Late the roman youth's lov'd prayse & pride,
Whom long none could obtain, though thousands try'd,
Lo here am left (alas), For my lost mate
T'embrace my teares, & kisse an unkind FATE. Sure in my early woes starres were at strife, And try'd to make a WIDOW ere a WIFE.
Nor can I tell (and this new teares doth breed)
In what strange path my lord's fair footsteppes bleed. O knew I where he wander'd, I should see
Some solace in my sorrow's certainty
I'd send my woes in words should weep for me.
(Who knowes how powrfull well-writt praires would be?) Sending's too slow a word, my selfe would fly. Who knowes my own heart's woes so well as I? But how shall I steal hence? ALEXIS thou Ah thou thy self, alas, hast taught me how. Love too, that leads the, would lend the wings To bear me harmlesse through the hardest things. And where love lends the wing, & leads the way, What dangers can there be dare say me nay? If I be shipwrack't Love shall teach to swimme. If drown'd; sweet is the death indur'd for HIM, The noted sea shall change his name with me; I, 'mongst the blest STARRES a new name shall be,
And sure where lovers make their watry graves The weeping mariner will augment the waves. For who so hard, but passing by that way Will take acquaintance of my woes, & say Here't was the roman MAID found a hard fate While through the world she sought her wandring mate. Here perish't she, poor heart, heavns, be my vowes As true to me, as she was to her spouse.
O live, so rare a love! live! & in thee The too frail life of femal constancy.
Farewell; & shine, fair soul, shine there above Firm in thy crown, as here fast in thy love. There thy lost fugitive thou hast found at last. Be happy; and for ever hold him fast.
Hough All the joyes I had fleed hence with Thee, Unkind! yet are my TEARES still true to me. I'am wedded ore again since thou art gone;
Nor couldst thou, cruell, leave me quite alone. ALEXIS' widdow now is sorrow's wife.
With him shall I weep out my weary life. Wellcome, my sad sweet Mate! Now have I gott At last a constant love that leaves me not. Firm he, as thou art false, Nor need my cryes Thus vex the earth & teare the skyes. For him, alas, n'ere shall I need to be Troublesom to the world, thus, as for thee. For thee I talk to trees; with silent groves Expostulate my woes & much-wrong'd loves. Hills & relentlesse rockes, or if there be Things that in hardnesse more allude to thee; To these I talk in teares, & tell my pain; And answer too for them in teares again. How oft have I wept out the weary sun! My watry hour-glasse hath old time outrunne. OI am learned grown, Poor love & I Have study'd over all astrology.
I'am perfect in heavn's state, with every starr My skillfull greife is grown familiar.
Rise, fairest of those fires; whate're thou be Whose rosy beam shall point my sun to me. Such as the sacred light that erst did bring The EASTERN princes to their infant king. O rise, pure lamp! & lend thy golden ray That weary love at last may find his way.
Ich, churlish LAND! that hid'st so long in thee, My treasures, rich, alas, by robbing mee. Needs must my miseryes owe that man a spite Who e're he be was the first wandring knight. O had he nere been at that cruell [c]ost NATURE'S virginity had nere been lost. Seas had not bin rebuk't by sawcy oares But ly'n lock't up safe in their sacred shores. Men had not spurn'd at mountaines; nor made warrs With rocks; nor bold hands struck the world's strong barres. Nor lost in too larg bounds, our little Rome
Full sweetly with it selfe had dwell't at home. My poor ALEXIS, then in peacefull life,
Had under some low roofe lov'd his plain wife But now, ah me, from where he has no foes He flyes; & into willfull exile goes. Cruell return. Or tell the reason why Thy dearest parents have deserv'd to dy. And I, what is my crime I cannot tell, Unlesse it be a crime to have lov'd too well. If Heates of holyer love & high desire Make bigge thy fair brest with immortall fire, What needes my virgin lord fly thus from me, Who only wish his virgin wife to be?
Wittnesse, chast heavns! no happyer vowes I know Then to a virgin GRAVE untouch❜t to goe. Love's truest Knott by venus is not ty'd;
Nor doe embraces onely make a bride.
The QUEEN of angels, (and men chast as You) Was MAIDEN WIFE & MAIDEN MOTHER too. CECILIA, Glory of her name & blood
With happy gain her maiden vowes made good. The lusty bridegroom made approach: young man Take heed (said she) take heed, VALERIAN!
My bosome's guard, a SPIRIT great & strong, Stands arm'd, to sheild me from all wanton wrong. My Chastity is sacred; & my sleep
Wakefull, her dear vowes undefil'd to keep.
PALLAS beares armes, forsooth, and should there be No fortresse built for true VIRGINITY?
No gaping gorgon, this. None, like the rest Of your learn'd lyes. Here you'l find no such jest. I'am yours, O were my GOD, my CHRIST so too, I'd know no name of love on earth but you. He yeilds, and straight Baptis'd, obtains the grace To gaze on the fair souldier's glorious face. Both mixt at last their blood in one rich bed Of rosy MARTYRDOME, twice Married.
O burn our hymen bright in such high Flame. Thy torch, terrestriall love, have here no name. How sweet the mutuall yoke of man & wife, When holy fires maintain love's Heavnly life! But I, (so help me heavn my hopes to see) When thousand sought my love, lov'd none but Thee. Still, as their vain teares my firm vowes did try, ALEXIS, he alone is mine (said I)
Half true, alas, half false, proves that poor line. ALEXIS is alone; But is not mine.
« PreviousContinue » |