The Poetical Works of William Drummond of Hawthornden ::

It was the time when to our Northerne Pole
The brightest Lampe of Heauen beginnes to rolle,
When Earth more wanton in new Robes appeareth,
And scorning Skies her Flowrs in Raine-bowes beareth,
On which the Aire moist Saphires doth bequeath,
Which quake to feele the kissing Zephires breath:
When Birds from shadie Groues their Loue foorth warble,
And Sea like Heauen, Heauen lookes like smoothest Marble,
When I, in simple Course, free from all Cares,
Farre from the muddie Worlds captiuing Snares,
By Oras flowrie Bancks alone did wander,
Ora that sports her like to old Meander,
A Floud more worthie Fame and lasting Praise
Than that which Phaetons Fall so high did raise:
Into whose moouing Glasse the Milk-white Lillies
Doe dresse their Tresses and the Daffadillies.
Where Ora with a Wood is crown'd about
And seemes forget the Way how to come out,
A Place there is, where a delicious Fountaine
Springs from the swelling Paps of a proud Mountaine,
Whose falling Streames the quiet Caues doe wound,
And make the Ecchoes shrill resound that Sound.
The Lawrell there the shining Channell graces,
The Palme her Loue with long-stretch'd Armes embraces,
The Poplar spreds her Branches to the Skie,
And hides from sight that azure Cannopie.
The Streames the Trees, the Trees their leaues still nourish,
That Place graue Winter finds not without Flourish.
If liuing Eyes Elysian fields could see
This little Arden might Elysium bee.
Here Diane often vsed to repose Her,

And Acidalias Queene with Mars reioyce her:
The Nymphes oft here doe bring their Maunds with Flowres,
And Anadeames weaue for their Paramours,
The Satyres in those Shades are heard to languish,
And make the Shepheards Partners of their Anguish,
The Shepheards who in Barkes of tender Trees
Doe graue their Loues, Disdaines, and Ielousies,
Which Phillis when there by Her Flockes she feedeth
With Pitie whyles, sometime with laughter reedeth.

Neare to this place when Sunne in midst of Day,
In highest top of Heauen his Coach did stay,
And (as aduising) on his Carier glanced
The way did rest, the space he had aduanced
His panting Steeds along those Fields of light,
Most princely looking from that gastly hight:
When most the Grashoppers are heard in Meadowes,
And loftie Pines haue small, or els no Shadowes,
It was my hap, O wofull hap! to bide
Where thickest Shades me from all Rayes did hide
Into a shut-vp-place, some Syluans Chamber,
Whose Seeling spred was with the Lockes of Amber
Of new-bloom'd Sicamors, Floore wrought with Flowres,
More sweete and rich than those in Princes Bowres.
Here Adon blush't, and Clitia all amazed
Lookt pale, with Him who in the Fountaine gazed,
The Amaranthus smyl'd, and that sweet Boy
Which sometime was the God of Delos joy:
The braue Carnation, speckled Pinke here shined,
The Violet her fainting Head declined
Beneath a drowsie Chasbow, all of Gold
The Marigold her leaues did here vnfold.

Now while that rauish'd with delight and wonder,

Halfe in a trance I lay those Arches vnder,
The season, silence, place, did all entise
Eyes heauie lids to bring Night on their Skies,
Which softly hauing stollen themselues together
(Like Euening Clouds) me plac'd I wote not whether.
As Cowards leaue the Fort which they should keepe
My senses one by one gaue place to Sleepe,
Who followed with a Troupe of golden Slombers
Thrust from my quiet Braine all base Encombers,
And thrise me touching with his Rod of Gold,
A Heauen of Visions in my Temples roll'd,
To countervaile those Pleasures were bereft me,
Thus in his silent Prison clos'd he left me.

