Lucasta [16]
first borne flame Which, as thou gav'st it birth, stamps it a name, That Fate and a discerning age shall set The chiefest jewell in her coronet.
Why then needs all this paines, those season'd pens, That standing lifeguard to a booke (kinde friends), That with officious care thus guard thy gate, As if thy Child were illigitimate? Forgive their freedome, since unto their praise They write to give, not to dispute thy bayes.
As when some glorious queen, whose pregnant wombe Brings forth a kingdome with her first-borne Sonne, Marke but the subjects joyfull hearts and eyes: Some offer gold, and others sacrifice; This slayes a lambe, that, not so rich as hee, Brings but a dove, this but a bended knee; And though their giftes be various, yet their sence Speaks only this one thought, Long live the prince.
So, my best brother, if unto your name I offer up a thin blew-burning flame, Pardon my love, since none can make thee shine, Vnlesse they kindle first their torch at thine. Then as inspir'd, they boldly write, nay that, Which their amazed lights but twinkl'd at, And their illustrate thoughts doe voice this right, Lucasta held their torch; thou gav'st it light. Francis Lovelace, Col.
AD EUNDEM.
En puer Idalius tremulis circumvolat alis, Quem prope sedentem<4.1> castior<4.2> uret amor. Lampada sic videas circumvolitare Pyrausta,<4.3> Cui contingenti est flamma futura rogus. Ergo procul fugias, Lector, cui nulla placebunt Carmina, ni fuerint turpia, spurca, nigra. Sacrificus Romae lustralem venditat undam: Castior est illa Castalis unda mihi: Limpida, et <>, nulla putredine spissa, Scilicet ex puro defluit illa jugo. Ex pura veniunt tam dia poemata mente, Cui scelus est Veneris vel tetigisse fores. Thomas Hamersley, Eques Auratus.
<4.1> Old ed. SIDENTEM.
<4.2> Old ed. CARTIOR.
<4.3> See Scheller's LEX. TOT. LAT. voce PYRAUSTA and PYRALIS
ON THE POEMS.
How humble is thy muse (Deare) that can daign Such servants as my pen to entertaine! When all the sonnes of wit glory to be Clad in thy muses gallant livery. I shall disgrace my master, prove a staine, And no addition to his honour'd traine; Though all that read me will presume to swear I neer read thee: yet if it may appear, I love the writer and admire the writ, I my owne want betray, not wrong thy wit. Did thy worke want a prayse, my barren brain Could not afford it: my attempt were vaine. It needs no foyle: All that ere writ before, Are foyles to thy faire Poems, and no more. Then to be lodg'd in the same sheets with thine, May prove disgrace to yours, but grace to mine. Norris Jephson, Col.
TO MY MUCH LOVED FRIEND, RICHARD LOVELACE Esq.
CARMEN EROTICUM.
Deare Lovelace, I am now about to prove I cannot write a verse, but can write love. On such a subject as thy booke I coo'd Write books much greater, but not half so good. But as the humble tenant, that does bring A chicke or egges for's offering, Is tane into the buttry, and does fox<5.1> Equall with him that gave a stalled oxe: So (since the heart of ev'ry cheerfull giver Makes pounds no more accepted than a stiver),<5.2> Though som thy prayse in rich stiles sing, I may In stiver-stile write love as well as they. I write so well that I no criticks feare; For who'le read mine, when as thy booke's so neer, Vnlesse thy selfe? then you shall secure mine From those, and Ile engage my selfe for thine. They'l do't themselves; this allay you'l take, I love thy book, and yet not for thy sake. John Jephson, Col.<5.3>
<5.1> TO FOX usually means to intoxicate. To fox oneself is TO GET DRUNK, and to fox a person is TO MAKE HIM DRUNK. The word in this sense belongs to the cant vocabulary. But in the present case, fox merely signifies TO FARE or TO FEAST.
<5.2> A Dutch penny. It is very likely that this individual had served with the poet in Holland.
<5.3> Three members of this family, or at least three persons of this name, probably
Why then needs all this paines, those season'd pens, That standing lifeguard to a booke (kinde friends), That with officious care thus guard thy gate, As if thy Child were illigitimate? Forgive their freedome, since unto their praise They write to give, not to dispute thy bayes.
As when some glorious queen, whose pregnant wombe Brings forth a kingdome with her first-borne Sonne, Marke but the subjects joyfull hearts and eyes: Some offer gold, and others sacrifice; This slayes a lambe, that, not so rich as hee, Brings but a dove, this but a bended knee; And though their giftes be various, yet their sence Speaks only this one thought, Long live the prince.
So, my best brother, if unto your name I offer up a thin blew-burning flame, Pardon my love, since none can make thee shine, Vnlesse they kindle first their torch at thine. Then as inspir'd, they boldly write, nay that, Which their amazed lights but twinkl'd at, And their illustrate thoughts doe voice this right, Lucasta held their torch; thou gav'st it light. Francis Lovelace, Col.
AD EUNDEM.
En puer Idalius tremulis circumvolat alis, Quem prope sedentem<4.1> castior<4.2> uret amor. Lampada sic videas circumvolitare Pyrausta,<4.3> Cui contingenti est flamma futura rogus. Ergo procul fugias, Lector, cui nulla placebunt Carmina, ni fuerint turpia, spurca, nigra. Sacrificus Romae lustralem venditat undam: Castior est illa Castalis unda mihi: Limpida, et <
<4.1> Old ed. SIDENTEM.
<4.2> Old ed. CARTIOR.
<4.3> See Scheller's LEX. TOT. LAT. voce PYRAUSTA and PYRALIS
ON THE POEMS.
How humble is thy muse (Deare) that can daign Such servants as my pen to entertaine! When all the sonnes of wit glory to be Clad in thy muses gallant livery. I shall disgrace my master, prove a staine, And no addition to his honour'd traine; Though all that read me will presume to swear I neer read thee: yet if it may appear, I love the writer and admire the writ, I my owne want betray, not wrong thy wit. Did thy worke want a prayse, my barren brain Could not afford it: my attempt were vaine. It needs no foyle: All that ere writ before, Are foyles to thy faire Poems, and no more. Then to be lodg'd in the same sheets with thine, May prove disgrace to yours, but grace to mine. Norris Jephson, Col.
TO MY MUCH LOVED FRIEND, RICHARD LOVELACE Esq.
CARMEN EROTICUM.
Deare Lovelace, I am now about to prove I cannot write a verse, but can write love. On such a subject as thy booke I coo'd Write books much greater, but not half so good. But as the humble tenant, that does bring A chicke or egges for's offering, Is tane into the buttry, and does fox<5.1> Equall with him that gave a stalled oxe: So (since the heart of ev'ry cheerfull giver Makes pounds no more accepted than a stiver),<5.2> Though som thy prayse in rich stiles sing, I may In stiver-stile write love as well as they. I write so well that I no criticks feare; For who'le read mine, when as thy booke's so neer, Vnlesse thy selfe? then you shall secure mine From those, and Ile engage my selfe for thine. They'l do't themselves;
<5.1> TO FOX usually means to intoxicate. To fox oneself is TO GET DRUNK, and to fox a person is TO MAKE HIM DRUNK. The word in this sense belongs to the cant vocabulary. But in the present case, fox merely signifies TO FARE or TO FEAST.
<5.2> A Dutch penny. It is very likely that this individual had served with the poet in Holland.
<5.3> Three members of this family, or at least three persons of this name, probably