William Davenant

“ Nor that respect which People pay those Kings,
Whose peace makes rich, whom civil war made wise,
Can equal this which aged Ulfin brings
The gentle Duke, to whom he prostrate lies.
11.
His Eyes (not us'd to tears) bathe ev'ry wound;
Which he salutes as things he chiefly lov'd;
And when expence of spirits he had found,
To gain him air, his Mourners he remov'd.
12.
Make way, said he, and give Experience room,
The Confident of age, though Youth's scorn'd guide,
My wounds, though past, out number yours to come,
You can but hope the knowledge I have try'd. ”

“ Not all the dangets valour finds in war,
Love meets in Courts, or pride to Courts procures,
When sick with Peace the hot in Faction are,
Can make such fears as now the Duke endures.
34.
Nor all those fears which ev'ry Maid has found,
On whose first Guards, Love by surprises steals,
(Whose sightless Arrow makes a cureless wound)
Are like to this which doubtfull Birtha feels.
35.
He from his looks wild wonder strives to chace;
Strives more to teach his Manhood to resist
Death in her Eyes, and then with all the grace
Of seeming pleasure, Orgo he dismist. ”

“ Away, happie the Man that fastest flies;
Flie famous Duke, flie with thy noble Train!
61.
The Duke reply'd, though with thy fears disguis'd,
Thou do'st my Sires old Rangers Image bear,
And for thy kindness shalt not be despis'd;
Though Counsels are but weak which come from fear.
62.
Were Dangers here, great as thy love can shape;
(And love with fear can danger multiply)
Yet when by flight, thou bidst us meanly scape,
Bid Trees take wings, and rooted Forrests flie. ”

“ Her courage beauteous grows, and grief decays;
And with such joy as shipwrack'd Men imbrace
The Shore, she hastens to the House of Praise.
17.
And there the Gem she from her bosom took,
(With which till now she trembled to advise)
So far from pale, that Gondibert would look
Pale, if he saw, how it out-shin'd her Eyes.
18.
These Rays she to a Miracle prefers;
And lustre that such beauty so defies,
Had Poets seen (Love's partial Jewellers,
Who count nought precious but their Mistress Eyes)
19. ”

“ Let Death give way to life! to horse! to horse!
11.
This sorrow is too soft for deeds behind;
Which I (a mortal Lover) would sustain;
So as to make your Sister wisely kind,
And praise me living, not lament me slain.
12.
Swift as Armenians in the Panthers chace
They flie to reach where now their Hunters are;
Who sought out danger with too bold a pace,
Till thus the Duke did them aloud prepare.
13.
Impatient Friends, stand that your strength may last,
Burn not in blaze rage that should warm you long!
I wish to Foes the weaknesses of haste,
To you such slowness as may keep you strong. ”

“ Such thought as brow and breast with study warms.
51.
Fix'd to unheeded object is his Eye
His sences he calls in, as if t'improve
By outward absence inward extasie,
Such as makes Prophets, or is made by Love.
52.
Awake (said Gondibert) for now in vain
Thou dream'st of sov'reignty and War's success;
Hope, nought has left, which Worth should wish to gain;
And all Ambition is but Hope's excess.
53.
Bid all our Worthies to unarm, and rest!
For they have nought to conquer worth their care;
I have a Father's right in Birtha's breast,
And that's the peace for which the wise make war. ”

“ Those that observ'd her anger, grief, and haste,
With ancient Roman melancholy mourn;
She seem'd their Cities Genius as she pass'd,
Who by their Sins expell'd, would ne'r return.
85.
The gentle Ladies, she has left in tears,
Who no example need, nor cause to melt;
For soon even grief's Alarms, our foremost tears,
Kill those whose pain by Love's quick sence is felt. ”

“ Dive deep in Seas, through Forrests follow winds,
Or reach with Optick Tubes the ragged Moon,
My sight no cause of Love's swift motion finds.
56.
Love's fatal haste, in yours, I will not blame,
Because I know not why his wings were giv'n;
Nor doubt him true, not knowing whence he came,
Nor Birtha chide, who thought you came from Heav'n.
57.
If you lay snares, we erre when we escape;
Since evil practise learns Men to suspect
Where falshood is, and in your noble shape,
We should by finding it, our skill detect. ”

“ And then by Hubert's wounds thought Oswald slain.
14.
But when disguis'd in death they Oswald saw,
In a slow Chariot brought, with fun'ral pace;
Themselves in an united Croud they draw;
And give all grief one universal Face.
15.
Wonder (which grows unactive by excess)
A while did their unruly passion stay;
The object lasting made their wonder less,
Which fled to give their grief and anger way.
16.
Yet first their grief (which Manhood should restrain)
They vent in womens sighs, with tears allay'd;
As if those women taught them to complain
Who by their Swords are weeping widows made. ”

