lucasta-第29节
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When now he turns his last to wreak The palizadoes of his beak; The raging foe impatient; Wrack'd with revenge; and fury rent; Swift as the thunderbolt he strikes Too sure upon the stand of pikes; There she his naked breast doth hit; And on the case of rapiers's split。
But ev'n in her expiring pangs The heron's pounc'd within her phangs; And so above she stoops to rise; A trophee and a sacrifice; Whilst her own bells in the sad fall Ring out the double funerall。
Ah; victory; unhap'ly wonne! Weeping and red is set the Sun; Whilst the whole field floats in one tear; And all the air doth mourning wear。 Close…hooded all thy kindred come To pay their vows upon thy tombe; The hobby and the musket too Do march to take their last adieu。
The lanner and the lanneret Thy colours bear as banneret; The GOSHAWK and her TERCEL rows'd With tears attend thee as new bows'd; All these are in their dark array; Led by the various herald…jay。
But thy eternal name shall live Whilst quills from ashes fame reprieve; Whilst open stands renown's wide dore; And wings are left on which to soar; Doctor robbin; the prelate pye; And the poetick swan; shall dye; Only to sing thy elegie。
i。e。 VERVELS。 See Halliwell's DICTIONARY OF ARCHAIC AND PROVINCIAL WORDS; art。 VERVEL。
A kind of falcon。 It is the FALCO SUBBUTEO of Linnaeus。 Lyly; in his EUPHUES (1579; fol。 28); makes Lucilla say 〃No birde can looke agains the Sunne; but those that bee bredde of the eagle; neyther any hawke soare so hie as the broode of the hobbie。〃
〃Then rouse thee; muse; each little hobby plies At scarabes and painted butterflies。〃 Wither's ABUSES STRIPT AND WHIPT; 1613。
The young male sparrow…hawk。
The FALCO LANIARIUS of Linnaeus。
The female of the LANNER。 Latham (Faulconrie; lib。 ii。 chap。 v。 ed。 1658); explains the difference between the LANNER and the GOSHAWK。
Here used for the female of the goshawk。 TIERCEL and TASSEL are other forms of the same word。 See Strutt's SPORTS AND PASTIMES; ed。 Hone; 1845; p。 37。
LOVE MADE IN THE FIRST AGE。
TO CHLORIS。
I。 In the nativity of time; Chloris! it was not thought a crime In direct Hebrew for to woe。 Now wee make love; as all on fire; Ring retrograde our lowd desire; And court in English backward too。
II。 Thrice happy was that golden age; When complement was constru'd rage; And fine words in the center hid; When cursed NO stain'd no maid's blisse; And all discourse was summ'd in YES; And nought forbad; but to forbid。
III。 Love then unstinted love did sip; And cherries pluck'd fresh from the lip; On cheeks and roses free he fed; Lasses; like Autumne plums; did drop; And lads indifferently did drop A flower and a maiden…head。
IV。 Then unconfined each did tipple Wine from the bunch; milk from the nipple; Paps tractable as udders were。 Then equally the wholsome jellies Were squeez'd from olive…trees and bellies: Nor suits of trespasse did they fear。
V。 A fragrant bank of strawberries; Diaper'd with violets' eyes; Was table; table…cloth and fare; No palace to the clouds did swell; Each humble princesse then did dwell In the Piazza of her hair。
VI。 Both broken faith and th' cause of it; All…damning gold; was damn'd to th' pit; Their troth seal'd with a clasp and kisse; Lasted until that extreem day; In which they smil'd their souls away; And in each other breath'd new blisse。
VII。 Because no fault; there was no tear; No grone did grate the granting ear; No false foul breath; their del'cat smell。 No serpent kiss poyson'd the tast; Each touch was naturally chast; And their mere Sense a Miracle。
VIII。 Naked as their own innocence; And unembroyder'd from offence; They went; above poor riches; gay; On softer than the cignet's down; In beds they tumbled off their own: For each within the other lay。
IX。 Thus did they live: thus did they love; Repeating only joyes above; And angels were but with cloaths on; Which they would put off cheerfully; To bathe them in the Galaxie; Then gird them with the heavenly zone。
X。 Now; Chloris! miserably crave The offer'd blisse you would not have; Which evermore I must deny: Whilst ravish'd with these noble dreams; And crowned with mine own soft beams; Injoying of my self I lye。
