had'st thou not stood to show us what thou wer't, by thy affliction that descry'd thy heart! 632 It is not but the tempest that doth show the sea-man's cunning, but the field that tries out of the hands of death? And many a one to have been undone, had they not been undone? look only on the cause whereto he owes the more he endures, the more his glory grows: only the best composed and worthiest hearts S. DANIEL 633 GOD FORETELLS SATAN'S SUCCESS IN PERVERTING will fall MANKIND She and his faithless progeny. Whose fault? whose but his own? Ingrate, he had of ME Such as I created all the ethereal Powers and Spirits, both them who stood and them who freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell. J. MILTON 634 I DARKNESS HAD a dream, which was not all a dream. The bright sun was extinguished, and the stars did wander darkling in the eternal space, rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth swung blind and blackening in the moonless air; and their masts fell down piece-meal: as they dropp'd the waves were dead: the tides were in their grave, LORD BYRON 635 ZIPHARES CONVINCED OF THE INCONSTANCY OF 636 SEMANDRA H my hard fate! why did I trust her ever? the sex is all a sea of wide destruction: we are the venturous barks that leave our home, and the whole storm is one injurious woman. the faithless winds, blind rocks, and sinking sands, CATILINE'S ADDRESS TO HIS ARMY You N. LEE might have lived in servitude, or exile, or safe at Rome, depending on the great ones; 637 638 but that you thought those things unfit for men: the honour of the day, yet let us care to sell ourselves at such a price as may SWEE EVE TO ADAM B. JONSON WEET is the breath of morn, her rising sweet, with charm of earliest birds; pleasant the sun, when first on this delightful land he spreads his orient beams, on herb, tree, fruit and flower, glistering with dew; fragrant the fertile earth after soft showers; and sweet the coming-on of grateful evening mild; then silent night with this her solemn bird, and this fair moon, and these the gems of heaven, her starry train: but neither breath of morn when she ascends with charm of earliest birds; nor rising sun on this delightful land; nor herb, fruit, flower, glistering with dew; nor fragrance after showers; nor grateful evening mild; nor silent night, with this her solemn bird; nor walk by moon, or glittering starlight, without thee is sweet. M MAN'S SUREST STAY J. MILTON AN is a torch borne in the wind: a dream and as great seamen, using all their wealth when they have done it (coming near their haven) a poor stayed fisherman, that never past topp'd with all titles, spreading all our reaches, G. CHAPMAN 639 CARATACH GENERAL OF THE BRITONS 640 DIVIN IVINE Andate, thou who hold'st the reins and proudly roll'st thy swarty chariot-wheels sailing through seas of blood; thou sure-steel'd stern ness, give us this day good hearts, good enemies, good blows o' both sides, wounds that fear or flight can claim no share in; steel us both with angers and warlike executions fit thy viewing; let Rome put on her best strength, and thy Britain, meet her as strong as she, as proud, as daring! BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER CORIOLANUS TO THOSE WHO BANISHED HIM You YOU common cry of curs! whose breath I hate as reek o' the rotten fens, whose loves I prize as the dead carcasses of unburied men, that do corrupt my air,-I banish you; and here remain with your uncertainty! let every feeble rumour shake your hearts! your enemies, with nodding of their plumes, fan you into despair! Have the power still to banish your defenders; till at length your ignorance, (which finds not till it feels), 641 making not reservation of yourselves, that won you without blows! Despising W. SHAKESPEARE THE ANGELS' CAMP BY NIGHT Now when ambrosial night, with clouds exhaled from that high mount of God, whence light and spring both, the face of brightest heaven had changed fanned with cool winds; save those who, in their course, alternate all night long. J. MILTON 642 ANTONIO AT THE VAULT IN WHICH HIS FATHER'S BODY IS PLACED OST honoured sepulcre, vouchsafe a wretch ere I creep in thee, and with bloodless lips Thou royal spirit of Andrugio, where'er thou hoverest, with my religious tears. O blessed father of a cursed son, thou diedst most happy, since thou livedst not |