The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Volume 2 of 2.Davies, John, Sir
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The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Volume 2 of 2.
Davies, John, Sir
Davies, John, Sir, 1569-1626; English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700
_T._ If thou knewest the cause, thou wouldst not wonder; for I stay
to entertaine the Wonder of this time; wherein I would pray thee to
ioyne mee, if thou wert not too little for her greatnes; for it weare
as great a meracle for thee to receive her, as to see the Ocean shut up
in a little creeke, or the circumference shrinke vnto the pointe of the
center.
_P._ Too little! by that reason shee should rest in noe _place_, for
no _place_ is great ynough to receive her. Too little! I have all this
day entertayned the Sunn, which, you knowe, is a great and glorious
Guest; hee's but euen now gone downe yonder hill; and now he is gone,
methinks, if Cinthia her selfe would come in his place, the place that
contaynde him should not be to little to receave her.
_T._ You say true, and I like your comparison; for the Guest that wee
are to entertaine doth fill all places with her divine vertues, as
the Sunn fills the World with the light of his beames. But say, poore
_Place_, in what manner didst thou entertaine the Sunn?
_P._ I received his glory, and was fill'd with it: but I must confesse,
not according to the proportion of his greatnes, but according to the
measure of my capacitie; his bright face (methought) was all day turned
vpon mee; nevertheless his beames in infinite abundance weere disperst
and spread vpon other places.
_T._ Well, well; this is noe time for vs to entertaine one another,
when wee should ioine to entertaine her. Our entertaynment of this
Goddesse will be much alike; for though her selfe shall eclipse her
soe much, as to suffer her brightnes to bee shadowed in this obscuere
and narrow _Place_, yet the sunne beames that follow her, the traine I
meane that attends vpon her, must, by the necessitie of this _Place_,
be deuided from her. Are you ready, _Place_? _Time_ is ready.
_P._ Soe it should seeme, indeed, you are so gaye, fresh, and
cheerfull. You are the present _Time_, are you not? then what neede you
make such haste? Let me see, your wings are clipt, and, for ought I
see, your hower-glasse runnes not.
_T._ My wings are clipt indeed, and it is her hands hath clipt them:
and, tis true, my glasse runnes not: indeed it hath bine stopt a longe
time, it can never rune as long as I waite upon this Mris. I [am] her
_Time_; and _Time_ weare very vngratefull, if it should not euer stand
still, to serue and preserue, cherish and delight her, that is the
glory of her time, and makes the _Time_ happy wherein she liueth.
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