For future times a pattern most exact Faire Ship most fairly fraught for VVar and Peace Untimely sunk scarce launcht into the seas Too glorious rising Sunne soon overcast That shin'st in Heaven for here thy beames were plac't On mould too dull cold worthlesse to beget An active fruitfulnesse answering thy heat Thy flames of vertue were more pure and high Then our weake state could foment with supply No vertue didst thou want or vice possesse That could make great thy worth or glory lesse Furnish't with all materials fit to raise A high superlative of Princely praise A true Minervian issue sprung from Iove Visible vertue forcing us to love As true a vertuous Cyrus naturall As Xenophons fain'd artificiall Faire fire receiv'd as from our Persian King Dead vertue once againe to life to bring Heroick off-spring of that English blood VVhich anciently hath so celebrous stood As faire a splendor to thy Fathers stem As or his Scepter Throne or Diadem If Troy lamented Hector Grecians scourge â—arre greater grief thy death to us doth urge Troy miss'd no Captaines though their Hector dead But whom hath now our Priam fit to lead VVith union and alacrity the Bands Of English Scottish Welsh and Irish Lands VVhose active well born spirits thirsted all To follow such a hopefull Generall VVhose pattern set the coldest mindes on fire VVith glorious thoughts and generous desire Sole able Engine t' have repair'd the fame Of th' once illustrious wither'd English name Such vertue could not actionlesse remaine VVhich made him fly our dulnesse with disdain VVherefore brave Spirits that do inward burn Loving true glory joine with me and mourn And with your slames make him a funerall fire And with him end each thought that did aspire Smother in his Ashes what began to flame And teach your thoughts to study peacefull fame Temper your most untimely ill faln hear VVhich may your ruine not your glory get Except that idle glory you esteem Vying who most effeminate shall seem Most proud affected and like weeds of worth VVhich our best soyles uncultivate bring forth Mourn and lament him Patron of all truth Nay him the soule and glory of your youth Nor never hope an active time to see Except enforc't to act our miserie Happy our Fathers warlike spirits we Haplesse though fortunate our Sons may be To whom this seven yeare retrograde hath brought A Prince with like faire promis'd vertues fraught To top his story with victorious bayes As Iames with sweet of Peace hath blest our dayes Adding as many Crownes as Iames hath done To Crowne his titles with possession Thus glorious Comet with more zeale then art In thy fames dirige I beare a part Which may it pardon finde though hoarsly sung And passe with favour 'mongst th' Elegiack throng As writ by him who having vow'd sword-service Can ill performe a Poets sacrifice Upon the death of Anne of Denmarke Queen of great Britaine and the blazing Starre appearing neere her death taken for the stellifyed spirit of Prince Henry dead not long before BRave soul thou hast prevail'd God hath his owne And wee ill debters were nor paid the loane Of such a Jewell bee thou Henries Star Pointing thy mothers way and not our war Heaven bee appeas'd and grant our prayers and teares Prevent thy further anger and our feares Say that our false hearts to our selves and thee Deriding goodnesse and true pietie Led by our vaine affections as our God Not charitie say this deserves thy rod Let not the Roman petty Gods surpasse Thy rulers mercies Marcus Curtius was To them a sacrifice their wrath to swage Our losse hath doubled his then slack thy rage And grant againe we feele no further paines But blesse our dayes with joy in what remaines Epitaph HEre lies Iames his rich gem the eyes delight The graces mansion our faire dayes good night Glory of the Court object no sooner seene But knowne the gracefull presence of a Queene Rich Jewels shee is said to leave farre more Rich was shee in her pretious vertues store Heaven grant her royall vertues transportation Breed not a dearth unto her sex our nation Vpon the death of my faire Cousin Drury SSay passenger and for her sake Who while shee liv'd had power to make All eyes that on her cast their sight To fix with wonder and delight Daine that these lines one sigh may borrow Breathed from thy heart with generous sorrow To see in this sad Tombe now dwelling The fairest Drury late excelling In vertue beautie and all grace That heaven in earthly mould can place And that which may your griefe increase Is that shee did a maid decease And all that wee in her admir'd With her is perisht and expir'd Matchlesse shee lived unmatcht shee dide Druries sole heire and Suffolks pride Vpon the death of the supereminent Lady Haddington Delineated to the life IMperious soule proud Quintessence of wit Union of natures beautie forcing love Faire Haddington farewell here dead with thee Lie Loves awe sweetnesse life and majestie Manly ambitious spirits hope possest By conquest of fierce beautie to be blest Change your desires for sweare ambition The glorious subject of your hopes is gone Alas nor verse nor picture can