VI.
Rochester, once on earth a prodigy,
A happy convert now on high,
Here begins his wonderous lays,
In the sainted poet’s praise.
Fathomless Buckingham, smooth Orrery,
The witty D’Avenant, Denham, Suckling too,
Shakespeare, nature’s Kneller, who
Nature’s picture likest drew,
Each in their turn his praise pursue.
His song elaborate Jonson next does try,
On earth unused to eulogy;
Beaumont and Fletcher sing together still,
And with their tuneful notes the arched palace fill.
The noble patron poet now does try,
His wondrous Spenser to outvy.
Drayton did next our sacred bard address,
And sung above with wonderful success.
Our English Ennius, he who gave
To the great bard kind welcome to his grave,
Chaucer, the mightiest bard of yore,
Whose verse could mirth to saddest souls restore,
Caressed him next, whilst his delighted eye
Expressed his love, and thus his tongue his joy:—
“Was I, when erst below,” said he,
“In hopes so great a bard to see,
As thou, my son, adopted unto me,
And all this godlike race, some equal even to thee!
O! ’tis enough.”—Here soft Orinda[219] came
And sprightly Afra,[220] muses both on earth,
Both burned here with a bright poetic flame,
Which to their happiness above gave birth;
Their charming songs his entertainment close,
The mighty bard then, smiling, bowed, and rose.