The Poetical Works of John Dryden, Volume 1 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 388 pages of information about The Poetical Works of John Dryden, Volume 1.

The Poetical Works of John Dryden, Volume 1 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 388 pages of information about The Poetical Works of John Dryden, Volume 1.
exempt: 
  For when by their designing leaders taught
  To strike at power, which for themselves they sought,
  The vulgar, gull’d into rebellion, arm’d;
  Their blood to action by the prize was warm’d. 
  The sacred purple, then, and scarlet gown,
  Like sanguine dye to elephants, was shown. 
  Thus when the bold Typhoeus scaled the sky,
  And forced great Jove from his own Heaven to fly,
  (What king, what crown from treason’s reach is free,
  If Jove and Heaven can violated be?) 40
  The lesser gods, that shared his prosperous state,
  All suffer’d in the exiled Thunderer’s fate. 
  The rabble now such freedom did enjoy,
  As winds at sea, that use it to destroy: 
  Blind as the Cyclop, and as wild as he,
  They own’d a lawless, savage liberty;
  Like that our painted ancestors so prized,
  Ere empire’s arts their breasts had civilized. 
  How great were then our Charles’ woes, who thus
  Was forced to suffer for himself and us! 50
  He, tost by fate, and hurried up and down,
  Heir to his father’s sorrows, with his crown,
  Could taste no sweets of youth’s desired age,
  But found his life too true a pilgrimage. 
  Unconquer’d yet in that forlorn estate,
  His manly courage overcame his fate. 
  His wounds he took, like Romans, on his breast,
  Which by his virtue were with laurels drest. 
  As souls reach Heaven while yet in bodies pent,
  So did he live above his banishment. 60
  That sun, which we beheld with cozen’d eyes
  Within the water, moved along the skies. 
  How easy ’tis, when destiny proves kind,
  With full-spread sails to run before the wind! 
  But those that ’gainst stiff gales laveering go,
  Must be at once resolved and skilful too. 
  He would not, like soft Otho,[18] hope prevent,
  But stay’d, and suffer’d fortune to repent. 
  These virtues Galba[19] in a stranger sought,
  And Piso to adopted empire brought. 70
  How shall I then my doubtful thoughts express,
  That must his sufferings both regret and bless? 
  For when his early valour Heaven had cross’d;
  And all at Worcester but the honour lost;
  Forced into exile from his rightful throne,
  He made all countries where he came his own;
  And viewing monarchs’ secret arts of sway,
  A royal factor for his kingdoms lay. 
  Thus banish’d David spent abroad his time,
  When to be God’s anointed was his crime; 80
  And when restored, made his proud neighbours rue
  Those choice remarks he from his travels drew. 
  Nor is he only by afflictions shown
  To conquer other realms, but rule his own: 
  Recovering hardly what he lost before,
  His right endears it much; his purchase more. 
  Inured to suffer ere he came to reign,
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The Poetical Works of John Dryden, Volume 1 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.