Pia Desideria or, Divine Addresses, In Three Books. Illustrated with XLVII. Copper-Plates. Written in Latin by Herm. Hugo. Englished by Edm. Arwaker ... The Fourth Edition, Corrected |
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 | Pia Desideria |  |
I.
My Soul breaketh out for the very fervent desire that it hath always unto thy Judgments,
Psal. cxix. 20.
While
Heav'n and Earth solicite me to love,
My doubtful Choice is puzzel'd wch t'approve:
Heav'n cries, Obey, while Earth proclaims, be Free,
Heav'n urges Duty, Earth pleads Liberty.
Call'd hence by Heav'n, by Earth I'm call'd again,
Tost, like a Vessel on the restless Main:
These diff'rent Loves a doubtful Combat wage,
And thus Obstruct the Choice they wou'd engage.
Ah! 'tis enough; let my long-harrast Mind
In the best Choice a quiet Haven find!
O my dear God! Let not my Soul incline
To any Love, or let that Love be thine!
'Tis true, 'tis pleasant to be free to chuse,
And when we will, accept; when not, refuse.
Freedom of Choice endures Restraint but ill;
'Tis Usurpation on th'unbounded Will.
The neighing Steed thus, loos'd from Bitt, and Rein
To his lov'd, well-known Pasture runs again.
Thus the glad Ox, from the Ploughs burthen freed,
Runs lowing on to wanton in the Mead:
And when the Hind their freedom wou'd revoke,
This scorns his Harness, That defies the Yoak.
For freedom in our Choice we count a Bliss;
Eager to chuse, tho' oft we chuse amiss.
So the young Prodigal, impatient grown
To manage his entire Estate alone,
Takes from his prudent Father's frugal Care
His Stock, by that improv'd and thriving there:
But his own Steward made, with eager haste
He does the slow-gained Patrimony waste,
Till starv'd by Riot, and with Want oppress't,
He feeds with Swine, himself the greater Beast.
Thus in Destruction often we rejoyce,
Pleas'd with our Ruin, since it was our Choice.
How do we weary Heav'n with diff'rent Prayers!
The medly, sure, ridiculous appears.
This begs a Wife, nor thinks a greater Bliss;
And that's as earnest to be rid of his:
This prays for Children; That o'er-stock'd, repines
At the too fruitful Issue of his Loins.
This asks his Father's Days may be prolong'd;
That, if his Father lives, complains he's Wrong'd:
Youth prays for good old Age, and aged Men
Wou'd cast their Skins, and fain grow young agen.
Scarce in Ten thousand any Two agree;
Nay, some dislike what they just wish'd to be.
None knows this Minute what he ought require,
Since ev'n the next begets a new Desire.
So Women pine with various Longing-fits,
When breeding has deprav'd their Appetites;
The humorsom impertinent Disease
Makes that which pleas'd them most, as much displease.
My doubtful Choice is puzzel'd wch t'approve:
Heav'n cries, Obey, while Earth proclaims, be Free,
Heav'n urges Duty, Earth pleads Liberty.
Call'd hence by Heav'n, by Earth I'm call'd again,
Tost, like a Vessel on the restless Main:
These diff'rent Loves a doubtful Combat wage,
And thus Obstruct the Choice they wou'd engage.
Ah! 'tis enough; let my long-harrast Mind
In the best Choice a quiet Haven find!
O my dear God! Let not my Soul incline
To any Love, or let that Love be thine!
80
And when we will, accept; when not, refuse.
Freedom of Choice endures Restraint but ill;
'Tis Usurpation on th'unbounded Will.
The neighing Steed thus, loos'd from Bitt, and Rein
To his lov'd, well-known Pasture runs again.
Thus the glad Ox, from the Ploughs burthen freed,
Runs lowing on to wanton in the Mead:
And when the Hind their freedom wou'd revoke,
This scorns his Harness, That defies the Yoak.
For freedom in our Choice we count a Bliss;
Eager to chuse, tho' oft we chuse amiss.
So the young Prodigal, impatient grown
To manage his entire Estate alone,
Takes from his prudent Father's frugal Care
His Stock, by that improv'd and thriving there:
But his own Steward made, with eager haste
He does the slow-gained Patrimony waste,
Till starv'd by Riot, and with Want oppress't,
He feeds with Swine, himself the greater Beast.
Thus in Destruction often we rejoyce,
Pleas'd with our Ruin, since it was our Choice.
How do we weary Heav'n with diff'rent Prayers!
The medly, sure, ridiculous appears.
This begs a Wife, nor thinks a greater Bliss;
And that's as earnest to be rid of his:
81
At the too fruitful Issue of his Loins.
This asks his Father's Days may be prolong'd;
That, if his Father lives, complains he's Wrong'd:
Youth prays for good old Age, and aged Men
Wou'd cast their Skins, and fain grow young agen.
Scarce in Ten thousand any Two agree;
Nay, some dislike what they just wish'd to be.
None knows this Minute what he ought require,
Since ev'n the next begets a new Desire.
So Women pine with various Longing-fits,
When breeding has deprav'd their Appetites;
The humorsom impertinent Disease
Makes that which pleas'd them most, as much displease.
Oh! why, like them, grown restless with Desire,
Do my vain Thoughts to boundless Hopes Aspire?
Be gone false Hopes, vain Wishes, anxious Fears!
Hence, you Disturbers of my peaceful Years!
O my dear God! let not my Soul incline
To any Love, or let that Love be thine!
Do my vain Thoughts to boundless Hopes Aspire?
Be gone false Hopes, vain Wishes, anxious Fears!
Hence, you Disturbers of my peaceful Years!
O my dear God! let not my Soul incline
To any Love, or let that Love be thine!
Allure, O Lord, my Desires with that sweetness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, that I may desire thee with eternal longings; lest the inward relish, being deceived, may mistake bitter for sweet, and sweet for better.
Aug. Soliloq. cap. 12.
| Pia Desideria | |