cloth of gold aspires In hundred-colour'd silks the Tulip playes Th' Imperiall flower his neck with pearl attires The Lily high her silver Grogram reares The Pansie her wrought Velvet garment bears The red Rose Scarlet and the Provence Damask wears 70 How falls it then that such an heav'nly light As this great Kings should sink so wondrous low That scarce he can suspect his former height Can one eclipse so dark his shining brow And steal away his beautie glittering fair One onely blot so great a light empair That never could he hope his waning to repair 71 Ah! never could he hope once to repair So great a wane should not that new-born Sun Adopt him both his brother and his heir Who through base life and death and hell would run To seat him in his lost now surer cell That he may mount to heav'n he sunk to hell That he might live he di'd that he might rise he fell 72 A perfect Virgin breeds and bears a Sonne Th' immortall father of his mortall mother Earth heav'n flesh spirit man God are met in one His younger brothers childe his childrens brother Eternitie who yet was born and di'd His own creatour earths scorn heavens pride Who th' deitie inflesht and mans flesh deifi'd 73 Thou uncreated Sunne heav'ns glory bright Whom we with knees and hearts low bent adore At rising perfect and now falling light Ah what reward what thanks shall we restore Thou wretched wast that we might happy be Oh all the good we hope and all we see That we thee know and love comes from thy love and thee 74 Receive which we can onely back return Yet that we may return thou first must give A heart which fain would smoke which fain would burn In praise for thee to thee would onely live And thou who sat'st in night to give us day Light and enflame us with thy glorious ray That we may back reflect and borrow'd light repay 75 So we beholding with immortall eye The glorious picture of thy heav'nly face In his first beautie and true Majestie May shake from our dull souls these fetters base And mounting up to that bright crystal sphere Whence thou strik'st all the world with shudd'ring fear May not be held by earth nor hold vile earth so deare 76 Then should thy shepherd poorest shepherd sing A thousand Canto's in thy heav'nly praise And rouze his flagging Muse and flutt'ring wing To chant thy wonders in immortall laies Which once thou wrought'st when Nilus slimie shore Or Iordans banks thy mighty hand adore Thy judgements thy mercies but thy mercies more 77 But see the stealing night with softly pace To flie the Western Sunne creeps up the East Cold Hesper 'gins unmask his evening face And calls the winking starres from drouzie rest Home then my lambes the falling drops eschew To morrow shall ye feast in pastures new And with the rising Sunne banquet on pearled dew CANT VII THe rising morn lifts up his orient head And spangled heav'ns in golden robes invests Thirsil up starting from his fearlesse bed Where uselesse nights he safe and quiet rests Unhous'd his bleating flock and quickly thence Hasting to his expecting audience Thus with sad verse began their grieved mindes incense 2 Fond man that looks on earth for happinesse And here long seeks what here is never found For all our good we hold from heav'n by lease With many forfeits and conditions bound Nor can we pay the fine and rentage due Though now but writ and seal'd and giv'n anew Yet daily we it break then daily must renew 3 Why should'st thou here look for perpetuall good At every losse against heav'ns face repining Do but behold where glorious Cities stood With gilded tops and silver turrets shining There now the Hart fearlesse of greyhound feeds And loving Pelican in safety breeds There shrieching Satyres fill the peoples emptie steads 4 Where is th' Assyrian Lions golden hide That all the East once graspt in lordly paw Where that great Persian Beare whose swelling pride The Lions self tore out with ravenous jaw Or he which 'twixt a Lion and a Pard Through all the world with nimble pineons far'd And to his greedy whelps his conquer'd kingdomes shar'd 5 Hardly the place of such antiquitie Or note of these great monarchies we finde Onely a fading verball memorie And empty name in writ is left behinde But when this second life and glory fades And sinks at length in times obscurer shades A second fall succeeds and double death invades 6 That monstrous beast which nurst in Tibers fenne Did all the world with hideous shape affray That fill'd with costly spoil his gaping denne And trode down all the rest to dust and clay His batt'ring horns pull'd out by civil hands And iron teeth lie scatter'd on the sands Backt bridled by a Monk with sev'n heads yoked stands 7 And that black Vulture which with deathfull wing O're-shadows half the earth whose dismall sight Frighted the Muses from their native spring Already stoops and flagges with weary flight Who then shall look for happines beneath Where each new day proclaims chance change and death And life it self 's as flit as is the aire we breathe 8 Ne mought this Prince escape though he as farre All these excells in worth and heav'nly grace As brightest Phoebus does the dimmest starre The deepest falls are from the highest place There lies he now bruis'd with so sore a fall To his base bonds and loathsome prison thrall Whom thousand foes besiege fenc'd with frail yeelding wall 9 Tell me oh tell me then thou holy Muse Sacred Thespio what the cause may be Of such despite so many foemen use To persecute unpiti'd miserie Or if these cankred foes as most men say So mighty be that gird this wall of clay What makes it hold so long and threatned ruine stay 10 When that great Lord his standing Court would build The outward walls with gemmes and glorious lights But inward rooms with nobler Courtiers fill'd Pure living flames swift mighty blessed sprites But some his royall service fools disdain So down were flung oft blisse is double pain In heav'n they scorn'd to serve so now in hell they reigne 11 There turn'd to serpents swoln with pride and hate Their Prince a Dragon fell who burst with spight To see this Kings and Queens yet happy state Tempts them to lust and pride prevails by slight To make them wise and gods he undertakes Thus while the snake they heare they turn to snakes To make them gods he boasts but beasts and devils makes 12 But that great Lion who in Iudahs plains The awfull beasts holds down in due subjection The Dragons craft and base-got spoil disdains And folds this captive Prince in his protection Breaks ope the jayl brings the prisoners thence Yet plac't them in this castles weak defence Where they might trust and seek an higher providence 13 So now spread round about this little hold With armies
Harpyes train Which in the world had never being yet Oft dreams of fire and water loose delight And oft arrested by some ghastly sprite Nor can he think nor speak nor move for great affright 48 Phantastes from the first all shapes deriving In new abiliments can quickly dight Of all materiall and grosse parts depriving Fits them unto the noble Princes sight Which soon as he hath view'd with searching eye He straight commits them to his Treasurie Which old Eumnestes keeps Father of memorie 49 Eumnestes old who in his living screen His mindefull breast the rolls and records bears Of all the deeds and men which he hath seen And keeps lockt up in faithfull Registers Well he recalls Nimrods first tyrannie And Babels pride daring the lofty skie Well he recalls the earths twice-growing infancie 50 Therefore his body weak his eyes halfblinde But minde more fresh and strong ah better fate And as his carcase so his house declin'd Yet were the walls of firm and able state Onely on him a nimble Page attends Who when for ought the aged Grandsire sends With swift yet backward steps his helping aidance lends 51 But let my song passe from these worthy Sages Unto this Islands highest Soveraigne And those hard warres which all the yeare he wages For these three late a gentle shepherd-swain Most sweetly sung as he before had seen In Alma's house his memorie yet green Lives in his well-tun'd songs whose leaves immortall been 52 Nor can I guesse whether his Muse divine Or gives to those or takes from them his grace Therefore Eumnestes in his lasting shrine Hath justly him enroll'd in second place Next to our Mantuan poet doth he rest There shall our Colin live for ever blest Spite of those thousand spites which living him opprest 53 The Prince his time in double office spends For first those forms and fancies he admits Which to his Court busie Phantastes sends And for the easier discerning fits For shedding round about his sparkling light He cleares their duskie shades and cloudy night Producing like himself their shapes all shining bright 54 As when the Sunne restores the glitt'ring day The world late cloath'd in nights black livery Doth now a thousand colours fair display And paints it self in choice varietie Which late one colour hid the eye deceiving All so this Prince those shapes obscure receiving With his suffused light makes ready to conceiving 55 This first is call'd the Active Facultie Which to an higher power the object leaves That takes it in it self and cunningly Changing it self the object soon perceives For straight it self in self same shape adorning Becomes the same with quick strange transforming So is all things it self to all it self conforming 56 Thus when the eye through Visus jettie ports Le ts in the wandring shapes the crystall strange Quickly it self to every sort consorts So is what e're it sees by wondrous change Thrice happy then when on that mirrour bright He ever fastens his unmoved sight So is what there he views divine full glorious light 57 Soon as the Prince these forms hath clearely seen Parting the false from true the wrong from right He straight presents them to his beauteous Queen Whose Courts are lower yet of equall might Voletta fair who with him lives and reignes Whom neither man nor fiend nor God constrains Oft good oft ill oft both yet