expresse The least of her heart-winning lovelinesse Happy who knew her for he knew perfection Such as henceforth hath freed him from subjection Another MOunt up to heaven free soul with Larke-like joy Scorning our earthly base condition Where no malitious envie can annoy Thy faire ingenious disposition There shew thy selfe in thy pure nakednesse Where all thoughts in their simple truth appeare To speake thy selfe with true borne simplenesse Is vertues habit out of fashion here To covet flatter lie bee politique Hunt gaine with greedy falshood and deceipt To bee a devill so an hypocrite Are vertues to gaine this worlds good conceipt Thou wert not such and therefore happy now If faith and truth may happinesse procure Thy life thy truth death doth thy faith avow These are the golden wings that mount thee sure To lasting glory glory bee thy due For being faithfull noble faire and true An Incentive to our Poets upon the death of the victorious King of Swedeland FIe slow Boötes brood what not a line To celebrate a vertue so divine See you not Perseus mounted in the skie Outdoing all the antient Chivalry Expect you till his Steed dash on your braines To make you flow into heroick straines Can your Electrian facultie in wit Raise nothing but meere trash and strawes to it Is brave Gustavus of too solid stuffe His great exploits for your sleight veine too tusse That like poore falsifyers you despaire To profit from a peece so rich and faire Whilst from more triviall subjects you will drive A trade shall make your reputation thrive By ransacking the mysteries of Art To set a luster on some low desert Rouze up at length your over stupid muse Unite all in one quire and bravely chuse No other rapture whereupon
thred Ne're yet since Love his raigne begun Was such small thing more merited More prized or more hardly won DO not reject those titles of your due VVhich natures art hath stiled in your face The name of Faire onely belongs to you None else that title justly can imbrace You Beauties heire her coate sole spotlesse weare VVhere others all some markes abatement beare T is not their cheeks touch'd with Vermillion red Sâ—ain'd with the tincture of enchanting skill Nor yet the curl'd devises of their head Their breasts display'd their looks fram'd to their will Their quick turn'd eye nor all their proud attire Can make me their perfections to admire All this is done without Natures consent Thy beautie needs no arts inticing ayd Thine nature gave their 's art hath onely lent Thine shall endure when theirs are quite decay'd Thy beautie others doth as much excell As heav'n base earth or earth accursed hell Others are faire if not compar'd to thee Compar'd to them thy beautie doth exceed So lesser Starres give light and shine wee see Till glorious Phoebus lifteth up his head And then as things ashamed of their might They hide themselves and with themselves their light Since Natures skill hath given you your right Do not kind nature and your selfe such wrong You are as faire as any earthly wight You wrong your selfe if you correct my tongue Though you deny her and your selfe your due Yet dutie bids me Faire intitle you VVHen God gave man the high Lieutenancy Of all commanding that on earth should bee Hee yet foresaw no true felicitie Could grow to man without societie Wherefore he made of a refined mould Woman to all his workes as crowne of gold The richest presents are the last bestow'd And arts perfections in the last works show'd Her solely hee intended mans companion Most pleasing object of his conversation Whereby who womans company condemne Highly Gods sacred will and Law contemne And few or none neglect their company But such as want worth or abilitie The worthiest men that most prize reputation Would rather lose mens then their estimation Which made th'al-knowing Solomon compare Their love to things most pretious and most rare 'T is not the vulgar breath as hath been said But womens good opinion that ne're stray'd They wits and vertues whetstones are that give The edge and appetite that makes us strive Each other to excell in show and deed To gaine the love of them that most exceed In feminine prehemenence whose love All noble courages of men doth move Honour from men but fruitlesse pleasure brings But womens love gives happinesse of Kings And onely followes those that do possesse The beauties art and nature doe expresse Other delights that hang but on conceit Are sawce and margent this the Text and meat Our sev'rall senses find their sev'rall pleasure But woman is to every sense a treasure To see to heare to touch and if not tast Tisby a sweeter pleasure farre surpast For taste in deed and every other sweet That wee enjoy by natures benefit Onely conduce unto the worke of love Wherein alone wee serviceable prove To God and nature who each worke beside Of our fantastick pleasure do deride And they that give all pleasure to the mind Are naturelesse distasted and unkind Nature to mee hath beene so much a friend I 'le ever honour her and serve her end But you 'l object that womens company Ought serve alone for mans necessitie And that