Part 17

" 10, ib. drops 'beauteous' inadvertently. TURNBULL, for a wonder, wakes up here to notice a deficient word; but again, instead of collating his texts, inserts without authority 'lofty.' Had he turned to 1648 edition, he would have found 'beauteous.'

Line 20, I have adopted 'Time's' for 'Time.'

" 23, as in line 17 in 1st Elegy.

" 30, a reference to the 'Love will find out the way,' in the old song 'Over the mountain.' 'Weary' is misprinted 'Wary' in 1670.

3d Elegy: Line 7, 'with' for 'by.'

Line 17, our text (1652) misprints 'Or' for 'O.'

" 20, I accept 't'' for 'to.'

" 29, 'The Blessed Virgin' for 'The queen of angels.'

" 41, 'facing' for 'gaping.'

" 43, as in line 17 in 1st Elegy.

" 50, 'hath' for 'haue.'

" 51, 'sweet's' for 'sweet.'

" 54, our text (1652) misprints 'thousand.' G.

Secular Poetry.

II.

AIRELLES.

NOTE.

See Note on page 184 for reference on the title here and elsewhere of 'Airelles.' G.

UPON THE KING'S CORONATION.[89]

Sound forth, coelestiall organs, let heauen's quire Ravish the dancing orbes, make them mount higher With nimble capers, & force Atlas tread Vpon his tiptoes, e're his siluer head Shall kisse his golden curthen. Thou glad Isle, That swim'st as deepe in joy, as seas, now smile; Lett not thy weighty glories, this full tide Of blisse, debase thee; but with a just pride Swell: swell to such an height, that thou maist vye With heauen itselfe for stately majesty. Doe not deceiue mee, eyes: doe I not see In this blest earth heauen's bright epitome, Circled with pure refinèd glory? heere I view a rising sunne in this our sphere, Whose blazing beames, maugre the blackest night, And mists of greife, dare force a joyfull light. The gold, in wch he flames, does well præsage A precious season, & a golden age. Doe I not see joy keepe his revels now, And sitt triumphing in each cheerfull brow? Vnmixt felicity with siluer wings Broodeth this sacred place: hither Peace brings The choicest of her oliue-crownes, & praies To haue them guilded with his courteous raies. Doe I not see a Cynthia, who may Abash the purest beauties of the day? To whom heauen's lampes often in silent night Steale from their stations to repaire their light. Doe I not see a constellation, Each little beame of wch would make a sunne? I meane those three great starres, who well may scorn Acquaintance with the vsher of the morne. To gaze vpon such starres each humble eye Would be ambitious of astronomie Who would not be a phoenix, & aspire To sacrifice himselfe in such sweet fire? Shine forth, ye flaming sparkes of Deity, Yee perfect emblemes of divinity. Fixt in your spheres of glory, shed from thence, The treasures of our liues, your influence, For if you sett, who may not justly feare, The world will be one ocean, one great teare.

UPON THE KING'S CORONATION.

Strange metamorphosis! It was but now The sullen heauen had vail'd its mournfull brow With a black maske: the clouds with child by Greife Traueld th' Olympian plaines to find releife. But at the last (having not soe much power As to refraine) brought forth a costly shower Of pearly drops, & sent her numerous birth (As tokens of her greife) vnto the Earth. Alas, the Earth, quick drunke with teares, had reel'd From of her center, had not Ioue vpheld The staggering lumpe: each eye spent all its store, As if heereafter they would weepe noe more: Streight from this sea of teares there does appeare Full glory naming in her owne free sphere. Amazèd Sol throwes of his mournfull weeds, Speedily harnessing his fiery steeds, Vp to Olympus' stately topp he hies, From whence his glorious rivall hee espies. Then wondring starts, & had the curteous night Withheld her vaile, h' had forfeited his sight. The joy full sphæres with a delicious sound Afright th' amazèd aire, and dance a round To their owne musick, nor (untill they see This glorious Phoebus sett) will quiet bee. Each aery Siren now hath gott her song, To whom the merry lambes doe tripp along The laughing meades, as joy full to behold Their winter coates couer'd with naming gold. Such was the brightnesse of this Northerne starre, It made the virgin phoenix come from farre To be repair'd: hither she did resort, Thinking her father had remou'd his Court. The lustre of his face did shine soe bright, That Rome's bold egles now were blinded quite; The radiant darts shott from his sparkling eyes, Made euery mortall gladly sacrifice A heart burning in loue; all did adore This rising sunne; their faces nothing wore, But smiles, and ruddy joyes, and at this day All melancholy clouds vanisht away.

