my breath XXXIX To Regina Collier on her Cruelty to Philaster TRiumphant Queen of scorn how ill doth sit In all that Sweetness such injurious Wit Unjust and Cruel what can be your prize To make one heart a double Sacrifice Where such ingenuous Rigour you do shew To break his Heart you break his Image too And by a Tyranny that 's strange and new You Murther him because he Worships you No Pride can raise you or can make him start Since Love and Honour do enrich his heart Be Wise and Good lest when Fate will be just She should o'rethrow those glories in the dust Rifle your Beauties and you thus forlorn Make a cheap Victim to another's scorn And in those Fetters which you do upbraid Your self a wretched Captive may be made Redeem the poyson'd Age let it be seen There 's no such freedom as to serve a Queen But you I see are lately Round-head grown And whom you vanquish you insult upon XL. To Philaster on his Metancholy for Regina GIve over now thy tears thou vain And double Murtherer For every minute of thy pain Wounds both thy self-and her Then leave this dulness for 't is our belief Thy Queen must cure or not deserve thy Grief XLI Philoclea's parting Feb. 25. 1650. KInder then a condemned Man's Reprieve Was your dear Company that bad me live When by Rosannia's silence I had been The wretchedst Martyr any Age hath seen But as when Traytors faint upon the Rack Tormentors strive to call their Spirits back Not out of kindness to preserve their breath But to increase the Torments of their Death So was I raised to this glorious height To make my fall the more unfortunate But this I know none ever dy'd before Upon a sadder or a nobler score XLII To Rosannia now Mrs. Mountague being with her Septemb. 25. 1652. 1. AS men that are with Visions grac'd Must have all other thoughts displac'd And buy those short descents of Light With loss of Sense or Spirit 's flight 2. So since thou wert my happiness I could not hope the rate was less And thus the Vision which I gain Is short t' enjoy and hard t' attain 3. Ah then what a poor trifle's all That thing which here we Pleasure call Since what our very Souls hath cost Is hardly got and quickly lost 4. Yet is there Justice in the fate For should we dwell in blest estate Our Joyes thereby would so inflame We should forget from whence we came 5. If this so sad a doom can quit Me for the follies I commit Let no estrangement on thy part Adde a new ruine to my heart 6. When on my self I do reflect I can no smile from thee expect But if thy Kindness hath no plea Some freedom grant for Charity 7. Else the just World must needs deny Our Friendship an Eternity This Love will ne're that title hold For thine 's too hot and mine 's too cold 8. Divided Rivers lose their name And so our too-unequal flame Parted will Passion be in me And an Indifference in thee 9. Thy Absence I could easier find Provided thou wert well and kind Then such a Presence as is this Made up of snatches of my bliss 10. So when the Earth long gasps for rain If she at last some few drops gain She is more parched then at first That small recruit increas'd the thirst XLIII To my Lucasia LEt dull Philosophers inquire no more In Nature's womb or Causes strivet ' explore By what strange harmony and course of things Each body to the whole a tribute brings What secret unions secret Neighbourings make And of each other how they do partake These are but low Experiments but he That Nature's harmony intire would see Must search agreeing Souls sit down and view How sweet the mixture is how full how true By what soft touches Spirits greet and kiss And in each other can complete their bliss A wonder so sublime it will admit No rude Spectator to contemplate it The Object will refine and he that can Friendship revere must be a Noble man How much above the common rate of things Must they then be from whom this Union springs But what 's all this to me who live to be Disprover of my own Morality And he that knew my unimproved Soul Would say I meant all Friendship to controul But Bodies move in time and so must Minds And though th' attempt no easie progress finds Yet quit me not lest I should desp'rate grow And to such Friendship adde some Patience now O may good Heav'n but so much Vertue lend To make me fit to be Lucasia's Friend But I 'le forsake my self and seek a new Self in her breast that 's far more rich and true Thus the poor Bee unmark'd doth humme and fly And droan'd with age would unregarded dy Unless some curious Artist thither come Will bless the Insect with an Amber-tomb Then glorious in its funeral the Bee Gets Eminence and gets Eternity XLIV On Controversies in Religion REligion which true Policy befriends Design'd by God to serve Man's noblest ends Is by that old Deceiver's subtile play Made the chief party in its own decay And meets that Eagle's destiny whose breast Felt the same shaft which his own feathers drest For that great Enemy of Souls perceiv'd The notion of a Deity was weav'd So closely in Man's Soul to ruine that He must