Some Longer Elizabethan Poems

English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700

Now was the Welkyn all inuelloped
      With duskie Mantle of the sable Night:
      And CYNTHIA lifting vp her drouping head,
      Blusht at the Beautie of her borrowed light,
      When Sleepe now summon'd euery mortal wight.
      Then loe (me thought) I saw or seem'd to see,
      An heauenly Creature like an Angell bright,
      That in great haste came pacing towards me:
    Was neuer mortall eye beheld so faire a Shee.

    Thou lazie man (quoth she) what mak'st thou heere
      (Luld in the lap of Honours Enimie?)
      I heere commaund thee now for to appeare
      (By vertue of IOVES mickle Maiestie)
      In yonder Wood. (Which with her finger shee
      Out-poynting) had no sooner turn'd her face,
      And leauing mee to muze what she should bee,
      Yuanished into some other place:
    But straite (me thought) I saw a rout of heauenlie Race.

    Downe in a Dale, hard by a Forrest side,
      (Vnder the shaddow of a loftie Pine,)
      Not far from whence a trickling streame did glide,
      Did nature by her secret art combine,
      A pleasant Arbour, of a spreading Vine:
      Wherein Art stroue with nature to compaire,
      That made it rather seeme a thing diuine
      Being scituate all in the open Aire:
    A fairer nere was seene, if any seene so faire.

    There might one see, and yet not see (indeede)
      Fresh _Flora_ flourishing in chiefest Prime,
      Arrayed all in gay and gorgeous weede,
      The Primrose and sweet-smelling Eglantine,
      As fitted best beguiling so the time:
      And euer as she went she strewd the place,
      Red-roses mixt with Daffadillies fine,
      For Gods and Goddesses, that in like case
    In this same order sat, with il-beseeming grace.

    First, in a royall Chaire of massie gold,
      (Bard all about with plates of burning steele)
      Sat _Iupiter_ most glorious to behold,
      And in his hand was placed Fortunes wheele:
      The which he often turn'd, and oft did reele.
      And next to him, in griefe and gealouzie,
      (If sight may censure what the heart doth feele)
      In sad lament was placed _Mercurie;_
    That dying seem'd to weep, and weeping seem'd to die.

    On th'other side, aboue the other twaine,
      (Delighting as it seem'd to sit alone)
      Sat _Mulciber;_ in pride and high disdaine,
      Mounted on high vpon a stately throne,
      And euen with that I heard a deadly grone:
      Muzing at this, and such an vncouth sight,
      (Not knowing what shoulde make that piteous mone)
      I saw three furies, all in Armour dight,
    With euery one a Lampe, and euery one a light.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

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Some Longer Elizabethan Poems

English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700

Now was the Welkyn all inuelloped
      With duskie Mantle of the sable Night:
      And CYNTHIA lifting vp her drouping head,
      Blusht at the Beautie of her borrowed light,
      When Sleepe now summon'd euery mortal wight.
      Then loe (me thought) I saw or seem'd to see,
      An heauenly Creature like an Angell bright,
      That in great haste came pacing towards me:
    Was neuer mortall eye beheld so faire a Shee.

    Thou lazie man (quoth she) what mak'st thou heere
      (Luld in the lap of Honours Enimie?)
      I heere commaund thee now for to appeare
      (By vertue of IOVES mickle Maiestie)
      In yonder Wood. (Which with her finger shee
      Out-poynting) had no sooner turn'd her face,
      And leauing mee to muze what she should bee,
      Yuanished into some other place:
    But straite (me thought) I saw a rout of heauenlie Race.

    Downe in a Dale, hard by a Forrest side,
      (Vnder the shaddow of a loftie Pine,)
      Not far from whence a trickling streame did glide,
      Did nature by her secret art combine,
      A pleasant Arbour, of a spreading Vine:
      Wherein Art stroue with nature to compaire,
      That made it rather seeme a thing diuine
      Being scituate all in the open Aire:
    A fairer nere was seene, if any seene so faire.

    There might one see, and yet not see (indeede)
      Fresh _Flora_ flourishing in chiefest Prime,
      Arrayed all in gay and gorgeous weede,
      The Primrose and sweet-smelling Eglantine,
      As fitted best beguiling so the time:
      And euer as she went she strewd the place,
      Red-roses mixt with Daffadillies fine,
      For Gods and Goddesses, that in like case
    In this same order sat, with il-beseeming grace.

    First, in a royall Chaire of massie gold,
      (Bard all about with plates of burning steele)
      Sat _Iupiter_ most glorious to behold,
      And in his hand was placed Fortunes wheele:
      The which he often turn'd, and oft did reele.
      And next to him, in griefe and gealouzie,
      (If sight may censure what the heart doth feele)
      In sad lament was placed _Mercurie;_
    That dying seem'd to weep, and weeping seem'd to die.

    On th'other side, aboue the other twaine,
      (Delighting as it seem'd to sit alone)
      Sat _Mulciber;_ in pride and high disdaine,
      Mounted on high vpon a stately throne,
      And euen with that I heard a deadly grone:
      Muzing at this, and such an vncouth sight,
      (Not knowing what shoulde make that piteous mone)
      I saw three furies, all in Armour dight,
    With euery one a Lampe, and euery one a light.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Some Longer Elizabethan Poems

Some Longer Elizabethan Poems

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