Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, TO THOMAS STANLEY, ON MY LIBRARY, by WILLIAM HAMMOND



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

TO THOMAS STANLEY, ON MY LIBRARY, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: A hundred here together buried lie
Last Line: Is kinder far when actuated by life.
Subject(s): Librarians & Libraries; Stanley, Thomas (1625-1678); Library; Librarians


A HUNDRED here together buried lie,
Still jangling with eternal enmity,
Contesting after death; the Stagirite
Advanceth there with his trust band, to fight
Against ideas: th' Epicurean band
In arms, which pleasure gilt, here ready stand
To charge the rusty sword of the severe
Stoic. Phlebotomizing Galen there
Triumphs in blood, and not the bad alone
Exterminates his corporation,
But makes joint ostracisms for the good;
Till later wits resenting Nature's food
In greatest need promiscuously had been
Disgarrison'd, invent new discipline,
Strengthening the vitals with some cordial dose,
Which Nature might with unbroke files oppose.
But, upon fresh supplies, let her cashire,
If not reducible, each mutineer.
On yonder shelf we may the heritage
Find of this heathen sword fall'n to our age:
A doubtful blade, whose fore-edge guards the sense
Of Stoics' fate; the sharp back is the fence
Of Lernean Predestination,
The bane of crowns and true devotion.
The Will's ability Pelagius calls
What Peripatetics style pure naturals.
The point by which Philosophy did use
To prove ideas, you'll confess obtuse,
To that, by which Religion now maintains
Uncouth chimeras of exorbitant brains.
As the World's noble soul, the generous Sun,
By an equivocal conjunction,
Begets the basest creeping progeny;
So when the princely sire, Philosophy,
Adulterates faith, the monsters that arise
Degenerate to bastard heresies.
Thus have I made a short narration
Here of a posthumous contention:
They to thy judgement all submit their hate,
Hoping thy presence soon will moderate
Their vast dissent, as elemental strife
Is kinder far when actuated by life.





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