Hope, whose weak beeing ruin'd is 1 Alike if it succeed or if it misse! Whom ill and good doth equally confound, And both the hornes of Fate's dilemma wound. Vain shadow; that dost vanish quite 5 Both at full noon and perfect night! The starres haue not a possibility Of blessing thee. If thinges then from their end we happy call, 'Tis Hope is the most hopelesse thing of all. 10 Hope, thou bold taster of delight! Who in stead of doing so, deuourst it quite. Thou bringst vs an estate, yet leau'st vs poor By clogging it with legacyes before. The ioyes which we intire should wed 15 Come deflour'd-virgins to our bed. Good fortunes without gain imported be Such mighty custom's paid to thee For ioy, like wine kep't close, doth better tast; If it take air before, his spirits wast. 20 Hope, Fortun's cheating lottery, Where for one prize, an hundred blankes there be. Fond anchor, Hope! who tak'st thine aime so farr That still or short or wide thine arrows are; Thinne empty cloud which th' ey deceiues 25 With shapes that our own fancy giues. A cloud which gilt and painted now appeares But must drop presently in teares: When thy false beames o're reason's light preuail, By _ignes fatvi_ for North starres we sail. 30 Brother of Fear, more gaily clad, The merryer fool o' th' two, yet quite as mad. Sire of Repentance, child of fond desire That blow'st the chymick's and the louer's fire. Still leading them insensibly on 35 With the strong witchcraft of 'anon.' By thee the one does changing nature, through Her endlesse labyrinths pursue; And th' other chases woman; while she goes More wayes and turnes then hunted Nature knowes. 40 M. COWLEY. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. In all the editions save that of 1652 the respective portions of COWLEY and CRASHAW are alternated as Question and Answer, after a fashion of the day exemplified by _Pembroke_ and RUDYARD and others. The heading in 1646, 1648 and 1670 accordingly is 'On Hope, by way of Question and Answer, between A. COWLEY and R. CRASHAW.' _Various readings from 1646 edition._ Line 3, 'and' for 'or,' and 'doth' for 'does.' " 7, 'Fates' for 'starres:' but as Fate occurs in line 4, 'starres' seems preferable. Line 9, 'ends' for 'end.' " 18, 'so' for 'such.' " 19, 'doth' for 'does;' adopted. " 20, 'its' for 'his;' the personification warrants 'his.' " 25. All the other editions misread 'Thine empty cloud, the eye it selfe deceives.' There can be no question that 'thinne' not 'thine' was the poet's word. Cf. CRASHAW'S reference in his Answer. TURNBULL perpetuates the error.