Classic Poem

A Virgin, Wife , and Widow three that One
Held rarely perfect in like Vnion ,
Incites my Muse: nay, more, doth her constrain
To empt my Pen of Praise , of Wit my Braine
In her deserued honor: she whose all
Was nought but good ; yet so, as we may call
That good but nought (and iustly) if the same
Giue not her goodnesse glory more than fame!
A Maide , in whom Virginitie gaue place
(Though most exact) to Modestie and Grace .
A Wife (who like old Josephs blessed Bride )
Though wedded , but unbedded till she dide,
Yet from her came, on her by Grace begot
Faith, Feare and Dutie , in a True-loue knot ,
Till his decease, to whom these three she bare:
And after, for him, nurst them still with care.
She liu'd a Widow , but t' was hard to know
Whether she liu'd or dide when she was so:
Sith when she lost her Pheare , she lost her Breath ;
For Turtle like , she mourn'd and droupt to death
But while t' was losing she such Patience wanne
(By his Death mortifide) as she beganne
(Before her end ) her Hean'n on Earth thereby.
In hope to liue with Him when Life should die
So in her Patience , she her Soule possest
Her God ; in her Soule with his , did rest;
Yet rested so, that still (vnseene) she mou'd
To both deuoutly, whom so much she lou'd!
Poets can shape of things that grace forsakes
Farre rarer things than grace or nature makes
But let all Poets all their Arte vnite
To fable praise , the morall is her right .
Nature profusely had on her bestow'd
(Borrowing of grace ) more grace then e'er she ow'd;
And grace (as enuying Natures Gifts, so rare)
Vnlockt the Heau'ns where all her Treasures are,
And showr'd them downe so on this deerest Maide
As she for worth , an Angell should haue waide.
Wit for her worth can ne'er hiperbolize.
Much lesse a Poet in it Poetize:
Sith what or Wit or Poetry can praise
(With their best Arte ) was found in her: then raise
Her vp my Muse , ere she be rais'd, at last;
And her enthrone in glory high as fast:
That when the Virgin , whom all Virgins blesse.
Shall, for her graces , see her gloriousnesse
In Heau'n and Earth , she may (as worthy her)
Enbozome her, or fixe her in a Starre .
Whose Name and Fame while mortall Virgins liue.
To them, with hers, may Light and Vertue giue!
For this , her Soule still labour'd to be gone,
T returne her Errand of Creation :
As fiery Matter working in a Cloud
Breakes through, for want of Matter it to shrowde:
So Soules , with stirring much, are said to fire
The best Complexions ; and (so) home retire.
But, Sicknesse (ah too sweet lipt) suckt her Bloud
That she had none to fire in likelihood:
And so her vitall-flame , vnnourished;
Her Soule through coldnesse, left her body dead
A short life made her Virgin, Widow Wife .
But, well she liu'd, which is the Well of life .
This old World was vnworthy such a Iemme ,
Therefore she shines in new Ierusalem!
I best can witnesse how her time she spent,
Who caught her hand to shew her hearts entent:
Then may I best renowne (for knowne desert )
The Pupill of my Hand that had my Heart
Thou badst my Hear! (deare Pupill ) sith in thee
Was all that might intirely master me
And did my Pow'r but equall halfe my Will ,
Laura should be thy Foile for, I (by shill )
Would set thee so aboue her, that thy light
(With poynant Beames) should thrust through Earth and Night ;
For, when Formositie and Vertue striue
In one sole Subiect for Prerogatiue,
That Subiects praise must raigne (all Tearmes aboue)
In height of Glory, Memory and Loue!
The Grand-sire of thy Flesh in Earth's renown'd;
And thy spirits Grand-sire King of Heau n is crown'd:
Thou liuing, then, as comming from such Sires ,
Our Songs must answere the Celestiall Quires.
That chant the praise of Vertue in their King
In whom thou art, then we on earth must sing
Thy praise in his , sith his all praise containes:
So thine in his , eternall glory gaines!
