CARMEN DEO NOSTRO, TE DECET HYMNVS SACRED POEMS, COLLECTED, CORRECTED, AVGMENTED, Most humbly Presented. TO MY LADY THE COVNTSSE OF DENBIGH BY Her most deuoted Seruant. R. C. IN heaty acknowledgment of his immortall obligation to her Goodnes & Charity.
AT PARIS, By PETER TARGA, Printer to the Archbishope ef Paris, in S. Victors streete at the golden sunne. M.DC.LII.
CRASHAWE, THE ANAGRAMME. HE WAS CAR.
WAS CAR then Crashawe; or WAS Crashawe CAR,
Since both within one name combined are?
Yes, Car's Crashawe, he Car; t'is loue alone
Which melts two harts, of both composing one.
So Crashawe's still the same: so much desired
By strongest witts; so honor'd so admired
CAR WAS but HE that enter'd as afriend
With whō he shar'd his thoughtes, and did cōmend
(While yet he liu'd) this worke; they lou'd each other:
Sweete Crashawe was his friend; he Crashawes brother.
So Car hath Title then; t'was his intent
That what his riches pen'd, poore Car should print.
Nor feares he checke praysing that happie one
Who was belou'd by all; dispraysed by none.
To witt, being pleas'd with all things, he pleas'd all.
Nor would he giue, nor take offence; befall
[Page] What might; he would possesse himselfe: and liue
As deade (deuoyde of interest) t'all might giue
Desease t'his well composed mynd; forestal'd
With heauenly riches: which had wholy call'd
His thoughtes from earth, to liue aboue in'th aire
A very bird of paradice. No care
Had he of earthly trashe. What might suffice
To fitt his soule to heauenly exercise.
Sufficed him: and may we guesse his hart
By what his lipps brings forth, his onely part
Is God and godly thoughtes. Leaues doubt to none
But that to whom one God is all; all's one.
What he might eate or weare he tooke no thought.
His needfull foode he rather found then sought.
He seekes no downes, no sheetes, his bed's still made
If he can find, a chaire or stoole, he's layd,
When day peepes in, he quitts his rest lesse rest.
And still, poore soule, before he's vp he's dres't.
Thus dying did he liue, yet liued to dye
In the virgines lappe, to whom he did applye
His virgine thoughtes and words, and thēce was styld
By foes, the chaplaine of the virgine myld
While yet he liued without: His modestie
Imparted this to some, and they to me.
Liue happie then, deare soule; inioy the rest
Eternally by paynes thou purchacedest,
While Car must liue in care, who was thy friend
Nor cares he how he liue, so in the end,
He may inioy his dearest Lord and thee;
And sitt and singe more skilfull songs eternally.
AN EPIGRAMME Vpon the pictures in the following Poemes which the Authour first made with his owne hand, admirably well, as may be seene in his Manuscript dedicated to the right Honorable Lady the L. Denbigh.
Twixt pen and pensill rose a holy strife
Which might draw vertue better to the life.
Best witts gaue votes to that: but painters swore
They neuer saw peeces so sweete before
As thes: fruites of pure nature; where no art
Did lead the vntaught pensill, nor had part
In th'-worke.
The hand growne bold, with witt will needes contest.
Doth it preuayle? ah wo: say each is best.
This to the eare speakes wonders; that will trye
To speake the same, yet lowder, to the eye.
Both their aymes are holy, both conspire
To wound, to burne the hart with heauenly fire.
This then's the Doome, to doe both parties right:
This, to the eare speakes best; that, to the sight.
THOMAS CAR.
NON VI.
TO THE Noblest & best of Ladyes, the Countesse of Denbigh. Perswading her to Resolution in Religion, & to render her selfe without further delay into the Communion of the Catholick Church.
'Tis not the work of force but skill
To find the way into man's will.
'Tis loue alone can hearts vnlock.
Who knowes the
WORD, he needs not knock.
WHat heau'n-intreated HEART is This?
Stands trembling at the gate of blisse;
Holds fast the door, yet dares not vēture
Fairly to open it, and enter.
[Page] Whose DEFINITION is à doubt
Twixt life & death, twixt in & out.
Say, lingring fair! why comes the birth
Of your braue soul so slowly forth?
Plead your pretences (o you strong
In weaknes! why you choose so long
In labor of your selfe to ly,
Nor daring quite to liue nor dy?
Ah linger not, lou'd soul! à slow
And late consent was a long no,
Who grants at last, long time tryd
And did his best to haue deny'd,
What magick bolts, what mystick Barres
Maintain the will in these strange warres!
What fatall, yet fantastick, bands
Keep The free Heart from it's own hands!
So when the year takes cold, we see
Poor waters their owne prisoners be.
Fetter'd, & lockt vp fast they ly
In a sad selfe-captiuity.
The astonisht nymphs their flood's strange fate deplore,
To see themselues their own seuerer shore.
Thou that alone canst thaw this cold,
And fetch the heart from it's strong Hold;
All mighty LOVE! end this long warr,
And of a meteor make a starr.
O fix this fair INDEFINITE.
And 'mongst thy shafts of soueraign light
Choose out that sure decisiue dart
Which has the Key of this close heart,
Knowes all the corners of't, & can controul
The self-shutt cabinet of an vnsearcht soul.
[Page] O let it be at last, loue's houre▪
Raise this tall Trophee of thy Powre;
Come once the conquering way; not to confute
But kill this rebell-wotd, IRRESOLVTE
That so, in spite of all this peeuish strength
Of weaknes, she may write RESOLV'D AT LENGTH,
Vnfold at length, vnfold fair flowre
And vse the season of loue's showre,
Meet his well-meaning Wounds, wise heart!
And hast to drink the wholsome dart.
That healing shaft, which heaun till now
Hath in loue's quiuer hid for you.
O Dart of loue! arrow of light!
O happy you, if it hitt right,
It must not fall in vain, it must
Not mark the dry regardles dust.
Fair one, it is your fate; and brings
Aeternall worlds vpon it's wings.
Meet it with wide-spread armes; & see
It's scat your soul's iust center be.
Disband dull feares; giue faith the day.
To saue your life, kill your delay
It is loue's seege; and sure to be
Your triumph, though his victory.
'Tis cowardise that keeps this feild
And want of courage not to yeild.
Yeild then, ô yeild. that loue may win
The Fort at last, and let life in.
Yeild quickly. Lest perhaps you proue
Death's prey, before the prize of loue.
This Fort of your fair selfe, if't be not won,
He is repulst indeed; But you'are vndone.
TO THE NAME ABOVE EVERY NAME, THE NAME OF IESVS A HYMN.
I Sing the NAME which None can say
But touch't with An interiour RAY:
The Name of our New PEACE; our Good:
Our Blisse: & Supernaturall Blood:
The Name of All our Liues & Loues.
[Page 2] Hearken, And Help, ye holy Doues!
The high-born Brood of Day; you bright
Candidates of blissefull Light,
The HEIRS Elect of Loue; whose Names belong
Vnto The euerlasting life of Song;
All ye wise SOVLES, who in the wealthy Brest
Of This vnbounded NAME build your warm Nest.
Awake, MY glory. SOVL, (if such thou be,
And That fair WORD at all referr to Thee)
Awake & sing
And be All VVing;
Bring hither thy whole SELF; & let me see.
What of thy Parent HEAVN yet speakes in thee.
O thou art Poore
Of noble POWRES, I see,
And full of nothing else but empty ME,
Narrow, & low, & infinitely lesse
Then this GREAT mornings mighty Busynes.
One little WORLD or two
(Alas) will neuer doe.
We must haue store.
Goe, SOVL, out of thy Self, & seek for More.
Goe & request
Great NATVRE for the KEY of her huge Chest
Of Heauns, the self inuoluing Sett of Sphears
(Which dull mortality more Feeles then heares)
Then rouse the nest
Of nimble ART, & trauerse round
The Aiery Shop of soul-appeasing Sound:
And beat a summons in the Same
All-soueraign Name
To warn each seuerall kind
[Page 3] And shape of sweetnes, Be they such
As sigh with supple wind
Or answer Artfull Touch,
That they conuene & come away
To wait at the loue-crowned Doores of
Thas Illustrious DAY.
Shall we dare This, my Soul? we'l doe't and bring
No Other note for't, but the Name we sing
Wake LVTE & HARP
And euery sweet-lipp't Thing
That talkes with tunefull string;
Start into life, And leap with me
Into a hasty Fitt-tun'd Harmony.
Nor must you think it much
T'obey my bolder touch;
I haue Authority in LOVE's name to take you
And to the worke of Loue this morning wake you
Wake; In the Name
Of HIM who neuer sleeps, All Things that Are,
Or, what's the same,
Are Musicall;
Answer my Call
And come along;
Help me to meditate mine Immortall Song.
Come, ye soft ministers of sweet sad mirth,
Bring All your houshold stuffe of Heaun on earth;
O you, my Soul's most certain Wings,
Complaining Pipes, & prattling Strings,
Bring All the store
Of SWEETS you haue; And murmur that you haue no more.
Come, nére to part,
[Page 4] NATVRE & ART!
Come; & come strong,
To the conspiracy of our Spatious song.
Bring All the Powres of Praise
Your Prouinces of well-vnited WORLDS can raise;
Bring All yours LVTES & HARPS of HEAVN & EARTH;
What ére cooperates to The common mirthe
Vessells of vocall Ioyes,
Or You, more noble Architects of Intellectuall Noise,
Cymballs of Heau'n, or Humane sphears,
Solliciters of SOVLES or EARES;
And when you'are come, with All
That you can bring or we can call;
O may you fix
For euer here, & mix
Your selues into the long
And euerlasting series of a deathlesse SONG;
Mix All your many WORLDS, Aboue,
And loose them into ONE of Loue.
Chear thee my HEART!
For Thou too hast thy Part
And Place in the Great Throng
Of This vnbounded All-imbracing SONG.
Powres of my Soul, be Proud!
And speake lowd
To All the dear-bought Nations This Redeeming Name,
And in the wealth of one Rich WORD proclaim
New Similes to Nature.
May it be no wrong
[Page 5] Blest Heauns, to you, & your Superiour song,
That we, dark Sons of Dust & Sorrow,
A while Dare borrow
The Name of Your Dilights & our Desires,
And fitt it to so farr inferior LYRES.
Our Murmurs haue their Musick too,
Ye mighty ORBES, as well as you,
Nor yeilds the noblest Nest
Of warbling SERAPHIM to the eares of Loue,
A choicer Lesson then the ioyfull BREST
Of a poor panting Turtle-Doue.
And we, low Wormes haue leaue to doe
The Same bright Busynes (ye Third HEAVENS) with you.
Gentle SPIRITS, doe not complain.
We will haue care
To keep it fair,
And send it back to you again.
Come, louely NAME! Appeare from forth the Bright
Regions of peacefull Light
Look from thine own Illustrious Home,
Fair KING of NAMES, & come.
Leaue All thy natiue Glories in their Georgeous Nest,
And giue thy Self a while The gracious Guest.
Of humble Soules, that seek to find
The hidden Sweets
Which man's heart meets
When Thou art Master of the Mind.
Come, Iouely Name; life of our hope!
Lo we hold our HEARTS wide ope!
Vnlock thy Cabinet of DAY
[Page 6] Dearest Sweet, & come away.
Lo how the thirsty Lands
Gasp for thy Golden Showres! with longstretch't Hands
Lo how the laboring EARTH
That hopes to be
All Heauen by THEE,
Leapes at thy Birth.
The'attending WORLD, to wait thy Rise,
First turn'd to eyes;
And then, not knowing what to doe;
Turn'd Them to TEARES, & spent Them too.
Come ROYALL Name; & pay the expence
Of All this Pretious Patience.
O come away
And kill the DEATH of This Delay.
O see, so many WORLDS of barren yeares
Melted & measur'd out in Seas of TEARES.
O see, The WEARY liddes of wakefull Hope
(LOVE's Eastern windowes) All wide ope
With Curtains drawn,
To catch The Day-break of Thy DAWN.
O dawn, at last, long look't for Day!
Take thine own wings, & come away.
Lo, where Aloft it comes! It comes, Among
The Conduct of Adoring SPIRITS, that throng
Like diligent Bees, And swarm about it.
O they are wise;
And know what SWEETES are suck't from out it.
It is the Hiue,
By which they thriue,
Where All their Hoard of Hony lyes.
[Page 7] Lo where it comes, vpon The snowy DOVE's
Soft Back; And brings a Bosom big with Loues.
WELCOME to our dark world, Thou
Womb of Day!
Vnfold thy fair Conceptions; And display
The Birth of our Bright Ioyes.
O thou compacted
Body of Blessings: spirit of Soules extracted!
O dissipate thy spicy Powres
(Clowd of condensed sweets) & break vpon vs
In balmy showrs;
O fill our senses, And take from vs
All force of so Prophane a Fallacy
To think ought sweet but that which smells of Thee.
Fair, flowry Name; In none but Thee
And Thy Nectareall Fragrancy,
Hourly there meetes
An vniuersall SYNOD of All sweets;
By whom it is defined Thus
That no Perfume
For euer shall presume
To passe for Odoriferous,
But such alone whose sacred Pedigree
Can proue it Self some kin (sweet name) to Thee.
SWEET NAME, in Thy each Syllable
A Thousand Blest ARABIAS dwell;
A Thousand Hills of Frankincense;
Mountains of myrrh, & Beds of species,
And ten Thousand PARADISES
The soul that tasts thee takes from thence
How many vnknown WORLDS there are
Of Comforts, which Thou hast in keeping!
[Page 8] How many Thousand Mercyes there
In Pitty's soft lap ly a sleeping!
Happy he who has the art
To awake them,
And to take them
Home, & lodge them in his HEART.
O that it were as it was wont to be!
When thy old Freinds of Fire, All full of Thee,
Fought against Frowns with smiles; gaue Glorious chase
To Persecutions; And against the Face
Of DEATH & feircest Dangers, durst with Braue
And sober pace march on to meet A GRAVE.
