Poems, chiefly consisting of satyrs and satyrical epistles by Robert Gould.

TO THE Right Honourable JAMES, EARL of ABINGDON, &c.

My Lord,

IN all Ages the greatest and wisest of Mankind have been the Patrons of Poesie; They have taken the Authors into their Con∣verse,

and their Works into their Bosoms, and both in the one and the other have not fail'd of an agree∣able, and, oft, a Divine Entertain∣ment: But neither of these is to be expected from Me, or my Writings: These Poets might pretend their Merit to the Favour and Protection of their Patrons; Whereas, I must consider your Lordship's Conde∣scension to me meerly as an effect of your Goodness, which, because it would have me do well, gave me Encouragement, though to do well was not really in my Power: How∣ever, when Vertue and Truth were my Subjects, I never fail'd to exert my Endeavours. You found me, my Lord, an Orphan, without For∣tune or Friends, and have rais'd me

to both; I have had the smiles of many Persons, because they knew I had your Lordship's; Your Ap∣probation was the Stamp that made me pass almost Vnquestion'd, though, at the same time, you knew, or at least I was conscious to my self, the Metal was not right Sterling. Nor has your Lordship only rais'd me, and left me there, but setled upon me such a competence as has fixt my Ambition. Showing the World you are of the same mind of Timon in Shakespear,

'Tis not enough to help the feeble up, But to support him after.

But I am not the only proof, by many, of your Lordship's Bounty;

'tis of a more diffusive Nature than to be so narrowly confin'd: No Man that ever had the Honour of being a Retainer to your Lordship, but has known it in a high degree; To be admitted your Menial is, in effect, a Maintainance for Life: And what may the good Servant expect when even the bad (such as my self) meet with Rewards so unpropor∣tion'd to any Merit they can pre∣tend by their Service? Neither are these Showres of Liberality rain'd only on your Domesticks; Stran∣gers, as well as they, have their share. The Widow, the Father∣less, and the Poor, are the conti∣nual Objects of your Charity; a∣mid'st affairs of the highest moment (in which y'are now employ'd) you

have a thought that stoops to the Relief of the Wretched. Our Di∣vine Herbert tells us,

— All worldly Goods are less Than that one good of doing kind∣nesses.

This is a Principle you live up to in all its Latitude; for, certainly, your Lordship may pass under this general Character, that never any Man was known to you but to his Advantage. The Oath Pindar en∣joins his Muse (in Praise of Theron Prince of Agrigentum) might with equal Justice be said of your Lord∣ship:

Swear in no City e'r before, A Better Man, or greater Soul was born; Swear that Theron, sure, has sworn No Man near him shou'd be poor; Swear that none e'r had such a grace∣ful Art, Fortunes Free Gifts as freely to im∣part With an unenvious hand, and an un∣bounded Heart. Cowley.

The Respect I bear to Gratitude and Truth, and the unfeigned Duty I owe your Lordship, wou'd not suffer me to pass by making this Declaration, which possibly may be no derogation or lessening of your Fame, if what I have written

happen to live to Posterity: They will then see (bad as this Age is) there was some Vertue extant, that there was one just Theme, at least, for Panegyrick amid'st our num'rous Subjects for Satyr. And, indeed, it must be a sublime Pen that does your Lordship Right; who were one of the very first that appear'd in the glorious Occasion of redeeming us from the Merciless Jaws of Po∣pery and Slavery, and once more make the reform'd Religion flourish in its primitive Purity, as deliver'd to us by the holy Apostles, before Innovation and Superstition had crept in, and the grand Impostor tramp∣led upon Crowns and Mitres. Piety and not Power is the Rock on which the Church shou'd be founded.

The Fisher to convert the World began, The Pride convincing of vain-glo∣rious Man; But soon his Follower grew a So∣vereign Lord, And Peter's Keys exchang'd for Peter's Sword, Which still maintains for his ado∣pted Son Vast Patrimonies, though himself had none; Wresting the Text to the old Gy∣ant's sense, That Heav'n, once more, must suf∣fer violence. Denham.

'Tis indisputable, Popery, for many Years, has been the source

of all the Troubles and Divisions a∣mong us: And nothing less than we have felt, cou'd be expected from the restless Temper and diligent Ma∣lice of our Adversaries. We have now a new Example (though the old ones, methinks, might have serv'd) That Nature, Piety, Bro∣therly Love and Charity, with all the Sacred Ties that constitute Christia∣nity, are of no more strength to them, than Sampson's Cords when his Harlot said, The Philistins are upon thee. Had things run on in that Chanel they had cut for 'em, we are not sure the Blood had till now been running in our Veins. But 'tis to be hoped our Fears of the intro∣ducing that Perswasion are over — It remains we should be thankful for

our Deliverance, Honour our De∣liverers; and endeavour, by the Living up to the Religion we pro∣fess, that Heav'n wou'd grant a Con∣tinuance of it to us. But to be signal upon this Account, is not the only glory of your Lordship; your Life is but one continued Series of Ho∣nourable Actions, which from the first, as well as at the late Crisis of Affairs, have been known to the Publick, and every where discours'd to your Advantage: Abingdon is a sound that has reacht every Ear: If Poets may presume so far, I cou'd methinks prophesy, that in after days no name will be more generally celebrated: They will ev'n then be secur'd by what has been done now; and seeing their Safety, Ease and

Plenty, with a long Uninterruption of their Religion, Liberty and Pro∣perty, sprung from such as your Lord∣ship, who stood in the Breach when so bold a Blow was struck at the Fundamental Constitution of our happy Establisht Government, they must, consequently, reflect on your Memoires with double Veneration. The Poets, too, of those Times will not be ingrateful, but to your Issue describing the Gallantry of their great Progenitors, make 'em endea∣vour to tread in the same tract of Glory. Nor indeed should I pass by this subject my self, but that 'twill be discretion to decline it, since I know I am incapable of doing it Justice; and for that Reason waving it, will be as great a kindness as the

little Modesty I have, ever did me; for I am, now at last, thoroughly sa∣tisfy'd of my inability of perform∣ing any thing well in Poesie: And if a hearty Protestation of leaving off Writing in that way, and betaking my self to those Studies that may make me more useful in the Station your Lordship has placed me, will give me a better Title to your Lord∣ship's Protection than any I can yet boast of, I shall not doubt to approve my self,

My Lord,

Your Lordship's Faithful, humble, And entirely Devoted Servant, Robert Gould.