 | Cotton Mather's verse in English |  |
A Lacrymatory: Design'd for the Tears let fall at the Funeral of Mrs. SARAH LEVERET; Who Dy'd 2d. 11 M. 1704,5.
Flow on, Just Tears, and let such Dues be paid:
Tears were at first, for these Occasions made.
Tears were at first, for these Occasions made.
Long did I Vex in Vain at Stupid Man,
That e're Men found out Painting, so long Ages ran.
Fain would I Painted to the Life have seen
The Heroines that in past Times have been.
O could we Present that bright SARAH View,
Who Mortals charm'd, and who pleas'd Angels too.
Or that brave MIRIAM, She of whom tis said,
The Israels Daughters in Devotions Led:
Could glorious DEBORAH appear agen,
And to true Glory Quicken Slothful Men:
Could Prayerful Hannah once again be shown,
Prostrate in Prayer's before the Sapphire Throne:
Could Pious MARY with her inward worth,
And all her Piety again come forth:
We'd Love the Painter, and admire the skill;
But tis our Grief, we want that Painting Still.
And courteous Dorcas, we complain of Thee
We can't thy Face wrought with thy Needle see.
But now there is an end of all complaints;
ONE Matron gives a sight of all the Saints.
Our LEV'RET is of all a curious Draught:
Oh! what an one! by what fine Pencil wrought
So on one Cherry-Stone, true Fame avers,
Vienna showes an Hundred Pourtraiters.
So Hamborough does of an Agate tell,
Where Europes Princely Faces all do dwell.
The Siamese their Golden Image prize
Whose Price does to Twelve Million Livres rise.
VIRTUE a Nobler Image did Erect
In our Incomparable LEVERET.
Vain Jews, The Palaces no more Divide
Where Holy Women do in Heav'n reside:
Four Præsidents assign to them no more;
Or say, a Fifth's now added to the Four.
She shall be Ours on Earth at least; and we
By this our HULDAH will directed be.
You, Ladies, that were Tutoresses to
The Ancient Sages, did, what she shall do.
That e're Men found out Painting, so long Ages ran.
Fain would I Painted to the Life have seen
The Heroines that in past Times have been.
O could we Present that bright SARAH View,
Who Mortals charm'd, and who pleas'd Angels too.
Or that brave MIRIAM, She of whom tis said,
The Israels Daughters in Devotions Led:
Could glorious DEBORAH appear agen,
And to true Glory Quicken Slothful Men:
Could Prayerful Hannah once again be shown,
Prostrate in Prayer's before the Sapphire Throne:
Could Pious MARY with her inward worth,
And all her Piety again come forth:
We'd Love the Painter, and admire the skill;
But tis our Grief, we want that Painting Still.
And courteous Dorcas, we complain of Thee
We can't thy Face wrought with thy Needle see.
But now there is an end of all complaints;
ONE Matron gives a sight of all the Saints.
Our LEV'RET is of all a curious Draught:
Oh! what an one! by what fine Pencil wrought
So on one Cherry-Stone, true Fame avers,
Vienna showes an Hundred Pourtraiters.
81
Where Europes Princely Faces all do dwell.
The Siamese their Golden Image prize
Whose Price does to Twelve Million Livres rise.
VIRTUE a Nobler Image did Erect
In our Incomparable LEVERET.
Vain Jews, The Palaces no more Divide
Where Holy Women do in Heav'n reside:
Four Præsidents assign to them no more;
Or say, a Fifth's now added to the Four.
She shall be Ours on Earth at least; and we
By this our HULDAH will directed be.
You, Ladies, that were Tutoresses to
The Ancient Sages, did, what she shall do.
‘O VIRGINS worthy of the Zodiack, Love
‘Those Objects first and most, that are Above.
‘Be first Espous'd unto the mighty LORD,
‘On Terms propos'd in his most Sacred Word.
‘Walk not with them whose Folly leads to Hell;
‘By awful Modesty rude Fools repell.
‘Let not Vile Books your blooming years deprave,
‘But Books of Grace let your perusal have.
‘Rather to Churches than to Balls repair;
‘Perfume you Closets too with Daily Prayer.
‘Foul Cards let your Fair Hands throw by with Scorn
‘But Write and Work as for high purpose born.
‘Let pearly Tears (at which lewd wretches scoff)
‘Of Penitence wash your Black Patches off.
Dress well; Flant not too high; nor Change too fast.
Wear what shall speak you Sober, Wise and Chast,
And in a Body clad with comely Dress,
Soul drest with rich Robes of Righteousness.
Thus did our admirable SARAH: Thus
Of Virgin-Grace a mould she left for us.
Her Matchless Merits now prepared her
To be a Match for a great GOVERNOUR.
Him Sarah call'd Her Lord: Himself to please
She sought: And saw none but her Tygranes.
The Colony in her sweet carriage saw
What made in every House a Persian Law.
A Wife so lovely, so discreet and kind;
How Bles'd of God, the Man that shall her find!
Rise up, Her Daughters, and with Grace Repeat,
How she did You with constant Wisdom treat.
Do what she did for You; And still Retain
What she gave You of Tincture in the Grain.
O Happy Chickens! [Those we Happy sing;]
Whom such a Dam warms with her Tender Wing.
She must a Widow too Example give
How in a Patient Widow-Hood to live.
Dead her Patricius Twenty years and five,
Deathless did in his moaning Dove Survive.