To thee then sing I, as I sing of Thee ,
Who art sole Base of this high Harmony
For, knowing Tombes haue ends as well as wasts ,
And that strong Rime their ruine farre out lasts,
My Muse shall labour on this ground of Fame ,
To raise a Pile of Rime , whereon thy Name
Shall euer shine, through Wits Celestiall Flashes ,
Vntill another Phaenix of the Ashes
Produced be; that when it eft shall burne
In those eternall flames , it eft may turne
To pristine plight; and by such alteration,
Liue Phaenix -like (still bright) in admiration !
We waile their want whose Liues our wants supplide,
Not weighing how they liu'd , but when they dide:
For the best liuers here, doe liuing dye;
But after death they liue immortally.
Children and Fooles are angry still with those
That, to distill, disleaue the fairest Rose ;
Not pond'ring how the sweetnesse in the Iuyce
Is so increast, and longer lasts for vse :
So, we that see this Rose (whose hue and breath
Celestiall were) diuided so by Death ,
Though it for heau'nly purposes be done,
Yet still our thoughts but on the spoile doe runne
But o be't farre from vs, to thinke thee spoil'd
In liuing blest, and dying so vnsoil'd;
No; we thy Memory will celebrate;
Whose weale we waile not but reioyce thereat.
If in this Paper Monument there be
One Ornament of Arte that's worthy thee
Or any Worke of Wit that may retaine
Thy Memory; my Labour for my Paine
Is too great Meed : sith by the same I show
Times future, what will better them to know.
So, shall I in thy Praise include mine owne;
And making thee so knowne still, still be knowne:
For, if this Shrine chance to be visited
By any, that regard the worthy dead,
It may be they will thinke me worthy Loue
That on this Pile did all my cunning proue.
Th' Egyptians with their Pirameds did striue
(Against the Heau'ns ) to keepe such, dead, aliue:
And Artemisia with a marchlesse Tombe
Makes her Mausolus liue vntill the doomt :
Though It be now demolished and gone;
Yet is he knowne by It , as It was knowne.
And Wit , but with meere Words , hath often rais'd
A Monument of Praise , farre longer prais'd.
Then may this Worke , which but weake words erect,
(Vpon so sure a Ground) worke like effect .
The Name of Egerton she doth renowne;
And that by which she last of all was knowne:
Nay, had she had, by Fortune , all the Names
That Wit for Natures vilest Creatures frames,
Sh' had so much Grace consorting still her Bloud
As to haue made them all as great as good!
The Dayes of old did lay their Macehabes
Vnder Worlds-wonders , huge Piramides !
Semiramis , in her bright Polymile :
And Cyrus in his Obelisk as bright.
In his Columna they Augustus shut:
And in his Mole-magno, Hadrian put
Alaricus , the Gothe that ruinde Rome
In his rich Rubico they did entombe.
Those , dead yet liu'd by these , and these againe,
Liue yet by those , though nought of them remaine
But, were I able, I my Saint would shrine
Within the mouthes of Angels most diuine;
Sith they out last all Worlds , that Time doth end,
And haue (of creatures ) best mouthes to commend!
But liue (sweet Saint ) in mine immortall Rime
(Made by thy vertue such) past Tombes and Time .
For, if eternall Vertue cannot dye,
Then thou must liue, till She doth ruin'd lye
Farewell, deare Maide (whose body (like a soule )
Had pow'r t' inflame the Loue it did controule)
Farewell while we, by thy deare losse fare ill;
That is; while griefes doe graw the Heart to fill:
For she hath held all Hearts (by her deserts )
To her entire, her Death must breake all Hearts .
Ye Ladyes (that (aliue) doe inly loue
So much o'er-weening that doth mortall proue)
Looke not ascue, nor turne the Head aside
(As if you could no Praise but yours abide)
At these iust Praises (Relickes of the Dead )
But learne by them to be so honoured.
" Enuy doth leaue the Enui d at the Graue;
That Fort from Enuy should the Vertuous saue:
Then (o) exalt these Lauds , vnlesse you will
Be rather pittied , then enuide still.
Poets (I grant) haue libertie to giue
More height to Grace , then the Superlatiue
So hath a Painter licence too to paint
A Saint like face , till it the Saint out saint
But Truth (which now mine Art to shaddow striues)
Makes licence larger by the grace she giues.
But yet.