On their Bold BRESTS about the world they bore thee
And to the Teeth of Hell stood vp to teach thee,
In Center of their inmost Soules they wore thee,
Where Rackes & Torments striu'd, in vain, to reach thee.
Little, alas, thought They
Who tore the Fair Brests of thy Freinds,
Their Fury but made way
For Thee; And seru'd them in Thy glorious ends
What did Their weapons but with wider pores
Inlarge thy flaming-brested Louers
More freely to transpire
That impatient Fire
The Heart that hides Thee hardly couers.
What did their Weapons but sett wide the Doores
For Thee: Fair, purple Doores, of loue's deuising;
The Ruby windowes which inrich't the EAST
Of Thy so oft repeated Rising.
[Page 9] Each wound of Theirs was Thy new Morning;
And reinthron'd thee in thy Rosy Nest,
With blush of thine own Blood thy day adorning,
It was the witt of loue óreflowd the Bounds
Of WRATH, & made thee way through All Those WOVNDS.
Wellcome dear, All-Adored Name!
For sure there is no Knee
That knowes not THEE.
Or if there be such sonns of shame,
Alas what will they doe
When stubborn Rocks shall bow
And Hills hang down their Heaun-saluting Heads
To seek for humble Beds
Of Dust, where in the Bashfull shades of night
Next to their own low NOTHING they may ly,
And couch before the dazeling light of thy dread majesty.
They that by Loue's mild Dictate now
Will not Adore thee,
Shall Then with Iust Confusion, bow
And break before thee
IN THE HOLY NATIVITY OF OVR LORD GOD A HYMN SVNG AS BY THE SHEPHEARDS.
Ton Createur te faict voir sa naissance,
Daignant souffrir pour toy des son enfance.
[Page]THE HYMN.
‘Quem vidistis Pastores? &c.’
‘Natum vidimus &c.’
CHORVS.
COme we shepheards whose blest Sight
Hath mett loue's Noon in Nature's night;
Come lift we vp our loftyer Song
And wake the SVN that lyes too long.
To All our world of well-stoln joy
He slept; and dream't of no such thing.
While we found out Heaun's fairer ey
And Kis't the Cradle of our KING.
Tell him He rises now, too late
To show vs ought worth looking at.
Tell him we now can show Him more
Then He e're show'd to mortall Sight;
Then he Himselfe e're saw before;
Which to be seen needes not His light.
Tell him, Tityrus, where th'hast been
Tell him, Thysis, what th-hast seen.
Tityrus.
Gloomy night embrac't the Place
Where The Noble Infant lay.
The BABE look't vp & shew'd his Face;
In spite of Darknes, it was DAY.
It was THY day, SWEET! & did rise
Not from the EAST, but from thine EYES.
Chorus.
It was THY day, Sweet
Thyrs.
WINTER chidde Aloud; & sent
The angry North to wage his warres.
The North forgott his feirce Intent;
And left perfumes in stead of scarres.
By those sweet eye's persuasiue powrs
Where he mean't frost, he scatter'd flowrs.
Chorus
By those sweet eyes'
Both.
We saw thee in thy baulmy Nest,
Young dawn of our aeternall DAY!
We saw thine eyes break from their EAT
[...]
And chase the trembling shades away.
We saw thee; & we blest the sight
We saw thee by thine own sweet light.
Tity.
Poor WORLD (said I.) what wilt thou doe
To entertain this starry STRANGER?
Is this the best thou canst bestow?
A cold, and not too cleanly, manger?
Contend, the powres of heau'n & earth.
To fittà bed for this huge birthe.
Cho.
[Page 14]
Contend the powers
Thyt.
Proud world, said I; cease your contest
And let the MIGHTY BABE alone.
The Phaenix builds the Phaenix'nest.
Lov's architecture is his own.
The BABE whose birth embraues this morn.
Made his own bed e're he was born.
Cho.
The BABE whose.
Tir.
I saw the curl'd drops, soft & slow,
Come houering o're the place's head;
Offring their whitest sheets of snow
To furnish the fair INFANT's bed
Forbear, said I; be not too bold.
Your fleece is white But t'is too cold
Cho.
Forbear, sayd I
Thyr.
I saw the obsequious SERAPHIMS
Their rosy fleece of fire bestow.
For well they now can spare their wing.
Since HEAVN it self lyes here below.
Well done, said I: but are you sure
Your down so warm, will passe for pure?
Cho.
Well done sayd I
Tit.
No no. your KING's not yet to seeke
Where to repose his Royall HEAD
[Page 15] See see, how soon his new-bloom'd CHEEK
Twixt's mother's brests is gone to bed.
Sweet choise, said we! no way but so
Not to ly cold, yet slep in snow.
Cho.
Sweet choise, said we.
Both.
We saw thee in thy baulmy nest,
Bright dawn of our aeternall Day!
We saw thine eyes break from thir EAST
And chase the trembling shades away.
We saw thee: & we blest the sight.
We saw thee, by thine own sweet light.
Cho.
We saw thee, &c.
FVLL CHORVS.
Wellcome, all WONDERS in one sight!
Aeternity shutt in a span.
Sommer in Winter. Day in Night.
Heauen in earth, & GOD in MAN.
Great little one! whose all-embracing birth
Lifts earth to heauen, stoopes heau'n to earth.
WELLCOME. Though nor to gold nor silk.
To more then Caesar's birth right is;
Two sister-seas of Virgin-Milk,
With many a rarely-temper'd kisse
That brearhes at once both MAID & MOTHER,
Warmes in the one, cooles in the other.
WELCOME, though not to those gay flyes.
Guilded ith' Beames of earthly kings;
Slippery soules in smiling eyes;
But to poor Shepheards, home-spun things:
Whose Wealth's their flock; whose witt, to be
Well read in their simplicity.
Yet when young April's husband showrs
Shall blesse the fruitfull Maja's bed
We'l bring the First-born of her flowrs
To kisse thy FEET & crown thy HEAD.
To thee, dread lamb! whose loue must keep
The shepheards, more then they the sheep.
To THEE, meek Majesty! soft KING
Of simple GRACES & sweet LOVES.
Each of vs his lamb will bring
Each his pair of sylver Doues;
Till burnt at last in fire of Thy fair eyes,
Our selues become our own best SACRIFICE.
NEW YEAR'S DAY.
RIse, thou best & brightest morning!
Rosy with a double Red;
With thine own blush thy cheeks adorning
And the dear drops this day were shed.
All the purple pride that laces
The crimson curtains of thy bed,
Guilds thee not with so sweet graces
Nor setts thee in so rich a red.
Of all the fair-cheek't flowrs that fill thee
None so fair thy bosom strowes,
As this modest maiden lilly
Our sins haue sham'd into a rose
Bid thy golden GOD, the Sun,
Burnisht in his best beames rise,
Put all his red-ey'd Rubies on;
These Rubies shall putt out their eyes.
Let him make poor the purple east,
Search what the world's close cabinets keep,
Rob the rich births of each bright nest
That flaming in their fair beds sleep,
Let him embraue his own bright tresses
With a new morning made of gemmes,
And wear, in those his wealthy dresses,
Another Day of Diadems.
When he hath done all he may
To make himselfe rich in his rise,
All▪ will be darknes to the Day
That breakes from one of these bright eyes.
And soon this sweet truth shall appear
Dear BABE, ere many dayes be done,
The morn shall come to meet thee here,
And leaue her own neglected Sun.
Here are Beautyes shall bereaue him
Of all his eastern Paramours.
His Persian Louers all shall leaue him,
And swear faith to thy sweeter Powres.
IN THE GLORIOVS EPIPHANIE OF OVR LORD GOD, A HYMN. SVNG AS BY THE THREE KINGS
(1. KINGE.)
BRight BABE! Whose awfull beautyes make
The morn incurr a sweet mistake;
(2.)
For whom the'officious heauns deuise
To disinheritt the sun's rise,
(3.)
Delicately to displace
The Day, & plant it fairer in thy face;
[1.]
O thou born KING of loues,
[2.]
Of lights,
[3.]
Of ioyes!
(Cho.)
Look vp, sweet BABE, look vp & see
For loue of Thee
Thus farr from home
The EAST is come
To seek her self in thy sweet Eyes
(1.)
[Page 21]
We, who strangely went astray,
Lost in a bright
Meridian night,
(2.)
A Darkenes made of too much day,
(3.)
Becken'd from farr
By thy fair starr,
Lo at last haue found our way.
(Cho.)
To THEE, thou DAY of night! thou east of west!
Lo we at last haue found the way.
To thee, the world's great vniuersal east.
The Generall & indifferent DAY.
(1.)
All-circling point. All centring sphear.
The world's one, round, Aeternall year.
(2.)
Whose full & all-vnwrinkled face
Nor sinks nor swells with time or place;
(3.)
But euery where & euery while
Is One Consistent solid smile;
(1.)
Not vext & tost
(2.)
'Twixt spring & frost,
(3.)
Nor by alternate shredds of light
Sordidly shifting hands with shades & night.
(Cho.)
O little all! in thy embrace
The world lyes warm, & 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-spear.
(1.)
To Thee, to Thee
From him we flee
(2.)
From HIM, whom by a more illustriously,
The blindnes of the world did call the eye;
(3.)
[Page 22]
To HIM, who by These mortall clouds hast made
Thy self our sun, though thine own shade.
(2.)
Farewell, the wold's false light.
Farewell, the white
Aegypt! a long farewell to thee
Bright IDOL; black IDOLATRY.
The dire face of inferior DARKNES, kis't
And courted in the pompus mask of a more specious mist.
(2.)
Farewell, farewell
The proud & misplac't gates of hell,
Pertch't, in the morning's way
And double-guilded as the doores of DAY.
The deep hypocrisy of DEATH & NIGHT
More desperately dark, Because more bright.
(3.)
Welcome, the world's sure Way▪
HEAVN's wholsom ray.
(Cho.)
Wellcome to vs; and we
(SWEET) to our selues, in THEE.
(1.)
The deathles HEIR of all thy FATHER's day▪
(2.(
Decently Born.
Embosom'd in a much more Rosy MORN,
The Blushes of thy All-vnblemish't mother.
(3.)
No more that other
Aurora shall sett ope
Her ruby casements, or hereafter hope
From mortall eyes
To meet Religious welcomes at her rise.
(Cho.)
We (Pretious ones!) in you haue won
A gentler MORN, a iuster sun.
(1.)
His superficiall Beames fun-burn't our skin;
(2.)
[Page 23]
But left within
(3.)
The night & winter still of death & sin.
(C
[...]o.)
Thy softer yet more certaine DARTS
Spare our eyes, but peirce our HARTS.
(1.)
Therfore with HIS proud persian spoiles
(2.)
We court thy more concerning smiles.
(3.)
Therfore with his Disgrace
We guild the humble cheek of this chast place,
(Cho.)
And at thy FEET powr forth his FACE.
(1.)
The doating nations now no more
Shall any day but THINE adore.
(2.)
Nor (much lesse) shall they leaue these eyes
For cheap Aegyptian Deityes.
(3.)
In whatsoe're more Sacred shape
Of Ram, He-goat, or reuerend ape,
Those beauteous rauishers opprest so sore
The too-hard-tempted nations.
(1.)
Neuer more
By wanton heyfer shall be worn.
(2.)
A Garland, or a guilded horn.
The altar-stall'd ox, fatt OSYRIS now
With his fair sister cow,
(3.)
Shall kick the clouds no more; But lean & tame,
(Cho.) See his horn'd face, & 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 heau'n; As if it were
The poor world's Fault that he is fair.
(3.]
Nor with peruerse loues & Religious RAPES
Reuenge thy Bountyes in their beauteous shapes;
[Page 24] And punish Best Things worst; Because they stood
Guilty of being much for them too Good.
[1.]
Proud sons of death! that durst compell
Heau'n it self to find them hell;
[2.]
And by strange witt of madnes wrest
From this world's EAST the other's WEST.
[3.]
All-Idolizing wormes! that thus could crowd
And vrge 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 heauyer shade
The shamefac't lamp hung down his head
For that one eclipse he made
Then all those he suffered!
[1.]
For this he look't so bigg; & euery morn
With a red face confes't this scorn.
Or hiding his vex't cheeks in a hir'd mist
Kept them from being so vnkindly kis't.
[2.]
It was for this the day did rise
So oft with blubber'd eyes.
For this the euening wept; and we ne're knew
But call'd it deaw.
[3.]
This dayly wrong
Silenc't the morning-sons, & damp't their song
[Cho.]
Nor was't our deafnes, but our sins, that thus
Long made th'Harmonious orbes all mute to vs
[2.]
Time has a day in store
When this so proudly poor
And self-oppressed spark, that has so long
By the loue-sick, world bin made
Not so much their sun as SHADE,
[Page 25] Weary of this Glorious wrong
From them & from himself shall flee
For shelter to the shadow of thy TREE;
[Cho.]
Proud to haue gain'd this pretious losse
And chang'd his false crown for thy CROSSE.
[2.]
That dark Day's clear doom shall define
Whose is the Master FIRE, which sun should shine.
That sable ludgment-seat shall by new lawes
Decide & settle the Great cause
Of controuerted light,
[Cho.]
And natur's wrongs rejoyce to doe 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 presse his own pale lipps
With an elaborate loue-eclipse
To which the low world's lawes
Shall lend no cause
[Cho.]
Saue those domestick which he borrowes
From our sins & his own sorrowes.
[1.]
Three sad hour's sack cloth then shall show to vs
His penance, as our fault, conspicuous.
[2.]
And he more needfully & nobly proue
The nation's terror now then erst their loue.
[3.]
Their hated loues changd into wholsom feares,
[
Cho.]
The shutting of his eye shall open Theirs.
[2.]
As by a fair-ey'd fallacy of day
Miss-ledde before they lost their way,
So shall they, by the seasonable fright
Of an vnseasonable night,
Loosing it once again, stumble'on true LIGHT
[2.]
