10] embraced, Than the light Monsieur the grave Don outweigh'd; His fortune turn'd the scale where'er 'twas cast, Though Indian mines were in the other laid.

24 When absent, yet we conquer'd in his right: For though some meaner artist's skill were shown In mingling colours or in placing light, Yet still the fair designment was his own.

25 For from all tempers he could service draw; The worth of each, with its alloy, he knew; And, as the confidant of Nature, saw How she complexions did divide and brew.

26 Or he their single virtues did survey, By intuition, in his own large breast; Where all the rich ideas of them lay; That were the rule and measure to the rest.

27 When such heroic virtue Heaven sets out, The stars, like commons, sullenly obey; Because it drains them when it comes about, And therefore is a tax they seldom pay.

28 From this high spring our foreign conquests flow, Which yet more glorious triumphs do portend; Since their commencement to his arms they owe, If springs as high as fountains may ascend.

29 He made us freemen of the Continent,[11]

Whom Nature did like captives treat before; To n.o.bler preys the English lion sent, And taught him first in Belgian walks to roar.

30 That old unquestion'd pirate of the land, Proud Rome, with dread the fate of Dunkirk heard; And trembling wish'd behind more Alps to stand, Although an Alexander[12] were her guard.

31 By his command we boldly cross'd the line, And bravely fought where southern stars arise; We traced the far-fetch'd gold unto the mine, And that which bribed our fathers made our prize.

32 Such was our prince; yet own'd a soul above The highest acts it could produce to show: Thus poor mechanic arts in public move, Whilst the deep secrets beyond practice go.

33 Nor died he when his ebbing fame went less, But when fresh laurels courted him to live: He seem'd but to prevent some new success, As if above what triumphs earth could give.

34 His latest victories still thickest came, As near the centre motion doth increase; Till he, press'd down by his own weighty name, Did, like the vestal,[13] under spoils decease.

35 But first the ocean as a tribute sent The giant prince of all her watery herd; And the Isle, when her protecting genius went, Upon his obsequies loud sighs[14] conferr'd.

36 No civil broils have since his death arose, But faction now by habit does obey; And wars have that respect for his repose, As winds for halcyons, when they breed at sea.

37 His ashes in a peaceful urn[15] shall rest; His name a great example stands, to show How strangely high endeavours may be blest, Where piety and valour jointly go.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 5: 'Sacred eagle:' the Romans let fly an eagle from the pile of a dead Emperor.]

[Footnote 6: 'Bold Greek:' Alexander the Great.]

[Footnote 7: 'Palms' were thought to grow best under pressure.]

[Footnote 8: 'Bologna's walls,' &c.: alluding to a Popish story about the wall of Bologna, on which was an image of the Virgin, being blown up, and falling exactly into its place again.]

[Footnote 9: 'Wands:' see the 'Antiquary.']

[Footnote 10: 'Frenchman's cause:' the treaty of alliance which Cromwell entered into with France against the Spaniards.]

[Footnote 11: 'Freemen of the Continent:' by the taking of Dunkirk.]

[Footnote 12: 'Alexander:' Alexander VII., at this time Pope.]

[Footnote 13: 'Vestal:' Tarpeia.]

[Footnote 14: 'Loud sighs:' the tempest which occurred at Cromwell's death.]

[Footnote 15: 'Peaceful urn:' Dryden no true prophet--Cromwell's bones having been dragged out of the royal vault, and exposed on the gibbet in 1660.]

ASTRaeA REDUX.

A POEM ON THE HAPPY RESTORATION AND RETURN OF HIS SACRED MAJESTY CHARLES II., 1660.

"Jam redit et virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna."--VIRG.

"The last great age, foretold by sacred rhymes, Renews its finish'd course; Saturnian times Roll round again."

Now with a general peace the world was blest, While ours, a world divided from the rest, A dreadful quiet felt, and worser far Than arms, a sullen interval of war: Thus when black clouds draw down the labouring skies, Ere yet abroad the winged thunder flies, An horrid stillness first invades the ear, And in that silence we the tempest fear.

The ambitious Swede,[16] like restless billows tost, On this hand gaining what on that he lost, 10 Though in his life he blood and ruin breathed, To his now guideless kingdom peace bequeath'd.

And Heaven, that seem'd regardless of our fate, For France and Spain did miracles create; Such mortal quarrels to compose in peace, As nature bred, and interest did increase.

We sigh'd to hear the fair Iberian bride[17]

Must grow a lily to the lily's side; While our cross stars denied us Charles' bed, Whom our first flames and virgin love did wed. 20 For his long absence Church and State did groan; Madness the pulpit, faction seized the throne: Experienced age in deep despair was lost, To see the rebel thrive, the loyal cross'd: Youth that with joys had unacquainted been, Envied gray hairs that once good days had seen: We thought our sires, not with their own content, Had, ere we came to age, our portion spent.

