MARY MOLLINEUXc. 1648-1695
c. 1648-1695
Behold, ambitious lump of clay refined,Thy epilogue; see, see to what design’d!So soon as thou wert born, so soon as airAffords thee breath, thy vitals to repair,So soon as thy small feeble embrion breastIs of an active power, unknown, possess’d;So soon thou may’st expect the dreadful day,When thou once more must be reduc’d to clay,And the whole fabrick of thy body mustAgain be brought to its first nothing, dust:Then shall those eyes, those crystal eyes of thine,Which now like sparkling diamonds do shine,Their little chambers circular forsake,And them to essence more obscure betake;The tender funnel of thy nose must thenceCorroded be, and lose its smelling Sense;And all the volume of thy face will beSo chang’d, none may thereby remember thee.
Behold, ambitious lump of clay refined,Thy epilogue; see, see to what design’d!So soon as thou wert born, so soon as airAffords thee breath, thy vitals to repair,So soon as thy small feeble embrion breastIs of an active power, unknown, possess’d;So soon thou may’st expect the dreadful day,When thou once more must be reduc’d to clay,And the whole fabrick of thy body mustAgain be brought to its first nothing, dust:Then shall those eyes, those crystal eyes of thine,Which now like sparkling diamonds do shine,Their little chambers circular forsake,And them to essence more obscure betake;The tender funnel of thy nose must thenceCorroded be, and lose its smelling Sense;And all the volume of thy face will beSo chang’d, none may thereby remember thee.
Behold, ambitious lump of clay refined,Thy epilogue; see, see to what design’d!So soon as thou wert born, so soon as airAffords thee breath, thy vitals to repair,So soon as thy small feeble embrion breastIs of an active power, unknown, possess’d;So soon thou may’st expect the dreadful day,When thou once more must be reduc’d to clay,And the whole fabrick of thy body mustAgain be brought to its first nothing, dust:Then shall those eyes, those crystal eyes of thine,Which now like sparkling diamonds do shine,Their little chambers circular forsake,And them to essence more obscure betake;The tender funnel of thy nose must thenceCorroded be, and lose its smelling Sense;And all the volume of thy face will beSo chang’d, none may thereby remember thee.
Behold, ambitious lump of clay refined,
Thy epilogue; see, see to what design’d!
So soon as thou wert born, so soon as air
Affords thee breath, thy vitals to repair,
So soon as thy small feeble embrion breast
Is of an active power, unknown, possess’d;
So soon thou may’st expect the dreadful day,
When thou once more must be reduc’d to clay,
And the whole fabrick of thy body must
Again be brought to its first nothing, dust:
Then shall those eyes, those crystal eyes of thine,
Which now like sparkling diamonds do shine,
Their little chambers circular forsake,
And them to essence more obscure betake;
The tender funnel of thy nose must thence
Corroded be, and lose its smelling Sense;
And all the volume of thy face will be
So chang’d, none may thereby remember thee.
Alas, how hard a ThingIt is to bringInto a true Subjection Flesh and Blood,Quietly to entertain(And not complain)Those Exercises that attend for Good!My Life, my Joy, my Love,If thus thou please to proveAnd exercise my poor perplexèd Mind,Teach me to wait in Fear,That I may learn to hearWhat Trials may attend, of any Kind:And, guarded by thy Ray,Walk in the Way,That leads directly to the Throne of Grace;Where in Humility,Poor I may beAdmitted to sit down i’ th’ heav’nly Place.And there to thee dischargeMy griefs at large,As to a Bosom-Friend, that bears with me,And often passes byFaults of Infirmity:Alas, I cannot bear too much for thee!
Alas, how hard a ThingIt is to bringInto a true Subjection Flesh and Blood,Quietly to entertain(And not complain)Those Exercises that attend for Good!My Life, my Joy, my Love,If thus thou please to proveAnd exercise my poor perplexèd Mind,Teach me to wait in Fear,That I may learn to hearWhat Trials may attend, of any Kind:And, guarded by thy Ray,Walk in the Way,That leads directly to the Throne of Grace;Where in Humility,Poor I may beAdmitted to sit down i’ th’ heav’nly Place.And there to thee dischargeMy griefs at large,As to a Bosom-Friend, that bears with me,And often passes byFaults of Infirmity:Alas, I cannot bear too much for thee!
Alas, how hard a ThingIt is to bringInto a true Subjection Flesh and Blood,Quietly to entertain(And not complain)Those Exercises that attend for Good!
Alas, how hard a Thing
It is to bring
Into a true Subjection Flesh and Blood,
Quietly to entertain
(And not complain)
Those Exercises that attend for Good!
My Life, my Joy, my Love,If thus thou please to proveAnd exercise my poor perplexèd Mind,Teach me to wait in Fear,That I may learn to hearWhat Trials may attend, of any Kind:
My Life, my Joy, my Love,
If thus thou please to prove
And exercise my poor perplexèd Mind,
Teach me to wait in Fear,
That I may learn to hear
What Trials may attend, of any Kind:
And, guarded by thy Ray,Walk in the Way,That leads directly to the Throne of Grace;Where in Humility,Poor I may beAdmitted to sit down i’ th’ heav’nly Place.
And, guarded by thy Ray,
Walk in the Way,
That leads directly to the Throne of Grace;
Where in Humility,
Poor I may be
Admitted to sit down i’ th’ heav’nly Place.
And there to thee dischargeMy griefs at large,As to a Bosom-Friend, that bears with me,And often passes byFaults of Infirmity:Alas, I cannot bear too much for thee!
And there to thee discharge
My griefs at large,
As to a Bosom-Friend, that bears with me,
And often passes by
Faults of Infirmity:
Alas, I cannot bear too much for thee!