II. FAITH.

Shall Faith unwitness'd perish? Nay, the wave
Of dark blue ocean first shall cease to roll,
And Memory on its tides, as on a scroll,
Her deeds in stedfast characters engrave.
The barque of God, unterrified, may brave
The dim untraversed flood of either pole,
Defy conspiring winds, or treacherous shoal,
In night's blind darkness find a light to save.
Still shall he speed to port, though tempests blow,
To whom her compass fervent Zeal hath given,
With Faith, and Hope, and God to point his road :
He shall behold heaven open'd from below,

Or by his prayer to earth shall bring down heaven : Such might awaits the soul that trusts in God.

III. THE CRUCIFIED.

When on Thy form I gaze, all-pitying Lord,
Upon the bitter Cross in anguish hung,

Mock'd with fell taunts from many a slanderous

tongue,

And with sharp spear Thy sacred bosom gored;

I tremble at the thought, what stern award

Awaits my sins, since pains so fierce and strong Were borne by Thee, unstain'd by thought of wrong

True Light of Light's pure Fount, Incarnate Word! Yet in that fear glad hope finds strength to grow,

Hope, by that guiltless blood's remembrance taught, Which gave its life to cleanse my guilty stain: And Faith, whose breath is comfort, bids me know, The soul, by its dear God's own lifeblood bought, Shall to its being's Author live again.

IV. ON THE DEATH OF THE COUNT OF CORUNNA.

When youth, impetuous as the boiling flood,

Courts danger's maddening waves, sworn foe to

peace,

The sudden blow, that bids his day-dreams cease, Comes with a force as terrible as rude:

High Providence alone, still just, still good,
Can in one moment from all guilt release,
From light neglect and long forgetfulness,

When with one pang the heart its guilt hath rued.
Lord, grant it now! such grace were meet from Thee:
For ne'er was crime so deep, or space so brief,

But Thy sweet mercy could suffice for all :

Let Pity trust that such this end might be,

Though far from safety's port, and Fear and Grief Abhor blind pride's stern mood and bitter fall.

V. PRAISE OF THE DUKE OF LERMA.

On strong Alcides' shoulders Atlas laid

A weight which strong Alcides best could bear: Two worlds by thee upheld attest thy care, Firm to sustain, beneficent to aid.

Zeal at thy side with mercy mild array'd,

Greatness with gentle train of almsdeeds fair, Comfort the good, and bid the bad despair; The constant thou hast cheer'd, the weak upstay'd. These virtues, and thy generous heart and hand,

Best graces, which to generous blood belong, Have made thee meet on fortune's heights to stand: Mild meekness, which base Envy dares not wrong,

Free bounty, large as space of sea and land, Ordain thee heir of Time's enduring song.

VI. REASONS FOR RETIREMENT.

If each man may by choice his fortune frame,
And he who highest aims is envied more,
Be mine the golden mean, the modest store,
Which, settled in the mean, is still the same.
Let others, fool'd by hope, more venturous game
Essay, where flattering, envying, throngs adore:
But unbeguiled, within my humble door

Let me no claimants hear, and urge no claim.
Sooner than on my shoulders bear the load
Of princely sway, provoking still anew
The murmuring plaint of censure's varying strain,
Let me in dim retirement's safe abode

Forgotten live, forget life's dreams untrue,
And die unvex'd by wrong'd ambition's pain.

VII. WRITTEN IN HIS BANISHMENT FROM COURT.

I gaze upon the unquiet sea from shore,

As the glad pilot, who safe port hath won, Long toss'd at Fortune's will in gulfs unknown, Who hears the hungry billows round him roar : Gladly I gather up the remnants poor

Of my wreck'd hopes, which have not quite gone down,

Taught wisdom by the light of Fate's dark frown,

Alive to knowledge now, to hope no more.

Patience, the skill to splice thy rudder-band

Needs breath more firm, and arms more strong,

than mine;

The drifting keel its guiding helm hath lost :
To break my fall I found no pitying hand;

My cheated trust sank foundering in the brine,
The
prey of mocks and scorns,-too dear the cost.

VIII. PHILIP IV. IN COUNCIL.

"The English and the Persians, for our sin,
Have taken Ormuz, Sire: the Philippines
Are ruin'd by the Dutchman's brigantines:
Brazil and Lima tremble at the din

Of pirate war: the Lutheran foe within

Our Indian Isles has rear'd his hostile signs:
The Valtoline, or twenty Valtolines,

If Rome should win them, soon the Turk will win :
The foes join league, and all the horizon lours :
Your scatter'd empire totters far and near,
Danger at hand, and succour all too slow."
The king replied: "For this we give full powers
To the Count-Duke. Now let his daughter dear
Be wed; and to the boar-hunt we will go."

See Note.

IX. HARD WORDS ON STEENIE AND BABY CHARLES.

By Heresy upborne, that giantess,

Whose pride heaven's battlements in fancy scales, With Villiers his proud Admiral, Charles of Wales To Mary's heavenly sphere would boldly press. A heretic he is, he must confess;