To say thou wast the Forme (that is the soule )
Of all this All ; I should thee misenroule
In Booke of Life , which (on the Earth) they keepe
That of Arts fountaines haue carowsed deepe
Nay, so I should displease and wrong thee both:
For, uniust praise thou canst not chose but lothe,
That lothed'st it here: then there , more (past compare)
For, hee's the Soule of All by whom they are .
But I may say, (and none the same gainsayes)
Thou art the soule of this thy World of Praise !
Whose soule did animate thy small world too
To be the soule of all that here I doe.
Oft haue I seene thee, (nay I see thee yet,
Whose face and manners I shall ne'er forget)
Whenas thine cares had heard , or eyes had seene
Ought that to Vertue had offensiue beene,
Thy face and brest with that faire blush o'erflow
Which Modestie (not Bashfulnesse ) doth owe.
In these hold Times it's held a Tricke too fresh
Of vnbred Indians , so to paint the flesh
For any cause: but, this is but th' effect
Of Impudence , the Times soules chiefe affect .
No Parts (if laudable) at Court requir'd,
But they attir'd thee in thy state retir'd ,
Yet thou so modestly didst act them still.
As that the light'st seem'd graue against their will:
What shall I say? in thee was nought so small
That was not greatly prais'd and lou'd of All !
This shewes thy Mother true vnto thy Sire ,
Whose worths in loue, set all the World on fire!
Thou, his true Daughter , likewise dost the same,
While thou goest through Obliuion by the flame!
The Soule a two-fold action hath; that is,
Originall , and Instrumentall; this
By Nature doth the like produce; but that
( Meere Intellectual ) doth not generate.
Though Nature yet, could not so high aspire,
Thou, in thy spirit , wast like thine honor'd Sire
By speciall grace of Heau'n: for, in your Birth
Such Planets met, as deckt and ioyde the Earth
But o! too soone the earth quite lost that Ioy ;
And in that losse found infinite Annoy .
Such is the staylesse state of Things below.
That doe but vanish while they seeme to grow!
Beneath the Moone , all is but like the Moone .
Constant in nothing but in changing soone .
And so will be while they remaine beneath;
Resting from changing onely but in Death:
As when the Whirle windes (in their wheeling play)
Pursue their Turnes , till, in their Center , they
Returne to themselues: so, Nature goes
On in her Course (which first from forme arose)
Vntill this World of forme be dispossest,
And Nature in the Chaos , takes her rest.
That Time runs round, by this dark Riddle's bright;
A Father hath twelue sonnes halfe blacke , halfe white .
And eu'ry sonne hath thirty , which still liue;
And when their sires decease, they them reuine:
So sire and sons still die, but die in vaine:
For still the thirty them reuiue again,
And yet these thirty eu'ry Month doe die;
Yet eu'ry Month they liue immortally!
Thus, by a Yeere (which euermore doth raise
Twelue months (like sons ) and each month thirty dayes )
Time turnes o'er All , and All doth ouer turne,
Till in the later day himselfe shall burne;
And then Eternitie shall take his Roome,
In which is nothing past , nor yet to come ;
Wherein the subject of my Song still is
A glorious Angell in the height of Blisse!
Atheist , stand farre from this her sacred shrine
For, thou art foe to all that is diuine:
Thou dost belecue whercere her Corpes consumes,
There perisheth her soule which ne'er assumes
The same againe: but (o her fiesh shall rise
(As doth her faine ) aboue both death and skies )
And why shouldest thou the Resurrection doubt,
When Clouds of Proofes so compasse it about?
Some write that Swailowes drown'd are in the Deepe.
In Winter; and, in Summer rise from sleepe;
The Fly in Winter , dyes; in Summer , liues;
And being drown'd, warme Ashes her reulues
The Vrchin of the Sea , in pieces rent
Re-water'd, ioynes, and liues incontenent!
Each Graine that rots before the same doth spring
Is a true figure of this reall thing .
Each Plant , which in the Winter (seeming) dyes,
And springs in Summer , shewes men , dead, shall rise.
Say a man famisht, into Aire were past,
Yet Aire shall yeeld what it recelues at last
As well as Earth , and Seas shall yeeld their dead;
Though on them (vanisht) Wormes or Fish haue fed
At first, they gaue , what they did not receiue :
Then, what they take , shall they not rather giue?
He that, but with a Word , made Man of nought
Can he not raise him, dead, now he is ought ?
