[To the
Countesse
_&c.
Donne - 1
To be thus stupid is Alacritie;
Men thus Lethargique have best Memory.
Look upward; that's towards her, whose happy state 65
We now lament not, but congratulate.
Shee, to whom all this world was but a stage,
Where all sat harkning how her youthfull age
Should be emploi'd, because in all shee did,
Some Figure of the Golden times was hid. 70
Who could not lacke, what e'r this world could give,
Because shee was the forme, that made it live;
Nor could complaine, that this world was unfit
To be staid in, then when shee was in it;
Shee that first tried indifferent desires 75
By vertue, and vertue by religious fires,
Shee to whose person Paradise adher'd,
As Courts to Princes, shee whose eyes ensphear'd
Star-light enough, t'have made the South controule,
(Had shee beene there) the Star-full Northerne Pole, 80
Shee, shee is gone; she is gone; when thou knowest this,
What fragmentary rubbidge this world is
Thou knowest, and that it is not worth a thought;
He honors it too much that thinkes it nought.
[Sidenote: _Contemplation of our state in our death-bed. _]
Thinke then, my soule, that death is but a Groome, 85
Which brings a Taper to the outward roome,
Whence thou spiest first a little glimmering light,
And after brings it nearer to thy sight:
For such approaches doth heaven make in death.
Thinke thy selfe labouring now with broken breath, 90
And thinke those broken and soft Notes to bee
Division, and thy happyest Harmonie.
Thinke thee laid on thy death-bed, loose and slacke;
And thinke that, but unbinding of a packe,
To take one precious thing, thy soule from thence. 95
Thinke thy selfe parch'd with fevers violence,
Anger thine ague more, by calling it
Thy Physicke; chide the slacknesse of the fit.
Thinke that thou hear'st thy knell, and think no more,
But that, as Bels cal'd thee to Church before, 100
So this, to the Triumphant Church, calls thee.
Thinke Satans Sergeants round about thee bee,
And thinke that but for Legacies they thrust;
Give one thy Pride, to'another give thy Lust:
Give them those sinnes which they gave thee before, 105
And trust th'immaculate blood to wash thy score.
Thinke thy friends weeping round, and thinke that they
Weepe but because they goe not yet thy way.
Thinke that they close thine eyes, and thinke in this,
That they confesse much in the world, amisse, 110
Who dare not trust a dead mans eye with that,
Which they from God, and Angels cover not.
Thinke that they shroud thee up, and think from thence
They reinvest thee in white innocence.
Thinke that thy body rots, and (if so low, 115
Thy soule exalted so, thy thoughts can goe,)
Think thee a Prince, who of themselves create
Wormes which insensibly devoure their State.
Thinke that they bury thee, and thinke that right
Laies thee to sleepe but a Saint Lucies night. 120
Thinke these things cheerefully: and if thou bee
Drowsie or slacke, remember then that shee,
Shee whose Complexion was so even made,
That which of her Ingredients should invade
The other three, no Feare, no Art could guesse: 125
So far were all remov'd from more or lesse.
But as in Mithridate, or just perfumes,
Where all good things being met, no one presumes
To governe, or to triumph on the rest,
Only because all were, no part was best. 130
And as, though all doe know, that quantities
Are made of lines, and lines from Points arise,
None can these lines or quantities unjoynt,
And say this is a line, or this a point,
So though the Elements and Humors were 135
In her, one could not say, this governes there.
Whose even constitution might have wonne
Any disease to venter on the Sunne,
Rather then her: and make a spirit feare,
That hee to disuniting subject were. 140
To whose proportions if we would compare
Cubes, th'are unstable; Circles, Angular;
She who was such a chaine as Fate employes
To bring mankinde all Fortunes it enjoyes;
So fast, so even wrought, as one would thinke, 145
No Accident could threaten any linke;
Shee, shee embrac'd a sicknesse, gave it meat,
The purest blood, and breath, that e'r it eate;
And hath taught us, that though a good man hath
Title to heaven, and plead it by his Faith, 150
And though he may pretend a conquest, since
Heaven was content to suffer violence,
Yea though hee plead a long possession too,
(For they're in heaven on earth who heavens workes do)
Though hee had right and power and place, before, 155
Yet Death must usher, and unlocke the doore.
[Sidenote: _Incommodities of the Soule in the Body. _[3]]
Thinke further on thy selfe, my Soule, and thinke
How thou at first wast made but in a sinke;
Thinke that it argued some infirmitie,
That those two soules, which then thou foundst in me, 160
Thou fedst upon, and drewst into thee, both
My second soule of sense, and first of growth.
Thinke but how poore thou wast, how obnoxious;
Whom a small lumpe of flesh could poyson thus.
This curded milke, this poore unlittered whelpe 165
My body, could, beyond escape or helpe,
Infect thee with Originall sinne, and thou
Couldst neither then refuse, nor leave it now.
Thinke that no stubborne sullen Anchorit,
Which fixt to a pillar, or a grave, doth sit 170
Bedded, and bath'd in all his ordures, dwels
So fowly as our Soules in their first-built Cels.
Thinke in how poore a prison thou didst lie
After, enabled but to suck, and crie.
Thinke, when'twas growne to most,'twas a poore Inne, 175
A Province pack'd up in two yards of skinne,
And that usurp'd or threatned with the rage
Of sicknesses, or their true mother, Age.
But thinke that Death hath now enfranchis'd thee,
[Sidenote: _Her liberty by death. _]
Thou hast thy'expansion now, and libertie; 180
Thinke that a rustie Peece, discharg'd, is flowne
In peeces, and the bullet is his owne,
And freely flies: This to thy Soule allow,
Thinke thy shell broke, thinke thy Soule hatch'd but now.
And think this slow-pac'd soule, which late did cleave 185
To'a body, and went but by the bodies leave,
Twenty, perchance, or thirty mile a day,
Dispatches in a minute all the way
Twixt heaven, and earth; she stayes not in the ayre,
To looke what Meteors there themselves prepare; 190
She carries no desire to know, nor sense,
Whether th'ayres middle region be intense;
For th'Element of fire, she doth not know,
Whether she past by such a place or no;
She baits not at the Moone, nor cares to trie 195
Whether in that new world, men live, and die.
_Venus_ retards her not, to'enquire, how shee
Can, (being one starre) _Hesper_, and _Vesper_ bee;
Hee that charm'd _Argus_ eyes, sweet _Mercury_,
Workes not on her, who now is growne all eye; 200
Who, if she meet the body of the Sunne,
Goes through, not staying till his course be runne;
Who findes in _Mars_ his Campe no corps of Guard;
Nor is by _Iove_, nor by his father barr'd;
But ere she can consider how she went, 205
At once is at, and through the Firmament.
And as these starres were but so many beads
Strung on one string, speed undistinguish'd leads
Her through those Spheares, as through the beads, a string,
Whose quick succession makes it still one thing: 210
As doth the pith, which, lest our bodies slacke,
Strings fast the little bones of necke, and backe;
So by the Soule doth death string Heaven and Earth;
For when our Soule enjoyes this her third birth,
(Creation gave her one, a second, grace,) 215
Heaven is as neare, and present to her face,
As colours are, and objects, in a roome
Where darknesse was before, when Tapers come.
This must, my Soule, thy long-short Progresse bee;
To'advance these thoughts, remember then, that she, 220
She; whose faire body no such prison was,
But that a Soule might well be pleas'd to passe
An age in her; she whose rich beauty lent
Mintage to other beauties, for they went
But for so much as they were like to her; 225
Shee, in whose body (if we dare preferre
This low world, to so high a marke as shee,)
The Westerne treasure, Easterne spicerie,
Europe, and Afrique, and the unknowne rest
Were easily found, or what in them was best; 230
And when w'have made this large discoverie
Of all, in her some one part then will bee
Twenty such parts, whose plenty and riches is
Enough to make twenty such worlds as this;
Shee, whom had they knowne who did first betroth 235
The Tutelar Angels, and assign'd one, both
To Nations, Cities, and to Companies,
To Functions, Offices, and Dignities,
And to each severall man, to him, and him,
They would have given her one for every limbe; 240
She, of whose soule, if wee may say, 'twas Gold,
Her body was th'Electrum, and did hold
Many degrees of that; wee understood
Her by her sight; her pure, and eloquent blood
Spoke in her cheekes, and so distinctly wrought, 245
That one might almost say, her body thought;
Shee, shee, thus richly and largely hous'd, is gone:
And chides us slow-pac'd snailes who crawle upon
Our prisons prison, earth, nor thinke us well,
Longer, then whil'st wee beare our brittle shell. 250
[Sidenote: _Her ignorance in this life and knowledge in the
next. _[4]]
But 'twere but little to have chang'd our roome,
If, as we were in this our living Tombe
Oppress'd with ignorance, wee still were so.