their idle conversation Is uselesse but for procreation As servile ignorant nor ought of worth Is by their triviall fellowship brought forth But womens worth writers enough affirme Which so well prov'd I need not now confirme As for the fault of ignorance you finde 'T is but your education keeps them blinde Yet mid'st that blindnesse of such art they show As cunning'st wits of men doe overgoe And if their disobedience you mislike Beasts by our fall gain'd freedome they the like Perchance expect and as the Privernate Answer'd the question of the Roman State That rebells did such punishment deserve As they that judge themselves too good to serve VVhich made the gen'rous Roman set them free Communicating Roman libertie Knowing that nature n'ere that State would bear VVhich is commixt with servitude and fear So had I power to alter marriage law Both should be free and both exempt from aw And then this verse you happy true should find No comfort 's likâ— to women that are kind But you my doting ravisht soules delight Soule of your Sex subject of what I write VVhose company affords a second joy To that which heav'nly soules in Gods enjoy And whose privation breeds another hell To those that e're did in your presence dwell VVhere onely to have power to come and see Is happinesse above capacitie VVhose presence charmes our cares like heav'nly wine Infusing height of joy and heate divine To whom all other beauties that give light Are cold and dead as Glow-wormes in the night You a quick sparkling-bright-enflaming fire That kindles all comes neare makes all admire As much more lively pleasing in compare As gliding streames then standing waters are Sole Planet of our Spheare raising our blood As mightily as Cynthia th' Oceanâ—lood â—lood I need not name you you are like the Sun Knowne by the most obscure description Oh! if you could in course as constant prove Too happy should hee bee that joyes your love But you like an unguided Phaeton Take glory onely to bee gaz'd upon And to inflame this lower world with fire Of an unbridled and untam'd desire VVhilst your owne heart as hard and cold as stone Is plac'd above all conflagration Reserv'd I thinke to bee enjoy'd by Iove Disdaining all inferiour earthly love For Leda Europa Danae all in one Come nothing neare you Beauties paragon You surely are a Goddesse nor can bee Injoy'd but by a perfect deitie For men may thinke you love and finde you faire But thinking to imbrace you finde but aire Nature hath beene but niggardly to all That unto you shee might bee prodigall To you true beauties faire originall VVhence others have but counterfeit derivall Men may o're other creatures pow'r pretend But full obedience they to you extend And glory more your sacred power t' obey Then over all things else to carry sway BUt that great President of this faire Round VVee may not 'gainst thy will expostulate Nor dare upon lame humane reasons ground Oppose what thou hast pleas'd to ordinate Our reasons false light else would make us stray And with strong arguments our minds induce Against the marriage sanction to invey VVhence flowes such ruine trouble and abuse Nor can thy institution bee accus'd For that observ'd what now our torture brings Had such felicitie to us infus'd As equalls poorest soules with joy of Kings Matches were first made by consent of love VVhich constant mindes in puritie excelling Did so perpetuate that nought could remove Them from their first affections
balme such as no gold can buy To ease those hearts that for your love have smarted Grant then my lives faire Sun Apollo-like VVhose light 's our light our life direction cure These vertues Phoebus yeelds thy essence pure That I may offer at the shrine I seeke The pleasing sacrifice and fruits of love Which tasted may your equall pleasure prove You Elegie wayling writers elegant VVhose sad despised Muse of little sings But rigour scorne and her tyrannick stings VVho all compos'd of Ice and Adamant As Nero joy'd those tragick flames to see VVhich Romes proud flames had reason just to rew So triumphs and insulteth over you The cruell Mistris of your misery I wonder at your braines productions VVhich ' stead of comforting benigne aspect Are fed with nipping blasts frosts and neglect From those Parelii proud in your destructions I like the flame-fed Salamanders kind And as the tender Sommer-lab'ring Bee Except a warmthfull Zephyr breath on mee Am stupifi'd with cold fruitlesse in mind Love child of heate and hope doth barren perish Except faire Sun his tender plant you cherish QUeene of Beautie most divine From whose sacred charming shrine Humane power cannot part Without sacrifice of heart Thetis Nymphs had little grace Whilst your beautie was in place And their influence was cold As sent from a watry mould Shall I happy call that night VVhen to gaine a pleasing sight Pretious libertie I lost And am now on loves Sea tost By a tempest of desire Mixed full of heav'nly fire Rais'd by that inchanting face Of her Sex the onely grace Yes most happy I it call Though it doe my freedome thrall Freedome none may neere compare VVith that happy