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The Lady-Errant

A Tragi-Comedy
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
In Memory of his honoured Friend Mr VVilliam Cartvvright.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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In Memory of his honoured Friend Mr VVilliam Cartvvright.

VVere there a Soule so unconfin'd as Thine,
That could it's own great self express
In that inimitable Dress
Wherewith thou didst adorn thy thoughts Divine;
Yet ev'n that Soul unable were to tell
How much of more than Man with Cartwright fell.
The world despaires to know thee half, unless
Thou leave those happy Soules above,
(Of late made happier in thy Love)
To teach that worth, which Thou couldst not express
Till now by Death enlightned: For before,
Thy Modesty hid much, thy Flesh hid more.
As when a Fleet miscarries richly fraught,
Merchants can only sigh in gross
Their sad irreparable Loss,
Unable to recount the Wealth it brought:
So we can only tell we are undone;
Unknown's the Wit, Arts, Language with thee gone:
But if some happy Wave do force to Land
A Box of Jewels from the Main,
The Loss grows greater by this Gain,
By this we the rich Lading understand:
So we sum up our Loss by this thy Book
At what we can scarce guesse at wonder-strook!


We in rude accents thy great worth deplore,
(When Thunder's gone, we heare a Noyse
The Reliques of the former Voice,
And then all's hush'd and quiet as before:)
And this our last wit bring unto thy Herse,
The weak and confus'd Eccho of thy Verse.
What Glass, what Ocean is there here below,
That can reflect a Lustre bright
And Active, as the Native Light?
Much less what Mortall Pencill can it show?
He that would truly know thy worth, must fly
To Heav'n; why sigh we here then? Let us dye;
So shall we see Thee in full glory shine
Amidst those nobler Spirits, where
To Glories of a Lower Sphere
Thou stream'st down Lustre, Knowledge, Love divine:
And heark! me thinks th' enlightned Powers say,
Dear Soul, thou art more Seraphin than They.
Will: Creed.