Poore soule, in this thy flesh what dost thou know?
Thou know'st thy selfe so little, as thou know'st not, 255
How thou didst die, nor how thou wast begot.
Thou neither know'st, how thou at first cam'st in,
Nor how thou took'st the poyson of mans sinne.
Nor dost thou, (though thou know'st, that thou art so)
By what way thou art made immortall, know. 260
Thou art too narrow, wretch, to comprehend
Even thy selfe: yea though thou wouldst but bend
To know thy body. Have not all soules thought
For many ages, that our body'is wrought
Of Ayre, and Fire, and other Elements? 265
And now they thinke of new ingredients,
And one Soule thinkes one, and another way
Another thinkes, and 'tis an even lay.
Knowst thou but how the stone doth enter in
The bladders cave, and never breake the skinne? 270
Know'st thou how blood, which to the heart doth flow,
Doth from one ventricle to th'other goe?
And for the putrid stuffe, which thou dost spit,
Know'st thou how thy lungs have attracted it?
There are no passages, so that there is 275
(For ought thou know'st) piercing of substances.
And of those many opinions which men raise
Of Nailes and Haires, dost thou know which to praise?
What hope have wee to know our selves, when wee
Know not the least things, which for our use be? 280
Wee see in Authors, too stiffe to recant,
A hundred controversies of an Ant;
And yet one watches, starves, freeses, and sweats,
To know but Catechismes and Alphabets
Of unconcerning things, matters of fact; 285
How others on our stage their parts did Act;
What _Cæsar_ did, yea, and what _Cicero_ said.
Why grasse is greene, or why our blood is red,
Are mysteries which none have reach'd unto.
In this low forme, poore soule, what wilt thou doe? 290
When wilt thou shake off this Pedantery,
Of being taught by sense, and Fantasie?
Thou look'st through spectacles; small things seeme great
Below; But up unto the watch-towre get,
And see all things despoyl'd of fallacies: 295
Thou shalt not peepe through lattices of eyes,
Nor heare through Labyrinths of eares, nor learne
By circuit, or collections to discerne.
In heaven thou straight know'st all, concerning it,
And what concernes it not, shalt straight forget. 300
There thou (but in no other schoole) maist bee
Perchance, as learned, and as full, as shee,
Shee who all libraries had throughly read
At home in her owne thoughts, and practised
So much good as would make as many more: 305
Shee whose example they must all implore,
Who would or doe, or thinke well, and confesse
That all the vertuous Actions they expresse,
Are but a new, and worse edition
Of her some one thought, or one action: 310
She who in th'art of knowing Heaven, was growne
Here upon earth, to such perfection,
That she hath, ever since to Heaven she came,
(In a far fairer print,) but read the same:
Shee, shee not satisfied with all this waight, 315
(For so much knowledge, as would over-fraight
Another, did but ballast her) is gone
As well t'enjoy, as get perfection.
And cals us after her, in that shee tooke,
(Taking her selfe) our best, and worthiest booke. 320
[Sidenote: _Of our company in this life, and in the next. _]
Returne not, my Soule, from this extasie,
And meditation of what thou shalt bee,
To earthly thoughts, till it to thee appeare,
With whom thy conversation must be there.
With whom wilt thou converse? what station 325
Canst thou choose out, free from infection,
That will not give thee theirs, nor drinke in thine?
Shalt thou not finde a spungie slacke Divine
Drinke and sucke in th'instructions of Great men,
And for the word of God, vent them agen? 330
Are there not some Courts (and then, no things bee
So like as Courts) which, in this let us see,
That wits and tongues of Libellers are weake,
Because they do more ill, then these can speake?
The poyson's gone through all, poysons affect 335
Chiefly the chiefest parts, but some effect
In nailes, and haires, yea excrements, will show;
So lyes the poyson of sinne in the most low.
Up, up, my drowsie Soule, where thy new eare
Shall in the Angels songs no discord heare; 340
Where thou shalt see the blessed Mother-maid
Joy in not being that, which men have said.
Where she is exalted more for being good,
Then for her interest of Mother-hood.
Up to those Patriarchs, which did longer sit 345
Expecting Christ, then they'have enjoy'd him yet.
Up to those Prophets, which now gladly see
Their Prophesies growne to be Historie.
Up to th'Apostles, who did bravely runne
All the Suns course, with more light then the Sunne. 350
Up to those Martyrs, who did calmly bleed
Oyle to th'Apostles Lamps, dew to their seed.
Up to those Virgins, who thought, that almost
They made joyntenants with the Holy Ghost,
If they to any should his Temple give. 355
Up, up, for in that squadron there doth live
She, who hath carried thither new degrees
(As to their number) to their dignities.
Shee, who being to her selfe a State, injoy'd
All royalties which any State employ'd; 360
For shee made warres, and triumph'd; reason still
Did not o'rthrow, but rectifie her will:
And she made peace, for no peace is like this,
That beauty, and chastity together kisse:
She did high justice, for she crucified 365
Every first motion of rebellious pride:
And she gave pardons, and was liberall,
For, onely her selfe except, she pardon'd all:
Shee coy'nd, in this, that her impressions gave
To all our actions all the worth they have: 370
She gave protections; the thoughts of her brest
Satans rude Officers could ne'r arrest.
As these prerogatives being met in one,
Made her a soveraigne State; religion
Made her a Church; and these two made her all. 375
She who was all this All, and could not fall
To worse, by company, (for she was still
More Antidote, then all the world was ill,)
Shee, shee doth leave it, and by Death, survive
All this, in Heaven; whither who doth not strive 380
The more, because shees there, he doth not know
That accidentall joyes in Heaven doe grow.
But pause, my soule; And study, ere thou fall
On accidentall joyes, th'essentiall.
[Sidenote: _Of essentiall joy in this life and in the next. _]
Still before Accessories doe abide 385
A triall, must the principall be tride.
And what essentiall joy can'st thou expect
Here upon earth? what permanent effect
Of transitory causes? Dost thou love
Beauty? (And beauty worthy'st is to move) 390
Poore cousened cousenor, _that_ she, and _that_ thou,
Which did begin to love, are neither now;
You are both fluid, chang'd since yesterday;
Next day repaires, (but ill) last dayes decay.
Nor are, (although the river keepe the name) 395
Yesterdaies waters, and to daies the same.
So flowes her face, and thine eyes, neither now
That Saint, nor Pilgrime, which your loving vow
Concern'd, remaines; but whil'st you thinke you bee
Constant, you'are hourely in inconstancie. 400
Honour may have pretence unto our love,
Because that God did live so long above
Without this Honour, and then lov'd it so,
That he at last made Creatures to bestow
Honour on him; not that he needed it, 405
But that, to his hands, man might grow more fit.
But since all Honours from inferiours flow,
(For they doe give it; Princes doe but shew
Whom they would have so honor'd) and that this
On such opinions, and capacities 410
Is built, as rise and fall, to more and lesse:
Alas, 'tis but a casuall happinesse.
Hath ever any man to'himselfe assign'd
This or that happinesse to'arrest his minde,
But that another man which takes a worse, 415
Thinks him a foole for having tane that course?
They who did labour Babels tower to'erect,
Might have considered, that for that effect,
All this whole solid Earth could not allow
Nor furnish forth materialls enow; 420
And that this Center, to raise such a place,
Was farre too little, to have beene the Base;
No more affords this world, foundation
To erect true joy, were all the meanes in one.
But as the Heathen made them severall gods, 425
Of all Gods Benefits, and all his Rods,
(For as the Wine, and Corne, and Onions are
Gods unto them, so Agues bee, and Warre)
And as by changing that whole precious Gold
To such small Copper coynes, they lost the old, 430
And lost their only God, who ever must
Be sought alone, and not in such a thrust:
So much mankinde true happinesse mistakes;
No Joy enjoyes that man, that many makes.
Then, Soule, to thy first pitch worke up againe; 435
Know that all lines which circles doe containe,
For once that they the Center touch, doe touch
Twice the circumference; and be thou such;
Double on heaven thy thoughts on earth emploid;
All will not serve; Only who have enjoy'd 440
The sight of God, in fulnesse, can thinke it;
For it is both the object, and the wit.
This is essentiall joy, where neither hee
Can suffer diminution, nor wee;
'Tis such a full, and such a filling good; 445
Had th'Angels once look'd on him, they had stood.
To fill the place of one of them, or more,
Shee whom wee celebrate, is gone before.
