Page:Memoirs of Sir Isaac Newton's life.djvu/99

 far from my house in castle street. by this means our young artist furnishd his apartment with pictures of his own making. some he invented, some copyed from prints: some he did from the life, by memory chiefly, as that of his master Stokes. I have one of them, which happen'd to be preserv'd.

he drew several heads of k. C. I.King Charles I [sic], of Dr. Donne, & others. He made a picture of k. C. I., & wrote these verses underneath, as Mrs. Vincent of this town repeated them to me, by memory.


 * A secret art my soul prepares to try,
 * If prayers can give me, what the wars deny.
 * three crowns distinguishd here in order, doe
 * present thir objects, to my doubtful view.
 * Earths crown thats at my feet, I can disdain:
 * which heavy is, & at the best but vain.
 * but now a crown of thorns I gladly greet,
 * sharp is this crown, but not so sharp as sweet.
 * the radiant crown, which I above me see,
 * is that of glory, & eternity.

she fancyed, & aver'd it, that he composd 'em himself. I rather suppose, he copyed the print from the frontispiece of Eikon Basilice.

these pictures, & drawings he made frames for, them himself, & color'd them over workman like. nothing was too difficult for his invention, & execution.