bright day Shall hence for ever bear away 4. Lo the new Law of a new Lord With a new Lamb blesses the Board The aged Pascha pleads not years But spies Love's dawn and disappears Types yield to Truths shades shrink away And their Night dyes into out Day 5. But lest that dy too we are bid Ever to do what he once did And by a mindful mystick breath That we may live revive his Death With a well-blest Bread and Wine Transum'd and taught to turn Divine 6. The Heav'n-instructed house of Faith Here a Holy Dictate hath That they but lend their Form and Face Themselves with reverence leave their place Nature and Name to be made good By a Nobler Bread more needful Blood 7. Where Nature's Laws no leave will give Bold Faith takes heart and dares believe In different species name not things Himself to me my Saviour brings As Meat in that as Drink in this But still in both one Christ he is 8. The receiving Mouth here makes Nor wound nor breach in what he takes Let one or one Thousand be Here Dividers single he Bears home no less all they no more Nor leave they both less then before 9. Though in it self this Soveraign Feast Be all the same to every Guest Yet on the same life-meaning Bread The child of death eats himself dead Nor is 't Love's fault but Sins dire skill That thus from Life can Death distil 10. When the blest signs thou broke shal't see Hold but thy Faith intire as he Who howsoe'r clad cannot come Lesse then whole Christ in every crumme In broken forms a stable Faith Untouch't her precious Total hath 11. Lo the Life-food of Angels then Bow'd to the lowly mouths of men The Childrens Bread the Bridegroom's Wine Not to be cast to Dogs or Swine 12. Lo the full final Sacrifice On which all Figures fix't their Eyes The ransom'd Isack and his Ram The Manna and the Paschal Lamb. 13. Jesu Master Just and true Our Food and faithful Shepherd too O by thy self vouchsafe to keep As with thy self thou feedst thy sheep 14. O let that Love which thus makes thee Mix with our low Mortality Lift our lean Souls and let us up Convictors of thine own full cup. Coheirs of Saints that so all may Drink the same Wine and the same Way Nor change the Pasture but the Place To seed of Thee in thine own Face Amen The HYMN Dies irae dies illa In Meditation of the day of Judgment 1. HEars't thou my soul what serious things Both the Psalm and Sybil sings Of a sure Judge from whose sharp Ray The World in Flames shall fly away 2. O that fire before whose face Heav'n and Earth shall find no place O these Eyes whose angry light Must be the day of that dread Night 3. O that trump whose blast shall run An Even round with th' circling Sun And urge the murmuring graves to bring Pale mankind forth to meet his King 4. Horror of Nature Hell and Death When a deep groan from beneath Shall cry we come we come and all The Caves of Night answer one call 5. O that Book whose Leaves so bright Will set the World in severe Light O that Judge whose Hand whose Eye None can indure yet none can fly 6. Ah then poor Soul what wilt thou say And to what Patron chuse to pray When Stars themselves shall stagger and The most firm Foot no more then stand 7. But thou giv'st leave dread Lord that we Take shelter from thy self in Thee And with the wings of thine own Dove Fly to thy Scepter of soft Love 8. Dear remember in that day Who was the cause thou cam'st this way Thy sheep was stray'd and thou wouldst be Even lost thy self in seeking me 9. Shall all that labour all that cost Of Love and ev'n that loss be lost And this lov'd soul judg'd worth no less Then all that way and weariness 10. Just Mercy then thy reck'ning be With my price and not with me 'T was paid at first with too much pain To be paid twice or once in vain 11. Mercy my Judge Mercy I cry With blushing Cheek and bleeding Eye The conscious Colours of my sin Are Red without and pale within 12. O let thine own soft Bowells pay Thy self and so discharge that day If sin can sigh Love can forgive O say the word my Soul shall live 13. Those Mercies which thy Mary found Or who thy Cross confest and Crown'd Hope tells my heart the same Loves be Still alive and still for me 14. Though both my Pray'rs and Tears combine Both worthless are for they are mine But thou thy bounteous self still be And show thou art by saving me 15. O when thy last frown shall proclaim The flocks of goats to folds of flame And all thy lost sheep found shall be Let come ye Blessod then call me 16. When the dread Ite shall divide Those Limbs of death from thy left side Let those Life-speaking Lips command That I inherit thy right hand 17. O hear a suppliant heart all crush't And crumbled into contrite dust My hope my fear my Judge my Friend Take charge of me and of my end The HYMN O Gloriosa Domina HAil most High most humble one Above the World below thy Son Whose blush the Moon beauteously marres And stains the timerous light of Stars He that made all things had not done Till he had made himself thy Son The whole World's host would be thy guest And board himself at thy rich Brest O boundless Hospitality The Feast of all things feeds on thee The first Eve Mother of our Fall E'r she bore any one slew all Of her unkind gift might we have The inheritance of a hasty Grave Quick buried in the wanton Tomb Of one forbidden bit Had not a better Fruit forbidden it Had not thy healthful womb The Worlds new Eastern window been And given us Heav'n again in giving him Thine was the Rosy Dawn that sprung the Day Which renders all the Stars she stole away Let then the aged World be wise and all Prove Nobly here unnatural 'T is gratitude to forget that other And call the Maiden Eve their Mother Ye redeem'd Nations far and Near Applaud your happy selves in her All you to whom this Love belongs And keep 't alive with lasting songs Let Hearts and Lips speak loud and say Hail door of Life and sourse of Day The Door was shut the Fountain seal'd Yet Light was seen and Life reveal'd The Fountain seal'd yet Life found way Glory to thee great Virgin 's son In bosom of thy Fathers bliss The same to thee sweet Spirit be done As ever shall be was and is Amen The Flaming Heart upon the Book and Picture of the Seraphical Saint Teresa as she is usually expressed with a Seraphim beside her WEll meaning Readers you that come as friends And catch the precious name this piece pretends Make not too much haste t' admire That fair-cheek't