If no: his Arme wants wonted pow'r , and length
Or else wants knowledge to imploy his strength
But in th' Almighty none of these appeare,
That knew our smallest Portions ere they were .
If Nothing were the point from whence did rise
Creation , it may be the Point likewise
Of Resurrection , but it Something is
That shall be rais'd: the easier then is this .
Say Men eate Men , through some hard exigent,
And them conuerted haue to nutriment .
Yet shall their Excrement (how ere vnmeete)
At last yeeld vp their Relickes pure as sweet!
For, at that Day each man shall put on fresh
Flesh of his owne , and not anothers flesh
And though he fed of others, that shall be
Restor'd the owner, be it he or she .
And Beasts of prey, that oft on Men doe feed,
Doe die; and of them Flies or Wormes doe breed.
Those Flies and Wormes are often food for Fish
And they againe come often to our dish ;
All this may be: and so a Man may goe
Through Beasts, Fish, Fowle , and Verneiue too and fro,
And neuer rest, though he be dead, till he
From that base Progresse lasily raised be
Yet he that well knew All ere ought was made,
Knowes where what ere created is, doth vade;
And can but with a thought re-gather it;
And make it in the proper figure knit!
For, if t'were worthy Gods Creation erst,
To make Man subiect to a fall at first;
It's farre more worthy for his powrefull kand
To raise him, dead, eternally to stand .
For, Death is but a sleepe ; and as a Man
Can wake Men , sleeping: so, th' Almightie can,
Raise vp the dead so much more easily
As matchlesse Pow'r doth passe Infirmitie .
If Heau'n be iust, and there be Prouidence ,
Then we shall rise when we are falne from hence:
For, if the good , in this Life, finde but Woes,
And no loy in the next, most curst are those
Nay, most bruit Beasts more happie are than they
Who here doe most of all Watch, fast and pray .
The Rod of Moses turned to a Snake ,
Shewes God of one thing , can another make
And shall he not (so, faile vs in our trust )
Restore man to himselfe, when he is dust?
O Heauens fore fend, we should once so conceiue;
For, God can neither alter nor deceiue!
Our Bodies are his seede ; Church-yards and Graues
Are all his Seed-plots , where his Seede he saues
By sowing to corrupt , to rise againe
Most incorrupt , and so, by losse , to gaint .
In the Cadouer , some haue thought some Bone
Retaines the Seede of Resurrection ;
Which kept from rotting by th' Almighties force,
Should raise, at last, the Worme-consumed Corse!
Some say, that in the Teeth that Seede doth lie,
Sith Earth, Aire, Fire them hardly putrifie.
But we beleeue this Seed (and doe not doubt)
Is not within the Body, but without;
For, when the Trumpe shall sound, the dead shal peep
Out of their graues , as newly wakt from sleepe ,
By that great Pow'r that, there, asleepe them laid:
Then in that Pow'r that Seede is solely staid.
But, some doe say, our Bodies cannot rise
From Earth to Heau'n , for that aboue the Skies
No nasty Body can remaine; because
Such to the Center Nature euer drawes
Fond men! they know not, then our Flesh shall be
Not chang'd in Substance , but in Qualitie .
Our Bodies shall be Heau'nly ; so they shall
Agree with any place Celestiall
Our blessed Sauiours Body , once like ours,
(Saue that it could not sinne) those heau'nly Tow'rs
Doe now enwall: then, in that Heau'n of blisse ,
Why, by his Pow'r may ours not stay with his ?
That Water hangs in th' Aire who doth not know?
And by the Load-stone heauy Iron doth so
If Nature can doe this; what can perswade
Gods Pow'r is lesse then Natures , which he made?
No, no, his Pow'r , that doth all pow'r comprise,
Can flesh refine, t' inhabite (so) the Skies!
By which high Pow'r and his diuinest Grace
There rests my Saint , as in her proper place
Her Soule there rests; and in those heauenly Bawres
Her Body shall, when it shall rise with ours .
Which while (too short a while) it solourn'd here,
It did celestiall to all Eyes appeare.
Then, may a little mending make it fit
For Heau'n , that was so heau'nly out of it!
Thou wast (rare Maide ) aliue, s' Angelicall ,
That, dead, thy dust is Metaphisicall .
