Tarquin And Tullia Poem Rhyme Scheme

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In times when princes cancelled nature's law	A
And declarations which themselves did draw	A
When children used their parents to dethrone	B
And gnaw their way like vipers to the crown	C
Tarquin a savage proud ambitious prince	D
Prompt to expel yet thoughtless of defence	E
The envied sceptre did from Tullius snatch	F
The Roman king and father by the match	F
To form his party histories report	G
A sanctuary was opened in his court	G
Where glad offenders safely might resort	G
Great was the crowd and wonderous the success	H
For those were fruitful times of wickedness	I
And all that lived obnoxious to the laws	J
Flocked to prince Tarquin and embraced his cause	K
'Mongst these a pagan priest for refuge fled	L
A prophet deep in godly faction read	L
A sycophant that knew the modish way	M
To cant and plot to flatter and betray	M
To whine and sin to scribble and recant	N
A shameless author and a lustful saint	O
To serve all times he could distinctions coin	P
And with great ease flat contradictions join	P
A traitor now once loyal in extreme	Q
And then obedience was his only theme	Q
He sung in temples the most passive lays	R
And wearied monarchs with repeated praise	R
But managed awkwardly that lawful part	S
To vent foul lies and treason was his art	S
And pointed libels at crowned heads to dart	S
This priest and others learned to defame	T
First murder injured Tullius in his name	T
With blackest calumnies their sovereign load	U
A poisoned brother and dark league abroad	V
A son unjustly top'd upon the throne	B
Which yet was proved undoubtedly his own	B
Though as the law was then 'twas his behoof	W
Who dispossessed the heir to bring the proof	W
This hellish charge they backed with dismal frights	R
The loss of property and sacred rights	R
And freedom words which all false patriots use	R
As surest names the Romans to abuse	R
Jealous of kings and always malcontent	X
Forward in change yet certain to repent	X
Whilst thus the plotters needful fears create	Y
Tarquin with open force invades the state	Y
Lewd nobles join him with their feeble might	Z
And atheist fools for dear religion fight	Z
The priests their boasted principles disown	B
And level their harangues against the throne	B
Vain promises the people's minds allure	A2
Slight were these ills but desperate the cure	A2
'Tis hard for kings to steer an equal course	R
And they who banish one oft gain a worse	R
Those heavenly bodies we admire above	W
Do every day irregularly move	W
Yet Tullius 'tis decreed must lose the crown	C
For faults that were his council's not his own	B
He now in vain commands even those he payed	Z
By darling troops deserted and betrayed	Z
By creatures which his generous warmth had made	Z
Of these a captain of the guards was worst	Z
Whose memory to this day stands accurst	Z
This rogue advanced to military trust	Z
By his own whoredom and his sister's lust	Z
Forsook his master after dreadful vows	R
And plotted to betray him to his foes	R
The kindest master to the vilest slave	W
As free to give as he was sure to crave	W
His haughty female who as books declare	B2
Did always toss wide nostrils in the air	B2
Was to the younger Tullia governess	R
And did attend her when in borrowed dress	R
She fled by night from Tullius in distress	R
This wretch by letters did invite his foes	R
And used all arts her father to depose	R
A father always generously bent	Z
So kind that even her wishes he'd prevent	Z
'Twas now high time for Tullius to retreat	Z
When even his daughter hastened his defeat	Z
When faith and duty vanished and no more	C2
The name of father and of king he bore	C2
A king whose right his foes could ne'er dispute	Z
So mild that mercy was his attribute	Z
Affable kind and easy of access	R
Swift to relieve unwilling to oppress	R
Rich without taxes yet in payment just	Z
So honest that he hardly could distrust	Z
His active soul from labours ne'er did cease	R
Valiant in war and vigilant in peace	R
Studious with traffic to enrich the land	Z
Strong to protect and skilful to command	Z
Liberal and splendid yet without excess	R
Prone to relieve unwilling to distress	R
In sum how godlike must his nature be	D2
Whose only fault was too much piety	D2
This king removed the assembled states thought fit	Z
That Tarquin in the vacant throne should sit	Z
Voted him regent in their senate house	R
And with an empty name endowed his spouse	R
The elder Tullia who some authors feign	E2
Drove o'er her father's corse a rumbling wain	E2
But she more guilty numerous wains did drive	W
To crush her father and her king alive	W
And in remembrance of his hastened fall	F2
Resolved to institute a weekly ball	F2
The jolly glutton grew in bulk and chin	G2
Feasted on rapine and enjoyed her sin	G2
With luxury she did weak reason force	R
Debauched good nature and cram'd down remorse	R
Yet when she drank cold tea in liberal sups	R
The sobbing dame was maudling in her cups	R
But brutal Tarquin never did relent	Z
Too hard to melt too wicked to repent	Z
Cruel in deeds more merciless in will	H2
And blest with natural delight in ill	H2
From a wise guardian he received his doom	I2
To walk the change and not to govern Rome	J2
He swore his native honours to disown	B
And did by perjury ascend the throne	B
Oh had that oath his swelling pride represt	Z
Rome had been then with peace and plenty blest	Z
But Tarquin guided by destructive fate	Z
The country wasted and embroiled the state	Z
Transported to their foes the Roman pelf	W
And by their ruin hoped to save himself	W
Innumerable woes oppress the land	Z
When it submitted to his curs'd command	Z
So just was Heaven that 'twas hard to tell	K2
Whether its guilt or losses did excel	K2
Men that renounced their God for dearer trade	Z
Were then the guardians of religion made	Z
Rebels were sainted foreigners did reign	E2
Outlaws returned preferment to obtain	E2
With frogs and toads and all their croaking train	E2
No native knew their features nor their birth	L2
They seemed the greasy offspring of the earth	L2
The trade was sunk the fleet and army spent	Z
Devouring taxes swallowed lesser rent	Z
Taxes imposed by no authority	Z
Each lewd collection was a robbery	Z
Bold self creating men did statutes draw	A
Skilled to establish villainy by law	A
Fanatic drivers whose unjust careers	R
Produced new ills exceeding former fears	R
Yet authors here except a faithful band	Z
Which the prevailing faction did withstand	Z
And some who bravely stood in the defence	R
Of baffled justice and their exiled prince	R
These shine to after times each sacred name	T
Stands still recorded in the rolls of fame	T

John Dryden

Tarquin And Tullia Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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