Onely The charge of Cyrus the great m THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES FREDERIC THOMAS BLANCHARD ENDOWMENT FUND "A 'N 'asnaojAg MO Nra IJIHdWVd THE CHARGE O F CTRUS the Great. A Poetical ESSAY. By the Rev. Mr. RICHARD ONELT, B. A. Late of Chj'ijl-College^ Cambridge, Ilia tanquam cygnea fuit divini hominis vox, et oratio, CrcER. de Orat. Piinted in the YEAR 1 756 : And fold by J. IFInfion and B. IVhite, in Fleet-Street ^ London j T. Merrill, in Cambridge 5 and H\ Dicey y in Korthamptun, PREFACE. CT^HE Learned Reader will he p leafed to JL ohferve^ that the following Essay had its Rife from the I aft famous Oration^ that is recorded of Cyrus by Xenophon. This great Monarch was bor?t in the 3405'^^ t ("599] I' Took Babylon in the - - - 3466'* 1 ^ J 53^ I ^ Founded the Periian Empire ijt the 3468'* 1 v 1 536 T ^ And died in the - -. _ 347 15'* j| [529 J, | KE was a Prince of the moft exalted [^Pagan'\ Virtues : He is mentioned in * Holy JVrit^ as a Perfon chofen out and direSled by God (whom he knew not) to effe& fame of his extraordinary Purpofes in favour of his Peculiar People Ifrael j and the Heathen Hiftorians fo exaSily agreeing with the Sacred Writers in their Relation of the moft important Inflances of CyrusV Life^ /r a great Confrmation of the Authority of the Hly Scriptures^ and of weighty Service to Re- ligion in general. B * Ezra i. Ifa. xlv. 870512 THE CONTENTS. PRESAGE of Cyrus'j Death His ijoell-fpent Life Matter of Confolation to his mourning SubjeSis His prudent Maxims and wife InflriiEiions to his Sons in Affairs of Policy atid Government His affeS^io?iate Man?ier of advifng them to live in Brotherly Love and U?iio?ij from the Conf deration of the Miferies and Ca- lamities^ that Civil Dfcord and Anarchy bring upon a Nation His awful Di[[ertation on the Immortality of the Soul His pathetick Exhortation to the Obfervance of the National Religio?i^ to the confla7it Worpip of the Deity^ to the PraBice of Virtue, as it refpeBs ourfelves, and the Social Duties of Man to Man — his Orders concerni?ig the decent Inter7?tent of his Corpfe, and his Monumental Infer iption His affetiing Marnier of taki?jg his lafi Leave of his Family^ a?id Friends, THE CHARGEo£ CTRUS. W HAT means this awful Sight ? why round me fhine Thofe radiant Glories, and that Form divine ? See I where, commiflion'd with fome dread Command, How fternly waves yon' vilionary Hand ! Near and more near it beckons, " Cyrus, rife ; " The Gods remand Thee to thy native Skies." Since thus the Pleafure of Imperial Jove, And folemn Omens warn me from Above ; Come then, ye Fathers, venerable grown, Whofe fteady Counfels prop the Perftan Throne ! Ye Friends, long wedded to fair Virtue's Caufe, And Ye, my Sons, whom filial Duty awes ! Attentive hear, amidft th' aflembled Throng, The dying Accents of a Monarch's Tongue. B 3 I CEASE ( 6 ) I CEASE to live! yet, ah! forbear to flievv The mad Expreflions of unmanly Woe. To die, is to be bleft : This iinderftood, 'Twere needlefs mourning for the Wife and Good. What Virtues charm us, or what Arts engage In Childhood, Youth, in Manhood, or in Age, In thefe I fpent each well-diftingui{h'd Day, And ftill purfu'd, where Honour led the Way : Mine was each Gift kind Fortune could afford, The Statefman's Counfel, or the Hero's Sword, See, Afta^ fee thy once ignoble Race, What Glory heightens, and what Worthies grace ! See Peace thy Realms with fmiling Train adorn, And Plenty pour the Treafures of her Horn. Yet, oft as Fortune blew propitious Gales, And mildeft Zephyrs fann'd my fwelling Sails, Still Caution warn'd me, anxi©us for the Realm, And Reafon fear'd to quit her much-lov'd Helm : She ( 7) She calmly ftemm'd Ambition's boift'rous Tide, And lower'd the Projeds of Gigantick Pride : Hence unimpair'd are all my Bleffings now ; Hence frefh my Laurels blooming o'er my Brow r Sage Forefight only keeps our Conquefts won ; The too Secure too furely are undone. No claimant Princes fhall hereafter jar, (The bloody Sources of inteftine War.) For thus I will — both ye, my Children, fhare A-like my Fondnefs, and