And as before his too-bright eye
Was Their more blind idolatry,
[Page 26] So his officious blindines now shall be
Their black, but faithfull perspectiue of thee;
[3.]
His new prodigious night,
Their new & admirable light;
The supernaturall DAWN of Thy pure day.
While wondring they
(The happy conuerts now of him
Whom they compell'd before to be their sin)
Shall henceforth see
To kisse him only as their rod
Whom they so long courted as GOD,
[Cho.]
And their best vse of him they worship't be
To learn, of Him at lest, to worship Thee.
[2.]
It was their Weaknes woo'd his beauty;
But it shall be
Their wisdome now, as well as duty,
To'injoy his Blott; & as a large black letter
Vse it to spell Thy beautyes better;
And make the night in self their rorch 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 guesse inuade
And catche thy quick reflex; and sharply see
On this dark Grouud
To dscant THEE.
[3.]
O prize of the rich SPIRIT! with that feirce chase
Of this strong soul, shall he
Leap at thy lofty FACE,
And scize the swift Flash, in rebound
From this ohsequious cloud;
Once call'd a sun;
[Page 27] Till dearly thus vndone,
[Cho.]
Till thus triumphantly tam'd (o ye two
Twinne SVNNES!) & taught now to negotiate you
[1.]
Thus shall that reuerend child of light,
[2.]
By being scholler first of that new night,
Come forth Great master of the mystick day;
[3.]
And teach obscure MANKIND a more close way
By the frugall negatine light
Of a most wise & well-abused Night
To read more legible thine originall Ray,
[Cho.]
And make our Darknes serue THY day;
Maintaining t'wixt thy world & ours
A commerce of contrary powres,
A mutuall trade
'Twixt sun & SHADE,
By confederat BLACK & WHITE
Borrowing day & lending night.
[1.]
Thus we, who when with all the noble powres
That (at thy cost) are call'd, not vainly, ours
We vow to make braue way
Vpwards, & presse on for, the pure intelligentiall Prey;
[2.]
At lest to play
The amorous Spyes
And peep & proffer at thy sparkling Throne;
[3.]
In stead of bringing in the blissfull PRIZE
And fastening on Thine eyes,
Forfeit our own
And nothing gain
But more Ambitious losse, at lest of brain;
[Cho.]
Now by abased liddes shall learn to be
Eagles; and shutt our eyes that we may see.
The Close.
Therfore to THEE & thine Auspitious ray
(Dread sweet!) lo thus
At lest by vs,
The delegated EYE of DAY
Does first his Scepter, then HIMSELF in solemne
Tribute pay.
Thus he vndresses
His sacred vnshorn treses;
At thy adored FEET, thus, he layes down
[1.]
His gorgeous tire
Of flame & 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 day's light, how farr
He is from sun enough to make THY starr,
His best ambition now, is but to be
Somthing a brighter SHADOW [sweet] of thee.
Or on heaun's azure forhead high to stand
Thy golden index; with a duteous Hand
Pointing vs Home to our own sun
The world's & his HYPERION.
TO THE QVEEN'S MAIESTY.
MADAME.
'Mongst those long rowes of cownes that guild your race.
These Royall 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' BABE's bright face. the purpling Bud
And Rosy dawn of the right Royall blood;
Fair first-fruits of the LAMB. Sure KINGS in this;
They took a kingdom while they gaue a kisse.
But the world's Homage, scarse in These well blown,
We read in you (Rare Queen) ripe & full-grown.
For from this day's rich seed of Diadems
Does rise a radiant croppe of Royalle stemms,
A Golden haruest of crown'd heads, that meet
And crowd for kisses from the LAMB's white feet.
[Page 30] In this Illustrious throng, your lofty floud
Swells high, fair Confluence of all highborn Bloud!
With your bright head whose groues of scepters bend
Their wealthy tops; & for these feet contend.
So swore the LAMB's dread sire. And so we see't.
Crownes, & the HEADS they kisse, must court these FEET.
Fix here, fair Majesty! May your Heart ne're misse
To reap new CROWNES & KINGDOMS from that kisse.
Nor may we misse the ioy 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 deuotion duly brings
Three KINGDOMES to supply this day's three KINGS.
THE OFFICE OF THE HOLY CROSSE
THE HOWRES FOR THE HOVR OF MATINES.
The Versicle.
LORD, by thy Sweet & Sauing SIGN,
The Responsory.
Defend us from our foes & Thine.
℣. Thou shallt open my lippes, O LORD.
℟. And my mouth shall shew forth thy Prayse.
℣. O GOD make speed to saue me.
℟. O LORD make hast to help me.
GLORY be to the FATHER,
and to the SON,
and to the H. GHOST.
As it was in the beginning, is now, & euer shall be, world without end. Amen.
THE HYMN.
THe wakefull Matines hast to sing,
The vnknown sorrows of our king,
The FATHER' word & wisdom, made
MAN, for man, by man's betraid;
The world's price sett to sale, & by the bold
[Page 34] Merchants of Death & sin, is bought & sold.
Of his Best Freinds (yea of himself) forsaken,
By his worst foes (because he would) beseig'd & taken.
The Antiphona.
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 R [...]sponsor.
'Cause, by the couenant of thy CROSSE,
Thou'hast sau'd at once the whole world's losse.
The Prayer.
O Lord IESV-CHRIST, son of the liuing GOD! interpose, I pray thee, thine own pretious death, thy CROSSE & Passion, betwixt my soul & thy iudgment, now & in the hour of my death. And vouchsafe to graunt vnto me thy grace & mercy; vnto all quick & dead, remission & rest; to thy church peace & concord; to vs sinners life & glory euerlasting. Who liuest and reignest with the FATHER, in the vnity of the HOLY GHOST, one GOD, world without end. Amen.
FOR THE HOVR OF PRIME.
The Versicle.
Lord by thy sweet & sauing SIGN.
The Responsor.
Defend vs from our foes & thine.
℣. Thou shalt open.
℟. And my mouth.
℣. O GOD make speed.
℟. O LORD make hast.
Glory be to.
As it was in.
THE HYMN.
THe early PRIME blushes to say
She could not rise so soon, as they
Call'd Pilat vp; to try if He
Could lend them any cruelty.
Their hands with lashes arm'd, their toungs with lyes.
And loathsom spittle, blott those beauteous eyes,
The blissfull springs of ioy; from whose all-chearing Ray
[Page 36] The fair starrs fill their wakefull fires the sun himfelfe drinks Day.
The Antiphona.
Victorious SIGN
That now dost shine,
Transcrib'd aboue
Into the land of light & loue;
O let vs twine
Our rootes with thine,
That we may rise
Vpon thy wings, & reach the skyes.
The Versicle.
Lo we adore thee
Dread LAME! and fall
Thus low before thee
The Responsor.
'Cause by the Conuenant of thy CROSSE
Thou'hast sau'd at once the whole world's losse
The Prayer.
O Lrod IESV-CHRIST son of the liuing OOD! interpofe, I pray thee, thine own pretious death, thy CROSSE & Passion, betwixt my soul & thy iudgment, now & in the hour of my death. And vouchsafe to graunt vnto me thy grace & mercy; vnto all quick & dead, remission & rest; to thy church peace & concord; to vs sinners life & glory euerlasting. Who liuest and reignest with the FATHER, in the vnity of the HOLY GHOST, one GOD, world without end. Amen.
THE THIRD.
The Versicle.
Lord, by thy sweet & sauing SIGN
The Responsor.
Defend vs from our foes & thine.
℣. Thou shalt open.
℟. And my mouth.
℣. O GOD make speed.
℟. O LORD make hast.
℣. Glory be to.
℟. As it was in the.
THE HYMN.
The Third hour's deafen'd with the cry
Of crucify him, crucify.
So goes the vote (nor ask them, Why?)
Liue Barabbas! & let GOD dy.
But there is witt in wrath, and they will try
A HAIL more cruell them their crucify.
For while in sport he weares a spitefull crown,
The serious showres along his decent
Face run sadly down.
The Antiphona.
CHRIST when he dy'd
Deceiud the CROSSE;
[Page 38] And on death's side.
Threw all the losse.
The captiue world awak't, & found
The prisoners loose, the Ialyor bound.
The Versicle.
Lo we adore thee
Dread LAMB, & fall
thus low before thee
The Responsor.
'Cause by the conuenant of thy CROSSE
Thou'hast sau'd at once the whole word's losse.
The Prayer.
O Lord IESV-CHRIST, son of the liuing GOD! interpose, I pray thee, thine own pretious death, thy CROSSE & Passion, betwixt my soul & thy iudgment, now & in the hour of my death. And vouchsafe to graunt vnto me thy grace & mercy; vnto all quick and dead, remission & rest; to thy church peace & concord; to vs sinners life & glory euerlasting. Who liuest and reignest with the FATHER, in the vnity of the HOLY GHOST, one GOD, vorld without end. Amen.
THE SIXT.
The Versicle.
Lord by thy sweet & sauing SIGN,
The Responsor.
Defend vs from our foes & thine.
℣. Thou shalt open.
℟. And my mouth.
℣. O GOD make speed.
℟. O LORD make hast.
℣. Glory be
℟. As it was in
THE HIMN.
NOw is The noon of sorrow's night,
High in his patience, as their spite.
Lo the faint LAMB, with weary limb
Beares that huge tree which must bear Him.
That fatall plant, so great of fame
For fruit of sorrow & of shame,
Shall swell with both for HIM; & mix
All woes into one CRVCIFIX.
Is tortur'd Thirst, it selfe, too sweet a cup?
GALL, & more bitter mocks, shall make it vp.
Are NAILES blunt pens of superficiall smart?
Contempt & scorn can send sure wounds to search the inmost Heart.
The Antiphona.
O deare & sweet Dispute
'Twixt death's & Loue's farr different FRVIT!
Different as farr
As antidotes & poysons are.
By that first fatall TREE
Both life & liberty
Were soldand slain;
By this they both look vp, & liue again.
The Versicle.
Lo we adore thee
Dread LAMB! & bow thus low before thee;
The Responsor.
'Cause by the conuenant of thy CROSSE.
Thou'hast sau'd the world from certain losse.
The Prayer.
O Lord IESV-CHRIST, son of the liuing GOD! interpose, I pray thee, thine own pretious death, thy CROSSE & Passion, betwixt my soul & thy iudgment, now & in the hour of my death. And vouchsafe to graunt vnto me thy grace & mercy; vnto all quick & dead, remission & rest; to thy church peace & concord; to vs sinners life & glory euerlasting. Who liuest and reignest with the FATHER, in the vnity of the HOLY GHOST, one GOD, world without end. Amen.
THE NINTH.
The Versicle.
Lord by thy sweet & sauing SIGN.
The Responsor.
Defend vs from our foes & thine.
℣. Thou shalt open.
℟. And my mouth.
℣. O GOD make speed.
℟. O LORD make hast.
Glory be to.
As it was in.
THE HYMN.
THe ninth with awfull horror hearkened to those groanes
Which taught attention eu'n to rocks & stones.
Hear, FATHER, hear! thy LAMB (at last) complaines.
Of some more painfull thing then all his paines.
Then bowes his all-obedient head, & dyes
His own lou's, & our sin's GREAT SACRIFICE.
The sun saw That; And would haue seen no more
The center shook. Her vselesse veil th' in glorious Temple tore,
The Antiphona.
O strange mysterious strife
Of open DEATH & hidden LIFE!
When on the crosse my king did bleed,
LIFE seem'd to dy, DEATH dy'd indeed.
The Versicle.
Lo we adore thee
Deard LAMB! and fall
thus low before thee
The Responsor.
'Cause by the conuenant of thy CROSSE
Thou'hast sau'd at once the whole word's losse.
The Prayer.
O Lord IESV-CHRIST, son of the liuing GOD! interpose, I pray thee, thine own pretious death, thy CROSSE & Passion, betwixt my soul & thy iudgment, now & in the hour of my death. And vouchsafe to graunt vnto me thy grace & mercy; vnto all quick and dead, remission & rest; to thy church peace & concord; to vs sinners life & glory euerlasting. Who liuest and reignest with the FATHER, in the vnity of the HOLY GHOST, one GOD, world without end. Amen.
EVENSONG.
The Versicle.
Lord, by thy sweet & sauing SIGN
The Responsor.
Defend vs from our foes & thine.
℣. Thou shalt open.
℟. And my mouth.
℣. O GOD make speed.
℟. O LORD make hast.
℣. Glory be to.
℟. As it was in the.
THE HYMN.
BVt there were Rocks would nor relent at This.
Lo, for their own hearts, they rend his.
Their deadly hate liues still; & hath
A wild reserue of wanton wrath;
Superfluous SPEAR! But there's à HEART stands by
Will look no wounds be lost, no deaths shall dy.
Gather now thy Greif's ripe FRVIT. Great mother-maid!
Then sitt thee down, & sing thine Eu'niong in the sad TREE's shade.
The Antiphona.
O sad, sweet TREE!
Wofull & ioyfull we
Both weep & sing in shade of thee.
When the dear NAILES did lock
And graft into thy gracious Stock
The hope; the health,
The worth, the wealth
Of all the ransom'd WORLD, thou hadst the power
(In that propitious Hour)
To poise each pretious limb,
And proue how light the World was, when it weighd with HIM.
Wide maist thou spred
Thine Armes; And with thy bright & blisfull head
O'relook all Libanus. Thy lofty crown
The king himself is; Thou his humble THRONS.
Where yeilding & yet conquering he
Prou'd a new path of patient Victory.
When wondring death by death was slain,
And our Captiuity his Captiue ta'ne.
The Versicle.
Lo we adore thee
Dread LAMB! & bow thus low before thee;
The Responsor.
'Cause by the conuenant of thy CROSSE.
Thou'hast sau'd the world from certain losse.
The Prayer.
O lord IESV-CHRIST, son of the liuing, &c. 42.
