And th' other chases woman; while she goes

More wayes and turnes then hunted Nature knowes. 40 M. COWLEY.

NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

In all the editions save that of 1652 the respective portions of COWLEY and CRASHAW are alternated as Question and Answer, after a fashion of the day exemplified by PEMBROKE and RUDYARD and others. The heading in 1646, 1648 and 1670 accordingly is On Hope, by way of Question and Answer, between A. COWLEY and R. CRASHAW.'

Various readings from 1646 edition.

Line 3, 'and' for 'or,' and 'doth' for 'does.'

7, Fates' for starres:' but as Fate occurs in line 4.

20, its' for his;' the personification warrants' his.' 25. All the other editions misread

'Thine empty cloud, the eye it selfe deceives,'

TURN

There can be no question that thinne' not 'thine' was the poet's word. Cf. CRASHAW's reference in his Answer. BULL perpetuates the error.

Line 30, not' for 'for.'

33, 'shield' in all the editions save 1652 by mistake.

34, blows' and chymicks' for chymick;' the latter

Line 37, as in line 19.

38, spelled laborinths.'

In our Essay see critical remarks showing that COWLEY and CRASHAW revised their respective portions. It seems to have escaped notice that CowLEY himself wrote another poem For Hope,' as his former was Against Hope.' See it in our Study of Crashaw's Life and Poetry. G.

VOL. I.

AA

Fair hope! Our earlyer Heau'n! by thee

Young Time is taster to Eternity:

Thy generous wine with age growes strong, not sowre,

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

Thy golden, growing head neuer hangs down 25

Till in the lappe of Loue's full noone

It falls; and dyes! O no, it melts away

As doth the dawn into the Day:

As lumpes of sugar loose themselues, and twine
Their subtile essence with the soul of wine.

30

Fortune? alas, aboue the World's low warres [starres. Hope walks; and kickes the curld heads of conspiring Her keel cutts not the waues where these winds stirr, Fortune's whole lottery is one blank to her.

Her shafts and shee, fly farre 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,

35

Thus art thou

40

But what and where we would be.
Our absent presence, and our future now.

Faith's sister! nurse of fair desire!
Fear's antidote! a wise and well-stay'd fire!
Temper 'twixt chill Despair, and torrid Ioy!
Queen regent in yonge Loue's minority!

Though the vext chymick vainly chases
His fugitiue gold through all her faces;

45

M. CRASHAW'S ANSWER FOR HOPE!

DEAR Hope Earth's dowry, and Heaun's debt!
The entity of things that are not yet.
Subtlest, but surest beeing! thou by whom
Our nothing has a definition! ·

Substantiall shade! whose sweet allay

Blends both the noones of Night and Day:

Fates cannot find out a capacity

Of hurting thee.

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

Rich hope Loue's legacy, vnder lock

Of Faith! still spending, and still growing stock!
Our crown land lyes aboue, yet each meal brings
A seemly portion for the sonnes of kings.

Nor will the virgin ioyes we wed
Come lesse vnbroken to our bed,

Because that from the bridall cheek of Blisse

Thou steal'st vs down a distant kisse.

10

15

Hope's chast stealth harmes no more Ioye's maidenhead

Then spousal rites preindge the marriage bed.

As with Cowley's lines see foot-note ante. G.

20