第 9 节
作者:不言败      更新:2021-02-20 05:18      字数:9322
  creed That I shall never find him。
  *44*
  THE CHEAT OF CUPID; OR; THE UNGENTLE GUEST
  One silent night of late; When every creature rested; Came one unto my gate; And knocking; me molested。
  Who's that; said I; beats there; And troubles thus the sleepy? Cast off; said he; all fear; And let not locks thus keep ye。
  For I a boy am; who By moonless nights have swerved; And all with showers wet through; And e'en with cold half starved。
  I pitiful arose; And soon a taper lighted; And did myself disclose Unto the lad benighted。
  I saw he had a bow; And wings too; which did shiver; And looking down below; I spied he had a quiver。
  I to my chimney's shine Brought him; as Love professes; And chafed his hands with mine; And dried his dropping tresses。
  But when he felt him warm'd; Let's try this bow of ours And string; if they be harm'd; Said he; with these late showers。
  Forthwith his bow he bent; And wedded string and arrow; And struck me; that it went Quite through my heart and marrow
  Then laughing loud; he flew Away; and thus said flying; Adieu; mine host; adieu; I'll leave thy heart a…dying。
  *45*
  UPON CUPID
  Love; like a gipsy; lately came; And did me much importune To see my hand; that by the same He might foretell my fortune。
  He saw my palm; and then; said he; I tell thee; by this score here; That thou; within few months; shalt be The youthful Prince D'Amour here。
  I smiled; and bade him once more prove; And by some cross…line show it; That I could ne'er be Prince of Love; Though here the Princely Poet。
  *46*
  TO BE MERRY
  Let's now take our time; While we're in our prime; And old; old age is afar off; For the evil; evil days Will come on apace; Before we can be aware of。
  *47*
  UPON HIS GRAY HAIRS
  Fly me not; though I be gray; Lady; this I know you'll say; Better look the roses red; When with white commingled。 Black your hairs are; mine are white; This begets the more delight; When things meet most opposite; As in pictures we descry Venus standing Vulcan by。
  *48*
  AN HYMN TO THE MUSES
  Honour to you who sit Near to the well of wit; And drink your fill of it!
  Glory and worship be To you; sweet Maids; thrice three; Who still inspire me;
  And teach me how to sing Unto the lyric string; My measures ravishing!
  Then; while I sing your praise; My priest…hood crown with bays Green to the end of days!
  *49*
  THE COMING OF GOOD LUCK
  So Good…Luck came; and on my roof did light; Like noiseless snow; or as the dew of night; Not all at once; but gently;as the trees Are by the sun…beams; tickled by degrees。
  *50*
  HIS CONTENT IN THE COUNTRY
  HERE; Here I live with what my board Can with the smallest cost afford; Though ne'er so mean the viands be; They well content my Prue and me: Or pea or bean; or wort or beet; Whatever comes; Content makes sweet。 Here we rejoice; because no rent We pay for our poor tenement; Wherein we rest; and never fear The landlord or the usurer。 The quarter…day does ne'er affright Our peaceful slumbers in the night: We eat our own; and batten more; Because we feed on no man's score; But pity those whose flanks grow great; Swell'd with the lard of other's meat。 We bless our fortunes; when we see Our own beloved privacy; And like our living; where we're known To very few; or else to none。
  *51*
  HIS RETURN TO LONDON
  From the dull confines of the drooping west; To see the day spring from the pregnant east; Ravish'd in spirit; I come; nay more; I fly To thee; blest place of my nativity! Thus; thus with hallow'd foot I touch the ground; With thousand blessings by thy fortune crown'd。 O fruitful Genius!  that bestowest here An everlasting plenty year by year; O place!  O people!  manners!  framed to please All nations; customs; kindreds; languages! I am a free…born Roman; suffer then That I amongst you live a citizen。 London my home is; though by hard fate sent Into a long and irksome banishment; Yet since call'd back; henceforward let me be; O native country; repossess'd by thee! For; rather than I'll to the west return; I'll beg of thee first here to have mine urn。 Weak I am grown; and must in short time fall; Give thou my sacred reliques burial。
  *52*
  HIS DESIRE
  Give me a man that is not dull; When all the world with rifts is full; But unamazed dares clearly sing; Whenas the roof's a…tottering; And though it falls; continues still Tickling the Cittern with his quill。
  *53*
  AN ODE FOR BEN JONSON
  Ah Ben! Say how or when Shall we; thy guests; Meet at those lyric feasts; Made at the Sun; The Dog; the Triple Tun; Where we such clusters had; As made us nobly wild; not mad? And yet each verse of thine Out…did the meat; out…did the frolic wine。
  My Ben! Or come again; Or send to us Thy wit's great overplus; But teach us yet Wisely to husband it; Lest we that talent spend; And having once brought to an end That precious stock;the store Of such a wit the world should have no more。
  *54*
  TO LIVE MERRILY; AND TO TRUST TO GOOD VERSES
  Now is the time for mirth; Nor cheek or tongue be dumb; For with 'the' flowery earth The golden pomp is come。
  The golden pomp is come; For now each tree does wear; Made of her pap and gum; Rich beads of amber here。
  Now reigns the Rose; and now Th' Arabian dew besmears My uncontrolled brow; And my retorted hairs。
  Homer; this health to thee! In sack of such a kind; That it would make thee see; Though thou wert ne'er so blind
  Next; Virgil I'll call forth; To pledge this second health In wine; whose each cup's worth An Indian commonwealth。
  A goblet next I'll drink To Ovid; and suppose Made he the pledge; he'd think The world had all one nose。
  Then this immensive cup Of aromatic wine; Catullus!  I quaff up To that terse muse of thine。
  Wild I am now with heat: O Bacchus!  cool thy rays; Or frantic I shall eat Thy Thyrse; and bite the Bays!
