The poems of George Daniel ... From the original mss. in the British Museum: Hitherto unprinted. Edited, with introduction, notes, and illustrations, portrait, &c. By the Rev. Alexander B. Grosart: In four volumes |
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 | The poems of George Daniel |  |
Thus have I travail'd, in the Dangerous waies
Of a strange Countrey; Survai'd every Place,
Seen every People, all the Affections knowne
Which are in Mortalls; I have seene my owne
Frailties & Follies, Passions full in strife;
I have Survaied the Affaires of all my Life
With Shame & wonder; plainly to Behold
ffrailtie soe forward, Ignorance soe bold.
Of a strange Countrey; Survai'd every Place,
Seen every People, all the Affections knowne
Which are in Mortalls; I have seene my owne
Frailties & Follies, Passions full in strife;
I have Survaied the Affaires of all my Life
With Shame & wonder; plainly to Behold
ffrailtie soe forward, Ignorance soe bold.
Here I saw Man, & read the private thought
Of Humanes, what they are, & what they ought;
Here vertue crownéd is, & I have seene
A Throne of Glorie to receive this Queene.
Here Wisedome dwelleth, & her Temples shine
With Truth & Iustice, perfect & Devine;
Mercy, in spotless Robes of Innocence,
And Charity, adorn'd wth Excellence;
Modesty, Temperance, & all the good
Can be made knowne, as in a Mirror stood.
Againe, I saw all the Deformities
Of Sin, the many heads of Hydra vice;
Iniustice, party-colour'd; Murder, wrath,
Oppression, Envy; & the noisome breath
Of black Detraction rose; I saw the fface
Of Fraud, reverst; Adulterie, Excess,
And Curiositye; I saw the Crimes
Of these, our owne, and of all former Times.
Of Humanes, what they are, & what they ought;
Here vertue crownéd is, & I have seene
A Throne of Glorie to receive this Queene.
Here Wisedome dwelleth, & her Temples shine
With Truth & Iustice, perfect & Devine;
Mercy, in spotless Robes of Innocence,
And Charity, adorn'd wth Excellence;
Modesty, Temperance, & all the good
119
Againe, I saw all the Deformities
Of Sin, the many heads of Hydra vice;
Iniustice, party-colour'd; Murder, wrath,
Oppression, Envy; & the noisome breath
Of black Detraction rose; I saw the fface
Of Fraud, reverst; Adulterie, Excess,
And Curiositye; I saw the Crimes
Of these, our owne, and of all former Times.
I stand amaz'd, when I collect my Thought
T' instruct my Pen, what Precepts I had taught;
I blush to see our great Siracides
ffall to the Vote of a low Paraphrase;
Ah let me Split my Pen, & teare the Sheet;
(My Soul is Sad, my Dull Eyes flame to see 't;)
What have I done? Let me recant in Time,
And wast my selfe in Tears, to wash my Crime;
I am a statue, fixéd to behold
Frailty soe forward, Ignorance soe bold:
But now, ev'n now, (me thinkes) I see a Sparke
Of Divine fire, t' illuminate the Darke
Mists of a fainting Soul; oh! let me turne
To Kisse the Flame; I'me cold & cannot burne.
Ah! let mee Creep to find it; 'tis almost
Glareing in Embers; blow, or 'twill be lost;
I, now it Spreads; See, now it rises higher!
And from a Sparke, it is become a fire.
I had beene lost for ever, but this Light
Came to direct my poore depresséd Spright.
Oh! glorious Light! oh! fflame certaine Devine,
In my Darke Bosome maiest thou ever Shine!
T' instruct my Pen, what Precepts I had taught;
I blush to see our great Siracides
ffall to the Vote of a low Paraphrase;
Ah let me Split my Pen, & teare the Sheet;
(My Soul is Sad, my Dull Eyes flame to see 't;)
What have I done? Let me recant in Time,
And wast my selfe in Tears, to wash my Crime;
I am a statue, fixéd to behold
Frailty soe forward, Ignorance soe bold:
But now, ev'n now, (me thinkes) I see a Sparke
Of Divine fire, t' illuminate the Darke
Mists of a fainting Soul; oh! let me turne
To Kisse the Flame; I'me cold & cannot burne.
Ah! let mee Creep to find it; 'tis almost
Glareing in Embers; blow, or 'twill be lost;
I, now it Spreads; See, now it rises higher!
And from a Sparke, it is become a fire.
I had beene lost for ever, but this Light
Came to direct my poore depresséd Spright.
120
In my Darke Bosome maiest thou ever Shine!
Oh! thou my Comfort! thou who didst inspire
My frozen Spirits with this holy fire;
Accept these Weake endeavors; Doubly thyne:
Both as my Vow, and as a Right Devine.
My frozen Spirits with this holy fire;
Accept these Weake endeavors; Doubly thyne:
Both as my Vow, and as a Right Devine.
Thou who didst lead me, in my Iourney on
Through all ye Affaires yt I have ever knowne,
ffrom ye wombe vpward; in my Childhood kept
Me safe from Danger,—when my Nurses Slept;—
Safe in the Cradle; in the Slipperie state
Of youth, didst guard mee from all dismall fate;
Art now my Lord & Gvide, now in the strong
Estate of Man, & the sweet Time of younge.
Be Gracious still, that all my after-Daies,
(Till Earth to Earth resolve, & my Life Cease)
Be to thy Glorie; & my Dyinge Breath
Magnifie thee; Let me not Die, in Death.
Oh may these Lines Survive, when I am lost
In the Darke Grave, & Swallowed in Dust.
May this of Me remaine a Monument
Of Praise to thee, for ever permanent.
Through all ye Affaires yt I have ever knowne,
ffrom ye wombe vpward; in my Childhood kept
Me safe from Danger,—when my Nurses Slept;—
Safe in the Cradle; in the Slipperie state
Of youth, didst guard mee from all dismall fate;
Art now my Lord & Gvide, now in the strong
Estate of Man, & the sweet Time of younge.
Be Gracious still, that all my after-Daies,
(Till Earth to Earth resolve, & my Life Cease)
Be to thy Glorie; & my Dyinge Breath
Magnifie thee; Let me not Die, in Death.
Oh may these Lines Survive, when I am lost
In the Darke Grave, & Swallowed in Dust.
May this of Me remaine a Monument
Of Praise to thee, for ever permanent.
Here stay my Wand'ring verse & let me seale
My Vowes, not in Expressions, but in Zeale.
My Vowes, not in Expressions, but in Zeale.
Desine plura musa ------
------ cum imperat Me canemus
1639.
Ianij vndecimo die.
------ cum imperat Me canemus
1639.
Ianij vndecimo die.
| The poems of George Daniel | |