If some shall muse why I contemplate Thee
Among his Praises that most praisefull be;
Let it suffice them, t'was of purpose done,
To praise thee, Starre , for light had of this Sunne
Within the Volume that includes his praise
(That nought included) so his in thine to raise:
As when we laud the light the Sunne doth giue
We praise the Giuer in the Gift , and striue
(When most we praise the Taker ) to renowne
The Giuers praise, for gracing so his owne :
So, and none otherwise, I praise the Grace
Appearing in the Soule, Limbes, Eyes , and Face
Of Natures Maister-piece , this goodly Maide ;
Of whom all good can neuer ill be said.
If so much heau'nly Grace , and Gifts of Nature
(As Vertue, Beautie, rarest Forme and Stature )
Should not be grac'd by them they good , then I
May say, the better'd are the worse thereby:
For, still th' ungratefull for a Benefit ,
(Though bound) are free from Honestie and Wit .
And though the vertuous , for their Vertues sake.
Looke not for praise , but striue it to forsake,
(To keepe them humble) yet each vertuous Wit
Should honour Vertue for selfe benefit
And sith Posteritie doth light receiue
To runne to Honor by the Lines we leaue
From Vertue drawne; we should be drawing still
The Lines that (drawing) lead vp Honors Hill.
The Highest Pow'r and Grace , by oath , hath vow'd
To honour them (among the multitude
Of Men and Angels ) that are good; then she
That was so good , of both must honour'd be!
Celestiall Maide , if from the heau'nly Spheare ,
What Mortals doe, thou canst or see , or heare ,
Be not displeas'd that my vntutor'd Penne
Should teach thy praise , to teach all Maides and Men
The way to Honor ; nor, that in its Mouth
(That oft doth fable ) it should take this Truth
I was thy Teacher , though (vnworthy) I
Might ( old ) learne of thee ( young ) to liue and die
Yet sith it is th' Oblation of my Zeale ,
Which I doe offer for the Common weale
In thy deare Memory ; thou wilt (I hope)
Acquite me from Presumption , sith my scope
Was but thy glory , and the Peoples good ,
Which in great light , goe right in likelihood.
I must confesse a Priest of Phebus , late,
Vpon like Text so well did meditate.
That with a sinlesse Enuy I doe runne
In his Soules Progresse, till it all be DONNE
But, he hath got the start in setting forth
Before me, in the Trauell of that WORTH
And me out gone in Knowledge en'ry way
Of the Soules Progresse to her finall stay .
But his sweet Saint did usher mine therein;
(Most blest in that) so, he must needs beginne;
And read vpon the rude Anatomy
Of this dead World; that, now, doth putrifie
Yet greater Will , to this great Enterprise
(Which in great Matters solely doth suffice)
He cannot bring than I: nor, can (much lesse)
Renowne more Worth than is in WORTHINES!
Such were they both: for, such a worthy PAIRE
(Of louely vertuous Maides , as good as faire )
Selfe. Worthinesse can scarse produce sith they
Liu'd like Celestiall Spirits , immur'd in Clay!
And if all powerfull Loue can All performe,
That in it hath rare Matter , or like Forme ,
Then should my Lines haue both so'accomplished.
As from the Graue to Heauen should draw the Dead:
Or, with her Taper-pointed-beaming Name .
Naile her to Heau'n , and in Heau'n clench the sums!
Hold Muse , no more: (thou hast too large a scope .
To proue thy Pinnions: for the Heau'nly Coape
Infolds no more) and take thy leaue anon
Of Her thou ne'er shalt leaue to muse vpon.
Thou maist be tir'd; but ne'er canst fly about
The Inside of her praise , much lesse the out .
The slouping here, with reuerence, griefe and loue ,
Bid her adue; and, with that bidding , moue
Thy selfe to teares; but, if thou canst not so.
Shew thy selfe willing by the dryest woe:
For, neuer had I greater cause of griefe;
Sith while she liu'd, I ioy'd, in painefull life
But now, am left all solitary-sad
To waile her death , whose life made Sorrow glad!
Oh! had it pleas'd the Heau'ns , by their Decree .