state where are Those in your faire service plac'd And that please to make them grac'd Happy martyr of constraint VVhose paine is for such a Saint And who hath for object giv'n The sweet hope of such a heav'n Faire a stranger terme mee not That your Sanctitie would blot Saint did never yet object Former knowledges defect Against those whose zealous vowes True devotion avowes If my merit yet bee small To procure your love withall Time alone to you must prove How well I will deserve your love Grace in Saints ought to abound Grace ne're growes on merits ground Be then gracious as I true Constant and faithfull unto you And my fortunes that have crown'd Mee happy on that Relicks ground Shall bee all ascrib'd to serve You that all respect deserve To winne her from resolving upon a Cloyster'd life in whom love is conceived to bee yet predominant PRetty wanton Beauties treasure Made for sweet delight and pleasure Pretious Jewell of thy kind VVhose equall 't is as hard to find As the matchlesse Phoenix mate VVhat though nature did create You Phoenix-like to bee admir'd And your essence so inspir'd That your beauteous winning parts Should sole triumph over hearts Yet in this you farre o're goe Such solitary state of woe That shee exempt from like and love Those delights doth never prove That have made the Gods so oft Quit their heav'nly azure Loft The sweet food of love to tast More delicious then repast Of Ambrosia or the wine Appropriate to the Divine Nature you so happy frames That the sweetest game of games You to whom all cards are free To choose till you pleased bee May command in such perfection That th' Ambrosian refection Tastlesse and insipid were Ballanced in that compare Oh! but how I doe envie Except I knew it should bee I That happy he whom you will daigne Such Soule-filling joyes to gaine Let not now a fond Discourse Contrary to Natures course Make you abstaine from those delights Whereto shee kindly you invites Shee each thing instructs you know What is its friend and what 's its foe Her you boldly may believe Shee did never none deceive Be not sway'd by wit of Schools Precepts were made to governe fools And to subject those to aw That want selfe-strength of reasons law Reason and Nature are all one Reason moves from her alone But why doe wee thus dispute With a kisse I you confute Send those to Cels upon whose thought The world and Love have never wrought Birds that long have lived free Caught and Cag'd but pine and die I marvaile not Earths fairest ornament Abstract of beauty Natures onely pride That your delight is onely to abide In Londons sweet commerce sole Element Where the refined Spirits of our I le Ingenious discourse communicate And hourely fresh delights participate Dull tedious time with pleasure to beguile We all best love our like London in much Doth you resemble London is the best The fairest richest Town of all the rest In all this Continent there is none such London our treasure Instruments of warre Majestick residence and Gems containes London farre more then all the other gaines London the firmament where every Starre Of magnitude of power and vertue moves London the Schoole and forum of all Arts London the Empory that all imparts That use requires or our affection loves London the envy of all other Townes As chiefe in beauty so supreame in power Our Kingdomes brightest object fairest flower Inchanting Syren that mee happy crownes In honouring of my Nativity I to your better judgements now referre Those none-such excellencies to conferre With hers that forceth my Captivity But faire beware you bee not like in this Though in your prison many a soule remaines As London holdeth infinite in chaines You be no Tyrant cruell mercilesse Insulting over and in galling those VVho or for suite for life or for affection Serv'd by your habeo cor above protection Unto your mercy doe themselves expose In this Metropolis I must compare Thee to the fairest flowers whence Bees may pluck Their honey and yet Spiders poison suck You faire the Bee and not the Spider are You like Earths Jewels or the Heavens lights VVere made in glorious places to appeare Nor ought that beauteous garment out to weare Amongst the rustick herd and rude delights You like to Cynthia the heavens Queen VVere made to govern bee admir'd and seen WHen in your lap that creame you set VVhich you invited mee to eate Sugar it needed none Your sweeteâ—t touch alone Made it a matchlesse pleasant meate The milke that did from these breasts move That nursed up the God of Love No not the Manna dew Nor jâ—yce that ever grew In tast did so delightfull prove Neither Nectar nor Nepenthe Can in like degree content me Fond Esau hadst thou sold For this though not for gold Thy birth-right we had never shent thee Not Flora's lap most fairely drest Nor the sweet milk of Fortunes breast So gracefull pleasing are As it and you both were More sweet then ever tongue exprest But now if this such sweetnesse drew Onely by being plac'd in you Sweet then above all wonder Is that your sweetnesse under Most happy hee that proves it true FAire spotlesse Scarfe once by my Goddesse borne VVhen