“ But winged Love, she was too young to hold,
And, wanton-like, let it to others flie.
8.
Love, who in whisper scap'd, did publick grow;
Which makes them now their time in silence waste;
Makes their neglected Needles move so slow,
And through their Eyes, their Hearts dissolve so fast.
9.
For oft, dire tales of Love has fill'd their Heads;
And while they doubt you in that Tyrant's pow'r,
The Spring (they think) may visit Woods and Meads,
But scarce shall hear a Bird, or see a Flow'r.
10.
Ah how (said Birtha) shall I dare confess
My griefs to thee, Love's rash, impatient Spie ”

“ So Jewellers conceal with artfull pride
Their second wealth, after the best is shown.
25.
In pity's passion you unvail'd your mind;
Let him not fall, whom you did help to climb;
Nor seem by being bashfull so unkind,
As if you think your pity was a crime.
26.
O' useless shame! Officious bashfulness!
Virtues vain sign, which onely there appears
Where Virtue grows erroneous by excess,
And shapes more sins, than frighted Conscience fears. ”

“ And yet, though Virtue be as fashion sought,
And now Religion rules by Art's prais'd skill;
Fashion is Virtue's Mimmick, falsly taught,
And Art, but Nature's Ape, which plays her ill.
84.
To this blest House (great Nature's Court) all Courts
Compar'd, are but dark Closets for retreat
Of private Minds, Battels but Childrens sports;
And onely simple good, is solid Great.
85.
Let not the Mind, thus freed from Errour's Night,
(Since you repriev'd my Body from the Grave)
Perish for being how in love with light,
But let your Virtue, Virtue's Lover save.
86.
Birtha I love ”

“ Since yours, pomps, Virtue's dangers, never knew.
46.
Your suit would have your love with love repay'd;
To which Arts conquests, when all science flows,
Compar'd, are Students dreams; and triumphs made
By glorious Courts and Camps, but painted shows.
47.
Even Art's Dictators, who give Laws to Schools,
Are but dead Heads; States-men, who Empire move,
But prosp'rous Spies; and Victors, fighting Fools,
When they their Trophies rank with those of Love. ”

“ Life like a Judge, whom greater pow'r does aw;
And cannot an Almighty pardon give;
So much yields Subject Art to Nature's Law.
64.
And not weak Art, but Nature we upbraid,
When our frail essence proudly we take ill;
Think we are rob'd, when first we are decay'd,
And those were murder'd whom her law did kill.
95.
Now they refresh, after this long survay,
With pleasant Poets, who the Soul sublime;
Fame's Heraulds, in whose Triumphs they make way;
And place all those whom Honour helps to climb. ”

“ As Winds, whose violence out-does all art,
Act all unseen: so we as secretly
These branches of that Cedar Gondibert
Must force, till his deep Root in rising die.
52.
If we make noise whilst our deep workings last,
Such rumour through thick Towns unheeded flies,
As winds through woods, and we (our great work past)
Like winds will silence Tongues, and scape from Eyes.
53.
Ere this dark lesson she was clearer taught,
His enter'd Slaves place at her rev'renc'd Feet
A spacious Cabinet, with all things fraught,
Which seem'd for wearing artfull, rich, and sweet. ”

“ For soon the Prior of their Brotherhood
(Who long serv'd Heav'n with praise, the world with pray'r)
Cry'd out, this holy House is shut to blood,
To all that die in combat or despair.
44.
These by their bloody marks in Combat dy'd,
Through anger, the disease of Beasts untam'd;
Whose wrath is hunger, but in Men 'tis pride,
Yet theirs is cruelty, ours courage nam'd.
45.
Here the neglected Lord of peace does live;
Who taught the wrangling world the rules of love,
Should we his dwelling to the wrathfull give,
Our Sainted Dead would rise, and he remove. ”

“ His hands the Duke's worst order'd wounds undress
And gently bind; then strait he thus proceeds.
35.
West from those Hills till you Cremona reach,
With an unmingled right I gather rent;
By their great Gift who did such precepts teach
In giving, as their wealth is ne'r misspent.
36.
For as their plenteous pity fills my thought,
So their example was not read in vain;
A Thousand, who for them in battel fought,
And now distress'd with Maims, I entertain:
37. ”

“ What's rage in one, is liberty in all.
8.
Through dangers of this lawless liberty,
He like authentick Pow'r does boldly pass;
And with a quiet and experienc'd Eye,
Through Death's foul Vizard, does despise his face.
9.
At Hubert's Tent alights, where Hubert now
With Gartha of this Torrent does advise;
Which he believes does at the highest flow,
And must like Tides, sink when it cannot rise. ”