She, who had Here so much essentiall joy,
As no chance could distract, much lesse destroy; 450
Who with Gods presence was acquainted so,
(Hearing, and speaking to him) as to know
His face in any naturall Stone, or Tree,
Better then when in Images they bee:
Who kept by diligent devotion, 455
Gods Image, in such reparation,
Within her heart, that what decay was growne,
Was her first Parents fault, and not her owne:
Who being solicited to any act,
Still heard God pleading his safe precontract; 460
Who by a faithfull confidence, was here
Betroth'd to God, and now is married there;
Whose twilights were more cleare, then our mid-day;
Who dreamt devoutlier, then most use to pray;
Who being here fil'd with grace, yet strove to bee, 465
Both where more grace, and more capacitie
At once is given: she to Heaven is gone,
Who made this world in some proportion
A heaven, and here, became unto us all,
Joy, (as our joyes admit) essentiall. 470
[Sidenote: _Of accidentall joys in both places. _]
But could this low world joyes essentiall touch,
Heavens accidentall joyes would passe them much.
How poore and lame, must then our casuall bee?
If thy Prince will his subjects to call thee
_My Lord_, and this doe swell thee, thou art than, 475
By being greater, growne to bee lesse Man.
When no Physitian of redresse can speake,
A joyfull casuall violence may breake
A dangerous Apostem in thy breast;
And whil'st thou joyest in this, the dangerous rest, 480
The bag may rise up, and so strangle thee.
What e'r was casuall, may ever bee.
What should the nature change? Or make the same
Certaine, which was but casuall, when it came?
All casuall joy doth loud and plainly say, 485
Only by comming, that it can away.
Only in Heaven joyes strength is never spent;
And accidentall things are permanent.
Joy of a soules arrivall ne'r decaies;
For that soule ever joyes and ever staies. 490
Joy that their last great Consummation
Approaches in the resurrection;
When earthly bodies more celestiall
Shall be, then Angels were, for they could fall;
This kinde of joy doth every day admit 495
Degrees of growth, but none of losing it.
In this fresh joy, 'tis no small part, that shee,
Shee, in whose goodnesse, he that names degree,
Doth injure her; ('Tis losse to be cal'd best,
There where the stuffe is not such as the rest) 500
Shee, who left such a bodie, as even shee
Only in Heaven could learne, how it can bee
Made better; for shee rather was two soules,
Or like to full on both sides written Rols,
Where eyes might reade upon the outward skin, 505
As strong Records for God, as mindes within;
Shee, who by making full perfection grow,
Peeces a Circle, and still keepes it so,
Long'd for, and longing for it, to heaven is gone,
Where shee receives, and gives addition. 510
[Sidenote: _Conclusion. _]
Here in a place, where mis-devotion frames
A thousand Prayers to Saints, whose very names
The ancient Church knew not, Heaven knows not yet:
And where, what lawes of Poetry admit,
Lawes of Religion have at least the same, 515
Immortall Maide, I might invoke thy name.
Could any Saint provoke that appetite,
Thou here should'st make me a French convertite.
But thou would'st not; nor would'st thou be content,
To take this, for my second yeares true Rent, 520
Did this Coine beare any other stampe, then his,
That gave thee power to doe, me, to say this.
Since his will is, that to posteritie,
Thou should'st for life, and death, a patterne bee,
And that the world should notice have of this, 525
The purpose, and th'authoritie is his;
Thou art the Proclamation; and I am
The Trumpet, at whose voyce the people came.
[Footnote 1: _The entrance. _ _1612-21_: _om. 1625-33_:
_no notes, 1635-69_]
[Footnote 2: _disestimation_] _estimation_ _1625_]
[Footnote 3: _Incommodities &c. _ _1612-21:_ _om. 1625-33_]
[Footnote 4: _Her ignorance &c. :_ _1612-25:_ _om. 1633_]
[5 All, _1612_: all, _1625-69_]
[10 Though] Through _1612-25_]
[12 be fail'd,] he fail'd, _1621-33_]
[13 twinckle] twincke _1625_]
[20 strings: _Ed_: strings. _1612-69_]
[23 are _Ed:_ are, _1612-69_]
[24 was fram'd, _1612-25:_ was fram'd: _1633-69_]
[27 Deluge, _1612-25:_ deluge, _1633-69_]
[29 all. _Ed:_ all, _1612-33:_ all; _1635-69_]
[33 Maid, _1612-25_, _1669:_ maid, _1633-54_]
[35 is, _1612-25:_ is _1633-69_]
[43 thy] they _1621-25_
issue, _1612-33:_ issue _1635-69_. _See note_]
[46 safe-sealing] safe-fealing _1621-39_]
[47 goe] goe; _1612-25_]
[48 Health, _1612-33:_ Health; _1635-69_, _Chambers and
Grolier_
so. _1612-21:_ so, _1625-69_, _Chambers and Grolier_. _See
note_]
[50 bee. _Ed:_ bee _1612-35:_ bee, _1639-69_]
[51 why, _1612-21:_ why _1625-69_
nor] or _1669_]
[57 more, _1612-25:_ more _1633-69_]
[67 was but] twas but _1612-25_]
[81 Shee, shee _1621-25:_ Shee, she _1633-69_]
[82 is] is. _1612-25_]
[96 parch'd _1612-21_, _1639-69:_ pach'd _1625:_ patch'd
_1633-35_]
[99 knell,] knell _1633_]
[101 So this, _1612-33:_ So, this _1635-69_]
[103 thrust;] trust; _1669_]
[113 shroud] shourd _1621-25_]
[116 exalted] exhalted _1621_
goe,] goe. _1612-21_]
[123 Complexion _1612-25:_ complexion _1633-69_]
[124 Ingredients _1612-25:_ ingredients _1633-69_]
[134 a point, _1612-21:_ a-point. _1625:_ a point: _1633-69_]
[136 there. _1612-25:_ there, _1633-69_]
[137 wonne] worne _1612-25:_ woon _1633_]
[140 to _1612-25:_ too _1633-69_]
[146 Accident _1612-25:_ accident _1633-69_]
[156 Death _1612-25:_ death _1633-69_]
[161 thee, both _1612-25:_ thee both _1633-69_]
[172 first-built _1612-25:_ first built _1633-69_]
[173 didst] dost _1669_]
[177 the rage _1612-25:_ a rage _1633-69_]
[179 Death _1612-25:_ death _1633-69_]
[181 Peece, discharg'd, _1612:_ Peece, discharg'd _1625:_
Peece discharg'd _1633:_ Peece discharg'd, _1635-69_]
[183 This _1612-25:_ this _1633-69_]
[185 soule, _1612-21:_ soule _1625-69_]
[187 Twenty, perchance,] Twentie, perchance _1625:_ Twenty
perchance _1633-69_]
[197 _Venus_] _no ital. 1612-25, and so with_ Hesper _&c. _
retards] recards _1612-25_]
[201 Who, if _1612-25:_ Who if _1633-69_]
[204 barr'd;] bard; _1612-39_]
[209 the] those _1669_]
[214 her] _om. 1650-69_]
[219-20 _text 1612-25_ (_but_ soul _1612-25, and_ then _1625
and_ shee _1612-25_):
This must, my Soule, thy long-short Progresse bee,
To'advance these thoughts; Remember then that she,
_1633-69_, _Chambers and Grolier_. _See note_]
[231 discoverie] Discoveree. _1612-25_]
[232 Of all,] Of all _1612-25_]
[236 assign'd _Ed:_ assigned _1612-69_]
[238 Dignities, _1612-25:_ dignities, _1633-69_]
[241 Gold, _1612-25:_ gold, _1633-69_]
[243 understood] unstood _1621-25_]
[249 well,] well _1612-25_]
[251 little] little _1633_]
[265 Ayre, and Fire, _1612-25:_ aire, and fire, _1633-69_]
[266 ingredients, _1612:_ ingredients. _1621-69_]
[268 'tis] ty's _1612-21_]
[270 breake _1612:_ brake _1621-33:_ break _1635-69_]
[287 said. _1612-25:_ said, _1633-69_]
[291 Pedantery] Pedantry _1650-69_]
[292 taught] thought _1612-25_]
[300 shalt] shall _1612-25_, _1669_]
[308 all] aie _1612-21:_ are _1625_]
[314 print,] point, _1612-33_]
[323 earthly] early _1625_]
[324 there. ] there, _1633-39_]
[326 choose _1612-25:_ chose _1633-69_]
[327 will not] will nor _1612-25_]
[328 Divine _1612-25:_ Divine, _1633-69_]
[329 Great _1612-25:_ great _1633-69_]
[333 wits _1612-25:_ wits, _1633-69_]
[336 some] some, _1633_]
[338 lyes] wise _1612-25_]
[353 thought] thoughts _1612-25_]
[366 rebellious] rebellions _1635-69_]
[369 impressions _1612-25:_ _rest_ impression]
[378 ill,)] _last bracket dropped 1612-33_]
[380 whither] _spelt_ whether _1612-33_]
[383 study, _1635-69:_ study _1612-33_]
[391 _that_ . . . _that_] _no italics 1612-25_]
[397 eies, _1612-21:_ eyes _1625:_ eyes; _1633-69_,
_Chambers_. _See note_]
[398 Saint, _1612-25:_ Saint _1633-69_
vow] row _1612-25_]
[399 remaines;] remaines, _1612-25_]
[402 that] _in italics 1633-69_]
[404 Creatures _1612-25:_ creatures _1633-69_]
[416 Thinks] Thinke _1612-25_]
[420 enow] enough _1633_]
[421 this _1612:_ his _1621-69_]
[421-2 place, . . . little, _1612:_ place . . . little, _1621-33_]
[423 affords] affoords _1612-25_
world, foundation _1633-69:_ worlds, foundatione _1612-25_]
[426 Benefits . . . Rods] _capitals from 1612-25_]
[428 Warre] _no capital 1612-39_]
[429 that] the _1625_]
[433 much] much, _1633-39_]
[435 up] upon _1612-25_]
[449 Here _1612-25:_ here _1633-69_]
[463 cleare,] cleane, _1635_]
[475 _My Lord_] _no italics 1612-25_]
[477 redresse] Reders _1612-25_]
[482 What e'r] What eye _1612-25_]
[500 where] waere _1612_]
[501 even] ever _1625_]
[506: within; _Ed:_ within, _1612-39:_ within. _1650-69_]
[516: invoke] inroque _1612-25_]
[518 French _1635-69:_ french _1612-33_]
[520 Rent] Rent. _1633_]
* * * * *
EPICEDES AND OBSEQVIES
_Vpon_
The deaths of sundry Personages.
