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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 | Poems, and phancies |  |
235
THE FORT OR CASTLE OF HOPE.
Hope hearing Doubt did a great Army raiseUpon the Castle, where she was, to Seize,
For her Defence she made that Castle strong,
Plac'd Pieces of Ordnance the VVall along;
And Bulwarks Built at every Corners end,
A Curtain long the Middle did Defend;
Two Faces made a Point, whence Canons play,
Two Points a Third, to stop the Enemies way;
No Wing too Short, no Curtain was too Long,
No Point too Sharp, but Blunt to make them Strong;
And round the Castle, Enemies out to keep,
A Ditch was Digg'd, which was both wide and deep;
Bridges were made to Draw, or let at Length,
The Gates had Iron Barrs of wondrous Strength;
Souldiers upon the Curtains-Line did stand,
And each did hold a Musket in his Hand.
When Hope had Order'd all about her Fort,
Then She did call a Council to her Court:
I hear, said She, that Doubt a Warr will make,
And bring great Force this Castle for to take;
236
And first of all good Store of Victuals bought;
Hunger doth lose more Forts than Force doth win;
Then must we with the Stomack first begin;
The next is Arms, the Body for to Guard,
Those that Unarmed are, are soon'st afear'd:
For to small use we make a Ditch or Wall,
Without Arm'd men, to keep that Wall withall.
Shall we neglect Mens Lives and all their Strength,
More than a Wall, that may be broke at Length?
For Ammunitions, that mighty Power,
And Death's Engines, Armies and Towns Devour;
Yet are they of no Use, unless Mankind
Have Strength, Skill, Will, to use them as Design'd;
'Tis Wisdome to advise what ways are best
Us to Defend, that we be not Opprest.
Then Expectation being Gray with Age,
Adviseth Hope by no means to ingage
Too near her Castle, but let that be free;
Draw out a Line about the Town, said she,
There make some Works, Souldiers intrench therein;
Let not the Warrs close at your Gates begin.
With that Desire, though Young, yet wisely spake;
Alas, said she, Doubt that small Line will take,
So great a Compass will your Strength divide,
A Body weak may break through any Side;
Besides the Souldiers will more Careless be,
When they a Rescue strong behind them see:
But in the Castle, where lies all their Good,
There they will Fight to the last Drop of Blood.
| Poems, and phancies | |