of the greener Bay Dipping my Pen in tears what ere it be That I would write it proves an Elegie You must expell this Sadnesse You whose light Eclipses that pale Virgin of the Night The solitary Moon whose every Ray Transcends the clearest lustre of the Day You in whose eyes sit flames which can beget Themselves a living Spheer in every Wit You that are All Women can be and more Than Youth and Beauty ere disclos'd before Who doe resemble Heav'n so neer You 'd want Onely the Name not Nature of a Saint You with a smile can like the West-wind bring An unexpected Summer on the Spring And with one Beame or comfortable Glance Ravish my soule into so high a trance That Your bright Head shall hit the Stars and flie To Heaven o' th' swift wings of my Poesie While I with equall feare and hope possest Tender my Heart your Sacrifie and rest Your Servant To Lucinda He being in Prison REceive these lines from your imprison'd Friend As the last Farewell which his hand must send To greet your Eyes from which mine borrow'd light To guide my wandring Fancie to the sight Of Mortals wonder in your Essence Love First darted Raies from those bright Stars to move Me to admire your Beautie But agen To make old Nature proud as when my Pen Flowd with mellifluous Epithites to show The glorious shape shee fully did bestow On your unequal'd Frame To say your haire Are nets of Gold whose Tramels might insnare The King of gods or that your Iv'rie brests Are Balls of Camphire sweeter than the nests Where the Arabian Phenix does desire To burne her selfe as I have done in fire More precious than her Funerall flames would add New griefs so powerfull as would force mee mad Were I of stronger temper Since I 've lost Those rarities bought with the pricelesse Cost Of my unvalued Libertie which now I must forgoe for ever from the Vow You made before the Hierarchie of Heaven Which now I summon witnesses how even My Love has been I free you If you heare That wilfully I perish'd one poor teare I aske no more shed and my Soule when Death Has robd my carcasse of its loathed breath Shall pray that you hereafter may possesse A Friend that lov'd your Memorie no lesse Than I who spight of Fortune will be blest That once I was term'd Yours though now I rest Forsaken To Lucinda revolted from him 'T Was I who made thee Beauteous before You might have sate regardlesse at your dore Or past the Streets as other Women doe Without salutes or being congee'd to When now each eye that sees thee does admire To view a mortall Creature to aspire So neer the Heav'nly Essence every tongue Since I set out thy Excellence among Men of ingenuous Spirits strives to raise Thy Name beyond the name of Praise Nature did well I must confesse to frame Thee of her choisest Matter for the same You stand indebted to her and 't is fit You should acknowledge thankfulnesse for it The Orient Pearl new taken from the shell Though 't be as precious in it self to sell Cannot so fitting and commodious bee As when 't is polishd by a Lapidarie The glistring Diamond shines not to the sight Till by the Mill and Cutter 't is made bright You had as much implicite Beautie true As now you have when first I did you view But like a Diamond clouded ore with Drosse It gave small lustre cause unknown it was I polish'd it by giving it a Name Beautie 's regardlesse till adorn'd by Fame But Oh the Faith of Women Can there be Evasions found for such Apostacie As is in you What Penance can abridge Such an Impietie such dire Sacriledge 'Gainst Love's imperiall Godhead to resist Contemn his Orgies which by me his Priest He did enjoyn by his own powerfull Name You should observe with a religious Flame And you had vow'd to do it swore that I Should offer up to his great Deitie Your heart which Love himselfe would not despise But beg for such a welcome Sacrifice More precious than the sweet Panchayan Gumms The Phoenix Pile or fuming Hecatombs But as a vapour which the flatt'ring Sun Attracts to th' pure Ayrs middle Region Under pretence to give a new Starre birth And throwes a fading Meteor to the Earth So fell your Heart from Love's unspotted Throne By your intemp'rate violation Of Vows to me in which if you persist Mercie will blot you from her candid List As a prodigious Monster and firme Truth Blush at a perjurie so black in Youth So white as yours at which the Rose-cheek'd Morne Might once have borrow'd lustre and unshorne Apollo brightnesse Oh! why