ever free remains 58 Not that great Soveraigne of the Fayrie land Whom late our Colin hath eternized Though Graces decking her with plenteous hand Themselves of grace have all unfurnished Though in her breast she Vertues temple bare The fairest temple of a guest so fair Not that great Glorians self with this might e're compare 59 Her radiant beautie daz'ling mortall eye Strikes blinde the daring sense her sparkling face Her husbands self now cannot well descrie With such strange brightnesse such immortall grace Hath that great parent in her cradle made That Cynthia's silver cheek would quickly fade And light it self to her would seem a painted shade 60 But ah entic't by her own worth and pride She stain'd her beautie with most loathsome spot Her Lords fixt law and spouses light deni'd So fill'd her spouse and self with leprous blot And now all dark is their first morning ray What verse might then their former light display When yet their darkest night outshines the brightest day 61 On her a royall damsell still attends And faithfull Counseller Synteresis For though Voletta ever good intends Yet by fair ills she oft deceived is By ills so fairly drest with cunning slight That Vertues self they well may seem to sight But that bright Vertues self oft seems not half so bright 62 Therefore Synteresis of nimble sight Oft helps her doubtfull hand and erring eye Els mought she ever stumbling in this night Fall down as deep as deepest Tartarie Nay thence a sad-fair maid Repentance rears And in her arms her fainting Lady bears Washing her often stains with ever-falling tears 63 Thereto she addes a water soveraigne Of wondrous force and skilfull composition For first she pricks the heart in tender vein Then from those precious drops and deep contrition With lips confession and with pickled cries Still'd in a broken spirit sad vapours rise Exhal'd by sacred fires and drop through melting eyes 64 These cordiall drops these spirit-healing balms Cure all her sinfull bruises cleare her eyes Unlock her ears recover fainting qualms And now grown fresh and strong she makes her rise And glasse of unmaskt sinne she bright displaies Whereby she sees loathes mends her former waies So soon repairs her light trebling her new-born raies 65 But ah why do we simple as we been With curious labour dimme and vailed sight Prie in the nature of this King and Queen Groping in darknesse for so cleare a light A light which once could not be thought or told But now with blackest clouds is thick enroll'd Prest down in captive chains and pent in earthly mold 66 Rather lament we this their wretched fate Ah wretched fate and fatal wretchednesse Unlike those former dayes and first estate When he espous'd with melting happinesse To fair Voletta both their lights conspiring He saw what e're was fit for her requiring And she to his cleare sight would temper her desiring 67 When both replenisht with celestiall light All coming evils could foresee and flie When both with clearest eye and perfect sight Could every natures difference descrie Whose pictures now they scarcely see with pain Obscure and dark like to those shadows vain Which thinne and emptie glide along Avernus plain 68 The flowres that frighted with sharp winters dread Retire into their mother Tellus wombe Yet in the Spring in troups new mustered Peep out again from their unfrozen tombe The early Violet will fresh arise And spreading his flour'd purple to the skies Boldly the little elf the winters spite defies 69 The hedge green Sattin pinkt and cut arayes The Heliotrope to
cure on this my plaint is grounded Nicaea Cures are diseases when the wounds are easing Why would'st thou have me please thee by displeasing Algon Scorn'd love is death loves mutuall wounds delighting Happie thy love my love to thine uniting Love paying debts grows rich requited in requiting Damon 18 What lives alone Nicaea starres most chaste Have their conjunctions spheares their mixt embraces And mutuall folds Nothing can single last But die in living in increasing waste Nicaea Their joyning perfects them but us defaces Algon That 's perfect which obtains his end your graces Receive their end in love She that 's alone Dies as she lives no number is in one Thus while she 's but her self she 's not her self she 's none Nicaea 19 Why blam'st thou then my stonie hard confection Which nothing loves thou single nothing art Algon Love perfects what it loves thus thy affection Married to mine makes mine and thy perfection Nicaea Well then to passe our Tryphon in his art And in a moment cure a wounded heart If fairest Darwin whom I serve approve Thy suit and thou wilt not thy heart remove I 'le joyn my heart to thine and answer thee in love 20 The sunne is set adieu Algon 'T is set to me Thy parting is my ev'n thy presence light Nicaea Farewell Algon Thou giv'st thy wish it is in thee Unlesse thou wilt haplesse I cannot be Damon Come Algon cheerly home the theevish night Steals on the world and robs our eyes of sight The silver streams grow black home let us coast There of loves conquest may we safely boast Soonest in love he winnes that oft in love hath lost FINIS ECLOG VI. THOMALIN Thirsil Thomalin A Fisher-boy that never knew his peer In daintie songs the gentle Thomalin With folded arms deep sighs heavy cheer Where hundred Nymphs hundred Muses inne Sunk down by Chamus brinks with him his deare Deare Thirsil lay oft times would he begin To cure his grief and better way advise But still his words when his sad friend he spies Forsook his silent tongue to speak in watrie eyes 2 Under a sprouting vine they carelesse lie Whose tender leaves bit with the Eastern blast But now were born and now began to die The latter warned by the formers haste Thinly for fear salute the envious skie Thus as they sat Thirsil embracing fast His loved friend feeling his panting heart To give no rest to his increasing smart At length thus spake while sighs words to his grief impart Thirsil 3 Thomalin I see thy Thirsil thou neglect'st Some greater love holds down thy heart in fear Thy Thirsils love and counsel thou reject'st Thy soul was wont to lodge within my eare But now that port no longer thou respect'st Yet hath it still been safely harbour'd there My eare is not acquainted with my tongue That either tongue or eare should do thee wrong Why then should'st thou conceal thy hidden grief so long Thom. 4 Thirsil it is thy love that makes me hide My smother'd grief from thy known faithfull eare May still my Thirsil safe and merry ' bide Enough is me my hidden grief to bear For while thy breast in hav'n doth safely ride My greater half with thee rides safely there Thirsil So thou art well but still my better part My Thomalin sinks loaden with his smart Thus thou my finger cur'st and wound'st my bleeding heart 5 How oft hath Thomalin to Thirsil vowed That as his heart so he his love esteem'd Where are those oaths where is that heart bestowed Which hides it from that breast which deare it deem'd And to that heart room in his heart allowed That love was never love but onely seem'd Tell me my Thomalin what envious thief Thus robs thy joy tell me my liefest lief Thou little lov'st me friend if more thou lov'st thy grief Thom. 6 Thirsil my joyous spring is blasted quite And winter storms prevent the summers ray All as this vine whose green the Eastern spite Hath di'd to black his catching arms decay And letting go their hold for want of might Mar'l winter comes so soon in first of May. Thirsil Yet see the leaves do freshly bud again Thou drooping still di'st in this heavie strain Nor can I see or end or cause of all thy pain Thom. 7 No marvel Thirsil if thou dost not know This grief which in my heart lies deeply drown'd My heart it self though well it feels his wo Knows not the wo it feels the worse my wound Which though I rankling finde I cannot show Thousand fond passions in my breast abound Fear leagu'd to joy hope and despair together Sighs bound to smiles my heart though prone to either While both it would obey 'twixt both obeyeth neither 8 Oft blushing flames leap up into my face My guiltlesse cheek such purple flash admires Oft stealing tears slip from mine eyes apace As if they meant to quench those causelesse fires My good I hate my hurt I glad embrace My heart though griev'd his grief as joy desires I burn yet know no fuel to my firing My wishes know no want yet still desiring Hope knows not what to hope yet still in hope aspiring Thirsil 9 Too true my fears alas no wicked sprite No writhel'd witch with spells or powerfull charms Or hellish herbs digg'd in as hellish night Gives to thy heart these oft and fierce alarms But Love too hatefull Love with pleasing spite And spitefull pleasure thus hath bred thy harms And seeks thy mirth with pleasance to destroy 'T is Love my Thomalin my liefest boy 'T is Love robs me of thee and thee of all thy joy Thomal 10 Thirsil I ken not what is hate or Love Thee well I love and thou lov'st me as well Yet joy no torment in this passion prove But often have I heard the fishers tell He 's not inferiour to the mighty Iove Iove heaven rules Love Iove heav'n earth and hell Tell me my friend if thou dost better know Men say he goes arm'd with his shafts and bow Two darts one swift as fire as lead the other slow Thirsil 11 Ah heedlesse boy Love is not such a lad As he is fancy'd by the idle swain With bow and shafts and purple feathers clad Such as Diana with her buskin'd train Of armed Nymphs along the forrests glade With golden quivers in Thessalian plain In level race outstrips the jumping Deer With nimble feet or with a mighty spear Flings down a bristled bore or els a squalid bear 12 Love 's sooner felt then seen his substance thinne Betwixt those snowy mounts in ambush lies Oft in the eyes he spreads his subtil ginne He therefore soonest winnes that fastest flies Fly thence my deare fly fast my Thomalin Who him encounters once for ever dies But if he lurk between the ruddy lips Unhappie soul that thence his Nectar sips While down into his heart the sugred poison slips 13 Oft in a voice he creeps down through the eare Oft from a blushing cheek he
