Lucasta [53]
not<59.4> by tears.]<59.5>
<59.1> So Cotgrave. Lawes, and after him Singer, read CAN'T.
<59.2> So Cotgrave. Lawes and Singer read AND.
<59.3> Omitted by Lawes and Singer: I follow Cotgrave.
<59.4> So Cotgrave. Lawes printed NE'ER.
<59.5> This is taken from AYRES AND DIALOGUES FOR ONE, TWO, AND THREE VOYCES, By Henry Lawes, 1653-5-8, where it is set to music for two trebles by H. L. It was not included in the posthumous collection of Lovelace's poems. This dialogue is also found in WITS INTERPRETER, by J. Cotgrave, 1662, 8vo, page 203 (first printed in 1655), and a few improved readings have been adopted from that text.
COMMENDATORY AND OTHER VERSES, PREFIXED TO VARIOUS PUBLICATIONS BETWEEN 1638 AND 1647
AN ELEGIE. PRINCESSE KATHERINE<60.1><> BORNE, CHRISTENED, BURIED, IN ONE DAY.
You, that can haply<60.2> mixe your joyes with cries, And weave white Ios with black Elegies, Can caroll out a dirge, and in one breath Sing to the tune either of life, or death; You, that can weepe the gladnesse of the spheres, And pen a hymne, in stead of inke, with teares; Here, here your unproportion'd wit let fall, To celebrate this new-borne funerall, And greete that little greatnesse, which from th' wombe Dropt both a load to th' cradle and the tombe.
Bright soule! teach us, to warble with what feet Thy swathing linnen and thy winding sheet, Weepe,<60.3> or shout forth that fonts solemnitie, Which at once christn'd and buried<60.4> thee, And change our shriller passions with that sound, First told thee into th' ayre, then to<60.5> the ground.
Ah, wert thou borne for this? only to call The King and Queen guests to your buriall! To bid good night, your day not yet begun, And shew<60.6> a setting, ere a rising sun!
Or wouldst thou have thy life a martyrdom? Dye in the act of thy religion, Fit, excellently, innocently good, First sealing it with water, then thy blood? As when on blazing wings a blest man sores, And having past to God through fiery dores, Straight 's roab'd with flames, when the same element, Which was his shame, proves now his ornament; Oh, how he hast'ned death, burn't to be fryed,<60.7> Kill'd twice with each delay, till deified. So swift hath been thy race, so full of flight, Like him condemn'd, ev'n aged with a night, Cutting all lets with clouds, as if th' hadst been Like angels plum'd, and borne a Cherubin.
Or, in your journey towards heav'n, say, Tooke you the world a little in your way? Saw'st and dislik'st its vaine pompe, then didst flye Up for eternall glories to the skye? Like a religious ambitious one, Aspiredst for the everlasting crowne?
Ah! holy traytour to your brother prince, Rob'd of his birth-right and preheminence! Could you ascend yon' chaire of state e're him, And snatch from th' heire the starry diadem? Making your honours now as much uneven, As gods on earth are lesse then saints in heav'n.
Triumph! sing triumphs, then! Oh, put on all Your richest lookes, drest for this festivall! Thoughts full of ravisht reverence, with eyes So fixt, as when a saint we canonize; Clap wings with Seraphins before the throne At this eternall coronation, And teach your soules new mirth, such as may be Worthy this birth-day to divinity.
But ah! these blast your feasts, the jubilies We send you up are sad, as were our cries, And of true joy we can expresse no more Thus crown'd, then when we buried thee before.
Princesse in heav'n, forgivenes! whilst we Resigne our office to the HIERARCHY.
<60.1> All historical and genealogical works are deficient in minute information relative to the family of Charles I. Even in Anderson's ROYAL GENEALOGIES, 1732, and in the folio editions of Rapin and Tindal, these details are overlooked. At page 36 of his DESCENDANTS OF THE STUARTS, 1858, Mr. Townend observes that two of the children of Charles I. died in infancy, and of these the Princesse Katherine, commemorated by Lovelace, was perhaps one. The present verses were originally printed
<59.1> So Cotgrave. Lawes, and after him Singer, read CAN'T.