advantage that no hope of losse Nor hope of life remains except your grace Relieve faire Huntresse my afflicted case INdustrious vertue Mistris of the wise Faire child of nature and of precept born Finding her selfe misprised and forlorn Since shee and beauty have beene enemies Whose quarrell and divorce at first did grow For that her counsell Beauty nought respected And idly nothing but her selfe affected Vertue now pitying eithers overthrow The more esteeme with all and grace to gain A league of late with Beauty hath compact And made it as a part of her contract Both in one mutuall mansion to remain And none so worthy none so faire approving They both united in Coelestia dwell No wonder then that shee doth all excell Love by their vertue or their beauty moving Vertue as her attendants brings along Modesty wisedome courtesie and truth Beauty brings smoothnesse white and red and youth Grace plumpnesse stature feature and that tongue Which like all her perfections void of Art Charmes and subdues even the austerest heart SInce I the fortresse of my heart resign'd That Conqu'resse faire unable to withstand Who here on earth loves forces doth command Cupid hath oft solicited my mind Her glory and his pow'r divine to write VVherein I humbly did his pardon ask Alleadging for excuse it was a task Too great and high for my unlearned might That I a stranger to those lofty straines And smoothly wrought ingenious conceits VVhich Poesie sententiously treats Should more imbase then honor with my paines Whereat my selfe hee will'd mee animate And bade me boldly undertake his will For hee with moving Rhetorick and skill My hearts invention would illuminate And told mee I should need no other book Then those faire Hieroglyphick Characters VVhich shee of worthinesse and glory beares To all eyes visible that on her look VVherewith embold'ned lowly thus I write VVhat Cupid and her eyes to me indite INjurious Time father of ugly vice Mercilesse enemy 'gainst beauty sworn Why mad'st thou not Coelestia to bee born VVhen beauties prize was put to compromise Had shee but then in competition been Ioves golden apple of contention Which caus'd the Goddesses dissention Had nevr glorifi'd the froth-born Queen For shee poore Dame had nothing to procure Their amorous Judge his favour to encline To judge to her that glorious prize divine But beauties bare and casuall fading lure Which with those gifts the other couple vaunted Hearts Idol joyfull wealth by Iuno proffer'd And gracefull wisdome by Minerva offer'd Coelestia all united could have granted She like Pandora doth all grace possesse Wherewith the Gods humanity doe blesse My fortune was the other day My Mistris to surprize Sleeping alone The fairest one That ever closed eyes Or ever Morpheus seis'd for prey Each part so pleasing faire remain'd You easily might discover Their beauty scorn'd To bee adorn'd By borrowing of another Nor wanted what her eyes contain'd Such sleeping conqu'ring grace to see Will certaine credit win That fire of love Doth only move From sightlesse power divine Of Cupid and her Deitie It by this slumbring beauty seem'd Sleep was with her agreed So much to grace Her sleeping face That shee should all exceed Who fairest waking were esteem'd Shee seemed like an Evening cleare VVhen absent is the Sunne Though not so gay More sweet then day Whose scorching heat men shun When th' eye of heaven doth appeare There might I gaze and view at leisure Each parts peculiar grace Brow white and even As snow smooth driven The heaven of her face Faire cover of the under treasure Her cheeks were fresh as blushing morn Nor tincture fetcht from Spain Nor ever art Could like impart True unite Roses stain By those our fatall Houses born Her silken breasts I next espy Faire wrought with heav'nly blew Time truly keeping Amidst her sleeping Blest who may rest on you Where Venus and the Graces lie Thus whilst in ravishment I stand Tempted by her faire lips To steale a kisse VVorlds second blisse In watchfull Argus skips My pleasures progresse to withstand Well Argus wel though then you crost Those my delightfull hopes I nothing doubt To fit you out True tun'd Mercurian notes Pleasures defer'd yet are not lost So happy is the pow'r of Love That wit could ne're prevent Nor care dissolve VVhat two resolve VVith musicall consent Affections mutuall joyes to prove Fond husbands cease your selves to vex True Cornut's onely hee VVhose feare adornes His brow with hornes And thinkes himselfe to bee Giving due right by wrong suspects Iealousie often makes unjust Deceit is taught by feare Who hornes doth watch Hornes may hee catch And faire ones may hee weare Resolv'd to wed resolve to trust MY cruell friend too inconsiderate of my state Why did you not conceale my too injurious fate To tell mee my Coelestia loves and loves not me Unfortunate subsisting eyes that day to see Why am I not like Niâ—be to stone convert Since love and shee prove so unjust to my desert Tell mee my dearest friend what reason what respect What beautious parts in him in mee what lame defect Makes her that frame of