a -like my Care ! Yet you, my Eldeft, to the Crown fucceed ; 'Tis what thy Father, what the Gods decreed. Refleft, from whence that facred Pow'r is giv'n,. Its Fount, the grand Authority of Heav'n ! Refled:, that Monarchs only were delign'd To guard their People, and to blefs Mankind ! Each Royal Mandate Equity fhould bound. And Goodnefs caft a Smile on all around. Nor lefs, whilft, hov'ring o'er th' embattl'd Field, Her Palms to Thee fond Vidory fhall yield, I-et ( 8 ) Let Mercy plead : No Hero's truly Brave Without that God-like Principle — To Save : Diflrefs (hould bid our gen'rous Pity flow, Whilft Nature foftens at another's Woe. By me releas'd, O ! how the yewiJJy Choir 1 o Sion\ Songs re-tun'd the facred Lyre, Which by the * Streams of Babylon^ unftrung, In late fad Silence on the Willows hung ! "t Difmifs'd with Prefents to their old Abode, To build the Temple of their much-lov'd God, X Each Mouth was full of Laughter long unknown ; The Joy, that fill'd their Hearts, o'erflow'd my own. Thy Breaft, young Prince, let all thefe Virtues fire, /^ nd nobly to the World confefs thy Sire, This happy State, that, from an Heav'nly Plan, Forms every Scheme of Happinefs to Man, By Juftice 'ftabliOi, and by Arms defend ; No Feuds embroil, and no Divifions rend J Tranfmit • See Pfalm cxxxvii. t The famous Edift of Q-rwj in Behalf of the y^u^j which is here alluded to, i» recited in I Ejdras. 2 Chron. i. 7. X See Pfalm cxxvi. ( 9) Tranfmit entire, to blefs the peaceful Home Of Nations now unborn, and Monarchs yet to come. And thou, my Son, thou Youngefl, flialt command The narrower Confines of fome neighbouring Land. Tho' larger Realms thy Brother's Sway confefs, 'Thy Peace is greater, as thy Kingdom lefs. Ambition's Spur ftill pungent to the Soul, When o'er his Mind his Father's Glories roll ; Purfuing clofe up Labour's craggy Steep, Fame hard to gain, and harder yet to keep ; Foremoft in Cares, as firft in Rule, to fliine ; Thefe, Thefc are His— but Pleafures all are Thine. And weak, Camhyfes^ will thy Kingdom prove, Without the Scepter of thy People's Love. But yet it afks thy Caution, all thy Care, Thy Subjeds when to court, and when beware : Not true by Nature, Man, whate'er he boafl;, Moft faithful! feemirig, may deceive the moft. Be ( lo ) Be Thine the well-try'd Statefman, prudent, juft, Unfway'd by Lucre, unenflav'd by Luft : Who public Good prefers to private Ends, Whofe Truth direds you, and whofe Zeal defends. Then no fad Murmurs can Sufpicion raife ; Admiring Anarchy itfelf obeys ; Bafe Treafon dreads Infernal Plots to lay,^ And calm'd Rebellion looks her Rage away. This once, O * Da?nely was thy God-like Part, Thy Head as learn'd, as was fincere thy Heart. Tho' fullen Jealoufy oft curs'd thy Name, And Envy plann'd the Ruins of thy Fame, Thy fpotlefs Honour cou'd the Mouth defy Of deadly Lions, or the deadlier Spy. Chiefs, fuch as Thou, be ftguard each Prince's Caufe, Whom Confcience binds, and whom Religion awes. Thy Friends promote, thy Brother firft of Thefc, Advancing moft iJ/V Honour, Intereft, Eafe ; So The Prophet D^jwV/ was Prime Minifter about 70 Years to the Printes of Bchylon, of whom C>r«j was the laft, who eiigag'd liim in his Service, in which hcj very probably, died. ( " ) So fhall his Soul with kindred Pailions burn, And grateful Friendship make the beft Return ; Faithful alike his Counfels and his Arms, When Peace fhall blefs you, or when War alarms. But, oh ! if where Refpedl her Balms fhould bring. Pride rears her Creft, and Envy's Adders fting ; If Royal Brothers, when fome Fiend infpires, When Anger prompts, or when Ambition fires, Divide Themfelves, and with imperious Awe Their People's Hearts to diff'rent Fadions drav/ j Then foon will Peace, that Guardian Goddefs, fail. And injur'd Juftice drop her equal Scale ; Faith, Heav'nly Gueft, forfake her wonted Stand, And Truth indignant flee the guilty Land ; In Concord's Temple wild Contention reign, And madning Fury clank her broken Chain ; Her Rights fequefter'd Freedom fhall deplore. And Mercy's grand Afylum be no more. C O! then. ( II ) O ! then, my