Me thought through all the Neighbour Woods a noyce
Of Quiristers, more sweet than Lute or voyce,
(For those harmonious sounds to IOVE are giuen
By the swift touches of the nyne-string'd Heauen,
Such are, and nothing else) did wound mine Eare,
No Soule, that then became all Eare to heare:
And whilst I listning lay O gastly wonder!
I saw a pleasant Mirtle cleaue asunder,
A Mirtle great with birth, from whose rent wombe
Three naked Nymphes more white than snow foorth come.
For Nymphes they seem'd, about their heauenly Faces
In Waues of Gold did flow their curling Tresses,
About each Arme, their Armes more white than milke,
Each weare a blushing Armelet of silke,
The Goddesses such were that by Scamander,
Appeared to the Phrygian Alexander,
Aglaia, and her Sisters such perchance
Be, when about some sacred Spring they dance.
But scarce the Groue their naked Beauties graced,

And on the amorous Verdure had not traced,
When to the Floud they ran, the Floud in Robes
Of curling Christall to brests Yuorie Globes
Who wrapt them all about, yet seem'd take pleasure
To showe warme Snowes throughout her liquid Azure.

Looke howe Prometheus Man when heauenly Fire
First gaue him Breath Dayes Brandon did admire,
And wondred of this Worlds Amphitheater,
So gaz'd I on those new guests of the Water.
All three were faire, yet one excell'd as farre
The rest, as Phebus doth the Cyprian Starre,
Or Diamonds small Gemmes, or Gemmes doe other,
Or Pearles that shining shell is call'd their Mother.

Her haire more bright than are the Mornings Beames
Hang in a golden shower aboue the Streames,
And (sweetly tous'd) her forehead sought to couer,
Which seene did straight a Skie of Milke discouer,
With two faire Browes, Loues Bowes, which neuer bend
But that a Golden Arrow foorth they send.
Beneath the which two burning Planets glancing
Flasht Flames of Loue, for Loue there still is dancing.
Her either Cheeke resembl'd a blushing Morne,
Or Roses Gueules in field of Lillies borne:
Betwixt the which a Wall so faire is raised,
That it is but abased euen when praised.
Her Lips like Rowes of Corrall soft did swell,
And th' one like th' other only doth excell:
The Tyrian Fish lookes pale, pale looke the Roses,
The Rubies pale, when Mouths sweet Cherrie closes.
Her Chinne like siluer Phebe did appeare
Darke in the midst to make the rest more cleare:
Her Necke seem'd fram'd by curious Phidias Master,

Most smooth, most white, a piece of Alabaster.
Two foaming Billowes flow'd vpon her Brest,
Which did their tops with Corrall red encrest:
There all about as Brookes them sport at leasure,
With Circling Branches veines did swell in Azure:
Within those Crookes are only found those Isles
Which Fortunate the dreaming old World Stiles.
The rest the Streames did hide, but as a Lillie
Suncke in a Christalls faire transparent Bellie.

I, who yet humane weaknesse did not know
(For yet I had not felt that Archers Bow,
Ne could I thinke that from the coldest Water
The winged Youngling burning Flames could scatter)
On euery part my vagabounding Sight
Did cast, and drowne mine Eyes in sweet Delight.
What wondrous Thing is this that Beautie's named
(Said I) I finde I heretofore haue dreamed?
And neuer knowne in all my flying Dayes
Good vnto this, that only merites Praise.
My Pleasures haue beene Paines, my Comforts Crosses,
My Treasure Pouertie, my Gaines but Losses.
O precious Sight! which none doth els descrie
Except the burning Sunne, and quiuering I.
And yet O deare bought Sight! O would for euer
I might enioy you, or had ioy'd you never!
O happie Floud! if so yee might abide,
Yet euer glorie of this Moments Pride,
Adjure your Rillets all now to beholde Her,
And in their Christall Armes to come and fold Her:
And sith yee may not ay your Blisse embrace,
Draw thousand Pourtraits of Her on your Face,
Pourtraits which in my Heart be more apparent,
If like to yours my Brest but were transparent.

O that I were while she doth in you play,
A Daulphine to transport Her to the Sea,
To none of all those Gods I would Her rander
From Thule to Inde though I should with Her wander.
Oh! what is this? the more I fixe mine Eye,
Mine Eye the more new Wonders doth espie,
The more I spie, the more in vncouth fashion
My Soule is rauish'd in a pleasant Passion.