Her Maker now she did her Husband make:
Such Souls in Him can full contentment take.
With Famous Women let our SARAH claim
For best endowments an Immortal Name.
Hippatia taught of old the Liberal Arts:
But Ours the Art of managing our Hearts.
Eudoxia Glosses on the Bible wrote;
But Ours a Gloss in her pure practice brought.
Rosuida wrote the Lives of worthy Men:
Ours liv'd one Worthy to be wrote by them.
With Zealous Visits to the House of God,
A mansion there she chose for her Abode.
Her Fervent Zeal would overcome the Cold:
No Storms from Coming there could her withold.
Ye, Men of God, Your Funeral-Sermons owe
For Her who Sermons those Regards did show.
You have in Her an Auditory gone,
A Full one t'was, if she were there Alone.
Good Lady, Tell us now that Secret Rare;
Rare like the Stone of the Philosopher:
A Life of Ten Times Seven Years to run.
And all that while to be Reproach'd by None.
None You Reproach'd, But every Person knew
What Good You could, You'd every Person do
There Madam, lay Your Skill: By Goodness tis
We charm fell Serpents, that they cannot hiss.
Till grown for Earth too Good, on Earth she grew
Heav'n claim'd her then: and then to Heav'n she flew.
Luxurious Death; such Pearls to Swallow thus!
Fam'd Cleopatra's Draught was less profuse.
You rash Astronomers, the Stars miscall,
A Dog you style the brightest of them all.
Correct an Error which You find so Great;
Your Sirius now shall be a LEVERET.
Else the most Fulgid Lamp, which Heav'n did show
And then took in an Hundred Years ago,
Now She's got there, will once again appear,
And radiant Sit in Cassiopea's Chair.
‘Those Objects first and most, that are Above.
‘Be first Espous'd unto the mighty LORD,
‘On Terms propos'd in his most Sacred Word.
‘Walk not with them whose Folly leads to Hell;
‘By awful Modesty rude Fools repell.
‘Let not Vile Books your blooming years deprave,
‘But Books of Grace let your perusal have.
‘Rather to Churches than to Balls repair;
‘Perfume you Closets too with Daily Prayer.
‘Foul Cards let your Fair Hands throw by with Scorn
‘But Write and Work as for high purpose born.
‘Let pearly Tears (at which lewd wretches scoff)
‘Of Penitence wash your Black Patches off.
Dress well; Flant not too high; nor Change too fast.
Wear what shall speak you Sober, Wise and Chast,
And in a Body clad with comely Dress,
Soul drest with rich Robes of Righteousness.
Thus did our admirable SARAH: Thus
Of Virgin-Grace a mould she left for us.
Her Matchless Merits now prepared her
To be a Match for a great GOVERNOUR.
Him Sarah call'd Her Lord: Himself to please
She sought: And saw none but her Tygranes.
The Colony in her sweet carriage saw
What made in every House a Persian Law.
A Wife so lovely, so discreet and kind;
How Bles'd of God, the Man that shall her find!
82
How she did You with constant Wisdom treat.
Do what she did for You; And still Retain
What she gave You of Tincture in the Grain.
O Happy Chickens! [Those we Happy sing;]
Whom such a Dam warms with her Tender Wing.
She must a Widow too Example give
How in a Patient Widow-Hood to live.
Dead her Patricius Twenty years and five,
Deathless did in his moaning Dove Survive.
Her Maker now she did her Husband make:
Such Souls in Him can full contentment take.
With Famous Women let our SARAH claim
For best endowments an Immortal Name.
Hippatia taught of old the Liberal Arts:
But Ours the Art of managing our Hearts.
Eudoxia Glosses on the Bible wrote;
But Ours a Gloss in her pure practice brought.
Rosuida wrote the Lives of worthy Men:
Ours liv'd one Worthy to be wrote by them.
With Zealous Visits to the House of God,
A mansion there she chose for her Abode.
Her Fervent Zeal would overcome the Cold:
No Storms from Coming there could her withold.
Ye, Men of God, Your Funeral-Sermons owe
For Her who Sermons those Regards did show.
You have in Her an Auditory gone,
A Full one t'was, if she were there Alone.
Good Lady, Tell us now that Secret Rare;
Rare like the Stone of the Philosopher:
A Life of Ten Times Seven Years to run.
And all that while to be Reproach'd by None.
None You Reproach'd, But every Person knew
What Good You could, You'd every Person do
There Madam, lay Your Skill: By Goodness tis
We charm fell Serpents, that they cannot hiss.
Till grown for Earth too Good, on Earth she grew
Heav'n claim'd her then: and then to Heav'n she flew.
Luxurious Death; such Pearls to Swallow thus!
Fam'd Cleopatra's Draught was less profuse.
You rash Astronomers, the Stars miscall,
A Dog you style the brightest of them all.
Correct an Error which You find so Great;
83
Else the most Fulgid Lamp, which Heav'n did show
And then took in an Hundred Years ago,
Now She's got there, will once again appear,
And radiant Sit in Cassiopea's Chair.
Lacrymatories, which Reserv'd of old
Tears for the Dead, were Viols (as we're told:)
Our LEVERET is Lost; we'l Weep for her
Tears that shall fill the Tun of Heidelbergh.
Tears for the Dead, were Viols (as we're told:)
Our LEVERET is Lost; we'l Weep for her
Tears that shall fill the Tun of Heidelbergh.
| Cotton Mather's verse in English | |