Midnights Meditations of Death With Pious and Profitable Observations, and Consolations [by Edward Buckler]: Perused by Francis Quarles A little before his Death |
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 | Midnights Meditations of Death |  |
Under the sunne there was not any joy
Which Solomon that wise and famous King
Had not a tast of: whatsoever may
Gladnesse, content, delight and solace bring,
That he from the creature gathers;
Not one pleasure doth he keep
His heart from: yet he's asleep
In the dust among his fathers.
Which Solomon that wise and famous King
Had not a tast of: whatsoever may
Gladnesse, content, delight and solace bring,
That he from the creature gathers;
Not one pleasure doth he keep
His heart from: yet he's asleep
In the dust among his fathers.
His senses had those objects which delight,
Content, and please and ravish most his touch;
His tast, his hearing, smelling, and his sight,
His mind and humour too, all had as much
Of delicious satisfaction
As from all beneath the skie
Ever could be fetched by
Any possible extraction.
Content, and please and ravish most his touch;
His tast, his hearing, smelling, and his sight,
His mind and humour too, all had as much
Of delicious satisfaction
As from all beneath the skie
Ever could be fetched by
Any possible extraction.
Three hundred concubines he had to please
His touch: by turns each of them was his guest
At night. Seven hundred wives beside all these;
The worst of them a Princesse at the least.
Such a female armie meets,
To make his delight run o'r.
Sure they are enough to store
Twice five hundred pair of sheets.
His touch: by turns each of them was his guest
At night. Seven hundred wives beside all these;
The worst of them a Princesse at the least.
Such a female armie meets,
To make his delight run o'r.
Sure they are enough to store
Twice five hundred pair of sheets.
To please his tast this great Kings daily chear
Exceeded for varietie and plentie:
He had his Roe-buck and his Fallow-deer,
His fatted fowl, and everie other daintie.
He had palate-pleasing wine:
Gormandizers, whose best wishes
Terminate in toothsome dishes,
No where else would sup or dine.
Exceeded for varietie and plentie:
He had his Roe-buck and his Fallow-deer,
His fatted fowl, and everie other daintie.
He had palate-pleasing wine:
Gormandizers, whose best wishes
Terminate in toothsome dishes,
No where else would sup or dine.
And everie day both men and women-singers
Imprisoned his eare with charming voices:
The Viol touch'd with artificiall fingers,
An Organs breathing most melodious noises:
Sackbut, Psalterie, Recorder,
The shrill Cornet, and the sharp
Trumpet, Dulcimer and Harp;
These all sounded in their order.
Imprisoned his eare with charming voices:
The Viol touch'd with artificiall fingers,
An Organs breathing most melodious noises:
Sackbut, Psalterie, Recorder,
The shrill Cornet, and the sharp
Trumpet, Dulcimer and Harp;
These all sounded in their order.
And in his gardens he had lovely ranks
Of flowres for odour all sweets else excelling,
Whose beauteous lustre stellifi'd the banks;
All these were to delight his sense of smelling,
And perfumes of sweetest savour,
Which all other nations bring
As a present from their King
Who did woo his Princely favour.
Of flowres for odour all sweets else excelling,
Whose beauteous lustre stellifi'd the banks;
All these were to delight his sense of smelling,
And perfumes of sweetest savour,
Which all other nations bring
As a present from their King
Who did woo his Princely favour.
For objects which were wont to please the eye,
He wanted none. Did he desire a sight
Of what might most affect? variety
Of lovely'st objects spangled with delight
Everiewhere themselves present:
Scarce did anywhere appear
Other objects then did wear
Outsides clothed with content.
He wanted none. Did he desire a sight
Of what might most affect? variety
Of lovely'st objects spangled with delight
Everiewhere themselves present:
Scarce did anywhere appear
Other objects then did wear
Outsides clothed with content.
Behold his thousand wives! If he would know
The height of beautie, it is seen in those.
A battel in a field of sanguine snow
Betwixt the spotlesse lilie and the rose:
Part they would on no condition,
Nor would either of them yield;
Yet at length are reconcil'd,
And there made a composition.
The height of beautie, it is seen in those.
A battel in a field of sanguine snow
Betwixt the spotlesse lilie and the rose:
Part they would on no condition,
Nor would either of them yield;
Yet at length are reconcil'd,
And there made a composition.
His gorgeous clothes, his silver and his gold,
His jewels, his incomparable treasure
Were all of them delightsome to behold,
And gave the eye a glorious glut of pleasure.
His friends, his magnificent
Buildings, fish-ponds, gardens, bowers
Interlac'd with gallant flowers
Gave both eye and mind content.
His jewels, his incomparable treasure
Were all of them delightsome to behold,
And gave the eye a glorious glut of pleasure.
His friends, his magnificent
Buildings, fish-ponds, gardens, bowers
Interlac'd with gallant flowers
Gave both eye and mind content.
Yet he's dead. Delights cannot protect us
From Deaths assaults; pleasures eternize not
Our nature: yea, when sicknesse shall deject us
They will not ease nor comfort us a jote.
What doth most exactly please us
Here appears not where a grave is;
And what most of all doth ravish
On a death-bed will not ease us.
From Deaths assaults; pleasures eternize not
Our nature: yea, when sicknesse shall deject us
They will not ease nor comfort us a jote.
What doth most exactly please us
Here appears not where a grave is;
And what most of all doth ravish
On a death-bed will not ease us.
| Midnights Meditations of Death | |