COMPLINE.
The Versicle.
Lord by thy sweet & sauing SIGN,
The Responsor.
Defend vs from our foes & thine.
℣. Thou shalt open.
℟. And my mouth.
℣. O GOD make speed.
℟. O LORD make hast.
℣. Glory be
℟. As it was in
THE HIMN.
THe Complin hour comes last, to call
Vs to our own LIVE's funerall.
Ah hartlesse task! yet hope takes head;
And liues in Him that here lyes dead.
Run, MARY, run! Bring hither all the BLEST
ARABIA, for thy Royall Phoenix'nest;
Pour on thy noblest sweets, Which, when they touch.
This sweeter BODY, shall indeed be such.
But must thy bed, lord, be a borow'd graue
Who lend'st to all things All the LIFE they haue.
O rather vse this HEART. thus farr a fitter STONE,
'Cause, though a hard & cold one, yet it is thine owne. Amen.
The Antiphona.
O saue vs then
Mercyfull KING of men!
Since thou wouldst needs be thus
A SAVIOVR, & at such à rate, for vs;
Saue vs, o saue vs, lord.
We now will own no shorter wish, nor name a narrower word.
Thy blood bids vs be bold.
Thy Wounds giue vs fair hold.
Thy Sorrows chide our shame.
Thy Crosse, thy Nature, & thy name
Aduance our claim
And cry with one accord
Saue them, o saue them, lord.
EXPOSTVLATIO IESV
(XPI.)
Christi CVM VNDO INGRAT
[...]
SVM pulcher: at nemo tamen me diligit.
Sum nobilis: nemo est mihi qui seruiat:
Sum diues: a me nemo quicquam postulat.
Et cuncta possum: nemo me tamen tinet.
Aeternus exs
[...]: quaeror a paucissinus.
Prudensque sum: sed me quis est qui consulit?
Et sum via: at per me quotusquisque ambulat?
Sum veritas: quare mihi non creditur?
Sum vita: verum rarus est qui me petit.
Sum vera lux: videre me neme cupit.
Sum misericors: nullus fidem in me collocat.
TV, si poris, non id mihi imputes, Homo:
Salus
[...]ibi est a me parata: hac vtere.
THE RECOMMENDATION.
These Houres, & that which houer's o're my END,
Into thy hands, and hart, lord, I, commend.
Take Both to Thine Account, that I & mine
In that Hour, & in these, may be all thine.
So from his liuing, & life-giuing DEATH,
My dying LIFE may draw a new, & neuer fleeting BREATH
VPON THE H. SEPVLCHER.
Here where our LORD once lay'd his Head,
Now the graue lyes Buryed.
VEXILLA REGIS, THE HYMN OF THE HOLY CROSSE.
I.
LOok vp, languisting Soul! Lo where the fair
BADG of thy faith calls back thy care,
And biddes thee ne're forget
Thy life is one long Debt
Of loue to Him, who on this painfull TREE
Paid back the flesh he took for thee.
II.
Lo, how the streames of life, from that full nest
Of loues, thy lord's too liberall brest,
Flow in an amorous floud
Of WATER wedding BLOOD.
With these he wash't thy stain, transfer'd thy smart,
[Page 50] And took it home to his own heart.
III.
But though great LOVE, greedy of such sad gain
Vsurp't the Portion of THY pain,
And from the nailes & spear
Turn'd the steel point of fear,
Their vse is chang'd, not lost; and now they moue,
Not stings of warth, but wounds of loue.
IV.
Tall TREE of life! thy truth makes goo
What was till now ne're vnderstood,
Though the prophetick king
Struck lowd his faithfull string.
It was thy wood he meant should make the TRHONE
For a more then SALOMON.
V.
Larg throne of loue! Royally spred
With purple of too Rich a red.
Thy crime is too much duty;
Thy Burthen, too much beauty;
Glorious, or Greiuous more? thus to make good
Thy costly excellence with thy KING's own BLOOD.
VI.
Euen ballance of both worlds! our world of sin.
[Page 51] And that of grace heaun way'd in HIM,
Vs with our price thou weighed'st;
Our price for vs thou payed'st;
Soon as the right-hand scale reioyc't to proue
How much Death weigh'd more light then loue.
VII.
Hail, our alone hope! let thy fair head shoot
Aloft; and fill the nations with thy noble fruit.
The while our hearts & we
Thus graft our selues on thee;
Grow thou & they. And be thy fair increase
The sinner's pardon & the iust man's peace.
Liue, o for euer liue & reign
The LAMB whom his own loue hath slain!
And let thy lost sheep liue to'inherit
That KINGDOM which this CROSSE did merit.
AMEN.
TO OVR B. LORD VPON THE CHOISE OF HIS Sepulcher.
How life & death in Thee
Agree!
Thou hadst a virgin womb,
And tomb.
A IOSEPH did betroth
Them both.
CHARITAS NIMIA. OR THE DEAR BARGAIN.
LOrd, what is man? why should he coste thee
So dear? what had his ruin lost thee?
Lord what is man? that thou hast ouerbought
So much a thing of nought?
Loue is too kind, I see; & can
Make but à simple merchant man.
'Twas for such sorry merchandise.
Bold Painters haue putt out his Eyes.
Alas, sweet lord, what wer't to thee
If there were no such wormes as we?
Heau'n ne're the lesse still heaun would be,
Should Mankind dwell
In the deep hell.
What haue his woes to doe with thee?
Let him goe weep
[Page 53] O're his own wounds;
SERAPHIMS will not sleep
Nor spheares let fall their faithfull rounds.
Still would The youthfull SPIRITS sing;
And still thy spatious Palace ring.
Still would those beauteous ministers of light
Burn all as bright,
And bow their flaming heads before thee
Still thrones & Dominations would adore thee
Still would those euer wakefull sons of fire
Keep warm thy prayse
Both nights & dayes,
And teach thy lou'd name to their noble lyre.
Ler froward Dust then doe it's kind;
And giue it self for sport to the proud wind.
Why should a peice of peeuish clay plead shares
In the Aeternity of thy old cares?
Why shouldst you bow thy awfull Brest to see
What mine own madnesses haue done with me?
Should not the king still keepe his throne
Because some desperate Fool's vndone?
Or will the world's Illustrious eyes
Weep for euery worm that dyes;
Will the gallant sun
E're the lesse glorious run?
Will he hang down his golden head
Or e're the sooner seek his western bed,
[Page 54] Because some foolish fly
Growes wanton, & will dy?
If I were lost in misery,
What was it to thy heaun & thee?
What was it to thy pretious blood
If my foul Heart call'd for a floud?
What if my faithlesse soul & I
Would needs fall in
With guilt & sin,
What did the Lamb, that he should dy?
What did the lamb, that he should need?
When the wolf sins, himself to bleed?
If my base lust,
Bargain'd with Death & well-beseeming dust
Why should the white
Lamb's bosom write
The purple name
Of my sin's shame?
Why should his vnstaind brest make good
My blushes with his own heart-blood?
O my SAVIOVR, make me see
How dearly thou hast payd for me
That lost again my LIFE may proue
As then in DEATH, so now in loue.
SANCTA MARIA DOLORVM OR THE MOTHER OF SORROWS. A Patheticall descant vpon the deuout Plainsong OF
STABAT MATER DOLOROSA.
[Page 56]
SANCTA MARIA DOLORVM.
I.
IN shade of death's sad TREE
Stood Dolefull SHEE.
Ah SHE! now by none other
Name to be known, alas, but SORROW's NOTHER▪
Before her eyes
Her's, & the whole world's ioyes,
Hanging all torn she sees; and in his woes
And Paines, her Pangs & throes.
[Page 57] Each wound of His, from euery Part,
All, more at home in her one heart.
II
What kind of marble than
Is that cold man
Who can look on & see,
Nor keep such noble sorrowes company?
Sure eu'en from you
(My Flints) some drops are due
To see so many vnkind swords contest
So fast for one soft Brest.
While with a faithfull, mutuall, floud
Her eyes bleed TEARES, his wounds weep BLOOD.
III.
O costly intercourse
Of deaths, & worse
Diuided loues. While son & mother
Discourse alternate wounds to one another;
Quick Deaths that grow
And gather, as they come & goe:
His Nailes write swords in her, which soon her heart
Payes back, with more then their own smart
Her SWORDS, still growingt with his pain,
Turn SPEARES, & straight come home again
IV.
She sees her son, her GOD,
[Page 58] Bow with à load
Of borrowd sins; And swimme
In woes that were not made for Him.
Ah hard command
Of loue! Here must she stand
Charg'd to look on, & with à stedfast ey
See her life dy:
Leauing her only so much Breath
As serues to keep aliue her death.
V.
O Mother turtle-doue!
Soft sourse of loue
That these dry lidds might borrow
Somthing from thy full Seas of sorrow!
O in that brest
Of thine (the nobest nest
Both of loue's fires & flouds) might I recline
This hard, cold, Heart of mine!
The chill lump would relent, & proue
Soft subject for the seige of loue.
VI.
O teach those wounds to bleed
In me; me, so to read
This book of loues, thus writ
In lines of death, my life may coppy it
With loyall cares.
O let me, here, claim shares;
Yeild somthing in thy sad praerogatiue
[Page 59] (Great Queen of greifes) & giue
Me too my teares; who, though all stone,
Think much that thou shouldst mourn alone.
VII.
Yea let my life & me
Fix here with thee,
And at the Humble foot
Of this fair TREE take our etertall root.
That so we may
At least be in loues way;
And in these chast warres while the wing'd wounds flee
So fast'twixt him & thee,
My brest may catch the kisse of some kind dart,
Though as at second hand, from either heart.
VIII.
O you, your own best Darts
Dear, dolefull hearts!
Hail; & strike home & make me see
That wounded bosomes their own weapons be.
Come wounds! come darts!
Nail'd hands! & peirced hearts!
Come your whole selues, sorrow's great son & mother!
Nor grudge à vonger-Brother
Of greifes his portion, who (had all their due)
One single wound should not haue left for you.
IX.
Shall I, sett there
So deep a share
(Dear wounds) & onely now
In sorrows draw no Diuidend with you?
O be more wise
Is not more soft, mine eyes!
Flow, tardy founts! & into decent showres
Dissolue my Dayes & Howres.
And if thou yet (faint soul!) deferr
To bleed with him, fail not to weep with her.
X.
Rich Queen, lend some releife;
At least an almes of greif
To'a heart who by sad right of sin
Could proue the whole sūme (too sure) due to him.
By all those stings
Of loue, sweet bitter things,
Which these torn hands transcrib'd on thy true heart
O teach mine too the art
To study him so, till we mix
Wounds; and become one crucifix.
XI.
O let me suck the wine
So long of this chast vine
Till drunk of the dear wounds, I be
[Page 61] A lost Thing to the world,, as it to me.
O faithfull freind
Of me & of my end!
Fold vp my life in loue; and lay't beneath
My dear lord's vitall death.
Lo, heart, thy hope's whole Plea! Her pretious Breath
Powr'd out in prayrs for thee; thy lord's in death.
VPON THE BLEEDING CRVCIFIX A SONG.
I.
IEsu, no more! It is full tide▪
From thy head & from thy feet,
From thy hands & from thy side
All the purple Riuers meet.
II.
What need thy fair head bear a part
In showres, as if thine eyes had none?
What need They help to drown thy heart,
That striues in torrents of it's own?
III.
Thy restlesse feet now cannot goe
For vs & our eternall good.
As they were euer wont. What though?
They swimme. Alas, in their own floud.
IV.
Thy hands to giue, thou canst not lift;
Yet will thy hand still giuing be.
It giues but ô, it self's the gift.
It giues though bound; though bound'tis free.
V.
But ô thy side, thy deep-digg'd side!
That hath a double Nilus going.
Nor euer was the pharian tide
Half so fruitfull, half so flowing.
VI.
No hair so small, but payes his riuer
[Page 63] To this red sea of thy blood
Their little channells can deliuer
Somthing to the Generall floud.
VII.
But while I speak, whither are run
All the riuers nam'd before?
I counted wrong. There is but one;
But ô that one is one all ore.
VIII.
Rain-swoln riuers may rise proud,
Bent all to drown & ouerflow.
But when indeed all's ouerflow'd
They themselues are drowned too.
IX.
This thy blood's deluge, a dire chance
Dear LORD to thee, to vs is found
A deluge of Deliuerance;
A deluge least we should be drown'd
N'ere wast thou in a sense so sadly true,
The WELL of liuing WATERS, Lord, till now.
VPON THE CROWNE OF THORNS TAKEN DOWNE From the head of our Bl. LORD, all Bloody.
KNow'st thou This, Souldier? 'Tis à much-chang'd plant which yet.
Thy selfe didst sett.
O who so hard a Husbandman did euer find;
A soile so kind?
Is not the soile a kind one, which returnes
Roses for Thrones?
VPON THE BODY OF OVR BL. LORD, NAKED AND BLOODY.
THey' haue left thee naked, LORD, O that they had!
This garment too I would they had deny'd.
Thee with thy self they haue too richly clad;
Opening the purple wardrobe in thy side.
O neuer could there be garment too good▪
For thee to wear, But this, of thine own Blood.
THE HYMN OF SANITE THOMAS IN ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT.
[Page]
Ecce panis angelorū
ADORO TE
WIth all the powres my poor Heart hath
Of humble loue & loyall Faith,
Thus lowe (my hidden life!) I bow to thee
Whom too much loue hath bow'd more low for me.
Down down, proud sense! Discourses dy.
Keep close, my soul's inquiring ey!
Nor touch nor tast must look for more
But each sitt still in his own Dore.
Your ports are all superfluous here,
[Page 68] Saue That which lets in faith, the eare.
Faith is my skill. Faith can beleiue
As fast as loue new lawes can giue.
Faith is my force. Faith strength affords
To keep pace with those powrfull words.
And words more sure, more sweet, then they
Loue could not think, truth could not say.
