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O DE

ON

BRUT US.

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But

I.

IS faid, that favorite, mankind,

Was made the lord of all below;

yet the (a) doubtful are (b) concern'd to find, 'Tis (c) only one man tells another fo.

And, for this great dominion here,
Which over other beasts we claim,
(d) REASON our best credential does appear;
By which, indeed, we domineer ;

But how abfurdly, we may fee with shame.

REASON, that folemn trifle! light as air; Driv'n up and down by (e) cenfure or applause: By partial love away 'tis blown,

Or the least prejudice can weigh it down;
Thus our high privilege becomes our (ƒ) fnare.
In any nice and weighty caufe,

How weak, at beft, is REASON! yet the grave
Impose on that small judgment which we have.

II.

In all thofe wits, whofe names have spread fo wide, And ev❜n the force of time defy'd,

Some failings yet may be descry'd.
Among the reft, with wonder be it told,
That BRUTUS is admir'd for CÆSAR's death;
By which he yet furvives in fame's immortal breath.
BRUTUS, ev'n he, of all the reft,

In whom we should that deed the most deteft,
Is of mankind esteem'd the best.

As fnow defcending from fome lofty hill,
Is by its rolling courfe augmenting still;
So from illuftrious authors down have roll'd
Those great encomiums he receiv'd of old:
Republick orators ftill fhew efteem,

And gild their eloquence with (g) praise of him.
But truth unveil'd like a bright fun appears,
To fhine

away this heap of fev'nteen hundred years.

III.

In vain 'tis urg'd by an (6) illustrious wit,
(To whom in all befides I willingly fubmit)
That CÆSAR's life no pity could deserve
From one who kill'd himself, rather than ferve.
Had BRUTUS chofe rather himself to flay,
Than any master to obey;

M

Happy for Rome had been that noble pride; The world had then remain'd in peace, and only BRUTUS dy'd.

For he, whofe foul difdains to own

Subjection to a tyrant's frown,

And his own life would rather end; Would, fure, much rather kill himself, than only hurt his friend.

To his own sword in the Philippian field
BRUTUS, indeed, at last did yield:
But in those times felf-killing was not rare;
And his proceeded only from despair:

He might have chofen (i) elfe to live,
In hopes another CESAR would forgive;
Then, for the good of Rome, he could once more
Confpire against a life which had fpar'd his before.

IV.

Our country challenges our utmost care,
And in our thoughts deserves the tender'st share;
Her to a thousand friends we should prefer
Yet not (k) betray 'em, tho' it be for her.
Hard is his heart, whom no defert can move,
A mistress or a friend to love,

Above whate'er he does befides enjoy;

But may he, for their fakes, his fire or fons destroy? For facred juftice, or for publick good,

Scorn'd be our wealth, our honour, and our blood: In fuch a caufe, want is a happy ftate;

Ev'n low difgrace would be a glorious fate;

And death itself, when noble fame furvives,
More to be valu'd than a thousand lives.

But 'tis not, furely, of so fair renown,

To fpill another's blood, as to expose our own:
Of all that's ours we cannot give too much;
But what belongs to friendship, oh! 'tis facrilege
to touch.

(1)

V.

"Can we ftand by unmov'd, and fee "Our mother robb'd and ravifh'd? Can we be "Excus'd, if in her cause we never stir,

"Pleas'd with the strength and beauty of the ravisher? Thus fings our bard with almost heat divine; 'Tis pity that his thought was not (m) as strong as fine, Wou'd it more justly did the case express, Or that its beauty and its grace were less. (Thus a nymph fometimes we see, Who fo charming seems to be, That, jealous of a soft surprize, We scarce durft truft our eager eyes) Such a fallacious ambush to escape,

It were but vain to plead a willing rape;

A valiant fon would be provok'd the more; [before;
A (2) force we therefore must confess, but acted long
A (0) marriage fince did intervene,

With all the folemn and the facred scene;
Loud was the Hymenean fong;

The violated* dame walk'd fmilingly along,

• Rome.

And in the midst of the most sacred dance,
As if enamour'd of his fight,

Often fhe caft a kind admiring glance

On the bold struggler for delight;

Who afterwards appear'd fo moderate and cool,
As if for publick good alone he fo defir'd to rule.

VI.

But, oh! that this were all which we can urge
Against a Roman of fo great a foul !
And that (p) fair truth permitted us to purge
His fact, of what appears fo foul!
Friendship, that facred and fublimeft thing!
The nobleft quality, and chiefeft good,

(In this (q) dull age fcarce understood) [fing. Infpires us with unusual warmth, her injur'd rites to (r) Affift, ye angels! whofe immortal blifs, Tho' more refin'd, chiefly confifts in this! (S) How plainly your bright thoughts to one another Oh! how ye all agree in harmony divine !

[shine! The race of mutual love with equal zeal ye run; A (t) course, as far from any end, as when at first begun. (u) Ye faw, and fmil'd upon this matchless pair, Who ftill betwixt 'em did so many virtues share,

Some which belong to peace, and fame to strife,
Those of a calm, and of an active life,

That all the excellence of human-kind
Concurr'd to make of both but one united mind;
Which friendship did so fast and closely bind,
Not the least cement could appear, by which their
fouls were join'd.

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