(untitled)

AMidst the azure cleare
Of Jordans sacred Streames,
Jordan of Libanon the off-spring deare,
When Zephires flow'rs unclose,
And Sun shines with new Bea…es,
With grave and stately grace a Nymph arose.
Upon her Head she ware
Of Amaranthes a Crown,
Her left hand Palmes, her right a Torch did beare,
Unvail'd Skins whiteness lay,
Gold haires in Curles hang down,
Eyes sparkled Joy, more bright than Star of Day.
The Floud a Throne her rear'd
Of Waves most like that Heaven
Where beaming Stars in Glory turne ensphear'd:
The Aire stood calme and cleare,
No Sigh by Winds was given,
Birds left to sing, Heards feed, her voice to heare.
World-wandring sorry Wights,
Whom nothing can content
Within these varying lists of Daies and Nights,
Whose life (ere known amiss)
In glittering Griefes is spent,
Come learne (said she) what is your choisest Bliss.
From Toyle and pressing Cares
How ye may respit find,
A Sanctuary from Soule-thralling Snares,
A Port to harbour sure
In spight of waves and wind,
Which shall when Times swift Glass is run endure.
Not happy is that Life
Which you as happy hold,
No, but a Sea of feares, a Field of strife,
Charg'd on a Throne to sit
With Diadems of Gold,
Preserv'd by Force, and still observ'd by Wit;
Huge Treasures to enjoy,
Of all her Gems spoyle Inde,
All Seres silke in Garments to imploy,
Deliciously to feed,
The Phoenix plumes to find
To rest upon, or deck your purple Bed.
Fraile Beauty to abuse,
And (wanton Sybarites)
On past or present touch of sense to muse;
Never to heare of Noise
But what the Eare delights,
Sweet Musicks charmes, or charming flatterers voice.
Nor can it Bliss you bring,
Hid Natures Depths to know,
Why matter changeth, whence each forme doth spring,
Nor that your Fame should range,
And after-Worlds it blow
From Tanais to Nile, from Nile to Gange.
All these have not the Pow'r
To free the Mind from feares,
Nor hideous horrour can allay one houre,
When Death in stealth doth glance;
In Sickness lurks or yeares,
And wakes the Soule from out her mortall Tran…e.
No, but blest life is this,
With chaste and pure Desire
To turne unto the load-star of all Bliss,
On God the Mind to rest,
Burnt up with sacred Fire,
Possessing him to be by him possest.
When to the ba…lmy East
Sun doth his light impart,
Or when he diveth in the lowly West,
And ravisheth the Day,
With spotlesse Hands and Heart,
Him cheerefully to praise and to him pray.
To heed each action so,
As ever in his sight,
More fearing doing Ill than passive woe;
Not to seeme other thing
Than what ye are aright,
Never to do what may Repentance bring:
Not to be blown with Pride,
Nor mov'd at Glories breath,
Which Shadow-like on wings of Time doth glide;
So Malice to disarme,
And conquer hasty Wrath,
As to do good to those that worke your harme:
To hatch no base Desires,
Or Gold or Land to gaine,
Well pleas'd with that which Vertue faire acquires,
To have the Wit and Will
Consorting in one Straine,
Than what is good to have no higher skill.
Never on Neighbours Goods,
With Cocatrices Eye
To looke, nor make anothers Heaven your Hell;
Nor to be Beauties Thrall,
All fruitlesse Love to flie,
Yet loving still a Love transcendent all:
A Love which while it burnes
The Soule with fairest Beames,
To that increa…ed Sun the Soule it turnes,
And makes such Beauty prove,
That (if Sense saw her Gleames,)
All lookers on would pine and die for love.
Who such a life doth live,
You happy even may call
Ere ruthlesse Death a wished end him give,
And after then when given,
More happy by his fall,
For humanes, Earth, enjoying Angels, Heaven.
Swift is your mortall Race,
And glassie is the Field,
Vaste are Desires not limited by Grace,
Life a weake Taper is,
Then while it light doth yeeld
Leave flying Joyes, embrace this lasting Blisse.
This when the Nymph had said,
Sh…e div'd within the Floud,
Whose Face with smyling Curles long after staid,
Then Sighs did Zephyres presse,
Birds sang from every Wood,
And Ecchoes rang, this was true Happinesse.