in 't small or none It is too sweet to be a long-liv'd one Luk. 16. Dives asking a drop A Drop one drop how sweetly one fair drop Would tremble on my Pearl-tipt fingers top My Wealth is gone O go it where it will Spare this one Jewel I 'll be Dives still Mark 12. Give to Caesar And to God ALl we have is God's and yet Caesar challenges a Debt Nor hath God a thinner share What ever Caesar's payments are All is God's and yet 't is true All we have is Caesar's too All is Caesar's and what odds So long as Caesar's self is Gods But now they have seen and hated SEen and yet hated Thee they did not see They saw Thee not that saw and hated Thee No no they saw thee not O Life O Love Who saw ought in Thee that their Hate could move Upon the Crown of Thorns taken from our Blessed Lords Head all bloody KNow'st thou this Soldier 't is a much chang'd Plant which yet Thy Self didst set 'T is chang'd indeed did Autumn e'r such Beautys bring To shame his Spring O! who so hard an Husbandman could ever find A Soyl so kind Is not the Soil a kind one think ye that returns Roses for Thorns She began to wash his Feet with Tears and wipe them with the Hairs of her Head HEr Eyes Flood licks his Feets fair stain Her Hairs Flame licks up that again This Flame thus quench't hath brighter Beams This Flood thus stained fairer Streams On St. Peter cutting off Malchus his Ear. WEll Peter dost thou wield thy active Sword Well for thy self I mean not for thy Lord. To strike at Ears is to take heed there be No witness Peter of thy Perjury Joh. 3. But Men loved Darkness rather than Light THe Worlds Light shines shine as it will The World will love its Darkness still I doubt though when the World 's in Hell It will not love its darkness half so well Act. 21. I am ready not onely to be Bound but to Dye COme death come bands nor do you shrink my ears At those hard words Mans Cowardise calls Fears Save those of Fear no other Bands fear I Nor other Death then this the fear to Die On St. Peter casting away his Nets at our Saviours Call THou hast the Art on 't Peter and canst tell To cast thy Nets on all occasions well When Christ calls and thy Nets would have thee stay To cast them Well's to cast them quite away Our Lord in his Circumcision to his Father TO thee these First Fruits of my growing Death For what else is my life lo I bequeath Taste this and as thou lik'st this lesser flood Expect a Sea my heart shall make it good Thy wrath that wades here now e'r long shall swim The Flood-gate shall be set wide ope for him Then let him drink and drink and do his worst To drown the wantonness of his wild Thirst. Now 's but the Nonage of my Pains my Fears Are yet both in their hopes not come to years The Day of my dark Woes is yet but Morn My Tears but tender and my Death new-born Yet may these unfledg'd griefs give fate some guess These Cradle-torments have their towardness These Purple buds of blooming Death may be Erst the full Stature of a fatal Tree And till my riper Woes to Age are come This Knife may be the Spears Praeludium On the wounds of our crucified Lord. O These wakeful Wounds of thine Are they Mouths or are they Eyes Be they Mouthes or be they Eyn Each bleeding part some one supplies Lo a Mouth whose full-bloom'd Lips At too dear a rate are Roses Lo a blood-shot Eye that weeps And many a cruel Tear discloses O thou that on this Foot hast laid Many a Kiss and many a Tear Now thou shalt have all repaid Whatsoe'r thy Charges were This Foot hath got a Mouth and Lips To pay the sweet summe of thy Kisses To pay thy Tears an Eye that weeps Instead of Tears such Gems as this is The difference onely this appears Nor can the change offend The Debt is paid in Ruby-Tears Which thou in Pearls didst lend On our crucified Lord Naked and Bloody TH' have left thee Naked Lord O that they had This Garment too I would they had deny'd Thee with thy self they have too richly clad Opening the Purple Wardrobe of thy Side O never could be found Garments too good For thee to wear but these of thine own Blood Easter-day RIse Heir of fresh Eternity From thy Virgin-Tomb Rise Mighty man of Wonders and thy world with thee Thy Tomb the universal East Natures new Womb Thy Tomb fair Immortalities perfumed Nest Of all the Glories make Noon gay This is the Morn This Rock buds forth the fountain of the streams of day In Joyes white Annals live this hour When life was born No Cloud scoul on his radiant Lids no Tempest lowre Life by this Light 's Nativity All Creatures have Death onely by this days just Doom is forc't to dye Nor is Death forc't for may he lye Thron'd in thy Grave Death will on this condition be content to dye On the bleeding Wounds of our crucified Lord. JEsu no more it is full Tide From thy Hands and from thy Feet From thy Head and from thy Side All thy Purple Rivers meet Thy restless Feet they cannot go For us and our Eternal good As they are wont what though They Swim alas in their own Flood Thy Hand to give thou canst not lift Yet will thy Hand still giving be It gives but O itself 's the Gift It drops though bound though bound 't is free But Oh thy Side thy deep dig'd Side That hath a double Nilus going Nor ever was the 〈◊〉 Tide Half so Fruitful half so Flowing What need thy fair Head bear a 〈◊〉 In Tears as if thine Eyes had none What need they help to drown thine Heart That strives in Torrents of its own Water'd by the showres they bring The Thorns that thy Blest Brows encloses A cruel and a costly Spring Conceive proud hopes of proving Roses Not a Hair but pays his River To this Red Sea of thy Blood Their little Channels â—…an deliver Something to the general Flood But while I speak whither are run All the Rivers nam'd before I counted wrong there is but one But O that one is one all o're Rain-swoln Rivers may rise proud Threatning all to overflow But when indeed all 's overflow'd They themselves are drowned too This thy Bloods deluge a dire chance Dear Lord to thee to us is found A deluge of deliverance A Deluge lest we should be drown'd Ne'r was 't thou in a Sence so sadly True The Well of living Waters Lord till now Sampson to his Dalilah COuld not once blinding me Cruel suffice When first I look't on thee I lost mine Eyes Psalm 23. HAppy me O haypy Sheep Whom my God vouchsafes to keep Even my God even he it is That points me to these ways of
they by the seasonable fright Of an unseasonable night Loosing it once again stumble on true Light 2 And as before his too-bright eye Was their more blind idolatry So his officious blindness now shall be Their black but faithful perspective of thee 3 His new prodigious night Their new and admirable light The supernatural Dawn of thy pure day While wondring they The happy converts now of him Whom they compell'd before to be their sin Shall henceforth see To kiss him only as their rod Whom they so long courted as God Cho. And their best use of him they worship't be To learn of him at lest to worship thee 2 It was their Weakness woo'd his Beauty But it shall be Their wisdom now as well as duty T' injoy his Blot and as a large black Letter Use it to spel thy Beauties Better And make the night it self their torch to thee 2 By the oblique ambush of this close night Couch't in that conscious shade The right ey'd Areopagite Shall with a vigorous guess invade And catch thy quick reflex and sharply see On this dark Ground To descant thee 3 O price of the rich Spirit with that fierce chase Of this strong Soul shall he Leap at thy lofty Face And seize the swift flash in rebound From this obsequious Cloud Once call'd a Sun Till dearly thus undone Cho. Till thus triumphantly tam'd O ye two Twin-Suns and taught now to negotiate you 1 Thus shall that reverend Child of light 2 By being Scholar first of that new night Come forth Great Master of the mistick day 3 And teach obscure Mankind a more close way By the frugal negative Light Of a most wise and well-abused Night To read more legible thine original Ray Cho. And make our darkness serve thy day Maintaining 'twixt thy World and ours A commerce of contrary pow'rs A mutual Trade 'Twixt Sun and Shade By confederate Black and White Borrowing Day and