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University of Virginia Library

The Lady-Errant

A Tragi-Comedy

Cartwright, William (1611-1643)

THE LADY-ERRANT.

[Thus thy left hand the Mighty Stagyrite Supports]

To the Memory of the most Ingenious and Vertuous Gentleman Mr Wil: Cartvvright, my much valued Friend.

Upon Mr Cartvvright's Excellent Poems Now collected and published.

On Mr Cartvvright's Poems.

On the Incomparable Poems of Mr William Cartvvright, late Student of Christ-Church in Oxford.

On Mr Cartvvright's excellent Poems, now Collected and Published.

On Mr Cartvvright and his Poems.

On Mr William Cartvvright's excellent Poems, collected and published since his Death.

To the deceased Author of these Poems.

On Mr Will: Cartvvright's excellent Poems, Now collected and Published.

On the publication of the Posthume Poems of M. William Cartwright, sometime Student of Christ-Church in OXON.

To my dear Mother the Vniversity of Oxford, Upon Mr Cartvvright's Poems.

To the Stationer (Mr Moseley) on his Printing Mr Cartvvright's Poems.

Vpon the Ingenuous Author and his Poems.

On Mr Will: Cartwright's excellent Poems.

ON Mr William Cartvvright's excellent Poems.

Vpon Mr. Cartvvright's Poems, published long after his death.

In Memory of his honoured Friend Mr VVilliam Cartvvright.

To the Memory of his deceased Friend. Mr William Cartvvright.

In Memory of Mr William Cartvvright.

On Mr William Cartvvright's surviving Poems.

Upon the Poems and Plaies of the ever Memorable Mr Will: Cartvvright.

On Mr William Cartvvright's excellent Poems.

To the rich Memory of my Honoured Friend the Learned Author.

TO The Memory of Master Cartvvright.

On Mr William Cartvvright's excellent Poems, collected and published since his Death.

On Mr VVil: Cartvvright's excellent Poems, Collected and Published since his death.

To the Memory of Mr William Cartvvright.

On his Deceased Friend Mr Will: Cartvvright's Poems, now Collected and Published.

TO The Memory of my most deserving and peculiar Friend Mr Wil. Cartvvright.

On the Death of Mr. William Cartvvright, and the now publishing of his Poems.

On the Death of Mr Cartvvright, and the Life of his desired Poems.

On the Death of Mr William Cartvvright.

Upon Mr Cartvvright and his Poems.

On Mr Cartvvright's Incomparable Poems published after his Death.

On M. Will: Cartwrights Incomparable Poems.

Upon the setting forth M. Will: Cartwrights Poems.

To the Memory of Mr VVilliam Cartvvright.

To the Memory of the deceased Author Mr William Cartvvright.

On Mr William Cartvvright excellent Poems.

On Mr William Cartvvright's excellent Poems.

On M. Cartvvright and his Poems.

On Mr Cartvvright's Poems Now collected and Published.

On Mr Cartvvright's Poems.

To the Memory of Mr William Cartvvright, On the publication of these His Incomparable Poems

Upon the Memory of Mr William Cartvvright and his admirable Poems.

Vpon the Author's decease, and Poems.

TO THE Memory of Mr Cartvvright, and on his Incomparable Poems.

On the Death of Mr Cartvvright, and Resurrection of his Poems.

Upon Mr Cartvvright's Poems.

Vpon the Incomparable Poems of the Learned Mr Cartvvright.

To the Memory of the Incomparable Mr William Cartvvright.

Upon the Incomparable Poems of Mr William Cartvvright late Student of Christ Church in Oxford.

On the Death of my dear Friend Mr William Cartvvright, relating to the fore-going Elegies.

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On the Incomparable Poems of Mr William Cartvvright, late Student of Christ-Church in Oxford.

Not to deplore our Loss, nor to admire
Thy Wit, I press into the numerous Quire
Of thy Learn'd Friends, nor boldly to invite
The Reader's Eyes, then raise his Appetite
By promising Ambrosia for a Feast,
The Muses Waiters, and the Godds the Guests:
No, this let others speak, I'll only tell
The World when Wit and pleasing Fancy fell;
They dyed with thee, in thy decease they have
Their Funerall, are buried in thy Grave;
That who hereafter shall presume to wound
Thy Ashes and my Truth, and his profound
Non-sense shall with the Nobler Names belye
Of Wit, High Fancie, Rich Conceits, may lye
Dead, unregarded on the common Stall,
The Title, and that only, read by all;
Whilst the wise Readers, by me warned, do
Spare both their Time, Money, and Anger too.
For where hereafter shall the Muses trend
Their eeven Measures? They alas are fled
From their old Seats, their frighted heads to hide
By Helicon's now long neglected side:
There were such times, Great Oxford was the Stage
Both of a Golden and an Iron Age:
But ev'n those Conquerours, which durst defie
Thy Prince's Pow'rs, do grant thee Victory;

And humbly on thy Crowned Temples set
The only Laurell which thy side did get.
Let vanquish'd Nature once but apprehend
A sudden and inevitable end,
She summons all the Spirits from each part,
Poast's fresh Supplies unto the fainting Heart,
And now, near spent, some Action will produce
Beyond the vigour of our warmest Youths,
Then straight she droops and yields, as if that all
Nature's design were but a glorious Fall:
So when Rome's Potent Genius had decreed
Cæsar should triumph, and the Senate bleed,
It calls young Pompey forth, gives him an hour
To try the Sum and utmost of his power;

Omnium postrema certaminum Munda: ibi non pro cetera felicitate, sed diu triste prælium, inusitatam Cæsaris oculis, nefas, de extremis secum agitasse fertur Florus. lib 4. cap. 2.

Wherein even Cæsar fears the doubtful Strife,
Fighting not now for Victory, but Life;
How near the top of Fate the Senate were
That moment that precedes their Fall! for there
Fell the great Faction's Soul, and rose no more,
Or rose not now to emulate, but adore.
So when our Peace-born Poetry perceiv'd
The utmost thread of her short line was weav'd,
More mindfull of her Fame than Life, in hast
She snatch'd the Raies, and richest Beauties, grac'd
Each severall Muse, Wit, Art, and Judgement mixt
She on her new conceived Embrion fixt,
Then did her pregnant Womb this Book disclose,
The happy issue of her dying throwes;
For then her Spirits fail'd; she only cry'd,
I'l have no other Epitaph, and dyed:
And dyed with an Effort, that did befit
Th' expiring Genius of the English Wit.

Edvv: Dering Baronet.