Page images
PDF
EPUB

1

j

fhort-liv'd as Beauty; which is liable to be loft in an Instant by any fudden Fit or unforeseen Accident. We fometimes fee the finest Shape and the fairest Face fubject to the most furprizing Deformities, either by Sorrow, Sickness, or other fubitaneous Adverfities. 'Tis then all Metamorphofe and Melancholy: All Vanity and Vexation of Spirit, instead of Admiration! The moft beautiful Countenance among the Fair Sex lies at the Mercy of the Small-Pox, from the Cradle to the Saddle, and fo to the Grave. It is obnoxious to a Fever or a Fright; and often ftarts into immediate Death. What Confidence then can they prudently put in the delicate Fairnefs of their Complexions; which they may perhaps be depriv'd of e're long by a ChanceBlow, a little Indifpofition, or one fingle Distemper? Beauty, alas! of how fhort and uncertain a Duration is that fading Heliotrope, or Turn-fol of Fancy! It opens only in a Shine of Praife, and fhuts in a Shadow of Difgrace. How quickly is the Glory of it fully'd! it is gone in a Puff of Pride, like a Swift, a Shade, or a Flash of Fire; 1 in and out again in a Moment. It flies-off the Ground in a Night's Time, as an aery Phantom:, that never lives to fee the Light of the Morning, or the Sun at Noon-Day. One may juftly compare it to a Flower, which fometimes fades, withers, and dies on its Birth-Day, with every Breath of cold Air. It puts me in Mind of the Senfitive Plant, which droops and finks its Head upon the Approach of the leaft unwelcome Touch. What, and if Beauty be never fo refplendent? If it be as tranfparent as Glass; the brighter, the brittler; and the more it fhines, the fooner it is broken. The glittering Vanity quickly disappears as a gaudy Vision;

[ocr errors]

A a 2

de

deceives the Eye as a glaring Apparition; and vanishes as a gilded Dream into an empty nothing, or a worfe Spectacle of Deformity. In a Word, who would dote upon fach a flattering Bloffem, that is often nipt in the Bud all on the fudden, by the leaft Blast of a bleek Wind; withers into horrid Blackness, and becomes inftantly barren or abortive? 'Tis certain, that the most exquifite, well-favour'd, fair Lady, may happen to be accidentally, and unfortunately alfo, disfigur'd by a thousand Flaws, like an old Acco for Uglinefs: And then it is no Matter whether the selfish Dotard condemns the Glafs for a falfe Reflexion, or finds Fault with divine Providence for the difagreeable Change.

BUT a virtuous and pious Woman, whether fair or ill-favour'd, beautiful, or not fo charming on the Outside, who fears the Lord with the most reverential Devoutnefs of Soul, and puts her whole Truft in his divine Providence, without any Scruple or Ambiguity; She fhall have the Praise and the Preheminence of an univerfal Encomium: She, I mean, who is entirely wean'd from all terreftrial Pomps, Vanities, or Iniquities of this wicked World; thoroughly cleans'd from all fordid Sins, and Pollutions of Luft, Lafciviousness, or Libertinifm; and inwardly beautify'd with all divine Gifts, Graces, or Virtues, that can adorn a humane Mind elevated far above the Celebration of this inferior State: She, in fine, whofe Heart is fet upon Heaven and Happiness; whofe Soul is fix'd upon God both in Faith and Practice; and whofe Love is united with Eternity and immortal Glory. This is the Royal Bride, or virtuous Lady in King Lemuel's Leffon. Lo her inimitable Character! She is humble, and yet above all the proud

See

Proud World; empty of her felf, and yet full of God as well as all other good Things; depriv'd of temporal Benefits, and yet poffefs'd of all heavenly Bleffings in her own Mind. how conftant she is in her Loyalty; how faithful in her Love; how refolute in her Life; undaunted in Difficulties, unfhaken in Dangers, untainted in Virtue, courteous in Converfation, generous in Correfpondence, chearful in Adverfity, undisturb'd in Reproaches, and fedate in the greateft Storms of State-Affairs! She places her Comforts and Felicities out of the Reach of Violence, or the Infults of Misfortune, Viciffitude, and humane Policy. She dreads no Difappointments, and values no tranfitory Delufions of her Happinefs. If the faw Crowns and Scepters at her Feet, fhe would defpife them All with an infuperable Tranquillity of Mind, in comparison of her greater Beatitudes. Her Soul ftill keeps its fted faft Station, where it had its First Original and Extraction. It is always in Heaven, while we enjoy its Company and Edification upon Earth. Her perfonal Converfe diffuses the Powers of her Virtue as the Rays of the Sun; which, though they strike the Bodies here below, with the most fenfible Influences, remain yet at the fame Time never the lefs glorious in the great Luminary that fends them forth for our Confolation. Her fpiritual Contemplations of the Deity are almoft fupernatural; and, as it were, unbody'd; or abftracted at leaft from grofs Matter and Humanity. Her divine Meditations are all of pious and Seraphick Love. Her devout Ejaculations in Prayer are always warblingup to the higheft Seat of Blifs. Her celeftiallike Mind is ever calm and ferene, next to intuitive. The Elevation of her Eyes, Hands,

A a 3

and

and Thoughts, ftill feem fix'd upon fome beati fick Object, or happy Vision in imperfect View; but in Hopes of a more perfect Blessedness hereafter in full Poffeffion. Thus the perpetually darts the Rays of her fervent Devotion upwards, and returns them back again upon the Fountain of all Light; from whence they came, to enliven her Mind, as well as illuftrate her Life, Motion, and Being! Upon all Occafions, her chief Exercife is in preferving the Lam of the Lord; her facred Diversion is in perusing the Book of Books, the Bible; and her fole Delight is in promoting the Beauty of Holiness, to the Perfection of Prayer, and Practice of Belief. In short, fhe confecrates her whole Life, and dedicates all ber Actions to the Fear of God, and the Honour of his King; never neglecting the Service and Glory of his Church Militant, while fhe afpires to the Triumphant in folemn Vow and Expecta tion. She defires no better Place of Refuge here below; no greater Afylum of Safety; no furer Sanctuary of Salvation in her imaginary Diftreffes and revolutionary Calamities. This is She, who is all real Beauty, both in Body and Mind, Spirit and Truth, Grace and good Government; the most remarkable Favourite of Heaven, and the unrival'd Darling of the Earth, without any farther faint Panegyrick.

VERSE XXXI.

;

GIVE her of the Fruit of her Hands and let her own Works praise her in the Gates.

PARAPHRASE.

IS not in the Power of my Capaci ty, to extol this noble Lady's Virtue to the full Value of her Merits.' My feeble Eloquence is infufficient. Prophecy and Infpiration can only reach the Height of that glorious Topick. But however, let every one praife her Worth according to his Ability; whether Poets, Orators, or Hiftorians, &c All ought to become Encomiats of her fingular Excellencies. Her Moral and Religious Labours fhould not want their juft Commendations. And therefore, while fome honourable Perfonages are magnify'd for the Nobleness of their Birth; others, for the Greatnefs of their Fortune; fome again, for the Exquifiteness of their Beauty; and others at last, for the Politeness of their Breeding, Addrefs, or Ingenuity, among their feveral Admirers: Let the Fruit of her own Hands be given likewife to this incomparable Queen of Glory, in Proportion to her great Goodness and respective Virtues of more ineftimable Value. Give her what is fo much her Due; beftow upon her the deserved Praises of her own Performances; and let the good Deeds, which fhe her felf has done for the Publick Advantage, be proclaimed A a 4

with

« PreviousContinue »