lending Night 1 Thus we who when with all the Noble powr's That at thy cost are call'd not vainly ours We vow to make brave way Upwards and press on for the pure intelligential prey 2 At lest to play The amorous spies And peep and proffer at thy sparkling Throne 3 Instead of bringing in the blissful Prize And fastning on thine Eyes Forfeit our own And nothing gain But more ambitious loss at lest of brain Cho. Now by abased Lids shall learn to be Eagles and shut our Eyes that we may see The Close Therefore to thee and thine auspicious ray Dread sweet lo thus At lest by us The delegated Eye of Day Does first his Scepter then himself in solemn Tribute pay Thus he undresses His sacred unshorn Tresses At thy adored Feet thus he lays down 1 His gorgeous tire Of Flame and Fire 2 His glittering Robe 3 His sparkling Crown 3 His Gold 2 His Mirrh 3. His Frankincence Cho. To which he now has no pretence For being show'd by this days light how far He is from Sun enough to make thy Star His best ambition now is but to be Somthing a brighter shadow Sweet of thee Or on Heav'ns azure forehead high to stand Thy Golden Index with a duteous Hand Pointing us home to our own Sun The World's and his Hyperion To the Queen's Majesty on Twelfth-day MADAM 'Mongst those long rows of Crowns that guild your Race These Royal sages sue for decent place The day-break of the Nations their first ray When the dark World dawn'd into Christian day And smil'd i' th Babes bright face the purpling Bud And Rosy dawn of the right Royal Blood Fair first-fruits of the Lamb sure Kings in this They took a Kingdom while they gave a kiss But the World's Homage scarce in these well blown We read in you Rare Queen ripe and full grown For from this day 's rich seed of Diadems Does rise a radiant crop of Royal stems A Golden Harvest of Crown'd heads that meet And crowd for kisses from the Lambs white feet In this illustrious throng your lofty floud Swels high fair confluence of all highborn Bloud With your bright head whose groves of Scepters bend Their wealthy tops and for these feet contend So swore the Lambs dread Sire and so we see 't Crowns and the Heads they kiss must court these Feet Fix here fair Majesty may your heart ne'r miss To reap new Crowns and Kingdoms from that kiss Nor may we miss the joy to meet in you The aged honors of this day still new May the great time in you still greater be While all the year is your Epiphany While your each day's Devotion duly brings Three Kingdoms to supply this days three Kings The Office of the Holy Cross For the hour of Matins The Versicle Lord by thy sweet and saving Sign The Responsory Defend us from our Foes and Thine Ver. Thou shalt open my Lips O Lord. Res. And my mouth shall declare thy praise Ver. O God make speed to save me Res. O Lord make haste to help me Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen THE HYMN THe wakeful Matines haste to sing The unknown sorrows of our King The Father's Word and Wisdome made Man for Man by Man's betraid The world's price set to sale and by the bold Merchants of Death and Sin is bought and sold Of his best Friends yea of himself forsaken By his worst foes because he would besieg'd and taken The Antiphon All hail fair Tree Whose Fruit we be What Song shall raise Thy seemly praise Who broughtst to light Life out of Death Day out of night The Versicle Lo we adore thee Dread Lamb and bow thus low before thee The Responsor 'Cause by the Covenant of thy Cross Thou hast sav'd at once the whole World's loss The Prayer O My Lord Jesu Christ Son of the living God! interpose I pray thee thine own pretious death thy Cross and Passion betwixt my Soul and thy Judgement now and in the hour of my death And vouchsafe to grant me thy Grace and Mercy to the living and dead remission and rest to thy Church peace and concord to us sinners life and glory everlasting Who livest and reignest with the Father in the Unity of the Holy Ghost one God world without end Amen For the hour of Prime The Versicle Lord by thy sweet and saving Sign The Responsor Defend us from our foes and thine Ver. Thou shalt open my Lips O Lord. Res. And my mouth shall declare thy praise Ver. O God make speed to save me Res. O Lord make haste to help me Glory be to c. As it was in c. THE HYMN THe early Prime blushes to say She could not rise so soon as they Call'd Pilate up to try if he Could lend them any Cruelty Their Hands with lashes arm'd their Tongues with lyes And loathsome Spittle blot those beauteous Eyes The blissful springs of Joy from whose
And prove how light the World was when it weigh'd with Him Wide maist thou spred Thine Arms and with thy bright and blisful head O'r look all Libanus Thy lofty crown The King himself is thou his humble Throne Where yielding and yet conquering he Prov'd a new path of patient victory When wondring death by death was slain And our Captivity his Captive ta'ne The Versicle Lo we adore thee Dread Lamb and bow thus low before thee The Responsor Cause by the covenant of thy Cross Thou hast sav'd the World from certain loss The Prayer O My Lord Jesu Christ son of the living c. COMPLINE The Versicle Lord by thy sweet and saving Sign The Responsor Defend us from our foes and thine Ver. Thou shalt open my lips O Lord. Res. And my mouth shall declare thy praise Ver. O God make speed to save me Res. O Lord make haste to help me Ver. Glory be to c. Res. As it was in c. The HYMN THe Compline hour comes last to call Us to our own Live's funeral Ah hartless task yet hope takes head And lives in him that here lies dead Run Mary run bring hither all the Blest Arabia for thy Royal Phenix ' nest Pour on thy Noblest sweets which when they touch This sweeter Body shall indeed be such But must thy bed Lord be a borrow'd Grave Who lendst to all things all the life they have O rather use this Heart thus far a fitter Stone 'Cause though a hard and cold one yet it is thine own Amen The Antiphon O save us then Merciful King of men Since thou wouldst needs be thus A Saviour and at such a rate for us Save us O save us Lord. We now will own no shorter wish nor name a narrower word Thy blood bids us be bold Thy wounds give us fair hold Thy sorrows chide our shame â—…hy Cross thy Nature and thy Name Advance our claim And cry with one accord Save them O save them Lord. The Versicle Lo we adore thee Dread Lamb and bow thus low before thee The Responsor 'Cause by the covenant of thy Cross Thou hast sav'd the world from certain loss The Prayer O My Lord Jesu Christ Son of c. The RECOMMENDATION THese Hours and that which hovers o'r my end Into thy Hands and Heart Lord I commend Take both to thine account that I and mine In that hour and in these may be all thine That as I dedicate my devoutest Breath To make a kind of Life for my Lords Death So from his living and life-giving Death My dying Life may draw a new and never-fleeting Breath VEXILLA REGIS The Hymn of the Holy Cross. 