Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

O fair! O fweet! &c.

Sweet! think not I am at ease :
For because my chief part fingeth;

This fong from death's forrow fpringeth:
As to Swan in laft difeafe :

For no dumbness, nor death bringeth Stay to true love's melody:

Heart and foul do fing in me.

Thefe Four following SONNETS were made when his Lady had a Pain in her Face.

THE

1.

HE fcourge of life, and death's extreme disgrace; The smoke of hell, the monster called Pain ; Long fham'd to be accurs'd in ev'ry place,

By them who of his rude refort complain;

Like crafty wretch, by time and travel taught,
His ugly evil in other's good to hide;
Late harbours in her face, whom nature wrought
As treasure-house where her best gifts do bide;

And fo by privilege of facred feat,

A feat where beauty fhines and virtue reigns,
He hopes for fome fmall praife, fince fhe hath great,
Within her beams, wrapping his cruel stains.

Ah! faucy pain, let not thy terror laft

More loving eyes fhe draws, more hate thou haft.

II. WOE!

WOE

II.

OE! woe to me, on me return the smart?' My burning tongue hath bred my mistress pain; For oft in pain, to pain my painful heart,

With her due praise did of my state complain.

[ocr errors]

I prais'd her eyes, whom never chance doth move;
Her breath, which makes a fowre answer fweet:
Her milken breasts, the nurse of child like love :
Her legs (legs!) her aye well-ftepping feet:

Pain heard her praife, and full of inward fire;
(First fealing up my heart, as prey of his)
He flies to her, and, bolden'd with defire,
¿ Her face (this age's praife) the thief doth kifs.
O pain! I now recant the praise I gave,
And fwear, fhe is not worthy thee to have.

III.

THOU pain, the only gueft of loath'd constraint ; The child of curfe, man's weakness, foster-child; Brother to woe, and father of complaint:

Thou pain, thou hated pain, from heav'n exil'd:

How

How hold'ft thou her, whofe eyes constraint doth fear, Whom curft, do blefs; whofe weakness, virtue's arm;

Who others woes and plaints can chaftely bear: In whofe fweet heav'n angels of high thoughts fwarm.

What courage strange hath caught thy crafty heart? Fear it not a face, that oft whole hearts devours?

"

Or, art thou from above bid play this part,
And fo no help 'gainst envy of thofe 'powers?
If thus, alas! yet while thofe parts have woe;
So ftay her tongue,that fhe no more fay, No.

IV.

AND have I heard her fay, cruel pain!

And doth she know what mould her beauty bears? Mourns fhe in truth, and thinks that others feign? Fears the to feel, and feels not others fears?

Or, doth fhe think all pain the mind forbears? That heavy earth, not fiery fp'rits, may plain? That eyes weep worse than heart in bloody tears? That fenfe feels more than what doth fenfe contain?

"

No, no, fhe is too wife, fhe knows her face Hath not fuch pain as it makes others have: She knows the fickness of that perfect place Hath yet fuch health, as it my life can fave.

But this, fhe thinks, our pain high caufe excufeth, Where her, who should rule pain, falfe pain abufeth.

Tranflated

Tranflated out of HORACE, Book II. Ode x. beginning,

Rectius vives, Licini, &c.

OU better fure fhall live, not evermore

του

Trying high feas; nor, while fea's rage you flee, Preffing too much upon ill-harbour'd shore.

The golden mean who loves, lives fafely free
From filth of foreworn houfe, and quiet lives,
Releas'd from court, where envy needs must be.

The wind most oft the hugeft pine-tree grieves :
The ftately towers come down with greater fall:
The highest hills the bolt of thunder cleaves.

Evil haps do fill with hope, good haps appall
With fear of change the courage well prepar'd:
Foul winters as they come, away they fhall.

Though present times, and paft, with evils be fnar'd, They fhall not laft: With Cittern filent mufe, Apollo wakes, and bow hath sometime fpar'd.

In hard eftate, with flout fhows, valour ufe, The fame man ftill, in whom wifdom prevails; In too full wind draw in thy fwelling fails.

Out

bin

Out of CATULLUS...

NULLI fe, dicit mulier mea, nubere malle,
Quam mihi, non fi fe Jupiter ipfe petat:
Dicit fed mulier, Cupido que dicit amanti, ́·
In vento aut rapida fcribere optat aqua...

ENGLISHED.

UNTO no body, my woman faith, fhe had rather a

wife be

Than to my felf, not tho' Jove grew a fuiter of hers: These be her words, but a woman's words to a love that

is eager,

In wind or water's ftream do require to be writ.

[ocr errors]

QUI Sceptra Sevus duro imperio regit,

Timet timentes metum in authorem redit.

FAIR, feek not to be fear'd; most lovely, beloved by thy fervants;

For true it is, that they fear many, whom many fear.

LIKE as the Dove, which feeled up, doth fly :
Is neither freed, nor yet to fervice bound;

But hopes to gain fome help by mounting high,
Till want of force do force her fall to ground;

[blocks in formation]
« ZurückWeiter »