Emblemes (1635) and Hieroglyphikes (1638) :: :: University of Virginia Library

What secret corner? What unwonted way
Has scap'd the ransack of my rambling thoughts?
The Fox by night, nor the dull Owle, by day,
Have never search'd those places I have sought,
Whilst thy lamented absence taught my brest
The ready Road to Griefe, without request;
My day had neither comfort, nor my night had rest:

2

How has my unregarded language vented
The sad Tautologies of lavish passion?
How often have I languish'd, unlamented!
How oft have I complain'd without compassion!
I asked the Citie-Watch; but some deny'd me
The common streit, whilst others would misguide me;
Some would debarre me; some, divert me; some, deride me.

3

Mark, how the widow'd Turtle, having lost
The faithfull partner of her loyall Heart,
Stretches her feeble wings from Coast to Coast,
Haunts ev'ry path; thinks ev'ry shade does part
Her absent Love, and her; At length, unsped,
She re-betakes her to her lonely Bed,
And there bewailes her everlasting widow-head;

4

So when my soule had progrest ev'ry place,
That love and deare affection could contrive;
I threw me on my Couch, resolv'd t'embrace
A death for him, in whom I ceas'd to live:
But there injurious Hymen did present
His Landskip joyes; my pickled eyes did vent
Full streames of briny teares; teares never to be spent.

5

Whilst thus my sorrow-wasting soule was feeding
Upon the rad'call Humour of her thought,
Ev'n whilst mine eyes were blind, and heart was bleeding,
He that was sought, unfound, was found, unsought;
As if the Sun should dart his Orbe of light
Into the secrets of the black-brow'd night,
Ev'n so appear'd my Love, my sole, my soules delight.

6

O how mine eyes, now ravish'd at the sight
Of my bright Sun, shot flames of equall fire!
Ah! how my soule, dissolv'd with ov'r-delight,
To re-enjoy the Crowne of chaste desire!
How sov'raigne joy depos'd and dispossest
Rebellious griefe! And how my ravisht brest—
But who can presse those heights, that cannot be exprest?

7

O how these Armes, these greedy Arms did twine,
And strongly twist about his yeelding wast!
The sappy branches of the Thespian vine
Nev'r cling'd their lesse beloved Elme so fast;
Boast not thy flames, blind boy, nor feather'd shot;
Let Himens easie snarles be quite forgot:
Time cannot quench our fires, nor death dissolve our knot.

ORIG. Hom. 10 in divers.

O most holy Lord, and sweetest Master, how good art thou to those that are of upright heart, and humble spirit! O how blessed are they that seek thee with a simple heart! How happy that trust in thee! It is a most certaine truth, that thou lovest all that love thee, and never forsakest those that trust in thee: For behold thy Love simply sought thee, and undoubtedly found thee: She trusted in thee, and is not forsaken of thee, but hath obtained more by thee, than she expected from thee.

BEDE in Cap. 3. Cant.

The longer I was in finding whom I sought, the more earnestly I held him being found.

EPIGRAM 12.

[What? found him out? Let strong embraces bind him]

What? found him out? Let strong embraces bind him;
Hee'l fly perchance, where teares can never find him:
New Sins will lose what old Repentance gaines:
Wisedome not onely gets, but got, retaines.