coast And let that double-headed mountain hallow No more the honour'd name of great Apollo And may the Pegasean spring that uses To cheer the palats of the thirstie Muses Drie up and let this happie Isle of thine Preserve Apolloes harp where every line Carries a Suada with 't and doth display The banners of heav'n-born Urania Henceforth let all the world thy verse admire Before that Thracean Orpheus charming lyre He but enchanted Beasts but thy divine And higher aires bring Deities to this Isle of thine A. C. MAns Bodie 's like a house his greater bones Are the main timber and the lesser ones Are smaller splints his ribs are laths daub'd o're Plaister'd with flesh and bloud his mouth 's the doore His throat 's the narrow entrie and his heart Is the great chamber full of curious art His midriffe is a large partition-wall 'Twixt the great chamber and the spacious hall His stomack is the kitchin where the meat Is often but half sod for want of heat His splene's a vessell nature does allot To take the skumme that rises from the pot His lungs are like the bellows that respire In ev'ry office quickning ev'ry fire His nose the chimney is whereby are vented Such fumes as with the bellows are augmented His bowels are the sink whose part 's to drein All noisome filth and keep the kitchin clean His eyes are crystall windows cleare and bright Let in the object and let out the sight And as the timber is or great or small Or strong or weak 't is apt to stand or fall Yet is the likeliest building sometimes known To fall by obvious chances overthrown Ofttimes by tempests by the full-mouth'd blasts Of heav'n sometimes by fire sometimes it wastes Through unadvis'd neglect put case the stuffe Were ruine-proofe by nature strong enough To conquer time and age put case it should Ne're know an end alas our leases would What hast thou then proud flesh and bloud to boast Thy dayes are evil at best but few at most But sad as merriest and but weak at strongest Vnsure at surest and but short at longest FRAN. QUARLES THE PURPLE ISLAND OR THE ISLE OF MAN CANT I. STAN I. THe warmer Sun the golden Bull outran And with the Twins made haste to inne and play Scatt'ring ten thousand flowres he new began To paint the world and piece the length'ning day The world more aged by new youths accrewing Ah wretched man this wretched world pursuing Which still grows worse by age older by renewing 2 The shepherd-boyes who with the Muses dwell Met in the plain their May-lords new to chuse For two they yearely chuse to order well Their rurall sports and yeare that next ensues Now were they sat where by the orchyard walls The learned Chame with stealing water crawls And lowly down before that royall temple falls 3 Among the rout they take two gentle swains Whose sprouting youth did now but greenly bud Well could they pipe and sing but yet their strains Were onely known unto the silent wood Their nearest bloud from self-same fountains flow Their souls self-same in nearer love did grow So seem'd two joyn'd in one or one disjoyn'd in two 4 Now when the shepherd-lads with common voice Their first consent had firmly ratifi'd A gentle boy thus 'gan to wave their choice Thirsil said he though yet thy Muse untri'd Hath onely learn'd in private shades to feigne Soft sighs of love unto a looser strain Or thy poore Thelgons wrong in mournfull verse to plain 5 Yet since the shepherd-swains do all consent To make thee lord of them and of their art And that choice lad to give a full content Hath joyn'd with thee in office as in heart Wake wake thy long thy too long sleeping Muse And thank them with a song as is the use Such honour thus conferr'd thou mayst not well refuse 6 Sing what thou list be it of Cupids spite Ah lovely spite and spitefull lovelinesse Or Gemma's grief if sadder be thy sprite Begin thou loved swain with good successe Ah said the bashfull boy such wanton toyes A better minde and sacred vow destroyes Since in a higher love I setled all my joyes 7 New light new love new love new life hath bred A life that lives by love and loves by light A love to him to whom all loves are wed A light to whom the Sunne is darkest night Eyes light hearts love souls onely life he is Life soul love heart light eye and all are his He eye light heart love soul he all my joy blisse 8 But if you deigne my ruder pipe to heare Rude pipe unus'd untun'd unworthy hearing These infantine beginnings gently bear Whose best desert and hope must be your bearing But you O Muses by soft Chamus sitting Your daintie songs unto his murmures fitting Which bears the under-song unto your chearfull dittying 9 Tell me ye Muses what our father-ages Have left succeeding times to play upon What now remains unthought on by those Sages Where a new Muse may trie her pineon What lightning Heroes like great Peleus heir Darting his beams through our hard-frozen aire May stirre up gentle heat and vertues wane repair 10 Who knows not Iason or bold Tiphys hand That durst unite what Natures self would part He makes Isles continent and all one land O're seas as earth he march'd with dangerous art He rides the white-mouth'd waves and scorneth all Those thousand deaths wide gaping for his fall He death defies fenc't with a thin low wooden wall 11 Who ha's not often read Troyes twice-sung fires And at the second time twice better sung Who ha's not heard th' Arcadian shepherds quires Which now have gladly chang'd their native tongue And sitting by slow Mincius sport their fill With sweeter voice and never equall'd skill Chaunting their amorous layes unto a Romane quill 12 And thou choice wit Loves scholar and Loves master Art known to all where Love himself is known Whether thou bidd'st Vlysses hie him faster Or dost thy fault and distant exile moan Who ha's not seen upon the mourning stage Dire Atreus feast and wrong'd Medea's rage Marching in tragick state and buskin'd equipage 13 And now of late th' Italian fisher-swain Sits on the shore to watch his trembling line There teaches rocks and prouder seas to plain By Nesis fair and fairer Mergiline While his thinne net upon his oars twin'd With wanton strife catches the Sunne and winde Which still do slip away and still remain behinde 14 And that French Muses eagle eye and wing Hath soar'd to heav'n and there hath learn'd the art To frame Angelick strains and canzons sing Too high and deep for every shallow heart Ah blessed soul in those celestiall rayes Which gave thee light these lower works to blaze Thou sitt'st emparadis'd and chaunt'st eternall layes 15 Thrice happy wits which in your springing May Warm'd with the Sunne of well deserved favours Disclose your buds and your fair blooms display Perfume the aire
with your rich fragrant favours Nor may nor ever shall those honour'd flowers Be spoil'd by summers heat or winters showers But last when eating time shal gnaw the proudest towers 16 Happy thrice happy times in silver age When generous plants advanc't their lofty crest When honour stoopt to be learn'd wisdomes page When baser weeds starv'd in their frozen nest When th' highest flying Muse still highest climbes And vertues rise keeps down all rising crimes Happy thrice happy age happy thrice happy times 17 But wretched we to whom these iron daies Hard daies afford nor matter nor reward Sings Maro men deride high Maro's layes Their hearts with lead with steel their sense is barr'd Sing Linus or his father as he uses Our Midas eares their well tun'd verse refuses What cares an asse for arts he brayes at sacred Muses 18 But if fond Bavius vent his clowted song Or Maevius chaunt his thoughts in brothell charm The witlesse vulgar in a numerous throng Like summer flies about their dunghills swarm They sneer they grinne Like to his like will move Yet never let them greater mischief prove Then this Who hates not one may he the other love 19 Witnesse our Colin whom though all the Graces And all the Muses nurst whose well taught song Parnassus self and Glorian embraces And all the learn'd and all the shepherds throng Yet all his hopes were crost all suits deni'd Discourag'd scorn'd his writings vilifi'd Poorly poore man he liv'd poorly poore man he di'd 20 And had not that great Hart whose honour'd head Ah lies full low piti'd thy wofull plight There hadst thou lien unwept unburied Unblest nor grac't with any common rite Yet shalt thou live when thy great foe shall sink Beneath his mountain tombe whose fame shall stink And time his blacker name shall blurre with blackest ink 21 O let th' Iambick Muse revenge that wrong Which cannot slumber in thy sheets of lead Let thy abused honour crie as long As there be quills to write or eyes to reade On his rank name let thine own votes be turn'd Oh may that man that hath the Muses scorn'd Alive nor dead be ever of a Muse adorn'd 22 Oft therefore have I chid my tender Muse Oft my chill breast beats off her fluttering wing Yet when new spring her gentle rayes infuse All storms are laid I 'gin to chirp and sing At length soft fires disperst in every vein Yeeld open passage to the thronging train And swelling numbers tide rolls like the surging main 23 So where fair Thames and crooked Isis sonne Payes tribute to his King the mantling stream Encounter'd by the tides now rushing on With equall force of 's way doth doubtfull seem At length the full-grown sea and waters King Chide the bold waves with hollow murmuring Back flie the streams to shroud them in their mother spring 24 Yet thou sweet numerous Muse why should'st thou droop That every vulgar eare thy musick scorns Nor can they rise nor thou so low canst stoop No seed of heav'n takes root in mud or thorns When owls or crows imping their flaggy wing With thy stoln plumes their notes through th' ayer fling Oh shame They howl croke while fond they strain to sing 25 Enough for thee in heav'n to build thy nest Farre be dull thoughts of winning dunghill praise Enough if Kings enthrone