at once the World depopulate But as those Tyrants who their Wills pursue If they expound old Laws need make no new So he advantage takes of Nature's light And raises that to a bare useless height Or while we seek for Truth he in the Quest Mixes a Passion or an Interest To make us lose it that I know not how 'T is not our Practice but our Quarrel now And as in th' Moon 's Eclipse some Pagans thought Their barbarous Clamours her deliverance wrought So we suppose that Truth oppressed lies And needs a Rescue from our Enmities But 't is Injustice and the Mind's Disease To think of gaining Truth by losing Peace Knowledge and Love if true do still unite God's Love and Knowledge are both Infinite And though indeed Truth does delight to lie At some Remoteness from a Common Eye Yet 't is not in a Thunder or a Noise But in soft Whispers and the stiller Voice Why should we then Knowledge so rudely treat Making our weapon what was meant our meat 'T is Ignorance that makes us quarrel so The Soul that 's dark will be contracted too Chimaera's make a noise swelling and vain And soon resolve to their own smoak again But a true Light the spirit doth dilate And robs it of its proud and sullen state Makes Love admir'd because 't is understood And makes us Wise because it makes us Good 'T is to a right Prospect of things that we Owe our Uprightness and our Charity For who resists a beam when shining bright Is not a Sinner of a common height That state 's a forfeiture
prevents his Enemies For he can neither envy nor despise But in the beauty of his ordered Mind Doth still a new rich satisfaction find Innocent Epicure whose single breast Can furnish him with a continual feast A Prince at home and Sceptres can refuse Valuing onely what he cannot lose He studies to doe good a man may be Harmless for want of Opportunity But he 's industrious kindness to dispence And therein onely covets eminence Others do court applause and fame but he Thinks all that giddy noise but Vanity He takes no pains to be observ'd or seen While all his acts are echoed from within He 's still himself when Company are gone Too well employ'd ever to be alone For studying God in all his volumes he Begins the business of Eternity And unconcern'd without retains a power To suck like Bees a sweet from ev'ry flower And as the Manna of the Israelites Had several tastes to please all Appetites So his Contentment is that catholick food That makes all states seem fit as well as good He dares not wish nor his own fate propound But if God sends reads Love in every wound And would not lose for all the joys of Sense The glorious pleasures of Obedience His better part can neither change nor lose And all God's will can bear can doe can chuse LXXIII Death 1. HOw weak a Star doth rule Mankind Which owes its ruine to the same Causes which Nature had design'd To cherish and preserve the frame 2. As Commonwealths may be secure And no remote Invasion dread Yet may a sadder fall endure From Traitors in their bosom bred 3. So while we feel no violence And on our active Health do trust A secret hand doth snatch us hence And tumbles us into the dust 4. Yet carelesly we run our race As if we could Death's summons wave And think not on the narrow space Between a Table and a Grave 5. But since we cannot Death reprieve Our Souls and Fame we ought to mind For they our Bodies will survive That goes beyond this stayes behind 6. If I be sure my Soul is safe And that my Actions will provide My Tomb a nobler Epitaph Then that I onely liv'd and dy'd 7. So that in various accidents I Conscience may and Honour keep I with that ease and innocence Shall die as Infants go to sleep LXXIV To the Queen's Majesty on her late Sickness and Recovery THe publick Gladness that 's to us restor'd For your escape from what we so deplor'd Will want as well resemblance as belief Unless our Joy be measur'd by our Grief When in your Fever we with terrour saw At once our Hopes and Happiness withdraw And every crisis did with jealous fear Enquire the News we scarce durst stay to hear Some dying Princes have their Servants slain That after death they might not want a Train Such cruelty were here a needless sin For had our fatal Fears prophetick been Sorrow alone that service would have done And you by Nations had been waited on Your danger was in ev'ry Visage seen And onely yours was quiet and serene But all our zealous Grief had been in vain Had not Great Charles's call'd you back again Who did your suff'rings with such pain discern He lost three Kingdoms once with less concern Lab'ring your safety he neglected his Nor fear'd he Death in any shape but this His Genius did the bold Distemper tame And his rich Tears quench'd the rebellious Flame At once the Thracian Hero lov'd and griev'd Till he his lost Felicity retriev'd And with the moving accents of his wo His Spouse recover'd from the shades below So the King's grief your threatned loss withstood Who mourn'd with the same fortune that he woo'd And to his happy Passion we