"And Monarch's can depose, or can create: / With secret Chains their Subjects Conscience binds, / And lays inchanted Fetters on their Minds."
— Heyrick, Thomas (bap. 1649. d. 1694)
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for the Author
Date
1687
Metaphor
"And Monarch's can depose, or can create: / With secret Chains their Subjects Conscience binds, / And lays inchanted Fetters on their Minds."
Metaphor in Context
The World before ne're such an Empire saw,
Or to the Field did such an Army draw;
That claims a Right to every Prince's State,
And Monarch's can depose, or can create:
With secret Chains their Subjects Conscience binds,
And lays inchanted Fetters on their Minds.
A Monarchs Throne can without fighting shake,
By private scrues the firm foundation break;
As hidden Vapors do the Earthquakes make.
Grows rich; yet without watching, care, or pain:
Fights, yet with Hosts that others do maintain;
Makes Paper shields and Pens the Sword controul,
And makes Geese once more save the Capitol.
Amply rewards; yet doth not poorer grow;
For others Wealth who freely won't bestow?
Unwearied Bees, who from each flower do drain,
From others Follies from their Sins do gain,
And Honey from each poysonous Simple strain.
Numerous from far the growing Troops appear,
And where the Sight is terminated, there
Still swelling numbers rise; so could we see
The Cave whence th' race of Infant Time doth fly;
The Scheme of Hatching Days; how all along
The endless Off-spring to the Birth-place throng:
Unlike in Colour, Habit, Face, and Miene;
Monstrous and strange that little seem a kin.
Some days would foul appear with Clouds o'recast,
Some smiling fair the storms all overpast:
Some with Misfortunes chequer'd o're, and some
A monstrous Mass of all deform'd would come.
Such Troops, but more alike doth Africk breed,
When Caterpillers do the Ground o'respread,
And upon every thing that's green do feed.
With unrestrained Fury all devour,
And Desert leave what was a Paradice before.
Dreadful their Numbers, nor less resolute,
Prompt to Obedience, swift to execute.
Desperate in all Attempts, devoid of fear,
They leap o're Rocks, and through dread Tempests steer.
Out-do Romes Ancient Heroes, who their Line
Did sacrifice unto their Discipline.
Witness it the two Henries, whose dear Life
Fell Victims to their consecrated Knife.
Witness it the bless'd Souls late trampled down
Doom'd by their Rage or their Ambition.
Or to the Field did such an Army draw;
That claims a Right to every Prince's State,
And Monarch's can depose, or can create:
With secret Chains their Subjects Conscience binds,
And lays inchanted Fetters on their Minds.
A Monarchs Throne can without fighting shake,
By private scrues the firm foundation break;
As hidden Vapors do the Earthquakes make.
Grows rich; yet without watching, care, or pain:
Fights, yet with Hosts that others do maintain;
Makes Paper shields and Pens the Sword controul,
And makes Geese once more save the Capitol.
Amply rewards; yet doth not poorer grow;
For others Wealth who freely won't bestow?
Unwearied Bees, who from each flower do drain,
From others Follies from their Sins do gain,
And Honey from each poysonous Simple strain.
Numerous from far the growing Troops appear,
And where the Sight is terminated, there
Still swelling numbers rise; so could we see
The Cave whence th' race of Infant Time doth fly;
The Scheme of Hatching Days; how all along
The endless Off-spring to the Birth-place throng:
Unlike in Colour, Habit, Face, and Miene;
Monstrous and strange that little seem a kin.
Some days would foul appear with Clouds o'recast,
Some smiling fair the storms all overpast:
Some with Misfortunes chequer'd o're, and some
A monstrous Mass of all deform'd would come.
Such Troops, but more alike doth Africk breed,
When Caterpillers do the Ground o'respread,
And upon every thing that's green do feed.
With unrestrained Fury all devour,
And Desert leave what was a Paradice before.
Dreadful their Numbers, nor less resolute,
Prompt to Obedience, swift to execute.
Desperate in all Attempts, devoid of fear,
They leap o're Rocks, and through dread Tempests steer.
Out-do Romes Ancient Heroes, who their Line
Did sacrifice unto their Discipline.
Witness it the two Henries, whose dear Life
Fell Victims to their consecrated Knife.
Witness it the bless'd Souls late trampled down
Doom'd by their Rage or their Ambition.
Provenance
Searching HDIS (Poetry)
Date of Entry
07/07/2004
Date of Review
05/26/2011
