 | Poetical works (1908) |  |
[The Divine Offer.]
Behold, behold me: view, search every part:Let beauty wooe thy eyes, thy eyes thy heart.
Thou dost, Lord, what thou speak'st; I somewhat see,
That I see nothing, nor my self, nor thee.
'Noint thee: what seest thou now? What tongue can tell?
In thee ten thousand heav'ns, in me an hell.
How lik'st thy self poor soul? how lik'st thou me?
Lord, I am dung, and all things dung to thee.
I made thee first, and come, now, new to make thee;
If then thou lik'st, stretch forth thy hand, and take me.
Take thee? Lord thou more rich than heav'n can make thee.
I poor; tak'st thou no portion but to take thee?
Lord I am naked, foul, thou can'st but loath me:
Ask'st thou no beauty but to cleanse, and cloath me?
Oh I am base: my self my self disdain:
Wilt thou no honour, but with thee to reign?
Is this thy whole demand, to leave mine own,
And take thee for my portion, beauty, Crown?
A glorious offer: madness to refuse it:
An easie choice: yet wretch I cannot chuse it.
Maim'd wretch! I see my bliss; yet, till thou make it,
I have no will to chuse, no hand to take it.
Let th' hand, which thee, which all thy glory proffers,
Give me an hand to take thy glorious offers.
Form, draw mine eyes; so shall I still behold thee;
Make, hold my hand: so shall I take, grasp, hold thee.
| Poetical works (1908) | |