thee in their breast And crown their golden crowns with higher baies Enough that those who weare the crown of Kings Great Israels Princes strike thy sweetest strings Heav'ns Dove when high'st he flies flies with thy heav'nly wings 26 Let others trust the seas dare death and hell Search either Inde vaunt of their scarres and wounds Let others their deare breath nay silence sell To fools and swoln not rich stretch out their bounds By spoiling those that live and wronging dead That they may drink in pearl and couch their head In soft but sleeplesse down in rich but restlesse bed 27 Oh let them in their gold quaffe dropsies down Oh let them surfets feast in silver bright While sugar hires the taste the brain to drown And bribes of sauce corrupt false appetite His masters rest health heart life soul to sell. Thus plentie fulnesse sicknesse ring their knell Death weds and beds them first in grave and then in hell 28 But ah let me under some Kentish hill Neare rowling Medway 'mong my shepherd peers With fearlesse merrie-make and piping still Securely passe my few and slow-pac'd yeares While yet the great Augustus of our nation Shuts up old Ianus in this long cessation Strength'ning our pleasing ease and gives us sure vacation 29 There may I master of a little flock Feed my poore lambes and often change their fare My lovely mate shall tend my sparing stock And nurse my little ones with pleasing care Whose love and look shall speak their father plain Health be my feast heav'n hope content my gain So in my little house my lesser heart shall reigne 30 The beech shall yeeld a cool safe canopie While down I fit and chaunt to th' echoing wood Ah singing might I live and singing die So by fair Thames or silver Medwayes floud The dying swan when yeares her temples pierce In musick strains breathes out her life and verse And chaunting her own dirge tides on her watry herse 31 What shall I then need seek a patron out Or begge a favour from a mistris eyes To fence my song against the vulgar rout Or shine upon me with her Geminies What care I if they praise my slender song Or reck I if they do me right or wrong A shepherds blisse nor stands nor falls to ev'ry tongue 32 Great prince of shepherds then thy heav'ns more high Low as our earth here serving ruling there Who taught'st our death to live thy life to die Who when we broke thy bonds our bonds would'st bear Who reignedst in thy heav'n yet felt'st our hell Who God bought'st man whom man though God did sell Who in our flesh our graves and worse our hearts would'st dwell 33 Great Prince of shepherds thou who late didst deigne To lodge thy self within this wretched breast Most wretched breast such guest to entertain Yet oh most happy lodge in such a guest Thou first and last inspire thy sacred skill Guide thou my hand grace thou my artlesse quill So shall I first begin so last shall end thy will 54 Heark then ah heark you gentle shepheard-crue An Isle I fain would sing an Island fair A place too seldome view'd yet still in view Neare as our selves yet farthest from our care Which we by leaving finde by seeking lost A forrain home a strange though native coast Most obvious to all yet most unkown to most 35 Coëvall with the world in her nativitie Which though it now hath pass'd through many ages And still retain'd a naturall proclivitie To ruine compast with a thousand rages Of foe-mens spite which still this Island tosses Yet ever grows more prosp'rous by her
with courage to recall And rouze her fainting head which down as oft would fall 30 All so a Lilie prest with heavie rain Which fills her cup with showers up to the brinks The wearie stalk no longer can sustain The head but low beneath the burden sinks Or as a virgin Rose her leaves displayes Whom too hot scorching beams quite disarayes Down flags her double ruffe and all her sweet decayes 31 Th' undanted Maid feeling her feet denie Their wonted dutie to a tree retir'd Whom all the rout pursue with deadly crie As when a hunted Stag now welnigh tir'd Shor'd by an oak 'gins with his head to play The fearfull hounds dare not his horns assay But running round about with yelping voices bay 32 And now perceiving all her strength was spent Lifting to listning heav'n her trembling eyes Thus whispring soft her soul to heav'n she sent Thou chastest Love that rul'st the wandring skies More pure then purest heavens by thee moved If thine own love in me thou sure hast proved If ever thou my self my vows my love hast loved 33 Let not this Temple of thy spotlesse love Be with foul hand and beastly rage defil'd But when my spirit shall his camp remove And to his home return too long exil'd Do thou protect it from the ravenous spoil Of ranc'rous enemies that hourely toil Thy humble votarie with loathsome spot to foil 34 With this few drops fell from her fainting eyes To dew the fading roses of her cheek That much high Love seem'd passion'd with those cries Much more those streams his heart and patience break Straight he the charge gives to a winged Swain Quickly to step down to that bloudie plain And aid her wearie arms and rightfull cause maintain 35 Soon stoops the speedie Herauld through the aire Where chaste Agneia and Encrates fought See see he cries where your Parthenia fair The flower of all your armie hemm'd about With thousand enemies now fainting stands Readie to fall into their murdring hands Hie ye oh hie ye fast the highest Love commands 36 They casting round about their angrie eye The wounded Virgin almost sinking spi'd They prick their steeds which straight like lightning flie Their brother Continence runnes by their side Fair Continence that truely long before As his hearts liege this Ladie did adore And now his faithfull love kindled his hate the more 37 Encrates and his Spouse with flashing sword Assail the scatter'd troops that headlong flie While Continence a precious liquour pour'd Into the wound and suppled tenderly Then binding up the gaping orifice Reviv'd the spirits that now she 'gan to rise And with new life confront her heartlesse enemies 38 So have I often seen a purple flower Fainting through heat hang down her drooping head But soon refreshed with a welcome shower Begins again her lively beauties spread And with new pride her silken leaves display And while the Sunne doth now more gently play Lay out her swelling bosome to the smiling day 39 Now rush they all into the flying trains Bloud fires their bloud and slaughter kindles fight The wretched vulgar on the purple plains Fall down as thick as when a rustick wight From laden oaks the plenteous akorns poures Or when the blubbring ayer sadly lowres And melts his sullen brow and weeps sweet April showers 40 The greedy Dragon that aloof did spie So ill successe of this renewed fray More vext with losse of certain victorie Depriv'd of so assur'd and wished prey Gnashed his iron teeth for grief and spite The burning sparks leap from his flaming sight And forth his smoking jawes steams out a smouldring night 41 Straight thither sends he in a fresh supply The swelling band that drunken Methos led And all the rout his brother Gluttonie Commands in lawlesse bands disordered So now they bold restore their broken fight And fiercely turn again from shamefull flight While both with former losse sharpen their raging spite 42 Freshly these Knights assault these fresher bands And with new battell all their strength renew Down fell Geloios by Encrates hands Agneia Moechus and Anagnus slew And spying Methos fenc't in 's iron vine Pierc't his swoln panch there lies the grunting swine And spues his liquid soul out in his purple wine 43 As when a greedy lion long unfed Breaks in at length into the harmlesse folds So hungry rage commands with fearfull dread He drags the silly beasts nothing controlls The victour proud he spoils devours and tears In vain the keeper calls his shepherd peers Mean while the simple flock gaze on with silent fears 44 Such was the slaughter these three Champions made But most Encrates whose unconquer'd hands Sent thousand foes down to th' infernall shade With uselesse limbes strewing the bloudie sands Oft were they succourd fresh with new supplies But fell as oft the Dragon grown more wise By former losse began another way devise 45 Soon to their aid the Cyprian band he sent For easie skirmish clad in armour light Their golden bowes in hand stood ready bent And painted quivers furnisht well for fight Stuck full of shafts whose heads foul poyson stains Which dipt in Phlegethon by hellish swains Bring thousand painfull deaths and thousand deadly pains 46 Thereto of substance strange so thinne and slight And wrought by subtil hand so cunningly That hardly were discern'd by weaker fight Sooner the heart did feel then eye could see Farre off they stood and flung their darts around Raining whole clouds of arrows on the ground So safely others hurt and never wounded wound 47 Much were the Knights encumbred with these foes For well they saw and felt their enemies But when they back would turn the borrow'd blows The light-foot troop away more swiftly flies Then do their winged arrows through the winde And in their course oft would they turn behinde And with their glancing darts their hot pursuers blinde 48 As when by Russian Volgha's frozen banks The false-back Tartars fear with cunning feigne And poasting fast away in flying ranks Oft backward turn and from their bowes down rain Whole storms of darts so do they flying fight And what by force they lose they winne by slight Conquerd by standing out and conquerours by flight 49 Such was the craft of this false Cyprian crue Yet oft they seem'd to slack their fearfull pace And yeeld themselves to foes that fast pursue So would they deeper wound in nearer space In such a fight he winnes that fastest flies Flie flie chaste Knights such subtil enemies The vanquisht cannot live and conqu'rour surely dies 50 The Knights opprest with wounds and travel past Began retire and now were neare to fainting With that a winged Poast him speeded fast The Generall with these heavy newes acquainting He soon refresht their hearts that 'gan to tire But let our weary Muse a while respire Shade we our scorched heads from Phoebus parching fire CANT XII THe shepherds guarded from the sparkling heat Of blazing aire upon the flowrie banks Where