O let thy wretch find that releife
Thou didst afford the faithfull theife.
Plead for me, loue! Alleage & show
That faith has farther, here, to goe
And lesse to lean on. Because than
Though hidd as GOD, wounds writt thee man,
Thomas might touch; None but might see
At least the suffring side of thee;
And that too was thy self which thee did couer,
But here eu'n That's hid too which hides the other.
Sweet, consider then, that I
Though allow'd not hand nor eye
To reach at thy lou'd Face; nor can
Tast thee GOD, or touch thee MAN
Both yet beleiue; And wittnesse thee
My LORD too & my GOD, as lowd as He.
Help, lord, my Hope increase;
And fill my portion in thy peace.
Giue loue for life; nor let my dayes
Grow, but in new powres to thy name & praise.
O dear memoriall of that Death
[Page 69] Which liues still, & allowes vs breath!
Rich, Royall food! Bountyfull BREAD!
Whose vse denyes vs to the dead;
Whose vitall gust alone can giue
The same leaue both to eat & liue;
Liue euer Bread of loues, & be
My life, my soul, my surer selfe to mee.
O soft self-wounding Pelican!
Whose brest weepes Balm for wounded man.
Ah this way bend thy benign floud
To'a bleeding Heart that gaspes for blood.
That blood, whose least drops soueraign be
To wash my worlds of sins from me.
Come loue! Come LORD! & that long day
For which I languish, come away.
When this dry soul those eyes shall see,
And drink the vnseal'd sourse of thee.
When Glory's sun faith's shades shall chase,
And for thy veil giue me thy FACE.
AMEN.
LAVDA SION SALVATOREM. THE HYMN. FOR THE BL. SACRAMENT.
I.
RIse, Royall SION! rise & sing
Thy soul's kind shepheard, thy hart's KING▪
Stretch all thy powres; call if you can
Harpes of heaun to hands of man.
This soueraign subject sitts aboue
The best ambition of thy loue.
II.
Lo the BREAD of LIEE, this day's
Triumphant Text, prouokes thy prayse.
The liuing & life-giuing bread,
To the great twelue distributed
When LIFE, himself, at point to dy
Of loue, was his own LEGACY.
III.
Come, loue! & let vs work a song
Lowd & pleasant, sweet & long;
Let lippes & Hearts lift high the noise
Of so iust & solemn ioyes,
Which on his white browes this bright day
Shall hence for euer bear away.
IV.
Lo the new LAW of a new LORD.
With a new Lamb blesses the Board.
The aged Pascha pleads not yeares
But spyes loue's dawn, & disappeares.
Types yeild to TRVTHES; shades shrink away;
And their NIGHT dyes into our Day.
V.
But lest THAT dy too, we are bid.
Euer to doe what he once did.
And by à mindfull, mystick breath
That we may liue, reuiue his DEATH▪
With a well-bles't bread & wine.
Transsum'd, & taught to turn diuine.
VI.
The Heaun-instructed house of FAITH
Here a holy Dictate hath
[Page 72] That they but lend their Form & face,
Themselues with reuerence leaue their place
Nature, & name, to be made good.
By'a nobler Bread, more needfull BLOOD.
VII.
Where nature's lawes no leaue will giue,
Bold FAITH takes heart, & dares beleiue
In different species, name not things
Himself to me my SAVIOVR brings,
As meat in That, as Drink in this;
But still in Both one CHRIST he is.
VIII.
The Receiuing Mouth here makes
Non wound nor breach in what he takes.
Let one, or one THOVSAND be
Here Diuiders, single he
Beares home no lesse, all they no more,
Nor leaue they both lesse then before.
IX.
Though in it self this SOVERAIN FEAST
Be all the same to euery Guest,
Yet on the same (life-meaning) Bread
The child of Death eates himself Dead.
Nor is't loue's fault, but sin's dire skill
That thus from LIFE can DEATH distill.
X.
When the blest signes thou broke shall see,
Hold but thy Faith intire as he
Who, howsoe're clad, cannot come
Lesse then whole CHRIST in euery crumme.
In broken formes à stable FAITH
Vntouch't her pretious TOTALL hath.
XI.
Lo the life-food of ANGELLS then
Bow'd to the lowly mouths of men!
The children's BREAD; the Bridegroom's WINE.
Not to be cast to dogges, or swine.
XII.
Lo, the full, finall, SACRIEICE
On which all figures fix't their eyes.
The ransom'd ISACK, & his ramme;
The MANNA, & the PASCHAL Lamb.
XIII.
IESV MASTER, Iust & true!
Our FOOD, & faithfull SHEPHARD too?
O by thy self vouchsafe to keep,
As with thy selfe thou feed'st thy SHEEP.
XIV.
O let that loue which thus makes thee
Mix with our low Mortality,
Lift our lean Soules, & sett vs vp
Convictors of thine own full cup,
Coheirs of SAINTS. That so all may
Drink the same wine; and the same WAY.
Nor chang the PASTVRE, but the PLACE;
To feed of THEE in thine own FACE.
AMEN.
[Page 75]THE HYMN. OF THE CHVRCH, IN MEDITATION OF THE DAY OF IVDGMENT.
‘DIES IRAE DIES ILLA.’
I.
HEars't thou, my soul, with serious things
Both the Psalm and sybyll sings
Of a sure iudge, from whose sharp Ray
The world in flames shall fly away.
II.
O that fire! before whose face
Heaun & earth shall find no place.
O those eyes! whose angry light
Must be the day of that dread Night.
III.
O that trump! whose blast shall rnn
An euen round with the circling Sun.
And vrge the murmuring graues to bring
[Page 76] Pale mankind forth to meet his king.
IV.
Horror of nature, hell & Death!
When a deep Groan from beneath
Shall cry we come, we come & all
The caues of night answer one call
V.
O that Book! whose leaues so bright
Will sett the world in seuere light.
O that Iudge! whose hand, whose eye
None can indure; yet none can fly
VI.
Ah then, poor soul, what wilt thou say?
And to what Patron chuse to pray?
When starres themselues shall stagger; and
The most firm foot no more then stand.
VII.
But thou giu'st leaue (dread Lord) that we
Take shelter from thy self, in thee;
And wi
[...]h the wings of thine own doue
Fly to thy scepter of soft loue.
VIII.
Dear, remember in that Day
Who was the cause thou cams't this way.
Thy sheep was stray'd; And thou wouldst be
Euen lost thy self in seeking me.
IX.
Shall all that labour, all that cost
Of loue, and eu'n that losse, be lost?
And this lou'd soul, iudg'd worth no lesse
Then all that way, and wearynesse?
X.
Iust mercy then, thy Reckning be
With my price, & not with me
'Twas pay'd at first with too much pain,
To be pay'd twice; or once, in vain.
XI.
Mercy (my iudge) mercy I cry
With blushing Cheek & bleeding ey,
The conscious colors of my sin
Are red without & pale within.
XII.
O let thine own soft bowells pay
Thy self; And so discharge that day.
If sin can sigh, loue can forgiue.
O say the word my Soul shall liue.
XIII.
Those mercyes which thy MARY found
Or who thy crosse confes't & crown'd,
Hope tells my heart, the same loues be
Still aliue; and still for me.
XIV.
Though both my Prayres & teares combine,
Both worthlesse are; For they are mine.
But thou thy bounteous self still be;
And show thou art, by sauing me.
XV.
O when thy last Frown shall proclaim
The flocks of goates to folds of flame,
And all thy lost sheep found shall be,
Let come ye blessed then call me.
XVI.
When the dread ITE shall diuide
[Page 78] Those Limbs of death from thy left side,
Let those life-speaking lipps command
That I inheritt thy right hand.
XVII.
O hear a suppliant heart; all crush't
And crumbled into contrite dust.
My hope, my fear! my Iudge, my Friend!
Take charge of me, & of my END.
S. MARIA MAIOR. Dilecius meus mihi et ego illi▪ qui pascitur inter lilia. [...].
THE HIMN O GLORIOSA DOMINA.
HAil, most high, most humble one!
Aboue the world; below thy SON
Whose blush the moon beauteously marres
And staines the timerous light of stares.
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.
[Page 80] O boundles Hospitality!
The FEAST of all thing feeds on the.
The first Eue, mother of our FALL,
E're she bore any one, slew all.
Of Her vnkind gift might we haue
The inheritance of a hasty GRAVE;
Quick burye'd in the wanton TOMB
Of one forbidden bitt;
Had not à Better FRVIT forbidden it.
Had not thy healthfull womb
The world's new eastern window bin
And giuen vs heau'n again, in giuing HIM.
Thine was the Rosy DAWN that sprung the Day
Which renders all the starres she stole away.
Let then the Aged world be wise, & all
Proue nobly, here, vnnaturall.
'Tis gratitude to forgett that other
And call the maiden Eue their morher.
Yee redeem'd Nations farr & near,
Applaud your happy selues in her,
(All you to whom this loue belongs)
And keep't aliue with lasting songs.
Let hearts & lippes speak lowd; and say
Hail, door of life: & sourse of day!
The door was shutt, the fountain seal'd;
Yet LIGHT was seen & LIFE reueald.
The fountain seald, yet life found way.
Glory to thee, great virgin's son
In bosom of thy FATHER's blisse.
The same to thee, sweet SPIRIT be done;
As euer shall be, was, & is.
AMEN.
IN THE GLORIOVS ASSVMPTION OF OVR BLESSED LADY. THE HYMN.
HArk! she is call'd, the parting houre is come
Take thy Farewell, poor world! heaun must goe home.
A peice of heau'nly earth; Purer & brighter
Then the chast starres, whose choise lamps come to light her
While through the crystall orbes, clearer then they
She climbes; and makes afarre more milkey way.
She's calld. Hark, how the dear immortall doue
Sighes to his syluer mate rise vp, my loue!
Rise vp, my fair, my spottlesse one!
The winter's past, the rain is gone.
[Page 82] The spring is come, the flowrs appear
No sweets, but thou, are wanting here.
Come away, my loue!
Come away, my doue! cast off delay,
The court of heau'n is come
To wait vpon thee home; Come come away!
The flowrs appear.
Or quickly would, wert thou once here
The spring is come, or if it stay,
'Tis to keep time with thy delay.
The rain is gone, except so much as we
Detain in needfull teares to weep the want of thee.
The winter's past.
or if he make lesse hast,
His answer is, why she does so.
If sommer come not, how can winter goe.
Come away, come away.
The shrill winds chide, the waters weep thy stay;
The fountains murmur; & each lofty est three.
Bowes low'st his heauy top, to look for thee.
Come away, my loue.
Come away, my doue &c.
She's call'd again. And will she goe?
When heaun bidds come, who can say no?
Heaun calls her, & she must away.
Heaun will not, & she cannot stay.
GOE then; goe GLORIOVS.
On the golden wings
Of the bright youth of heaun, that sings
Vnder so sweet a Burthen. Goe,
Since thy dread son will haue it so.
[Page 83] And while thou goest, our song & we
Will, as we may, reach after thee.
HAIL, holy Queen of humble hearts!
We in thy prayse will haue our parts.
Thy pretious name shall be.
Thy self to vs; & we
With holy care will keep it by vs.
We to the last
Will hold it fast
And no ASSVMPTION shall deny vs.
All the sweetest showres
Of our fairest flowres
Will we strow vpon it.
Though our sweets cannot make
It sweeter, they can take
Themselues new sweetnes from it.
MARIA, men & Angels sing
MARIA, mother of our KING.
LIVE, rosy princesse, LIVE. And may the bright
Crown of a most incomparable light
Embrace thy radiant browes. O may the best
Of euerlasting ioyes bath thy white brest.
LIVE, our chast loue, the holy mirth
Of heaun; the humble pride of earth.
Liue, ctown of woemen; Queen of men.
Liue mistresse of our song. And when
Our weak desires haue done their brest,
Sweet Angels come, and sing the rest.
SANITE MARY MAGDALENE OR THE WEEPER.
[Page]
THE WEEPER.
Loe where à WOVNDED HEART with Bleeding EYES conspire.
Is she a FLAMING Fountain, or a Weeping fire!
I.
HAil, sister springs!
Parents of syluer-footed rills!
Euer bubling things!
Thawing crystall! snowy hills,
Still spending, neuer spent! I mean
Thy fair eyes, sweet MAGDALENE!
II.
Heauens thy fair eyes be;
[Page 86] Heauens of euer-falling starres.
'Tis seed-time still with thee
And starres thou sow'st, whose haruest dares
Promise the earth to counter shine
Whateuer makes heaun's forhead fine.
III.
But we'are deceiued all.
Starres indeed they are too true;
For they but seem to fall,
As Heaun's other spangles doe.
It is not for our earth & vs
To shine in Things so pretious.
IV.
Vpwards thou dost weep.
Heaun's bosome drinks the gentle stream.
Where th'milky riuers creep,
Thine floates aboue; & is the cream.
Waters aboue th'Heauns, what they be
We'are taught best by thy TEARES & thee.
V.
Euery morn from hence
A brisk Cherub somthing sippes
Whose sacred influence
Addes sweetnes to his sweetest Lippes.
Then to his musick. And his song
Tasts of this Breakfast all day long.
VI.
Not in the euening's eyes
When they Red with weeping are
For the Sun that dyes,
Sitts sorrow with a face so fair,
No where but here did euer meet
[Page 87] Sweetnesse so sad, sadnesse so sweet.
VII.
When sorrow would be seen
In her brightest majesty
(For she is a Queen)
Then is she drest by none but thee.
Then, & only then, she weares
Her proudest pearles; I mean, thy TEARES.
VIII.
The deaw no more will weep
The prim rose's pale cheek to deck,
The deaw no more will sleep
Nuzzel'd in the lilly's neck;
Much reather would it be thy TEAR.
And leaue them Both to tremble here.
IX.
There's no need at all
That the balsom-sweating bough
So coyly should let fall
His med'cinable teares; for now
Nature hath learn't tos'extract a deaw
More soueraign & sweet from you.