1. LOok up languishing soul Lo where the fair Badge of thy Faith calls back thy care And bids thee ne'r forget Thy Life is one long Debt Of Love to Him who on this painful Tree Paid back the Flesh he took for thee 2. Lo how the streams of Life from that full Nest Of Loves thy Lord 's too liberal Brest Flow in an amorous Floud Of Water wedding Bloud With these he wash't thy stain transfer'd thy smart And took it home to his own heart 3. But though great Love greedy of such sad gain Usurp't the portion of thy pain And from the Nails and Spear Turn'd the steel point of Fear Their use is chang'd not lost and now they move Not stings of Wrath but wounds of Love 4. Tall Tree of Life thy Truth makes good What was till now ne'r understood Though the prophetick King Struck loud his faithful string It was thy wood he meant should make the Throne For a more then Salomon 5. Large throne of Love Royally spred With purple of too rich a Red. Thy crime is too much duty Thy burthen too much Beauty Glorious or grievous more thus to make good Thy costly Excellence with thy Kings own Blood 6. Even ballance of both Worlds our World of sin And that of Grace Heav'n weigh'd in Him Us with our price thou weighedst Our price for us thou payedst Soon as the right-hand scale rejoyc't to prove How much Death weigh'd more light then Love 7. Hail our alone Hope let thy fair Head shoot Aloft and fill the Nations with thy Noble fruit The while our hearts and we Thus graft our selves on thee Grow thou and they and be thy fair increase The sinner's pardon and the just man's peace Live O for ever Live and Reign The Lamb whom his own Love has slain And let thy lost sheep live t' inherit That Kingdom which this Cross did merit Amen Charitas Nimia Or the dear Bargain LOrd what is Man why should he cost thee So dear what had his ruine lost thee Lord what is Man that thou hast over-bought So much a thing of nought Love is too kind I see and can Make but a simple Merchant man 'T was for such sorry Merchandise Bold Painters have put out his Eyes Alas sweet Lord what wer 't to thee If there were no such Worms as we Heav'n ne'rtheless still Heav'n would be Should Mankind dwell In the deep Hell What have his Woes to do with thee Let him go weep O'r his own wounds Seraphims will not sleep Nor Sphears let fall their fatihful rounds Still would the youthful Spirits sing And still thy spacious Palace ring Still would those beauteous Ministers of Light Burn all as bright And bow their flaming heads before thee Still Thrones and Dominations would adore thee Still would those ever-wakeful sons of fire Keep warm thy praise Both nights and days And teach thy lov'd name to their Noble Lyre Let froward Dust then do its kind And give it self for sport to the proud wind Why should a piece of peevish Clay plead shares In the Eternity of thy old cares Why shouldst thou bow thy awful Brest to see What mine own madnesses have done with me Should not the King still keep his Throne Because some desperate Fool 's undone Or will the World 's illustrious Eyes Weep for every Worm that dies Will the gallant Sun E'r the less Glorious run Will he hang down his Golden head Or e'r the sooner seek his Western bed Because some foolish Fly Grows wanton and will dye If I were lost in misery What was it to thy Heav'n and thee What was it to thy precious blood If my soul Heart call'd for a floud What if my faithless soul and I Would needs fall in With guilt and sin What did the Lamb that he should dye What did the Lamb that he should need When the Wolf sins himself to bleed If my base Lust Bargain'd with Death and well-beseeming Dust Why should the white Lamb's bosome write The purple name Of my sin's shame Why should his unstain'd Brest make good My blushes with his own heart-blood O my Saviour make me see How dearly thou hast paid for me That lost again my Life may prove As then in Death so now in Love Sancta Maria dolorum Or the Mother of sorrows
shade but all in vain Of sturdy Adamant is his strong Chain 19. While thus Heav'ns highest Counsails by the low Foot-steps of their Effects he trac'd too well He tost his troubled Eyes Embers that glow Now with new Rage and wax too hot for Hell With his foul Claws he fenc'd his â—…urrowed Brow And gave a gastly shreek whose horrid Yell Ran trembling through the hollow vaults of Night The while his twisted Tail he gnaw'd for spight 20. Yet on the other side fain would he start Above his Fears and think it cannot be He studies Scripture strives to sound the heart And feel the Pulse of every Prophecy He knows but knows not how or by what Art The Heav'n expecting Ages hope to see A Mighty Babe whose pure unspotted Birth From a chaste Virgin womb should bless the Earth 21. But these vast Mysteries his Senses smother And Reason for what 's Faith to him devour How she that is a Maid should prove a Mother Yet keep inviolate her Virgin Flow'r How Gods Eternal Son should be mans Brother Poseth his proudest Intellectual Pow'r How a pure Spirit should incarnate be And Life it self wear Death 's frail Livery 22. That the Great Angel-blinding Light should shrink His Blaze to shine in a poor Shepheards Eye That the unmeasur'd God so low should sink As Pris'ner in a few poor Rags to lie That from his Mothers Brest he Milk should drink Who feeds with Nectar Heav'ns fair Family That a vile Manger his low Bed should prove Who in a Throne of Stars Thunders above 23. That he whom the Sun serves should faintly peep Through Clouds of Infant flesh that he the old Eternal Word should be a Child and weep That he who made the Fire should fear the Cold That Heav'ns high Majesty his Court should keep In a Clay-cottage by each Blast control'd That Glories self should serve our Griefs and Fears And free Eternity submit to years 24. And further that the Law 's Eternal Giver Should bleed in his own Law 's obedience And to the circumcising Knife deliver Himself the forfeit of his Slaves offence That the unblemisht Lamb blessed for ever Should take the mark of Sin and pain of Sence These are the knotty Riddles whose dark doubt Intangles his lost Thoughts past getting out 25. While new Thoughts boyl'd in his enraged Brest His gloomy Bosomes darkest Character Was in his shady Forehead seen exprest The Forehead 's shade in Griefs expression there Is what in sign of joy among the blest The Faces lightning or a smile is here Those stings of care that his strong Heart opprest A desperate Oh me drew from his deep Brest 26. Oh me thus bellow'd he Oh me what great Portents before mine Eyes their Pow'rs advance And serves my purer sight only to beat Down my proud Thought and leave it in a Trance Frown I and can great Nature keep her seat And the gay Stars lead on their Golden dance Can his attempts above still prosp'rous be Auspicious still in spight of Hell and me 27. He has my Heaven what would he more whose bright And radiant Scepter this bold Hand should bear And for the never-fading Fields of Light My fair Inheritance he confines me here To this dark House of shades Horrour and Night To draw a long-liv'd Death where all my Cheer Is the solemnity my sorrow wears That Mankinds Torment waits upon my Tears 28. Dark dusky Man he needs would single forth To make the partner of his own pure Ray And should we Pow'rs of Heav'n Spirits of worth Bow our bright Heads before a King of Clay It shall not be said I and clomb the North Where never wing of Angel yet made way What though I mist my blow yet I strook high And to dare something is some victory 29. Is he not satisfied means he to wrest Hell from me too and sack my Territories Vile Humane