* * * * *
_Elegie upon the untimely death of the incomparable Prince Henry. _
Looke to mee faith, and looke to my faith, God;
For both my centers feele this period.
Of waight one center, one of greatnesse is;
And Reason is that center, Faith is this;
For into'our reason flow, and there do end 5
All, that this naturall world doth comprehend:
Quotidian things, and equidistant hence,
Shut in, for man, in one circumference.
But for th'enormous greatnesses, which are
So disproportion'd, and so angulare, 10
As is Gods essence, place and providence,
Where, how, when, what soules do, departed hence,
These things (eccentrique else) on faith do strike;
Yet neither all, nor upon all, alike.
For reason, put to'her best extension, 15
Almost meetes faith, and makes both centers one.
And nothing ever came so neare to this,
As contemplation of that Prince, wee misse.
For all that faith might credit mankinde could,
Reason still seconded, that this prince would. 20
If then least moving of the center, make
More, then if whole hell belch'd, the world to shake,
What must this do, centers distracted so,
That wee see not what to beleeve or know?
Was it not well beleev'd till now, that hee, 25
Whose reputation was an extasie
On neighbour States, which knew not why to wake,
Till hee discover'd what wayes he would take;
For whom, what Princes angled, when they tryed,
Met a _Torpedo_, and were stupified; 30
And others studies, how he would be bent;
Was his great fathers greatest instrument,
And activ'st spirit, to convey and tie
This soule of peace, through Christianity?
Was it not well beleev'd, that hee would make 35
This generall peace, th'Eternall overtake,
And that his times might have stretch'd out so farre,
As to touch those, of which they emblems are?
For to confirme this just beleefe, that now
The last dayes came, wee saw heav'n did allow, 40
That, but from his aspect and exercise,
In peacefull times, Rumors of war did rise.
But now this faith is heresie: we must
Still stay, and vexe our great-grand-mother, Dust.
Oh, is God prodigall? hath he spent his store 45
Of plagues, on us; and onely now, when more
Would ease us much, doth he grudge misery;
And will not let's enjoy our curse; to dy?
As, for the earth throwne lowest downe of all,
T'were an ambition to desire to fall, 50
So God, in our desire to dye, doth know
Our plot for ease, in being wretched so.
Therefore we live; though such a life wee have,
As but so many mandrakes on his grave.
What had his growth, and generation done, 55
When, what we are, his putrefaction
Sustaines in us; Earth, which griefes animate?
Nor hath our world now, other Soule then that.
And could griefe get so high as heav'n, that Quire,
Forgetting this their new joy, would desire 60
(With griefe to see him) hee had staid below,
To rectifie our errours, They foreknow.
Is th'other center, Reason, faster then?
Where should we looke for that, now we'are not men?
For if our Reason be'our connexion 65
Of causes, now to us there can be none.
For, as, if all the substances were spent,
'Twere madnesse, to enquire of accident,
So is't to looke for reason, hee being gone,
The onely subject reason wrought upon. 70
If Fate have such a chaine, whose divers links
Industrious man discerneth, as hee thinks;
When miracle doth come, and so steale in
A new linke, man knowes not, where to begin:
At a much deader fault must reason bee, 75
Death having broke off such a linke as hee.
But now, for us, with busie proofe to come,
That we'have no reason, would prove wee had some.
So would just lamentations: Therefore wee
May safelyer say, that we are dead, then hee. 80
So, if our griefs wee do not well declare,
We'have double excuse; he'is not dead; and we are.
Yet I would not dy yet; for though I bee
Too narrow, to thinke him, as hee is hee,
(Our Soules best baiting, and midd-period, 85
In her long journey, of considering God)
Yet, (no dishonour) I can reach him thus,
As he embrac'd the fires of love, with us.
Oh may I, (since I live) but see, or heare,
That she-Intelligence which mov'd this spheare, 90
I pardon Fate, my life: Who ere thou bee,
Which hast the noble conscience, thou art shee,
I conjure thee by all the charmes he spoke,
By th'oathes, which onely you two never broke,
By all the soules yee sigh'd, that if you see 95
These lines, you wish, I knew your history.
So much, as you, two mutuall heav'ns were here,
I were an Angell, singing what you were.
[Epicedes _&c. _ _1635-69:_ Elegie upon _&c. _ _1613_, _in the_
Lachrymae Lachrymarum _&c. of Joshua Sylvester_. _See note:_
Elegie on Prince Henry. _1633-54_, _O'F:_ _similarly_, _Cy_,
_N_, _TCD:_ An Elegie on the untimely _&c. _ _1669_]
[8 man _1633-69:_ men _1613_]
[17 neare] nere _1633_]
[18 that _1633-69:_ the _1613_]
[19 might credit _1633-69:_ could credit _1613_]
[21 moving _1633-69:_ movings _1613_]
[22 shake, _1650-69:_ shake. _1633-39_]
[26 extasie _Ed:_ exstasie, _1633-69_]
[31 bent; _Ed:_ bent, _1613_, _1633-69_]
[34 through _1613-33:_ to _1635-69_
Christianity? _1669:_ Christianity: _1633-54_]
[42 did _1633:_ should _1613_, _1635-69_]
[44 great-grand-mother, _1613:_ great grand mother, _1633:_
great grand-mother, _1635-69_]
[46 us;] us, _1633_]
[48 to dy? _Ed:_ to dy. _1633:_ to die! _1635-54:_ _no stop_,
_1669_]
[57 animate? ] animate; _1633_]
[66 Of _1633-69:_ With _1613_]
[67 as, _1613:_ as _1633-69_]
[69 So is't to] So is' to _1669_]
[71 Fate _1633-69:_ Faith _1613_]
[72 thinks; _Ed:_ thinks, _1613_, _1633-69_]
[73 come, _1633-69:_ joine; _1613_
so steale in _1633-69:_ to steal-in _1613_]
[77 proofe _1633-69:_ proofes _1613_]
[78 some. _1633:_ some, _1635-69_]
[80 hee. _1633:_ hee, _1635-69_]
[82 and we are. _1633-54:_ we are. _1613_, _1669_]
[83 I would not _1633-54:_ would not I _1669_]
[91 Who _Ed:_ who _1633-69_]
[92 shee, _1633-69:_ she. _Chambers_]
[97 So much, as you, _1633-69:_ So, much as you _Chambers_]
_To the Countesse of_ Bedford.
