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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Verses lost upon a Wager.
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 | The Works of Mr Abraham Cowley |  |
Verses lost upon a Wager.
1
As soon hereafter will I wagers lay,'Gainst what an Oracle shall say,
Fool, that I was, to venture to deny
A Tongue so us'd to Victory!
A Tongue so blest by Nature and by Art,
That never yet it spoke but gain'd an Heart:
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If spoke by any else but you.
Your speech will govern Destiny,
And Fate will change rather than you should Ly.
2
'Tis true if Humane Reason were the Guide,Reason, methinks, was on my side,
But that's a Guide, alas, we must resign,
When th' Authority's Divine.
She said, she said her self it would be so;
And I, bold unbeliever, answer'd No,
Never so justly sure before
Errour the name of Blindness bore,
For whatsoe're the Question be,
There's no man that has eyes would bet for Me.
3
If Truth it self (as other Angels doWhen they descend to humane view)
In a Material Form would daign to shine,
'Twould imitate or borrow Thine,
So daz'eling bright, yet so transparent clear,
So well proportion'd would the parts appear;
Happy the eye which Truth could see
Cloath'd in a shape like Thee,
But happier far the eye
Which could thy shape naked like Truth espy!
4
Yet this lost wager costs me nothing moreThan what I ow'ed to thee before.
Who would not venture for that debt to play
Which He were bound howe're to pay?
If Nature gave me power to write in verse,
She gave it me thy praises to reherse.
Thy wondrous Beauty and Thy Wit
Has such a Sov'ereign Right to it,
That no Mans Muse for publique vent is free,
Till she has paid her Customs first to Thee.
| The Works of Mr Abraham Cowley | |