vertue so ungratefull prove So ill discerning zeale so to misplace her love If to bee full of feare of passion of desire My blood now over-runne with cold now all on fire If to possesse a passion-spâ—aking heavy eye Which if unfixt on her dejected still doth lie If stead oâ— periods with sighes to interlace All my discourse answers impertinently place If t' have a heart o'rewhelm'd with thoughts ready to breake And yet a â—ongue benumm'd that would and cannot speake If these affects I onely in her presence finde And stupid else with her alone am rapt in minde If in her absence ' stead of pastime mirth and joy I nothing can possesse but thoughts care and annoy A restlesse pensive heart 'twixt hope and feare distraught VVhich full with passions sighes and troubled anguish fraught VVhat late it best approv'd for tastlesse now rejects Nor any company but onely hers affects If sadly shadow'd brow and eyes armes intertwin'd A spirit to retire and solitude confin'd That never rest enjoyes nor joy but in her sight Banisht from all but this heart-easing pen-delight If whilst heavens torch his light doth unto us extend My thoughts to her alone and to her glory bend And when the night invades that gives all creatures rest I restlesse sole remaine my thoughts on her addrest If my enamour'd breast sollicit still my tongue To sound forth chosen stanza's passionately sung And some smooth-sliding well-tun'd eare-inchanting verse That may my love her prizelesse worth and name rehearse If this alas my friend her love cannot deserve Unfortunate I live unfortunate I serve No no you may forbeare an answer to returne Why I for her yet shee doth for another burne I know you will reply the God of love is blinde His arrowes poyson'd such as doe corrupt the minde With headstrong passion and with reasonlesse desire
Which set our weake subdu'd distempered minds on fire Reason is put to flight and appetite beares sway Which blindly leads and blindly forceth us obey And that hee much mistakes who from a womans minde Or reason doth expect or just effects to finde Since passions indigest conceipt meere chance and will Their resolutions and their actions governe still But soft my gall-distilling pen your griefe contain Which howsoever just yet blaphemy refrain Admit her heart of fleshly temper fram'd as mine Bee pierc'd and captivate by Cupids pow'r divine Alas shee rather should bee pitied then accus'd Since what from force proceeds may justly bee excus'd And if indeed my faire Coelestia it bee true That your heart for another burnes as mine for you If you desire to bee so happy in your love That his affections unto you may mutuall prove If you expect your sighs which numberlesse abound Shall eâ—re receive reward or e're with joy bee crown'd Oh! let your your kindnesse then extended unto mee Make you deserve your happy hopes effects to see And faire beware lest if you shew unkind disdaine Loves justice justly yeeld you Talions law againe And if 't bee true that griefe delights in company Then will you love my presence and my sympathy Together wee will sit and comfort one another For griefe is most extreame when we our passions smother Where breathing out at large our due complaints of love Wee 'l both our hearts discharge and pitie learne to move And this lame happinesse of love shall please my mind That though you cannot love you are not yet unkind â—â—t pardon mee deare friend 't is not report alone Can prooflesse my aspiring fixed hope dis-throne But stedfast still in zeale and confidence I dwell As faithfull I love her shee may love mee as well IN fruitlesse expectation to remaine To bee in bed and yet debarr'd of rest To serve where you no favour can obtaine Is saith th' Italian to bee most distrest And these unfortunate effects I prove My faire Coelestia in my fervent love 'T is you detaine my long expected blisse 'T is you that make mee restlesse passe the night 'T is you I faithfull serve yet you it is Mercilesse you with-hold my chiefe delight And know faire creature hee that faithfull serves A costlesse favour ever well deserves Thinke that you have a friend that doth possesse A curious garden plentifully fraught VVith all the pleasures nature can expresse And all delights that ever cunning wrought And all these beauties singularly grac'd By a faire fountaine in the Center plac'd Hee lets you in with welcome entertaine And grants that many wayes your selfe you please Yet midst this ravishment you doe complaine Of thirst extreame which seeking to appease At that faire fountaine which you chance t'espie Your unkind friend his water doth deny And most uncharitable doth permit That part of it should idly slide away And part corrupt by over-keeping it Rather then yeeld a drop your thirst to stay VVhich nothing else can quench and 's onely bred By those dry sweets wherewith hee had you fed Would you now take this party for your friend O no I know you rather would conceive That all his kindnesses did only tend VVith quenchlesse thirst your pleasures to bereave And justly might you wish you ne're had knowne Those joyes whereby your joy is overthrowne