Chapter V: Part 5

Time! where didst thou those years inter
Which I have seene decease?
My soules at war and truth bids her
Finde out their hidden Sepulcher,
To give her troubles peace.

Pregnant with flowers doth not the Spring
Like a late bride appeare?
Whose fether'd Musicke onely bring
Caresses, and no Requiem sing
On the departed yeare?

The Earth, like some rich wanton heire,
Whose Parents coffin'd lye,
Forgets it once lookt pale and bare
And doth for vanities prepare,
As the Spring nere should dye.

The present houre, flattered by all
Reflects not on the last;
But I, like a sad factor shall
T' account my life each moment call,
And onely weepe the past.

My mem'ry trackes each severall way
Since Reason did begin
Over my actions her first sway:
And teacheth me that each new day
Did onely vary sin.

Poor banckrout Conscience! where are those
Rich houres but farm'd to thee?
How carelessely I some did lose,
And other to my lust dispose
As no rent day should be?

I have infected with impure
Disorders my past yeares.
But Ile to penitence inure
Those that succeed. There is no cure
Nor Antidote but teares.

_Cupio dissolvi._ PAULE.

The soule which doth with God unite,
Those gayities how doth she slight
Which ore opinion sway?
Like sacred Virgin wax, which shines
On Altars or on Martyrs shrines
How doth she burne away?

How violent are her throwes till she
From envious earth delivered be,
Which doth her flight restraine?
How doth she doate on whips and rackes,
On fires and the so dreaded Axe,
And every murd'ring paine?

How soone she leaves the pride of wealth,
The flatteries of youth and health
And fames more precious breath.
And every gaudy circumstance
That doth the pompe of life advance
At the approach of death?

The cunning of Astrologers
Observes each motion of the starres
Placing all knowledge there:
And Lovers in their Mistresse eyes
Contract those wonders of the skies,
And seeke no higher sphere.

The wandring Pilot sweates to find
The causes that produce the wind
Still gazing on the Pole.
The Politician scornes all Art
But what doth pride and power impart.
And swells the ambitious soule.

But he whom heavenly fire doth warme,
And 'gainst these powerful follies arme,
Doth soberly disdaine
All these fond humane misteries
As the deceitfull and unwise
Distempers of our braine.

He as a burden beares his clay,
Yet vainely throwes it not away
On every idle cause:
But with the same untroubled eye
Can resolve to live or dye,
Regardlesse of th' applause.

My God! If 'tis thy great decree
That this must the last moment be
Wherein I breath this ayre;
My heart obeyes joy'd to retreate
From the false favours of the great
And treachery of the faire.

When thou shalt please this soule t' enthrone,
Above impure corruption;
What shall I grieve or feare.
To thinke this breathlesse body must
Become a loathsome heape of dust
And nere againe appeare.

For in the fire when Ore is tryed,
And by that torment purified:
Doe we deplore the losse?
And when thou shalt my soule refine,
That it thereby may purer shine
Shall I grieve for the drosse?

_FINIS._

A List of WORKS

_Edited by Professor_ EDWARD ARBER

_F.S.A.; Fellow of King's College, London; Hon. Member of the
Virginia and Wisconsin Historical Societies; late English
Examiner at the London University; and also at the Victoria
University, Manchester; Emeritus Professor of English Language
and Literature, Mason College, Birmingham._

An English Garner
English Reprints
The War Library
The English Scholar's Library
The first Three English Books on America
The first English New Testament, 1526
The Paston Letters, 1422-1509. Edited by JAMES GAIRDNER. 3 vols.
A List of 837 London Publishers, 1553-1640

_All the Works in this Catalogue are published at net prices._

ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE AND CO.,
14, PARLIAMENT ST., WESTMINSTER.

Detailed Transcriber's Note

Archaic, dialectical and other spellings not in current usage have been left as in the original book. Obvious misprints have been fixed. Text that was originally printed in blackletter has been changed to all capitals without further comment. Details of the text changes are below.

