To Sir William D'avenant upon his Two fir… Books of Gondibert, written in …rance

THus the wi…e Nightingale that leaves her ho…
Her native Wood, when storms and winter …
Pursuing constantly the chearful Spring,
To forein Groves does her old Musick bring;
The … unstrung▪
At …, upon the Willows hung▪
Yours sounds aloud, and tells us you excell
No less in Cou…ge, than in Singing well;
Whilst unconcern'd you let your Countrey know.
They have impoverished themselve…, not you;
Who with the Muses help can mock those Fates
Which threaten Kingdoms, and disorder States.
So Ovid when from C…sar's rage he fle…,
The Roman Muse to Pontus with him led;
Where he so sung, that we through pities Glass,
See Nero milder than Augustus was.
Hereafter such in thy behalf shall be
Th'indulgent Censure of Posterity.
To banish those who with such art can sing,
…a rude crime which its own curse does bring:
…ges to come, shall ne'r know how they fought,
Nor how to Love their present Youth be taught.
This to thy self. Now to thy matchless Book,
Wherein those few that can with Judgment look,
May find old Love in pure fresh Language told,
Like new stampt-Coin made out of Angel-gold.
Such truth in Love as th'antique world did know.
In such a stile … Courts may boast of now.
Which no bold tales of Gods or Monsters swell,
But humane Passions, such as with us dwell.
Man is thy …heme, his Vertue or his Rage
Drawn to the Life in each elaborate Page.
Mars nor Be…ona are not named here;
But such a Gondibert as both might fear.
Venus had here, and Hebe been out-shin'd,
By the bright Birtha, and thy Rhodalind.
Such is thy happy skill, and such the odds
Betwixt thy Worthies and the Grecian gods.
Whose Deities in vain had here come down
Where mo… al Beauty wears the Soveraign Crown
Such as of flesh compos'd, by flesh and blood
(Though not resisted) may be understood.