Soothing the humour of fantastick wits? Lo! here the gentle lark, weary of rest, Who doth the world so gloriously behold, That cedar-tops and hills seem burnish'd gold. Venus salutes him with this fair good-morrow: "O thou clear god, and patron of all light, "From whom each lamp and shining star doth borrow "The beauteous influence that makes him bright, "There lives a son, that suck'd an earthly mother, "May lend thee light, as thou dost lend to other." This said, she hasteth to a myrtle grove, And as she runs, the bushes in the way 36 cousteth] i. e. advanceth. She wildly breaketh from their strict embrace, Like a milch doe, whose swelling dugs do ache, Hasting to feed her fawn, hid in some brake. By this, she hears the hounds are at a bay, Whereat she starts, like one that spies an adder Wreath'd up in fatal folds, just in his way, The fear whereof doth make him shake and shud der; Even so the timorous yelping of the hounds Appals her senses, and her spright confounds. For now she knows it is no gentle chase, They all strain court'sy who shall cope him first. This dismal cry rings sadly in her ear, Thus stands she in a trembling ecstasy; Bids them leave quaking, bids them fear no more; And with that word she spied the hunted boar; Whose frothy mouth, bepainted all with red, Like milk and blood being mingled both together A second fear through all her sinews spread, Which madly hurries her she knows not whither; This way she runs, and now she will no further, But back retires, to rate the boar for murther. A thousand spleens bear her a thousand ways; She treads the path that she untreads again; Her more than haste is mated 37 with delays, Like the proceedings of a drunken brain; Full of respect, 38 yet nought at all respecting, In hand with all things, nought at all effecting. Here kennel'd in a brake she finds a hound, When he hath ceas'd his ill-resounding noise, Another flap-mouth'd mourner, black and grim, Against the welkin vollies out his voice; 37 mated] i. e. confounded. respect] i. e. circumspection. Another and another answer him, Clapping their proud tails to the ground below, Shaking their scratch'd ears, bleeding as they go. Look, how the world's poor people are amaz'd So she at these sad signs draws up her breath, "Hard-favour'd tyrant, ugly, meagre, lean, "Hateful divorce of love," (thus chides she death,) Grim-grinning ghost, earth's worm, what, dost thou mean 66 "To stifle beauty, and to steal his breath, "Who when he liv'd, his breath and beauty set "Gloss on the rose, smell to the violet? "If he be dead,-O no, it cannot be, 66 Seeing his beauty, thou should'st strike at it— "O yes, it may; thou hast no eyes to see, "But hatefully at random dost thou hit. 66 Thy mark is feeble age; but thy false dart "Mistakes that aim, and cleaves an infant's heart. "Hadst thou but bid beware, then he had spoke, "And hearing him, thy power had lost his power. "The destinies will curse thee for this stroke; "They bid thee crop a weed, thou pluck'st a flower: "Love's golden arrow at him should have fled, "And not death's ebon dart, to strike him dead. "Dost thou drink tears, that thou provok'st such weeping? "What may a heavy groan advantage thee? 66 Why hast thou cast into eternal sleeping "Those eyes that taught all other eyes to see? "Now Nature cares not for thy mortal 39 vigour "Since her best work is ruin'd with thy rigour." Here overcome, as one full of despair, But through the flood-gates breaks the silver rain, O how her eyes and tears did lend and borrow! sorrow, Sorrow, that friendly sighs sought still to dry; But like a stormy day, now wind, now rain, Variable passions throng her constant woe, 39 mortal] i. e. deadly. 10 vail'd] i. e. lowered. |