“ Her Maids run and return through ev'ry room;
Still seeming doubtfull where their safety lies,
All speaking with their looks, and all are dumb.
67.
She, who to dangers could more boldly wake,
With words, swift as those errands which her heart
Sends out in glances, thus to Goltho spake:
My Mother, Sir, Alas! You must depart.
68.
She is severe, as dying Confessours,
As jealous as unable Husbands are,
She Youth in Men, like Age in Maids abhors,
And has more Spies than any Civil War. ”

“ Which yield to Laws, and now our voice is Law.
56.
This Tybalt heard with sorrow and disdain,
(Who here with Hurgonil a Mourner came)
And strait the peacefull Fathers strives to gain,
And thus the Peoples Oratour reclaim.
57.
Most usefull Fathers! some trace secret things
Even to his Closet, who is hid in Heav'n;
Vainly as Nilus to his hidden springs,
And not enjoy, but censure what is giv'n.
58.
You with such temper their intemp'rance bear,
To shew your solid science does rely
So on it self, as you no trial fear;
For Arts are weak that are of Scepticks shie. ”

“ Like Flowr's still sweeter as they thicker grew.
64.
Yet must these pleasures feel, though innocent,
The sickness of extreams, and cannot last;
For Pow'r (Love's shun'd Impediment) has sent
To tell the Duke, his Monarch is in hast:
65.
And calls him to that triumph which he fears
So as a Saint forgiven (whose Breast does all
Heav'n's joys contain) wisely lov'd Pomp for bears,
Lest tempted Nature should from blessings fall. ”

“ As ill then wilt thou judge who should aspire,
As who is fair, that art too rude to love.
56.
But scarce had this reply reach'd Borgio's Ear,
When Goltho louder cry'd, what ere he be
Dares think her foul who hath a Lover here,
Though Love I never knew, shall now know me. ”

“ Those sorrows, which like Feavers, vex the young.
63.
When you in Love's fair Books (which Poets keep)
Read what they hide, his Tragick History,
You will rejoyce that half your time is sleep,
And smile at Love when Nature bids you die.
64.
Learn then that Love's diseases common are;
Do not in sickness known (though new to you)
Whilst vital hear does last, of cure despair:
Love's vital heat does last, whilst Love is true. ”

“ In War's great Trade, with richest Nations dealt;
And did their Gold and Fame with Iron gain.
37.
Yet to the mighty Aribert it bows;
A King out-doing all the Lombards Line!
Whose Court (in Iron clad) by courseness shows
A growing pow'r, which fades when Courts grow fine.
38.
Scorn not the Youthfull Camp at Bergamo,
For they are Victors, though in years but young;
The war does them, they it by action know,
And have obedient Minds in bodies strong. ”

“ Known by her Cures, as Law by punishment.
70.
The weaker sighted ever look too nigh;
But their disputes have made your Charter good;
As doubted Tenures, which long pleadings trie,
Authentick grow by being much withstood.
71.
These Chiefs, for whom we holy Rites desire,
By well fought Fields begot this Cities peace;
Oft with their blood have quench'd intestine fire;
And oft our famines chang'd to glad excess.
72.
Their Rites let not the people be deny'd,
Though by untutor'd kindness rudely sought;
Nor think they have in private Combat dy'd,
Where Gondibert and mighty Oswald fought. ”

“ He taught them shame, the sudden sence of ill;
Shame, Nature's hasty Conscience, which forbids
Weak inclination ere it grow to will,
And stays rash will, before it grow to deeds.
104.
He taught them Honour, Virtue's bashfulness;
A Fort so yieldless, that it fears to treat;
Like Pow'r, it grows to nothing, growing less;
Honour, the moral Conscience of the Great!
105.
He taught them kindness, Souls civilitie;
In which, nor Courts, nor Cities have a part ”

“ In declaring that States-men think not the State wholly secure by such manners as are bred from the perswasions of Divines, but more willingly make Government rely upon military-force, I have neither concluded that Poets are unprofitable, nor that States-men think so; for the wisdom of Poets, would first make the Images of Virtue so amiable, that her beholders should not be able to look off (rather gently and delightfully infusing, than inculcating Precepts) and then when the mind is conquer'd, like a willing Bride, Force should so behave it self, as noble Husbands use their power ”

“ And with last looks his Forrest walks did view;
Where sixtie Summers he had rul'd the Heard,
And where sharp Dittanie now vainly grew:
56.
Whose hoarie Leaves no more his wounds shall heal;
For with a Sigh (a blast of all his breath)
That viewless thing call'd Life, did from him steal;
And with their Bugle Horns they wind his death.
57.
Then with their annual wanton sacrifice
(Taught by old custom, whose decrees are vain,
And we like hum'rous Antiquaries prise
Age though deform'd) they hasten to the Plain. ”