TO THE MEMORY Of my most Honoured Friend Sir IONAS MOOR, Knight, Late Surveyor General of His Majesty's Ordnance and Armouries.  

NAture first ruled the World by Laws unknown  
To all the World, but to herself alone;  
While man knew nothing more than how t'admire,  
And satisfied with Wonder, sought no higher.  
Then came the Dull Philosopher, and he  
Long time essayed with tedious scrutiny;  
But after all, most Happy he, and Wife,  
That knows the hidden Cause of things, he cries.  
The Cause of Thunder is but Cloudy Guests,  
And what the dreadful Comet feeds, no less.  
But Demonstration rules those noble Arts  
That so renowned Renowned MOOR'S great Parts.  
The Man, whose Genius mounted to the Sky,  
And fetched from thence Infallibility.  
Whose Studies still, with Victory repaid,  
Scorned all resistance which the Mystery made.  
Who, with the Charms of powerful Numbers bold,  
Gave the Sea Laws, and Massy Earth Controlled.  
For Poise and Numbers were the Solid Root  
On which he fixed his Archimedean Foot.  
The Wand'ring Seaman by his Problems Taught,  
Find easy now, what long their Toils had sought:  
And Towns surrounded by his Skilful care,  
Contemn the Fury of Industrious War.  
He Soared to Heaven, and viewing every part,  
Searched all the Spheres, and by a Godlike Art,  
Numbered the Stars, and made them all obey  
The Powerful Workings of his Algebra.  
While thus his Magazines did England store,  
England Won Honour from her Honoured MOOR.  
The Grecian Euclid, and Sicilian Glory,  
Who checked the Pride of Bold Marcellus fury,  
Were but the Morning-Stars to her great Sun.  
Her Sun has Greece and Sicily out-shone,  
By Ripening what in them was ownly Blown.  
Such a Disciple worthily became  
The Credit of his Master Oughtred's Name.  
He finds himself repaid for all his Pains,  
While in the Scholar's Fame the Master reigns.  
The Payment must suffice, when men shall say,  
'Twas Oughtred Taught surpassing MOOR the Way.  
Let Euclid his great Herigonius claim,  
Or Learned Barrow choose to Imp his Fame;  
They both to greater MOOR must yield, and know  
The Practics only from his Labours flow.  
There lies the Public Use; by that we find  
How much his Studies have obliged Mankind.  
What though our Sun be Set, there yet return  
Those Beams which still enlighten from his Urn.  
The Lord of Day, when once he Sets 'tis true,  
Black Night all Objects hides from Humane View.  
But when, like him, the Learned fall, no Nights  
Can e'er extinguish their Immortal Lights.  
Their Works of Heavenly Matter, and their Praise  
Still Flame behind with an Eternal Blaze.  
'Tis true, our loss is great, but 'tis in Vain  
Of Fate in tedious Distiches to Complain;  
For Mortals must descend and fill the Grave,  
Though they be ne'er so Skilful, ne'er so Brave.  
Yet since the Learned to the Learned own  
The tribute of Remembrance; Let us show  
Respect and Honour to that Sacred Dust,  
Which else, would call the Learned World unjust.   

●hen to the Virtues of his Mind ascend,  
And let him, as he was, himself Commend.  
Record him Just, and to his purpose True,  
Sententious Horace's Good man, quite through:  
A Friend to Friendship, without false pretence;  
The Laws observer, Loyal to his Prince.   

Then View his Telescope on Greenwich-hill,  
The sweet Recluse of his Celestial Skill;  
And there behold his Brave and Generous Heart,  
So free for the support of Noble Art.  
Where, like the Industrious Dane in Huena Isle,  
So Famous for his own Ingenious Pile;  
No sooner was the Sun's back turned, but he  
Fully Surveyed all Heaven's Geometry,   

The Famous Archimedes much had found,  
To set his Orbs of Crystal going round:  
Him Studious Tychobrahe far out-vy'd,  
And left his Vaster Globe for Denmark's Pride:  
But greater MOOR, new Secrets to display,  
Practised on Heaven itself, that we may say,  
The Heavens themselves permitted him to Die,  
So to prevent his farther Scrutiny.   

The World, not for the World, would be without  
Those Rules and Methods, which he late found out;  
To dive into the Secret Depths of Number;  
Number, that was the Ancients worshipped wonder:  
Who, had they known his Algebras, in time  
Would have converted all their Vows to him.  
The Genius of all Arts, whose Studies made  
A Public Resormation for each Trade.   

The Horologer by his Pains Improved,  
As if his Wheels the Heavenly Body moved,  
Measures Times slight with so much Skill from Him,  
That we behold with Pleasure, loss of Time:  
We see it fly, yet gladly feed our Eyes,  
To see how pleasantly away it flies.   

The Studious Engineer short time bestows  
Upon his modern Rules, and perfect grows;  
As if it only were enough to look,  
And then to wear the Models of his Book;  
While from their Platforms ranged Guns proclaim  
The Scholar's Skill, but more the Master's Fame;  
Since his Proportion gave them strength and form,  
Which Peace admires, and War can never harm.   

But above all; his Prince full soon observed  
His learned Parts, and as his Parts deserved,  
Placed him within his Proper Spheric Height,  
And gave him Honour too, to shine more Bright.  
His Charge was great, and his Discharge as great;  
Whom ne'er Complaint pursued, nor Check of State:  
Nor could the open Month of false Report  
Do his untainted Reputation hurt;  
For this our Mighty Neptune chose so fair,  
And gave his little Tritons to his care.  
Those Striplings, which his Royal Bounty Breeds,  
To reap the Harvest of their future Deeds:  
And for whose sake great MOOR did late Compile  
Those Happy Treasures of our Sea-girt Isle.  
Where the known Earth in Lovely Maps Surveyed,  
And wider Ocean in Sea Cards Displayed.  
The Generous Youth with Noble Thoughts inflame,  
T'excel Columbus and Magellan's Fame.   

These things Considered by a Generous Prince,  
The Mighty Monarch, touched with a deep Sense  
Of his great Loss, yet Studious of repair,  
The Father's Trust gives back unto his Heir:  
For since my MOOR is gone, I'll raise, said He,  
Myself, a Living Monument to Him of Thee.   

Thus Died the Mirror of our Age, and thus  
Doubly on Earth he lives again with us;  
Engaging Doubly all that here Survive,  
By Living Works, and by a Son alive.    

Printed for R. Harford, at the Angel in Cornhill.