VPON THE BIRTH OF THE PRINCESSE ELIZABETH.[90]

Bright starre of Majesty, oh shedd on mee, A precious influence, as sweet as thee. That with each word, my loaden pen letts fall, The fragrant Spring may be perfum'd withall. That Sol from them may suck an honied shower, To glutt the stomack of his darling flower. With such a sugred livery made fine, They shall proclaime to all, that they are thine. Lett none dare speake of thee, but such as thence Extracted haue a balmy eloquence. But then, alas, my heart! oh how shall I Cure thee of thy delightfull tympanie? I cannot hold; such a spring-tide of joy Must haue a passage, or 'twill force a way. Yet shall my loyall tongue keepe this command: But giue me leaue to ease it with my hand. And though these humble lines soare not soe high, As is thy birth; yet from thy flaming eye Drop downe one sparke of glory, & they'l proue A præsent worthy of Apollo's loue. My quill to thee may not præsume to sing: Lett th' hallowed plume of a seraphick wing Bee consecrated to this worke, while I Chant to my selfe with rustick melodie. Rich, liberall heauen, what hath yor treasure store Of such bright angells, that you giue vs more? Had you, like our great sunne, stampèd but one For earth, t' had beene an ample portion. Had you but drawne one liuely coppy forth, That might interpret our faire Cynthia's worth, Y' had done enough to make the lazy ground Dance, like the nimble spheres, a joyfull round. But such is the coelestiall excellence, That in the princely patterne shines, from whence The rest pourtraicted are, that 'tis noe paine To ravish heauen to limbe them o're againe. Wittnesse this mapp of beauty; euery part Of wch doth show the quintessence of art. See! nothing's vulgar, every atome heere Speakes the great wisdome of th' artificer. Poore Earth hath not enough perfection, To shaddow forth th' admirèd paragon. Those sparkling twinnes of light should I now stile Rich diamonds, sett in a pure siluer foyle; Or call her cheeke a bed of new-blowne roses; And say that ivory her front composes; Or should I say, that with a scarlet waue Those plumpe soft rubies had bin drest soe braue; Or that the dying lilly did bestow Vpon her neck the whitest of his snow; Or that the purple violets did lace That hand of milky downe; all these are base; Her glories I should dimme with things soe grosse, And foule the cleare text with a muddy glosse. Goe on then, Heauen, & limbe forth such another, Draw to this sister miracle a brother; Compile a first glorious epitome Of heauen, & Earth, & of all raritie; And sett it forth in the same happy place, And I'le not blurre it with my paraphrase.

VPON A GNATT BURNT IN A CANDLE.

Little, buzzing, wanton elfe Perish there, and thanke thy selfe. Thou deseru'st thy life to loose, For distracting such a Muse. Was it thy ambitious aime By thy death to purchase fame? Didst thou hope he would in pitty Haue bestow'd a funerall ditty On thy ghoast? and thou in that To haue outliuèd Virgill's gnatt? No! The treason thou hast wrought Might forbid thee such a thought. If that Night's worke doe miscarry, Or a syllable but vary; A greater foe thou shalt me find, The destruction of thy kind. Phoebus, to revenge thy fault, In a fiery trapp thee caught; That thy wingèd mates might know it, And not dare disturbe a poet. Deare and wretched was thy sport, Since thyselfe was crushèd for't; Scarcely had that life a breath, Yet it found a double death; Playing in the golden flames, Thou fell'st into an inky Thames; Scorch'd and drown'd. That petty sunne A pretty Icarus hath vndone.

FROM PETRONIUS.[91]

_Ales Phasiacis petita Colchis, &c._

The bird that's fetch't from Phasis floud, Or choicest hennes of Africk-brood; These please our palates; and why these? 'Cause they can but seldome please. Whil'st the goose soe goodly white, And the drake, yeeld noe delight, Though his wings' conceited hewe Paint each feather, as if new. These for vulgar stomacks be, And rellish not of rarity. But the dainty Scarus, sought In farthest clime; what e're is bought With shipwrack's toile, oh, that is sweet, 'Cause the quicksands hansell'd it. The pretious barbill, now growne rife, Is cloying meat. How stale is wife? Deare wife hath ne're a handsome letter, Sweet mistris sounds a great deale better. Rose quakes at name of cinnamon. Unlesse't be rare, what's thought vpon?

FROM HORACE.