That cruell friend faire love are you to me And your perfections that faire garden are VVhither a welcome guest I seeme to bee My senses ravisht all with pleasures rare Of beautie enterchange of words and kisses VVhich yet all breed but thirst and further wishes And those as cheapely you may satisfie As you a water drop may easily give Why cruell faire is't then that you deny That kindnesse without which I cannot live Deale plainly may not this the true cause bee You love my verses better farre then mee And apprehend that if I once obtain The full of my ambitions high desire My love will Moone-like enter on the wain And having won the day straight sound retire O do not so abuse your selfe and mee My love like Phoebus never change shall see My love like Phoebus never change shall see In constant course and heate ever the same And like the Northerne Pole shall fixed bee More firme then can be mov'd by heavens frame Constant to you till death I will remaine For never shall I see so faire againe No faire Coelestia love is Venus sonne Feare not the mother for the child 's destroying Nor is that saying unto you unknowne That th' essence true of love is in enjoying Hee playes the best who holdeth what hee wins The wiser sort still at their end begins If you approve my muses loftie flight And to be fed with change of praises still You must not oft delude her and invite Her to an empty lure that yeelds no fill A Hawke that loftily hath flowne and hard Well merits the best food and best reward Those exhalations that the heavens feed Did they not downe againe distill their rain Coelestiall bodies soone should want and need Those vapours which the earth sends up againe And Iove himselfe should lose his sacrifice But that hee mortals feeds and gratifies No fire can long subsist by smoak alone Flame 's by an oily solid substance fed Who divers times a field hath till'd and sowne Yet findes no profit by his labour bred His folly well deserves to reape but wind Having oft prov'd it barren and unkind Who shoots his arrows up and nothing hits Fooles bolts they prove which their own heads do break One may be ventur'd but he wants his wits That all his Quiver spends one shaft to seek Though vertue ought not foule repulse receive Yet wisdome wils us fruitlesse labours leave Full ill hee sings whose song cannot obtain A draught of drink impatient thirst to swage Though silly Bird I warble many a straine To please your eares imprison'd in your cage Birds long unfed their singing soon neglect No Almes no thankfull language must expect As happy in love are they that give as take Faire pity me and make me happy then Since you your self shall equall happy make VVomen receive farre more delight then men And if you find that I unfaithfull prove Let me be made a reprobate of Love And if you like these off-springs of my brain Whereto your self the Heroine mother are Suffer them not to die with drought but daign To water them from that your fountain faire VVhich true Parnassus spring doth Poets breed And tasted makes their Muse her self exceed It 's true that my affections lately bent And shap't their course that Mid-land straight to win Where Love hath plac'd his uttermost extent His else insatiate conquest to confine And as in nature it is proper known That fire should mount untill it hath attain'd His proper place the concave of the Moon So love untill it hath that center gain'd Whether by natures stimulating force It is
see Thoughts stagg'ring reel whilst the poore bark doth rowle Cling to the Mast Pray Labor to the Lee Throw out their lading wrastle with the waves Sink down their sayles now lifted up on high Now almost swallow'd in th' Abysse of graves Now a cleer heaven and straight a dismall sky Here learn how fairest daies may overcast Confounding all your quiet with a blast What masters me to day may you to morrow But for our comfort God can master sorrow HEre see how in a sanguine complection when Gods grace begins powerfully to shine and work as in the month of March and turning of the year storms upon storms and Frigida pugnabant calidis humentia siccis Mollia cum duris sine pondere habentia pondus Till Deus hane litem melior natura diremit MY perverse fortune from my youth with my melancholy disease fruitfull in nothing but thoughts and those not ever the most necessary or naturall have often occasioned me with reflection upon my self to write something not so much to apologize for alas it is vaine where there might have bin prevention as to give some ease to my self and extenuation in what I may mis-appeare to the world but I have often bin diverted from such discourse by the overgrown wildernesse which long time and confusion have brought upon me Yet thus much let me say for my self and wonder at my selfe in that I may truely say so that neither carelesnes prodigality nor an humor disposed to riot or luxury have bred my harme Nay if there be any truth in me nothing hath more procured it then a misguided sobriety of diet with such an inordinate care for the ordering of my fortune in my beginnings finding my self pent and ingaged to wife