FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38  
39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   >>   >|  
o be set at liberty. In this address, our author did not in the least violate his loyalty, for he made no concessions to Oliver, but only a representation of the hardships he suffered, without acknowledging his sovereignty, tho' not without flattering his power. Having thus obtained his liberty, he settled himself in Gray's-Inn, and as he owed his releasement to the Protector, he thought it his duty to be passive, and not at least to act against him: But Cleveland did not long enjoy his state of unenvied ease, for he was seized with an intermitting fever, and died the 29th of April, 1685. [2]On the first of May he was buried, and his dear friend Dr. John Pearson, afterwards lord bishop of Chester, preached his funeral sermon, and gave this reason, why he declined commending the deceased, "because such praising of him would not be adequate to the expectation of the audience, seeing some who knew him must think it far below him."--There were many who attempted to write elegies upon him, and several performances of this kind, in Latin and English, are prefixed to the edition of Cleveland's works, in verse and prose, printed in 8vo, in 1677, with his effigies prefixed. From the verses of his called Smectymnuus, we shall give the following specimen, in which the reader will see he did not much excel in numbers. Smectymnuus! the goblin makes me start, I'th' name of Rabbi-Abraham, what art? Syriack? or Arabick? or Welsh? what skilt? Up all the brick-layers that Babel built? Some conjurer translate, and let me know it, 'Till then 'tis fit for a West Saxon Poet. But do the brotherhood then play their prizes? Like murmurs in religion with disguises? Out-brave us with a name in rank and file, A name, which if 'twere trained would spread a mile; The Saints monopoly, the zealous cluster, Which like a porcupine presents a muster. The following lines from the author's celebrated satire, entitled, the Rebel-Scot, will yet more amply shew his turn for this species of poetry. "Nature herself doth Scotchmen beasts confess, Making their country such a wilderness; A land that brings in question and suspence God's omnipresence; but that CHARLES came thence; But that MONTROSE and CRAWFORD'S loyal band Aton'd their sin, and christen'd half their land.-- A land where one may pray with curst intent, O may they never suffer banishment! Had Cain been Scot, God would have chang'd his doo
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38  
39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Cleveland

 

liberty

 

author

 

prefixed

 

Smectymnuus

 

disguises

 

murmurs

 

prizes

 

religion

 

trained


spread

 

Saints

 
brotherhood
 

layers

 
Arabick
 

Syriack

 

monopoly

 

conjurer

 
Abraham
 

translate


christen

 

CHARLES

 

omnipresence

 

CRAWFORD

 
MONTROSE
 
banishment
 

suffer

 

intent

 

suspence

 

question


satire
 
celebrated
 
entitled
 

cluster

 

porcupine

 

muster

 

presents

 

confess

 

beasts

 
Making

country

 

brings

 

wilderness

 

Scotchmen

 

species

 

poetry

 

Nature

 

zealous

 

verses

 
unenvied