X.
Yet let the poore drops weep
(weeping is the ease of woe)
Softly let them creep,
Sad that they, are vanquish't so.
They, though to others no releife,
balsom maybe, for their own greife.
XI.
Such the maiden gemme
By the purpling vine put on,
[Page 88] Peeps from her parent stemme
And blushes at the bridegroomes sun.
This watry Blossom of thy eyn,
Ripe, will make the richer wine.
XII.
When some new bright Guest
Takes vp among the starres a room,
And Heaun will make a feast,
Angels with crystall violls come
And deaw from these full eyes of thine
Their master's Water: their own Wine.
XIII.
Golden though he be,
Golden Tagus murmures tho;
Were his way by thee,
Content & quiet he would goe.
So much more rich would he esteem
Thy syluer, then his golden stream.
XIV.
Well does the May that lyes
Smiling in thy cheeks, confesse
The April in thine eyes.
Mutuall sweetnesse they expresse.
No April ere lent kinder showres,
Nor May return'd more faithfull flowres.
XV.
O ckeeks! Bedds of chast loues
By your own showres seasonably dash't
Eyes! nests of milky doues.
In your own wells decently washt,
O wit of loue! that thus could place
Fountain & Garden in one face.
[Page 89] O sweet Contest; of woes.
With loues, of teares with smiles disputing!
O fair, & Freindly Foes,
Each other kissing & confuting!
While rain & sunshine, Cheekes & Eyes
Close in kind contrarietyes.
XVII.
But can these fair Flouds be
Freinds with the bosom fires that fill you!
Can so great flames agree
Aeternall Teares should thus distill thee!
O flouds, o fires! o suns ô showres!
Mixt & made freinds by loue's sweet powres.
XVIII.
Twas his well-pointed dart
That digg'd these wells, & drest this wine;
And taught the wounded HEART
The way into these weeping Eyn.
Vain loues auant! bold hands forbear!
The lamb hath dipp't his white foot here.
XIX.
And now where're he strayes,
Among the Galilean mountaines,
Or more vnwellcome wayes,
He's follow'd by two faithfull fountaines;
Two walking baths; two weeping motions;
Portable, & compendious oceans.
XX.
O Thou, thy lord's fair store!
In thy so rich & rare expenses,
Euen when he show'd most poor,
He might prouoke the wealth of Princes.
[Page 90] What Prince's wanton'st pride e're could
Wash with Syluer, wipe with Gold.
XXI.
Who is that King, but he
Who calls't his Crown to be call'd thine,
That thus can boast to be
Waited on by a wandring mine,
A voluntary mint, that strowes
Warm syluer shoures where're he goes!
XXII.
O pretious Prodigall!
Fair spend-thrift of thy self! thy mea
[...]ure
(mercilesse loue!) is all.
Euen to the last Pearle in thy threasure.
All places, Times, & obiects be
Thy teare's sweet opportunity
XXIII.
Does the day-starre rise?
Still thy starres doe fall & fall
Does day close his eyes?
Still the FOVNTAIN weeps for all.
Let night or day doe what they will,
Thou hast thy task▪ thou weepest still.
XXIV.
Does thy song lull the air?
Thy falling teares keep faith full time.
Does thy sweet-breath'd paire
Vp in clouds of incense climb?
Still at each sigh, that is, each stop,
A bead, that is, A TEAR, does drop,
XXV.
At these thy weeping gates,
[Page 91] (Watching their watry motion)
Each winged moment waits.
Takes his TEAR, & gets him gone.
By thine Ey's tinct enobled thus
Time layes him vp; he's pretious.
XXVI.
Not, so long she liued,
Shall thy tomb report of thee;
But, so long she greiued,
Thus must we date thy memory.
Others by moments, months, & yeares.
Measure their ages; thou, by TEARES.
XXVIII.
So doe perfumes expire.
So sigh tormented sweets, opprest
With proud vnpittying fires.
Such Teares the suffring Rose that's vext
With vngentle flames does shed,
Sweating in a too warm bed.
XXVIII.
Say, the bright brothers,
The fugitiue sons of those fair Eyes
Your fruitfull mothers!
What make you here? what hopes can tice
You to be born? what cause can borrow
You from Those nests of noble sorrow?
XXIX.
Whither away so
[...]st?
For sure the sordid
[...]th
Your Sweetnes cannot ta
[...]
Nor does the dust deserue their birth,
[...] whither hast you then? o say
[Page 92] Why you trip so fast away?
XXX.
We goe not to seek,
The darlings of Auroras bed▪
The rose's modest Cheek
Nor the violet's humble head.
Though the Feild's eyes too WEEPERS be
Because they want such TEARES as we.
XXXI.
Much lesse mean we to trace
The Fortune of inferior gemmes,
Preferr'd to some proud face
Or pertch't vpon fear'd Diadems.
Crown'd Heads are toyes. We goe to meet
A worthy object, our lord's FEET.
A HYMN TO THE NAME AND HONOR OF THE ADMIRABLE SANITE TERESA, FOVNDRESSE of the Reformation of the Discalced CARMELITES, both men & Women; A WOMAN for Angelicall heigth of speculation, for Masculine courage of performance, more then a woman. WHO Yet a child, out ran maturity, and durst plott a Martyrdome;
[Page]
Le Vray portraict de S. te Terese Fondatrice des Religieuses▪ & Religieux refermez de l'ordre de N. Dame du mont Carmel. Decedee le 4 • Octo. 158 [...]. Canonisee le 12 •. Mars, 1622.
[Page 95]THE HYMNE.
LOue, thou art Absolute sole lord
OF LIFE & DEATH. To proue the word.
Wee'l now appeal to none of all
Those thy old Souldiers, Great & tall,
Ripe Men of Martyrdom, that could reach down
With strong armes, their triumphant crown;
Such as could with lusty breath
Speak lowd into the face of death
Their Great LORD's glorious name, to none
Of those whose spatious Bosomes spread a throne
For LOVE at larg to fill, spare blood & sweat;
And see him take a priuate seat,
Making his mansion in the mild
And milky soul of a soft child
Scarse has she learn't to lisp the name
Of Martyr; yet she thinks it shame
Life should so long play with that breath
Which spent can buy so braue a death.
She neuer vndertook to know
What death with loue should haue to doe;
Nor has she e're yet vnderstood
Why to show loue, she should shed blood
[Page 96] Yet though she cannot tell you why,
She can LOVE, & she can DY.
Scarse has she Blood enough to make
Aguilty sword blush for her sake;
Yet has she'a HEART dares hope to proue
How much lesse strong is DEATH then LOVE.
Be loue but there; let poor six yeares
Be pos'd with the maturest Feares
Man trembles at, you staight shall find
LOVE knowes no nonage, nor the MIND.
'Tis LOVE, not YEARES or LIMBS that can
Make the Martyr, or the man.
LOVE touch't her HEART, & lo it beates
High, & burnes with such braue heates;
Such thirsts to dy, as dares drink vp,
A thousand cold deaths in one cup.
Good reason. For she breathes All fire.
Her what brest heaues with strong desire
Of what she may with fruitles wishes
Seek for amongst her MOTHER's hisles.
Since 'tis not to be had at home
She'l trauail to à Maryrdom.
No home for hers confesses she
But where she may à Martyr be.
Sh'el to the Moores; And trade with them,
For this vnualued Diad
[...]m.
She'l offer them her dearest Breath,
With CHRIST's Name in't, in change for death.
Sh'el bargain with them; & will giue
Them GOD; teach them how to liue
In him: or, if they this deny,
For him she'l teach them how to DY.
[Page 97] So shall she leaue amongst them sown
Her LORD's Blood; or at lest her own.
FAREWEL then, all the world! Adieu.
TERESA is no more for you.
Farewell, all pleasures, sports, & ioyes,
(Neuer till now esteemed toyes)
MOTHER's armes or FATHER's knee
Farewell house, & farewell home!
SHE's for the Moores, & MARTYRDOM.
SWEET, not so fast! lo thy fair Spouse
Whom thou seekst with so swift vowes,
Calls thee back, & bidds thee come
T'embrace a milder MARTYRDOM
Blest powres forbid, Thy tender life
Should bleed vpon a barborous knife;
Or some base hand haue power to race
Thy Brest's chast cabmet, & vncase
A soul kept there so sweet, ô no;
Wise heaun will neuer haue it so
THOV art love's victime; & must dy
A death more mysticall & high.
Into loue's armes thou shalt let fall
A still-suruiuing funerall.
His is the DART must make the DEATH
Whose stroke shall tast thy hallow'd breath;
A Dart thrice dip't in that rich flame
Which writes thy spouse's radiant Name
Vpon the roof of Heau'n; where ay
It shines, & with a soueraign ray
Beates bright vpon the burning faces
Of soules which in that name's sweet graces
Find euerlasting smiles. So rare,
[Page 98] So spirituall, pure, & fair
Must be th' immortall instrument
Vpon whose choice point shall be sent
A life so lou'd; And that there be
Fitt executioners for Thee.
The fair'st & first-born sons of fire
Blest SERAPHIM, shall leaue their quire
And turn loue's souldiers, vpon THEE
To exercise their archerie.
O how oft shalt thou complain
Of a sweet & subtle PAIN.
Of intolerable IOYES;
Of a DEATH, in which who dyes
Loues his death, and dyes ag
[...]in.
And would for euer so be slain.
And liues, & dyes; and knowes not why
To liue, But that he thus may neuer leaue to DY.
How kindly will thy gentle HEART
Kisse the sweettly-killing DART!
And close in his embraces keep
Those delicious Wounds, that weep
Balsom to heal themselues w
[...]th thus
When These thy DEATHS, so numerous,
Shall all at l
[...]st dy into one,
And melt thy Soul's sweet mansion;
Like a soft lump of incense, hasted
By too hott a fire, & wasted
Into perfuming clouds, so fast
Shalt thou exhale to Heaun at last
In a resoluing SIGH, and then
O what? Ask not the Tongues of men.
Angells cannot tell, suffice,
[Page 99] Thy selfe shall feel thine own full ioyes
And hold them fast for euer there
So soon as you first appear,
The MOON of maiden starrs, thy white
MISTRESSE, attended by such bright
Soules as thy shining self, shall come
And in her first rankes make thee room;
Where 'mongst her snowy family
Immortall well comes wait for thee.
O what delight, when reueal'd LIEF shall stand
And teach thy lipps heau'n with his hand;
On which thou now maist to thy wishes
Heap vp thy consecrated kisses.
What ioyes shall seize thy soul, when she
Bending her blessed eyes on thee
(Those second Smiles of Heau'n) shall dart
Her mild rayes through thy melting heart!
Angels, thy old freinds, there shall greet thee
Glad at their own home now to meet thee.
All thy good WORKES which went before
And waited for thee, at the door,
Shall own thee there; and all in one
We
[...]ue a constellation
Of CROWNS, with which the KING thy spouse
Shall build vp thy triumphant browes.
All thy old woes shall now smile on thee
And thy paines si
[...]t bright vpon thee
All thy SVFFRINGS be diuine.
TEARES shall take comfort, & turn gemms
And WRONGS repent to Di
[...]demms.
Eu'n thy DEATH shall liue; & new
Dresse the soul that erst they slew.
[Page 100] Thy wounds shall blush to such bright scarres
As keep account of the LAMB's warres.
Those rare WORKES where thou shalt leaue writt▪
Loue's noble history, with witt
Taught thee by none but him, while here
They feed our soules, shall cloth THINE there.
Each heaunly word by whose hid flame
Our hard Hearts sh
[...]ll strike fire, the same
Shall flourish on thy browes▪ & be
Both fire to vs & flame to thee;
Whose light shall liue bright in thy FACE
By glory, in our hearts by grace.
Thou shalt look round about, & see
Thousands of crown'd Soules throng to be
Themselues thy crown. Sons of thy vowes
The virgin-births with which thy soueraign spouse
Made fruitfull thy fair soul, goe now
And with them all about thee bow
To Him, put on (hee'l say) put on
(My rosy loue) That thy rich zone
Sparkling with the sacred flames
Of thousand soules, whose happy names
Heau'n keep vpon thy score. (Thy bright
Life brought them first to kisse the light
That kindled them to starrs.) and so
Thou with the LAMB, thy lord, shalt goe;
And whereso'ere he setts his white
Stepps, walk with HIM those wayes of light
Which who in death would liue to see,
Must learn in life to dy like thee.
AN APOLOGIE. FOR THE FORE-GOING HYMEN as hauing been writt when the author was yet among the protestantes.
THus haue I back again to thy bright name
(Fair floud of holy fires!) trans fus'd the flame
I took from reading thee, tis to thy wrong
I know, that in my weak & worthlesse song
Thou here art sett to shine where thy full day
Scarse dawnes. O pardon if I dare to say
Thine own dear bookes are guilty. For from thence
I learn't to know that loue is eloquence.
That hopefull maxime gaue me hart to try
If, what to other tongues is tun'd so high,
Thy praise might not speak English too; forbid
(By all thy mysteryes that here ly hidde)
Forbid it, mighty Loue! let no fond Hate
Of names & wordes, so farr praeiudicate.
[Page 102] Souls are not SPANIARDS too, one freindly floud
Of BAPTISM blends them all into a blood.
CHRIST's faith makes but one body of all soules
And loue's that body's soul, no law controwlls
Our free traffique for heau'n we may maintaine
Peace, sure, with piety, though it come from SPAIN.
What soul so e're, in any language, can
Speak heau'n like her's is my souls country-man.
O'tis not spanish, but'tis heau'n she speaks!
'Tis heau'n that lyes in ambush there, & bre
[...]ks
From thence into the wondring reader's brest;
Who feels his warm HEART into a nest
Of little EAGLES & young loues, whose high
Fli
[...]hts scorn the lazy dust, & things that dy.
