'How plainly your bright Thoughts to one another

fhine!

Oh, how ye all agree in Harmony divine!

The Race of mutual Love with equal Zeal ye run; A Course, as far from any end, as when at first begun, "Ye faw, and fmil'd upon this matchlefs Pair,

Who ftill betwixt them did fo many Virtues fhare, Some which belong to Peace, and some to Strife, Those of a calm, and of an active Life,

That all the Excellence of Humane Kind Concurr'd to make of both but one united Mind; Which Friendship did fo faft and closely bind, Not the least Cement could appear, by which their Souls were join'd.

That Tye which holds our mortal Frame,

Which poor unknowing we a Soul and Body name, Seems not a Compofition more divine,

Or more abftrufe, than all that does in Friendship

fhine.

VII.

From mighty CÆSAR, and his boundless Grace,

Tho' BRUTUS w once at least, his Life receiv'd;

Such Obligations, tho' fo high believ❜d,

Are yet but flight in such a case,

Where Friendship fo poffeffes all the Place,

There is no room for Gratitude; fince he,

Who fo obliges, is more pleas'd than his fav'd Friend can be.

Just in the midst of all this noble Heat,

While their great Hearts did both fo kindly beat,

That it amaz'd the Lookers on,

And forc'd them to suspect a * Father and a Son;

(Tho' here ev'n Nature's felf still seem'd to be out

donc)

From fuch a Friendship unprovok'd to fall,

Is horrid, yet I wish that Fact were all,

Which does with too much caufe ungrateful BRUTUS

call.

*Cafar was fufpected to have begotten Brutus.

VIII.

In coolest Blood he lay'd a long Defign
Against his best and dearest Friend;

Did ev'n his Foes in Zeal exceed,

To spirit others up to work fo black a Deed ;

Himself the Center where they all did join.

CÆSAR mean time, fearless, and fond of him,
Was as induftrious all the while

a

To give fuch ample Marks of fond Esteem,

As made the graveft Romans smile,

To fee with how much eafe Love can the Wife beguile. He whom thus BRUTUS doom'd to bleed,

Did, fetting his own Race afide,

Nothing lefs for him provide,

Than in the World's great Empire to fucceed :

Which we are bound in Juftice to allow

Is all-fufficient Proof to fhow

That BRUTUs did not ftrike for his own fake: And if, alas, he fail'd, 'twas only by mistake.

2

NOTES

NOTE S.

TH

HE Doubtful.] In which number are comprehended all the Sceptics of both Sorts, viz. they who without much confideration are apt to flight the Holy Bible, and all Religion depending on it, because they have neither the Patience, nor the Parts, to examine any thing throughly; and others more modeft, who would on feveral accounts accept those Doctrines which are taught us, if their Judgment informed by a well-meaning and induftrious Inquiry (which is all that God has given us for our Guide) did not perceive, in fome of them at least, a manifeft Absurdity; apprehending also a kind of Impiety in believing things inconfiftent not only with common Senfe, but with that reverend notion we ought to have of the Deity. They conceive it to be one of those Abfurdities, that a poor Animal call'd a Man, fhould be invefted by God with a right of defpotick Dominion over all the

reft

reft of the Creation, when all the while we are but too plainly fenfible of being unable to comprehend rightly the minuteft part of it. Should we not, (fay. they) undervalue and laugh at one of our felves, for giving a large Patrimony to a Booby Son, without inftructing or breeding him up to understand or enjoy it! But when no other Answer is to be well made, the Reply to all is; that, as odd as this appears, yet God has done it, and therefore we ought to believe it well done, and highly prudent; which most certainly is a true Confequence, if the Premiffes were right; but that will be examined impartially in the following Notes.

"Concern'd.] A Word of a double Signification; both of being interested in a Business, and of being troubled at any ill Success of it. The Word in this place implies both; firft, because the Doubtful are a part of Mankind who claim this Dominion, and fo are reasonably inquifitive about it; and fecondly, because they have occafion to be troubled upon finding their Title to it fo very weak, after fo much Wealth and Blood spent in the Controversy. 'Tis well too, if we are not one Day call'd to account, and made to pay dear Cofts for fo contentious a Quarrel.

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