Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
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A59988
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Narcissus, or, The self-lover by James Shirley.
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Shirley, James, 1596-1666.
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1646
(1646)
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Wing S3480; ESTC R18545
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12,658
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40
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acceptance I present my heart Let not these elements our prisons be I in a fire and thou in water art O let a friendly kisse as we two meet From thy coole water rise t' allay my heat 104. This said Narcissus doth his hold secure And with intention to receive a kisse His lip descends to meet the other there But hence his expectation cousned is For touching but the superficies Hee did too soon the frighted Image leese 105. Th' offended water into Circles ran And with their motion so disturb'd the place The Lover could not see himselfe againe Then doth he call aloud unto this face Thou bright-beam'd star oh whither art thou gone But newly shewne thy head and set so soon 106. Or if a Comet thou hadst spent thy light The matter gone should feed thy flaming haire Thou art mistaken thy unnaturall flight Is heaven all Meteors to the earth repaire Where I now mourne thy absence But I feare I have some way prophan'd the waters here 107. What God soever doth this Fountaie owe Forgive me and you Naiades that lâ—ve Your tresses here trust me I did not know What sacred power or President you have My mother was a Nymph Lyriope Oh for her 〈◊〉 some kinde one pitty me 108. Forgive disturbed water my rude touch 'T was not to rob thee of the smallest drop In penitentiall teares I le pay as much As there can hang upon my lips cold top O calme thy brow then let thy frownes declare Themselves at once finite and Circular 109. In thy smooth bosome once more let me pray A sight of that sweet figure I adore Unlesle to heaven return'd some other way And if it be 't is not so farre before But I can dye and off this flesh Robe burl'd I le overtake it in the other world 110. Now doth each swelling Circle gently haste To be dissolv'd and spread themselves to aire No polish'd Marble seem'd more smooth and fast The Boy takes this a fruit of his owne prayer Yet ' ere he thank'd the gods he thought it fit To see his love and seen forgot them quite 111. Fearing to be depriv'd agen he woes As every sillable 〈…〉 a life A sigh at every clamorous period goes With greater noise then it but no reliefe His aire of tongue and breast thus spent a look Presents their 〈◊〉 doubled in the brook 112. But all in vaine the face he saw before Is in the same il'-shewing silence drest Chang'd to more sad but not oneaccent more Deafe as the streame and now he beats his breast Condemn'd agen to his more haplesse thought He had but all this while his shadow sought 113. This multiplies his griese into despaire Since his owne Image doth procure the fire And nothing left in nature to repaire His vext affections that now grow higher That face his owne or whose so e're was that Which took him first to unlove is too late 114. He beckens to the figure that replies Taught by his postute how to call him thither To lift him from the water then he tries But when their white hands should have met together A new distraction fell upon the streame And his because alone thenes weeping came 115. When he to beare that company le ts fall More teares than would have made another spring Till griefe had not another drop to call Though to have cur'd his eyes but will this bring The loved shade agen No every teare Was both his owne and t' others murderer 116. But more then this must be Narcissus borne As a revenge for many Nimphes that lov'd And dy'd upon the torture of thy scorne And see his eyes that once so charming mov'd Do loose their beames and hasten to be dead In their owne hollowes borne and buried 117. See what a dotage on himselfe hath sent That brow that challeng'd late the snow for white Veines that were made to shame the Firmament The cheek that so much wonder drew to it The voice when tun'd to love might gods entice To change for earth their immortalities 118. All all is vanish'd Nemesis have yet Some pitty let him live he faints he dies 'T were safer for the Boy himselfe to hate Then if he love to pay so deare a price He did but love himselfe and if he die That loves propose the haters destinie 119. But Nemesis irrevocable doom Must be obey'd though Eccho late repent Who with a murmuring pace unseen was come To mourne for his and her owne punishment His groanes had thrild her soule and at his death She comes to catch his fare-well taking breath 120. And as a glimmering Taper almost spent Gasping for moisture to maintaine its fire After some darke contâ—â—â—â—â—s doth present A short-liv'd blaze and presently expires So he collecting ebbing Nature cryes Oh youth belov'd in vaine farewell and dyes 121. Farewell poore Eccho did repeat and fled With what wings sorrow sent t' embalme the boy But looking carefully to finde the dead She miss'd the shadow of her livelesse joy His body vanish'd by what mysterie Convey'd not found by her inquiring eye 122. But in the place where he did disappeare Out of the ground a lovely flower betrayes His whiter leaves and visibly did reare His tufted head with Saffron-colour'd rayes Upon a smooth stemme all this beauty growes This change to heaven the lost Narcissus owes 123. Eccho with wonder turnes a Statue now Yet not an idle figure for her eyes From her darke swelling springs doe over-flow Having no pow'r to check them as they rise She thus presents a fountaine as she were Meant to refresh the new-borne Tulip there 124. To which after some truce with teares she sayes Art thou a pledge for the sweet Boy I lov'd Oh take a voice tell by what aërie wayes The choisest flower of nature is remov'd If in the blessed shades I can make room Through death to meet him in Elysium 125. Assume the wings of love Eccho away Unto the Stigian Lake goe follow him There thou maist finde him on a banke of Clay Eying himselfe upon the waters brim The sooty gods enamoured on him are And round about him on his beautie stare 126. But since he was unkinde alive to me I must despaire to meet his love in death And this remaining flower another He Shall be preserv'd with my best use of breath And though the obstinate deserv'd to dye I will be just and love his memorie 127. But since his curse though just upon his pride Hath made him this example for his sin Never shall dreame ease my distracted head Sleep shall forget his office and within Darkes shades shut up from all societie In Rocks or Caves I le undiscovered lye 128. And to redeem the shame my folly had Contracted by preposterous woing man Whose bolder nature was in order made To Court our Sex Juno take back againe Thy gift from henceforth Eccho will returne But their owne words sent back againe in scorne 129. This said she walketh to the fountaines side Where she no sooner did the streame survey But her owne shadow in the glasse she spi'd And cryed some other witch-craft did betray That heavenly boy ô perish in some wave Be drown'd for ever since thou wouldst not save 130. It is not thee I seek open thou streame And shew me where that fairer Strumpet is That from whose sight the Boies infection came And from poore Eccho did her soule entice Will no charme call it back poore Eccho then Here cease to be the scorne of Gods and men 131. With that impatient she threw her weight Into the tempting stream where now we leave her Whom the proud waters did imprison strait Yet of her voice they did not quite bereave her For when I ask'd aloud is she not dead Not dead distinctly the Nymph answered Of Eccho now no more remaines to tell But that I her and she bid me farewell FINIS