There are now whose draughts (as deep as hell)
drink vp
[...]l SPAIN in sack. Let my soul swell
With thee, strong wine of loue! let others swimme
In puddles; w
[...] w
[...]ll pledge this SERAPHIM
B
[...]wles full of richer blood then blush of grape
W
[...]s euer guilty of, Change we too 'our shape
(My soul,) Some drink from men to beasts, o then
Drink we till we proue more, nor lesse, then men,
'And turn not beasts, but Angels. Let the king
Me euer into these his cellars bring
Where flowes such wine as we can haue of none
But HIM who trod
[...]he wine presse all alone
Wine of youth, life, & the sweet Deaths of loue;
W
[...]ne of immortall mixture; which can proue
I
[...]'
[...] Tincture from the rosy nectar; wine
That can ex
[...]l weak EARTH; & so refine
O
[...]r dust that at one draught, mortality
May drink it self vp, and forget to dy.
THE FLAMING HEART VPON THE BOOK AND Picture of the seraphicall saint, TERESA, (AS SHE IS VSVALLY EXpressed with a SERAPHIM biside her.)
WEll meaning readers! you that come as freinds
And catch the pretious name this peice pretends;
Make not too much hast to'admire
That fair-cheek't fallacy of fire.
That is a SERAPHIM, they say
And this the great TERESIA.
Readers, be rul'd by me; & make
Here a well-plac't & wise mistake
You must transpose the picture quite,
And spell it wrong to read it right;
[Page 104] Read HIM for her, & her for him;
And call the SAINT the SERAPHIM.
Pa
[...]nter, what didst thou vnderstand
To put her dart into his hand!
See, euen the yeares & size of him
Sh
[...]wes this the mother SERAPHIM.
This is the mistresse flame; & duteous he
Her happy fire-works, here, comes down to see
O most poor-spirited of men!
Had thy cold Pencil kist her PEN
Thou couldst not so vnkindly err
To show vs This faint shade for HER
Why man, this speakes pure mortall frame;
And mockes with female FROST loue's manly flame.
One would suspect thou meant'st to print
Some weak, inferiour, woman saint.
But had thy pale-fac't purple took
Fire from the burning checks of that bright Booke
Thou wouldst on her haue heap't vp all
That could be found SERAPHICALL;
What e're this youth of fire weares fair,
Rosy fingers, radiant hair,
Glowing cheek, & glistering wings,
All those fair & flagrant things,
But before all, that fiery DART
Had fill'd the Hand of this great HEART.
Doe then as equall right requires,
Since HIS the blushes be, & her's the fires,
Resume & rectify thy rude design;
Vndresse thy Seraphim into MINE.
Redeem this iniury of thy art;
Giue HIM the vail, giue her the dart.
[Page 105] Giue Him the vail; that he may couer
The Red cheeks of a riuall'd louer.
Asham'd that our world, now, can show
Nests of new Seraphims here below.
Giue her the DART for it is she
(Fair youth) shootes both thy shaft & THEE
Say, all ye wise & well-peire't hearts
That liue & dy amidst her darts,
What is't your tastfull spirits doe proue
In that rare life of Her, and loue?
Say & bear wittnes. Sends she not
A SERAPHIM at euery shott?
What magazins of immortall ARMES there shine!
Heaun's great artillery in each loue-spun line.
Giue then the dart to her who giues the flame;
Giue him the veil, who giues the shame.
But if it be the frequent fate
Of worst faults to be fortunate;
If all's praescription; & proud wrong
Hearkens not to an humble song;
For all the gallantry of him,
Giue me the suffting SERAPHIM.
His be the brauery of all those Bright things,
The glowing cheekes, the glistering wings;
The Rosy hand, the radiant DART;
Leaue HER alone THE FLAMING HEART.
Leaue her that; & thou shalt leaue her
Not one loose shaft but loue's whole quiuer,
For in loue's feild was neuer found
A nobler weapon then a WOVND.
Loue's passiues are his actiu'st part.
[Page 106] The wounded is the wounding heart
O HEART! the aequall poise of lou'es both parts
Bigge alike with wound & darts.
Liue in these conquering leaues; liue all the same;
And walk through all tongues one triumphant FLAME
Liue here, great HEART; & loue and dy & kill;
And bleed & wound; and yeild & conquer still.
Let this immortall life wherere it comes
Walk in a crowd of loues & MARTYRDOMES.
Let mystick DEATHS wait on't; & wise soules be
The loue-slain wittnesses of this life of thee.
O sweet incendiary! shew here thy art,
Vpon this carcasse of a hard, cold, hart,
Let all thy scatter'd shafts of light, that play
Among the leaues of thy larg Books of day,
Combin'd against this BREST at once break in
And take away from me my self & sin,
This gratious Robbery shall thy bounty be;
And my best fortunes such fair spoiles of me.
O thou vndanted daughter of desires!
By all thy dowr of LIGHTS & FIRES;
By all the eagle in thee, all the doue;
By all thy liues & deaths of loue;
By thy larg draughts of intellectuall day,
And by thy thrists of loue more large then they;
By all thy brim-fill'd Bowles of feirce desire
By thy last Morning's draught of liquid fire;
By the full kingdome of that finall kisse
That seiz'd thy parting Soul, & seal'd thee his;
By all the heau'ns thou hast in him
(Fair sister of the SERAPHIM!
[Page 107] By all of HIM we haue in THEE;
Leaue nothing of my SELF in me.
Let me so read thy life, that I
Vnto all life of mine may dy.
A SONG.
LORD, when the sense of thy sweet geace
Sends vp my soul to seek thy face.
Thy blessed eyes breed such desire,
I dy in loue's delicious Fire.
O loue, I am thy SACRIFICE.
Be still triumphant, blessed eyes.
Still shine on me, fair suns! that I
Still may behold, though still I dy.
Second part.
Though still I dy, I liue again;
Still longing so to be still slain,
So gainfull is such losse of breach.
I dy euen in desire of death.
Still liue in me this louing strife
Of liuing DEATH & dying LIFE.
For while thou sweetly slayest me
Dead to my selfe, I liue in Thee.
PRAYER. AN ODE, WHICH WAS Praefixed to a little Práyer-book giuin to a young. GENTLE-WOMAN.
LO here a little volume, but great Book!
A nest of new-born sweets;
Whose natiue fires disdaining
To ly thus folded, & complaining
Of these ignoble sheets,
Affect more comly bands
(Fair one) from the kind hands
And confidently look
To find the rest
Of a rich binding in your BREST.
It is, in one choise handfull, heauenn; & all
Heaun's Royall host; incamp't thus small
To proue that true schooles vse to tell,
Ten thousand Angels in one point can dwell.
It is loue's great artillery
Which here contracts il self, & comes to ly
Close couch't in their white bosom: & from thence
[Page 109] As from a snowy fortresse of defence,
Against their ghostly foes to take their part,
And fortify the hold of their chast heart.
It is an armory of light
Let constant vse but keep it bright,
You'l find it yeilds
To holy hands & humble hearts
More swords & sheilds
Then sin hath snares, or Hell hath darts.
Only be sure
The hands be pure
That hold these weapons; & the eyes
Those of turtles, chast & true;
Wakefull & wise;
Here is a freind shall fight for you,
Hold but this book before their heart;
Let prayer alone to play his part,
But ô the heart
That studyes this high ART
Must be a sure house-keeper;
And yet no fleeper.
Dear soul, be strong.
MERCY will come e're long
And bring his besom fraught with blessings,
Flowers of neuer fading graces
To make immortall dressings
For worthy soules, whose wise embraces
Store vp themselues for HIM, who is alone
The SPOVSE of Virgins & the Virgin's son.
But if the noble BRIDEGROOM, when he come,
Shall find the loytering HEART from home;
Leauing her chast aboad
[Page 110] To gadde abroad
Among the gay mates of the god of flyes;
To take her pleasure & to play
And keep the deuill's holyday;
To danceth' sunshine of some smiling
But beguiling
Spheares of sweet & sugred Lyes,
Some slippery Pair
Of false, perhaps as fair,
Flattering but forswearing eyes;
Doubtlesse some other heart
Will gett the start
Mean while, & stepping in before
Will take possession of that sacred store
Of hidden sweets & holy ioyes.
WORDS which are not heard with EARES
(Those tumultuous shops of noise).
Effectuall wispers, whose still voice
The soul it selfe more feeles then heares;
Amorous languishments; luminous trances;
SIGHTS which are not seen with eyes;
Spirituall & soul-peircing glances
Whose pure & subtil lightning flyes
Home to the heart, & setts the house on fire
And melts it down in sweet desire
Yet does not stay
To ask the windows leaue to passe that way;
Delicious DEATHS; soft exalations
Of soul; dear & diuine annihilations;
A thousand vnknown rites
Of ioyes & rarefy'd delights;
Ahundred thousand goods, glories, & graces,
[Page 111] And many a mystick thing
Which the diuine embraces
Of the deare spouse of spirits with them will bring
For which it is no shame
That dull mortality must not know a name.
Of all this store
Of blessings & ten thousand more
(If when he come
He find the Heart from home)
Doubtlesse he will vnload
Himself some other where,
And poure abroad
His pretious sweets
On the fair soul whom first he meets.
O fair, ô fortunate! O riche, ô dear!
O happy & thrice happy she
Selected doue
Who ere she be,
Whose early loue
With winged vowes
Makes hast to meet her morning spouse
And close with his immortall kisses.
Happy indeed, who neuer misses
To improue that pretious hour,
And euery day
Seize her sweet prey
All fresh & fragrant as he rises
Dropping with a baulmy Showr
A delicious dew of spices;
O let the blissfull heart hold fast
Her heaunly arm-full, she shall tast
At once ten thousand paradises;
[Page 112] She shall haue power
To rifle & deflour
The rich & roseall spring of those rare sweets
Which with a swelling bosome there she meets
Boundles & infinite
Bottomles treasures
Of pure inebriating pleasures.
Happy proof! she shal discouer
What ioy, what blisse,
How many Heau'ns at once it is
To haue her GOD become her LOVER.
TO THE SAME PARTY COVNCEL CONCERNING HER CHOISE.
DEar, heaun-designed SOVL!
Amongst the rest
Of suters that beseige your Maiden brest,
Why my not I
My fortune try
And venture to speak one good word
[Page 113] Not for my self alas, but for my dearer LORD?
You'aue seen allready, in this lower sphear
Offroth & bubbles, what to look for here.
Say, gentle soul, what can you find
But painted shapes,
Peacocks & Apes,
Illustrious flves,
Guilded dunghills, glorious LYES,
Goodly surmises
And deep disguises,
Oathes of water, words of wind?
TRVTH biddes me say, 'tis time you cease to trust
Your soul to any son of dust.
'Tis time you listen to a brauer loue,
Which from aboue
Calls you vp higher
And biddes you come
And choose your roome
Among his own fair sonnes of fire,
Where you among
The golden throng
That watches at his palace doores
May passe along
And follow those fair starres of yours;
Starrs much too fair & pure to wai
[...] vpon
The false smiles of a sublunary sun.
Sweet, let me prophesy that at last t'will proue
Your wary loue
Laves vp his purer & more pretious vowes,
And meanes them for a farre more worthy SPOVSE
Then this world of Lyes can giue ye
'Eun for Him with whom nor cost,
[Page 114] Nor loue, nor labour can be lost;
Him who neuer will deceiue ye.
Let not my lord, the Mighty louer
of soules, disdain that I discouer
The hidden art
Of his high stratagem to win your heart,
It was his heaunly art
Kindly to crosse you
In your mistaken loue,
That, at the next remoue
Thence he might tosse you
And strike your troubled heart
Home to himself; to hide it in his brest
The bright ambrosiall nest,
Of loue, of life, & euerlasting rest.
Happy Mystake!
That thus shall wake
Your wise soul, neuer to be wonne
Now w
[...]h a loue below the sun.
Your first cho
[...]ce failes, ô when you choose agen
May it not be amongst the sonnes of Men.
ALEXIAS THE COMPLAINT. OF THE FORSAKEN WIFE OF SANITE ALEXIS.
THE FIRST ELEGIE.
I
[...]te the roman youth's lou'd prayse & pride,
Whom long none could obtain, though thousands try'd,
Lo here am left (alas), For my lost mate
Tembrace my teares, & kisse an vnkind FATE.
Sure in my early woes starres were at strife,
And try'd to make a WIDOW ere a WIFE.
Nor can I tell (and this new teares doth breed)
In what strange path my lord's fair footsteppes bleed.
O knew I where he wander'd, I should see
Some solace in my sorrow's certainty
[Page 116] I'd send my woes in words should weep for me.
(Who knowes how powrfull well - writt praires would be?)
Sending's too slow a word, my selfe would fly.
Who knowes my own heart's woes so well as I?
But how shall I steal hence? ALEXIS thou
Ah thou thy self, alas, hast taught me how.
Loue too, that leads the, would lend the wings
To bear me harmlesse through the hardest things.
And where loue lends the wing, & leads the way,
What dangers can there be dare say me nay?
If drown'd; sweet is the death indur'd for HIM,
The noted sea shall change his name with me;
I, 'mongst the blest STARRES a new name shall be.
And sure where louers make their watry graues.
The weeping mariner will augment the waues.
For who so hard, but passing by that way
W
[...]ll take acquaintance of my woes, & say
Here' was the roman MAID found a hard fare
While through the world she sought her wandring mate.
Here perish't she, poor heart, heauns, be my vowes
As true to me, as she was to her spouse.
O liue, so rare a loue! liue! & in thee
The too frail life of femal constancy.
F
[...]rewell; & shine, fair soul, shine there aboue
Firm in thy crown, as here fast in thy loue.
There
[...]hy lost fugitiue thou' hast found at last.
Be happy; and for euer hold him fast.
THE SECONDE ELEGIE.
THough All the ioyes I had fleed hence with Thee,
Vnkind! yet are my TEARES still true to me
I' am wedded ore again since thou art gone;
Nor couldst thou, cruell, leaue me quite alone.