Nature means he not t' invest O my despight with his Divinest Glories And rising with rich spoils upon his Brest With his fair Triumphs fill all future stories Must the bright Arms of Heav'n rebuk these Eyes Mock me and dazle my dark Mysteries 30. Art thou not Lucifer he to whom the droves Of Stars that guild the Morn in charge were given The nimblest of the Lightning-winged Loves The fairest and the first-born smile of Heav'n Look in what Pomp the Mistress Planet moves Rev'rently circled by the lesser seaven Such and so rich the Flames that from thine Eyes Opprest the common-people of the Skies 31. Ah wretch what boots thee to cast back thy Eyes Where dawning hope no beam of comfort Shows While the reflection of thy forepast joyes Renders thee double to thy present woes Rather make up to thy new Miseries And meet the mischief that upon thee grows If Hell must mourn Heav'n sure shall sympathize What force cannot effect fraud shall devise 32. And yet whose force fear I have I so lost My self my Strength too with my innocence Come try who dares Heav'n Earth what e'r dost boâ—… A borrowed Being make thy bold defence Come thy Creator too what though it cost Me yet a second fall we 'd try our strengths Heav'n saw us struggle once as brave a fight Earth now should see and tremble at the sight 33. Thus spoke th' impatient Prince and made a pause His foul Hags rais'd their Heads and clapt their Handâ—… And all the Powers of Hell in full applause Flourisht their Snakes and tost their Flaming Brands We said the horrid Sisters wait thy Laws Th' obsequious Handmaids of thy high Commands Be it thy part Hells mighty Lord to lay On us thy dread Commands ours to obey 34. What thy Alecto what these hands can do Thou mad'st bold proof upon the brow of Heav'n Nor should'st thou bate in pride because that now To these thy sooty Kingdoms thou art driven Let Heav'ns Lord chide above louder then thou In language of his Thunder thou art even With him below here thou art Lord alone Boundless and absolute Hell is thine own 35. If usual Wit and Strength will do no good Vertues of Stones nor Herbs use stronger Charms Anger and Love best hooks of Humane blood If all fail we 'll put on our proudest Arms And pouring on Heav'ns Face the Seas huge Flood Quench his curl'd fires we 'll wake with our Alarms Ruine where e'r she sleeps at Natures feet And crush the World till his wide corners meet 36. Reply'd the proud King O my Crowns defence Stay of whose strong hopes you of whose brave worth The frighted Stars took faint experience When 'gainst the Thunders mouth we marched forth Still you are prodigal of your Love's expence In our great Projects both 'gainst Heav'n and Earth I thank you all but one must single out Cruelty she alone shall cure my doubt 37. Fourth of the cursed knot of Hags is she Or rather all the other three in one Hells shop of slaughter she do's oversee And still assist the
Execution But chiefly there do's she delight to be Where Hells capacious Cauldron is set on And while the black souls boil in their own gore To hold them down and look that none seeth o're 38. Thrice howl'd the Caves of Night and thrice the sound Thundring upon the Banks of those black Lakes Rung through the hollow vaults of Hell profound At last her listning Ears the noise o'rtakes She lifts her sooty Lamps and looking round A gen'ral hiss from the whole Tire of Snakes Rebounding through Hells inmost Caverns came In answer to her formidable Name 39. 'Mongst all the Palaces in Hells Command No one so merciless as this of hers The Adamantine Doors for ever stand Impenetrable both to Pray'rs and Tears The Walls inexorable Steel no hand Of Time or Teeth of hungry Ruine fears Their ugly Ornaments are the bloody stains Of ragged Limbs torn Sculls and dasht out Brains 40. There has the Purple Vengeance a proud seat Whose ever-brandisht Sword is sheath'd in blood About her Hate Wrath Warre and Slaughter sweaâ—… Bathing their hot Limbs in Life's precious Flood There rude impetuous Rage do's storm and fret And there as Master of this murd'ring brood Swinging a huge Sith stands impartial Death With endless business almost out of Breath 41. For Hangings and for Curtains all along The Walls abominable Ornaments Are Tools of Wrath Anvils of Torments hung Fell Executioners of foul intents Nails Hammers Hatchets sharp and Halters strong Swords Spears with all the fatal instruments Of Sin and Death twice dipt in the direstains Of Brothers mutual Blood and Fathers Brains 42. The Tables furnisht with a cursed Feast Which Harpyes with lean Famine feed upon Uufill'd for ever Here among the rest â—…nhumane Erisicthon too makes one Tantalus Atreus Progne here are Guests Wolvish Lycaon here a place hath won The Cup they drink in is Medusa's Scull Which mixt with Gall and Blood they quaff brim full 43. The foul Queen's most abhorred Maids of Honour Medaea Jezabel many a meagre Witch With Circe Scylla stand to wait upon her But her best Huswives are the Parcae which Still work for her and have their Wages from her They prick a bleeding Heart at every stitch Her cruel Clothes of costly Threds they Weave Which short-cut Lives of murdered infants Leave 44. The House is hers'd about with a black Wood Which nods with many a heavy headed Tree Each Flower 's a Pregnant poyson try'd and good Each Herb a Plague The Winds sighs timed be By a black Fount which weeps into a Flood Through the thick shades obscurely might you see Minotaures Cyclopses with a dark drove Of Dragons Hydraes Sphinxes fill the Grove 45. Here Diomed's Horses Phereus Dogs appear With the fierce Lyons of Therodamas Busiris ha's his bloody Altar here Here Sylla his severest prison has The Lestrigonians here their Table rear Here strong Procrustes plants his Bed of Brass Here cruel Scyron boasts his bloody Rocks And hateful Schinas his so feared Oaks 46. What ever Schemes of Blood fantastick frames Of Death Mezentius or Geryon drew Phalaris Ochus Ezelinus names Mighty in Mischief with dread Nero too Here are they all here all the Swords or Flames Assyrian Tyrants or Egyptian knew Such was the House so furnisht was the Hall Whence the fourth Fury answer'd Pluto's call 47. Scarce to this Monster could the shady King The horrid summe of his intentions tell But she swift as the momentary wing Of Lightning or the words he spoke left Hell â—…he rose and with her to our World did bring Pale proof of her fell presence th' Air too well With a chang'd Countenance witness'd the Fight And poor Fowls intercepted in their Flight 48. Heav'n saw her rise and saw Hell in the sight The Fields fair Eyes saw her and saw no more But shut their flowry Lids for ever Night And Winter strow her way yea such a sore Is she to Nature that a general fright An universal Palsie spreading o're The face of things from her dire Eyes had run Had not her thick Snakes hid them from the Sun 49. Now had the Nights Companion from her Den Where all the busie day she close doth lye With her soft wing wip't from the brows of men Day 's sweat and by a gentle Tyranny And sweet oppression kindly cheating them Of all their Cares tam'd the rebellious Eye Of sorrow with asoft and Downy hand Sealing all Brests ina Lethaean band 50. When the Erynâ—…s her black Pineons spread And