  Round; round; the roof does run; And being ravish'd thus; Come; I will drink a tun To my Propertius。
  Now; to Tibullus next; This flood I drink to thee; But stay; I see a text; That this presents to me。
  Behold!  Tibullus lies Here burnt; whose small return Of ashes scarce suffice To fill a little urn。
  Trust to good verses then; They only will aspire; When pyramids; as men; Are lost i' th' funeral fire。
  And when all bodies meet In Lethe to be drown'd; Then only numbers sweet With endless life are crown'd。
  *55*
  THE APPARITION OF HIS; MISTRESS; CALLING HIM TO ELYSIUM
  DESUNT NONNULLA
  Come then; and like two doves with silvery wings; Let our souls fly to th' shades; wherever springs Sit smiling in the meads; where balm and oil; Roses and cassia; crown the untill'd soil; Where no disease reigns; or infection comes To blast the air; but amber…gris and gums。 This; that; and ev'ry thicket doth transpire More sweet than storax from the hallow'd fire; Where ev'ry tree a wealthy issue bears Of fragrant apples; blushing plums; or pears; And all the shrubs; with sparkling spangles; shew Like morning sun…shine; tinselling the dew。 Here in green meadows sits eternal May; Purfling the margents; while perpetual day So double…gilds the air; as that no night Can ever rust th' enamel of the light: Here naked younglings; handsome striplings; run Their goals for virgins' kisses; which when done; Then unto dancing forth the learned round Commix'd they meet; with endless roses crown'd。 And here we'll sit on primrose…banks; and see Love's chorus led by Cupid; and we'll he Two loving followers too unto the grove; Where poets sing the stories of our love。 There thou shalt hear divine Musaeus sing Of Hero and Leander; then I'll bring Thee to the stand; where honour'd Homer reads His Odyssees and his high Iliads; About whose throne the crowd of poets throng To hear the incantation of his tongue: To Linus; then to Pindar; and that done; I'll bring thee; Herrick; to Anacreon; Quaffing his full…crown'd bowls of burning wine; And in his raptures speaking lines of thine; Like to his subject; and as his frantic Looks shew him truly Bacchanalian like; Besmear'd with grapes;welcome he shall thee thither; Where both may rage; both drink and dance together。 Then stately Virgil; witty Ovid; by Whom fair Corinna sits; and doth comply With ivory wrists his laureat head; and steeps His eye in dew of kisses while he sleeps。 Then soft Catullus; sharp…fang'd Martial; And towering Lucan; Horace; Juvenal; And snaky Persius; these; and those whom rage; Dropt for the jars of heaven; fill'd; t' engage All times unto their frenzies; thou shalt there Behold them in a spacious theatre: Among which glories; crown'd with sacred bays And flatt'ring ivy; two recite their plays; Beaumont and Fletcher; swans; to whom all ears Listen; while they; like sirens in their spheres; Sing their Evadne; and still more for thee There yet remains to know than thou canst see By glimm'ring of a fancy; Do but come; And there I'll shew thee that capacious room In which thy father; Jonson; now is placed As in a globe of radiant fire; and graced To be in that orb crown'd; that doth include Those prophets of the former magnitude; And he one chief。  But hark!  I hear the cock; The bell…man of the night; proclaim the clock Of late struck One; and now I see the prime Of day break from the pr