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

Resigne , proud Dust! what Power entitles thee
To this, which we account our Legacie?
Possession cannot be a Plea; if so,
We should our selves to thee for ever owe.

From earth then (Cartwright,) not as Metals, rise,
Which first refin'd and then impress'd we prize,
But like an Orient Pearl which long time lay
Within his Coffin shell expecting day,
Break forth all Jewell, what from thee we file
Is lost; so rich, so polish'd is thy stile.

But why didst thou such matchless Fansies show
Only that we the greater losse might know?
Why didst thou (cruell Father to thine owne)
Suppress thy Births till they were Orphans grown?
Why did'st thou leave this darksome Universe
Without the light of Poet or of Verse?
For since like Phæbus thou withdrew'st thy light,
Thou might'st have left some Star to guide the night:
What have our Phansies been since thou wert gone?
Nothing but Chaos, and Confusion;
Thy scatter'd Poems in this Chaos made,
Like to the new-born light, a gloomy shade;
But now 'tis wrought into an Orb and Sun,
This day is Poetry's Creation.

Yet I have err'd, as all poor Mortals must,
That think all thine thus long intomb'd in Dust;
Thou with thy Sacred Hymns did'st climb the Spheres,
As penn'd for Angels, not for Humane Ears;
Where thy inspired Verse, divine like thee,
Became a Present to the Deity;
How often were they tun'd to Heavenly Lyre?
How often sung in winged Angels Quire?
From whence at length as minding us were hurl'd
Thy holy Anthems to this lower World.

Sure then the Press did well to stay: before
There was in thee good Wit, good Verse in store;
But we for this fram'd Body did require,
As once Prometheus did, an holy fire;
For Earthly (though pure) Matter cannot move
Untill the Soul descendeth from above.

Thomas Baines.