came to Bethlem where the cruel King Had now retir'd himself and borrowed His Brest a while from care 's unquiet sting Such as at Thebes dire Feast she shew'd her head Her Sulphur-breathed Torches brandishing Such to the frighted Palace now she comes And with soft feet searches the silent Rooms 51. By Herod now was born The Scepter which of old great David swaid Whose Right by David's linage so long worn Himself a stranger to his own had made And from the head of Judahs house quite torn The Crown for which upon their necks he laid A sad yoak under which they sigh'd in vain And looking on their lost state sigh'd again 52. Up through the spacious Palace passed she To where the Kings proudly-reposed head If any can be soft to Tyranny And self-tormenting sin had a soft bed She thinks not fit such he her face should see As it is seen by Hell and seen with dread To change her face's stile she doth devise And in a pale Ghost's shape to spare his Eyes 53. Her self a while she lays aside and makes Ready to personate a mortal part Joseph the King 's dead Brother's shape she takes What he by Nature was is she by Art She comes to th' King and with her cold hand slakes His Spirits the sparks of Life and chills his Heart Lifes forge fain'd is her voice and false too be Her words Sleep'st thou fond man Sleep'st thou said she 54. So sleeps a Pilot whose poor Bark is prest With many a mercyless o'r-mastring Wave For whom as dead the wrathful Winds contest Which of them deep'st shall dig her watry Grave Why dost thou let thy brave soul lie supprest In Death-like slumbers while thy dangers crave A waking Eye and Hand look up and see The Fates ripe in their great Conspiracy 55. Know'st thou not how of th' Hebrew 's Royal stemme That old dry stock a despair'd Branch is sprung A most strange Babe 〈◊〉 who here conceal'd by them In a neglected Stable lies among Beasts and base Straw already is the stream Quite turn'd th' ingrateful Rebels this their young Master with voice free as the Trump of Fame Their new King and thy Successor proclaim 56. What busie Motions what wild Engines stand On tiptoe in their giddy Brains th' have fire Already in their Bosomes and their hand Already reaches at a sword they hire Poysons to speed thee yet through all the Land What one comes to reveal what they conspire Go now make much of
Cough now no business here Out of Italian A Song TO thy Lover Deer discover That sweet blush of thine that shameth When those Roses It discloses All the Flowers that Nature nameth In free Air Flow thy Hair That no more Summers best dresses Be beholden For their Golden Locks to Phoebus Flaming Tresses O deliver Love his Quiver From thy Eyes he shoots his Arrows Where Apollo Cannot follow Featherd with his Mothers Sparrows O envy not That we dye not Those deer Lips whose Door encloses All the Graccs In their places Brother Pearls and Sister Roses From these Treasures Of ripe pleasures One bright smile to cleer the weather Earth and Heaven Thus made even Both will be good friends together The Air does 〈◊〉 thee Winds cling to thee Might a Word once fly from out thee Storm and Thunder Would fit under And keep silence round about Thee But if Natures Common Creatures So dear Glories dare not borrow Yet thy Beauty Owes a Duty To my loving lingring sorrow When to end me Death shall send me All his Terrors to affright me Thine Eyes Graces Guild their Faces And those Terrors shall delight me When my dying Life is flying Those sweet Airs that often slew me Shall revive me Or reprive me And to many Deaths renew me Out of the Italian LOve now no Fire hath left him We two betwixt us have divided it Your Eyes the Light hath reft him The Heat commanding in my Heart doth sit O! that poor Love be not for ever spoiled Let my Heat to your Light be reconciled So shall these Flames whose worth Now all obsoured lies Drest in those Beams start forth And dance before your Eyes Or else partake my Flames I care not whither And so in mutual Names O Love burn both together Out of the Italian WOuld any one the true cause find How Love came nak't a Boy and blind 'T is this listning one day too long To th' Syrens in my Mistress Song The extasie of a delight So much o'r-mastring all his might To that one Sense made all else thrall And so he lost his Clothes Eyes Heart and all On the Frontispiece of Isaacsons Chronologie explained IF with distinctive Eye and Mind you look Upon the Front you see more then one Book Creation is Gods Book wherein he writ Each Creature as a Letter filling it History is Creations Book which shows To what effects the Series of it goes Chronologie's the Book of History and bears The just account of Days of Moneths and Years But Resurrection in a Later Press And New Edition is the summe of these The Language of these Books had all been one Had not th' Aspiring Tow'r of Babylon Confus'd the Tongues and in a distance hurl'd As far the Speech as men o' th' new fill'd World Set then your Eyes in Method and behold Times Embleme Saturn who when store of Gold Coyn'd the first Age Devour'd that Birth he fear'd Till History Times eldest Child appear'd And Phaenix-like in spight of Saturns rage Forc'd from her Ashes Heires in every Age. From th' Rising Sun obtaining by just Suit A Springs Ingender and an Autumns Fruit. Who in those Volumes at her motion pen'd Unto Creations Alpha doth extend Again Ascend and view Chronology By Optick skill pulling far History Neerer whose Hand the piercing Eagles Eye Strengthens to bring remotest Objects nigh Under whose Feet you see the Setting Sun From the dark Gnomon o'r her Volumes run Drown'd in Eternal Night never to rise Till Resurrection show it to the Eyes Of Earth-worn men and her shril Trumpets sound Affright the Bones of Mortals from the ground The Columnes both are crown'd with either Sphere To show Chronology and History bear No other Culmen then the double Art Astronomy Geography impart Or Thus. LEt hoary Time's vast Bowels be the Grave To what his Bowels Birth and Being gave Let Nature die and Phaenix like from death Revived Nature take a second Breath If on Times right hand sit fair Historie If from the seed of empty Ruine she Can raise so fair an Harvest let her be Ne'r so far distant yet Chronology Sharp-sighted as the Eagles Eye that can Out-stare the broad-beam'd Days Meridian Will have a Perspicil to find her out And through the Night of error and dark doubt Discern the Dawn of Truth 's eternal Ray As when the Rosie Morn buds into Day Now that Time's Empire might be amply fill'd Babels bold Artists strive below to build Ruine a Temple on whose fruitful fall History rears her Pyramids more tall Then were th' Aegyptian by the life these give Th' Egyptian Pyramids themselves must live On these she lifts the World and on their base Shews the two Terms and Limits of Time's Race That the Creation is the Judgement this That the Worlds Morning this her Midnight is An Epitaph upon Mr. Ashton a Conformable Citizen THe modest front of this small floor Beleeve me Reader can say more Then many a braver Marble can Here lies a truly honest man One whose Conscience was a thing That troubled neither Church nor King One of those few that in this Town Honour all Preachers hear their own Sermons he heard yet not so