Comedies, Tragi-comedies, With other Poems by Mr William Cartwright ... The Ayres and Songs set by Mr Henry Lawes |
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To the Memory of the Most Worthy, Sir Henry Spelman.
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 | Comedies, Tragi-comedies, With other Poems |  |
To the Memory of the Most Worthy, Sir Henry Spelman.
Though now the Times perhaps be such that nought
VVas left thee but to dye, and 'twill be thought
An Exprobration to rehearse thy Deeds,
Thriving as Flowers among these courser VVeeds,
I cannot yet forbear to grieve, and tell
Thy skill to know, thy Valour to do well.
VVas left thee but to dye, and 'twill be thought
An Exprobration to rehearse thy Deeds,
Thriving as Flowers among these courser VVeeds,
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Thy skill to know, thy Valour to do well.
And what can we do less, when thou art gone
Whose Tenents as thy Manners were thine own;
In not the same Times both the same; not mixt
With th' Ages Torrent, but still clear and Fixt;
As gentle Oyl upon the Streams doth glide
Not mingling with them, though it Smooth the Tide?
Whose Tenents as thy Manners were thine own;
In not the same Times both the same; not mixt
With th' Ages Torrent, but still clear and Fixt;
As gentle Oyl upon the Streams doth glide
Not mingling with them, though it Smooth the Tide?
What can we less, when thou art gone, whom we
Thought only so much living History?
Thou sifted'st long-hid Dust to find lost Ore
And searchedst Rubbish to encrease our Store.
Things of that Age thou shew'dst, that they seem'd new,
And stand admir'd as if they now first grew;
Time in thy learned Pages, as the Sun
On Ahaz Diall, does thus backward run.
Thought only so much living History?
Thou sifted'st long-hid Dust to find lost Ore
And searchedst Rubbish to encrease our Store.
Things of that Age thou shew'dst, that they seem'd new,
And stand admir'd as if they now first grew;
Time in thy learned Pages, as the Sun
On Ahaz Diall, does thus backward run.
Nor did'st thou this affectedly, as they
Whom Humour leads to know out of the Way:
Thy aym was Publike in't; thy Lamp and Night
Search'd untrod Paths only to set us right;
Thou didst consult the Ancients and their Writ,
To guard the Truth, not exercise the Wit;
Taking but what they said; not, as some do,
To find out what they may be wrested to;
Nor Hope, nor Faction, bought thy Mind to side,
Conscience depos'd all Parts, and was sole Guide.
So 'tis when Authors are not Slaves, but Men,
And do themselves maintain their own free Pen.
Whom Humour leads to know out of the Way:
Thy aym was Publike in't; thy Lamp and Night
Search'd untrod Paths only to set us right;
Thou didst consult the Ancients and their Writ,
To guard the Truth, not exercise the Wit;
Taking but what they said; not, as some do,
To find out what they may be wrested to;
Nor Hope, nor Faction, bought thy Mind to side,
Conscience depos'd all Parts, and was sole Guide.
So 'tis when Authors are not Slaves, but Men,
And do themselves maintain their own free Pen.
This 'twas that made the Priest in every Line,
This 'twas that made the Churches Cause be thine;
Who perhaps hence hath suffer'd the less wrong,
And ows thee much because sh' hath stood so long;
That though her Dress, her Discipline now faints,
Yet her Endowments fall not with her Saints.
This 'twas that made the Churches Cause be thine;
Who perhaps hence hath suffer'd the less wrong,
And ows thee much because sh' hath stood so long;
That though her Dress, her Discipline now faints,
Yet her Endowments fall not with her Saints.
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This 'twas that made thee ransack all thy Store
To shew our Mother what she was before;
What Laws past, what Decrees; the Where, and When
Her Tares were sow'n, and how pull'd up agen;
A Body of that Building, and that Dress,
That Councels may Conspire and yet do less.
To shew our Mother what she was before;
What Laws past, what Decrees; the Where, and When
Her Tares were sow'n, and how pull'd up agen;
A Body of that Building, and that Dress,
That Councels may Conspire and yet do less.
Nor doth late Practise take thee, but old Rights,
Witness that Charitable Piece that lights
Our Corps to unbought Graves, though Custome led
So against Nature, as to tax the dead.
Though use had made the Land oft purchas'd be,
And though oft purchas'd keep Propriety;
So that the well Prepared did yet fear,
Though not to dye, yet to undo the Heyr,
Witness that Charitable Piece that lights
Our Corps to unbought Graves, though Custome led
So against Nature, as to tax the dead.
Though use had made the Land oft purchas'd be,
And though oft purchas'd keep Propriety;
So that the well Prepared did yet fear,
Though not to dye, yet to undo the Heyr,
Had we what else thy Taper saw thee glean,
'Twould teach our Days perhaps a safer Mean;
Though what we see be much, it may be guess'd
As great was Shewn, so greater was suppress'd.
'Twould teach our Days perhaps a safer Mean;
Though what we see be much, it may be guess'd
As great was Shewn, so greater was suppress'd.
Go then, go up, Rich Soul; while we here grieve,
Climb till thou see what we do but believe;
VV' have not time to rate thee; thy Fate's such,
VVe know we've lost; our Sons will say how much.
Climb till thou see what we do but believe;
VV' have not time to rate thee; thy Fate's such,
VVe know we've lost; our Sons will say how much.
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