ALEXIS' widdow now is sorrow's wife.
With him shall I weep our my weary life.
Wellcome, my sad sweet Ma
[...]e! Now haue I gott
At last a constant loue that leaues me not.
Firm he, as thou art false, Not need my cryes
Thus vex the earth & teare the skyes.
For him, alas, n'ere shall I need to be
Troublesom to the world, thus, as for thee.
For thee I talk to trees; with silent groues
Expostulate my woes & much wrong'd loues.
Hills & relentlesse rockes, or if there be
Things that in hardnesse more allude to thee;
To these I talk in teares, & tell my pain;
And answer too for them in teares again.
How oft haue I wept out the weary sun!
My watry hour-glasse hath old time out runne.
O I am le
[...]ned grown, Poor loue & I
Haue study'd ouer all astrology.
My skillfull greife is grown familiar.
Rise, fairest of those fires; what e're thou be
Whose rosy beam shall point my sun to me.
Such as the sacred light that erst did bring
The EASTERN princes to their infant king.
O rise, pure lamp! & lend thy golden ray
That weary loue at last may find his way.
THE THIRD ELEGIE.
RIch, churlish LAND! that hid'st so long in thee,
My treasures, rich, alas, by robbing mee.
Needs must my miseryes
[...]we that man a spite
Who e're he be was the first wandring knight.
O had he nere been at that cruell
[...]ost
NATVRE'S virginity had nere been lost.
Seas had not bin rebuk't by s
[...]way oares
But ly'n lock't vp safe in their sacred shores.
Men had not spurn'd at mountaines; nor made w
[...]rrs
With rocks; nor bold hands struck the world's strong barres.
Nor lost in too larg bounds, our little Rome
Full sweetly with it selfe had dwell't at home.
[Page 119] My poor ALEYIS, then in peacefull life,
Had vnder some low roofe lou'd his plain wife
But now, ah me, from where he has no foes
He flyes; & into willfull exile goes.
Cruell return. Or tell the reason why
Thy dearest parents haue deseru'd to dy.
And I▪ what is my crime I cannot tell.
Vnlesse it be a crime to' haue lou'd too well.
If Heates of holyer loue & high desire
Make bigge thy fair brest with immortall fire,
What needes my virgin lord fly thus from me,
Who only wish his virgin wife to be?
Wittnesse, chast heauns! no happyer vowes I know
Then to a virgin GRAVE vntouch't to goe.
Loue's truest Knott by venus is not ty'd;
Nor doe embraces onely make a bride.
The QVEEN of angels, (and men chast as You)
Was MAIDEN WIFE & MAIDEN MOTHER too.
CECILIA, Glory of her name & blood
With happy gain her maiden vowes made good.
The lusty bridegroom made approach young man▪
Take heed (said she) take heed, VALERIAN▪
My bosome's guard, a SPIRIT great & strong,
Stands arm'd, to sheild me from all wanton wrong.
My Chastity is sacred; & my sleep
Wakefull, her dear v
[...]wes vndefil'd to keep.
PALLAS beares armes, forsooth, and should there be
No fortresse built fortrue VIRGINITY?
No gaping gorgon, this. None, like the rest
Of your learn'd lyes. Here you'l find no such iest.
I'am yours, O were my GOD, my CHRIST so too,
I'd know no name of loue on earth but you.
[Page 120] He yeilds, and straight Baptis'd, obtains the grace
To gaze on the fair souldier's glorious face.
Both mixt at last their blood in one rich bed
Of rosy MARTYRDOME, twice Married.
O burn our hymen bright in such high Flame.
Thy torch, terrestriall loue, haue here no name.
How sweet the mutuall yoke of man & wife,
When holy fires maintain loue's Heaunly life!
But I, (so help me heaun my hopes to see)
When thousand sought my loue, lou'd none but Thee.
Still, as their vain teares my firm vowes did try,
ALEXIS, he alone is mine (said I)
Half true, alas, half false, proues that poor line.
ALEXIS is alone; But is not mine.
DESCRIPTION. OF A RELIGIOVS HOVSE AND CONDITION OF LIFE (OVT OF BARCLAY.)
NO roofes of gold o're riotous tables shining
Whole dayes & suns deuour'd with endlesse dining;
No sailes of tyrian sylk proud pauements sweeping;
Nor iuory couches costlyer slumbers keeping;
False lights of flairing gemmes; tumultuous ioyes;
Halls full of flattering men & frishing boyes;
What e're false showes of short & flippery good
Mix the mad sons of men in mutuall blood.
But WALKES & vnshorn woods; and soules, iust so
Vnforc't & genuine; but not shady tho.
Our lodgings hard & homely as our fare.
That chast & cheap, as the few clothes we weare.
Those, course & negligent, As the naturall lockes
Of these loose groues, rough as th'vn polish't rockes.
[Page 122] A hasty Portion of praescribed sleep;
Obedient slumbers? that can wake & weep,
And sing, &, & sigh, & work, and sleep again;
Still rowling à round spear of still-returning pain.
Hands full of harty labours; doe much, that more they may,
And work for work, not wages; let to morrow's
New drops, wash off the sweat of this daye's sorrows.
A long & dayly-ding life, which breaths
A respiration of reuiuing deaths.
But neither are there those ignoble stings
That nip the bosome of the world's best things,
And lash Earth-laboring souls.
No cruell guard of diligent cares, that keep
Crown'd woes awake; as things too wise for sleep.
But reuerent discipline, & religious fear,
And soft obedience, find sweet biding here;
Silence, & sacred rest; peace, & pure ioyes;
Kind loues keep house, ly close, make no noise,
And room enough for Monarchs, while none swells
Beyond the kingdomes of contentfull Cells.
The self-remembring SOVL sweetly recouers
Her kindred with the starrs; not basely houers
Below; But meditates her immortall way
Home to the originall sourse of LIGHT & intellectuall Day.
AN EPITAPH VPON A YOVNG MARRIED COVPLE DEAD AND BVRYED TOGETHER.
TO these, whom DEATH again did wed,
This GRAVE'S their second Marriage-bed▪
For though the hand of fate could force
'Twixt SOVL & BODY à Diuorce,
It could not sunder man & WIEE,
'Cause They Both liued but one life.
Peace, good Reader. Doe not weep.
Peace, The Louers are asleep.
They, sweet Turtles, folded ly
In the last knott loue could ty.
And though they ly as they were dead,
Their Pillow stone, their sheetes of lead,
(Pillow hard, & sheeres not warm)
Loue made the bed; They'l take no harm
Let them sleep: let them sleep on.
Till this stormy night be gone,
Till the 'Aeternall morrow dawn;
Then the curtaines will be drawn
'And they wake into a light.
Whose day shall neuer dy in Night.
DEATH'S LECTVRE AND THE FVNERAL OF A YOVNG GENTLEMAN.
DEar Reliques of a dislodg'd SOVL, whose lack
Makes many a mourning paper put on black!
O stay a while, ere thou draw in thy head
And wind thy self vp close in thy cold bed.
Stay but à little while, vntill I call
A summons worthy of thy funerall.
Come then, YOVTH BEAVTY, & blood!
All the soft powres.
Whose sylken flatterves swell a few fond howres
Into a false aeternity. Come man;
Hyperbolized NOTHING! know thy span;
Take thine own measure here down, down, & bow
Before thy self in thine idaea; thou
[Page 125] Huge emptynes! contract thy self; & shrinke
All thy Wild circle to a Point. Osink
Lower & lower yet; till thy leane size
Call heaun to look on thee with norrow eyes.
Lesser & lesser yet; till thou begin
To show a face, fitt to confesse thy Kin,
Thy neigbourhood to NOTHING.
Proud lookes, & lofty eyliddes, here putt on
Your selues in your vnfaign'd reflexion,
Here, gallant ladyes! this vnpartiall glasse
(Though you be painted) showes you your true face.
These death-seal'd lippes are they dare giue the ly
To the lowd Boasts of poor Mortality
These curtain'd windows, this retired eye
Outstares the liddes of larg-look't tyranny.
This posture is the braue one this that lyes
Thus low, stands vp (me thinkes,) thus & defies
The world. All-daring dust & ashes! only you
Of all interpreters read Nature True.
TEMPERANCE. OF THE CHEAP PHYSITIAN VPON THE TRANSLATION OF LESSIVS.
GOe now; and with some daring drugg
Bait thy disease. And whilst they tugge,
Thou to maintain their pretious strife
Spend the dear treasures of thy life.
Goe, take physick Doat vpon
Some big-nam'd composition.
Th'Oraculous DOCTOR'S mystick bills;
Certain hard WORDS made into pills,
And what at last shalt' gain by these?
Only a costlyer disease.
That which makes vs haue no need
Of physick, that's PHYSICK indeed.
Hark hither, Reader! wilt thou see
Nature her own physitian be?
Wilt' see a man, all his own wealth,
[Page 127] His own musick, his own health;
A man whose sober soul can tell
How to wear her garments well.
Her garments, that vpon her sitt
As garments should doe, close & fitt;
A well-cloth'd soul; that's not oppest
Nor choak't with what she should be drest.
A soul sheath'd in a christall shrine;
Through which all her bright features shine;
As when a peice of wanton lawn
A thinne, aeriall veil, is drawn
Or'e beauty's face seeming to hide
more sweetly showes the blushing bride.
A soul, whose intellectuall beames
No mists doe mask, no lazy steames.
A happy soul, that all the way.
To HEAVN rides in a summer's day.
Wouldst' see a man, whose well-warm'd blood▪
Bathes him in a genuine flood!
Aman, whose tuned humors be
A seat of rarest harmony?
Wouldst' see blith lookes, fresh cheekes beguil
Age? wouldst see december smile?
Wouldst' see nests of new roses grow
In a bed nf renerend snow?
Warm thoughts, free spirits flattering
Winter's selfe into a SRING.
In summe, wouldst see a man that can.
Liue to be old, and still a man?
Whose latest & most leaden houres
Fall with soft wings, stuck with soft flowres;
And when life's sweet fable ends,
[Page 128] Soul & body part like freinds;
No quarrells, murmurs▪ no delay;
A KISSE, a SIGH, and so away.
This rare one, reader, wouldst thou see?
Hark hither; and thy self be HE.
HOPE.
HOpe whose weak beeing ruin'd is
Alike if it succeed or if it misse!
Whom ill or good does equally confound
And both the hornes of fate's dilemma wound.
Vain shadow; that dost vanish quite
Both at full noon & perfect night!
The starres haue not a possibility
Of blessing Thee.
If thinges then from their end we happy call,
'Tis hope is the most hopelesse thing of all.
Hope, thou bold Taster of delight!
Who in stead of doing so, deuourst it quite.
Thou bringst vs an estate, yet leau'st vs poor
By clogging it with legacyes before.
The ioyes which we intire should wed
Come deflour'd-virgins to our bed
Good fortunes without gain imported be
Such mighty custom's paid to Thee
For ioy like wine kep't close, does better tast;
[Page 129] If it take air before his spirits wast.
Hope fortun's cheating lottery
Where for one prize, an hundred blankes there be.
Fond archer, hope. Who tak'st thine aime so farr
That still or short or wide thine arrowes are
Thinne empty cloud which th-ey deceiues
With shapes that our own fancy giues.
A cloud which gilt & painted now appeares
But must drop presently in teares
When thy false beames o're reason's light preuail,
By IGNES FATVI for north starres we sail.
Brother of fear more gayly clad.
The merryer fool oth two, yet quite as mad.
Sire of repenrance, child of fond desire
That blow'st the chymick & the louer's fire.
Still leading them insensibly' on
With the strong witchcraft of Anon.
By thee the one does changing nature through
Her endlesse labyrinth's pursue,
And th'other chases woman; while she goes
More wayes & turnes then hunted nature knowes.
M. COWLEY.
M. CRASHAWS. ANSWER FOR HOPE.
DEar hope! earth's dowry, & heaun's debt!
The entity of those that are not yet.
Subtlest, but surest beeing! Thou by whom
Our nothing has a definition!
Substantiall shade! whose sweet allay
Blends both the noones of night & day.
Fates cannot find out a capacity
Of hurting thee.
From Thee their lean dilemma, with blunt horn,
Shrinkes, as the sick moon from the wholsome morn
Rich hope! loue's legacy, vnder lock
Of faith! still spending, & still growing stock!
Our crown-land lyes aboue yet each meal brings
A seemly portion for the sonnes of kings.
Nor will the virgin ioyes we wed
Come lesse vnbroken to our bed,
Because that from the bridall ckeek of blisse
Thou steal'st vs down a distant kisse.
Hope's chast stealth harmes no more ioye's maidenhead
Then spousall rites preiudge the marriage bed.
Fair hope! our earlyer heau'n by thee
[Page] Young time is taster to eternity
Thy generous wine with age growes strōg, not sowre.
Nor does it kill thy fruit, to smell thy flowre.
Thy golden, growing, head neuer hangs down
Till in the lappe of loues full noone
It falls; and dyes! o no, it melts away
As does the dawn into the day.
As lumpes of sugar loose themselues; and twine
Their supple essence with the soul of wine.
Fortune? alas, aboue the world's low warres
Hope walks; & kickes the curld heads of conspiring starres.
Her keel cutts not the waues where These winds stirr
Fortune's whole lottery is one blank to her.
Sweet hope! kind cheat! fair fallacy by thee
We are not WHERE nor What we be,
But WHAT & WHERE we would be. Thus art thou
Our absent PRESENCE, and our future Now.
Faith's sister! nurse of fair desire!
Fear's antitode! a wise & well-stay'd fire!
Temper twixt chill despair, & torrid ioy!
Queen Regent in yonge loue's minority!
Though the vext chymick vainly chases
His fugitiue gold through all her faces;
Though loue's more feirce, more fruitlesse, fires assay
One face more fugitiue then all they;
True hope's a glorious hunter & her chase,
The GOD of nature in the feilds of grace.
VIVE IESV.