P. 003: our Poet's grand-father,
Originally: our Poet's grandfather,

P. 005: Formatting of the entries in the list of published works has
been standardized.

P. 005: the battle of Varna, 1444;
Originally: the battle of Varma, 1444;

P. 005: i. The Author. [A Prose Preface]
Originally: i. The Authour. [A Prose Preface]

P. 008: 137. ... Phil. i. 23. The soule which
Originally: 137. ... Phil. 1. 23. The soule which

P. 011: (I meane onely as she is externally faire)
Originally: (I meane onlye as she is externally faire)

P. 013: me, I am armed to endure.
Originally: me, I an armed to endure

P. 014: than good Poet, a good man.
Originally: than good Poët, a good man.

P. 017 inserted chapter title from TOC: _Fifty-seven Poems, chiefly
on Love and Courtship._

P. 017: their bright flames: which
Originally: their bright flâmes: which

P. 019: _To my honoured Friend_, Mr. E. P.
Originally: _To my honoured Friend_, M^r. E. P.

P. 023: Then th' Indians boast:
Originally: The th' Indians boast:

P. 023: When Poets weepe some Virgins death
Originally: When Poëts weepe some Virgins death

P. 034: My soule imparadis'd, for 'tis with her.
Originally: My soule impardis'd, for 'tis with her.

P. 039: _To the honourable my honoured kinsman_, Mr. G. T.
Originally: _To the honourable my honoured kinsman_, M^r. G. T.

P. 044: NIGHT _and_ ARAPHILL.
Originally: NIGHT _and_ ARAPHIL.

P. 047: _To the Honourable Mr._ Wm. E.
Originally: _To the Honourable M^r._ W^m. E.

P. 048: _To the Honourable my most honoured friend_, Wm. E.
Originally: _To the Honourable my most honoured friend_, W^m. E.

P. 050: _To my most honoured Friend and Kinsman_
Originally: _To my_ [_most_] _honoured Friend and Kinsman_

P. 051: dote without Philosophie
Originally: dote without Phisosophie

P. 051: in your dull propagation.
Originally: in your dull progagation.

P. 053: _To_ CASTARA,
Originally: TO CASTARA,

P. 059 changed chapter title to match TOC: _Fifty Poems, chiefly on
Wedded Happiness._
Originally: _The Second Part._

P. 059: Thou wept a Virgin,
Originally: Thou wepst a Virgin,

P. 060: Or hoist up saile;
Originally: Or hoish up saile;

P. 063: To-day will give you
Originally: To day will give you

P. 064: in some dead mans eare,
Originally: in some deads mans eare,

P. 072-73, footnotes 23 & 24: Unlike other footnotes showing wording
in previous versions, these do not contain the publication dates when
the other wording appeared.

P. 074: From the angry North-wind.
Originally: From the angry Northwind.

P. 078: Who liv'd a solitary Phœnix free
Originally: Who liv'd a solitary Phænix free

P. 078: _To my worthy Cousin_ Mr. E. C.
Originally: _To my worthy Cousin_ M^r. E. C.

P. 083: With the stolen pleasure of one night.
Originally: With the stolne pleasure of one night.

P. 088: Henry Cambell, _sonne to the Earle of_ Arg.
Originally: Henry Cambell, _sonne to the Earle of_ Ar[g].

P. 100: so little peremptory is his opinion
Originally: so little peremptory is his opiuion

P. 113: and when the prosperitie of the impious
Originally: and when the prosteritie of the impious

P. 114: antidote against sinne,
Originally: antidote aga[i]nst sinne,

P. 114: and the onley balsome powerfull
Originally: and the onely balsome powerfull

P. 115 Inserted chapter title from the TOC: _Twenty-two Poems, chiefly
Sacred, with Scripture Text._

P. 126: Universum stratum ejus
Originally: Universum st[r]atum ejus

P. 135: Of the most sober government in peace,
Originally: Of the most sober goverment in peace,

P. 137: And warme his venome in my brest.
Originally: And warme his enome in my brest.

P. 137: Where while I struggle,
Originally: Where while I straggle,

P. 144: And 'gainst these
Originally: Amd 'gainst these