Eight days have past since thou hast paid thy debt To sin, and not a libel stirring yet; Courtiers that scoff by patent, silent sit, And have no use of slander or of wit; But (which is monstrous) though against the tyde, The watermen have neither rayl’d nor ly’d. Of good or bad there’s no distinction known, For in thy praise the good and bad are one. It seems, we all are covetous of fame, And, hearing what a purchase of good name Thou lately mad’st, are careful to increase Our title, by the holding of some lease From thee our landlord, and for that th’ whole crew Speak now like tenants, ready to renew. It were too sad to tell thy pedegree, Death hath disordered all, misplacing thee; Whilst now thy herauld, in his line of heirs, Blots out thy name, and fills the space with tears. And thus hath conqu’ring Death, or Nature rather, Made thee prepostrous ancient to thy father, Who grieves th’ art so, and like a glorious light Shines ore thy hearse. He therefore that would write And blaze thee throughly, may at once say all, _Here lies the anchor of our admiral_. Let others write for glory or reward, Truth is well paid, when she is sung and heard. LORD MORDAUNT. The lord Mordaunt to whom this poem is addressed was John fifth baron Mordaunt of Turvey, in the county of Bedford, who was afterwards (in 1628) created earl of Peterborough by king Charles the First. He married Elizabeth, daughter and heir of William baron Howard of Effingham, (son and heir apparent of Charles earl of Nottingham,) by Anne his wife, daughter and heir of John baron St. John of Bletsoe. He was brought up in the Roman Catholic religion, but converted to that of the established church by a disputation at which he was present between a Jesuit and the celebrated Dr. Usher, (afterwards) bishop of Armagh. In 1642 he was general of the ordnance, and colonel of a regiment of foot in the army, raised for the service of the Parliament, commanded by the earl of Essex, and died the same year. In order to understand the following poem, it will be necessary to remember, that James, in the year 1617, paid a visit to his native country, whither the lord Mordaunt accompanied him; and the ceremony of installing the knights of the garter was consequently deferred from St. George’s day to that of Holyrood. TO THE LORD MORDANT, UPON HIS RETURNE FROM THE NORTH.