many As left no time to practise any He heard them reverendly and then His practice preach'd them o'r agen His Parlour-Sermons rather were Those to the Eye then to the Ear. His Prayers took their price and strength Not from the loudness nor the length He was a Protestant at home Not onely in despight of Rome He lov'd his Father yet his Zeal Tore not off his Mothers Veil To th' Church he did allow her Dress True Beauty to true Holiness Peace which he lov'd in life did lend Her hand to bring him to his end When Age and Death call'd for the score No surfets were to reckon for Death tore not therefore but fans strife Gently untwin'd his thread of Life What remains then but that Thou Write these Lines Reader in thy Brow And by his fair Examples light Burn in thy imitation bright So while these Lines can but bequeath A Life perhaps unto his Death His better Epitaph shall be His Life still kept alive in Thee Out of Catullus COme and let us Live my Dear Let us Love and never Fear What the sowrest Fathers say Brightest Sol that dyes to day Lives again as blith to morrow But if we dark Sons of sorrow Set O then how long a Night Shuts the Eyes of our short Light Then let amorous Kisses dwell On our Lips begin and tell A Thousand and a Hundred score An Hundred and a Thousand more Till another Thousand smother That and that wipe of another Thus at last when we have numbred Many a Thousand many a Hundred We 'l confound the reckoning quite And lose our selves in wild delight While our joyes so multiply As shall mock the envious Eye Wishes to his supposed Mistress WHo e're she be That not impossible she That shall Command my Heart and me
morning And reinthron'd thee in thy Rosy Nest With blush of thine own blood thy day adorning It was the wit of Love oreflow'd the bounds Of Wrath and made the way through all these wounds Welcome Dear All-Adored Name For sure there is no Knee That knows not thee Or if there be such Sons of shame Alas what will they do When stubborn Rocks shall bow And Hills hang down their Heav'n-saluting Heads To seek for humble Beds Of Dust where in the bashful shades of night Next to their own low Nothing they may lye And couch before the dazeling light of thy dread Majesty They that by Love's mild dictate now Will not adore the Shall then with just Confusion bow And break before thee In the Glorious Epiphany of our Lord God a Hymn sung as by the Three Kings 1. KING BRight Babe whose awful Beauties make The morn incurr a sweet mistake 2. For whom th' officious Heav'ns devise To disinherit the Suns Rise 3. Delicately to displace The Day and plant it fairer in thy Face 1. O thou born King of Loves 2. Of Lights 3 Of Joys Cho. Look up Sweet Babe look up and see For love of thee Thus far from home The East is come To seek her self in thy sweet Eyes 1. We who strangely went astray Lost in a bright Meridian night 2. A Darkness made of too much Day 3 Becken'd from far By thy fair Star Lo at last have found our way Cho. To Thee thou Day of Night thou East of West Lo we at last have found the way To thee the Worlds great Universal East The general and indifferent day 1 All-circling point All-centring sphere The World 's One Round Eternal year 2 Whose full and all-unwrinkled face Nor sinks nor swells with time or place 3 But every where and every while Is one consistent solid smile 1 Not vext and tost 2. 'Twixt Spring and Frost 3 Nor by alternate shreds of Light Sordidly shifting hands with Shades and Night Cho. O little all in thy embrace The World lies warm and likes his place Nor does his full Globe fail to be Kist on both his Cheeks by thee Time is too narrow for thy year Nor makes the whole World thy half Sphere 1 To thee to thee From him we flee 2 From him whom by a more illustrious lye The blindness of the World did call the Eye 3 To him who by these mortal Clouds hast made Thy Self our Sun though thine own Shade 2 Farewel the World 's false Light Farewel the white Egypt a long farewel to thee Bright Idol black Idolatry The dire face of inferiour darkness kist And courted in the pompous Mask of a more specious Mist. 2 Farwell farewell The proud and misplac't Gates of Hell Perch't in the morning's way And double-guilded as the doors of Day The deep Hypocrisie of Death and Night More desperately dark because more bright 3 Welcome the World 's sure way Heav'ns wholsome Ray. Cho. Welcome to us and we Sweet to our selves in thee 1 The deathless Heir of all thy Fathers day 2 Decently born Embosom'd in a much more Rosie Morn The Blushes of thy all-unblemish't Mother 3 No more that other Aurora shall set ope Her Ruby Casements or hereafter hope From mortal Eyes To meet Religious welcomes at her Rise Cho. We pretious ones in you have won A gentler Morn a juster Sun 1 His superficial Beams Sun-burn't our skin 2 But left within 3 The night and Winter still of Death and Sin Cho. Thy softer yet more certain Darts Spare our Eyes but pierce our Hearts 1 Therefore with his proud Persian spoils 2 We court thy more concerning smiles 3 Therefore with his disgrace We guild the humble Cheek of this chast place Cho. And at thy Feet pour forth his Face 1 The doating Nations now no more Shall any day but thine adore 2 Nor much less shall they leave these Eyes For cheap Egyptian Deities 3 In whatsoe'r more Sacred shape Of Ram He-Goat or Reverend Ape Those beauteous ravishers opprest so sore The too-hard-tempted Nations 1 Never more By wanton Heyfer shall be worn 2 A Garland or a guilded Horn. The Altar-stall'd Ox fat Osyris now With his fair Sister Cow 3 Shall kick the Clouds no more but lean and tame Cho. See his horn'd Face and dy for shame And Mithra now shall be no name 1. No longer shall the immodest Lust Of adulterous Godles dust 2 Fly in the face of Heav'n as if it were The poor World's Fault that he is fair 3 Nor with perverse Loves and Religious Rapes Revenge thy Bounties in their beauteous shapes And punish best things worst because they stood Guilty of being much for them too good 1 Proud sons of death that durst compel Heav'n it self to find them Hell 2 And by strange wit of madness wrest From this World's East the other's West 3 All-Idolizing worms that thus could crowd And urge their Sun into thy Cloud Forcing his sometimes eclips'd face to be A long deliquium to the light of thee Cho. Alas with how much he avier shade The shamfac't Lamp hung down his head For that one Eclipse he made Then all those he suffered 1 For this he lookt so big and every morn With a red face confest this scorn Or hiding his vext cheeks in a hir'd mist Kept them from being so unkindly kist 2 It was for this the day did rise So oft with blubber'd Eyes For this the Evening wept and we ne'r knew But call'd it Dew 3 This daily wrong Silenc't the morning Sons and dampt their song Cho. Nor was 't our deafness but our sins that thus Long made th' Harmonious orbs all mute to us 2 Time has a day in store When this so proudly poor And self-oppressed spark that has so long By the love-sick World been made Not so much their Sun as Shade Weary of this Glorious wrong From them and from himself shall flee For shelter to the shadow of thy Tree Cho. Proud to have gain'd this precious loss And chang'd his false Crown for thy Cross. 2 That dark day's clear doom shall define Whose is the Master Fire which Sun would shine That sable iudgement-seat shall by new laws Decide and settle the Great cause Of controverted light Cho. And natur's wrongs rejoyce to do thee right 3 That forfeiture of noon to night shall pay All the idolatrous Thefts done by this night of day And the great Penitent press his own pale Lips With an elaborate Love-eclipse To which the low world's Laws Shall lend no cause Cho. Save those domestick which he borrows From our sins and his own sorrows 1 Three sad hours sackcloth then shall show to us His pennance as our fault conspicuous 2 And he more needfully and nobly prove The Nation 's terror now then erst their love 3 Their hated loves chang'd into wholsom fears Cho. The shutting of his Eye shall open theirs 2 As by a fair-ey'd fallacy of day Mis-led before they lost their way So shall
