On the death of the Right Honorable the Duke of Ormond a pindarique ode / by Thomas Flatman.

On the death of the Right Honorable the Duke of Ormond a pindarique ode / by Thomas Flatman.

Table of contents

Title page

ON THE DEATH Of His GRACE, JAMES, DUKE of ORMOND: A Pindarique ODE.

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ON THE DEATH Of His GRACE, JAMES, DUKE of ORMOND: A Pindarique ODE.

STANZA I.

HAD not the deathless name of OSSORY

Pow'r to Preserve, as well as to Create,

And over-rule the dulness of my Fate,

A Pen so meanly qualifi'd as mine

Might well this mighty Task decline,

Too ponderous for feeble Me,

Me so obscure, my glorious Theme so bright,

Where all is overpowring Light

Which never can submit to Night.

[Page]But sense of deepest Gratitude should comptrol

All the despondencies of a trembling Soul,

And force a modest confidence to inspire

The coldest Breast with an uncommon fire.

Since then, for ought we know

The separated happy Spirits above

Sometimes regard our pious love,

And are not much disturb'd at what we kindly doe:

Let ORMOND'S gentle Ghost look down

Full of kind compassion,

And pity what my Duty prompts me to,

Fain would I pay my Tribute ever due

To his immortal Memory:

But what immortal methods to pursue,

Is understood by very few;

The noblest Bard that ever wore the Bays

Would here fall short in Sorrow, and in Praise.

II.

Our stock of Tears would soon exhausted be

Were every Eye a Sea,

And Grief should swell to Prodigality;

Th' irreparable Loss[?], if duly weigh'd,

Would make Posterity affraid,

For ORMOND in his radiant course has done,

What did amaze, what durst abide the Sun,

And struck with Terror all the envious lookers on:

Whether with extasie we think upon

His goodly Person, or his matchless Mind,

Where shall the most inquisitive mortal find

A more accomplish'd Hero left behind?

As he were sent from Heaven, design'dly Great,

To dote on still, but not presume to imitate:

Or whether with regret we cast an Eye

On his unbounded Liberality,

His unaffected Piety,

Or more than Human Magnanimity

(Vertues inimitable all)

[Page]The joyful Beadsman, and the Church will tell

The Story, scarce hereafter credible,

And call his Life one long continu'd Miracle.

III.

Say, all you younger Sons of Honor, say,

You that in peace appear so brisk, and gay,

Is it a little thing to forfeit All

At Loyalties tremendous Call?

And stand with resolution in defence

Of a despis'd calamitous Prince,

To fight against our Stars, and to defie

The last efforts of prosperous Villany,

And when the Hurricane of the State grew high,

To brave the Thunder, and the Lightning scorn,

The beauteous Fabrick into pieces torn;

Imprisonment, and Exile to disdain

For a neglected Sovereign?

Still to espouse a crazy tottering Crown.

This mighty ORMOND was thy Own,

This Glory thou deserv'dst to have,

This bravery thou hast carried with thee to thy Grave.

Let other lesser Great ones live, to try

Thy arduous paths to Fame,

Let them bid fair for Immortality,

And to procure an everlasting name;

And may thy sacred Ashes smile to see

Their vain, their frivolous attempts to rival Mighty Thee.

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IV.

O Noble Fortunate old Man!

Tho' thou hadst still liv'd on

Too Nestor's Centuries, thou hadst dy'd too soon;

Too soon alas! For Heav'n could never be

Or weary, or asham'd to find fresh toils for Thee:

What wiser Head, or braver Arm than Thine

Could Heav'n contrive to manage Heav'ns design!

And what Herculean labour is too hard

For such a mind, so well prepar'd!

Ever above the prospect of Regard,

And that unfashionable thing, Reward.

Many have been thy gloomy days,

Yet ever happy hast thou been;

In every state thou merit'dst Praise,

And thou hast never wanted it within.

All after fourscore years, is Grief and Pain,

Those honorably pass'd thou didst resign

Thy Empire over every Heart,

From thine this Scepter never shall depart,

But the Succession evermore remain:

'Twas time for thee to dye, and let a second ORMOND reign.

V.

How shall I mention thy lamented Death,

Thy only blemish, thy Mortality!

For 'tis too much disparagement for thee

To be involv'd in common Destiny,

And like inglorious Men give up thy precious breath.

A fiery Chariot should have snatcht thee hence,

And all the Host of Heav'n conven'd to see

Th' assumption of a Godlike Prince

[Page]Into th' ineffable Society:

Half way at least, part of th' immaculate Train

With Palms should have attended Thee,

Thy Harbingers to the triumphant Hierarchy,

Then big with wonder mounted up again.

What can the Tongues of Men or Angels say?

What Boänerges ne'r so loud,

If they would speak of thy prodigious Day,

Of which an Emperour's History would be proud.

Farewel dread Prince,—O might it not be said,

Tho' a desirable Euthanasie

Prepar'd the way for Deifying thee,

ORMOND like other men must die,

For he with a Fatigue of Victory opprest

Laid himself only down to Rest.

FINIS.

§

§

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ON THE DEATH Of the Right Honorable the Duke of ORMOND: A Pindarique ODE.

BY THOMAS FLATMAN.

Nunquam Stygias fertur ad undas

Inclyta Virtus.—Vivite fortes!

Nec Lethaeos saeva per amnes

Vos fata trahent; sed cum summas

Exiget horas consumpta Dies,

Iter ad superos Gloria pandet.

Sen. Herc. Oet.

LONDON: Printed for Benj. Tooke. 1688.

Information about this book

Title statement

On the death of the Right Honorable the Duke of Ormond a pindarique ode / by Thomas Flatman.

Flatman, Thomas, 1637-1688.

Edition statement

1688

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2003-05 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A39647

ID [STC]

Wing F1144

ID [STC]

ESTC R35677

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

15538747

ID [OCLC]

ocm 15538747

ID [VID]

103640

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Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A39647)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 103640)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1149:14)

Source

— On the death of the Right Honorable the Duke of Ormond a pindarique ode / by Thomas Flatman., Flatman, Thomas, 1637-1688..

Extent

7 p.

Printed for Benjamin Tooke,. London :: 1688.. (Reproduction of original in the Huntington Library.)

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