_Ille et ne fasto te posuit die, &c._

Shame of thy mother soyle! ill-nurtur'd tree! Sett, to the mischeife of posteritie! That hand (what e're it wer) that was thy nurse, Was sacrilegious (sure) or somewhat worse. Black, as the day was dismall, in whose sight Thy rising topp first stain'd the bashfull light. That man-­-I thinke--wrested the feeble life From his old father, that man's barbarous knife Conspir'd with darknes 'gainst the strangers throate; (Whereof the blushing walles tooke bloody note) Huge high-floune poysons, eu'n of Colchos breed, And whatsoe're wild sinnes black thoughts doe feed, His hands haue padled in; his hands, that found Thy traiterous root a dwelling in my ground. Perfidious totterer! longing for the staines Of thy kind Master's well-deseruing braines. Man's daintiest care, & caution cannot spy The subtile point of his coy destiny, Wch way it threats. With feare the merchant's mind Is plough'd as deepe, as is the sea with wind, (Rowz'd in an angry tempest), Oh the sea! Oh! that's his feare; there flotes his destiny: While from another (vnseene) corner blowes The storme of fate, to wch his life he owes; By Parthians bow the soldier lookes to die, (Whose hands are fighting, while their feet doe flie.) The Parthian starts at Rome's imperiall name, Fledg'd with her eagle's wing; the very chaine Of his captivity rings in his eares. Thus, ô thus fondly doe wee pitch our feares Farre distant from our fates, our fates, that mocke Our giddy feares with an vnlook't for shocke. A little more, & I had surely seene Thy greisly Majesty, Hell's blackest Queene; And Oeacus on his tribunall too, Sifting the soules of guilt; & you, (oh you!) You euer-blushing meads, where doe the blest Farre from darke horrors home appeale to rest. There amorous Sappho plaines vpon her lute Her loue's crosse fortune, that the sad dispute Runnes murmuring on the strings. Alcæus there In high-built numbers wakes his golden lyre To tell the world, how hard the matter went, How hard by sea, by warre, by banishment. There these braue soules deale to each wondring eare Such words, soe precious, as they may not weare Without religious silence; aboue all Warre's ratling tumults, or some tyrant's fall. The thronging clotted multitude doth feast: What wonder? when the hundred-headed beast Hangs his black lugges, stroakt with those heavenly lines; _ears_ The Furies' curl'd snakes meet in gentle twines, And stretch their cold limbes in a pleasing fire. Prometheus selfe, and Pelops stervèd sire Are cheated of their paines; Orion thinkes Of lions now noe more, or spotted linx.

EX EUPHORMIONE.

_O Dea, siderei seu tu stirpe alma tonantis, &c._

Bright goddesse (whether Joue thy father be, Or Jove a father will be made by thee) Oh crowne these praiers (mov'd in a happy bower) But with one cordiall smile for Cloe. That power Of Loue's all-daring hand, that makes me burne, Makes me confess't. Oh, doe not thou with scorne, Great nymph, o'relooke my lownesse. Heau'n you know And all their fellow-deities will bow Eu'n to the naked'st vowes. Thou art my fate; To thee the Parcæ haue given vp of late My threds of life: if then I shall not live By thee, by thee yet lett me die; this giue, High Beautie's soveraigne, that my funerall flames May draw their first breath from thy starry beames. The phoenix' selfe shall not more proudly burne, That fetcheth fresh life from her fruitfull vrne.

AN ELEGY VPON THE DEATH OF MR. STANNINOW,

FELLOW OF QUEENE'S COLLEDGE.[92]

Hath aged winter, fledg'd with feathered raine, To frozen Caucasus his flight now tane? Doth hee in downy snow there closely shrowd His bedrid limmes, wrapt in a fleecy clowd? Is th' Earth disrobèd of her apron white, Kind Winter's guift, & in a greene one dight? Doth she beginne to dandle in her lappe Her painted infants, fedd with pleasant pappe, Wch their bright father in a pretious showre From heaven's sweet milky streame doth gently poure Doth blith Apollo cloath the heavens with joye, And with a golden waue wash cleane away Those durty smutches, wch their faire fronts wore, And make them laugh, wch frown'd, & wept before? If heaven hath now forgot to weepe; ô then What meane these shoures of teares amongst vs men? These cataracts of griefe, that dare eu'n vie With th' richest clowds their pearly treasurie? If Winters gone, whence this vntimely cold, That on these snowy limmes hath laid such hold? What more than winter hath that dire art found, These purple currents hedg'd with violets round. To corrallize, wch softly wont to slide In crimson waueletts, & in scarlet tide? If Flora's darlings now awake from sleepe, And out of their greene mantletts dare to peepe O tell me then, what rude outragious blast Forc't this prime flowre of youth to make such hast? To hide his blooming glories, & bequeath His balmy treasure to the bedd of death? 'Twas not the frozen zone; one sparke of fire, Shott from his flaming eye, had thaw'd its ire, And made it burne in loue: 'twas not the rage, And too vngentle nippe of frosty age: 'Twas not the chast, & purer snow, whose nest Was in the modest nunnery of his brest: Noe, none of these ravish't those virgin roses, The Muses, & the Graces fragrant posies. Wch, while they smiling sate vpon his face, They often kist, & in the sugred place Left many a starry teare, to thinke how soone The golden harvest of our joyes, the noone Of all our glorious hopes should fade, And be eclipsèd with an envious shade. Noe 'twas old doting Death, who stealing by, Dragging his crooked burthen, look't awry, And streight his amorous syth (greedy of blisse) Murdred the Earth's just pride with a rude kisse. A wingèd herald, gladd of soe sweet a prey, Snatch't vpp the falling starre, soe richly gay, And plants it in a precious perfum'd bedd, Amongst those lillies, wch his bosome bredd. Where round about hovers with siluer wing A golden Summer, an æternall Spring. Now that his root such fruit againe may beare, Let each eye water't with a courteous teare.

