ABSTRACT
What words, what sense, what Night-piece can express The World’s Obscurity and Emptiness? Since Rochester withdrew his Vital Beams From the great chaos; fam’d for high Extreams The Hero’s Talent, or in Good or Ill, Dull Mediocrity misjudging still. Seraphic Lord! whom Heav’n for wonders meant, The earliest Wit, and the most sudden Saint. What tho the Vulgar may traduce thy ways, And strive to rob thee of thy Moral Praise? If, with thy Rival Solomon’s intent, Thou sin’dst a little for Experiment; Or to maintain a Paradox, which none Had Wit to answer but thy self alone; Thy Soul flew higher; that strict sacred tye With thy Creator, time was to discry. Thus pregnant Prophets us’d uncommon ways, Play’d their wild pranks and made the Vulgar gaze. Till their great Message came to be declar’d: They sin in Types, that sin so unprepar’d. An unexpected change attracts all Eyes, They needs must conquer that can well surprise. Now Lechers whom the Pox cou’d ne’r convert, Know where to fix a restless rambling heart. Drunkards whose Souls, not their sick Maws love Drink, Confound their Glasses, and begin to think. The Atheist now has nothing left to say, His Arguments were lent for sport not prey. Like Guns to Clowns, or weapons to rash Boys, Resum’d again for Mischief, or for noise. The Spark cries out now e’re he is aware,
(Making an Oath a Prologue to a Prayer) ROCHESTER said ’twas true! it must be so! He had no Dispensation from Below. Thy dying words, (than thousands of Harangues, Urg’d with grimaces, fortifi’d with Bangs On dreadful Pulpit) have made more recant, Than Plague, or War, or Penitential want; A Declaration so well tim’d, has gain’d More Proselytes than e’re thy wildness feign’d; Mad Debochees, whom thou didst but allure With pleasant Baits, and tempt ’em to their cure. Satan rejoyc’d to see thee take his part, His Malice not so prosperous as thy Art. He took thee for his Pilot to convey Those easie souls he spirited away. But to his great Confusion saw thee shift Thy swelling Sails, to take another drift, With an Illustrious Train, imputed his, To the bright Region of eternal Bliss. So have I seen a prudent General Act, Whom Fate had forc’d with Rebels to contract A hated League, Fight, Vote, Adhere, Obey, Own the vile Cause as zealously as they; Suppress the Loyal side, and pull all down, With unresisted Force, that propt the Crown. But when he found out the propitious hour, To quit his Masque, and own his Prince’s Power; Boldly asserted his great Sovereign’s Cause, And brought three Kingdoms to his Master’s Laws.