have been Now twice oblig'd for so ador'd a Queen But how severe a Choice had you to make When you must Heav'n delay or Him forsake Yet since those joys you made such haste to find Had scarce been full if he were left behind How well did Fate decide your inward strife By making him a Present of your Life Which rescu'd Blessing we must long enjoy Since our Offences could it not destroy For none but Death durst rival him in you And Death himself was baffled in it too FINIS Errata For Rosannia read Rosania throughout Pag. 81. for Bodiscist read Bodidrist LXXV Upon Mr. Abraham Cowley's Retirement ODE I. NO no unfaithful World thou hast Too long my easie Heart betray'd And me too long thy Foot-ball made But I am wiser grown at last And will improve by all that I have past I know'twas just I should be practis'd on For I was told before And told in sober and instructive lore How little all that trusted thee have won And yet I would make haste to be undone Now by my suff'ring I am better taught And shall no more commit that stupid fault Go get some other Fool Whom thou mayst next cajole On me thy frowns thou dost in vain bestow For I know how To be as coy and as reserv'd as thou 2. In my remote and humble seat Now I 'm again possest Of that late fugitive my Breast From all thy tumults and from all thy heat I le find a quiet and a cool retreat And on the Fetters I have worn Look with experienc'd and revengeful scorn In this my sov'raign Privacy 'T is true I cannot govern thee But yet my self I may subdue And that 's the nobler Empire of the two If ev'ry Passion had got leave Its satisfaction to receive Yet I would it a higher pleasure call To conquer one then to indulge them all 3. For thy inconstant Sea no more I 'le leave that safe and solid Shore No though to prosper in the cheat Thou shouldst my Destiny defeat And make me be Belov'd or Rich or Great Nor from my self shouldst me reclaim With all the noise and all the pomp of Fame Judiciously I 'le thee despise Too small the Bargain and too great the Price For them to cozen twice At length this secret I have learn'd Who will be happy will be unconcern'd Must all their Comfort in their Bosom wear And seek their treasure and their power there 4. No other Wealth will I aspire But of Nature to admire Nor envy on a Laurel will bestow Whil'st I have any in my Garden grow And when I would be Great 'T is but ascending to a Seat Which Nature in a lofty Rock hath built A Throne as free from trouble as from guilt Where when my Soul her wings does raise Above what Worldlings fear or praise With innocence and quiet pride I 'le sit And see the humble Waves pay tribute to my feet O Life Divine when free from joys diseas'd Not always merry but 't is always pleas'd 5. A Heart which is too great a thing To be a Present for a Persian King Which God himself would have to be his Court Where Angels would officiously resort From its own height should much decline If this Converse it should resign Ill-natur'd World for thine Thy unwise rigour hath thy Empire lost It hath not onely set me free But it hath made me see They onely can of thy possession boast Who do enjoy thee least and understand thee most For lo the Man whom all Mankind admir'd By ev'ry Grace adorn'd and ev'ry Muse inspir'd Is now triumphantly retir'd The mighty Cowley this hath done And over thee a Parthian Conquest won Which future Ages shall adore And which in this subdues thee more Then either Greek or Roman ever could before FINIS
Having her Heart to be my Monument Though ne're Stone to me 't wil Stone for me prove By the peculiar miracles of Love There I 'le Inscription have which no Tomb gives Not Here Orinda lies but Here she lives XXVII Friendship in Embleme or the Seal To my dearest Lucasia 1. THe Hearts thus intermixed speak A Love that no bold shock can break For joyn'd and growing both in one Neither can be disturb'd alone 2. That means a mutual Knowledge too For what is 't either Heart can doe Which by its panting Centinel It does not to the other tell 3. That Friendship Hearts so much refines It nothing but it self designs The Hearts are free from lower ends For each point to the other tends 4. They flame 't is true and several wayes But still those Flames do so much raise That while to either they incline They yet are noble and divine 5. From smoke or hurt those Flames are free From grosness or mortality The Heart like Moses Bush presumed Warm'd and enlightned not consumed 6. The Compasses that stand above Express this great immortal Love For Friends like them can prove this true They are and yet they are not two 7. And in their posture is exprest Friendship 's exalted Interest Each follows where the other leans And what each does each other means 8. And as when one foot does stand fast And t'other circles seeks to cast The steddy part does regulate And make the Wandrer's motion straight 9. So Friends are onely two in this T'reclaim each other when they miss For whosoe're will grosly fall Can never be a Friend at all 