SENECA'S MEDEA,
AND VINDICATION OF THE AUTHOR [1647-8].[12:1]

That wise philosopher who had design'd
To [th'] life the various passions of the mind,
Did wrong'd Medea's jealousy prefer
To entertain the Roman theatre;
Both to instruct the soul, and please the sight, 5
At once begetting horror and delight.
This cruelty thou dost once more express
Though in a strange, no less becoming dress;
And her revenge hast robb'd of half its pride,
To see itself thus by itself outvied, 10
That boldest ages past may say, our times
Can speak, as well as act, their highest crimes.
Nor was't enough to do his scene this right,
But what thou gav'st to us, with equal light
Thou wouldst bestow on him, nor wert more just 15
Unto the author's work, than to his dust.
Thou dost make good his title, aid his claim,
Both vindicate his poem and his name,
So shar'st a double wreath; for all that we
Unto the poet[12:2] owe, he owes to thee. 20
Though change of tongues stol'n praise to some afford,
Thy version hath not borrow'd, but restor'd.

ON MR. HALL'S ESSAYS [HORAE VACIVAE, 1646].[13:1]

Wits that matur'd by time have courted praise,
Shall see their works outdone in these essays,
And blush to know thy earlier years display
A dawning clearer than their brightest day.[13:2]
Yet I'll not praise thee, for thou hast outgrown 5
The reach of all men's praises but thine own.
Encomiums to their objects are exact:
To praise, and not at full, is to detract.
And with most justice are the best forgot;
For praise is bounded when the theme is not: 10
Since mine is thus confin'd, and far below
Thy merit, I forbear it, nor will show
How poor the autumnal pride of some appears,[13:3]
To the ripe fruit thy vernal season bears!
Yet though I mean no praise, I come t'invite 15
Thy forward aims still to advance their flight.
Rise higher yet; what though thy spreading wreath
Lessen, to their dull sight who stay beneath?
To thy full learning how can all allow
Just praise, unless that all were learn'd as thou? 20
Go on, in spite of such low souls, and may
Thy growing worth know age, though not decay,