But she's come, herself, unasked,
And brings gods and heroes masked.*
None yet saw, or heard in story,
Such immortal, mortal glory.
View not, without preparation,
Lest you faint in admiration.
Say, my Lords! and speak truth barely,
Mov'd they not exceeding rarely?
Did they not such praises merit,
As if flesh had all been spirit?
True indeed; yet I must tell them
There was one did far excel them.
But, alas! this is ill dealing;
Night unawares away is stealing:
Their delay the poor bed wrongeth,
That for bride with bridegroom longeth,
And above all other places,
Must be blest with their embraces.
Revellers! then now forbear ye,
And unto your rests prepare ye:
Let's awhile your absence borrow;
Sleep to night, and dance to-morrow.
We could well allow your courting,
But 'twill hinder better sporting.
* Two masques were represented on the occasion.
They are gone, and night, all lonely, Leaves the bride with bridegroom only. Muse! now tell, for thou hast
To fly through wall or tower,
What contentments their hearts cheereth,
And how lovely she appeareth.
And yet do not! tell it no man;
Rare conceits may so grow common:
Do not to the vulgar shew them;
"Tis enough that thou dost know them.
Their ill hearts are but the centre
Where all misconceivings enter.
But thou, Luna! that dost lightly
Haunt our downs and forests nightly;
Thou that favour'st generation,
And art help to procreation;
See their issue thou so cherish,
I may live to see it flourish.
And you, planets! in whose power
Doth consist these lives of our,
You that teach us divinations,
Help with all your constellations,
How to frame in her a creature
Blest in fortune, wit, and feature.
Lastly, O you angels! ward them,
Set your sacred spells to guard them;
Chace away such fears or terrors,
As not being, seem through errors ;
Yea, let not a dream's molesting,
Make them start when they are resting.
But Thou chiefly, most adored,
That shouldst only be implored!
Thou to whom my meaning tendeth,
Whether, e'er in show it bendeth!
Let them rest to night from sorrow,
And awake with joy to-morrow.
Oh! to my request be heedful;
Grant them that, and all things needful.
Let not these my strains of folly
Make true prayer be unholy;
But if I have here offended,
Help, forgive, and see it mended.
Deign me this. And if my muse's
Hasty issue, she peruses;
Make it unto her seem grateful,
Though to all the world else hateful.
But howe'er, yet, soul! persever
Thus to wish her good for ever..
THUS ends the day, together with my song;
Oh! may the joys thereof continue long!
Let heaven's just, all-seeing, sacred power
Favour this happy marriage-day of your;
And bless you in your chaste embraces so,
We Britons may behold, before you go,
The hopeful issue we shall count so dear,
And whom, unborn, his foes already fear.
Yea, I desire that all your sorrows may
Never be more, than they have been to-day;
Which hoping, for acceptance now I sue,
And humbly bid your grace and court adieu.
I saw the sight I came for; which I know
Was more than all the world beside could shew.
But if amongst Apollo's lays you can
Be pleas'd to lend a gentle ear to Pan,
Or think your country-shepherd loves as dear
As if he were a courtier or a peer,
Then I, that else must to my cell of pain,
Will joyful turn unto my flock again,
And there unto my fellow-shepherds tell,
Why you are lov'd, wherein you do excel.
And when we drive our flocks afield to graze them,
So chaunt your praises that it shall amaze them;
And think that fate hath new recall'd from death
Their still-lamented, sweet Elizabeth.
For though they see the court but now and then,
They know desert as well as greater men:
And honour'd fame in them doth live or die,
As well as in the mouth of majesty.
But taking granted what I here entreat,
At heaven for you my devotions beat;
And though I fear, fate will not suffer me
To do you service, where your fortunes be;
Howe'er my skill hath yet despised seem'd,
And my unripened wit been mis-esteem'd,
When all this costly show away shall flit,
And not one live that doth remember it,
If envy's trouble let not to persever,
I'll find a means to make it known for ever.
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