Thus being cheer'd, he calls aloud for arms, And bids that all should rise, whom Morpheus charms. • Bring me (saith he) the harness that I wore At Tewxbury, which from that day no more Hath felt the batt'ries of a civil strife, Nor stood between destruction and my life.' Upon his breast-plate he beholds a dent, Which in that field young Edward's sword did print: This stirs remembrance of his heinous guilt, When he that prince's blood so foully spilt. Now fully arm'd, he takes his helmet bright, Which, like a twinkling star, with trembling light Sends radiant lustre through the darksome air *; This mask will make his wrinkled visage fair. But when his head is cover'd with the steel, He tells his servants, that his temples feel Deep-piercing stings, which breed unusual pains, And of the heavy burden much complains. Some mark his words, as tokens fram'd t' express The sharp conclusion of a sad success. Then going forth, and finding in his way A soldier of the watch, who sleeping lay; Enrag'd to see the wretch neglect his part, He strikes a sword into his trembling heart, The hand of death and iron dulness takes Those leaden eyes, which natural ease forsakes: The king this morning sacrifice commends, And for example, thus the fact defends: • I leave him as I found him, fit to keep The silent doors of everlasting sleep.' *.......... he takes his helmet bright, Which, like a twinkling star, with trembling light Sends radiant lustre through the darksome air.) This description of a piece of armour is as fine as any thing I am able to recol Still Richmond slept: for worldly care and fear Have times of pausing when the soul is clear; While heaven's director, whose revengeful brow Would to the guilty head no rest allow, Looks on the other part with milder eyes: At his command an angel swiftly fiies From sacred Truth's perspicuous gate, to bring A crystal vision on his golden wing. This lord, thus sleeping, thought he saw and knew His lamb-like uncle, whom that tiger slew, Whose powerful words encourage him to fight: Go on, just scourge of murder, Virtue's light. The combat which thou shalt this day endure, Makes England's peace for many ages sure; Thy strong invasion cannot be withstood, The earth assists thee with the cry of blood; The heaven shall bless thy hopes, and crown thy joys. See how the fiends, with loud and dismal noise (Presaging vultures, greedy of their prey), On Richard's tent their scaly wings display.' The holy King then offer'd to his view A lively tree, on which three branches grew : But when the hope of fruit had made him glad, All fell to dust: at which the Earl was sad; Yet comfort comes again, when from the root He sees a bough into the north to shoot, Which, nourish'd there, extends itself from thence, And girds this island with a firm defence : lect of the kind. Let the reader compare it with the following lines of Glover : his glittering shield Whose spacious orb collects th' effulgent beam Leonidas. There he beholds a high and glorious throne, 1 Bosworth Field, by Sir J. Beaumont, p. 1-6, Edit. 1629. RICHARD THE SECOND, THE MORNING BEFORE HIS MURDER IN POMFRET CASTLE. WHETHER the soul receives intelligence, By her near genius, of the body's end, However, so it is; the now sad king The morning of that day which was his last, O happy man, (saith he,) that lo I see • Thou sit'st at home safe by thy quiet fire, Thrice happy you, that look as from the shore *, * Thrice happy you, that look as from the shore, &c.] Lucret. Lib. II. On the subject of kindred sensations to this, I have been always pleased with the following passage in Dr. Johnson's Journey to the Western Islands. "We came in the afternoon to Slanes Castle, built upon the margin of the sea, so that the walls of one of the towers seem only a continuation of a perpendicular rock, the foot of which is beaten by the waves. To walk round the house seemed impracticable: from the windows the eye wanders over the sea that separates Scotland from Norway, and when the winds beat with violence, must |