A PASTORAL Upon the DEATH of HER GRACE THE Duchess of Ormond.  
Qua nihil majus, meliuse Terris  
Fata donavere, bonique Divi,  
Nec dabunt: Quamvis redeant in Aurum  
Tempora priscum.  Horat. 
MYRTILLO. ALEXIS.  Myrtillo. 
IF loaded Eyelids, and a clouded Brow,  
Crossed Arms, and rising Sighs, great Sorrow show;  
And if one Friend may know another's care,  
Why these sad Marks does my Alexis wear?  Alexis. 
Alas, Myrtillo! cast thy eyes around,  
And tell me, What like comfort's to be found?  
The Sun has not sent forth one cheerful Ray,  
But worn a Cloud of Mourning all the day.  
See how our drooping Flocks no Pastures heed,  
But bleat about us, and neglect to feed!  
Let Nature look in all her Orders sad;  
Nor Envy dare to show it, if she's glad;  
Since nothing, nothing now can Joy restore,  
For Fate has struck, and PYRRHA is no more.  Myrtillo. 
PYRRHA! for whom our daily Vows we paid,  
And best-loved Younglings on the Altar laid;  
For whose long , Life, and happy State,  
All grateful Prayers on the good Gods did wait;  
Whose Virtue Nymphs were taught to copy young,  
For 'twas the Theme of every Shepherd's Song:  
Has Fate at last prevailed! And is SHE gone!  
O whither now shall many wretched run!  
The Injured, for Redress; the Poor, for Aid;  
Worth, for Reward; or Grief, to be allayed:  
Since Justice, Pity, Bounty, quits our Plains;  
But Sorrow grows Eternal, and remains.  Alexis. 
As full-blown Flowers, that long have decked the ground,  
And with their Odours filled the Air around,  
bend down their heads at last to Mother Earth,  
And fade away, though to a second Birth;  
Or as tall Cedars, who (admired) have stood  
For many years the Glory of the Wood,  
Finding in time their sacred Roots decay,  
Are by the next rude Tempest torn away:  
So flourished PYRRHA, and as high did rise,  
Adorned the Earth, and seemed to reach the Skies.  
Fair, without blemish; Lofty, without Pride:  
But, Oh! the Tempest risen, and PYRRHA died!  
Gone then's all Spring, now Winter's only ours;  
Sighs rise like Storms, and Tears must fall like Showers.  Myrtillo. 
If full of Years and Honours PYRRHA fell,  
Grief may with Swains of humbler Talents dwell,  
While to a nobler Work our minds we raise,  
Suspend our Sorrows, and proclaim Her Praise.  Alexis 
As round heavens Throne whole Choirs of Angel's throng,  
Yet all their Triumphs one Eternal Song:  
So here on Earth should PYRRHA 's Praises last,  
Till Time's not more, and Nature's works lie waste.  Myrtillo. 
Then let us tune our Reeds; Thou first the Lay  
Begin; Our Flocks shall listen, and I'll play:  
So up to PYRRHA'S Fame our Notes we'll raise,  
Suspend our Sorrows, and proclaim her Praise.  Alexis. 
Mean time, ye boundless Winds, your Gusts forbear,  
And all ye Hills and Valleys round give ear;  
Keep back ye Rivers, and forbear to run,  
Till the great Tale of PYRRHA 's Fame be done:  
Then let each wind bear it where-ever it blows,  
Catch it, ye Hills and Valleys, as it goes,  
With your assenting Echoes in the close.  
Murmur it, Floods, as to your Seas ye creep,  
And with it add new Wonders to the Deep;  
For the Renown of PYRRHA 's Name shall last  
Till Time's not more, and Nature's Works lie waste.  Myrtillo. 
On then.  Alexis. 
— As Stars before the rising day  
Seem in their Orbs to sink, and dive away;  
So all the Nymphs upon our fertile Plains,  
Though proud and cruel to their sighing Swains,  
When PYRRHA 's powerful Charms approached, they failed,  
And any satire might have then prevailed:  
So much in blooming Youth could she surprise,  
she'd all the panting Hearts and wishing Eyes,  
Come then, ye Nymphs of Arcadia, draw near,  
Weep round her Earth, and all your Garlands tear;  
For PYRRHA 's Beauty once not Equal knew;  
But Fate has seized Her now, and must have You.  Myrtillo. 
