The Poetical Works of John Dryden Volume I Part 37

[Footnote 140: 'Heywood and Shirley:' play writers in Queen Elizabeth's time.]

[Footnote 141: 'St Andre:' a famous French dancing-master.]

[Footnote 142: 'Psyche:' an opera of Shadwell's.]

[Footnote 143: 'Singleton:' a musician of the time.]

[Footnote 144: 'Nursery:' a theatre for training actors.]

[Footnote 145: 'Simkin:' a character of a cobbler, in an interlude.]

[Footnote 146: 'Panton:' a famous punster.]

[Footnote 147: 'Decker:' Thomas Decker, a dramatic poet of James I.'s reign.]

[Footnote 148: 'Worlds of Misers:' 'The Miser' and 'The Humourists' were two of Shadwell's comedies.]

[Footnote 149: 'Raymond' and 'Bruce:' the first of these is an insipid character in 'The Humourists'; the second, in 'The Virtuoso.']

[Footnote 150: 'Ogleby:' translator of Virgil.]

[Footnote 151: 'Herringman:' Henry Herringman, a bookseller; see 'Life.']

[Footnote 152: 'Love's Kingdom:' this is the name of the only play of Flecknoe's, which was acted, but miscarried in the representation.]

[Footnote 153: 'Virtuoso:' a play of Shadwell's.]

[Footnote 154: 'Gentle George:' Sir George Etheredge.]

[Footnote 155: 'Alien Sedley:' Sir Charles Sedley was supposed to a.s.sist Shadwell in writing his plays.]

[Footnote 156: 'Epsom prose:' alluding to Shadwell's play of 'Epsom Wells.']

[Footnote 157: 'Formal:' a character in 'The Virtuoso.']

[Footnote 158: 'Nicander:' a character of a lover in Shadwell's opera of 'Psyche.']

[Footnote 159: 'Wings and altars:' forms in which old acrostics were cast. See Herbert's 'Temple.']

[Footnote 160: 'Bruce and Longville:' two characters in Shadwell's 'Virtuoso.']

BRITANNIA REDIVIVA:

A POEM ON THE PRINCE, BORN JUNE 10, 1688.

Our vows are heard betimes! and Heaven takes care To grant, before we can conclude the prayer: Preventing angels met it half the way, And sent us back to praise, who came to pray.

Just on the day, when the high-mounted Sun Did furthest in his northern progress run, He bended forward, and even stretch'd the sphere Beyond the limits of the lengthen'd year, To view a brighter sun in Britain born; That was the business of his longest morn; 10 The glorious object seen, 'twas time to turn.

Departing Spring could only stay to shed Her bloomy beauties on the genial bed, But left the manly Summer in her stead, With timely fruit the longing land to cheer, And to fulfil the promise of the year.

Betwixt two seasons comes the auspicious heir, This age to blossom, and the next to bear.

Last solemn Sabbath[161] saw the Church attend, The Paraclete in fiery pomp descend; 20 But when his wondrous octave[162] roll'd again, He brought a royal infant in his train.

So great a blessing to so good a king, None but the Eternal Comforter could bring.

Or did the mighty Trinity conspire, As once in council, to create our sire?

It seems as if they sent the new-born guest To wait on the procession of their feast; And on their sacred anniverse decreed To stamp their image on the promised seed. 30 Three realms united, and on one bestow'd, An emblem of their mystic union show'd: The Mighty Trine the triple empire shared, As every person would have one to guard.

Hail, son of prayers! by holy violence Drawn down from heaven; but long be banish'd thence, And late to thy paternal skies retire: To mend our crimes, whole ages would require; To change the inveterate habit of our sins, And finish what thy G.o.dlike sire begins. 40 Kind Heaven, to make us Englishmen again, No less can give us than a patriarch's reign.

The sacred cradle to your charge receive, Ye seraphs, and by turns the guard relieve; Thy father's angel, and thy father join, To keep possession, and secure the line; But long defer the honours of thy fate: Great may they be like his, like his be late; That James this running century may view, And give his son an auspice to the new. 50

Our wants exact at least that moderate stay: For see the Dragon[163] winged on his way, To watch the travail,[164] and devour the prey.

Or, if allusions may not rise so high, Thus, when Alcides[165] raised his infant cry, The snakes besieged his young divinity: But vainly with their forked tongues they threat; For opposition makes a hero great.

To needful succour all the good will run, 60 And Jove a.s.sert the G.o.dhead of his son.

O still repining at your present state, Grudging yourselves the benefits of fate, Look up, and read in characters of light A blessing sent you in your own despite.

The manna falls, yet that celestial bread Like Jews you munch, and murmur while you feed.

May not your fortune be, like theirs, exiled, Yet forty years to wander in the wild!

Or if it be, may Moses live at least, 70 To lead you to the verge of promised rest!

Though poets are not prophets, to foreknow What plants will take the blight, and what will grow, By tracing Heaven, his footsteps may be found: Behold! how awfully he walks the round!

G.o.d is abroad, and, wondrous in his ways, The rise of empires, and their fall surveys; More, might I say, than with an usual eye, He sees his bleeding church in ruin lie, And hears the souls of saints beneath his altar cry. 80 Already has he lifted high the Sign,[166]

Which crown'd the conquering arms of Constantine; The Moon[167] grows pale at that presaging sight, And half her train of stars have lost their light.

Behold another Sylvester,[168] to bless The sacred standard, and secure success; Large of his treasures, of a soul so great, As fills and crowds his universal seat.

Now view at home a second Constantine; (The former too was of the British line;)[169] 90 Has not his healing balm your breaches closed, Whose exile many sought, and few opposed?

Or, did not Heaven by its eternal doom Permit those evils, that this good might come?

So manifest, that even the moon-eyed sects See whom and what this Providence protects.

Methinks, had we within our minds no more Than that one shipwreck on the fatal Ore,[170]

That only thought may make us think again, What wonders G.o.d reserves for such a reign. 100 To dream that Chance his preservation wrought, Were to think Noah was preserved for nought; Or the surviving eight were not design'd To people Earth, and to restore their kind.

When humbly on the royal babe we gaze, The manly lines of a majestic face Give awful joy: 'tis Paradise to look On the fair frontispiece of Nature's book: If the first opening page so charms the sight, Think how the unfolded volume will delight! 110

See how the venerable infant lies In early pomp; how through the mother's eyes The father's soul, with an undaunted view, Looks out, and takes our homage as his due.

See on his future subjects how he smiles, Nor meanly flatters, nor with craft beguiles; But with an open face, as on his throne, a.s.sures our birthrights, and a.s.sumes his own.

Born in broad day-light, that the ungrateful rout May find no room for a remaining doubt; 120 Truth, which itself is light, does darkness shun, And the true eaglet safely dares the sun.

Fain would the fiends[171] have made a dubious birth, Loath to confess the G.o.dhead clothed in earth: But sicken'd, after all their baffled lies, To find an heir-apparent of the skies: Abandon'd to despair, still may they grudge, And, owning not the Saviour, prove the judge.

Not great aeneas[172] stood in plainer day, When, the dark mantling mist dissolved away, 130 He to the Tyrians show'd his sudden face, Shining with all his G.o.ddess mother's grace: For she herself had made his countenance bright, Breathed honour on his eyes, and her own purple light.

If our victorious Edward,[173] as they say, Gave Wales a prince on that propitious day, Why may not years, revolving with his fate, Produce his like, but with a longer date; One, who may carry to a distant sh.o.r.e The terror that his famed forefather bore? 140 But why should James or his young hero stay For slight presages of a name or day?