Search -
The miscellaneous works of John Dryden, Esq;
The miscellaneous works of John Dryden Esq Author:John Dryden Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: MAC FLECKNOE. AL L human things are fubject to decay, And when fate fummons, monarchs muft obey. This Flecknoe found, who, like Auguftus, young Was... more » call'd to empire, and had govern'd long ; In profe and verfe, was own'd, without difpute, Thro all the realms of Nonfenfe, abfolute. This aged prince, now flourifhing in peace, And bleft with iflue of a large increafe ; Worn out with bufmefs, did at length debate To fettle the fuccefiion of the ftate : And, pond'ring, which of. all his fons was fit To reign, and wage immortal war with wit, Cry'd, 'tis refolv'd; for nature pleads, that he Should only rule, who moft refembles me. Shadwell alone my perfect image bears, Mature in dullnefs from his tender years: Shadwell alone, of all my fons, is he, Who flands confirm'd in full ftupidity. The reft to fome faint meaning make pretence, But Shadwell never deviates into fenfe. Some beams of wit on other fouls may fall, Strike thro, and make a lucid interval; But Shad well's genuine night admits no ray, His rifing fogs prevail upon the day. Eefides, his goodly fabric fills the eye, And feems defign'd for thoughtlefs majefty : Thoughtlefs as monarch oaks, that made the plain, And fpread in folemn ftare fupinely reign. Heywood and Shirley were but types of thee, Thou laft great prophet of tautology. Even I, a dunce of more renown than they, Was fent before but to prepare thy way ; And, coarfely clad in Norwich drugget, came To teach the nations in thy greater name. My warbling lute, the lute I whilom ftrung, When to king John of Portugal I fung. Was but the prelude to that glorious day, When thou on filver Thames didft cut thy way, With well-tim'd oars before the royal barge, Swell'd with the pride of thy celeftial charge; And big with hymn, commander of an hoft, The like wa...« less