Poems, and phancies written By the Thrice Noble, Illustrious, And Excellent Princess The Lady Marchioness of Newcastle [i.e. Margaret Cavendish]. The Second Impression, much Altered and Corrected |
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The Fairy Queen's Kingdome.
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 | Poems, and phancies |  |
The Fairy Queen's Kingdome.
The Fairy Queens large Kingdome got by Birth,Is in the Midst and Centre of the Earth,
Where there are many Springs, and running Streams,
Whose Waves do Glister by the Queen's bright Beams,
VVhich makes them Murmur as they pass away,
Because by Running round they cannot stay:
But they do ever Move, and like the Sun,
Do constantly in Circulation run;
And as the Sun gives Heat, to make things Spring,
So VVater doth give Moisture every thing:
For these two Elements give Life to all,
Creating every thing on th'Earth's round Ball;
And all along, this Liquid Source doth flow,
Stand Mirtle Trees, and Banks where Flowers grow;
'Tis true, there are no Birds to Sing sweet Notes,
Yet Winds do Whistl', as Birds do with their Throats,
VVhose Sounds and Notes, by Variation, oft
Make better Musick than the Sphears aloft;
Nor is there any Beast of Cruel Nature,
But a slow, Crawling Worm, a gentle Creature,
VVho fears no hungry Bird to pick him out,
But safely Grasps the tender Twigs about;
There Mountains are of pure Refined Gold,
And Rocks of Diamonds perfect to behold;
VVhose Brightness is a Sun to all about,
VVhich Glory makes Apollo's Beams keep out;
Quarries of Rubies, Saphyrs there are store,
Crystals, and Amathists, and many more;
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Where Twining Vines are Cluster'd all the Year;
The Axel-tree, whereon the Earth turns round,
Is one great Diamond, by Opinion found;
And the two Ends which we do call the Poles,
Are pointed Diamonds, turning in two Holes,
Which Holes are Rings of pure Refined Gold,
And all the weight of that Vast World up-hold,
Which makes the Sun so seldome there appear,
For fear those Rings should melt, if he came near;
And like a Wheel the Elements are found,
In even Lays, and many Turnings round;
First Fire is in the Circle, as the Spoak,
And then comes Water, Air is but the Smoak,
Begot of both; for Fire doth Water boyl,
And causes Clouds and Smoak, which is the Oyl:
This Smoaky Child sometimes is Good, then Bad,
According to the Nourishment it had.
The outward Circle as the Earth suppose,
Which is the Surface, where all plenty Grows;
Yet Earth is not the Cause of its Self-turning,
But Fire within, nor is there fear of Burning
The Axel-tree, for that Grows hard with Heat,
And by its Quickness turns the Wheel, though great,
Unless its Outward weight do press it down,
Raising the Bott'm, and Bowing down the Crown.
But why, this while am I so long of proving,
Only to shew how this Earth still is Moving;
For not the Earth, but Heav'ns, as Wheels, likewise
Do turn, which we see daily with our Eyes:
Thus is made Good the Proverb, which doth say,
That all the World on Wheels doth Run its way;
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As we may think, they do like Wind-mills go;
But Winds are made by Vulcan's Bellows sure,
Which makes the Earth such Colicks to endure:
For he a Smith, sits at the Forge below,
And is Ordain'd, the Centre-fire to Blow;
But Venus Laughs, to think what Horns he wears,
Though on his Shoulders half the Earth he bears;
Nature makes him to Hammer Metall out,
Which she doth send through Mines the World about;
For He's th'Old Man, that doth i'th' Centre dwell,
She Proserpine, that's thought the Queen of Hell:
Thus Venus is a Tinkers Wife, we see,
Not a Goddess, as she was thought to be,
When all the World to her did Offrings bring,
And her high Praise in Prose and Verses Sing,
And Priests in Orders on her Altars tend,
And to her Image all Wise Heads did bend.
But O Vain ways, that Mortal Men did go,
To worship Gods, which themselves did not know!
'Tis true, her Son's a pretty Lad, and he
Doth wait as Foot-boy on Queen Mab, whom she
Makes to enkindle Fires, and set up Lights,
And keep the Door for all the Carpet Knights:
For when the Queen is gone to Bed asleep,
Then a great Revel Rout the Court doth keep;
Yet heretofore Men did so strive to prove,
That Cupid was the only God of Love;
But if Men could but to the Centre go,
They soon would see, that it were nothing so.
Here Nature Nurses, and doth send in Season
All things abroad, as she her Self thinks Reason;
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And by her Countermand some things do stay;
For she stays Life by Druggs well us'd, beside
By healing Balms to deadly Wounds apply'd:
There Mab is Queen of all by Nature's will,
And by her Favour she doth Govern still.
O happy Mab, that is in Nature's Grace;
For she is always Young, being in this place.
But leaving Her, let's go and see the Sport
That's Acted in the Queen of Fairy's Court.
| Poems, and phancies | |