第 20 节
作者:不言败      更新:2021-02-20 05:19      字数:9321
  Sleep in thy peace; thy bed of spice; And make this place all paradise; May sweets grow here; and smoke from hence Fat frankincense; Let balm and cassia send their scent From out thy maiden…monument。
  May no wolf howl; or screech owl stir A wing about thy sepulchre! No boisterous winds or storms come hither; To starve or wither Thy soft sweet earth; but; like a spring; Love keep it ever flourishing。
  May all shy maids; at wonted hours; Come forth to strew thy tomb with flowers; May virgins; when they come to mourn; Male…incense burn Upon thine altar; then return; And leave thee sleeping in thy urn。
  *245*
  THE WIDOWS' TEARS; OR; DIRGE OF DORCAS
  Come pity us; all ye who see Our harps hung on the willow…tree; Come pity us; ye passers…by; Who see or hear poor widows' cry; Come pity us; and bring your ears And eyes to pity widows' tears。 CHOR。  And when you are come hither; Then we will keep A fast; and weep Our eyes out all together;
  For Tabitha; who dead lies here; Clean wash'd; and laid out for the bier。 O modest matrons; weep and wail! For now the corn and wine must fail; The basket and the bin of bread; Wherewith so many souls were fed; CHOR。  Stand empty here for ever; And ah!  the poor; At thy worn door; Shall be relieved never。
  Woe worth the time; woe worth the day; That reft us of thee; Tabitha! For we have lost; with thee; the meal; The bits; the morsels; and the deal Of gentle paste and yielding dough; That thou on widows did bestow。 CHOR。  All's gone; and death hath taken Away from us Our maundy; thus Thy widows stand forsaken。
  Ah; Dorcas; Dorcas!  now adieu We bid the cruise and pannier too; Ay; and the flesh; for and the fish; Doled to us in that lordly dish。 We take our leaves now of the loom From whence the housewives' cloth did come; CHOR。  The web affords now nothing; Thou being dead; The worsted thread Is cut; that made us clothing。
  Farewell the flax and reaming wool; With which thy house was plentiful; Farewell the coats; the garments; and The sheets; the rugs; made by thy hand; Farewell thy fire and thy light; That ne'er went out by day or night: CHOR。  No; or thy zeal so speedy; That found a way; By peep of day; To feed and clothe the needy。
  But ah; alas!  the almond…bough And olive…branch is wither'd now; The wine…press now is ta'en from us; The saffron and the calamus; The spice and spikenard hence is gone; The storax and the cinnamon; CHOR。  The carol of our gladness Has taken wing; And our late spring Of mirth is turn'd to sadness。
  How wise wast thou in all thy ways! How worthy of respect and praise! How matron…like didst thou go drest! How soberly above the rest Of those that prank it with their plumes; And jet it with their choice perfumes! CHOR。  Thy vestures were not flowing; Nor did the street Accuse thy feet Of mincing in their going。
  And though thou here liest dead; we see A deal of beauty yet in thee。 How sweetly shews thy smiling face; Thy lips with all diffused grace! Thy hands; though cold; yet spotless; white; And comely as the chrysolite。 CHOR。  Thy belly like a hill is; Or as a neat Clean heap of wheat; All set about with lilies。
  Sleep with thy beauties here; while we Will shew these garments made by thee; These were the coats; in these are read The monuments of Dorcas dead: These were thy acts; and thou shalt have These hung as honours o'er thy grave: CHOR。  And after us; distressed; Should fame be dumb; Thy very tomb Would cry out; Thou art blessed。
  *246*
  UPON HIS SISTER…IN…LAW; MISTRESS ELIZABETH HERRICK
  First; for effusions due unto the dead; My solemn vows have here accomplished; Next; how I love thee; that my grief must tell; Wherein thou liv'st for ever。Dear; farewell!
  *247*
  TO HIS KINSWOMAN; MISTRESS SUSANNA HERRICK
  When I consider; dearest; thou dost stay But here awhile; to languish and decay; Like to these garden glories; which here be The flowery…sweet resemblances of thee: With grief of heart; methinks; I thus do cry; Would thou hadst ne'er been born; or might'st not die!
