Cowley.

Cowley.

Abraham Cowley, geb. zu London 1618, geft. 1667, verdient, in Rücksicht auf sein Zeitalter gewiß den Ruhm und die Werthschåyung gar sehr, die ihm seine Landesleute noch immer erhalten, und die ihm selbst Dr. Johnson, in der lehrreichen und strengen Kritik seiner Gedichte, nicht versagt. Er besaß ein reiches Maaß von Kenntnissen, große Fruchtbarkeit des Geistes, aber wohl mehr Wiß als Phantasie und leidenschaftliches Gefühl. Unter seinen vielen Gedich ten giebt es mehrere Oden, die zu dieser ersten Klasse gehd ren; z. B. die Umschreibung des 34ften Kapitels im Jesaias; die Plagen Aegyptens u. a. m. Es sey aber hier an einer kürzern Probe genug, die in seiner Davideis, einem aus vier Büchern bestehenden epischen Gedichte (B. 1. v. 41 ff.) vorkommt.

PSALM CXIV.

When Ifrael was from bondage led,

Led by th' Almighty's hand
From out a foreign Land,
The great Sea beheld, and fled.

As men purfu'd, when that fear paft they find,
Stop on fome higher ground to look behind:
So whilft through wondrous ways

The facred Army went,

The Waves afar stood up to gaze,

And their own Rocks did reprefent,

Solid as Waters are above the Firmament.

Old Jordan's waters to their fpring
Start back with fudden fright;

The fpring amaz'd at fight,

Afks what News from Sea they bring.

The Mountains fhook, and to the Mountains fide

The little Hills leapt round themselves to hide;

Ad

As young affrighted Lambs,

When they ought dreadful spy,

Run trembling to their helpless Dams:

The mighty Sea and River by,

Cowley.

Were glad for their excufe to fee the Hills to fly,

What ail'd the mighty Sea to flee?

Or why did Jordan's tide

Back to his fountain glide?

Jordan's Tide, what ailed thee?

Why leapt the hills? why did the Mountains
shake?

What ail'd them their fixt Natures to forfake?
Fly where thou wilt, o Sea!

And Jordan's Current, cease;
Jordan, there is no need of thee;

For at God's word, when e're he pleafe, The Rocks fhall weep new Waters forth inftead of thefe.

Prior.

Prior.

S. B. I. S. 144. Einzelner Schönheiten wegen, besonders des Ausdrucks, theile ich folgende Hymne von ihm mit, ob sie gleich Gelegenheitsgedicht ist; eine von den Oden, die noch iegt an jedem Neujahrstage zu St. James, in Gegenwart des Hofes musikalisch aufgeführt werden, und die fich durch den gegenwärtigen Hofdichter (Laureate) Tho. Warton seit einigen Jahren aufs neue allgemeiner Aufmerk, samkeit würdig gemacht haben. Uebrigens findet sich unter Prior's Gedichten eine übergroße Ode von eben der Art, ein Carmen Seculare, auf den Anfang dieses Jahrhunderts vers fertigt, von dem Dr. Johnson sagt, er könne es ganz nach Laune und Gefallen loben oder tadeln, ohne Gefahr, ent: deckt zu werden, weil sich nicht leicht- Jemand durch die Les sung dieses Gedichts werde hindurch gearbeitet haben. Denn es besteht aus nicht weniger als zwey und vierzig langen Strophen. Eine lateinische Uebersehung von Tho. Dibbon findet man in den meisten Ausgaben beigedruckt.

HYMN TO THE SUN.

LIGHT of the World, the Ruler of the year,
With happy speed begin Thy great Career;
And, as Thou doft thy radiant Journies run,
Through every diftant Climate own,

That in fair ALBION Thou haft feen

The greateft Prince, the brightest Queen,
That ever fav'd a Land, or bleft a Throne,
Since first Thy Beams were spread, or Genial Power
was known.

So may Thy Godhead be confeft,
So the returning year be bleft
As his Infant Months beftow

Springing Wreaths for WILLIAM's Brow,

As

As his Summer's youth fhall fhed Eternal Sweets around MARIA'S Head.

From the Bleffings they beftow,

Our Times are dated, and our Aera's move:
They govern and enlighten all below,

As thou dost all above.

Let our Hero in the War

Active and fierce, like Thee, appear:

Like Thee, great Son of JOVE, like Thee
When clad in rifing Majefty;

Thou marcheft down o'er DELOS Hills confeft,
With all Thy Arrows arm'd, in all Thy Glory dreft.
Like Thee, the Hero does his Arms employ,

The raging PYTHON to deftroy,

And give the injur'd Nations Peace and Joy.

From fairest years, and Time's more happy Stores,
Gather all the fmiling Hours;

Such as with friendly Care have guarded
Patriots and Kings in rightful Wars;
Such as with Conqueft have rewarded,
Triumphant Victors happy Cares;

Such as Story has recorded

Sacred to NASSAU's long Renown,

For Countries fav'd, and Battles won.

March Them again in fair Array

And bid Them form the happy Day,

The happy Day defign'd to wait
On WILLIAM's Fame and EUROPE'S Fate.
Let the happy Day be crown'd
With great Event, and fair Succefs;

No brighter in the Year be found,
But that which brings the Victor home in Peace.

Again thy Godhead We implore,

Great in Wisdom as in Power;

Again, for Good MARIA's fake, and Ours,

Choose out other fmiling Hours;

M 3

Such

Prior.

Such as with joyous Wings have fled,
When happy Counfels were advifing;
Such as have lucky Omens fhed

O'er forming Laws, and Empires rifing;
Such as many Courfers ran,
Hand in Hand, a goodly Train,
To bless the great ELIZA's Reign;
And in the Typic Glory fhow,
What fuller Blifs MARIA fhall beftow.

As the folemn Hours advance,
Mingled fend into the Dance
Many fraught with all the Treasures
Which Thy Eastern Travel views;
Many wing'd with all the Pleasures,
Man can afk, or Heav'n diffule:

That great MARIA all thofe Joys may know,
Which, from Her Cares, upon Her Subjects flow,

For thy own Glory fing our Sov'reign's Praise,
God of Verfes and of Days:

Let all thy tuneful Sons adorn

Their lafting Works with WILLIAM's Name;
Let chofen Mules yet unborn

Take great MARIA for their future Theme:
Eternal Structures let Them raise,
On WILLIAM and MARIA's Praise :
Nor want new Subject for the Song;

Nor fear they can exhaust the Store

'Till Nature's Mufick lies unftrung;

Till Thou, great God, fhalt lofe Thy double Pow'r;
And touch Thy Lyre, and fhoot Thy, Beams no

more.

Thom,