At these thy weeping gates (Watching their watry motion), Each wingèd moment waits: Takes his tear, and gets him gone. By thine ey's tinct enobled thus, 155 Time layes him vp; he's pretious. XXVII. Time, as by thee He passes, Makes thy ever-watry eyes His hower-glasses. By them His steps He rectifies. 160 The sands He us'd, no longer please, For His owne sands Hee'l use thy seas. XXVIII. Not, 'so long she liuèd,' Shall thy tomb report of thee; But, 'so long she grieuèd:' 165 Thus must we date thy memory. Others by moments, months, and yeares Measure their ages; thou, by teares. XXIX. So doe perfumes expire, So sigh tormented sweets, opprest 170 With proud vnpittying fire. Such teares the suffring rose, that's vext With vngentle flames, does shed, Sweating in a too warm bed. XXX. Say, ye bright brothers, 175 The fugitiue sons of those fair eyes, Your fruitfull mothers! What make you here? what hopes can 'tice You to be born? what cause can borrow You from those nests of noble sorrow? 180 XXXI. Whither away so fast? For sure the sluttish earth Your sweetnes cannot tast, Nor does the dust deserve your birth. Sweet, whither hast you then? O say 185 Why you trip so fast away? XXXII. We goe not to seek The darlings of Aurora's bed, The rose's modest cheek, Nor the violet's humble head. 190 Though the feild's eyes too Weepers be, Because they want such teares as we. XXXIII. Much lesse mean we to trace The fortune of inferior gemmes, Preferr'd to some proud face, 195 Or pertch't vpon fear'd diadems: Crown'd heads are toyes. We goe to meet A worthy object, our Lord's feet. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. With some shortcomings--superficial rather than substantive--'The Weeper' is a lovely poem, and well deserves its place of honour at the commencement of the 'Steps to the Temple,' as in editions of 1646, 1648, and 1670. Accordingly we have spent the utmost pains on our text of it, taking for basis that of 1652. The various readings of the different editions and of the SANCROFT MS. are given below for the capable student of the ultimate perfected form. I have not hesitated to correct several misprints of the text of 1652 from the earlier editions.