An evil king And fo muft fuch be ftill, Johnson on King James. He knew, that thofe, who would with love command, Muft with a tender, yet a ftedfaft hand Suftain the reins; and in the check forbear 'To offer caufe of injury, or fear: That kings, by their example, more do fway, Good princes foar above their fame; And in their worth Come greater forth, Than in their name. Ibid. Johnson's Mafques. Princes that would their people fhould do well, Johnfon's Cynthia's Revels. That prince doth high in virtue's reck'ning stand; Chapman's Buffey D'ambois. Chapman's First Part of Byron's Confpiracy. Tell your king, that he neglects Old friends for new; and fets his foothed ease When fovereign princes dare Do injury to thofe that live beneath them, G 3 Ibid. In the free pow'r of those whom they opprefs : Chapman and Shirley's Admiral of France. For great men over-grac'd, much rigour use; Prefuming fav'rites discontentment bring; And difproportions harmony do break: Minions too great, argue a king too weak. Daniel's Civil War. For tho' this bounty, and this lib'ralness, For juftice is their virtue.— That alone We fee, although the king be head, The ftate will be the heart: This fov'reignty Ibid. For beft he's lik'd, that is alike to all. lbid. Which, to himself, made him with grief inveigh Ill warrants for their own affairs; and weigh Their great defigns; what danger, and what care: And often must be forc'd, b'ing at their becks, To crack their reputation, or their necks ? How How their high favours like as fig-trees are, And while they live, we fee their glorious actions E. of Sterline's Darius. To feem but fov'reign, must be flaves to all: And whilft fwoln fancies do betray the mind, For further trouble, but procures a cause. A mere illufion, made to mock the fight, Thofe Thofe golden palaces, thofe gorgeous halls, Those stately courts, thofe skie-encountring walls, Which ftill must travel to hold others down; We spend our nights in fear, our days in dangers; Sparks fhot by ftars, flaves bound to fortune's reign: Though known to all, yet to ourselves but ftrangers. A Golden crown doth cover leaden cares; The scepter cannot lull their thoughts asleep, Whofe fouls are drown'd with floods of cold defpairs; Of which, base vulgars cannot found the deep. The bramble grows, altho' it be obfcure, Whilft lofty cedars feel the bluft'ring winds; And mild plebeian fouls. may live fecure, Whilft mighty tempefts tofs imperial minds. What are our days but dreams? our reign a glance? Whilt fortune's fever makes us rage and rave, Which with strange fits doth to a height advance; 'Till, e're pain us, we firft our life must leave. For glift'ring greatness by ambition lov'd, I was the wonder of all gazing eyes; But free from shadows, real effence, 'prov'd, States just proportion ruin only tries. E. of Sterline's Darius Kings, govern people; over-rack them not : Fleece us, but do not clip us to the quick; Think not with good, and ill, to write, and blot : The good doth vanish, where the ill doth stick : Hope not with trifles to grow popular; Wounds that are heal'd, for ever leave a scar. Lord Brooke's Alaham. Kings for their fafety, muft not blame mistrust; Lord Brooke's Muftapha. Ah hum'rous kings! how are you tofs'd, like waves, Lord Brooke's Muftapha. But crowns, take heed; when humble things mount high, The winds oft calm, before those billows lie. Lord Brooke's Alabam. Oh happy men! that know not, or else fear This fecond flipp'ry place of honours steep ; Which we with envy get, and danger keep. Unhappy state of ours, wherein we live; Where doubts give laws, which never can forgive: Where rage of kings not only ruins be, But where their very love works mifery. For princes humours, are not like the glass, Which in it fhews what shapes without remain, And with the body go, and come again : But like the wax, which firft bears but his own, Till it the feal in eafy mould receive, And by th' impreffion then, is only known. Lord Brooke's Mustapha. Let him account his bondage from that day, That he is with a diadem invested; To true content, this is no certain way; With fweeter cates the mean eftate is feafted: |