 | Poetical works (1908) |  |
[VERSES OF MOURNING AND JOY ON THE DEATH OF ELIZABETH AND ACCESSION OF JAMES.]
[I]
[Now did the sunne like an undaunted Hart]
Now did the sunne like an undaunted Hart,
Even in his fall enlarge his ample browe;
Now his last beames on Spanish shore did dart,
Hurrying to Thetis his all-flaming cart,
When th' Atticke maid pearched on bared bowe,
Unhappie Atticke maide sang the sad treason
Of Tereus most wicked man,
And well as her renu'd tongue can,
Tempered her tragicke laies unto the sulleine season.
Even in his fall enlarge his ample browe;
Now his last beames on Spanish shore did dart,
Hurrying to Thetis his all-flaming cart,
When th' Atticke maid pearched on bared bowe,
Unhappie Atticke maide sang the sad treason
Of Tereus most wicked man,
And well as her renu'd tongue can,
Tempered her tragicke laies unto the sulleine season.
When Coridon a cruel heardgroomes boy,
Yet somewhat us'd to sing, and with his peeres
Carroll of love, and lovers sad annoy;
Wearie of passed woe, and glad of present joy,
Having instal'd his sunn'd, and ful fed steeres,
Thus to the river his blisse signified
Well as he couth, and turning all
Unto the humming rivers fall,
The woods and Eccho his song goodly dignified.
Yet somewhat us'd to sing, and with his peeres
Carroll of love, and lovers sad annoy;
Wearie of passed woe, and glad of present joy,
Having instal'd his sunn'd, and ful fed steeres,
Thus to the river his blisse signified
Well as he couth, and turning all
Unto the humming rivers fall,
The woods and Eccho his song goodly dignified.
Ye goodly nymphes that with this river dwell,
All daughters of the yellow-sanded Chame,
Which deepe in hollow rockes frame out your cell,
Tell me ye nymphes, for you can surely tell;
Is death the cause of life? or can that same
Be my great'st blisse, which was my great'st annoy?
Eliza's dead, and can it be
Eliza's death brings joy to me?
Hell beeing the cause, why heavenly is the joy?
All daughters of the yellow-sanded Chame,
Which deepe in hollow rockes frame out your cell,
Tell me ye nymphes, for you can surely tell;
Is death the cause of life? or can that same
Be my great'st blisse, which was my great'st annoy?
Eliza's dead, and can it be
Eliza's death brings joy to me?
Hell beeing the cause, why heavenly is the joy?
93
With floods of teares I waile that deadly houre,
When as Eliza, Eliza blessed maide,
Was married to death, and we giv'n as her dowre,
And low descending into Plutoes bower,
Scarce fils an earthen pot beeing loosely laid.
Ah is there such power, such crueltie in fate?
Can one Sunne one man see
Without, and worse then miserie?
Then farewell glorious pompe, and fickle mortals state.
When as Eliza, Eliza blessed maide,
Was married to death, and we giv'n as her dowre,
And low descending into Plutoes bower,
Scarce fils an earthen pot beeing loosely laid.
Ah is there such power, such crueltie in fate?
Can one Sunne one man see
Without, and worse then miserie?
Then farewell glorious pompe, and fickle mortals state.
And yet ten thousand times I blesse that time,
When that good Prince, that Prince of endles fame,
Both in the yeares and our joyes springing prime,
Strucke my glad eares and raisd my rugged rime
To carroll lowd and herie his honor'd name.
Ah is there such power, such bountie in fate?
Can one Sunne one man see
Worse, and without all miserie?
Then welcome constant joy, & never-changing state.
When that good Prince, that Prince of endles fame,
Both in the yeares and our joyes springing prime,
Strucke my glad eares and raisd my rugged rime
To carroll lowd and herie his honor'd name.
Ah is there such power, such bountie in fate?
Can one Sunne one man see
Worse, and without all miserie?
Then welcome constant joy, & never-changing state.
Thou blessed spirit, sit thou ever there
Where thou nowe sit'st, in heav'n, the worlds late wonder;
Now heavens joy, and with that God yfere,
Who still to thee, thou stil to him wast deare,
Leave us unto the world and fortunes thunder;
Or where thou dost that blessedness enjoy,
Bid me, O quickly bid me
Come there where thou hast hid thee,
In Joves all-blessed lap without, and bove annoy.
Where thou nowe sit'st, in heav'n, the worlds late wonder;
Now heavens joy, and with that God yfere,
Who still to thee, thou stil to him wast deare,
Leave us unto the world and fortunes thunder;
Or where thou dost that blessedness enjoy,
Bid me, O quickly bid me
Come there where thou hast hid thee,
In Joves all-blessed lap without, and bove annoy.
If not; ile live under thy sunshine rayes,
And while the Fates afoard me vitall breath
Ile spend it as thy tribute in thy praise.
Dighting, such as I can, light virelaies,
To thee, great Prince, whose life paies for her death,
Thereto doe thou my humble spirit reare,
And with thy sacred fire
My frozen heart inspire:
Chasing from thy high spirit all imperious feare.
And while the Fates afoard me vitall breath
Ile spend it as thy tribute in thy praise.
Dighting, such as I can, light virelaies,
To thee, great Prince, whose life paies for her death,
Thereto doe thou my humble spirit reare,
And with thy sacred fire
My frozen heart inspire:
Chasing from thy high spirit all imperious feare.
94
Then will I sing, and yet who better sings
Of thee, then thine owne oft-tride Muse?
Which when into thy heroicke spirit springs,
The fields resound, and neighbour forrest rings,
And sacred Muses leaving their woont use
Of carroling, flying their loathed cell,
Run to thy silver sound,
And lively dauncen round:
What caren they for Helicon, or their Pegasean well?
Of thee, then thine owne oft-tride Muse?
Which when into thy heroicke spirit springs,
The fields resound, and neighbour forrest rings,
And sacred Muses leaving their woont use
Of carroling, flying their loathed cell,
Run to thy silver sound,
And lively dauncen round:
What caren they for Helicon, or their Pegasean well?
Then thou thy selfe thy selfe historifie,
But I in willow shade will chaunt thy name,
And sing I will, though I sing sorrily,
And thee, though little, I will glorifie,
And shrilly pipe aloud, the whilst my Chame
Shall answer all againe, thy name aye lives,
While th' Oceans froathie hoare
Beats on thy Brittish shore,
And Albion threats the heavē with high whited clives.
But I in willow shade will chaunt thy name,
And sing I will, though I sing sorrily,
And thee, though little, I will glorifie,
And shrilly pipe aloud, the whilst my Chame
Shall answer all againe, thy name aye lives,
While th' Oceans froathie hoare
Beats on thy Brittish shore,
And Albion threats the heavē with high whited clives.
By this the old nights head gan to be gray,
And dappled round with many a whited spot,
So that the boy through ruinous nights decay,
Saw the first birth of the new infant day,
So up he rose and to his home he got;
And all the way of James he lowdly sang,
And all the way the plaine,
Answered James againe:
That all the woods of James & th' heaven lowdly rāg.
And dappled round with many a whited spot,
So that the boy through ruinous nights decay,
Saw the first birth of the new infant day,
So up he rose and to his home he got;
And all the way of James he lowdly sang,
And all the way the plaine,
Answered James againe:
That all the woods of James & th' heaven lowdly rāg.
Phin. Fletcher. Regalis.
| Poetical works (1908) | |