MADAME,
_I have learn'd by those lawes wherein I am a[1] little conversant,
that hee which bestowes any cost upon the dead, obliges him which is
dead, but not the[2] heire; I do not therefore send this paper to your
Ladyship, that you should thanke mee for it, or thinke that I thanke
you in it; your favours and benefits to mee are so much above my
merits, that they are even above my gratitude, if that were to be
judged by words which must expresse it: But, Madame, since your noble
brothers fortune being yours, the evidences also concerning it are
yours,[3] so his vertue[4] being yours, the evidences concerning
it,[5] belong also to you, of which by your acceptance this may be one
peece, in which quality I humbly present it, and as a testimony how
intirely your familie possesseth_
Your Ladiships most humble
and thankfull servant
JOHN DONNE.
[To the Countesse _&c. _ _1633-69_, _and in most of the MSS. as
next page_]
[Footnote 1: a _1633-54:_ _om. 1669_]
[Footnote 2: the] his _1669_]
[Footnote 3: yours, _1633:_ yours: _1635-69_]
[Footnote 4: vertue _1633:_ vertues _1635-69_]
[Footnote 5: it, _1633:_ that _1635-69_]
_Obsequies to the Lord Harrington, brother to the Lady Lucy,
Countesse of Bedford. _
Faire soule, which wast, not onely, as all soules bee,
Then when thou wast infused, harmony,
But did'st continue so; and now dost beare
A part in Gods great organ, this whole Spheare:
If looking up to God; or downe to us, 5
Thou finde that any way is pervious,
Twixt heav'n and earth, and that mans actions doe
Come to your knowledge, and affections too,
See, and with joy, mee to that good degree
Of goodnesse growne, that I can studie thee, 10
And, by these meditations refin'd,
Can unapparell and enlarge my minde,
And so can make by this soft extasie,
This place a map of heav'n, my selfe of thee.
Thou seest mee here at midnight, now all rest; 15
Times dead-low water; when all mindes devest
To morrows businesse, when the labourers have
Such rest in bed, that their last Church-yard grave,
Subject to change, will scarce be'a type of this,
Now when the clyent, whose last hearing is 20
To morrow, sleeps, when the condemned man,
(Who when hee opes his eyes, must shut them than
Againe by death,) although sad watch hee keepe,
Doth practice dying by a little sleepe,
Thou at this midnight seest mee, and as soone 25
As that Sunne rises to mee, midnight's noone,
All the world growes transparent, and I see
Through all, both Church and State, in seeing thee;
And I discerne by favour of this light,
My selfe, the hardest object of the sight. 30
God is the glasse; as thou when thou dost see
Him who sees all, seest all concerning thee,
So, yet unglorified, I comprehend
All, in these mirrors of thy wayes, and end.
Though God be our true glasse, through which we see 35
All, since the beeing of all things is hee,
Yet are the trunkes which doe to us derive
Things, in proportion fit, by perspective,
Deeds of good men; for by their living here,
Vertues, indeed remote, seeme to be neare. 40
But where can I affirme, or where arrest
My thoughts on his deeds? which shall I call best?
For fluid vertue cannot be look'd on,
Nor can endure a contemplation.
As bodies change, and as I do not weare 45
Those Spirits, humors, blood I did last yeare,
And, as if on a streame I fixe mine eye,
That drop, which I looked on, is presently
Pusht with more waters from my sight, and gone,
So in this sea of vertues, can no one 50
Bee'insisted on; vertues, as rivers, passe,
Yet still remaines that vertuous man there was.
And as if man feed on mans flesh, and so
Part of his body to another owe,
Yet at the last two perfect bodies rise, 55
Because God knowes where every Atome lyes;
So, if one knowledge were made of all those,
Who knew his minutes well, hee might dispose
His vertues into names, and ranks; but I
Should injure Nature, Vertue, and Destinie, 60
Should I divide and discontinue so,
Vertue, which did in one intirenesse grow.
For as, hee that would say, spirits are fram'd
Of all the purest parts that can be nam'd,
Honours not spirits halfe so much, as hee 65
Which sayes, they have no parts, but simple bee;
So is't of vertue; for a point and one
Are much entirer then a million.
And had Fate meant to have his vertues told,
It would have let him live to have beene old; 70
So, then that vertue in season, and then this,
We might have seene, and said, that now he is
Witty, now wise, now temperate, now just:
In good short lives, vertues are faine to thrust,
And to be sure betimes to get a place, 75
When they would exercise, lacke time, and space.
So was it in this person, forc'd to bee
For lack of time, his owne epitome:
So to exhibit in few yeares as much,
As all the long breath'd Chronicles can touch. 80
As when an Angell down from heav'n doth flye,
Our quick thought cannot keepe him company,
Wee cannot thinke, now hee is at the Sunne,
Now through the Moon, now he through th'aire doth run,
Yet when he's come, we know he did repaire 85
To all twixt Heav'n and Earth, Sunne, Moon, and Aire;
And as this Angell in an instant knowes,
And yet wee know, this sodaine knowledge growes
By quick amassing severall formes of things,
Which he successively to order brings; 90
When they, whose slow-pac'd lame thoughts cannot goe
So fast as hee, thinke that he doth not so;
Just as a perfect reader doth not dwell,
On every syllable, nor stay to spell,
Yet without doubt, hee doth distinctly see 95
And lay together every A, and B;
So, in short liv'd good men, is'not understood
Each severall vertue, but the compound good;
For, they all vertues paths in that pace tread,
As Angells goe, and know, and as men read. 100
O why should then these men, these lumps of Balme
Sent hither, this worlds tempests to becalme,
Before by deeds they are diffus'd and spred,
And so make us alive, themselves be dead?
O Soule, O circle, why so quickly bee 105
Thy ends, thy birth and death, clos'd up in thee?
Since one foot of thy compasse still was plac'd
In heav'n, the other might securely'have pac'd
In the most large extent, through every path,
Which the whole world, or man the abridgment hath. 110
Thou knowst, that though the tropique circles have
(Yea and those small ones which the Poles engrave,)
All the same roundnesse, evennesse, and all
The endlesnesse of the equinoctiall;
Yet, when we come to measure distances, 115
How here, how there, the Sunne affected is,
When he doth faintly worke, and when prevaile,
Onely great circles, than can be our scale:
So, though thy circle to thy selfe expresse
All, tending to thy endlesse happinesse, 120
And wee, by our good use of it may trye,
Both how to live well young, and how to die,
Yet, since we must be old, and age endures
His Torrid Zone at Court, and calentures
Of hot ambitions, irrelegions ice, 125
Zeales agues, and hydroptique avarice,
Infirmities which need the scale of truth,
As well as lust, and ignorance of youth;
Why did'st thou not for these give medicines too,
And by thy doing tell us what to doe? 130
Though as small pocket-clocks, whose every wheele
Doth each mismotion and distemper feele,
Whose _hand_ gets shaking palsies, and whose _string_
(His sinewes) slackens, and whose _Soule_, the spring,
Expires, or languishes, whose pulse, the _flye_, 135
Either beates not, or beates unevenly,
Whose voice, the _Bell_, doth rattle, or grow dumbe,
Or idle,'as men, which to their last houres come,
If these clockes be not wound, or be wound still,
Or be not set, or set at every will; 140
So, youth is easiest to destruction,
If then wee follow all, or follow none.
Yet, as in great clocks, which in steeples chime,
Plac'd to informe whole towns, to'imploy their time,
An error doth more harme, being generall, 145
When, small clocks faults, only'on the wearer fall;
So worke the faults of age, on which the eye
Of children, servants, or the State relie.
Why wouldst not thou then, which hadst such a soule,
A clock so true, as might the Sunne controule, 150
And daily hadst from him, who gave it thee,
Instructions, such as it could never be
Disordered, stay here, as a generall
And great Sun-dyall, to have set us All?
O why wouldst thou be any instrument 155
To this unnaturall course, or why consent
To this, not miracle, but Prodigie,
That when the ebbs, longer then flowings be,
Vertue, whose flood did with thy youth begin,
Should so much faster ebb out, then flow in? 160
Though her flood was blowne in, by thy first breath,
All is at once sunke in the whirle-poole death.
Which word I would not name, but that I see
Death, else a desert, growne a Court by thee.
Now I grow sure, that if a man would have 165
Good companie, his entry is a grave.
Mee thinkes all Cities, now, but Anthills bee,
Where, when the severall labourers I see,
For children, house, Provision, taking paine,
They'are all but Ants, carrying eggs, straw, and grain; 170
And Church-yards are our cities, unto which
The most repaire, that are in goodnesse rich.
There is the best concourse, and confluence,
There are the holy suburbs, and from thence
Begins Gods City, New Jerusalem, 175
Which doth extend her utmost gates to them.
