Regale Lectum Miseriae: or, a Kingly bed of Miserie In which is contained, a dreame: with An Elegie upon the Martyrdome of Charls, late King of England, of blessed Memory: and Another upon the Right Honourable The Lord Capel. With A curse against the Enemies of Peace, and the Authors Farewell to England. By John Quarles |
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 | Regale Lectum Miseriae: or, a Kingly bed of Miserie |  |
Morpheus
(thou Turn-key to all humane sense)
Unlock my braine, that I may flie from hence,
Out of this Cage of sleep, let me not lie
And drowne my senses in stupidity.
My thoughts surprise my thoughts, I cannot rest,
I have a Civill Warre within my brest;
I'me full of thoughts: what uncontroled streams
Flow from the fancies Ocean? Oh! what dreams
Have sail'd into my story mind? And bring
No other burthen with them but a King,
A King! could I but kisse that word, and not be thought
An Idolizer; 'tis too great a fault
To kisse his hand. Nor can I think it strange.
For times, & māners, needs must have their change.
Tis true, I dream'd methoughts my watchful eyes
Observ'd a King, and than a sacrifice;
And ravish'd with that majesty and grace
I saw united in his modest face.
I ran to kisse his hand, but with a fall
I wak'd, and lost both King, and kisse, and all.
And thus restored to my former sense,
I thus proceeded in my thoughts; from whence
Arise these fancies, what? did fancy meane
To cause a sudden fall to intervene
Between a kisse and me? 'twas an abuse
That runs beyond the limits of excuse.
I was enrag'd to think that I should misse
(Being so near his hand) so sweet a kisse.
I check'd my fancy; which was too precise
To make me run so fast, yet lose the prize.
Thoughts, follow thoughts, and when the first is spent
A second rises, which does oft prevent
An inconvenient action, many time
A second thought gaines virtue by a crime.
The first being banish'd, reason thought it good
To place a second, where the first thought stood,
And then I found my active fancy play'd
The Politician, and that thought allay'd
The former flames of passion in my brest,
Then was I pleas'd wth what mythoughts exprest,
Which was to this effect------
Unlock my braine, that I may flie from hence,
Out of this Cage of sleep, let me not lie
And drowne my senses in stupidity.
My thoughts surprise my thoughts, I cannot rest,
I have a Civill Warre within my brest;
I'me full of thoughts: what uncontroled streams
Flow from the fancies Ocean? Oh! what dreams
Have sail'd into my story mind? And bring
No other burthen with them but a King,
A King! could I but kisse that word, and not be thought
An Idolizer; 'tis too great a fault
2
For times, & māners, needs must have their change.
Tis true, I dream'd methoughts my watchful eyes
Observ'd a King, and than a sacrifice;
And ravish'd with that majesty and grace
I saw united in his modest face.
I ran to kisse his hand, but with a fall
I wak'd, and lost both King, and kisse, and all.
And thus restored to my former sense,
I thus proceeded in my thoughts; from whence
Arise these fancies, what? did fancy meane
To cause a sudden fall to intervene
Between a kisse and me? 'twas an abuse
That runs beyond the limits of excuse.
I was enrag'd to think that I should misse
(Being so near his hand) so sweet a kisse.
I check'd my fancy; which was too precise
To make me run so fast, yet lose the prize.
Thoughts, follow thoughts, and when the first is spent
A second rises, which does oft prevent
An inconvenient action, many time
A second thought gaines virtue by a crime.
3
To place a second, where the first thought stood,
And then I found my active fancy play'd
The Politician, and that thought allay'd
The former flames of passion in my brest,
Then was I pleas'd wth what mythoughts exprest,
Which was to this effect------
| Regale Lectum Miseriae: or, a Kingly bed of Miserie | |