mate T' embrace my Tears and kiss an unkind Fate Sure in my early woe Stars were at strife And try'd to make a Widow e'r a Wife Nor can I tell and this new Tears doth breed In what strange path my Lord 's fair footsteps bleed O knew I where he wander'd I should see Some solace in my sorrow's certainty I 'd send my woes in words should weep for me Who knows how powrful well-writ pray'rs would be Sending's too slow a word my self would fly Who knows my own heart's woes so well as I But how shall I steal hence Alexis thou Ah thou thy self alas has taught me how Love too that leads thee would lend thee the wings To bear me harmless through the hardest things And where Love lends the wing and leads the way What dangers can there be dare say me nay If I be shipwrackâ—…t Love shall teach to swim If drown'd sweet is the death indur'd for him The noted sea shall change his name with me I 'mongst the blest Stars a new name shall be And sure where Lovers make their watry Graves The weeping Mariner will augment the waves For who so hard but passing by that way Will take acquaintance of my woes and say Here 't was the Roman Maid found a hard fate While through the world she sought her wandring Mate Here perisht she poor heart Heav'ns be my vows As true to me as she was to her Spouse O live so rare a love live and in thee The too frail life of femal constancy Farewel and shine fair soul shine there above Firm in thy Crown as here fast in thy Love There thy lost fugitive thou hast found at last Be happy and for ever hold him fast The Second ELEGY THough all the Joys I had fled hence with thee Unkind yet are my Tears still true to me I 'm wedded o'r again since thou art gone Nor couldst thou cruel leave me quite alone Alexis's Widdow now is sorrow's wife With him shall I weep out my weary life Welcome my sad sweet Mate Now have I got At last a constant Love that leaves me not Firm he as thou art false nor need my crys Thus vex the Earth and tear the Skies For him alas ne'r shall I need to be Troublesome to the World thus as for thee For thee I talk to Trees with silent Groves Expostulate my woes and much-wrong'd loves Hills and relentless Rocks or if there be Things that in hardness more allude to thee To these I talk in Tears and tell my pain And answer too for them in Tears again How oft have I wept out the weary Sun My watry hour-Glass hath old time out-run O I am Learned grown poor Love and I Have studied over all Astrology I 'm perfect in Heav'ns state with every Star My skilful grief is grown familiar Rise fairest of those fires what e'r thou be Whose Rosie beam shall point my Sun to me Such as the Sacred Light that er'st did bring The Eastern Princes to their infant King O rise pure Lamp and lend thy Golden ray That wary Love at last may find his way The Third ELEGY RIch churlish Land that hid'st so long in thee My Treasures rich alas by robbing me Needs must my Miseries owe that man a spite Who e'r he be was the first wandring Knight O had he ne'r been at that cruel cost Nature's Virginity had ne'r been lost Seas had not been rebuk't by saucy Oars But lain lock't up safe in their sacred shores Men had not spurn'd at Mountains nor made wars With Rocks nor bold hands struck the World's strong bars Nor lost in too large bounds our little Rome Full sweetly with it self had dwelt at home My poor Alexis then in peaceful life Had under some low roof lov'd his plain wife But now ah me from where he has no foes He flies and into wilful exile goes Cruel return or tell the reason why Thy dearest Parents have deserv'd to dye And I what is my crime I cannot tell Unless it be a crime t' have lov'd too well If Heats of Holier Love and high Desire Make big thy fair Brest with immortal Fire What needs my virgin Lord fly thus from me Who only wish his virgin Wife to be Witness chaste Heav'ns no happier vows I know Then to a virgin Grave untouch't to goe Love's truest knot by Venus is not ty'd Nor do embraces only make a Bride The Queen of Angels and men chaste as you Was Maiden-Wife and Maiden-Mother too Cecilia Glory of her Name and Blood With happy gain her Maiden vows made good The lusty Bridegroom made appoach young man Take heed said she take heed Valerian My bosome Guard a Spirit great and strong Stands arm'd to shield me from all wanton wrong My Chastity is Sacred and my Sleep Wakeful her dear vows undefil'd to keep Pallas bears Arms forsooth and should there be No fortress built for true Virginity No gapâ—… Gorgon this none like the rest Of your learn'd Lyes here you 'l find no such jest I 'm yours O were my God my Christ so too I 'd know no name of Love on Earth but you He yields and straight Baptiz'd obtains the Grace To gaze on the fair souldier 's Glorious face Both mixt at last their Blood in one rich Bed Of Rosie Martydome twice Married O burn our Hymen bright in such high Flame Thy Torch terrestrial Love has here no name How sweet the mutual yoke of Man and Wife When Holy fires maintain Love's Heav'nly life But I so help me Heav'n my hopes to see When Thousands sought my Love lov'd none but Thee Still as their vain Tears my firm vows did try Alexis he alone is mine said I Half true alas half false proves that poor Line Alexis is alone but is not mine Description of a Religious House and condition of Life Out of BARCLAY NO roofs of Gold o'r riotous Tables shining Whole Days and Suns devour'd with endless Dining No Sails of Tyrian Silk proud pavements sweeping Nor ivory couches costlyer slumbers keeping False Lights of flâ—…iring Gemms tumultuous joys Halls full of flattering Men and frisking Boys Whate'r false shows of short and slippery good Mix the mad sons of Men in mutual blood But Walks and unshorn Woods and Souls just so Unforc't and genuine but not shady tho Our Lodgings hard and homely as our Fare That Chaste and Cheap as the few Clothes we wear Those course and negligent as the natural Locks Of these loose Groves rough as th' unpolisht Rocks A hasty portion of prescribed sleep Obedient slumbers that can wake and weep And Sing and Sigh and Work and Sleep again Still rowling a round Sphear of still-returning pain Hands full of hearty labours do much that more they may And work for work not wages let to morrows New drops wash off the sweat of this days sorrows A long and daily dying-life which breaths A respiration of reviving deaths But neither are there those ignoble stings That nip the bosome