At that gate then Triumphant soule, dost thou
Begin thy Triumph; But since lawes allow
That at the Triumph day, the people may,
All that they will, 'gainst the Triumpher say, 180
Let me here use that freedome, and expresse
My griefe, though not to make thy Triumph lesse.
By law, to Triumphs none admitted bee,
Till they as Magistrates get victorie;
Though then to thy force, all youthes foes did yield, 185
Yet till fit time had brought thee to that field,
To which thy ranke in this state destin'd thee,
That there thy counsailes might get victorie,
And so in that capacitie remove
All jealousies 'twixt Prince and subjects love, 190
Thou could'st no title, to this triumph have,
Thou didst intrude on death, usurp'dst a grave.
Then (though victoriously) thou hadst fought as yet
But with thine owne affections, with the heate
Of youths desires, and colds of ignorance, 195
But till thou should'st successefully advance
Thine armes 'gainst forraine enemies, which are
Both Envy, and acclamations popular,
(For, both these engines equally defeate,
Though by a divers Mine, those which are great,) 200
Till then thy War was but a civill War,
For which to Triumph, none admitted are.
No more are they, who though with good successe,
In a defensive war, their power expresse;
Before men triumph, the dominion 205
Must be _enlarg'd_ and not _preserv'd_ alone;
Why should'st thou then, whose battailes were to win
Thy selfe, from those straits nature put thee in,
And to deliver up to God that state,
Of which he gave thee the vicariate, 210
(Which is thy soule and body) as intire
As he, who takes endeavours, doth require,
But didst not stay, t'enlarge his kingdome too,
By making others, what thou didst, to doe;
Why shouldst thou Triumph now, when Heav'n no more 216
Hath got, by getting thee, then't had before?
For, Heav'n and thou, even when thou livedst here,
Of one another in possession were.
But this from Triumph most disables thee,
That, that place which is conquered, must bee 220
Left safe from present warre, and likely doubt
Of imminent commotions to breake out:
And hath he left us so? or can it bee
His territory was no more then Hee?
No, we were all his charge, the Diocis 225
Of ev'ry exemplar man, the whole world is,
And he was joyned in commission
With Tutelar Angels, sent to every one.
But though this freedome to upbraid, and chide
Him who Triumph'd, were lawfull, it was ty'd 230
With this, that it might never reference have
Unto the Senate, who this triumph gave;
Men might at Pompey jeast, but they might not
At that authoritie, by which he got
Leave to Triumph, before, by age, he might; 235
So, though, triumphant soule, I dare to write,
Mov'd with a reverentiall anger, thus,
That thou so earely wouldst abandon us;
Yet I am farre from daring to dispute
With that great soveraigntie, whose absolute 240
Prerogative hath thus dispens'd with thee,
'Gainst natures lawes, which just impugners bee
Of early triumphs; And I (though with paine)
Lessen our losse, to magnifie thy gaine
Of triumph, when I say, It was more fit, 245
That all men should lacke thee, then thou lack it.
Though then in our time, be not suffered
That testimonie of love, unto the dead,
To die with them, and in their graves be hid,
As Saxon wives, and French soldurii did; 250
And though in no degree I can expresse
Griefe in great Alexanders great excesse,
Who at his friends death, made whole townes devest
Their walls and bullwarks which became them best:
Doe not, faire soule, this sacrifice refuse, 255
That in thy grave I doe interre my Muse,
Who, by my griefe, great as thy worth, being cast
Behind hand, yet hath spoke, and spoke her last.
[Obsequies to _&c. _ _B_, _S96_ _and similarly_ _A25_, _C_,
_D_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TCD:_ Obsequies
to the Lord Harringtons brother. To the Countesse of Bedford.
_1633-54:_ Obsequies on the Lord Harrington, &c. To the
Countess of Bedford. _1669_]
[7 mans _1633_, _D_, _H49:_ mens _1635-69 and most MSS_. ]
[11 these _1633-69:_ those _B_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _O'F_, _S_,
_TCD_]
[15 midnight, now _1633-69:_ midnight; now _Chambers:_
midnight now, _Grolier_]
[26 that Sunne] this Sunne _N_, _TCD_]
[30 hardest] hardyest _1669_]
[34 end. _D:_ end; _1633-69_]
[35 our true glasse, _1633-69_ (glass, _1633_): truly our
glass _A25_, _B_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_,
_S96_, _TCD_
see] see. _1633_ _some copies_, _1635_]
[38 Things, in proportion fit, by perspective, _D:_ Things, in
proportion fit by perspective, _1633:_ Things, in proportion,
fit by perspective, _1635-54_, _Chambers:_ Things in
proportion, fit by perspective, _1669_. _See note_]
[39 men; _D:_ men, _1633:_ men: _1635-69_]
living _1633:_ beeing _1635-69_, _Chambers and Grolier_]
[40 neare. _1635-69:_ nere; _1633_]
[44 contemplation. _Ed:_ contemplation; _1633-69_]
[51 on; _Ed:_ on, _1633-69_]
[52 was. _Ed:_ was; _1633-69_]
[53 feed _1635-69 and MSS. :_ feeds _1633_]
[63 would _1633:_ should _1635-69_]
[69 to have his _1633_, _A25_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_,
_N_, _S_, _S96_, _TCD:_ to'have had his _1635-69_, _O'F_,
_Chambers_]
[70 old; _Ed:_ old, _1633-39:_ old. _1650-69_]
[71 So, then that _Ed:_ So then, that _1633:_ So, then, that
_1635-69_]
[76 exercise] exercse _1633_ _some copies:_ encrease _D_,
_H49_, _Lec:_ exercise: they _S_
lacke _1633-54:_ last _1669_
time] room _A25_, _B_, _JC_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_, _TCD_]
[78 epitome: _D:_ epitome. _1633-69_]
[80 Chronicles] Chroniclers _1669_
can touch. ] can touch; _1633_]
[84 he] _om. 1669_, _O'F_]
[86 Aire; _1669:_ Aire. _1633-35:_ Air, _1639-54_]
[87 instant] instant, _1633_]
[98 good; _Ed:_ good. _1633-69_]
[102 this _A25_, _B_, _C_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_,
_TCD:_ the _1633-69_
tempests _A25_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _N_, _S96_, _TCD:_ tempest
_1633-69_, _O'F_, _S_]
[106 death, _Ed:_ death _1633-69_]
[110 man] man, _1633_
hath. ] hath, _1633_ _some copies_, _1633-39_]
[117 When . . . when _1633-69_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec:_ Where . . .
where _rest of MSS. _]
[118 circles, than can _D:_ circles, then, can _1633-69_]
[121 it] that _many MSS. _]
[125 ambitions,] ambition, _1669_]
[126 agues, _Ed:_ agues; _1633-69_]
[127-8 _in brackets_ _1635-69_]
[128 As well as lust, _1669:_ As well, as lust _1633-54_]
[130 tell us _1633_, _1669_, _A25_, _D_, _H49_, _N_, _S_,
_TCD:_ set us _1635-54_, _B_, _O'F_, _S96_, _and Chambers_]
[133 _hand_ gets _A25_, _B_, _C_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _N_, _S_,
_TCD:_ _hands_ get _1633-54:_ _hands_ gets _1669_. _See note_]
[135 _flye_, _1633:_ _flee_, _1635-69_]
[138 houres come, _1633-54:_ hour come, _1669:_ hours are
come, _Chambers_]
[142 none. _1635-69:_ none; _1633_]
[146 fall; _Ed:_ fall. _1633-69_]
[154 great] grave _A25_, _C_]
[155 wouldst] wouldest _1639-54_
any _1633-35_, _and MSS. :_ an _1639-69_, _Chambers_]
[158 when _1633-69:_ where _C_, _D_, _H49_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_,
_TCD:_ whereas _B_]
[161 was _1633:_ were _1635-69_]
[165 grow sure, _1633_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec:_ am sure, _1635-69_]
[170 and _1633-69:_ or _A25_, _B_, _C_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_,
_S96_, _TCD_]
[176 them. _D:_ them; _1633_, _1639-69:_ them, _1635_]
[178 Triumph; _1633:_ Triumph. _1635-69_]
[184 victorie; _Ed:_ victorie, _1633-69_]
[186 brought] wrought _1639_, _Chambers_]
[192 usurp'dst _B_, _D_, _H49_, _N_, _TCD:_ usurp'st
_1633_, _Lec_, _S96:_ usurpe _1635-69_, _A25_, _JC_, _O'F_,
_Chambers_]
[193 Then _1635-69:_ That _1633_]
[198 acclamations _1669_, _A25_, _B_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_,
_N_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_, _TCD:_ acclamation _1633-54_]
[202 are. _D:_ are; _1633-69_]
[204 expresse; _Ed:_ expresse. _1633-69_]
[212 endeavours, _1633-54_, _A25_, _B_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_,
_Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_, _TCD:_ Indentours, _1669_,
_Chambers_]
[216 'thad] t'had _1633-39_]
[218 were. _D:_ were; _1633-69_]
[222 out: _1635-69:_ out. _1633_]
[224 His _1633-54:_ This _1669_
then _1633-69:_ but _D_, _H49_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_, _TCD_]
[231 reference] reverence _1650-54_]
[239 I am] am I _B_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_]
[241 with _1633-69_, _O'F:_ for _A25_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec_, _N_,
_TCD_]
[247 time,] times, _1669_, _B_, _JC_, _O'F_, _N_, _S_, _S96_,
_TCD_]
[250 soldurii _D_, _H49_, _Lec:_ soldarii _1633-69_]
[251 expresse] expresse, _1633_]
[257 Who, _1633:_ Which, _1639-69_]
_Elegie on the Lady_ Marckham.