and children as whatsoever may bee conceived I dare affirme no man of riper yeares and judgement but might have falne into and will whensoever it shall please God to entangle him in divers and strong incumbrances inward and outward which in the circumstances of my condition so malignly concurred that being something by nature and more by accident mis-diet over apprehension and studiousnesse disposed to a strong melancholy it was impossible to extricate my self without such an aggravation as rendred it incurable and me most miserable in the Shipwrack of all joy and contentment Wherein finding my self thus plunged one while my refuge was to the helplesse Physitian and another at last to strong diversions such as building Court company travaile and the like which all proved but such miserable helpers as melancholy men use to finde full of expence which till then about my age of 25. from 18. when I was married I had avoided Building as troublesome both to my fancy and purse I soon left and the losse of the brave Prince Henry on whom I had laid my grounds with much sicknesse soon after casting me down and increasing my disease I became unable to make use either of my naturall parts or time and expence bestowed in Court thoughts beget melancholy and that thoughts alternatively It is questionable whether I did more hurt my self with my thoughts which many years together long since brought me often even to an utter exhaustion or whether with Gods assistance in a strong constitution of body and minde for had not God furnished me with as strong and present supply of extrications as intrications I must often have perished I more extraordinarily relieved and supported my self to subsist against the impetuous curiosity of my disease and nature but my unhappinesse hath also bin such as in criticall times of my life to have met with such unluckie crosses and connexions of fate to put me out of my course that the consideration thereof would make any man not otherwise superstitious take knowledge of an over-ruling hand therein whereunto I humbly thank God I so submit my self as that for my spirituall good I acknowledge there ought to have gone no lesse to work a total conversion in me so hard is sanctification to be wrought even in men of religious inclinations For my posterity I must crave their pardon hoping they will with me submit to the Almighty hand which can at its good pleasure as well raise as ruine Worldly confidence illudes nor can any thing confirm prosperity in this and the better world but a firm faith and resolved obedience to God and his Son in whom alone is salvation That that alone can reconcile and calme the contrarieties of our complections in the distractions of pleasure profit conscience honor decency authority over others or a self-injoying making true Religion the only starre of our course whilst others for want of it sometimes wildly flote and sometimes sink in the confusion of their passions Good intentions without firm resolutions are insufficient No man hath meant more thriftily then my self but alasse in what a mist of contrary indications and contingencies doe we live when I concluded against hous-keeping I have bin indulgently over-ruled by others to the contrary And this I have found a great error in my nature to have bin more apt to gratifie others then my self and to beleeve them often more wise and trusty then there was due cause a miserable condition of the better natures Engagement to wife and servants made over-necessary take away the liberty of our resolutions to intend thrift is commonly enough to enrich but woful experience teacheth me that diseases and crosses such may come as shall turne the strongest out of his way No man more abhorred debt felling and felling then my selfe yet few have more incurred them No man almost hath allowed himselfe lesse cost or sensuality then I yet the diversions my disease hath urged me unto have set another face upon mee towards such as were not acquainted with my inside and native affections Few have more affected the service of King Country and Freinds not have by accident bin more unserviceable I ever extreamely fancyed my chief feat yet fear of cost in fitting the house and heighth of charge in living there by occasion of such an eminent fear with other accidentall considerations kept me thence till such time as my fortune was most unfit for that and it for me and yet against much reason and interest of my own I was drawn with relation to my predecessors and posterity to settle my self there with so much cost and trouble as but by the grace of God it is a wonder how in such indisposition and lownesse I have undergone This the good God can doe and howsoever it shall please him to dispose of me whose preserving hand I confesse I have wonderfully found may it please him to make my life and death to his glory it is all my ambition Many unluckie circumstances like that of a free minde entered into Court with a pent fortune I omit partly in respect of others and partly as fit to be confined to my self who have suffered their perplexities and contrarieties Gods grace