should there rest Such falshood such unkindnesse in a Brest Whose superficiall figure does outgoe In whitnesse Lillies or untrodden Snow Ingratefull Woman what unborne offence Can give a specious Shadow a Pretence To thy unhallow'd falshood what strange Cause Thy suddain change this alteration drawes Perhaps now I have set thy Beautie forth With all the Attributes expressing Worth That when I did but speak of thee or write Fancie and Love daunc'd in each Epithite Some other Suitor who to please your eares Purchases Raptures which his dull brain bears As Parrots what is taught them who can speak But by tradition has surpriz'd your weak Imagination and does proudly boast In gaining that which me most labour cost Or else perhaps your over-curious eye Has spy'd some new unknown deformitie In me or 't may be possible you think Which is most likely that the Muses drink Is quite exhausted that my wearie Quill Wants moisture to explain your Praises still In that full way that over-liberall strain My Genius us'd at first your Love to gain If this be it I 'll fill the Daphnean Quire With a fresh Chaunter snatch bright Phaebus Lyre From his swift Fingers and once more rehearse Thy worth in such a strange mellifluous Verse That sweet Propertius shall his Cynthia tell Thy Praises do her Lustre far excell Gabius shall weep that his Lycoris name Is now surpass'd by thy immortall Fame And my great Master Ovid shall confesse Corynna's shining Beautie to be lesse Than thine since he for his Corynna's sake Did only three Books of Loves choice Art make But I for thine will such Conceits devise That after no Invention shall arise Yeeld then and let us ryot in the Sweets That in Youth Love and glorious Beauty meets That all the gods may envie to behold Us over-doe their Fables Dana's Gold Be counted Drosse and Laeda's Swan appear Black as a Crow when whiter Thou art there First shall my Lips with an unvalued Kisse Suck from those fragrant Mountainets of blisse Thy melting Lips more sweetnesse than the Bees Extract from Roses or Hyblaean Trees When to the Ayr their tender wings they yeeld And with their mouths depopulate the field And then descending to thy Iv'rie Neck My wandring Fancie shall my dull Lips check That they
art Beauties miracle The envious Panther at thy breath Excelling his does sigh to death And at the lustre of thine eye Stars wink are buried in the Skie The amorous Thorne that does intwine In pricklie armes the Eglantine When thou thy brightnesse dost display Blossomes and makes even Winter May. The wanton Syrens that beguile With flatt'ring accents at thy smile Chaunt layes as harmlesse as the Dove Or Red-brest when she courts her Love But all these glories could not fire My frostie soule with big desire The Cause that made Lucinda mine Could not be humane shee 's divine To Lucinda weeping VVEep not Lucinda ' lesse you meane To purge the world from filth as cleane As are your thoughts too rich a prize For earth is such a sacrifice Such tears as yours suppose young May Does to the flowers each morning pay Such tears must sure all eyes intice To think your eyes Loves Paradice Oh! they have emptied Natures Store Made Snow and emulous Chrystall poore Your tears may justly claim pretence To be the balme of Innocence But least such Gemmes should be confin'd To earth behold the amorous wind Catching them fixes every one In heaven a Constellation But since my dearest thou wilt weep Thy tears for holyer uses keep When plagues upon the earth are hurld Let fall one drop 't will save the world To Lucinda A New-years Gift DRraw that black vail my fair one do not shrowd Those eyes in silken mists or in a cloud Of waving Curle be mercifull appear Like thy bright self and bring the infant Year Into the world old Time her Mother 's run Into so dull a Lethargie the Sun Is frozen in his couch and cannot rise Til thaw'd by th' temp'rate vertue of thine eies Those soft and gentle Stars whose pure and clear Rayes from the Chaos would have forc'd the year Up then Illustrious Beautie gild the day Change Januarie into youthfull May. See the cold earth does Winters liv'rie shift Off'ring the fresh Spring as your New-years Gift While the pale Couslip does the Primrose call To wait on You at this new Festivall Created by your beams the Winds invite The nimble winged messengers of light The early Lark and chirping Thrush to tune Their notes as chearfully as when in June They softly