Man is the World, and death th'Ocean,
To which God gives the lower parts of man.
This Sea invirons all, and though as yet
God hath set markes, and bounds, twixt us and it,
Yet doth it rore, and gnaw, and still pretend, 5
And breaks our bankes, when ere it takes a friend.
Then our land waters (teares of passion) vent;
Our waters, then, above our firmament,
(Teares which our Soule doth for her sins let fall)
Take all a brackish taft, and Funerall, 10
And even these teares, which should wash sin, are sin.
We, after Gods _Noe_, drowne our world againe.
Nothing but man of all invenom'd things
Doth worke upon itselfe, with inborne stings.
Teares are false Spectacles, we cannot see 15
Through passions mist, what wee are, or what shee.
In her this sea of death hath made no breach,
But as the tide doth wash the slimie beach,
And leaves embroder'd workes upon the sand,
So is her flesh refin'd by deaths cold hand. 20
As men of China,'after an ages stay,
Do take up Porcelane, where they buried Clay;
So at this grave, her limbecke, which refines
The Diamonds, Rubies, Saphires, Pearles, and Mines,
Of which this flesh was, her soule shall inspire 25
Flesh of such stuffe, as God, when his last fire
Annuls this world, to recompence it, shall,
Make and name then, th'Elixar of this All.
They say, the sea, when it gaines, loseth too;
If carnall Death (the yonger brother) doe 30
Usurpe the body,'our soule, which subject is
To th'elder death, by sinne, is freed by this;
They perish both, when they attempt the just;
For, graves our trophies are, and both deaths dust.
So, unobnoxious now, she'hath buried both; 35
For, none to death sinnes, that to sinne is loth,
Nor doe they die, which are not loth to die;
So hath she this, and that virginity.
Grace was in her extremely diligent,
That kept her from sinne, yet made her repent. 40
Of what small spots pure white complaines! Alas,
How little poyson cracks a christall glasse!
She sinn'd, but just enough to let us see
That God's word must be true, All, sinners be.
Soe much did zeale her conscience rarefie 45
That, extreme truth lack'd little of a lye,
Making omissions, acts; laying the touch
Of sinne, on things that sometimes may be such.
As _Moses_ Cherubines, whose natures doe
Surpasse all speed, by him are winged too: 50
So would her soule, already'in heaven, seeme then,
To clyme by teares, the common staires of men.
How fit she was for God, I am content
To speake, that Death his vaine hast may repent.
How fit for us, how even and how sweet, 55
How good in all her titles, and how meet,
To have reform'd this forward heresie,
That women can no parts of friendship bee;
How Morall, how Divine shall not be told,
Lest they that heare her vertues, thinke her old: 60
And lest we take Deaths part, and make him glad
Of such a prey, and to his tryumph adde.
[Elegie _&c. _ _1633-54:_ An Elegie _&c. _ _1669:_ _similarly_,
_A18_, _A25_, _B_, _C_, _Cy_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _JC_, _L74_,
_Lec_, _N_, _P_, _S96_, _TC_]
[6 And breaks _1633-54:_ To break _1669_
bankes _D_, _Cy_, _H40_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_, _O'F_, _P_,
_TCC:_ bounds _A25_, _C:_ banke, _1633-69_, _N_ (s _added_),
_TCD_]
[8 firmament,] firmament. _1633_]
[10 Funerall, _Ed:_ Funerall. _1633-69_]
[11 these _D_, _H49_, _Lec:_ those _1633-69_]
[12 after Gods _Noe_, drowne _1633-54_ (_No_, _1633-54_):
after God, new drown _1669_
our world _1669_, _B_, _D_, _H49_, _L74_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_,
_P_, _S96_, _TCD:_ the world _1633-54_, _A18_, _A25_, _JC_,
_TCC_]
[16 mist] mistes _Cy_, _L74_, _N_, _TCD_]
[19 embroder'd _1635-54:_ embroderd _1633:_ embroider'd
_1669_]
[21 stay, _Ed:_ stay _1633-69_]
[25 which _Ed:_ which, _1633-69_]
[28 then, _1633:_ then _1635-39:_ them _1650-69_]
[34 and both deaths dust. _Ed:_ and both Deaths' dust.
_Grolier:_ and both, deaths dust. _1633:_ and both death's
dust. _1635-69 and Chambers:_ and both dead dust. _D_, _Cy_,
_H40_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_, _S96_. _See note_]
[36 loth, _Ed:_ loth. _1633-69_]
[37 die; _Ed:_ die, _1633-69_]
[42 cracks _1633-69_, _A25_, _Cy_, _P_ (crackt): breakes
_A18_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _JC_, _L74_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_,
_S96_, _TC_
glasse! _Ed:_ glasse? _1633-69_]
[44-5 _omitted in 1633 between foot of one page and top of
next_]
[45 rarefie,] rectify, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_, _S96_]
[48 sometimes _1633 and MSS. :_ sometime _1635-69_, _and
Chambers_]
[52 teares,] tears _Chambers_
the . . . men _in brackets_ _A18_, _N_, _TC_]
[54 Death _D:_ death _1633-69_]
[58 women _1635-69_, _A18_, _A25_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _L74_,
_Lec_, _N_, _P_, _TC:_ woman _1633_, _Cy_
parts] parte _Cy_, _JC_. _This line written in large letters
in several MSS. _]
[60 vertues, _1633-35_, _1669:_ vertue, _1639-54_
thinke] thinks _1639_
old: _Ed:_ old. _1633-69_]
[62 tryumph _1633-69_, _A25_, _D_, _H40_, _Lec:_ triumphes
_A18_, _B_, _H49_, _JC_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S96_, _TC_]
_Elegie on M^{ris}_ Boulstred.
Death I recant, and say, unsaid by mee
What ere hath slip'd, that might diminish thee.
Spirituall treason, atheisme 'tis, to say,
That any can thy Summons disobey.
Th'earths face is but thy Table; there are set 5
Plants, cattell, men, dishes for Death to eate.
In a rude hunger now hee millions drawes
Into his bloody, or plaguy, or sterv'd jawes.
Now hee will seeme to spare, and doth more wast,
Eating the best first, well preserv'd to last. 10
Now wantonly he spoiles, and eates us not,
But breakes off friends, and lets us peecemeale rot.
Nor will this earth serve him; he sinkes the deepe
Where harmelesse fish monastique silence keepe,
Who (were Death dead) by Roes of living sand, 15
Might spunge that element, and make it land.
He rounds the aire, and breakes the hymnique notes
In birds (Heavens choristers,) organique throats,
Which (if they did not dye) might seeme to bee
A tenth ranke in the heavenly hierarchie. 20
O strong and long-liv'd death, how cam'st thou in?
And how without Creation didst begin?
Thou hast, and shalt see dead, before thou dyest,
All the foure Monarchies, and Antichrist.
How could I thinke thee nothing, that see now 25
In all this All, nothing else is, but thou.
Our births and lives, vices, and vertues, bee
Wastfull consumptions, and degrees of thee.
For, wee to live, our bellowes weare, and breath,
Nor are wee mortall, dying, dead, but death. 30
And though thou beest, O mighty bird of prey,
So much reclaim'd by God, that thou must lay
All that thou kill'st at his feet, yet doth hee
Reserve but few, and leaves the most to thee.
And of those few, now thou hast overthrowne 35
One whom thy blow makes, not ours, nor thine own.
She was more stories high: hopelesse to come
To her Soule, thou'hast offer'd at her lower roome.
