Poetical Works of Edmund Waller and Sir John Denham Part 15

CON.

They, who know all the wealth they have, are poor; He's only rich that cannot tell his store.

PRO.

Not he that knows the wealth he has is poor, But he that dares not touch, nor use, his store.

[1] 'Hine': hind.

AN APOLOGY FOR HAVING LOVED BEFORE.

1 They that never had the use Of the grape's surprising juice, To the first delicious cup All their reason render up; Neither do, nor care to know, Whether it be best or no.

2 So they that are to love inclined, Sway'd by chance, not choice or art, To the first that's fair, or kind, Make a present of their heart; 'Tis not she that first we love, But whom dying we approve.

3 To man, that was in th'ev'ning made, Stars gave the first delight, Admiring, in the gloomy shade, Those little drops of light; Then at Aurora, whose fair hand Removed them from the skies, He gazing t'ward the east did stand, She entertain'd his eyes.

4 But when the bright sun did appear, All those he 'gan despise; His wonder was determined there, And could no higher rise; He neither might, nor wished to know A more refulgent light; For that (as mine your beauties now) Employ'd his utmost sight.

THE NIGHT-PIECE; OR, A PICTURE DRAWN IN THE DARK.

Darkness, which fairest nymphs disarms, Defends us ill from Mira's charms; Mira can lay her beauty by, Take no advantage of the eye, Quit all that Lely's art can take, And yet a thousand captives make.

Her speech is graced with sweeter sound Than in another's song is found!

And all her well-placed words are darts, Which need no light to reach our hearts. 10 As the bright stars and Milky Way, Show'd by the night, are hid by day; So we, in that accomplish'd mind, Help'd by the night, new graces find, Which, by the splendour of her view, Dazzled before, we never knew.

While we converse with her, we mark No want of day, nor think it dark; Her s.h.i.+ning image is a light Fix'd in our hearts, and conquers night. 20 Like jewels to advantage set, Her beauty by the shade does get; There blushes, frowns, and cold disdain, All that our pa.s.sion might restrain, Is hid, and our indulgent mind Presents the fair idea kind.

Yet, friended by the night, we dare Only in whispers tell our care; He that on her his bold hand lays, With Cupid's pointed arrows plays; 30 They with a touch (they are so keen!) Wound us unshot, and she unseen.

All near approaches threaten death; We may be s.h.i.+pwreck'd by her breath; Love, favour'd once with that sweet gale, Doubles his haste, and fills his sail, Till he arrive where she must prove The haven, or the rock, of love.

So we th'Arabian coast do know At distance, when the spices blow; 40 By the rich odour taught to steer, Though neither day nor stars appear.

ON THE PICTURE OF A FAIR YOUTH, TAKEN AFTER HE WAS DEAD.

As gather'd flowers, while their wounds are new, Look gay and fresh, as on the stalk they grew; Torn from the root that nourish'd them, awhile (Not taking notice of their fate) they smile, And, in the hand which rudely pluck'd them, show Fairer than those that to their autumn grow; So love and beauty still that visage grace; Death cannot fright them from their wonted place.

Alive, the hand of crooked Age had marr'd, Those lovely features which cold Death has spared.

No wonder then he sped in love so well, When his high pa.s.sion he had breath to tell; When that accomplish'd soul, in this fair frame, No business had but to persuade that dame, Whose mutual love advanced the youth so high, That, but to heaven, he could no higher fly.

ON A BREDE OF DIVERS COLOURS, WOVEN BY FOUR LADIES.

Twice twenty slender virgin-fingers twine This curious web, where all their fancies s.h.i.+ne.

As Nature them, so they this shade have wrought, Soft as their hands, and various as their thought; Not Juno's bird when, his fair train dispread, He woos the female to his painted bed, No, not the bow, which so adorns the skies, So glorious is, or boasts so many dyes.

OF A WAR WITH SPAIN, AND FIGHT AT SEA.[1]

Now, for some ages, had the pride of Spain Made the sun s.h.i.+ne on half the world in vain; While she bid war to all that durst supply The place of those her cruelty made die.

Of Nature's bounty men forebore to taste, And the best portion of the earth lay waste.