whisper to the azure skie Of a clear day a beauteous Augurie How triviall is a Poets force I can Teach birds t' admire you the rich Ocean Tender its mines of Pearl the Earth salute Thee with its choisest metals flowrs and fruit Impose a tribute on the Sun force Stars T' adore you more than erring Mariners Do them in Tempests But when I impart An offring on the Alter of my heart To thy commanding Deity I can pay Nought but a wreath of Mirtle or of Bay A Poets humble sacrifice unlesse My wishes which realitie expresse Though unperform'd may guiltlesly aspire To die the Martyrs of your sacred fire May all the happinesse Heav'n can conferre Be acted on your lives faire Theater May you be chast as beautifull mischance Never disturbe your peace not in a trance May you live long and healthfull may no page Of your lives volume have a line for Age To write his gastly name in but when Time Growes old and sickly on you and does clime With eager feet your hill of youth may all His steps be slip'rie may he backward fall Beyond his fates recoverie till hee bring Your fading minutes back into the spring Of strength and beauty til your cheek does wear The fame bright lustre that adorns this year Which I doe wish the power of gentle Fate May to my Love and yours make fortunate To Sleep upon Lucinda layd to rest HEnce ugly Image of grim death how dare Thy sawcie boldnesse venture on this faire Epitome of heaven Dost think that shee Participates of fraile mortalitie In such a drowsie passion Foole go stretch Thy remisse wings ore some poor aguish wretch Some with'red Hag whom for her youths loose sin Just Heaven has destin'd to be kept within The prison of her bed from her be gone The light can suffer no privation Wert thou not stupid deafe didst thou not heare When shee enrich'd her pillow how each Spheare Striv'd to expresse its dutie which should bee Prime Quirister in whistling harmonie To th'Citizens in Heaven who at that call Invited Saints to chant a Madrigall Devoted to her silent rest The Ayre Grew clear and pleasing every cloud so fayre Heav'ns forehead wore no wrinkles violent floods Kiss'd the smooth pebles and the woods With their Inhabitants conjoynd in this T' afford her senses a sweet Extasis Didst thou not see how every glorious Star With their pale Mistris Moon to wait on her Officiously contracted their dim light To Tapers that at opening of her sight They might new gild their Rayes The Indian which Had nere been poor had he not first been rich Dives for unvalued Pearle and fears to rise Till he can borrow lustre from her Eyes To polish his dull Merchandize Oh shee The Abstract of all which wild Poetrie In its loose raptures taught wherein her rest Invites the Winds as when the Phoenix nest Is by their flavour fir'd to mix their breaths With hers so precious that abortive Death's First child dull Sleep like to the Nightman must By stealth injoy it see the parched Dust Turnes to Assyrian odors and does skip Like an enamor'd Fairie to her Lip Where Venus Roses grow Rest safe my Sweet Till Sylvans wake and till the Muses greet Thee with their choisest harmonie till night Acknowledge all that it injoyes of light To thee the Queen of Splendor whose bright Rayes Renewes in mee the more than Halcion dayes Love in its Primitive purenesse wore Then rise And let mine draw new Influence from thine Eyes To Lucinda inviting her from her Chamber doom VVHat means this absence fair One What sad Impose you on your self that one poor Room Includes your glorious Beautie Is the Ayr Lesse wholsome here the Skie lesse clear lesse fair Or to inrich that have you tane a pride Meaning t' impov'rish all the Rooms beside The little Birds that by the Window flie Wanting your presence straight fall down and die And I who eas'ly could have fixt your Name A Planet in the Firmament of Fame Who could have drest your head with Lightning and Hung at each Hair a Starrie Diamond Who could have sent the cunning Boy to seek His last lost Arrow in your polish'd Cheek Who could have rais'd a Mount upon your Lip On which like Fairies all the Loves should trip And added to your Breath such a perfume As ever spending never should consume Who could have fetcht the Indies both to deck Thi well-form'd Iv'rie Pallace of your Neck And like a cunning Painter have exprest The Worlds perfections in your Globe-like Brest Praising each Feature so till every part Appear your Face and Conquer'd every heart I for a wreath of Willow cast away My flowry Chaplet