Her Soule and body was a King and Court:
But thou hast both of Captaine mist and fort. 40
As houses fall not, though the King remove,
Bodies of Saints rest for their soules above.
Death gets 'twixt soules and bodies such a place
As sinne insinuates 'twixt just men and grace,
Both worke a separation, no divorce. 45
Her Soule is gone to usher up her corse
Which shall be'almost another soule, for there
Bodies are purer, then best Soules are here,
Because in her, her virtues did outgoe
Her yeares, would'st thou, O emulous death, do so? 50
And kill her young to thy losse? must the cost
Of beauty,'and wit, apt to doe harme, be lost?
What though thou found'st her proofe 'gainst sins of youth?
Oh, every age a diverse sinne pursueth.
Thou should'st have stay'd, and taken better hold, 55
Shortly, ambitious; covetous, when old,
She might have prov'd: and such devotion
Might once have stray'd to superstition.
If all her vertues must have growne, yet might
Abundant virtue'have bred a proud delight. 60
Had she persever'd just, there would have bin
Some that would sinne, mis-thinking she did sinne.
Such as would call her friendship, love, and faine
To sociablenesse, a name profane;
Or sinne, by tempting, or, not daring that, 65
By wishing, though they never told her what.
Thus might'st thou'have slain more soules, had'st thou not crost
Thy selfe, and to triumph, thine army lost.
Yet though these wayes be lost, thou hast left one,
Which is, immoderate griefe that she is gone. 70
But we may scape that sinne, yet weepe as much,
Our teares are due, because we are not such.
Some teares, that knot of friends, her death must cost,
Because the chaine is broke, though no linke lost.
[Elegie on M^{ris} Boulstred. _1633-69_, _A18_, _A25_, _B_,
_Cy_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _L74_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_,
_TCC_, _TCD:_ _in_ _Cy_, _O'F_, _P_ _this and the_ Elegie,
Death, be not proud (_p. _ 416) _are given as one poem_. _See
note_]
[5 there are set] and the meate _A18_, _L74_, _N_, _TC_]
[6 dishes _1633_, _1650-69:_ dished _1635-39_, _A18_, _L74_,
_N_, _O'F_, _S96_, _TC_]
[10 first,] fruite _or_ fruites _A18_, _H49_, _L74_, _N_,
_TC:_ first fruit _P_]
[14 keepe, _1635-39:_ keepe. _1633_, _1650-69_]
[15 by Roes _1633:_ the Roes _1635-54:_ the Rows _1669:_ by
rows _A18_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S96_, _TC_]
[18 birds _Ed:_ birds, _1633-69_ (Heavens choristers)]
_brackets from HN_]
[27 lives, _1635-69_, _A25_, _Cy_, _O'F_, _P_, _S:_ lifes,
_HN:_ life, _1633_, _A18_, _D_, _H49_, _L74_, _Lec_, _N_,
_TC_]
[34 to thee. _1633:_ for thee. _1635-69_]
[35 thou hast _1633-69:_ hast thou _HN_]
[36 blow] blow, _1633_]
[41 King _1633_, _A18_, _A25_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H49_, _HN_,
_Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _TC:_ Kings _1635-69_]
[45 worke _1633-69_, _HN_, _O'F_, _S:_ workes _A18_, _Cy_,
_D_, _H49_, _L74_, _N_, _P_, _TC:_ makes _Lec_. _See note_]
[56 Shortly,] Shortly _1633_
ambitious; _1635-69:_ ambitious, _1633_]
[62 mis-thinking] mistaking _Cy_, _HN_, _O'F_ (_but altered to
text_)]
[64 profane; _1669:_ profane, _1635-54:_ profane. _1633_]
[74 though _1635-69_, _A18_, _A25_, _HN_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_,
_P_, _S_, _S96_, _TC:_ but _1633_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _Lec_]
[_Here follow in 1635-54_ By our first strange (_p. _ 111),
Madame, That I (_p. _ 291), _and_ Death be not proud, (_p. _
422). _In 1669_ My Fortune and (_p. _ 292) _precedes_ Madame,
That I]
ELEGIE.
_Death. _
Language thou art too narrow, and too weake
To ease us now; great sorrow cannot speake;
If we could sigh out accents, and weepe words,
Griefe weares, and lessens, that tears breath affords.
Sad hearts, the lesse they seeme the more they are, 5
(So guiltiest men stand mutest at the barre)
Not that they know not, feele not their estate,
But extreme sense hath made them desperate.
Sorrow, to whom we owe all that we bee;
Tyrant, in the fift and greatest Monarchy, 10
Was't, that she did possesse all hearts before,
Thou hast kil'd her, to make thy Empire more?
Knew'st thou some would, that knew her not, lament,
As in a deluge perish th'innocent?
Was't not enough to have that palace wonne, 15
But thou must raze it too, that was undone?
Had'st thou staid there, and look'd out at her eyes,
All had ador'd thee that now from thee flies,
For they let out more light, then they tooke in,
They told not when, but did the day beginne. 20
She was too Saphirine, and cleare for thee;
Clay, flint, and jeat now thy fit dwellings be;
Alas, shee was too pure, but not too weake;
Who e'r saw Christall Ordinance but would break?
And if wee be thy conquest, by her fall 25
Th'hast lost thy end, for in her perish all;
Or if we live, we live but to rebell,
They know her better now, that knew her well.
If we should vapour out, and pine, and die;
Since, shee first went, that were not miserie. 30
Shee chang'd our world with hers; now she is gone,
Mirth and prosperity is oppression;
For of all morall vertues she was all,
The Ethicks speake of vertues Cardinall.
Her soule was Paradise; the Cherubin 35
Set to keepe it was grace, that kept out sinne.
Shee had no more then let in death, for wee
All reape consumption from one fruitfull tree.
God tooke her hence, lest some of us should love
Her, like that plant, him and his lawes above, 40
And when wee teares, hee mercy shed in this,
To raise our mindes to heaven where now she is;
Who if her vertues would have let her stay
Wee'had had a Saint, have now a holiday.
Her heart was that strange bush, where, sacred fire, 45
Religion, did not consume, but'inspire
Such piety, so chast use of Gods day,
That what we turne to _feast_, she turn'd to _pray_,
And did prefigure here, in devout tast,
The rest of her high Sabaoth, which shall last. 50
Angels did hand her up, who next God dwell,
(For she was of that order whence most fell)
Her body left with us, lest some had said,
Shee could not die, except they saw her dead;
For from lesse vertue, and lesse beautiousnesse, 55
The Gentiles fram'd them Gods and Goddesses.
The ravenous earth that now wooes her to be
Earth too, will be a _Lemnia_; and the tree
That wraps that christall in a wooden Tombe,
Shall be tooke up spruce, fill'd with diamond; 60
And we her sad glad friends all beare a part
Of griefe, for all would waste a Stoicks heart.
[Elegie. _1633:_ Elegie XI. Death. _1635-54_ (_being places
among the_ Elegies): Elegie XI. _1669:_ An Elegie upon the
death of M^{ris} Boulstred. _A18_, _B_, _Cy_, _H40_, _L74_,
_N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_, _TCC_, _TCD:_ _no title, HN_]
[2 sorrow _1633_, _B_, _Cy_, _H40_, _HN_, _L74_, _N_, _P_,
_TC:_ sorrowes _1635-69_, _O'F_, _S_]
[8 desperate. _Ed:_ desperate; _1633-69_]
[10 Tyrant, _1633_, _1669_ (_no comma_): Tyran, _1635-54_]
[20 beginne. _Ed:_ beginne; _1633-69_]
[21 for _1635-69:_ to _1633_]
[26 for in her _1633 and all the MSS. :_ in her we _1635-69_,
_Chambers_]
[28 They . . . that . . . well; _1633_, _Cy_, _H40_, _HN_, _L74_,
_N_, _S_, _TC:_ That know her better now, who knew her well.
_1635-69_, _B_, _O'F_, _P_, _S96_]
[29 and pine, and] or pine, or _Cy_, _H40_, _HN_, _O'F_, _P_,
_S_, _S96:_ or pine, and _L74_, _TCC_]
[30 miserie. _Ed:_ miserie; _1633-69_]
[34 The Ethicks speake _1633_, _A18_, _Cy_, _H40_, _L74_, _N_,
_P_, _TC:_ That Ethickes speake _1635-69_, _B_, _O'F_, _S:_
The ethenickes spake _HN_
Cardinall. _Ed:_ Cardinall; _1633-69_]
[36 that kept out] to keep out _HN_, _P_
sinne. _Ed:_ sinne; _1633-69_]
[37 She had no more; then let in death for we _1669_]
[38 tree.
