Page:The works of Anne Bradstreet in prose and verse.djvu/373

 71ie Four Monarchies. 287

And pardon craves for his unwilling ftay,

He fhews his grief, he's forc'd to difobey.

Before his Anfvver came to Babylon^

The thread of Alexanders life was fpun;

Poyfon had put an end to's dayes ('twas thought)

By Philip and Caffander to him brought,

Sons to A^tlipaler, and bearers of his Cup,

Left of fuch like their Father chance to flip;

By others thought, and that more generally.

That through exceffive drinking he did d^'e:

The thirty third of 's Age do all agree.

This Conquerour did yield to defl:in3^

When this fad news came to Darius Mother,

She laid it more to heart, then any other.

Nor meat, nor drink, nor comfort would flie take,

But pin d in grief till life did her forfake;

All friends fhe fhuns, yea, banifhed the light,

Till death inwrapt her in perpetual night/

This Monarchs fame ■" muft lafb whilft world doth' ftand.

And Conquefts be talkt of whileft there is land;

His Princely qualities had he retain'd,

Unparalled for ever had remain'd.

But with the world his virtues overcame,

And fo with black beclouded, all his fame;

Wife Arijiotlc Tutor to his youth.

Had fo inftru6led him in moral Truth:

The principles of what he then had learn'd [158]

Might to the laft (when fober) be difcern'd.

^ This and the five preceding lines are not in the first edition. J Whole famous A<5ls. ^ Ihall.

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