Lucasta [29]
wayes unto the blinde, More reall then her flatt'ries are; Gentle as chaines that honour binde, More faithfull then an Hebrew Jew, But as the divel not halfe so true.
AMYNTOR<31.1> FROM BEYOND THE SEA TO ALEXIS.<31.2>
A DIALOGUE.
Amyntor. Alexis! ah Alexis! can it be, Though so much wet and drie Doth drowne our eye, Thou keep'st thy winged voice from me?
Alexis. Amyntor, a profounder sea, I feare, Hath swallow'd me, where now My armes do row, I floate i'th' ocean of a teare.
Lucasta weepes, lest I look back and tread Your Watry land againe. Amyn. I'd through the raine; Such showrs are quickly over-spread.
Conceive how joy, after this short divorce, Will circle her with beames, When, like your streames, You shall rowle back with kinder force,
And call the helping winds to vent your thought. Alex. Amyntor! Chloris! where Or in what sphere Say, may that glorious fair be sought?
Amyn. She's now the center of these armes e're blest, Whence may she never move, Till Time and Love Haste to their everlasting rest.
Alex. Ah subtile swaine! doth not my flame rise high As yours, and burne as hot? Am not I shot With the selfe same artillery?
And can I breath without her air?--Amyn. Why, then, From thy tempestuous earth, Where blood and dearth Raigne 'stead of kings, agen
Wafte thy selfe over, and lest storms from far Arise, bring in our sight The seas delight, Lucasta, that bright northerne star.
Alex. But as we cut the rugged deepe, I feare The green god stops his fell Chariot of shell, And smooths the maine to ravish her.
Amyn. Oh no, the prince of waters' fires are done; He as his empire's old, And rivers, cold; His queen now runs abed to th' sun;
But all his treasure he shall ope' that day: Tritons shall sound: his fleete In silver meete, And to her their rich offrings pay.
Alex. We flye, Amyntor, not amaz'd how sent By water, earth, or aire: Or if with her By fire: ev'n there I move in mine owne element.
<31.1> Endymion Porter?
<31.2> Lovelace himself.
CALLING LUCASTA FROM HER RETIREMENT. ODE.
I. From the dire monument of thy black roome, Wher now that vestal flame thou dost intombe, As in the inmost cell of all earths wombe.
II. Sacred Lucasta, like the pow'rfull ray Of heavenly truth, passe this Cimmerian way, Whilst all the standards of your beames display.
III. Arise and climbe our whitest, highest hill; There your sad thoughts with joy and wonder fill, And see seas calme<32.1> as earth, earth as your will.
IV. Behold! how lightning like a taper flyes, And guilds your chari't, but ashamed dyes, Seeing it selfe out-gloried by your eyes.
V. Threatning and boystrous tempests gently bow, And to your steps part in soft paths, when now There no where hangs a cloud, but on your brow.
VI. No showrs but 'twixt your lids, nor gelid snow, But what your whiter, chaster brest doth ow,<32.2> Whilst winds in chains colder for<32.3> sorrow blow.
VII. Shrill trumpets doe only sound to eate, Artillery hath loaden ev'ry dish with meate, And drums at ev'ry health alarmes beate.
VIII. All things Lucasta, but Lucasta, call, Trees borrow tongues, waters in accents fall, The
AMYNTOR<31.1> FROM BEYOND THE SEA TO ALEXIS.<31.2>
A DIALOGUE.
Amyntor. Alexis! ah Alexis! can it be, Though so much wet and drie Doth drowne our eye, Thou keep'st thy winged voice from me?
Alexis. Amyntor, a profounder sea, I feare, Hath swallow'd me, where now My armes do row, I floate i'th' ocean of a teare.
Lucasta weepes, lest I look back and tread Your Watry land againe. Amyn. I'd through the raine; Such showrs are quickly over-spread.
Conceive how joy, after this short divorce, Will circle her with beames, When, like your streames, You shall rowle back with kinder force,
And call the helping winds to vent your thought. Alex. Amyntor! Chloris! where Or in what sphere Say, may that glorious fair be sought?
Amyn. She's now the center of these armes e're blest, Whence may she never move, Till Time and Love Haste to their everlasting rest.
Alex. Ah subtile swaine! doth not my flame rise high As yours, and burne as hot? Am not I shot With the selfe same artillery?
And can I breath without her air?--Amyn. Why, then, From thy tempestuous earth, Where blood and dearth Raigne 'stead of kings, agen
Wafte thy selfe over, and lest storms from far Arise, bring in our sight The seas delight, Lucasta, that bright northerne star.
Alex. But as we cut the rugged deepe, I feare The green god stops his fell Chariot of shell, And smooths the maine to ravish her.
Amyn. Oh no, the prince of waters' fires are done; He as his empire's old, And rivers, cold; His queen now runs abed to th' sun;
But all his treasure he shall ope' that day: Tritons shall sound: his fleete In silver meete, And to her their rich offrings pay.
Alex. We flye, Amyntor, not amaz'd how sent By water, earth, or aire: Or if with her By fire: ev'n there I move in mine owne element.
<31.1> Endymion Porter?
<31.2> Lovelace himself.
CALLING LUCASTA FROM HER RETIREMENT. ODE.
I. From the dire monument of thy black roome, Wher now that vestal flame thou dost intombe, As in the inmost cell of all earths wombe.
II. Sacred Lucasta, like the pow'rfull ray Of heavenly truth, passe this Cimmerian way, Whilst all the standards of your beames display.
III. Arise and climbe our whitest, highest hill; There your sad thoughts with joy and wonder fill, And see seas calme<32.1> as earth, earth as your will.
IV. Behold! how lightning like a taper flyes, And guilds your chari't, but ashamed dyes, Seeing it selfe out-gloried by your eyes.
V. Threatning and boystrous tempests gently bow, And to your steps part in soft paths, when now There no where hangs a cloud, but on your brow.
VI. No showrs but 'twixt your lids, nor gelid snow, But what your whiter, chaster brest doth ow,<32.2> Whilst winds in chains colder for<32.3> sorrow blow.
VII. Shrill trumpets doe only sound to eate, Artillery hath loaden ev'ry dish with meate, And drums at ev'ry health alarmes beate.
VIII. All things Lucasta, but Lucasta, call, Trees borrow tongues, waters in accents fall, The