ore-slipt thy Cheek thence they shall flye With hot propension to thy flaming Eye Thence to that smooth that polish'd plain of Snow On which thy Brests those Hils of wonder grow Where little Cupids daunce and do contend Which of them first shall venture to descend To the Elisian Vallies that doe lie 'Twixt them and that rich Mine of puritie Thy slender Waste What does remain below 'T is fit that none but you and I should know When like a vent'rous well resolved man I sail through yourunfathom'd Ocean To Loves safe Harbour I 'm too modest Sweet With wide expressions of our Loves to greet Thy willing eares since I for my part meane In Action not in Words to be obscene VNclose those Eye-lids and out-shine The brightnesse of the breaking day The light they cover is divine Why should it fade so soone away Stars vanish so and day appeares The Sun 's so drown'd i' th' morning's teares Oh! let not sadnesse cloud this Beautie Which if you lose you 'll nere recover It is not Love's but Sorrowes dutie To die so soon for a dead Lover Banish oh banish griefe and then Our Joyes will bring our Hopes agen Epithalamium THe Joyes of Youth and what the Spring Of Health Strength Happiness can bring Wait upon this Noble paire Lady may you still be faire As earliest Light and stil enjoy Beauty which Age cannot destroy May you bee fruitfull as the Day Never Sigh but when you Pray Know no Grief but what may bee To temper your Felicitie And You my Lord may truest Fame Still attend on your great Name Live both of you espous'd to Peace And with your years let Love increase Goe late to Heav'n but comming thither Shine there two glorious Starres together Epithalamium THe holy-Priest had joynd their Hands and now Night grew propitious to their bridall Vow Majestick Iuno and young Hymen flyes To light their Pines at the fair Virgins eyes The little Graces amorously did skip With the small Cupids from each Lip to Lip Venus her self was present and untide Her Virgin zone when loe on either side Stood as her Hand-maids Chastitie and Truth With that immaculate guider of her Youth Rose-colour'd Modestie these did undresse The beauteous Maid who now in readinesse The nuptiall Tapors waving 'bout her Head Made poor her Garments and enrich'd her Bed While the fresh Bridegroome like the lusty Spring Did to the holy Bride-bed with him bring Attending masc'line Vertues down he laid His snowie Limbs by a far whiter Maid There Kisses link'd their Minds as they imbrace A Quire of Angels flew about the place Singing all Blisse unto this Pair for ever May they in Love and Union still persever Upon a Gentleman playing on the Lute STrange miracle Who 's this that wears The native Liv'rie of the Sphears Transforming all our sense to Ears Surely it cannot bee a sin To think there is or may have bin On earth a heavenly Seraphin That granted certain 't must bee hee In any else there cannot bee Such a Coelestiall Harmonie When glorious He with swift pursute Touch't the soft Cordage of his Lute The Genius of the World was mute Amphion so his hand let fall VVhen at th' inchantment of his call Stones danc'd to build the Theban VVall. Arion sure when he began To charme th' attentive Ocean VVas but an Embleme of this Man VVhose numerous Fingers whiter farre Than Venus Swans or Ermines are VVag'd with the amorous strings a Warre But such a Warre as did invite The Sense of Hearing and the Sight To riot in a full delight For as his Touch kept equall pace His Looks did move with such a grace We read his Musick in his Face Live Noble Youth let Heav'n inspire Thee with its owne eternall Fire While all that hear thee doe admire Love LOve 's a Child and ought to be Won with smiles his Deitie Is cloath'd in Panthers skins which hide Those parts which kill if but espy'd Hates Wars but such as mildly led By Venus are to pleasures Bed There do soft imbraces fight Kisses combate with delight Amorous looks and sighs discover What be fits a timerous Lover But who ere to Love doth yeeld Mars his Spear nor Pallas Shield Can save from ruine for Loves Fire Once enkindled by desire Blown by thoughts impetuous blasts It for ever burning lasts The Sphear to which it strives to flie Are humane hearts that seek to die These like fuell Loves fire cherish Till they to ashes burne and perish To a reviv'd Vacation Play Prologue IT is a dead Vacation yet we see Which glads our