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Exceed their promise in the ripen'd store,
Yet in the rifing blossom promise more.
There in bright drops the crystal Fountains play,
By Laurels shielded from the piercing day:
Where Daphne, now a tree as once a maid,
Still from Apollo vindicates her shade,
Still turns her beauties from th' invading beam, 25
Nor seeks in vain for fuccour to the stream,
The stream at once preserves her virgin leaves,
At once a shelter from her boughs receives,
Where Summer's beauty midft of Winter stays,
And Winter's Coolness spite of Summer's rays. 30

WEEPING.

WHILE Celia's Tears make forrow bright,

Proud grief fits fwelling in her eyes;

The Sun, next those the faireft light,
Thus from the Ocean first did rise :
And thus thro' Mists we see the Sun,
Which else we durst not gaze upon.

These silver drops, like morning dew,
Foretell the fervour of the day:
So from one cloud soft show'rs we view,
And blasting lightnings burst away.
The Stars that fall from Celia's eye,
Declare our Doom in drawing nigh.

The Baby in that sunny Sphere

So like a Phaëton appears,

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That Heav'n, the threaten'd World to spare, 45
Thought fit to drown him in her Tears :

Elfe might th' ambitious Nymph aspire,
To set, like him, Heav'n too on fire.

V.

E. of ROCHESTER.

On SILENCE.

I.

ILENCE! coeval with Eternity;

SIL

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,

In one more various animal combin'd,

And fram'd the clam'rous race of busyHuman-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 deferts thee oft' in vain;

Loft in the maze of words he turns again, 14

And seeks a surer state, and courts thy gentle reign.

VI.

Afflicted Sense thou kindly dost set free,
Oppress'd with argumental tyranny,

And routed Reason finds a fafe retreat in thee.

VII.

With thee in private modest Dulness lies,
And in thy bosom lurks in Thought's disguise;

Thou varnisher of Fools, and cheat of all the Wife!

VIII.

Yet thy indulgence is by both confeft;
Folly by thee lies sleeping in the breast,

And 'tis in thee at last that Wisdom seeks for rest.

IX.

Silence the knave's repute, the whore's good

name,

The only honour of the wishing dame ;

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Thy very want of tongue makes thee a kind of

Fame.

Χ.

But could'st thou seize some tongues that now are free,

How Church and State should be oblig'd to thee? AtSenate, and at Bar, how welcome would'st thou be?

XI.

Yet speech ev'n there, submissively withdraws, From rights of fubjects, and the poor man's cause: Then pompous Silence reigns, and stills the noisy

Laws.

XII.

Past services of friends, good deeds of foes, What Fav'rites gain, and what the Nation owes,

Fly the forgetful world, and in thy arms repose.

XIII.

The country wit, religion of the town,

The courtier's learning, policy o'th' gown,

Are best by thee express'd; and shine in thee alone.

XIV.

The parson's cant, the lawyer's sophistry,
Lord's quibble, critic's jest; all end in thee,

All rest in peace at last, and fleep eternally.

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