But looke not Eyes, as more I would haue said
A Sound of whirling Wheeles me all dismayde,
And with the Sound foorth from the timorous Bushes
With storme-like Course a sumptuous Chariot rushes,
A Chariot all of Gold, the Wheeles were Gold,
The Nailes, and Axetree Gold on which it roll'd:
The vpmost Part a Scarlet Vaile did couer,
More rich than Danaes Lap spred with her Louer:
In midst of it in a triumphing Chaire,
A Ladie sate miraculously faire,
Whose pensiue Countenance, and Lookes of Honor,
Doe more allure the Mind that thinketh on Her,
Than the most wanton Face and amorous Eyes,
That Amathus or flowrie Paphos sees.
A Crue of Virgins made a Ring about Her,
The Diamond shee, they seeme the Gold without Her.
Such Thetis is when to the Billowes rore
With Mermaids nyce shee danceth on the Shore:
So in a sable Night the Sunnes bright Sister
Among the lesser twinckling Lights doth glister.
Faire Yoakes of Ermelines, whose Colour passe
The whitest Snowes on aged Grampius Face,
More swift than Venus Birds this Chariot guided
To the astonish'd Bancke where as it bided.
But long it did not bide, when poore those Streames
Aye me! it made, transporting those rich Gemmes,
And by that Burthen lighter, swiftly driued

Till (as me thought) it at a Towre arriued.

Vpon a Rocke of Christall shining cleare
Of Diamonds this Castle did appeare,
Whose rising Spires of Gold so high them reared
That Atlas-like it seem'd the Heauen they beared.
Amidst which Hights on Arches did arise
(Arches which guilt Flames brandish to the Skies)
Of sparking Topaces, Prowde, Gorgeous, Ample,
(Like to a litle Heauen) a sacred Temple:
Whose Walls no Windowes haue, nay all the Wall
Is but one Window, Night there doth not fall
More when the Sunne to Westerne Worlds declineth,
Than in our Zenith when at Noone He shineth.
Two flaming Hills the Passage strait defend
Which to this radiant Building doth ascend,
Vpon whose Arching tops on a Pilastre
A Port stands open, rais'd in Loues Disastre,
For none that narrow Bridge and Gate can passe,
Who haue their Faces seene in Venus Glasse.
If those within, but to come foorth doe venter,
That stately Place againe they neuer enter.
The Precinct strengthened with a Ditch appeares,
In which doth swell a Lake of Inkie Teares
Of madding Louers, who abide there moning,
And thicken euen the Aire with piteous Groning.
This Hold (to braue the Skies) the Destines fram'd,
The World the Fort of Chastitie it nam'd.
The Queene of the third Heauen once to appall it,
The God of Thrace here brought who could not thrall it,
For which he vow'd ne're Armes more to put on,
And on Riphean Hills was heard to grone.
Here Psyches Louer hurles his Darts at randon,
Which all for nought him serue as doth his Brandon.

What bitter Anguish did inuade my Minde,
When in that Place my Hope I saw confinde,
Where with high-towring Thoughts I onely reacht Her,
Which did burne vp their Wings when they approacht Her?
Mee thought I set me by a Cypresse Shade,
And Night and Day the Hyacinthe there reade:
And that bewailing Nightingalles did borrow
Plaints of my Plaint, and Sorrowes of my Sorrow.
My Food was Wormewood, mine owne Teares my Drinke,
My Rest on Death, and sad Mishaps to thinke.
And for such Thoughts to haue my Heart enlarged,
And ease mine Eyes with brinie Tribute charged,
Ouer a Brooke (me thought) my pining Face
I laid, which then (as grieu'd at my Disgrace)
A Face Me shew'd againe so ouer-clouded,
That at the Sight mine Eyes afray'd them shrowded.
This is the guerdon Loue, this is the Gaine
In end which to thy Seruants doth remaine,
I would haue said, when Feare made Sleepe to leaue me,
And of those fatall Shadowes did bereaue me.
But ah alas! in stead to dreame of Loue,
And Woes, mee made them in effect to proue,
For what into my troubled Braine was painted,
I waking found that Time, and Place presented.

University of Virginia Library

Song. [i]

[It was the time when to our Northerne Pole]