<59.2> So Cotgrave. Lawes and Singer read AND.
<59.3> Omitted by Lawes and Singer: I follow Cotgrave.
<59.4> So Cotgrave. Lawes printed NE'ER.
<59.5> This is taken from AYRES AND DIALOGUES FOR ONE, TWO, AND THREE VOYCES, By Henry Lawes, 1653-5-8, where it is set to music for two trebles by H. L. It was not included in the posthumous collection of Lovelace's poems. This dialogue is also found in WITS INTERPRETER, by J. Cotgrave, 1662, 8vo, page 203 (first printed in 1655), and a few improved readings have been adopted from that text.
COMMENDATORY AND OTHER VERSES, PREFIXED TO VARIOUS PUBLICATIONS BETWEEN 1638 AND 1647
AN ELEGIE. PRINCESSE KATHERINE<60.1><
You, that can haply<60.2> mixe your joyes with cries, And weave white Ios with black Elegies, Can caroll out a dirge, and in one breath Sing to the tune either of life, or death; You, that can weepe the gladnesse of the spheres, And pen a hymne, in stead of inke, with teares; Here, here your unproportion'd wit let fall, To celebrate this new-borne funerall, And greete that little greatnesse, which from th' wombe Dropt both a load to th' cradle and the tombe.
Bright soule! teach us, to warble with what feet Thy swathing linnen and thy winding sheet, Weepe,<60.3> or shout forth that fonts solemnitie, Which at once christn'd and buried<60.4> thee, And change our shriller passions with that sound, First told thee into th' ayre, then to<60.5> the ground.
Ah, wert thou borne for this? only to call The King and Queen guests to your buriall! To bid good night, your day not yet begun, And shew<60.6> a setting, ere a rising sun!
Or wouldst thou have thy life a martyrdom? Dye in the act of thy religion, Fit, excellently, innocently good, First sealing it with water, then thy blood? As when on blazing wings a blest man sores, And having past to God through fiery dores, Straight 's roab'd with flames, when the same element, Which was his shame, proves now his ornament; Oh, how he hast'ned death, burn't to be fryed,<60.7> Kill'd twice with each delay, till deified. So swift hath been thy race, so full of flight, Like him condemn'd, ev'n aged with a night, Cutting all lets with clouds, as if th' hadst been Like angels plum'd, and borne a Cherubin.
Or, in your journey towards heav'n, say, Tooke you the world a little in your way? Saw'st and dislik'st its vaine pompe, then didst flye Up for eternall glories to the skye? Like a religious ambitious one, Aspiredst for the everlasting crowne?
Ah! holy traytour to your brother prince, Rob'd of his birth-right and preheminence! Could you ascend yon' chaire of state e're him, And snatch from th' heire the starry diadem? Making your honours now as much uneven, As gods on earth are lesse then saints in heav'n.
Triumph! sing triumphs, then! Oh, put on all Your richest lookes, drest for this festivall! Thoughts full of ravisht reverence, with eyes So fixt, as when a saint we canonize; Clap wings with Seraphins before the throne At this eternall coronation, And teach your soules new mirth, such as may be Worthy this birth-day to divinity.
But ah! these blast your feasts, the jubilies We send you up are sad, as were our cries, And of true joy we can expresse no more Thus crown'd, then when we buried thee before.
Princesse in heav'n, forgivenes! whilst we Resigne our office to the HIERARCHY.
<60.1> All historical and genealogical works are deficient in minute information relative to the family of Charles I. Even in Anderson's ROYAL GENEALOGIES, 1732, and in the folio editions of Rapin and Tindal, these details are overlooked. At page 36 of his DESCENDANTS OF THE STUARTS, 1858, Mr. Townend observes that two of the children of Charles I. died in infancy, and of these the Princesse Katherine, commemorated by Lovelace, was perhaps one. The present verses were originally printed