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 |
 |
| I. |
| II. |
|
|
| III. |
|
|
| IV. |
Of a Garden.
|
|
| V. |
|
|
 | Poems, and phancies |  |
Of a Garden.
The Garden, which some Paradise do call,Is plac'd just under th'Equinoctial;
Echoes there are most Artificial made,
And cooling Grottoes from the Heat to Shade;
The Azure Sky is always Bright and Clear,
No Gross thick Vapours in the Clouds appear;
There many Stars do Comfort the Sad Night,
The Fixt do Twinkl', and with the rest give Light;
222
No Fruits are there, but what the Taste invites;
Bruis'd Flowers through the Nose Fume to the Brain,
And Honey Dew doth fall like Showr's of Rain;
Various Colours by Nature intermixt,
Divert the Eyes so, as none can be Fixt;
Here Atomes Small on Sun-beams Dance all Day,
Whilst the sweet Zephyrus on th'Air doth Play;
Which Musick from Apollo bears the Praise,
And Orpheus at its Sound his Harp down lays;
Apollo yields, and not Contends with Spight,
Presenting Zephyrus with twelve Hours Light;
The Night, though Sad, in quiet Pleasure takes,
Listening with Silence when he Musick makes;
And when the Day doth come, she's Grieved so,
That she cannot hear Zeph'rus longer Blow;
And with her Mantle Black her Self inshrouds,
VVhich is Imbroyder'd all of Stars in Clouds:
Fine intermixing Walks there are of Pleasure,
Of Grass, and Sand, Broad, Short, and of all Measure;
Some Shaded for a Lovers Musing Thought,
VVhen his Mind is with Love's Idea fraught;
The VValks all Firm and Hard as Marble are,
Yet Soft as Down by Grass that Groweth there;
VVhere Daisies grow as Mushrooms, in a Night,
Mixt Yellow, White and Green to please the Sight;
VVhen it begins to Dawn, those Daisie's Heads
The Dew with little Drops all Over-spreads;
As thick as Stars are placed in the Sky,
So Daisies on the Earth as close do lye.
Here Emerauld Banks are, whence fine Flowers spring,
VVhose Sents and Colours Various Pleasures bring;
223
Roses, and Honey-suckles, and white Lillies;
Wall-flowers, Pinks, and Mary-golds beside,
Grow on the Banks Inrich'd with Nature's Pride:
On other Banks grow Simples, which are good
For Med'cines, well Applied and Understood;
There Trees do Grow, which Proper are and Tall,
Whose Barks are Smooth, and Bodies Sound withall;
Whose Spreading Tops are Full, and ever Green,
As Nazarites Heads, where Rasors have not been;
And Curled Leaves, which Bowing Branches bear,
By Warmth are Fed, for Winter ne're comes there:
There Fruits so pleasing to the Taste do Grow,
That with Delight the Sense they Overflow;
And Arched Arbours, where sweet Birds do Sing,
Whose Hollow Roofs do make each Echo Ring;
Prospects, which Trees and Clouds by Mixing show,
Joyn'd by the Eye, one perfect Piece do Grow;
Here Fountains are, where Drilling drops down Run,
Which Twinkle as the Stars, or as the Sun;
And through each several Spout such Noise they make,
As Birds i'th' Spring, when they their Pleasure take;
Some Chirping Sparrow, and the Singing Lark,
Or Quavering Nightingale in Evening Dark;
The Whistling Black-bird, with the pleasant Thrush,
Linnet, Bull-finch, which Sing in every Bush;
No Weeds are here, nor wither'd Leaves and Dry,
But ever Green, and Pleasant to the Eye;
No Frost to Nip the Tender Buds i'th' Birth,
Nor Winter-Snow to fall on this sweet Earth;
The Beauty of the Spring here ne're doth waste,
Because 'tis just under th'Æquator plac't;
224
That Thievish Time should nothing from them Catch;
And every Muse a several Walk injoys,
The Sad delights in Shades, the Light imploys
Her time in Sports; Satyrs in Corners Lurk,
And as their Gard'ners with great Pains do Work;
They Cut, Graft, Set, and Sow all with much Skil,
And gather Fruits and Flow'rs when th'Muses will;
And Nymphs, as Hand-maids, their Attendance give;
For which by Fame, the Muses make them Live.
| Poems, and phancies | |