Sons, by that great God above ! By Filial Duty ! by Parental Love ! Let facred Friendfhip with you ever grow, The bert of Blefling-s Earth contains below. Nor think, when this poor Life away fliall flee, Your Royal Father never more muft BE. Tho' in our Breaft the Soul's unfeen, 'tis clear A Soul immortal has Exiftence there. Or whence has Adtion its energic Spring ? Or whence. Reflection, thy excurfive Wing ? Whence all the dreadful Scene of Horror fpread Around the trembling Murderer's guilty Head ! Or why does thus, when Mortals dare to fln, Vindidive Confcience ply the Lafli within ? Why o'er the Grave thofe glaring Trophies blaze ? Why all the Pomp of Monumental Praife? Vain were the lofty Mufes' Epic Strain, Vain the fad Dirge, the rifmg Column vain, If ( 13 ) If human Souls Mortality muft {hare, i\nd at the laft but vanifh into Air. Our Thirft for Truth, which cannot here abate, Points out fome clearer, fome more perfed State ; Whilft longing Hope ftill bids us calmly die, And take our fair Pofleflion of the Sky. See Innocence with various Cares diftrefs'd. Unfed, uncloath'd, unmanfion'd, and oppres'd ! See modeft Worth, 'midft Troubles undeferv'd ! Admir'd, repuls'd ! juft pitied, prais'd, and ftarv'd ! Yet ftill rejoice the Sons of virtuous Woe, Tho' profp'rous Vice triumphant reigns below ; On Honour's Mount tho' glares the perjur'd Chief, Theyw^W^ contented thro' the Vale of Grief! It muft be fo what Reas'ner can beUeve, That Souls, when freed from Bodies, ceafe to live ? Let Age the weak corporeal Frame deftroy. The Soul furvives This, This, can never die : C 2 . Whilft ( 14 ) Whilft That inadive moulders in the Tomb, This ftill fliall flom-idiin immortal Bloom, Purg'd from all earthly Drofs, for ever rove Thro' all th' unbounded Trails of Happinefs above. When drowfy Slumbers o'er the Spirits creep, Reflect, what Death is, from it's Image, Sleep ! In airy Dreams the Soul then wings its Way, Freed from the dull Impediments of Clay, Holds Converfe fweet with every kindred Pow'r, In Myrtle Grove, or Amaranthin Bow'r; Thro' Worlds unknown quick darts the vital Flame, And traverfes all Heav'n, from whence it came. But yet if, with the Body, rigid Fate The Soul's Exiftence fliould annihilate, (How, when fond Thoughts the pleafmg Theme purfue, Does anxious * Doubt thus terminate the View !) Yet ftill to God let pure Devotion rife, All-powerful, juft, all-merciful and wife; Whofe • The Notions of the wifeft Heathens concerning a Future State were mixed with fuch Doubts and Uncertainties, that the ftrongeft Expreflions of their Philofophers upon iRis Subjeft are little better than mere Scepticifm, when com par'd to the Dircoverics of the Gofpel, which aJone has brought Life and Immortality to their fuUsft Light. ( IS ) Wliofe piercing Eye each fecret Fraud deteds ; Whofe Wifdom governs, and whofe Care direds, That Time, nor Fate hath in Confufion hurl'd The Beauty, Order, Qrandeur of the World. Hence, where fome * Mountain, awful to the Sight, Rears its huge Summit to yon' Realms of Light, Let humble Pray'r, propitiating the Skie, The Body proftrate, or uplift the Eye ; lljere glad Thankfgiving grateful Altars raife ! There choral P awaits fwell the Song of Praife ! Let no Corruption near Thy Palace fpread, Nor dire Oppreilion rear her Iron Head. There Heav'n-born Virtues fhall attradl the Sight, Peace, Love, and Charity, divinely bright ; "There Bounty, guided by % Difcretion's Hand, Shall deal her Favours to a grateful Land : There Truth fhall fmile, in awful State endirin'd, The fair Refemblance of th' Eternal Mind, There * The Perfiam generally perform'd their Religious Exercifes in the open Air, on high Places ; as thinking it derogatory from the IVIajefty of the Deity, to (hut that GoJ up within Walls, who fhould have the Earth for his Altar, and the whole World for his Temple. \ 'Tis a fine Compliment, that Pliny pays to the Munificence of the Emperor Trajan, Aug'.o Principis Munus, quum ojlendo Liberalitati ej!JIVER?JTY OF CALIFORNIA; LOS ANGELAS 3 1158 01019 8389 OC SOUTHERN "EGiOUAj liBRAR. FA' D 000 000 895 3