souls a wel-set Company Adorn our Benches We did scarce expect So full an Audience in this long neglect Of Court and Citie Gentry that transfer In Terme their Visits to our Theater The Countrey Gentlemen come but to Town For their own bus'nesse sake to carry down A sad Sub-poena or a fearfull Writ For their poor Neighbour not for love of Wit Their comely Madams too come up to see New Fashions or to buy some Raritie For their young Son and Heir and only stay Till by their Sheepshearing they 'r call'd away The Courtiers too are absent who had wont To buy your Wares on trust they 'r gone to hunt The nimble Buck i' th' Countrey and conceive They give you Int'rest if you but receive A haunch of Ven'son or if they supplie Your Wives trim Churching with a Red-Deer Pie Few Gentlemen are now in Town but those Who in your Books remain uncross'd for Clothes Who when you aske them money are so slack To pay 't their answer is What do you lack You are our daily and most constant Guests Whom neither Countrey bus'nesse nor the Gests Can ravish from the Citie 't is your care To keep your Shops ' lesse when to take the Ayr You walke abroad as you have done to day To bring your Wives and Daughters to a Play How fond are those men then that think it fit T'arraigne the Citie of defect of Wit When we do know you love both wit sport Especially when you 've vacation sor't And now we hope you 've leisure in the Citie To give the World cause to suspect you witty We would intreat you then put off awhile That formall brow you wear when you beguile Young Chapmen with bad Wares pray do not look On us as on the Debtors in your Book With a shrewd countenance what we act to day Was for your sakes some think a pretty Play Nay wee our selves almost presume it good Because we hope it will be understood By your capacious Brains which know to get Wealth and for that cause we can't doubt your Wit At least we dare not since wee 'r bound to say All those are witty come to see our Play For Ezekiel Fen at his first Acting a Mans Part. PROLOGVE SUppose a Merchant when he lanches forth An untry'd Vessell doubtfull of its worth Dare not adventure on that infant Peece The glorious fetching of a
But oh how I undoe my selfe I now Must pull my Lawrell from my wrinkled Brow And wreath'd in deathfull Cypresse sadly call My Muse to wait upon her Funerall Light thy sick Tapers pensive Muse and come To wait her Death and thine owne Martyrdome For neverbe invok'd to write by mee When hers is writ another Elegie Now in that silent Tenement of Death The Church go sing in a soft Swan-like breath A Requiem to thy memory and there Drowne ev'ry word thou utter'st with a Teare But let them be such Tears as may expresse Not Sorrow but a joyfull Extasis And You dear Sir in whom there doth survive So much of her shee needs must rest alive In your yet bleeding memory You that know How much each tributarie-Grace did owe To her unmatch'd Perfections how that shee Was Vertues Beauties just Epitome How that her Eyes were Sphears in which did move The equall Orbs of Chastitie and Love Her Cheeks two fields of purity where grew The Rose and Lilie mixt i' th' mutuall hue Of Smiles and Blushes how each outward part Did speak the richer lustre of her Heart Her Minds intensive glory When you think Justly on this her Grave no more shall drink Your frequent Tears but fraught with noble Mirth You 'll soon devest your Soul of all that 's Earth About it say 't was justice to transferre From this dull Region such a matchlesse Starre And fix't i' th' Christall Heav'n you 'll then confesse Your constant Love to her appear'd far lesse In Griefe than Joy for sorrow spent for this Her happinesse is envie to her blisse Not charitie t' her memory yet my Verse Shall hang a lasting Hatchment on her Herse My Lawrell deck her Urne in which does lie As much as of Mortalitie could die You Sir who then best knew her perfect Life Ought to rejoyce not grieve for your dead Wife SYLVIA A FRAGMENT AS DAMON thus did ' plaine Behold a Cloud out of the foamie Maine 'Gan to arise and over-looke the Earth Scorning the Sea from whence it took its birth As dull and pond'rous still it mounts up higher With azure Wings as if it meant t' aspire Spight of commanding Natures free Consent To place 'bove Ayr the watry Element Whose vain ambition from his calid Sphear When nimble Fire the chief and supreme Peere Of Elements beheld his servent Ire Increas'd his furie