From the new world, her silver and her gold Came, like a tempest, to confound the old; Feeding with these the bribed electors' hopes, Alone she gives us emperors and popes; 10 With these accomplis.h.i.+ng her vast designs, Europe was shaken with her Indian mines.

When Britain, looking with a just disdain Upon this gilded majesty of Spain, And knowing well that empire must decline, Whose chief support and sinews are of coin, Our nation's solid virtue did oppose To the rich troublers of the world's repose.

And now some months, encamping on the main, Our naval army had besieged Spain; 20 They that the whole world's monarchy design'd, Are to their ports by our bold fleet confined; From whence our Red Cross they triumphant see, Riding without a rival on the sea.

Others may use the ocean as their road, Only the English make it their abode, Whose ready sails with every wind can fly, And make a cov'nant with th'inconstant sky; Our oaks secure, as if they there took root, 29 We tread on billows with a steady foot.

Meanwhile the Spaniards in America, Near to the line the sun approaching saw, And hoped their European coasts to find Clear'd from our s.h.i.+ps by the autumnal wind; Their huge capacious galleons stuff'd with plate, The lab'ring winds drive slowly t'wards their fate.

Before St. Lucar they their guns discharge To tell their joy, or to invite a barge; This heard some s.h.i.+ps of ours (though out of view), And, swift as eagles, to the quarry flew; 40 So heedless lambs, which for their mothers bleat, Wake hungry lions, and become their meat.

Arrived, they soon begin that tragic play, And with their smoky cannons banish day; Night, horror, slaughter, with confusion meets, And in their sable arms embrace the fleets.

Through yielding planks the angry bullets fly, And, of one wound, hundreds together die; Born under diff'rent stars, one fate they have, The s.h.i.+p their coffin, and the sea their grave! 50 Bold were the men which on the ocean first Spread their new sails, when s.h.i.+pwreck was the worst; More danger now from man alone we find Than from the rocks, the billows, or the wind.

They that had sail'd from near th'Antarctic Pole, Their treasure safe, and all their vessels whole, In sight of their dear country ruin'd be, Without the guilt of either rock or sea!

What they would spare, our fiercer art destroys, Surpa.s.sing storms in terror and in noise. 60 Once Jove from Ida did both hosts survey, And, when he pleased to thunder, part the fray;

Here, heaven in vain that kind retreat should sound, The louder cannon had the thunder drown'd.

Some we made prize; while others, burn'd and rent, With their rich lading to the bottom went; Down sinks at once (so Fortune with us sports:) The pay of armies, and the pride of courts.

Vain man! whose rage buries as low that store, As avarice had digg'd for it before; 70 What earth, in her dark bowels, could not keep From greedy hands, lies safer in the deep, Where Thetis kindly does from mortals hide Those seeds of luxury, debate, and pride.

And now, into her lap the richest prize Fell, with the n.o.blest of our enemies; The Marquis[2](glad to see the fire destroy Wealth that prevailing foes were to enjoy) Out from his flaming s.h.i.+p his children sent, To perish in a milder element; 80 Then laid him by his burning lady's side, And, since he could not save her, with her died.

Spices and gums about them melting fry, And, phoenix-like, in that rich nest they die; Alive, in flames of equal love they burn'd, And now together are to ashes turn'd; Ashes! more worth than all their fun'ral cost, Than the huge treasure which was with them lost.

These dying lovers, and their floating sons, Suspend the fight, and silence all our guns; 90 Beauty and youth about to perish, finds Such n.o.ble pity in brave English minds, That (the rich spoil forgot, their valour's prize,) All labour now to save their enemies.

How frail our pa.s.sions! how soon changed are 95 Our wrath and fury to a friendly care!

They that but now for honour, and for plate, Made the sea blush with blood, resign their hate; And, their young foes endeav'ring to retrieve, With greater hazard than they fought, they dive. 100

With these, returns victorious Montague, With laurels in his hand, and half Peru.

Let the brave generals divide that bough, Our great Protector hath such wreaths enow; His conqu'ring head has no more room for bays; Then let it be as the glad nation prays; Let the rich ore forthwith be melted down, And the state fix'd by making him a crown; With ermine clad, and purple, let him hold A royal sceptre, made of Spanish gold. 110

[1] 'Fight at sea': see any good English History, under date 1656.

[2] 'Marquis': of Badajos, viceroy of Mexico.