This and the succeeding stanza are omitted by Mr。 Singer in his reprint。
TO A LADY WITH CHILD THAT ASK'D AN OLD SHIRT。
And why an honour'd ragged shirt; that shows; Like tatter'd ensigns; all its bodie's blows? Should it be swathed in a vest so dire; It were enough to set the child on fire; Dishevell'd queen's' should strip them of their hair; And in it mantle the new rising heir: Nor do I know ought worth to wrap it in; Except my parchment upper…coat of skin; And then expect no end of its chast tears; That first was rowl'd in down; now furs of bears。
But since to ladies 't hath a custome been Linnen to send; that travail and lye in; To the nine sempstresses; my former friends; I su'd; but they had nought but shreds and ends。 At last; the jolli'st of the three times three Rent th' apron from her smock; and gave it me; 'Twas soft and gentle; subt'ly spun; no doubt; Pardon my boldnese; madam; HERE'S THE CLOUT。
A portion of this little poem is quoted in Brand's POPULAR ANTIQUITIES (edit。 1849; ii。 70); as an illustration of the custom to which it refers。 No second example of such an usage seems to have been known to Brand and his editors。
P。 183。 TO A LADY WITH CHILDE THAT ASK'T AN OLD SHIRT。 The custom to which the Poet here refers; was no doubt common in his time; although the indefatigable Brand does not appear to have met with any illustration of it; except in LUCASTA。 But since the note at p。 183 was written; the following passage in the old morality of THE MARRIAGE OF WIT AND WISDOM (circa 1570) has come under my notice:
〃INDULGENCE 'to her son WIT'。 Well; yet before the goest; hold heare MY BLESSING IN A CLOUTE; WELL FARE THE MOTHER AT A NEEDE; Stand to thy tackling stout。〃
The allusion is to the contemplated marriage of WIT to his betrothed; WISDOM。
SONG。
I。 In mine one monument I lye; And in my self am buried; Sure; the quick lightning of her eye Melted my soul ith' scabberd dead; And now like some pale ghost I walk; And with another's spirit talk。
II。 Nor can her beams a heat convey; That may my frozen bosome warm; Unless her smiles have pow'r; as they; That a cross charm can countercharm。 But this is such a pleasing pain; I'm loth to be alive again。
ANOTHER。
I did believe I was in heav'n; When first the heav'n her self was giv'n; That in my heart her beams did passe As some the sun keep in a glasse; So that her beauties thorow me Did hurt my rival…enemy。 But fate; alas! decreed it so; That I was engine to my woe: For; as a corner'd christal spot; My heart diaphanous was not; But solid stuffe; where her eye flings Quick fire upon the catching strings: Yet; as at triumphs in the night; You see the Prince's Arms in light; So; when I once was set on flame; I burnt all ore the letters of her name。
ODE。
I。 You are deceiv'd; I sooner may; dull fair; Seat a dark Moor in Cassiopea's chair; Or on the glow…worm's uselesse light Bestow the watching flames of night; Or give the rose's breath To executed death; Ere the bright hiew Of verse to you; It is just Heaven on beauty stamps a fame; And we; alas! its triumphs but proclaim。
II。 What chains but are too light for me; should I Say that Lucasta in strange arms could lie? Or that Castara were impure; Or Saccarisa's faith unsure? That Chloris' love; as hair; Embrac'd each en'mies air; That all their good Ran in their blood? 'Tis the same wrong th' unworthy to inthrone; As from her proper sphere t' have vertue thrown。
III。 That strange force on the ignoble hath renown; As AURUM FULMINANS; it blows vice down。 'Twere better (heavy one) to crawl Forgot; then raised; trod on 'to' fall。 All your defections now Are not writ on your brow; Odes to faults give A shame must live。 When a fat mist we view; we coughing run; But; that once meteor drawn; all cry: undone。
IV。 How bright the fair Paulina did appear; When hid in jewels she did seem a star! But who could soberly behold A wicked owl in cloath of gold; Or the ridiculous Ape In sacred Vesta's shape? So doth agree Just praise with thee: For since thy birth gave thee no beauty; know; No poets pencil must or can do so。
The constellation so called。 In old drawings Cassiopeia is represented as a woman sitting in a chair wit