Castara: The Third Edition of 1640; Edited and Collated with the Earlier Ones of 1634, 1635Habington, William
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Castara: The Third Edition of 1640; Edited and Collated with the Earlier Ones of 1634, 1635
Habington, William
English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700; Love poetry, English
_Is the sweetest part in the harmony of our being. To the love of
which, as the charmes of Nature inchant us, so the law of grace by
speciall priviledge invites us. Without her, Man if piety not restraine
him; is the creator of sinne; or, if an innated cold render him not
onely the businesse of the present age; the murderer of posterity.
She is so religious that every day crownes her a martyr, and her
zeale neither rebellious nor uncivill. Shee is so true a friend, her
Husband may to her communicate even his ambitions, and if successe
Crowne not expectation, remaine neverthelesse uncontemned. Shee is
colleague with him in the Empire of prosperity; and a safe retyring
place when adversity exiles him from the World. She is so chaste,
she never understood the language lust speakes in, nor with a smile
applaudes it, although there appeare wit in the Metaphore. Shee is
faire only to winne on his affections, nor would she be Mistris of the
most eloquent beauty; if there were danger, that might perswade the
passionate auditory, to the least irregular thought. Shee is noble
by a long descent, but her memory is so evill a herald, shee never
boasts the story of her Ancestors. Shee is so moderately rich, that
the defect of portion doth neither bring penury to his estate, nor the
superfluity licence her to Riot. Shee is liberall, and yet owes not
ruine to vanity, but knows Charity, to be the soule of goodnesse,
and Vertue without reward often prone to bee her own destroyer. Shee
is much at home, and when she visites 'tis for mutuall commerce, not
for intelligence. Shee can goe to Court, and returne no passionate
doater on bravery; and when shee hath seene the gay things muster up
themselves there, she considers them as Cobwebs the Spider vanity hath
spunne. Shee is so generall in her acquaintance, that shee is familiar
with all whom fame speakes vertuous; but thinkes there can bee no
friendship but with one; and therefore hath neither shee friend nor
private servant. Shee so squares her passion to her Husbands fortunes,
that in the Countrey shee lives without a froward Melancholly, in the
town without a fantastique pride. She is so temperate, she never read
the modern pollicie of glorious surfeits; since she finds Nature is no
Epicure if art provoke her not by curiositie. Shee is inquisitive onely
of new wayes to please him, and her wit sayles by no other compasse
then that of his direction. Shee lookes upon him as Conjurers upon the
Circle, beyond which there is nothing but Death and Hell; and in him
shee beleeves Paradice circumscrib'd. His vertues are her wonder and
imitation; and his errors, her credulitie thinkes no more frailtie,
then makes him descend to the title of Man. In a word, shee so lives
that she may dye; and leave no cloude upon her Memory, but have her
character nobly mentioned: while the bad Wife is flattered into infamy,
and buyes pleasure at too[17] deare a rate, if shee onely payes for it
Repentance._
[17] _so._ 1635.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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