T' haue made my Pupill learn'd t' haue dide of mee,
(And mine example) I had beene at rest,
And she liue blessed long, to dye as blest
I, like a wither'd Pine , no fruit produce;
Of whom there is no Care , no hope , no use .
I burden but the Earth, and keepe a place
Of one (perhaps) that should haue greater grace:
Opprest with Cares that quite crush out the Sappe .
That feeds my Life , now throwne off Natures Lappe.
I solely sit, and tell the saddest houres ,
That euer yet appeached vitall powres .
Obscur'd by Fate , yet made a Marke by fame .
Whereat fooles , often, shoote their Bolts , in game .
Yet, liue as buried (that I learn'd of thee
Deare Pupill ) while the World goes ouer mee.
Praying for patience still to vnder'ly
The heauie waight of this Worlds infurie.
Oft haue I beene embozomed by Lords;
But all the warmth I found there , was but Words
And though I scarse did moue , yet scarse they would
There let me lie , though there I lay acold;
But, as I had some biting Vermine bin,
Out must I, mou'd I but for warmth therein.
Or els so lie, as I were better out:
Sith there I lay as dead, yet liu'd in doubt:
In doubt I should haue nothing but a place
In th' outward Roome but of their Idle Grace .
In doubt black mouths should blot me in their Bookes
That make few Schollers , and in doubt my Hookes
Would hold no longer to hang on (o Griefe!)
This hanging's worse then hanging of a Theefe!
An Halter soone abridgeth bale and breath;
But hanging on mens sleeuas , is double death
To hang in hope of that which doubt doth stay
Is worse then hanging till the later-DAY .
Doubt stayes that meede that merit hopes for, oft
Lest Meede should but make Merit looke aloft;
Or, quite leaue working , sith it hath no neede;
Therefore the great doe still with-hold this Meede:
For, to themselues they say; If we should fill
The well-deseruing-empty (working still)
They would but rest: than, well wee'l them intreat
Yet keepe them hungry, still is worke for meat.
Fate , but to State this priuiledge affords;
And but the meane , without meanes , worke for words .
Yet worke they must, sith Aire the great doe giue:
For, if they haue their hate they cannot liue
Their Loue doth little boote: but o their breath
Blowes downe, in hate , a poore Relict to death
These miseries I ranne through, and did tyre
These deare Conclusions but in miserie ,
Hoping for that which but my hopes deceiu'd;
And me of hope and life , almost, bereau'd.
Till I (to stand ) from these was faine to fall
To serue two Lords that serue me, now, withall:
The one immortall , th' other mortall is;
Who serue my turne for what my life doth misse:
Which for it's still amisse, still misseth that
Which makes men gracious , and (so) fortunate .
But he , who knowes all, knowes (perhaps) it's best
For me to liue with little , in vnrest:
For, neuer since I first could moue, had I
A better life than those that (liuing) dye
I neuer yet possest one day of ioy
That was not lin'd or hem'd with some annoy
The Kingly Preacher in his weale found woe .
But I in thwarts , for those alone I know.
These made me old in youth: for Sol had runne
Scarse thirty yeeres before my dayes were done;
And to his course ere fiue more added were
Blacke Daies (like Nights ) in gray bad dide my Haire .
Yet neuer Crosse on me so sad did sit
As this deare losse , whereof this benefit
To me acrewes, that (now) each pressing rooe
Stands farre without this , and this keepes them so.
I say I greatly grieue; yet seeme to faine:
For, great griefes neues greatly could complaine .
That is, when Sorrowes floud the Banches doth fill
It noiselesse runnes, and smoothly glideth still:
But if the Current once the Brimmes get o'er,
Twill roughly runne , or, stopt, will rage and rore
But, o, that tyrant Time will silence me
Before my griefes are vtter'd as they be:
Farewell then, my griefes Cause , who wast th' effect
Of all the ioy my life did well elect:
Farewell, in Him on whom who fares is well;
And, while I liue, Ile be the leading-Bell
That shall thy lowdest Peales of prayses ring.
Which in the Clouds shall ne'er leaue ecchoing!
Or, be the Trumpet of thy Fame to fill
Th' Ætheriall Lofts with Straines more lofty still!
That when Times wings his Funerall flame consumes
Thy Fame shall soare with faire vnsinged Plumes!