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Amor. I pity its sad fate, since its offence

1

Was but for love. Can 1 tears recall it thence? Cord. O no, such tears, as do for pity call,

She proudly scorns, and glories at their fall.

Amor. Since neither sighs nor tears, kind shepherd, tell, Will not a kiss prevail ?

Cord.

Amor.

Court Eccho with a kiss.

Thou may'st as well

Can no art move

A sacred violence to make her love?

Cord. O no! 'tis only Destiny or2 Fate

Fashions our wills either to love or hate.

Amor. Then, captive heart, since that no humane spell thee his, farewell.

Hath power to graspe

Cord.3 Farewell.

Cho. Lost hearts, like lambs drove from their folds

by fears,

4

May back return by chance, but not by tears.]5

So Cotgrave. Lawes, and after him Singer, read can't.

2 So Cotgrave. Lawes and Singer read and.

3 Omitted by Lawes and Singer; I follow Cotgrave.

4 So Cotgrave. Lawes printed ne'er.

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 BORNE, CHRISTENED,
BURIED, IN ONE DAY.

OU, that can haply mixe your joyes with cries,
And weave white Iös 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.

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 in Musarum Oxoniensium Charisteria, Oxon. 1638, 4to, from which a few better readings have been obtained. With the exceptions mentioned in the notes, the variations of the earlier text from that found here are merely literal.

2 This reading from Charisteria, 1638, seems preferable to aptly, as it stands in the Lucasta.

Bright soule! teach us, to warble with what feet Thy swathing linnen and thy winding sheet, Weepe, or shout forth that fonts solemnitie,

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Which at once christn'd and buried 2 thee,

And change our shriller passions with that sound,
First told thee into th' ayre, then to3 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 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,5
Kill'd twice with each delay, till deified.

So the Charisteria. The reading in Lucasta is mourne. 2 In Lucasta the reading is buried, and christ'ned.

3 This word is omitted in the Lucasta; it is here supplied from the Charisteria.

4 Lucasta reads showe's.

clearly the true word.

Shew, as printed in Charisteria, is

5 i. e. freed. Free and freed were sometimes formerly pronounced like fry and fryed: for Lord North, in his Forest of Varieties, 1645, has these lines

"Birds that long have lived free,

Caught and cag'd, but pine and die."

Here evidently free is intended to rhyme with die.

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 the world a little in your way you

?

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.

CLITOPHON AND LUCIPPE TRANSLATED.1

TO THE LADIES.

RAY, ladies, breath, awhile lay by

Celestial Sydney's Arcady ;2
Heere's a story that doth claime

A little respite from his flame:

Achillis Tatii Alexandrini De Lucippes et Clitophontis Amoribus Libri Octo. The translation of this celebrated work, to which Lovelace contributed the commendatory verses here republished, was executed by his friend Anthony Hodges, A.M., of New College, Oxford, and was printed at Oxford in 1638, 8vo. There had been already a translation by W. Burton, purporting to be done from the Greek, in 1597, 4to. The text of 1649 and that of 1638 exhibit so many variations, that the reader may be glad to have the opportunity of comparison :

"To the Ladies.

"Fair ones, breathe: a while lay by

Blessed Sidney's Arcady:

Here's a story that will make
You not repent him to forsake;
And with your dissolving looke
Vntie the contents of this booke;
To which nought (except your sight)
Can give a worthie epithite.
'Tis an abstract of all volumes,

A pillaster of all columnes

Fancie e're rear'd to wit, to be

Little Love's epitome,
And compactedly expresse
All lovers happy wretchednesse.

"Brave Pamela's majestie
And her sweet sister's modestie
Are fixt in each of you, you are
Alone, what these together were:

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