Phyala Lachrymarum: Or A Few Friendly Teares, shed over the dead Body of Mr Nathaniel Weld Mr of Arts of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge who in the short journey of his life, died betweene the five and sixe and twentieth yeare of his youth, 1633. Together with sundry choyce Meditations of Mortalitie [by William Lathum] |
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ELEGIA INTRODUCTORIA in Lachrymas sequentes.
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 | Phyala Lachrymarum: Or A Few Friendly Teares, shed over the dead Body of Mr Nathaniel Weld Mr of Arts of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge |  |
ELEGIA INTRODUCTORIA in Lachrymas sequentes.
Scarce is (amongst a thousand dayes) one daySo fortunate and luckie every way,
But that in compasse of those twice twelve howres,
Some one or other lucklesse chance devours:
Or some of all from all in generall,
Or all at once, from some in speciall;
And every state one thing or other meet
That mingles gall, and aloes with their sweet:
Each where I heare complaint, and most lament
On every side of losse and detriment;
Husbands the wives, the wives their husbands losse,
Parents their child, children their parents crosse;
Brothers for sisters death are discontent,
Sisters for brothers; these do those lament;
Merchants their ships, shepheards do lose their sheep,
Some waile the losse of what they cannot keepe.
I none of these, but I have lost a friend;
Time may all else, but not this losse amend:
Which losse whoever suffer, understand
What 'tis to be depriv'd of their right hand,
To have a legge cut off, an eye put out,
And live a creeple, to be led about;
A maimed-uselesse man, at once bereft
Of outward strength, and inward joy; so left
A wandring Pilgrim in a land unknown,
Injur'd of all, because belov'd of none:
This leglesse, eyelesse, handlesse man am I,
All these I lost, when he from mee did die.
All yee that chance, (if any chance) to reed
These sorry lines of mine; if yee indeed
(In this selfe-loving Age, (ah) very scant)
Their patronage and mine I you commend,
For yee can truly value such a friend.
Your tender gentle hearts can entertaine
A quicke impression of anothers paine,
And nimbly can (at halfe a word) resent
The weight and burden of their discontent:
And passionate your soft compassion is,
And tender unto all that is amisse.
For love of that, which is to you most leefe
Come all yee (as my seconds) to my griefe;
Lend mee your teares, and sighs to furnish out
The wofull worke which I am now about.
And if such chance you ever doe mischance,
(As God defend it should) in sovenance
And faire requitall of your love, Ile pay
You teares for teares, and sighs for your sighs; nay,
(Unwilling, barely to repay your owne)
Ile pay you interest of ten for one:
And (till my briny braine be drayned dry)
Will side with you, and mourne incessantly:
(Ab) for your griefe will bring to memorie
Mine owne unhappy griefe, and keepe my wound
Still bleeding fresh, whilst ev'ry seeming sound,
And each like word, (that even but relates
And to his name alludes) insinuates,
And will my heart with newes thereof informe,
Still raising in my bosome a new storme;
So shall your mone my mournfull mone augment,
For full of harmony, a sweet consent
Of sorrow is with sorrow, teares with teares,
And griefe in parts the musicke higher reares;
But now from you my conference must breake
Whilst all my other mourners I do thus bespeake.
| Phyala Lachrymarum: Or A Few Friendly Teares, shed over the dead Body of Mr Nathaniel Weld Mr of Arts of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge | |