 | Electra of Sophocles |  |
7
THE RESTAURATION.
To Her said Highnesse,
Great Princesse,
Then the Royall Nun,
Shall find her Husband in her Son.
And take, since mourning weeds must cease
Beauty and Honour for her dresse.
Her love impregnable did stand,
Against the Sea, against the Land.
While her Lord griev'd, she scorn'd delight,
Companion of his Bed and Flight.
She thought it Dutifull to claim
A Portion in her Husbands shame.
Wherefore our streets when she shall passe,
Proud Matrons shall empale the wayes:
And as she walks her pious Ey's,
Our easie Dames will Catechize.
Shall find her Husband in her Son.
And take, since mourning weeds must cease
Beauty and Honour for her dresse.
Her love impregnable did stand,
Against the Sea, against the Land.
While her Lord griev'd, she scorn'd delight,
Companion of his Bed and Flight.
She thought it Dutifull to claim
A Portion in her Husbands shame.
Wherefore our streets when she shall passe,
Proud Matrons shall empale the wayes:
And as she walks her pious Ey's,
Our easie Dames will Catechize.
Thy Prison too shall then fly ope,
And ripe deliverance kisse Hope.
And ripe deliverance kisse Hope.
8
Here Thy free sight at large shall rove,
And Thou if but look up Above,
Thy Brother in his Throne shalt eye
Burnish't in a full Majestie.
And Thou if but look up Above,
Thy Brother in his Throne shalt eye
Burnish't in a full Majestie.
About his Seat at each just Hand,
A bright Array of Peers shall stand.
Not such who take up their high Name,
On credit of some dalliant Dame:
These in mean Lusts spend their cheap Age,
Nor ought degen'rate from the Page.
Hence, they at rates low as their wit,
Can their usurped Honour quit.
For though an Apparition gay,
May ruffle in the milky way.
Taking acquaintance with the star's,
Like one of their familiar Peers:
Nay may rant down the lesser fry,
Like Yonger Brothers of the sky;
And boasting of his richer light,
First Cozen to the Sun should write:
Yet if he shall his Orb resigne;
Shut up his Windows; cease to shine;
If his assumed Beauty's smoot;
And through the empty Hollow shoot;
Scattering all along the air,
His periwig of yellow hair;
Till he the lower Region plough,
And takes his bed up in a slough:
The Gazer that did late admire
His flagrant robes, and Tissue fire,
That then the Gallant did reherse
Amidst the sparkling Courtiers,
When he perceivs his borrow'd Lamp
With its exhausted Oyl to damp;
Soon tracks the Cheaters sordid birth
From some dull Commoner of earth.
This Arm o'th sea of light mistook,
Dry'd up, proves Land-waters and Brook.
Our Lords their own clear line make good,
Mark'd out by loyall Parents blood,
Which the unspotted Plumes doth lave,
That on their Crowned Temples wave:
They vouch their True and High Extraction,
By constant Faith, by noble Action.
A bright Array of Peers shall stand.
Not such who take up their high Name,
On credit of some dalliant Dame:
These in mean Lusts spend their cheap Age,
Nor ought degen'rate from the Page.
Hence, they at rates low as their wit,
Can their usurped Honour quit.
For though an Apparition gay,
May ruffle in the milky way.
Taking acquaintance with the star's,
Like one of their familiar Peers:
Nay may rant down the lesser fry,
Like Yonger Brothers of the sky;
And boasting of his richer light,
First Cozen to the Sun should write:
Yet if he shall his Orb resigne;
Shut up his Windows; cease to shine;
9
And through the empty Hollow shoot;
Scattering all along the air,
His periwig of yellow hair;
Till he the lower Region plough,
And takes his bed up in a slough:
The Gazer that did late admire
His flagrant robes, and Tissue fire,
That then the Gallant did reherse
Amidst the sparkling Courtiers,
When he perceivs his borrow'd Lamp
With its exhausted Oyl to damp;
Soon tracks the Cheaters sordid birth
From some dull Commoner of earth.
This Arm o'th sea of light mistook,
Dry'd up, proves Land-waters and Brook.
Our Lords their own clear line make good,
Mark'd out by loyall Parents blood,
Which the unspotted Plumes doth lave,
That on their Crowned Temples wave:
They vouch their True and High Extraction,
By constant Faith, by noble Action.
10
Then let thy meek Affection bow,
To view and glad our Realm Below.
Here from a Popular bondage freed
The Countrey shall lift up her head;
The Whip and Yoke now under hoof,
She kissing the soft rein of love,
VVith thankfull mirth aloud shall ring,
Preferr'd to serve her gracious King.
Thou shalt one spotlesse joy behold,
By no allaying sigh controll'd.
To view and glad our Realm Below.
Here from a Popular bondage freed
The Countrey shall lift up her head;
The Whip and Yoke now under hoof,
She kissing the soft rein of love,
VVith thankfull mirth aloud shall ring,
Preferr'd to serve her gracious King.
Thou shalt one spotlesse joy behold,
By no allaying sigh controll'd.
Thus mark in Halls of great resort,
At Penshurst, or some Princes Court,
If my Lords angry Gentlemen
(The Upper House of his great train)
Or some big Steward shall crush down
His Fellows with perpetuall frown;
The House, because he domineers,
And Takes upon him o're his Peers,
Think the Yoke too hard to be born;
Not for the Burden, but the Scorn.
When if the wiser Lady soon
Spy and remove the grief, anon
You may a chearfull duty see,
Flit through the busie Family.
No Monster is so much abhorr'd,
As an Inferiour surly lord.
At Penshurst, or some Princes Court,
If my Lords angry Gentlemen
(The Upper House of his great train)
Or some big Steward shall crush down
His Fellows with perpetuall frown;
The House, because he domineers,
And Takes upon him o're his Peers,
Think the Yoke too hard to be born;
Not for the Burden, but the Scorn.
When if the wiser Lady soon
Spy and remove the grief, anon
11
Flit through the busie Family.
No Monster is so much abhorr'd,
As an Inferiour surly lord.
The Villagers their knees shall bow,
Not aw'd by a stern troopers brow:
As Larks upon their Pestles squat,
If but one daring Hobby bayt.
Nor shall this Care their gladnes spoyl,
How they to be undone must toyl.
Not aw'd by a stern troopers brow:
As Larks upon their Pestles squat,
If but one daring Hobby bayt.
Nor shall this Care their gladnes spoyl,
How they to be undone must toyl.
The VVealthy Citie shall give thanks
In decent State, and Rev'rend ranks:
Not offring up constrained Rites,
Amidst Church-driven Proselytes.
No lip a faint Amen shall say,
VVhile the Recusant Heart would, Nay.
The Heart whose pensive strings are wrackt,
VVith stock decay'd, and credit crackt:
For draining taxes more unsluce
Their gains, then doth blood-thirsty Use.
VVhile they a thin subsistence beat,
Manur'd by Perjury and Sweat,
Tacking a fortune up, untill
Themselves, the last of VVares they sell,
For unseen starres and Countreys bound,
VVhere no Wise Parliament is found;
For where the savage Ethiop fries,
No pineond Dragon is so Wise.
Our welcome Exiles home shall flee:
Our waiting Captives be set free.
In decent State, and Rev'rend ranks:
Not offring up constrained Rites,
Amidst Church-driven Proselytes.
No lip a faint Amen shall say,
VVhile the Recusant Heart would, Nay.
The Heart whose pensive strings are wrackt,
VVith stock decay'd, and credit crackt:
For draining taxes more unsluce
Their gains, then doth blood-thirsty Use.
VVhile they a thin subsistence beat,
Manur'd by Perjury and Sweat,
12
Themselves, the last of VVares they sell,
For unseen starres and Countreys bound,
VVhere no Wise Parliament is found;
For where the savage Ethiop fries,
No pineond Dragon is so Wise.
Our welcome Exiles home shall flee:
Our waiting Captives be set free.
From obscure Denns, from untrackd Caves
The retir'd Clere shall break their graves:
And from Contempt reformd put on
Glory and resurrection.
The Sons of VVisdome shall release
Their patient Spirits into meek peace;
Each reassuming his old Care,
Seated in a becoming Chair;
Hoary their Heads, their Tongue discreet,
Open their Hands, spotlesse their Feet.
The retir'd Clere shall break their graves:
And from Contempt reformd put on
Glory and resurrection.
The Sons of VVisdome shall release
Their patient Spirits into meek peace;
Each reassuming his old Care,
Seated in a becoming Chair;
Hoary their Heads, their Tongue discreet,
Open their Hands, spotlesse their Feet.
When thou beholdest this rich Joy,
Embased by no sad Alloy;
Then mix thy Note and with one Quire,
Let our free Souls in Praise aspire.
Embased by no sad Alloy;
Then mix thy Note and with one Quire,
Let our free Souls in Praise aspire.
FINIS.
| Electra of Sophocles | |