PYRRHA's bright Eyes enlightened every Grove;  
And fired at last ALCANDER's Heart with Love;  
The Nymph found Him a Triumph worth Her Charms,  
And She alone was fit to fill His Arms:  
Many did either Conquest wish t'have made;  
But only They each other could invade;  
For in Her Form did Nature seem improved,  
And He was framed to Love and be Beloved:  
Therefore Heaven smiled, and all the Stars looked kind;  
When Pyrrha and Alcander's Hearts were joined.  Alexis. 
Who has not heard of great Alcander 's Name,  
So long the Muse's Task, and Pride of Fame?  
Pan early chose, and made him great in Power,  
When the Wolves raged, and did our Flocks devour:  
He took the guard of the molested Plains;  
Saw our Lambs fed, and cheered Us frighted Swains;  
Waked with us 'midst dark Nights and pinching Colds,  
To drive the howling Monsters from our Folds:  
In all which time, PYRRHA, His charming Bride,  
Oft came, and watched as He did, by His side;  
Of his worst dangers still her part would bear,  
And for all Joys She gave Him, asked but care.  
Now, ye poor Flocks, go bleat about, and stray;  
Ye Shepherds, cast your Scrips and Hooks away;  
Stretched on the ground, your fatal loss bemoan,  
And call on PYRRHA 's Name at every groan.  Myrtillo. 
Full Fifty happy years this matchless Pair  
Lived in unshaken Love; No Jealous care,  
Or mean Distrust, did once their Joys molest,  
So in a Noble Offspring were They blest,  
Of Warlike Youths, worthy their Father's Name,  
And Daughters, spotless as their Mother's Fame:  
Bold Celadon, the Darling of loud War,  
And Strephon now, whose pious, shoulders bear  
The burden of his aged Father's care;  
Young Damon, lovely as the Beams that play  
about our East, and lead the corning Day;  
Fair Phyllida, who was with Aegon wed,  
And blest Him with a Faithful Fruitful Bed;  
Generous Lysca too, by Nature taught  
To recommend the poor man's cause unsought.  Alexis 
All these the Offspring were of PYRRHA 's Womb:  
Come then, ye Mothers, mourn around Her Tomb:  
In PYRRHA 's Name your Mystic Rites perform,  
When to your Aid ye would Lucina charm,  
Either the labouring Matrons pangs to ease,  
Or bless the Barren Mourner with increase.  Myrtillo. 
Oh! kind Alexis, still pursue thy Song,  
How these fair Branches grew, or withered young.  Alexis. 
Brave Celadon through Fate untimely failed,  
And was by Pan and all his Train bewailed;  
Some mourning Muses sung Him to His Tomb,  
Yet others felt more grief, and thence mere dumb.  
Young Damon faded in His Beauty's Pride,  
And Phyllida no less lamented died.  
But long may Strephon 's Life rejoice the years  
Of good Alcander, and assist His Cares.  
Fullness of time, kind Heaven, to Lysca give,  
'Tis for your Honour, Gods, that She should live;  
For She, the more of days you Her afford,  
By Her good Deeds will make You more adored;  
Since Lysca was of pious PYRRHA born,  
And PYRRHA 's Virtues Lysca 's Heart adorn.  Myrtillo. 
But what shall now give good Alcander joy?  Alexis. 
The Gods, when Fate took Celadon away,  
Called Daphnis forth, th' Heroic Race to run,  
Which his great Parent had so well begun:  
From Celadon 's brave Loins young Daphnis came,  
Full of His Heat, and conscious of His Fame,  
Whose Mind his Father's Deeds did so employ,  
He grew Alcander 's Hopes, and PYRRHA 's joy.  
PYRRHA loved Daphnis, and with pleasure found  
The Hero 's Virtues in the Youth abound.  
When Daphnis languished, PYRRHA did provide  
The charming soft Aminta for His Bride:  
Aminta! tender as the Lambs that play  
In Sunny morns, and Innocent as They;  
Sweet as those Evening Airs that gently blow  
Where the rich fragrant Eastern Spices grow;  
Calm as our Groves in a fair Summer's Night,  
And Lovely as the first-created Light.  
Daphnis was born, Amintas with Him joined,  
To chase all sorrows from Alcander 's mind;  
To add new Honours to His store of Fame,  
And a long Race of Heroes to His Name:  
His Name, which shall, with PYRRHA 's Praises, last  
Till Time's not more, and Nature's Works lie waste.   

Printed and Sold by N. Thompson, at the Entrance into the Old-Spring-Garden near Charing-Cross, 1684.