various flowers damask the fragrant seat And all the grove perfume in wonted ranks Securely sit them down and sweetly play At length thus Thirsil ends his broken lay Left that the stealing night his later song might stay 2 Thrice oh thrice happie shepherds life and state When Courts are happinesse unhappie pawns His cottage low and safely humble gate Shuts out proud fortune with her scorns and fawns No feared treason breaks his quiet sleep Singing all day his flocks he learns to keep Himself as innocent as are his simple sheep 3 No Serian worms he knows that with their threed Draw out their silken lives nor silken pride His lambes warm fleece well fits his little need Not in that proud Sidonian tincture di'd No emptie hopes no courtly fears him fright No begging wants his middle fortune bite But sweet content exiles both miserie and spite 4 In stead of musick and base flattering tongues Which wait to first-salute my Lords uprise The cheerfull lark wakes him with early songs And birds sweet whistling notes unlock his eyes In countrey playes is all the strife he uses Or sing or dance unto the rurall Muses And but in musicks sports all difference refuses 5 His certain life that never can deceive him Is full of thousand sweets and rich content The smooth-leav'd beeches in the field receive him With coolest shades till noon-tides rage is spent His life is neither tost in boist'rous seas Of troublous world nor lost in slothfull ease Pleas'd full blest he lives when he his God can please 6 His bed of wool yeelds safe and quiet sleeps While by his side his faithfull spouse hath place His little sonne into his bosome creeps The lively picture of his fathers face Never his humble house or state torment him Lesse he could like if lesse his God had sent him And when he dies green turfs with grassie tombe content him 7 The worlds great Light his lowly state hath blest And left his heav'n to be a shepherd base Thousand sweet songs he to his pipe addrest Swift rivers stood beasts trees stones ranne apace And serpents flew to heare his softest strains He fed his flock where rolling Iordan reignes There took our rags gave us his robes and bore our pains 8 Then thou high Light whom shepherds low adore Teach me oh do thou teach thy humble swain To raise my creeping song from earthly floor Fill thou my empty breast with loftie strain That singing of thy warres and dreadfull fight My notes may thunder out thy conqu'ring might And 'twixt the golden starres cut out her towring flight 9 The mightie Generall moved with the news Of those foure famous Knights so neare decay With hastie speed the conquering foe pursues At last he spies where they were led away Forc't to obey the Victours proud commands Soon did he rush into the middle bands And cut the slavish cords from their captived hands 10 And for the Knights were faint he quickly sent To Penitence whom Phoebus taught his art Which she had eakt with long experiment For many a soul and many a wounded heart Had she restor'd and brought to life again The broken spirit with grief and horrour slain That oft reviv'd yet di'd as oft with smarting pain 11 For she in severall baths their wounds did steep The first of Rue which purg'd the foul infection And cur'd the deepest wound by wounding deep Then would she make another strange confection And mix it with Nepenthe soveraigne Wherewith she quickly swag'd the rankling pain Thus she the Knights recur'd and washt from sinfull stain 12 Mean time the fight now fiercer grows then ever For all his troops the Dragon hither drew The two Twin Loves whom no place mought dissever And Knowledge with his train begins anew To strike fresh summons up and hot alarms In midst great Fido clad in sunne-like arms With his unmatched force repairs all former harms 13 So when the Sunne shines in bright Taurus head Returning tempests all with winter fill And still successive storms fresh mustered The timely yeare in his first springings kill And oft it breathes a while then straight again Doubly powres out his spite in smoking rain The countreys vows hopes swimme on the drowned plain 14 The lovely Twinnes ride 'gainst the Cyprian bands Chasing their troops now with no feigned flight Their broken shafts lie scatter'd on the sands Themselves for fear quite vanisht out of sight Against these conquerours Hypocrisie And Cosmo's hated bands with Echthros slie And all that rout do march bold the Twinnes defie 15 Elpinus mightie enemies assail But Doubt of all the other most infested That oft his fainting courage 'gan to fail More by his craft then ods of force molested For oft the treachour chang'd his weapon light And sudden alter'd his first kinde of fight And oft himself and shape transform'd with cunning slight 16 So that great river with Alcides striving In Oeneus court for the Aetolian Maid To divers shapes his fluent limbes contriving From manly form in serpents frame he staid Sweeping with speckled breast the dustie land Then like a bull with horns did armed stand His hanging dewlap trail'd along the golden sand 17 Such shapes and changing fashions much dismaid him That oft he stagger'd with unwonted fright And but his brother Fido oft did aid him There had he fell in unacquainted fight But he would still his wavering strength maintain And chase that Monster through the sandie plain Which from him fled apace but oft return'd again 18 Yet him more strong and cunning foes withstand Whom he with greater skill and strength defi'd Foul Ignorance with all her owl-ey'd band Oft-starting Fear Distrust ne're satisfi'd And fond Suspect and thousand other foes Whom farre he drives with his unequall blows And with his flaming sword their fainting armie mows 19 As when bloud-guilty earth for vengeance cries If greatest things with lesse we may compare The mighty Thunderer through the ayer flies While snatching whirlwinds open waies prepare Dark clouds spread out their sable curtains o're him And Angels on their flaming wings up bore him Mean time the guilty heav'ns for fear flie fast before him 20 There while he on the windes proud pineons rides Down with his fire some lofty mount he throwes And fills the low vale with his ruin'd sides Or on some church his three-forkt dart bestowes Which yet his sacred worship foul mistakes Down falls the spire the body fearfull quakes Nor sure to fall or stand with doubtfull trembling shakes 21 With Fido Knowledge went who order'd right His mighty hands so now his scatter'd troops Make head again filling their broken fight While with new change the Dragons armie droops And from the following victours headlong runne Yet still the Dragon frustrates what is done And eas'ly makes them lose what they so hardly wonne 22 Out of his gorge a hellish smoke he drew That all the field with foggie mist enwraps As when Tiphoeus from his panch
doth spew Black smothering flames roll'd in loud thunder-claps The pitchie vapours choke the shining ray And bring dull night upon the smiling day The wavering Aetna shakes and fain would runne away 23 Yet could his bat-ey'd legions eas'ly see In this dark Chaos they the seed of night But these not so who night and darknesse flee For they the sonnes of day and joy in light But Knowledge soon began a way devise To bring again the day and cleare their eyes So open'd Fido's shield and golden veil unties 24 Of one pure diamond celestiall fair That heav'nly shield by cunning hand was made Whose light divine spred through the mistie aire To brightest morn would turn the Western shade And lightsome day beget before his time Framed in heav'n without all earthly crime Dipt in the firy Sunne which burnt the baser slime 25 As when from fennie moor 's the lumpish clouds With rising steams damp the bright mornings face At length the piercing Sunne his team unshrouds And with his arrows th' idle fogge doth chase The broken mist lies melted all in tears So this bright shield the stinking darknesse teares And giving back the day dissolves their former fears 26 Which when afarre the firie Dragon spies His slights deluded with so little pain To his last refuge now at length he flies Long time his pois'nous gorge he seem'd to strain At length with loathly sight he up doth spue From stinking panch a most deformed crue That heav'n it self did flie from their most ugly view 27 The first that crept from his detested maw Was Hamartia foul deformed wight More foul deform'd the Sunne yet never saw Therefore she hates the all-betraying light A woman seem'd she in her upper part To which she could such lying glosse impart That thousands she had slain with her deceiving art 28 The rest though hid in serpents form arayd With iron scales like to a plaited mail Over her back her knotty tail displaid Along the empty aire did lofty sail The end was pointed with a double sting Which with such dreaded might she wont to fling That nought could help the wound but bloud of heav'nly King 29 Of that first woman her the Dragon got The foulest bastard of so fair a mother Whom when she saw so fil'd with monstrous spot She cast her hidden shame and birth to smother But she welnigh her mothers self had slain And all that dare her kindely entertain So some parts of her damme more of her sire remain 30 Her viperous locks hung loose about her eares Yet with a monstrous snake she them restrains Which like a border on her head she wears About her neck hang down long adder chains In thousand knots and wreaths infolded round Which in her anger lightly she unbound And darting farre away would sure and deadly wound 31 Yet fair and lovely seems to fools dimme eyes But hell more lovely Pluto's self more fair Appears when her true form true light descries Her loathsome face blancht skinne and