[Line: 22 _1647_ 'Guards and defends my heart'.]
_The Farewell._
Since Fate commands me hence, and I
Must leave my soul with thee, and die,
Dear, spare one sigh, or else let fall
A tear to crown my funeral,
That I may tell my grievéd heart,
Thou art unwilling we should part,
And Martyrs, that embrace the fire,
Shall with less joy than I expire.
With this last kiss I will bequeath
My soul transfus'd into thy breath, 10
Whose active heat shall gently slide
Into thy breast, and there reside,
And be in spite of Fate, thus bless'd
By this sad death, of Heaven possess'd.
Then prove but kind, and thou shalt see
Love hath more power than Destiny.
[_The Farewell._] In lines 13 and 14 of this all
editions vary slightly. _1647_ has 'may' for 'be', which
latter word opens the next line, turning out 'sad'. The text
is _1651_, _1656_, keeping l. 13 of _1647_, has for l. 14 the
text of _1651_.]
_Claim to Love._
GUARINI.
Alas! alas! thou turn'st in vain
Thy beauteous face away,
Which, like young sorcerers, rais'd a pain
Above its power to lay.
Love moves not, as thou turn'st thy look,
But here doth firmly rest;
He long ago thy eyes forsook,
To revel in my breast.
Thy power on him why hop'st thou more
Than his on me should be? 10
The claim thou lay'st to him is poor,
To that he owns from me.
His substance in my heart excels
His shadow in thy sight;
Fire, where it burns, more truly dwells,
Than where it scatters light.
_To his Mistress, who dreamed he was wounded._
GUARINI.
Thine eyes, bright Saint, disclose,
And thou shalt find
Dreams have not with illusive shows
Deceiv'd thy mind:
What sleep presented to thy view,
Awake, and thou shalt find is true.
Those mortal wounds I bear,
From thee begin,
Which though they outward not appear,
Yet bleed within. 10
Love's flame like active lightning flies,
Wounding the heart, but not the eyes.
But now I yield to die
Thy sacrifice,
Nor more in vain will hope to fly
From thy bright eyes:
Their killing power cannot be shunn'd,
Open or closed alike they wound.
[_To his Mistress, &c._] _1647_ 'To Doris dreaming
he was wounded'. Guarini is not there mentioned.]
_The Exchange._
DIALOGUE.
_Phil._
That kiss, which last thou gav'st me, stole
My fainting life away,
Yet, though to thy breast fled, my soul
Still in mine own doth stay;
_Char._
And with the same warm breath did mine
Into thy bosom slide;
There dwell contracted unto thine,
Yet still with me reside.
_Chor._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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