  *248*
  ON HIMSELF
  I'll write no more of love; but now repent Of all those times that I in it have spent。 I'll write no more of life; but wish 'twas ended; And that my dust was to the earth commended。
  *249*
  HIS WISH TO PRIVACY
  Give me a cell To dwell; Where no foot hath A path; There will I spend; And end; My wearied years In tears。
  *250*
  TO HIS PATERNAL COUNTRY
  O earth!  earth!  earth!  hear thou my voice; and be Loving and gentle for to cover me! Banish'd from thee I live;ne'er to return; Unless thou giv'st my small remains an urn。
  *251*
  COCK…CROW
  Bell…man of night; if I about shall go For to deny my Master; do thou crow! Thou stop'st Saint Peter in the midst of sin; Stay me; by crowing; ere I do begin; Better it is; premonish'd; for to shun A sin; than fall to weeping when 'tis done。
  *252*
  TO HIS CONSCIENCE
  Can I not sin; but thou wilt be My private protonotary? Can I not woo thee; to pass by A short and sweet iniquity? I'll cast a mist and cloud upon My delicate transgression; So utter dark; as that no eye Shall see the hugg'd impiety。 Gifts blind the wise; and bribes do please And wind all other witnesses; And wilt not thou with gold be tied; To lay thy pen and ink aside; That in the mirk and tongueless night; Wanton I may; and thou not write? It will not be:  And therefore; now; For times to come; I'll make this vow; From aberrations to live free: So I'll not fear the judge; or thee。
  *253*
  TO HEAVEN
  Open thy gates To him who weeping waits; And might come in; But that held back by sin。 Let mercy be So kind; to set me free; And I will straight Come in; or force the gate。
  *254*
  AN ODE OF THE BIRTH OF OUR SAVIOUR
  In numbers; and but these few; I sing thy birth; oh JESU! Thou pretty Baby; born here; With sup'rabundant scorn here; Who for thy princely port here; Hadst for thy place Of birth; a base Out…stable for thy court here。
  Instead of neat enclosures Of interwoven osiers; Instead of fragrant posies Of daffadils and roses; Thy cradle; kingly stranger; As gospel tells; Was nothing else; But; here; a homely manger。
  But we with silks; not cruels; With sundry precious jewels; And lily…work will dress thee; And as we dispossess thee Of clouts; we'll make a chamber; Sweet babe; for thee; Of ivory; And plaster'd round with amber。
  The Jews; they did disdain thee; But we will entertain thee With glories to await here; Upon thy princely state here; And more for love than pity: From year to year We'll make thee; here; A free…born of our city。
  *255*
  TO HIS SAVIOUR; A CHILD; A PRESENT; BY A CHILD
  Go; pretty child; and bear this flower Unto thy little Saviour; And tell him; by that bud now blown; He is the Rose of Sharon known。 When thou hast said so; stick it there Upon his bib or stomacher; And tell him; for good handsel too; That thou hast brought a whistle new; Made of a clean straight oaten reed; To charm his cries at time of need; Tell him; for coral; thou hast none; But if thou hadst; he should have one; But poor thou art; and known to be Even as moneyless as he。 Lastly; if thou canst win a kiss From those melifluous lips of his; Then never take a second on; To spoil the first impression。
  *256*
  GRACE FOR A CHILD
  Here; a little child; I stand; Heaving up my either hand: Cold as paddocks though they be; Here I lift them up to thee; For a benison to fall On our meat; and on us all。 Amen。
  *257*
  HIS LITANY; TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
  In the hour of my distress; When temptations me oppress; And when I my sins confess; Sweet Spirit; comfort me!
  When I lie within my bed; Sick in heart; and sick in head; And with doubts discomforted; Sweet Spirit; comfort me!
  When the house doth sigh and weep; And the world is drown'd in sleep; Yet mine eyes the watch do keep; Sweet Spirit; comfort me!
  When the artless doctor sees No one hope; but of his fees; And his skill runs on the lees; Sweet Spirit; comfort me!
  When his potion and his pill; Has; or none; or little skill; Meet for nothing but to kill; Sweet Spirit; comfort me!
  When the passing…bell doth toll; And the furies in a shoal Come to fright a parting soul; Sweet Spirit; comfort me!
  When the tapers now burn blue; And the comforters are few; And that number more than true; Sweet Spirit; comfort me!
  When the priest his last hath pray'd; And I nod to what is said; 'Cause my speech is now decay'd; Sweet Spirit; comfort me!
  When; God knows; I'm tost about Either with despair; or doubt; Yet; before the glass be out; Sweet Spirit; comfort me!
  When the tempter me pursu'th With the sins of all my youth; And half damns me with untruth; Sweet Spirit; comfort me!
  When the flames and hellish cries Fright mine ears; and fright mine eyes; And all terrors me surprise; Sweet Spirit; comfort me!
  When the Judgment is reveal'd; And that open'd which was seal'd; When to Thee I have appeal'd; Sweet Spirit; comfort me!
  *258*
  TO DEATH
  Thou bidst me come away; And I'll no longer stay; Than for to shed some tears For faults of former years; And to repent some crimes Done in the present times; And next; to take a bit Of bread; and wine with it; To don my robes of love; Fit for the place above; To gird my