With shapes that our own fancy gives.

A cloud, which gilt and painted now appears,
But must drop presently in tears:

When thy false beams o'er reason's light prevail,
By ignes fatui for North stars we sail.

Brother of Fear? more gaily clad,

The merrier fool o' th' two, yet quite as mad;
Sire of Repentance! child of fond desire,
That blow'st the chymic's, and the lover's fire.
Still leading them insensibly on,

With the strange witchcraft of ‘anon'

By thee the one does changing Nature, through
Her endless labyrinths pursue;

And th' other chases woman; while she goes

More ways and turns than hunted Nature knows.
M. COWLEY.

-:0:

M. Crasbaw's Answer for hope.

Dear Hope! Earth's dow'ry, and Heaven's debt!

The entity of things that are not yet.

Subtlest, but surest being! thou by whom

Our nothing has a definition !

Substantial shade! whose sweet allay

Blends both the noons of Night and Day :
Fates cannot find out a capacity

Of hurting thee.

From thee their lean dilemma, with blunt horn,
Shrinks as the sick moon from the wholesome morn.

Rich hope! Love's legacy, under lock

Of Faith!—still spending, and still growing stock !
Our crown-land lies above, yet each meal brings
A seemly portion for the sons of kings.

Nor will the virgin-joys we wed

Come less unbroken to our bed,

Because that from the bridal cheek of Bliss,

Thou steal'st us down a distant kiss.

Hope's chaste stealth harms no more Joy's maidenhead Than spousal rites prejudge the marriage-bed.

Fair hope! our earlier Heav'n! by thee

Young time is taster to Eternity:

Thy generous wine with age grows strong, not sour,

Nor does it kill thy fruit, to smell thy flower.

Thy golden growing head never hangs down,

Till in the lap of Love's full noon

It falls; and dies! O no, it melts away
As doth the dawn into the Day:

As lumps of sugar loose themselves, and twine
Their subtle essence with the soul of wine.

Fortune? alas, above the World's low wars

Hope walks and kicks the curl'd heads of conspiring stars. Her keel cuts not the waves where our winds stir, Fortune's whole lottery is one blank to her.

Her shafts and she fly far above,

And forage in the fields of light and love. Sweet Hope! kind cheat! fair fallacy! by thee

We are not where nor what we be,

But what and where we would be.

Thus art thou

Our absent presence, and our future now.

Faith's sister! nurse of fair desire! Fear's antidote! a wise and well-staid fire! Temper 'twixt chill Despair, and torrid Joy! Queen regent in young Love's minority! Though the vext chymic vainly chases His fugitive gold through all her faces; Though Love's more fierce, more fruitless fires assay:

One face more fugitive than all they ;

True Hope's a glorious huntress, and her chase,

The God of Nature in the fields of grace.

Glossary.

Alas (Answer for Hope), an exclamation merely.
Conduct (To the Name of Jesus), train.
God of flies (Prayer), Satan.

Deliquium (Glor. Epiph.), faint, swoon.
Embrave (New Year's Day), decorate.

Field's eyes (S. Mary Magd.), flowers.

Gold (S. Mary Magd.), Magdalene's golden hair.
Indifferent (Glor. Epiph.), impartial.

"Ite" (Dies Irae), “ go ye."

Legible (Glor. Epiph.], for legibly.

Nuzzled (S. Mary Magd.), nestled.

Officious (Hol. Nativity), willing to do good offices.

Paramours (New Year's Day), lovers.

Ports (S. Thomas), gates or doors.

Solicitors (To the Name of Jesus), exciters or animators. Transumed (Lauda Sion Salvatorem), to take from one to another; to convert.

Tree (Sancta Maria Dol.), the Cross.