Nor could our n.o.bles hope their bold attempt 30 Who ruin'd crowns would coronets exempt: For when by their designing leaders taught To strike at power, which for themselves they sought, The vulgar, gull'd into rebellion, arm'd; Their blood to action by the prize was warm'd.

The sacred purple, then, and scarlet gown, Like sanguine dye to elephants, was shown.

Thus when the bold Typhoeus scaled the sky, And forced great Jove from his own Heaven to fly, (What king, what crown from treason's reach is free, If Jove and Heaven can violated be?) 40 The lesser G.o.ds, that shared his prosperous state, All suffer'd in the exiled Thunderer's fate.

The rabble now such freedom did enjoy, As winds at sea, that use it to destroy: Blind as the Cyclop, and as wild as he, They own'd a lawless, savage liberty; Like that our painted ancestors so prized, Ere empire's arts their b.r.e.a.s.t.s had civilized.

How great were then our Charles' woes, who thus Was forced to suffer for himself and us! 50 He, tost by fate, and hurried up and down, Heir to his father's sorrows, with his crown, Could taste no sweets of youth's desired age, But found his life too true a pilgrimage.

Unconquer'd yet in that forlorn estate, His manly courage overcame his fate.

His wounds he took, like Romans, on his breast, Which by his virtue were with laurels drest.

As souls reach Heaven while yet in bodies pent, So did he live above his banishment. 60 That sun, which we beheld with cozen'd eyes Within the water, moved along the skies.

How easy 'tis, when destiny proves kind, With full-spread sails to run before the wind!

But those that 'gainst stiff gales laveering go, Must be at once resolved and skilful too.

He would not, like soft Otho,[18] hope prevent, But stay'd, and suffer'd fortune to repent.

These virtues Galba[19] in a stranger sought, And Piso to adopted empire brought. 70 How shall I then my doubtful thoughts express, That must his sufferings both regret and bless?

For when his early valour Heaven had cross'd; And all at Worcester but the honour lost; Forced into exile from his rightful throne, He made all countries where he came his own; And viewing monarchs' secret arts of sway, A royal factor for his kingdoms lay.

Thus banish'd David spent abroad his time, When to be G.o.d's anointed was his crime; 80 And when restored, made his proud neighbours rue Those choice remarks he from his travels drew.

Nor is he only by afflictions shown To conquer other realms, but rule his own: Recovering hardly what he lost before, His right endears it much; his purchase more.

Inured to suffer ere he came to reign, No rash procedure will his actions stain: To business, ripen'd by digestive thought, His future rule is into method brought: 90 As they who first proportion understand, With easy practice reach a master's hand.

Well might the ancient poets then confer On Night the honour'd name of Counsellor, Since, struck with rays of prosperous fortune blind, We light alone in dark afflictions find.

In such adversities to sceptre train'd, The name of Great his famous grandsire[20] gain'd: Who yet a king alone in name and right, With hunger, cold, and angry Jove did fight; 100 Shock'd by a covenanting league's vast powers, As holy and as catholic as ours: Till fortune's fruitless spite had made it known, Her blows, not shook, but riveted, his throne.

Some lazy ages, lost in sleep and ease, No action leave to busy chronicles: Such, whose supine felicity but makes In story chasms, in epoch's mistakes; O'er whom Time gently shakes his wings of down, Till, with his silent sickle, they are mown. 110 Such is not Charles' too, too active age, Which, govern'd by the wild distemper'd rage Of some black star infecting all the skies, Made him at his own cost, like Adam, wise.

Tremble, ye nations, which, secure before, Laugh'd at those arms that 'gainst ourselves we bore; Roused by the lash of his own stubborn tail, Our lion now will foreign foes a.s.sail.

With alga[21] who the sacred altar strews?

To all the sea-G.o.ds Charles an offering owes: 120 A bull to thee, Portumnus,[22] shall be slain, A lamb to you, ye Tempests of the main: For those loud storms that did against him roar, Have cast his s.h.i.+pwreck'd vessel on the sh.o.r.e.

Yet as wise artists mix their colours so, That by degrees they from each other go; Black steals unheeded from the neighbouring white, Without offending the well-cozen'd sight: So on us stole our blessed change; while we The effect did feel, but scarce the manner see. 130 Frosts that constrain the ground, and birth deny To flowers that in its womb expecting lie, Do seldom their usurping power withdraw, But raging floods pursue their hasty thaw.

Our thaw was mild, the cold not chased away, But lost in kindly heat of lengthen'd day.