ON THE PARK AT St. JAMESE'S.
OF the first Paradice, ther's nothing found,
Trees set by Heaven are vanish'd, and the ground,
Yet the description lasts, who knows the fate
Of lines that shall this Paradice relate?
In stead of Rivers rowling by the side
Of Edens Garden, here flows in the Tide;
The Sea that alwayes serv'd his Empire, now
Payes Tribute to our Princes pleasure too.
Of antient Cities we the Founders know,
But Rivers old as Seas to which they go
Are natures bounty, 'tis of more renown
To make a River, than to build a Town.
For future shade young Trees upon the bank
Of the new stream appear in even rank;
The voyce of Orpheus, or Amphyon's hand
In better order could not make them stand.
May they increase as fast, and spread their bows,
As the high fame of their great owner grows.
May he live long enough to see them all
Dark shadows cast, and as his Palace tall.
Me thinks I hear the love that shall be made,
The gallants dancing in the Amorous shade,
[Page 2]The Lovers walking by the River side,
They bath in Summer, and in Winter slide.
Me thinks I hear the Musick in the Boats
And the loud Eccho which returns their notes,
Whil'st over head a flock of new sprung fowl
Hang in the air, and do the Sun controul,
Darkning the sky they hover or'e, and shrow'd
The wanton Saylours with a feathered Cloud;
Beneath a shoal of silver fishes glides
And playes about the gilded Barges sides;
A thousand Cupids on the billows ride,
And Sea-Nymphs enter with the swelling tide,
From Thetis sent as spies to make report
And tell the wonders of her Soveraigns Court▪
All that can living feed the greedy eye,
Or dead the palat, here you may descry;
The choicest things that furnish'd Noah's Ark,
Or Peter's sheet, inhabiting this Park,
All with a Border of rich fruit-Trees Crown'd,
Whose loaded branches hide the lofty Mound.
Such various wayes the spacious Allies lead
My doubtfull Muse knows not what path to tread.
Yonder the Harvest of cold moneths laid up
Gives a fresh coolnesse to the royal Cup;
Here Ice like Crystal firm, and never lost,
Tempers hot Iuly with Decembers frost;
Winters dark prison, whence he cannot fly
Tho the warm Spring his Enemy draw ny;
Strange that extremes should thus preserve the Snow
High on the Alps, and in deep Caves below.
Here a well polish'd Mall gives us the joy
To see our Prince his matchlesse force imploy;
His manly posture, and his gracefull meen,
Vigour and youth in all his actions seen,
His shape so lovely, and his limbs so strong,
Confirm our hopes we shall obey him long.
No sooner has he touch'd the flying ball,
But 'tis already more than half the Mall,
And such a fury from his arm hath got
As from a smoaking Culverin 'twere shot.
[Page 3]May that ill fate my Enemies befall
To stand before his anger, or his ball.
Next this my Muse (what most delights her) sees
A living Gallery of aged Trees,
Bold Sons of Earth, that thrust their arms so high
As if once more they would invade the sky.
In such green Palaces the first Kings reign'd,
Slept in their shades, and Angels entertain'd;
With such old Counsellors they did advise,
And by frequenting sacred Groves grew wise▪
Free from the impediments of light and noise,
Man thus retir'd, his nobler thoughts imployes.
Here Charls contrives the ordering of his States,
Here he resolves his neighbouring Princes fates,
What Nation shall have peace, where War be made
Determin'd is in this Oraculous shade.
The World from India to the frozen North
Concern'd in what this solitude brings forth
His fancy objects, from his view receives
The prospect thought, and contemplation gives.
That seat of Empire here salutes his eye
To which three Kingdoms do themselves apply,
The structure by a Prelate rais'd, Whitehall
Built with the Fortune of Romes Capitol,
Both disproportion'd to the present State
Of their proud founders, were approv'd by fate.
From hence he doth that Antique Pile behold,
Where royal heads receive the sacred Gold,
It gives them Crowns, and doth their ashes keep,
There made like Gods, like mortals there they sleep.
When others fell, this standing did presage
The Crown should triumph over popular rage:
Hard by that house where all our ills were shap'd
The auspicious Temple stood, and yet escap'd:
So Snow on Etna doth unmelted ly
Whence rowling flames, and scattered Cinders fly;
The distant Countrey in the ruin shares
What falls from Heaven the burning Mountain spares.
[Page 4]Next, that capacious Hall he sees, the room
Where the whole Nation doth for Justice come,
Under whose large roof flourishes the Gown,
And Judges grave on high Tribunals frown.
Here, like the peoples Pastor, he doth go,
His flock subjected to his view below,
On which reflecting in his mighty mind
No private passion doth indulgence find;
The pleasures of his youth suspended are,
And made a sacrifice to publick care;
Here free from Court compliances he walks,
And with himself, his best adviser, talks;
How peacefull Olives may his Temples shade
For mending Laws, and for restoring trade,
Or how his brows may be with Lawrel charg'd
For Nations Conquer'd, and our bounds inlarg'd;
Of antient prudence here he ruminates,
Of rising Kingdoms, and of falling States;
What ruling Arts gave great Augustus fame,
And how Alcides purchas'd such a name.
His eyes upon his Native Palace bent
Close by, suggest a greater argument:
His thoughts rise higher when he does reflect
On what the World may from that Star expect
VVhich at his birth appear'd, to let us see
Day for his sake could with the night agree.
A Prince on whom such different lights do smile
Born the divided world to reconcile.
VVhatever Heaven, or high extracted blood
Could promise, or foretell, he will make good,
Reform these Nations, and improve them more
Than this fair Park from what it was before.
Printed for Tho. Dring.