A Collection of Miscellanies Consisting of Poems, Essays, Discourses & Letters, Occasionally Written. By John Norris ... The Second Edition Corrected |
 |
To Sleep.
|
 | A Collection of Miscellanies |  |
114
To Sleep.
I
Break off thy Slumber gentle GodAnd hither bring thy charming Rod;
The Rod that weeping eyes does close
And gives to melancholy hearts repose;
With that my Temples stroke, and let me be
Held by thy soft Captivity.
But do not all my senses bind,
Nor fetter up too close my mind;
Let mimic Fancy wake, and freely rove,
And bring th' Idea of the Saint I love.
II
Her lovely Image has been broughtSo often to my waking thought,
That 'tis at length worn out and dead,
And with its fair Original is fled.
Or else my working overthoughtful mind
With much intention is made blind,
Like those who look on Objects bright
So long till they quite lose their sight.
Ah Cruel Fates, is't not enough for you
To take my Saint, but I must lose her Image too?
III
Thee gentle Charmer I imploreThis my lost Treasure to restore;
Thy magic vertues all apply,
Set up again my Bank-rupt memory.
Search every Cell and corner of my brain,
And bring my Fugitive again.
115
And 'mong thy Dreams enquiry make;
Summon the best Ideas to appear
And bring that Form which most resembles her.
IV
But if in all thy store there beNone (as I fear) so fair as she,
Then let thy Painter Fancy limn
Her Form anew, and send it by a Dream.
Thou can'st him all her lively Features tell
For sure I think thou knew'st her well.
But if description wont suffice
For him to draw a Piece so nice,
Then let him to my Breast and Heart repair,
For sure her Image is not worn out there.
| A Collection of Miscellanies | |