20

Exceed their promise in the ripen'd store,
Yet in the rifing bloffom 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 feeks in vain for fuccour to the Stream.
The stream at once preferves her virgin leaves,
At once a shelter from her boughs receives,
Where Summer's beauty midst of Winter stays,
And Winter's Coolness fpite of Summer's rays. 30

W

WEEPING.

HILE Celia's Tears make forrow bright,
Proud Grief fits fwelling in her eyes;

The Sun, next those the fairest light,

Thus from the Ocean first did rise :
And thus thro' Mifts we see the Sun,
Which else we durft not gaze upon,

Thefe filver drops, like morning dew,
Foretell the fervour of the day:

So from one Cloud foft 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 funny Sphere

So like a Phaeton appears,

35

40

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 fet, like him, Heav'n too on fire.

v.

E. of ROCHESTER.

On SILENCE,

I.

ILENCE! coeval with Eternity;

SILE

Thou wert, ere Nature's self began to be,.

'Twas one vaft Nothing, all, and all slept fast in thee.

II.

Thine was the fway, ere heav'n was form'd, or

earth,

Ere fruitful Thought conceiv'd creation's birth, Or midwife Word gave aid, and fpoke 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 bufyHuman-kind,

IV.

The tongue mov'd gently firft, and fpeech was

low,

ΙΟ

'Till wrangling Science taught it noise and show, And wicked Wit arose, thy most abusive foe,

But rebel Wit deferts thee oft' in vain ;
Loft in the maze of words he turns again,

14

And feeks a furer ftate, and courts thy gentle reign,

VI.

Afflicted Senfe thou kindly doft fet free,
Opprefs'd with argumental tyranny,

And routed Reason finds a fafe retreat in thee,

VII.

With thee in private modest Dulness lies, And in thy bofom 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 fleeping in the breast,

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

IX.

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

name,

The only honour of the wishing dame;

25

Thy very want of tongue makes thee a kind of

Fame,

X.

But could' ft thou feize fome tongues that now are free,

How Church and State fhould be oblig'd to thee? At Senate,and at Bar,how welcome would'ft thou be?

XI.

Yet fpeech ev'n there, fubmiffively withdraws, From rights of fubjects, and the poor man's caufe; Then pompous Silence reigns, and ftills the noify

Laws,

XII.

Paft fervices of friends, good deeds of foes, What Fav'rites gain, and what the Nation owes, Fly the forgetful world, and in thy arms repofe,

XIII.

The country wit, religion of the town, The courtier's learning, policy o'th' gown, Are beft by thee express'd; and shine in thee alone,

XIV.

The parfon's cant, the lawyer's fophistry, Lord's quibble, critic's jeft; all end in thee, All rest in peace at last, and fleep eternally.