orkes.

_What? now the Stage is down, darst thou appeare
Bold_ FLETC[H]ER _in this tottr'ing Hemisphear?
Yes;_Poets are like Palmes which, the more weight
You cast upon them, grow more strong & streight,
'Tis not _love's_ Thunderbolt, nor _Mars_ his Speare,
Or _Neptune's_ angry Trident, Poets fear.
_Had now grim_ BEN _bin breathing, 'with what rage,
And high-swolne fury had Hee lash'd this age_,
SHAKESPEARE _with_ CHAPMAN _had grown madd, and torn
Their gentle_ Sock, _and lofty_ Buskins _worne,
To make their Muse welter up to the chin
In blood; of_ faigned _Scenes no need had bin_,
England _like_ Lucians _Eagle with an Arrow_
Of her owne Plumes piercing her heart quite thorow,
Had bin a Theater and subject fit
To exercise in_ real _truth's their wit:
Tet none like high-wing'd_ FLETCHER _had bin found
This Eagles tragick-destiny to sound,
Rare_ FLETCHER'S _quill_ had soar'd up to the sky,
And drawn down Gods to see the tragedy:
Live famous Dramatist, let every _spring_
Make thy Bay flourish, and fresh_ Bourgeons _bring:
And since we cannot have Thee trod o'th' stage,
Wee will applaud Thee in this silent Page_.

JA. HOWELL. _P.C.C._

On the Edition.

Fletcher _(whose Fame no Age can ever wast;
Envy of Ours, and glory of the last)
Is now alive againe; and with his Name
His sacred Ashes wak'd into a Flame;
Such as before did by a secret charme
The wildest Heart subdue, the coldest warme,
And lend the Lady's eyes a power more bright,
Dispensing thus to either, Heat and Light.
He to a Sympathie those soules betrai'd
Whom Love or Beauty never could perswade;
And in each mov'd spectatour could beget
A reall passion by a Counterfeit:
When first_ Bellario _bled, what Lady there
Did not for every drop let fall a teare?
And when_ Aspasia _wept, not any eye
But seem'd to weare the same sad livery;
By him inspired the feigned_ Lucina _drew
More streams of melting sorrow then the true;
But then the_ Scornfull Lady _did beguile
Their easie griefs, and teach them all to smile.
Thus he Affections could, or raise or lay;
Love, Griefe and Mirth thus did his Charmes obey:
He Nature taught her passions to out-doe,
How to refine the old, and create new;
Which such a happy likenesse seem'd to beare,
As if that Nature Art, Art Nature were.
Yet All had Nothing bin, obsc