To the memory of the Right Reverend Father in God, John, Lord Bishop of Oxford, and Dean of Christ-Church A pindarick ode

To the memory of the Right Reverend Father in God, John, Lord Bishop of Oxford, and Dean of Christ-Church A pindarick ode

Table of contents

[Figure]

EPITAPH.

§

ME◆MENTO MORI

TO THE MEMORY Of the Right Reverend Father in God, JOHN, Lord Biſhop of Oxford, and Dean of Chriſt-Church.
A Pindarick Ode.

[Page]

1.

TOO Rigid, too ſevere,

Th' unalterable Laws of Fate appear,

That not one Sublunary thing is free;

Kings ev'n like Beggars muſt obey,

And bowing down before Death's Majeſty,

Own him a Monarch Mightier far than they.

Right Reverend, Learned, Wiſe, and Juſt,

Are glorious Epithets[?] indeed for Duſt;

But cannot change the Black Decree,

Or move Remorſe in too unreaſonable Deſtiny.

Not a whole Flood of Pious Orphan's Tears;

Myriads of Sighs, and earneſt Pray'rs,

The Poor's Affliction, and the Church's Cares,

Nor His Tormentor's ſtock of Skill,

Could alter Fates determin'd ſtubborn Will.

2.

It's pity, is it not?

It's fit indeed that worthleſs We

Should take the common Lot;

But Prophets, and (Good FELL) ſo Great as Thee,

Should never Dye.

Oh Scandalous Mortality!

That ev'n the ſecond Stagyrite, ev'n Wiſe Thou,

[...] among Dull Plebeians bow;

And mixt with Fools, ſhould'ſt undiſtinguiſht lye:

When the long Toil of Thy good Work was done,

When Thy moſt Glorious Race was Run,

Why did'ſt Thou Travel on the common Road?

Why did'ſt not then Elijah's Chariot take,

In Fire and Clouds a wond'rous Journey make,

Through th' Adamantine Gate, to th' Throne of God?

For ſince ſo much like Him Thou liv'dſt, why then

Did'ſt Thou (but Thou waſt Meek) ſubmit to Dye like Men?

3.

Tell me Grave Sages (but I am too blame;

Ye cannot do't, tho' intimate with Fame;

Ye cannot in Time's Memory tell)

When one more Juſt, more Wiſe, more Meek, more Noble, fell?

'Twas wonderful to ſee,

With what unconquer'd Spirit he

Bore His Diſtempers Rage;

As if in that Extremity,

(Beſides th' Oppreſſion of unactive Age)

He had from Miſery been free.

Oh fortitude of Soul! nor ſtopt in there;

For when the Prince of Terrors did appear,

Undaunted ſtill he lay,

And did his Summons courteouſly Obey;

Thought it not hard to bend,

But entertain'd the Tyrant as a Friend.

4.

Thus Joyful of its wiſht-for Liberty,

His Soul (that glorious Eagle) flew;

Active and Strong (for well the way he knew)

To th' everlaſting Seat of Bliſs;

Where (ſo he Taught) Eternity of Glory is.

There among Saints He Crowned ſits,

Saints, ſome of which His good Example made;

And among Spirits Divine ſuch Eſtimation gets,

As (while He liv'd on Earth) to him the Zealous paid.

And ſtill with us His Sacred Memory

Shall quicken Souls to Piety;

For Prophets in their Graves ſtill the great work purſue,

As good Eliſha's Bones could Wonders do.

5.

Of what I've done, I'm conſcious now,

And to Thy Sacred Duſt with Rev'rence bow;

I cannot mount on ſuch a lofty Wing,

Thy Apotheoſis to Sing;

My Numbers will but ill Thy Hearſe become;

When all the Sweet, the Skilful Choriſters are dumb,

A far more decent Honour they do ſhow,

In awful Silence o're Thy Tomb,

Than I at beſt could hope to do;

Who wait ſo late upon Thy Urn;

And in an Artleſs Muſe's Language Mourn?

I ſhould Prophane, ſhould I preſume to raiſe

Poetick Obelisks of Praiſe;

Fame's Noble Baſis thou thy ſelf haſt laid,

Without a Mercenary Poet's aid:

For of Thy exemplary Charity,

Such Living Monuments there be,

As Ages yet Unborn ſhall tell,

If they but hear the ſingle Name of FELL;

'Tis a compendious, glorious Chronicle.

EPITAPH.

Ʋrna tenet cineres, animam Deus, inclyta fama Conſervat nomen, quid periiſſe putes?

Rob. Midgley.

§

Licenſed Decemb. 24th. 1686.

Information about this book

Title statement

To the memory of the Right Reverend Father in God, John, Lord Bishop of Oxford, and Dean of Christ-Church A pindarick ode

Edition statement

1686-1687?

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2009-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A62789

ID [STC]

Wing T1571

ID [STC]

ESTC R221753

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99833015

ID [PROQUEST]

99833015

ID [VID]

37490

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Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A62789)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 37490)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2157:10)

Source

— To the memory of the Right Reverend Father in God, John, Lord Bishop of Oxford, and Dean of Christ-Church A pindarick ode,

Extent

1 sheet ([1] p.)

s.n.,. [London :: 1686-1687]. (Verse : "Too rigid, too severe,".) (Imprint from Wing.) (Text within illustrated border.) (Reproduction of the original in the Bodleian Library.)

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