Classic Poem

All in a gloomy shude of Sicaveour ,
that did his leaues extend (like Shields ) to beare,
The Beames of Phebus , darted in his pow'r ,
as those that vnderneath them shrowded were)

I me reposed, while my Thoughts did range
here, there , & eu'ry wher wher thoghts might roame:
So, by their change at last, my latest change
became their Subiect with my latest Home .

And when, with Trauell , they themselues had tyr'd
I likewise tir'd with life (that stirr'd them) too,
Thus flasht I out, (with sacred fury fir'd)
and my thoughts Bottome thus did I vndoe.

Why long I longer here to liue in death?
for life , if mortall dyeth all the while:
Be'ing but a puffe , but of the weakest Breath ,
yet, blowes me ( Weakenesse ) into strong Exile .

As soone as borne , was I condemn'd to dye ,
since when, Time hath but executed me;
Yet life prolongs in dying misery:
so yet I am as those that dying be.

To him that gaue me life a death I owe;
which, sith I can , I must , and shall repay
His Powr's as great to take as to bestow;
then will I pay him, though I quite decay.

I dead in Sinne , his onely Sonne he slew
to please his Iustice , and to make me liue:
Sith me he bought, Ile giue him then his due ,
which had I haue much more then that I giue .

Death soone will rid me from this lifes annoyes,
( Annoyes that nought can rid, saue death from life )
And put me in possession of those Ioyes ,
that are as farre from end as free from strife!

And wer't not madnesse to repine, that I
had not had life when Eue did Adam wiue?
Then, tis but all alike to liue , and dye;
as tis, Not to haue liu'd and not to liue

Then, life IS not, that not immortall is;
for mortall life is but Deaths other name:
Nor is that Blisse , that is not fearelesse Blisse
nor glory , that is subiect still to shame .

The Dayes of Heau'n are datelesse; sith the Sunne
that makes them such, doth neither set nor rise
But stands (as it shall, doth , and still hath done )
fixt in the Noone stead of ETERNITIES .

Here one's the ruine of another Day ,
while (like a ne'er-suffized Graue) the Night
Doth bury both in silence , yet, doth prey
vpon them both, till both play least in sight.

" Death is the dore of life: so, would I liue?
then, through this dore to life , I needes must goe
For, through this dare Death, LIFE it selfe did driue
then, sith LIFE dide for life , I must doe so.

Two onely had the priuiledge to wend
another way to life , that mortals were:
But 'twas in firy Charets , to this end,
that Fire should flesh refine, yer it came there!

There, where all ioyes vnited, are of force
(for, force vnited, stronger makes the same)
The spirit and flesh (both muisht) to diuorce,
and melt their pow'rs in laues eternall flame .

What Lets shall let me then from Paradise?
Mountaines of Gold , and Rockes of rarest stone .
Crossing my Way , I (trampling) will dispise.
if thither Hope but goe with me alone.

This WORLD's a Vale that ceaseles teares do spoile
and make it so a Bog , or lothsome Lake :
Then who but Swine (that pleasure take in Swine )
will here (if they can choose) abiding make?

Heau'n is my Home ; the HIGH'ST my Father is:
his SONNE , my Brother; Angels , are my Friends
Then while from Them I am, I am amisse;
and lightly, misse the Meanes to so good Ends .

My Body's but the Prism of my Soule;
which straits her more, the more that Prison's free
Time's but the Rocke that vp my Life doth rowle;
and Earth the Place where Heau'n spinnes it & me .

Here must I fight till Death for endlesse Life ;
" The Chariot of my Triumph then, is Death .
Then (as I would be free from endlesse strife )
to mount this Chariot I must spend my Breath .

The ground whereon I tread's the ground of Griefe
so that each step doth grieue me: for it is
A Sanguine-field , that beareth Hurts , in chiefe ,
crost with sinister-bends; and All amisse.

Then here to bee amisse is to be borne
in Dolors Field, to eu'ry foule Disgrace ,
O Death then help my Soules house to adorne;
and let thine Armes be mine; for, lifes are base.

Am I not durt and dust? then, maruell is't
if I, but with a thought , be that or this?
A shadow by some substance doth subsist:
but, all my substance , but a shadow is.

The Sunne doth rise and set; the Moone doth hold
a constant course in most vnconstant state:
The Earth now quick with heate , then dead with cold ,
doth shew their plight that It preambulate.

Then o yee Saints (whose Bellies being rife
with Waters both of life and grace ) be yee
Pure Aquaduets , by life , to bring me life
from the Well head , that fill may you and mee .

The Graue (though wide it gape) dismayes me not,
sith tis the Gate of glory, rest , and peace:
And though therein my mortall Part must rot,
yet thence it springs with much more faire encrease.

If the last breath we call our Bodyes death,
then may we call the other Breathings deaths;
Sith Life and death doe come and goe with Breath ,
we haue as many deaths , as we haue breaths .

Yet, twixt this life , and that we death doe call,
this ods there is; while life doth last, we dye:
But when Death comes, we die no more; but shall
by dying well, liue well immortally,

O then, looke how the Labourer for Night
the Pilot , for the Port; and for the Inne
The Poast doth long: so doth my tired spright
(by death ) still long for Life and rest therein.

Death is my Hope than feare not I his knife;
Feare is his Sting; but, Hope hath puld it out;
The mortall'st Wounds , immortall make my life
then, better dye in Hope , then liue in Doubt .

If Death be painfull; then, is paine sustain'd
before , or, at the Article of Death:
But not before : for then, but thought is pain'd;
and at the instant it's but rest of breath .

So that in Death , is rest without disease
then Death be kinde, and rest my life in thee:
While others, (that doe cast such summes as these)
these Cyphers summe, decyph'ring thee and mee .

And, Cyphers cast lifes Cyphers to and fro,
that I their number (scene) may multiply:
Take nought from Nought , & nought remaines; & so,
the summe of All is lesse then vanitie

Cyphers (not Numbers ) call I them, because
they runne (sans number ) roundly to the Graue :
At which my Muse , being now arriu'd, shall pause;
referring these to those that Science haue
to cast vp lifes accompt; and to fore-cast
the stricktnesse of Lifes great accompt at last.