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Emblemes (1635) and Hieroglyphikes (1638)

[in the critical edition by John Horden]
Quarles, Francis (1592-1644)

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[Emblemes]
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[Hieroglyphikes]
  
[dedication]
  
The minde of the Frontispeece.
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HIEROGLIPH I.
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HIEROGLIPH II.
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HIEROGLIPH III.
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HIEROGLIPH IV.
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HIEROGLIPH V.
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HIEROGLIPH VI.
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HIEROGLIPH VII.
  
His light shall be dark, and his candle shall be put out. JOB 18. 6.
 7. 
EPIGRAM 7.
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HIEROGLIPH VIII.
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HIEROGLIPH IX.
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HIEROGLIPH X.
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HIEROGLIPH XI.
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HIEROGLIPH XII.
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HIEROGLIPH XIII.
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HIEROGLIPH XIV.
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HIEROGLIPH XV.

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His light shall be dark, and his candle shall be put out. JOB 18. 6.

1

What ayles our Tapour? Is her luster fled,
Or foyl'd? What dire disaster bred
This Change? that thus she vailes her golden head?

2

It was but very now she shin'd as faire
As Venus starre: Her glory might compare
With Cynthia, burnisht with her brothers haire.

3

There was no Cave-begotten damp that mought
Abuse her beames; no wind, that went about
To breake her peace; no Puffe, to put her out.

4

Lift up thy wondring thoughts, and thou shalt spye
A Cause, will cleare thy doubts, but cloud thine eye:
Subjects must vaile, when as their Sov'raign's by.

5

Canst thou behold bright Phoebus, and thy sight
No whit impayr'd? The object is too bright;
The weaker yeelds unto the stronger Light.

6

Great God, I am thy Tapour; Thou, my Sunne;
From thee, the Spring of Light, my Light begun,
Yet if thy Light but shine, my light is done.

7

If thou withdraw thy Light, my light will shine,
If thine appeare, how poore a light is mine!
My light is darkness, if compar'd to thine.

8

Thy Sun-beames are too strong for my weake eye;
If thou but shine, how nothing, Lord, am I!
Ah, who can see thy visage, and not die!

9

If intervening earth should make a night,
My wanton flame would then shine forth too bright;
My earth would ev'n presume t'eclipse thy Light.

10

And if thy Light be shadow'd, and mine fade,
If thine be dark, and my dark light decayd,
I should be cloathed with a double shade.

11

What shall I, doe? O what shall I desire?
What help can my distracted thoughts require,
That thus am wasting twixt a double Fire?

12

In what a streight, in what a streight am I?
Twixt two extreames how my rackt fortunes lie?
See I thy face, or see it not, I die.

13

O let the streame of my Redeemers blood,
That breaths fro' my sick soule, be made a Cloud,
T'interpose these Lights, and be my shroud.

14

Lord, what am I? or what's the light I have?
May it but light my Ashes to their Grave,
And so from thence, to Thee? 'tis all I crave.

15

O make my Light, that all the world may see
Thy Glory by't: If not, It seemes to me
Honour enough, to be put out by Thee.
O Light inaccessible, in respect of which my light is utter darknesse; so reflect upon my weakness, that all the world may behold thy strength: O majesty incomprehensible, in respect of which my glory is meere shame, so shine upon my misery that all the world may behold thy glory.
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