English

Si th on this moment of fraile Life depends
th' eternall weale or woe of humane Breede .
And that no meanes can long deferre their ends .
let Teares still feede me ( Lord ) till Wormes I feede.

For, Teares for Sin , doth Sin , through grace , destroy
(so kill their Cause ) whereon who feeds shall liue
Where they that sow in teares , shall reape in toy
then let my Teares me (dead in Sinne ) reuiue

My stupid Soule , now recollect thy pow'rs ,
& weigh in Iudgements Scales thy present state;
Thou, in thy Iaile , my Flesh , but some few howres
hast now to stay, by nature , neere her date .

My Pilgrimage is almost past; ├┤ then
it thee behooues to looke with stedfast eyes
Towards thy Countrey ( Home of Happy men )
least, ere thou looke, in straying pathes thou dye.

Now faints my force , my sense impaires, my flesh

To be all nought , is nought at all to be ;
and to be sinfull still, is to be nought:
Yet Sinners ARE (though dead in sinne ) we see;
as Men ARE , though they are not as they ought.

Deliuer me (deare Lord) from being such;
(such being take from me that sinfull is:)
For, better nothing be , then be so much;
because so much is more then most amisse!

Then let me be , not as I am; but what

I Would be thine , and I would haue thee mine
(deare Lord) and yet I crosse mine owne desires:
For still I sinne; then, cannot I be thine;
yet faine I would with thee be still entire.

Then, I desire what my desires resist:
├┤ strange repugnance! would I thee enioy,
And yet in that , which seuers vs, persist?
then, my desires doe my desires destroy.

True ( Lord ) howeuer false this seemes to be;

On thy help (Lord) I relye,
then, poore]
Perish must, if thou restraine it:
O then stretch thy helping-hand ,
or command
That I may with speede obtaine it:

For, as one forgotten quite,
out of sight
I (forlorne) in sorrow languish
Help, ├┤ help me then with speede:
for, I feed
(As on Bread ) on nought but Anguish!

If I sinne, I sigh therefore,
and deplore.
That I haue in ought offended;

When I (sweet Sauiour) minde the Orison
thou mad'st thy Maundy uight (with strong effect)
Whenas thou praid'st for perfect vnion
betweene thy Father, thee , and thine elect .

I am thereby encouraged to pray ,
that in that Vnion (though too base I be)
I may b' included, if so be I may
(being so vile) so inward be with thee .

Which can be hardly (if at all it can)

Thy Friends (deare Lord) are too much honored;
thy Persecutor to thee reconcil'd,
Had Sacrifices to him rendered:
so much the World is forc'd t' adore thy Childe!


The People freely their possessions sell,
to lay the Price at thine Apostles feete:
To whom the worst of Ils doe fall out well;
and Gall itselfe, to them made Sugar -sweet!

Then, what but Gall itselfe will Honey seeke

Even then ere loath their hands could part
A promise the youth gave which bore
Some balm unto the maiden's heart,
That, soon as the fierce fight was o'er,
To home he'd speed, if safe and free —
Nay, even if dying, still would come,
So the blest word of " Victory! "
Might be the last he'd breathe at home.
" By day, " he cried, " thou 'lt know my bark;
" But should I come thro' midnight dark,
" A blue light on the prow shall tell

As once a Grecian maiden wove
Her garland mid the summer bowers,
There stood a youth with eyes of love
To watch her while she wreathed the flowers.
The youth was skilled in Painting's art,
But ne'er had studied woman's brow,
Nor knew what magic hues the heart
Can shed o'er Nature's charms till now.

CHORUS .

Blest be Love to whom we owe

On Helle's sea the light grew dim
As the last sounds of that sweet hymn
Floated along its azure tide —
Floated in light as if the lay
Had mixt with sunset's fading ray
And light and song together died.
So soft thro' evening's air had breathed
That choir of youthful voices wreathed
In many-linked harmony,
That boats then hurrying o'er the sea
Paused when they reached this fairy shore,
And lingered till the strain was o'er.

Of those young maids who 've met to fleet