UPON THE DEATH OF A FREIND.

Hee's dead! Oh what harsh musick's there Vnto a choyce, and curious eare! Wee must that Discord surely call, Since sighs doe rise and teares doe fall. Teares fall too low, sighes rise too high, How then can there be harmony? But who is he? him may wee know That jarres and spoiles sweet consort soe? O Death, 'tis thou: you false time keepe, And stretch'st thy dismall voice too deepe. Long time to quavering Age you giue, But to large Youth, short time to liue. You take vpon you too too much, In striking where you should not touch. How out of tune the world now lies, Since youth must fall, when it should rise! Gone be all consort, since alone He that once bore the best part's gone. Whose whole life, musick was; wherein Each vertue for a part came in. And though that musick of his life be still, The musick of his name yett soundeth shrill.

AN ELEGIE ON THE DEATH OF DR. PORTER.[93]

Stay, silver-footed Came, striue not to wed Thy maiden streames soe soone to Neptune's bed; Fixe heere thy wat'ry eyes upon these towers, Vnto whose feet in reuerence of the powers, That there inhabite, thou on euery day With trembling lippes an humble kisse do'st pay. See all in mourning now; the walles are jett, With pearly papers carelesly besett. Whose snowy cheekes, least joy should be exprest, The weeping pen with sable teares hath drest. Their wrongèd beauties speake a tragoedy, Somewhat more horrid than an elegy. Pure, & vnmixèd cruelty they tell, Wch poseth Mischeife's selfe to parallel. Justice hath lost her hand, the law her head; Peace is an orphan now; her father's dead. Honestie's nurse, Vertue's blest guardian, That heauenly mortall, that seraphick man. Enough is said, now, if thou canst crowd on Thy lazy crawling streames, pri'thee be gone, And murmur forth thy woes to euery flower, That on thy bankes sitts in a uerdant bower, And is instructed by thy glassy waue To paint its perfum'd face wth colours braue. In vailes of dust their silken heads they'le hide, As if the oft-departing sunne had dy'd. Goe learne that fatall quire, soe sprucely dight In downy surplisses, & vestments white, To sing their saddest dirges, such as may Make their scar'd soules take wing, & fly away. Lett thy swolne breast discharge thy strugling groanes To th' churlish rocks; & teach the stubborne stones To melt in gentle drops, lett them be heard Of all proud Neptune's siluer-sheilded guard; That greife may crack that string, & now vntie Their shackled tongues to chant an elegie. Whisper thy plaints to th' Ocean's curteous eares, Then weepe thyselfe into a sea of teares. A thousand Helicons the Muses send In a bright christall tide, to thee they send, Leaving those mines of nectar, their sweet fountaines, They force a lilly path through rosy mountaines. Feare not to dy with greife; all bubling eyes Are teeming now with store of fresh supplies.

VERSE-LETTER

TO

THE COUNTESS OF DENBIGH

(1652).

NOTE.

To the volume of 1652 ('Carmen Deo Nostro' &c.) was prefixed a Verse-letter to the COUNTESS OF DENBIGH, illustrated with an engraving of a 'locked heart,' as reproduced in our quarto edition. In 1653 ('Sept. 23, 1653'), as appears from a contemporary marking in the unique copy in the British Museum, the following was printed: 'A Letter from MR. CRASHAW to the Countess of Denbigh. Against Irresolution and Delay in matters of Religion. London, n.d.'(4to). Collation: title-page and 3 pages, page 1st on reverse of title-page (British Museum E. 220. 2.). The Paris copy is very imperfect from some unexplained reason (68 as against 90 lines), and it would seem that some friend of the deceased poet, dissatisfied with it, and having in his (or her) possession a fuller MS., printed, if not published it. We give the enlarged text--never before noticed, having been only named, without taking the trouble to consult and compare it, by TURNBULL; and for the student add the abbreviated form from 1652 'Carmen,' as it, in turn, has lines and words not in the other. See our Essay for more on this most characteristic poem, and relative to the Countess of Denbigh. G.

AGAINST IRRESOLUTION AND DELAY IN MATTERS OF RELIGION.