snakie hair Her shapelesse shape dead life her carrion smell The devils dung the childe and damme of hell Is chaffer fit for fools their precious souls to sell. 32 The second in this rank was black Despair Bred in the dark wombe of eternall Night His looks fast nail'd to Sinne long sootie hair Fill'd up his lank cheeks with wide-staring fright His leaden eyes retir'd into his head Light heav'n and earth himself and all things fled A breathing coarse he seem'd wrapt up in living lead 33 His bodie all was fram'd of earthly paste And heavie mold yet earth could not content him Heav'n fast he flies and heav'n fled him as fast Though ' kin to hell yet hell did much torment him His very soul was nought but ghastly fright With him went many a fiend and ugly sprite Armed with ropes and knives all instruments of spite 34 In stead of feathers on his dangling crest A lucklesse Raven spred her blackest wings And to her croaking throat gave never rest But deathfull verses and sad dirges sings His hellish arms were all with fiends embost Who damned souls with endlesse torments roast And thousand wayes devise to vex the tortur'd ghost 35 Two weapons sharp as death he ever bore Strict Iudgement which from farre he deadly darts Sinne at his side a two edg'd sword he wore With which he soon appalls the stoutest hearts Upon his shield Alecto with a wreath Of snakie whips the dam'd souls tortureth And round about was wrote Reward of sinne is death 36 The last two brethren were farre different Onely in common name of death agreeing The first arm'd with a sithe still mowing went Yet whom and when he murder'd never seeing Born deaf and blinde nothing might stop his way No prayers no vows his keenest sithe could stay Nor Beauties self his spite nor Vertues self allay 37 No state no age no sex may hope to move him Down falls the young and old the boy and maid Nor begger can intreat nor King reprove him All are his slaves in 's cloth of flesh araid The bride he snatches from the bridegrooms arms And horrour brings in midst of loves alarms Too well we know his power by long experienc't harms 38 A dead mans skull suppli'd his helmets place A bone his club his armour sheets of lead Some more some lesse fear his all-frighting face But most who sleep in downie pleasures bed But who in life have daily learnt to die And dead to this live to a life more high Sweetly in death they sleep and slumbring quiet lie 39 The second farre more foul in every part Burnt with blue fire and bubbling sulphure streams Which creeping round about him fill'd with smart His cursed limbes that direly he blasphemes Most strange it seems that burning thus for ever No rest no time no place these flames may sever Yet death in thousand deaths without death dieth never 40 Soon as these hellish monsters came in sight The Sunne his eye in jettie vapours drown'd Scar'd at such hell-hounds view heav'ns ' mazed light Sets in an early evening earth astound Bids dogs with houls give warning at which sound The fearfull ayer starts seas break their bound And frighted fled away no sands might them impound 41 The palsied troop first like asps shaken fare Till now their heart congeal'd in icie bloud Candied the ghastly face locks stand and stare Thus charm'd in ranks of stone they marshall'd stood Their uselesse swords fell idlely on the plain And now the triumph sounds in loftie strain So conqu'ring Dragon bindes the Knights with slavish chain 42 As when proud Phineus in his brothers feast Fill'd all with tumult and intestine broil Wise Perseus with such multitudes opprest Before him bore the snakie Gorgons spoil The vulgar rude stood all in marble chang'd And in vain ranks and rockie order rang'd Were now more quiet guests from former rage estrang'd 43 The fair Eclecta who with grief had stood Viewing th' oft changes
reside Where every Grace her naked sight afforded And Majestie with Love sat well accorded A little map of heav'n sweet influence giving More perfect yet in this it was a heaven living 8 Yet now this heav'n with melting clouds was stain'd Her starry eyes with sister grief infected Might seem the Pleiades so fast they rain'd And though her tongue to comfort she directed Sighs waiting on each word like grief detected That in her face you now might plainly see Sorrow to sit for Love Pitie for Majestie 9 At length when now those storms she had allay'd A league with grief for some short time indenting She 'gan to speak and sister onely said The sad Elisa soon her words preventing El. In vain you think to ease my hearts tormenting Words comforts hope all med'cine is in vain My heart most hates his cure loves his pleasing pain Al. 10 As vain to weep since fate cannot reprieve El. Teares are most due when there is no reprieving Al. When doom is past weak hearts that fondly grieve El. A helplesse griefs sole joy is joylesse grieving Al. To losses old new losse is no relieving You lose your teares El. When that I onely fear For ever now is lost poore losse to lose a teare Al. 11 Nature can teach that who is born must die El. And Nature teaches teares in griefs tormenting Al. Passions are slaves to Reasons monarchie El. Reason best shews her reason in lamenting Al. Religion blames impatient discontenting El. Not passion but excesse Religion branded Nor ever countermands what Natures self commanded Al. 12 That hand which gave him first into your hand To his own hand doth now again receive him Impious and fond to grudge at his command Who once by death from death doth ever reave him He lives by leaving life which soon would leave him Thus God and him you wrong by too much crying Who living dy'd to life much better lives by dying El. 13 Not him I plain ill would it fit our loves In his best state to shew my hearts repining To mourn at others good fond envy proves I know his soul is now more brightly shining Then all the starres their light in one combining No dearest soul so lifting up her eyes Which shew'd like watry suns quench't in the moister skies 14 My deare my dearest Irby at that name As at a well-known watch-word forth there pressed Whole flouds of teares and straight a suddain quame Seizing her heart her tongue with weight oppressed And lockt her grief within her soul distressed There all in vain he close and hidden lies Silence is sorrows speech his tongue speaks in her eyes 15 Till grief new mounted on uneven wings Of loud-breath'd sighs his leaden weight up sending Back to the tongue his heavie presence brings His usher teares deep grones behinde attending And in his name her breath most gladly spending As if he gone his name were all her joying Irby I never grudg'd thee heav'n and heav'ns enjoying 16 'T is not thy happinesse that breeds my smart It is my losse and cause that made me lose thee Which hatching first this tempest in my heart Thus justly rages he that lately chose thee To live with him where thou might'st safe repose thee Hath found some cause out of my little caring By spoiling thine to spare and spoil my life by sparing 17 Whither ah whither shall I turn my head Since thou my God so sore my heart hast beaten Thy rods yet with my bloud are warm and red Thy scourge my soul hath drunk my flesh hath eaten Who helps when thou my Father so dost threaten Thou hid'st thy eyes or if thou dost not hide them So dost thou frown that best I hidden may abide them 18 I weeping grant what ever may be dreaded All ill thou canst inflict I have deserved Thy mercy I I mercie onely pleaded Most wretched men if all that from thee swerved By merit onely in just weight were served If nought thou giv'st but what desert doth get me Oh give me nothing then for nothing I intreat thee 19 Ah wherefore are thy mercies infinite If thou dost hourd them up and never spend them Mercy 's no mercy hid in envious night The rich mans goods while in his chest he penn'd them Were then no goods much better to misspend them Why mak'st thou such a rod so fierce dost threat me Thy frowns to me were rods thy forehead would have beat me 20 Thou seiz'd my joy ah he is dead and gone That might have dress'd my wounds when thus they smarted To all my griefs I now am left alone Comfort 's in vain to hopelesse grief imparted Hope comfort joy with him are all departed Comfort hope joy lifes flatterers most I flie you And would not deigne to name but naming to defie you Al. 21 Sister too farre your passions violent heat And griefs too headlong in your plaint convay you You feel your stripes but mark not who does beat 'T is he that takes away who can repay you This grief to other rods doth open lay you He bindes your grief to patience not dejection Who bears the first not well provokes a new correctiō El. 22 I know 't is true but sorrows blubber'd eye Fain would not see and cannot well behold it My heart surround with grief is swoll'n so high It will not sink till I alone unfold it But grows more strong the more you do withhold it Leave me a while alone griefs tide grows low And ebs when private tears the eye-banks overflow 23 She quickly rose and readie now to go Remember measure in your griefs complaining His last his dying words command you so So left her and Elisa sole remaining Now every grief more boldly entertaining They flock about her round so one was gone And twentie fresh arriv'd ' Lone grief is least alone 24 Thus as she sat with fixt and setled eye Thousand fond thoughts their wandring shapes depainted Now seem'd she mounted to the crystall skie And one with him and with him fellow-sainted Straight pull'd from heav'n then again she fainted Thus while their numerous thoughts each fancie brought The minde all idle sat much thinking lost her thought 25 And fancy finding now the dulled sight Idle with businesse to her soul presented While th' heavy minde obscur'd his shaded light Her wofull body from her head absented And suddain starting with that thought tormented A thing impossible too true she found The head was gone and yet the headlesse body sound 26 Nor yet awake she cries ah this is wrong To part what Natures hand so neare hath tied Stay oh my head and take thy trunk along But then her minde recall'd her errour spied And sigh'd to see how true the fancy lied Which made the eye his instrument to see That true which being true it self must nothing be 27 Vile trunk saies she thy head is ever gone Vile headlesse trunk why art thou not engraved One wast thou once with him now art