10. And as that useful Instrument For Even lines was ever meant So Friendship from good Angels springs To teach the world Heroick things 11. As these are found out in design To rule and measure every Line So Friendship governs actions best Prescribing unto all the rest 12. And as in Nature nothing's set So just as Lines in Number met So Compasses for these b'ing made Do Friendship 's harmony persuade 13. And like to them so Friends may own Extension not Division Their Points like Bodies separate But Head like Souls knows no such fate 14. And as each part so well is knit That their Embraces ever fit So Friends are such by destiny And no third can the place supply 15. There needs no Motto to the Seal But that we may the mind reveal To the dull Eye it was thought fit That Friendship onely should be writ 16. But as there are Degrees of bliss So there 's no Friendship meant by this But such as will transmit to Fame Lucasia and Orinda's name XXVIII In Memory of T. P. who died at Action the 24. May 1660. at 12. and ½ of Age. IF I could ever write a lasting Verse It should be laid dear heart upon thy Herse But Sorrow is no Muse and does confess That it least can what it would most express Yet that I may some bounds to Grief allow I 'le try if I can weep in Numbers now Ah beauteous Blossom too untimely dead Whither ah whither is thy sweetness fled Where are the charms that alwayes did arise From the prevailing language of thy Eyes Where is thy lovely air and lovely meene And all the wonders that in thee were seen Alas in vain in vain on thee I rave There is no pity in the stupid Grave But so the Bankrupt sitting on the brim Of those fierce Billows which had ruin'd him Begs for his lost Estate and does complain To the inexorable Flouds in vain As well we may enquire when Roses die To what retirement their sweet Odours flie Whither their Virtues and their Blushes haste When the short triumph of their life is past Or call their perishing Beauties back with tears As adde one moment to thy finish'd years No thou art gone and thy presaging Mind So thriftily thy early hours design'd That hasty Death was baffled in his Pride Since nothing of thee but thy Body dy'd Thy Soul was up betimes and so concern'd To grasp all Excellence that could be learn'd That finding nothing fill her thirsting here To the Spring-head she went to quench it there And so prepar'd that being freed from sin She quickly might become a Cherubin Thou wert all Soul and through thy Eyes it shin'd Asham'd and angry to be so confin'd It long'd to be uncag'd and thither flown Where it might know as clearly as 't was known In these vast hopes we might thy change have found But that Heav'n blinds whom it decrees to wound For Parts so soon at so sublime a pitch A Judgment so mature Fancy so rich Never appear unto unthankful Men But as a Vision to be hid again So glorious Scenes in Masques Spectators view With the short pleasure of an hour or two But that once past the Ornaments are gone The Lights extinguish'd and the Curtains drawn Yet all these Gifts were thy less noble part Nor was thy Head so worthy as thy Heart Where the Divine Impression shin'd so clear As snatch'd thee hence and yet endear'd thee here For what in thee did most command our love Was both the cause and sign of thy remove Such fools are we so fatally we choose For what we most would keep we soonest loose The humble greatness of thy Pious thought Sweetness unforc'd and Bashfulness untaught The native Candour of thine open breast And all the Beams wherein thy Worth was drest Thy Wit so bright so piercing and immense Adorn'd with wise and lovely Innocence Might have foretold thou wert not so complete But that our joy might be as short as great 'T is so and all our cares and hopes of thee Fled like a vanish'd Dream or wither'd Tree So the poor Swain beholds his ripened Corn By some rough Wind without a Sickle torn Never ah never let sad Parents guess At once remove of future happiness But reckon Children 'mong those passing joys Which one hour gives and the next hour destroys Alas we were secure of our content But find too late that it was onely lent To be a Mirrour wherein we may see How frail we are how spotless we should be But if to thy blest Soul my grief appears Forgive and pity these injurious tears Impute them to Affection 's sad excess Which will not yield to Nature's tenderness Since 't was through dearest ties and highest trust Continued from thy Cradle to thy Dust And so rewarded and confirm'd by thine That wo is me I thought thee too much mine But I 'le resign and follow thee as fast As my unhappy Minutes will make hast Till when the fresh remembrances of thee Shall be my Emblems of Mortality For such a loss as this bright Soul is not Ever to be repaired or forgot XXIX In memory of that excellent person Mrs. Mary Lloyd of Bodiscist in Denbigh-shire who died Nov. 13. 1656. after she came thither from Pembroke-shire I Cannot hold for though to write were rude Yet to be silent were Ingratitude