The Works of Mr Abraham Cowley Consisting of Those which were formerly Printed: And Those which he Design'd for the Press, Now Published out of the Authors Original Copies ... The Text Edited by A. R. Waller |
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The Soul.
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 | The Works of Mr Abraham Cowley |  |
The Soul.
1.
If mine Eyes do e're declareThey have seen a second thing that's fair;
Or Ears, that they have Musick found,
Besides thy Voice, in any Sound;
If my Tast do ever meet,
After thy Kiss, with ought that's sweet;
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Ought to be smooth, or soft, but You;
If, what seasonable Springs,
Or the Eastern Summer brings,
Do my Smell perswade at all,
Ought Perfume, but thy Breath to call;
If all my senses Objects be
Not contracted into Thee,
And so through Thee more powe'rful pass,
As Beams do through a Burning-Glass;
If all things that in Nature are
Either soft, or sweet, or fair,
Be not in Thee so 'Epitomiz'd,
That nought material's not compriz'd;
May I as worthless seem to Thee
As all, but Thou, appears to Me.
2.
If I ever Anger know,Till some wrong be done to You;
If Gods or Kings my Envy move,
Without their Crowns crown'd by thy Love;
If ever I an Hope admit,
Without thy Image stampt on it;
Or any Fear, till I begin
To find that You'r concern'd therein;
If a Joy e're come to me,
That Tasts of any thing but Thee;
If any Sorrow touch my Mind,
Whilst You are well, and not unkind;
If I a minutes space debate,
Whether I shall curse and hate
The things beneath thy hatred fall,
Though all the World, My self and all;
And for Love, if ever I
Approach to it again so nigh,
As to allow a Toleration
To the least glimmering Inclination;
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All those Tyrants of my Soul,
And to thy Beauties ty'st them so,
That constant they as Habits grow;
If any Passion of my Heart,
By any force, or any art,
Be brought to move one step from Thee,
Mayst Thou no Passion have for Me.
3.
If my busie 'ImaginationDo not Thee in all things fashion;
So that all fair Species be
Hieroglyphick marks of Thee;
If when She her sports does keep
(The lower Soul being all asleep)
She play one Dream with all her art,
Where Thou hast not the longest part.
If ought get place in my Remembrance,
Without some badge of thy resemblance;
So that thy parts become to me
A kind of Art of Memory.
If my Understanding do
Seek any Knowledge but of You,
If she do near thy Body prize
Her Bodies of Philosophies,
If She to the Will do show
Ought desirable but You,
Or if That would not rebel,
Should she another doctrine tell;
If my Will do not resign
All her Liberty to thine;
If she would not follow Thee,
Though Fate and Thou shouldst disagree;
And if (for I a curse will give,
Such as shall force thee to believe)
My Soul be not entirely Thine;
May thy dear Body ne're be Mine.
| The Works of Mr Abraham Cowley | |