thou none Or if thou art or wert how art thou saved And livest still when he to death is slaved But ah when well I think I plainly see That death to him was life and life is death to me 28 Vile trunk if yet he live ah then again Why seek'st thou not with him to be combined But oh since he in heav'n doth living reigne Death wer't to him in such knots to be twined And life to me with him to be confined So while I better think I eas'ly see My life to him were death his death were life to me 29 Then die with him vile trunk and dying live Or rather with him live his life applying Where thou shalt never die nor ever grieve But ah though death thou feel'st within thee lying Thou ne're art dead though still in sorrow dying Most wretched soul which hast thy seat and being Where life with death is one death with life agreeing 30 He lives and joyes death life to him hath bred Why is he living then in earth enwombed But I a walking coarse in life am dead 'T is I my friends 't is I must be entombed Whose joy with grief whose life with death's benummed Thou coffin art not his nor he is thine Mine art thou thou the dead not the livings shrine 31 You few thinne boards how in so scanted room So quiet such great enemies contain ye All joy all grief lies in this narrow tombe You contraries how thus in peace remain ye That one small cabin so should entertain ye But joy is dead and here entomb'd doth lie While grief is come to moan his dead-lov'd enemie 32 How many vertues in this little space This little little space lie buried ever In him they liv'd and with them every grace In him they liv'd and di'd and rise will never Fond men go now in vertues steps persever Go sweat and toil thus you inglorious lie In this old frozen age vertue it self can die 33 Those petty Northern starres do never fall The unwasht Beare the Ocean wave despises Ever unmov'd it moves and ever shall The Sun which oft his head in night disguises So often as he falls so often rises And stealing backward by some hidden way With self same light begins and ends the yeare day 34 The flowers which in the absence of the Sunne Sleep in their winter-houses all disarm'd And backward to their mothers wombe do runne Soon as the earth by Taurus horns is warm'd Muster their colour'd troups and freshly arm'd Spreading their braving colours to the skie Winter and winters spight bold little elves defie 35 But Vertues heav'nly and more glorious light Though seeming ever sure yet oft dismounteth And sinking low sleeps in eternall night Nor ever more his broken spheare remounteth Her sweetest flower which other flowers surmounteth As farre as roses nettles soonest fadeth Down falls her glorious leaf never more it bladeth 36 And as that dainty flower the maiden rofe Her swelling bosome to the Sunne discloses Soon as her lover hot and fiery grows Straight all her sweets unto his heat exposes Then soon disrob'd her sweet and beautie loses While hurtfull weeds hemlocks nettles stinking Soon from the earth ascend late to their graves are sinking 37 All so the vertuous bud in blooming falls While vice long flourishing late sees her ending Vertue once dead no gentle spring recalls But vice springs of it self and soon ascending Long views the day late to his night descending Vain men that in this life set up your rest Which to the ill is long and short unto the best 38 And as a dream where th' idle fancie playes One thinks that fortune high his head advances Another spends in woe his weary dayes A third seems sport in love and courtly dances A fourth to finde some glitt'ring treasure chances Soon as they wake they see their thoughts were vain And either quite forget or laugh their idle brain 39 Such is the world and such lifes quick-spent play This base and scorn'd that great in high esteeming This poore and patched seems that rich and gay This sick that sound yet all is but a seeming So like that waking oft we fear w' are dreaming And think we wake oft when we dreaming play Dreams are as living nights life as a dreaming day 40 Go then vain life for I will trust no more Thy flattering dreams death to thy resting take me Thou sleep without all dreams lifes quiet shore When wilt thou come when wilt thou overtake me Enough I now have liv'd loath'd life forsake me Thou good mens endlesse fight thou ill mens feast That at the best art bad and worst art to the best 41 Thus as in teares she drowns her swollen eyes A suddain noise recalls them backward bending Her weary head there all in black she spies Six mournfull bearers the sad hearse attending Their feet and hands to that last dutie lending All silent stood she trembling pale and wan The first grief left his stage a new his part began 42 And now the coffin in their arms they take While she with weight of grief sat still amazed As do sear leaves in March so did she quake And with intended eyes upon them gazed But when from ground the doleful hearse they raised Down on the beer half dead she carelesse fell While teares did talk apace and sighs her sorrows tell 43 At last Fond men said she you are deceiv'd It is not he 't is I must be interred Not he but I of life and soul bereav'd He lives in heav'n among the saints referred This trunk this headlesse body must be buried But while by force some hold her up they reare him And weeping at her tears away they softly beare him 44 But then impatient grief all passion proves She prayes weeps with teares she doth intreat them But when this onely fellow passion moves She storms and raves and now as fast doth threat them And as she onely could with words doth beat them Ah cruell men ah men most cruell stay It is my heart my life my soul you beare away 45 And now no sooner was he out of sight As if she would make good what she had spoken First from her hearts deep centre deep she sigh'd Then as if heart and life and soul were broken Down dead she fell and once again awoken Fell once again so to her bed they bore her While friends no friends hard love to life and grief restore her 46 Unfriendly friends saith she why do ye strive To barre wisht death from his so just ingression Your pitie kills me 't is my death to live And life to die it is as great oppression To force out death as life from due possession 'T is much more great better that quickly spills A loathed life then he that with long torture kills 47 And then as if her guiltlesse bed offended Thou trait'rous bed when first thou didst receive me Not single to thy rest I then ascended
Double I came why should I single leave thee Why of my better part dost thou bereave me Two prest thee first why should but one depart Restore thou trait'rous bed restore that better part 48 Thus while one grief anothers place inherits And one yet hardly spent a new complained Griefs leaden vapour dulls the heavy spirits And sleep too long from so wisht seat restrained Now of her eyes un'wares possession gained And that she might him better welcome give Her lord he new presents and makes him fresh to live 49 She thinks he lives and with her goes along And oft she kiss'd his cheek and oft embraced And sweetly askt him where he staid so long While he again her in his arms enlaced Till strong delight her dream and joy defaced But then she willing sleeps sleep glad receives her And she as glad of sleep that with such shapes deceives her 50 Sleep widow'd eyes and cease so fierce lamenting Sleep grieved heart and now a little rest thee Sleep sighing words stop all your discontenting Sleep beaten breast no blows shall now molest thee Sleep happy lips in mutuall kisses nest ye Sleep weary Muse and do not now disease her Fancie do thou with dreams and his sweet presence please her FINIS ¶ To my deare friend the SPENCER of this age Deare friend NO more a Stranger now I lately past Thy curious Building call'd but then my haste Deny'd me a full draught I did but taste Thy Wine was rich and pleasing did appeare No common grape My haste could not forbeare A second sippe I hung a Garland there Past on my way I lasht through thick and thinne Dispatch'd my businesse and return'd agen I call'd the second time unhors'd went in View'd every Room each Room was beautifi'd With new Invention carv'd on every side To please the common and the curious ey'd View'd every Office every Office lay Like a rich Magazen did bewray ' Thy Treasure op'ned with thy golden key View'd every Orchyard every Orchyard did Appeare a Paradise whose fruits were hid Perchance with shadowing Leaves but none forbid View'd every Plot spent some delightfull houres In every Garden full of new-born flowers Delicious banks and delectable bowers Thus having stepp'd and travell'd every staire Within and tasted every fruit that 's rare Without I made thy house my thorough-fare Then give me leave rare Fletcher as before I left a Garland at thy Gates once more To hang this Ivie at thy Postern-doore FRANCIS QUARLES FINIS * American * Sannazar * Bartas * Spencer * Delos * More mortuum * A book called Christs Victorie and Triumph a The foundation of the body is the bones Bones are a similar part of the body most dry or cold made by the vertue generative through heat of the thicker portion of seed which is most earthy and Fat for the establishment and figure of the whole b A cartilage or gridle is of a middle nature betwixt bones and ligaments or sinews made of the Lime matter and in the same manner as bones for variety and safetie in motion c Some of these even as bones sustain and uphold some parts d Both these are knit with ligaments A ligament or sinew is of nature between grisles and nerves framed of a rough and clammy portion of the seed for knitting holding the