200 In thy felonious heart though venom lies, It does but touch thy Irish pen, and dies. Thy genius calls thee not to purchase fame In keen Iambics, but mild Anagram. Leave writing plays, and choose for thy command, Some peaceful province in Acrostic land. There thou mayst wings display and altars[159] raise, And torture one poor word ten thousand ways. Or, if thou wouldst thy different talents suit, Set thy own songs, and sing them to thy lute. 210 He said; but his last words were scarcely heard: For Bruce and Longville[160] had a trap prepared, And down they sent the yet declaiming bard. Sinking he left his drugget robe behind, Borne upwards by a subterranean wind. The mantle fell to the young prophet's part, With double portion of his father's art. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 139: 'Mac Flecknoe:' Richard Flecknoe, from whom this poem derives its name, was an Irish priest, and author of plays.] [Footnote 140: 'Heywood and Shirley:' play writers in Queen Elizabeth's time.] [Footnote 141: 'St Andre:' a famous French dancing-master.] [Footnote 142: 'Psyche:' an opera of Shadwell's.] [Footnote 143: 'Singleton:' a musician of the time.] [Footnote 144: 'Nursery:' a theatre for training actors.] [Footnote 145: 'Simkin:' a character of a cobbler, in an interlude.] [Footnote 146: 'Panton:' a famous punster.] [Footnote 147: 'Decker:' Thomas Decker, a dramatic poet of James I.'s reign.] [Footnote 148: 'Worlds of Misers:' 'The Miser' and 'The Humourists' were two of Shadwell's comedies.] [Footnote 149: 'Raymond' and 'Bruce:' the first of these is an insipid character in 'The Humourists'; the second, in 'The Virtuoso.'] [Footnote 150: 'Ogleby:' translator of Virgil.] [Footnote 151: 'Herringman:' Henry Herringman, a bookseller; see 'Life.'] [Footnote 152: 'Love's Kingdom:' this is the name of the only play of Flecknoe's, which was acted, but miscarried in the representation.] [Footnote 153: 'Virtuoso:' a play of Shadwell's.] [Footnote 154: 'Gentle George:' Sir George Etheredge.] [Footnote 155: 'Alien Sedley:' Sir Charles Sedley was supposed to assist Shadwell in writing his plays.] [Footnote 156: 'Epsom prose:' alluding to Shadwell's play of 'Epsom Wells.'] [Footnote 157: 'Formal:' a character in 'The Virtuoso.'] [Footnote 158: 'Nicander:' a character of a lover in Shadwell's opera of 'Psyche.'] [Footnote 159: 'Wings and altars:' forms in which old acrostics were cast. See Herbert's 'Temple.'] [Footnote 160: 'Bruce and Longville:' two characters in Shadwell's 'Virtuoso.'] * * * * * BRITANNIA REDIVIVA: A POEM ON THE PRINCE, BORN JUNE 10, 1688. Our vows are heard betimes! and Heaven takes care To grant, before we can conclude the prayer: Preventing angels met it half the way, And sent us back to praise, who came to pray.