adding Fire to Fire Making him hotter than the eighth degree Which is prescrib'd him by Philosophie And calling to his accident the Heat That by him sate upon a brazen Seat Which 〈◊〉 like Aetna when Typâ—â—us breath Threatens to blow up the Sicilian earth He bad him quell that over-daring Foe Who still made hast to his own overthrow Heat strait obayd and wrapping up in Smoke His horrid Flames a speedy passage took Into the fierie Regions and with force Of rayes more ardent than the Suns bright Horse When they ore-turn'd their Masters purple Carr And drownd in Po the ventrous Waggoner Drew up the willing Cloud that striv'd to flie With Icarus to its owne Tragedie Just as a Load-starre whose attracting force Does cause the Iron leave its native Course And mount to it so did Heats pow'rful might Inforce the following Cloud till it had quite Pass'd the first Kingdome and was upward gone Into the pure Ayrs middle Region Then back with speed the Heat gan homeward fare And left the Cloud to th' mercy of the Ayre Whose subtle bodie being light and drie Could not indure the Clouds moist qualitie Clouds and all heavie Meteors Rain and Snow Haile and the like are Bodies mixt that grow Out of the Earth and watry Element Which by their nature pond'rous still are bent Down to the Center but the Ayre and Fire Of more pure substance seek to force them higher Towards the Sphear that in their downfall thence They may triumph and shew their Eminence Over those dullerbodies but the natures Of these two grosse yet fully simple Creatures Will not permit ascension they attract Therefore these Meteors upwards which compact Of humid Vapours needs must seek to bow Downwards again Our Cloud then which was now Left by its hot Conductor straight was cast By the inraged Ayr with greater hast To kisse the Center than a Parthian Bow Can shoot an Arrow or a Morter throw Deathfull Granado's in its way it strook Upon the Firmament and there b'ing broke Its wat'ry substance did obscure the Plaine And gawdie Heaven with Clouds which sought again To joyn in one and fill the buxome Ayre Just as you 've seen a Painter on a faire White Table drop some little spots of Black Which running here and there at length does make One Colour in the Grownd-work or as when Two num'rous Hosts of wel-resolved men Meet in the Field and with the murd'rous Smoak Of their Death-sending Muskets strive to choak Their bloody facts from view of lightsome day The Sulphure flying many a sev'rall way At last does meer and dim the Christall Sky So did this Cloud now many by and by One Cloud agen which when the Rose-cheek'd Sun Who had but halfe his daily labour run Saw from his shining Chariot on hee speeds Driving amain his Nectar-glutted Steeds Through the dark Welkin now he 'gins to call On Pirois now on Aethon then le ts fall His angry Whip upon their sweaty backs Now pulls the Raines hard which again he slacks That they might have more free and open Course T' expell the Cloud which scorning the Suns force With pitchie mists did so obscure his light That day seem'd turn'd into Cimmerian Night Then straight the Cloud out of its watrie Store Showr'd as if godly Pyrrhus age once more Had been approaching when blew Proteus drave His flocks to see the Mountains Fishes clave Unto the Elmes before a noted seat For harmlesse Turtles All the Winds did meet In hostile opposition Auster fought With Lybs and he with Boreas who from out His rapid throat cast gusts and did display His wings as wide as when Orythia Was by him ravisht Thunder from the Skie Like to lovd musick made a Harmonie With the Winds whistling shrilnesse Seas did roare Rising in frothie Mountains that the Shore Trembled for feare lest the impetuous Waves Should passe their Limits and become the Graves To the adjoyning Meadowes And our Swaine Damon who erst in Tears began to plaine His Kala's losse now let that salt dew fall To solemnize his poor Flocks Funerall For loe big-swelling with the late-falne Raine Tyber broke ore his Banks and ran amaine Into the Meadowes where our Shepheards kept Their Woolly Charge which presently was swept Down by the greedy River as wee see A Towne beleagur'd by its Enemie When by an on-slaught 't is surpriz'd and tane Both old and young are by the Martiall Traine Of the Victorious Souldiers murdred so Dealt the inraged River to and fro It ran and bore down all the tender Lambs That then were sucking of their milkie Dams