bones together fitting them for motion e Upon the bones as the foundation is built the flesh Flesh is a similar part of the body soft ruddy made of bload indifferently dried covered with the common membrane or skinne f The whole body is as it were watered with great plenty of rivers veins arteries and nerves g A vein is a vessell long round hollow rising from the liver appointed to contein conduct and distribute the bloud It hath but one tunicle and that thinne the colour of this bloud is purple h An arterie is a vessel long round hollow formed for conveyance of that more spritely bloud which is elaborate in the heart This bloud is frothy yellowish full of spirits therefore compast with a double tunicle that it might not exhale or sweat out by reason of the thinnesse i A nerve is a spermaticall part rising from the brain and the pith of the back-bone the outside skinne the inside full of pith carrying the animall spirits for sense and motion and therefore doubly skinned as the brain none of them single but runne in couples k The veins convey nourishment from the liver the arteries life and heat from the heart the nerves sense and motion from the brain The will commands the nerve brings and the part executes the mandate all almost in an instant l The whole body may be parted into three regions the lowest or belly the middle or breast the highest or head In the lowest the liver is sovereigne whose regiment is the widest but meanest In the middle the heart reignes most necessarie The brain obtains the highest place and is as the least in compasse so the greatest in dignitie m The parts of the lower region are either the contained or containing the containing either common or proper the common are the skinne the fleshie pannicle and the far the proper are the muscles of the belly-peece or the inner rimme of the belly n The skinne is a membrane of all the rest the most large and thick formed of the mixture of seed and bloud the covering and ornament of parts that are under it the temper moderate the proper organ of outward touching say Physicians o The native colour of the skinne is white but as Hippocrates changed into the same colour which is brought by the humour predominant Where melancholie abounds it is swarthy where flegme it is white and pale where choler reignes it is red and firy but in sanguine of a rosie colour p The skinne is covered with the cuticle or flourishing of the skinne it is the mean of touching without which we feel but with pain It polisheth the skinne which many times is changed and as it is with snakes put off and a new and more amiable brought in q The fat cometh from the airy portion of the bloud which when it flows to the membranes by their weak heat which Physicians account call cold grows thick and close r The fat increaseth inward heat by keeping it from outward parts and defends the parts subject to it from bruises s The fleshie panniele is a membrane very thick sinewy woven in with little veins t The proper parts infolding this lower region are two the first the muscles of the belly-peece which are eight foure side-long two right and two crosse u Peritonaeum which we call the rimme of the belly is a thinne membrane taking his name from compassing the bowels round but longer every where double yet so thinne that it may seem but single It hath many holes that the veins arteries and other needfull vessels might have passage both in out * The
That the liver is first in time and making is manifest because the Nurse the vein that feeds the infant yet in the wombe empties it self upon the liver m The first excrement drawn from the liver to the gall is cholerick bitter like flame in colour which were it not removed and kept in due place would fill all the body with bitternesse and gnawing n Choledochus or the Gall is of a membranous substance having but one yet that a strong tunicle It hath two passages one drawing the humour from the liver another conveying the overplus into the first gut and so emptying the gall And this fence hath a double gate to keep the liquour from returning o The second ill humour is earthy and heavy which is drawn from the liver by little vessels unto the splene the native seat of melancholie here some have placed laughter but the splene seems rather the seat of malice and heavinesse p If the splene should fail in this office the whole body would be filled with melancholy fancies and vain terrours q Where the splene flourishes and the body decayes and withers where the splene is kept down the body flourishes Hence Stratonicus merrily said that in Crete dead men walked because they were so splenitive and pale-coloured r Trajan compared the splene to his exchequer because as his coffers being full drained his subjects purses so the full splene makes the body saplesse s The watery humour with some good bloud which is spent for the nourishment of those parts is drawn by the kidneys t The Ureters receive the water separated from the bloud as distilled from little fleshie substances in the kidneys like to teats u The kidneys are both alike the left somewhat higher both have a double skinne and both compassed with fat a The heart is the seat of heat and life therefore walled about with the ribs for more safety b The breasts or paps are given to men for strength and ornament to women for milk and nurserie also c When the infant grows big he so oppresseth the vessels of bloud that partly through the readinesse of the passage but especially by the providence of God the bloud turns back to the breast there by an innate but wonderfull facultie is turned into milk d The breasts are in figure hemisphericall whose tops are crowned with the teats about which are reddish circles called Areolae or little altars e In the Thorax or breast are sixty five muscles for respiration or breathing which is either free or forced The instruments of forced breathing are sixtie foure whereof thirtie two distend and as many contract it f The instrument of the free breathing is the Diazome or Diaphragme which we call the midriffe as a wall parting the heart and liver Plato affirms it a partition between the seats of desire and anger Aristotle a barre to keep the noisome odour of the stomack from the heart g The midriffe dilates it self when it draws in contracts it self when it puffes out the aire h The midriffe consists of two circles one skinny the other fleshie It hath two tunicles as many veins and arteries and foure nerves i Here most men have placed the seat of laughter It hath much sympathie with the brain so that if the midriffe be inflamed present madnes easues it k Within the Pleura or skinne which clotheth the ribs on the inside compasses this middle region l The chiefest part of this middle region is the Heart placed in the midst of this province and of the whole bodie fitly was it placed in the midst of all as being of all the most needfull m The Heart is immured partly by a membrane going round about it and thence receiving his name and a peculiar tunicle partly with an humour like whey or urine as well to cool the heart as to lighten the body n The flesh of the heart is proper and peculiar to it self not like other muscles of a figure pyramicall The point of the heart is as with a diademe girt with two arteries and a vein called the crowns o Though the heart be an entire body yet it is severed into two partitions the right and left of which the left is more excellent and noble p The right receives into his hollownesse the bloud flowing from the liver and concocts it q This right side sends down to the lungs that part of this bloud which is lesse laboured and thicker but the thinner part it sweats through a fleshie partition into the left side r This fleshie partition severs the right side from the left at first it seems thick but if it be well viewed we shall see it full of many pores or passages s Two skinny additions from their likenesse called the ears receive the one the thicker bloud that called the right the other called the left takes in the aire sent by the lungs t The left side of the heart takes in this aire and bloud and concocting them both in his hollow bosome sends them out by the great arterie into the whole body u In the heart are foure great vessels the first is the hollow vein bringing in the blood from the liver at whose mouth stand three little folding doores with three forks giving passage but no return to the bloud * The second vessel is called the arterie-vein which rising from the right side of the heart carries down the bloud here prepared to the lungs for their nourishment Here also is the like three-folding doore made like half circles giving passage from the heart but not backward x The third is called the Veiny arterie rising from the left side which hath two folds three-forked y The fourth is the great arterie This hath also a floudgate made of three semicircular membranes to give out load to the virall spirits and stop their regresse z The Heart is the fountain of life and heat to the whole bodie and the seat of passions a The Pneumon or lungs is nearest the heart whose flesh is light and spongie very large It is the instrument of breathing and speaking divided into many parcels yet all united into one bodie b The Lungs are covered with a light very thinne tunicle left it might be an hinderance to the motion c The winde-pipe which is framed partly of cartilage or grissy matter because the voice is perfected with hard smooth things these cartilages are compassed like a ring partly of skin which tie the grisles together d And because the rings of the grifles do not wholly meet this space is made up by muscles that so the meat-pipe adjoyning might not be galled or hurt e The Larynx or covering of the winde-pipe is a grisly substance parted into foure grisles of which the first is ever unmoved and in women often double f Adjoyning to it is the Oesophagus or meat-pipe conveying meats and drinks to the stomack g At whose end is the Epiglottis or cover of the throat the