 | The Shorter Poems of Ralph Knevet |  |
[41] The Triumphe
The King of Heaven, the Conquerour
Of Earth, and Hell, mounts on
An Asse, which never did before,
Weare bridle, or caparison:
For t'was unmeete Man should bestride,
That Beast, on which the Lord did ride.
Of Earth, and Hell, mounts on
An Asse, which never did before,
Weare bridle, or caparison:
For t'was unmeete Man should bestride,
That Beast, on which the Lord did ride.
The way, where this yong steede did sett
His humble steps, with palmes was crown'd
And least the stones should hurt his feet,
Men threw their garments on the ground;
The Rider they did honour so,
They could have throwne themselves there too.
His humble steps, with palmes was crown'd
And least the stones should hurt his feet,
Men threw their garments on the ground;
The Rider they did honour so,
They could have throwne themselves there too.
The very word, Hosannah, was
Such an applause, and acclamation,
That it alone, did farre surpasse
A Panegyricall Oration:
The Romane Triumphes, were to this,
Mere puppet playes, and mummeryes.
Such an applause, and acclamation,
That it alone, did farre surpasse
A Panegyricall Oration:
The Romane Triumphes, were to this,
Mere puppet playes, and mummeryes.
343
No ostentation here was seene,
But glory pure, unmix'd with pride,
Humility, and worth serene,
In heavenly bonds, together ty'd:
Why should thy Daughter faire (oh Sion)
Feare this approche of Judahs Lion?
But glory pure, unmix'd with pride,
Humility, and worth serene,
In heavenly bonds, together ty'd:
Why should thy Daughter faire (oh Sion)
Feare this approche of Judahs Lion?
Who, though Hee could have mannaged,
Even th' Elephant, without a bitt,
Or made Rhinoceros his steed,
Yet on an Asses colt would sitt:
'Till then, and since, none ere did know,
Such supreme glory sitt so low.
Even th' Elephant, without a bitt,
Or made Rhinoceros his steed,
Yet on an Asses colt would sitt:
'Till then, and since, none ere did know,
Such supreme glory sitt so low.
No spoyles of Monarchyes undone,
Were here before him carryed,
No captive Kings him waited on,
Admired for their exoticke weede:
No silver Donative was strew'd,
To please the greedy multitude.
Were here before him carryed,
No captive Kings him waited on,
Admired for their exoticke weede:
No silver Donative was strew'd,
To please the greedy multitude.
These were resultes of glory vaine,
Mere pompous showes, of humane pride,
This victour did such toyes disdaine,
Hee did his spoiles, and captives hide,
And all those spectacles, which might,
Beholders to applause invite.
Mere pompous showes, of humane pride,
This victour did such toyes disdaine,
Hee did his spoiles, and captives hide,
And all those spectacles, which might,
Beholders to applause invite.
Had Hee his spoiles and captives shew'd,
Those Crownes, and Garlands brought to sight,
Which to his Victorye accrew'd,
Spectatours had bene ravish'd quite,
And would have wondered for to see,
Captivity a Captive bee.
Those Crownes, and Garlands brought to sight,
Which to his Victorye accrew'd,
Spectatours had bene ravish'd quite,
And would have wondered for to see,
Captivity a Captive bee.
344
But if Hee had expos'd to view,
Those Kings of Darknes, and of Sinne,
Which Hee did utterly subdue,
A stranger spectacle t'had bin;
That had with terrour men amazed,
As well as admiration caus'd.
Those Kings of Darknes, and of Sinne,
Which Hee did utterly subdue,
A stranger spectacle t'had bin;
That had with terrour men amazed,
As well as admiration caus'd.
But though no sullen Kings forlorne,
Or spoiles of pillag'd empires brave,
Appear'd, his triumph to adorne,
Yet Hee a Congiarye gave,
Which did their Donatives excell
As farre, as highest Heaven doth Hell./
Or spoiles of pillag'd empires brave,
Appear'd, his triumph to adorne,
Yet Hee a Congiarye gave,
Which did their Donatives excell
As farre, as highest Heaven doth Hell./
For Hee salvation did disperse,
To all, that would in him beleeve:
The Gentile wilde, and Jew perverse,
Admitted were it to receive:
But many were so blind, and cold,
That they despis'd this proffer'd gold.
To all, that would in him beleeve:
The Gentile wilde, and Jew perverse,
Admitted were it to receive:
But many were so blind, and cold,
That they despis'd this proffer'd gold.
| The Shorter Poems of Ralph Knevet | |