The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw

Lesser and lesser yet; till thou begin

To show a face, fitt to confesse thy kin,

Thy neighbourhood to Nothing!

Proud lookes, and lofty eyliddes, here putt on

Your selues in your vnfaign'd reflexion ;

Here, gallant ladyes! this vnpartiall glasse

(Through all your painting) showes you your true face. These death-seal'd lippes are they dare giue the ly

To the lowd boasts of poor Mortality;

These curtain'd windows, this retired eye

Outstares the liddes of larg-look't Tyranny.

This posture is the braue one, this that lyes
Thus low, stands vp (me thinkes) thus and defies
The World. All-daring dust and ashes! only you 30
Of all interpreters read Nature true.

NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

These various readings are worthy of record :

Line 7 in our text (1652) is misprinted as two lines, the first ending with blood,' a repeated blunder of the Paris printer.

It reads also 'the' for ye' of 1646. I adopt the latter. I have also cancelled 'and' before blood' as a misprint.

Line 8 in 1652 is misprinted' svlken' for 'sylken.'

12, ib. thy self,' and so in 1648 and 1670: bulke' from

1646 is preferable, and so adopted.

Line 15, 1646 has small' for 'lean,' which is inferior. 16, our text (1652) misspells 'norrow.'

,, 19, in 1646 the readings here are,

"Thy neighbourhood to nothing! here put on
Thy selfe in this unfeign'd reflection."

1648 and our text as given. 'Nothing' is intended to rhyme withkin' and 'begin,' and so to form a triplet.

Line 23, our text (1652), 1648 and 1670 read Though ye

VOL. I.

三

ON A FOULE MORNING, BEING THEN TO

TAKE A JOURNEY.1

WHERE art thou Sol, while thus the blind-fold Day 1 Staggers out of the East, loses her way

Stumbling on Night? Rouze thee illustrious youth, And let no dull mists choake thy Light's faire growth. Point here thy beames: O glance on yonder flocks, 5 And make their fleeces golden as thy locks.

Vnfold thy faire front, and there shall appeare

Full glory, flaming in her owne free spheare.
Gladnesse shall cloath the Earth, we will instile
The face of things, an universall smile.

Say to the sullen Morne, thou com'st to court her;
And wilt command proud Zephirus to sport her
With wanton gales: his balmy breath shall licke
The tender drops which tremble on her cheeke;
Which rarified, and in a gentle raine
On those delicious bankes distill'd againe,
Shall rise in a sweet Harvest, which discloses
Two ever-blushing bed[s] of new borne roses,

1 Appeared originally in "Steps' of 1646 (pp. 45 6): was reprinted in · Delights' of 1648 (pp. 28-9) and 1676 (pp. 101 2). Our text je that of 164×, as before; but we Notes and I¦ustrations at close of the poem. G.

Hee'l fan her bright locks, teaching them to flow,
And friske in curl'd maanders: hee will throw
A fragrant breath suckt from the spicy nest
O' th' pretious phoenix, warme upon her breast.
Hee with a dainty and soft hand will trim
And brush her azure mantle, which shall swim
In silken volumes; wheresoe're shee'l tread,
Bright clonds like golden fleeces shall be spread.

Rise then (faire blew-ey'd maid) rise and discover

Thy silver brow, and meet thy golden lover.
See how hee runs, with what a hasty flight,
Into thy bosome, bath'd with liquid light.
Fly, fly prophane fogs, farre hence fly away,
Faint not the pure streames of the springing Day,
With your dull influence; it is for you

To sit and seoule upon Night's heavy brow,

Not on the fresh cheekes of the virgin Morne,

Where nought but smiles, and ruddy joyes are worne.

Fly then, and doe not thinke with her to stay;
Let it suffice, shee'l weare no maske to day.

NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

In the SANCROFT Ms. this is headed An Invitation to faire weather. In itinere adurgeretur matutinum cœlum tali carmine invitabatur serenitas, R. CR. In line 12 the Ms. reads smooth for proud' (TURNBULL here, after 1670, as usual misreads 'demand for command'): line 18 corrects the misreading of all the editions, which is To every blushing . . . .:' line 23 reads soft and dainty: line 36, 'is' for are: other orthographic differences only.