MARY OXLIE OF MORPETEarly 17th cent.
Early 17th cent.
I never rested on the Muses bed,Nor dipt my quill in the Thessalian fountaine,My rustick Muse was rudely fostered,And flies too low to reach the double mountaine.Then do not sparkes with your bright Suns compare,Perfection in a Womans work is rare;From an untroubled mind should verses flow;My discontents make mine too muddy show;And hoarse encumbrances of houshold care;Where these remaine, the Muses ne’er repaire.If thou dost extoll her haire,Or her ivory forehead faire,Or those Stars whose bright reflectionThrals thy heart in sweet subjection:Or when to display thou seeksThe snow-mixt roses in her cheekes,Or those rubies soft and sweet,Over those pretty rows that meet:The Chian painter as asham’dHides his picture so far fam’d;And the Queen he carv’d it by,With a blush her face doth dye,Since those lines do limne a creatureThat so far surpast her feature.When thou shew’st how fairest FloraPrankt with pride the banks of Ora,So thy verse her streames doth honour,Strangers grow enamoured on her,All the swans that swim in PoWould their native brooks forgo,And, as loathing Phoebus beams,Long to bath in cooler streames.Tree-turn’d Daphne would be seenIn her groves to flourish green,And her boughs would gladly spareTo frame a garland for thy haire,That fairest Nymphs with finest fingersMay thee crown the best of singers.But when thy Muse dissolv’d in show’rs,Wailes that peerlesse Prince of ours,Cropt by too untimely Fate,Her mourning doth exasperateSenselesse things to see thee moane,Stones do weep, and trees do groane,Birds in aire, fishes in flood,Beasts in field forsake their food;The Nymphs forgoing all their bow’rsTeare their chaplets deckt with flow’rs;Sol himselfe with misty vaporHides from earth his glorious taper,And as mov’d to heare thee plaineShews his griefe in show’rs of raine.
I never rested on the Muses bed,Nor dipt my quill in the Thessalian fountaine,My rustick Muse was rudely fostered,And flies too low to reach the double mountaine.Then do not sparkes with your bright Suns compare,Perfection in a Womans work is rare;From an untroubled mind should verses flow;My discontents make mine too muddy show;And hoarse encumbrances of houshold care;Where these remaine, the Muses ne’er repaire.If thou dost extoll her haire,Or her ivory forehead faire,Or those Stars whose bright reflectionThrals thy heart in sweet subjection:Or when to display thou seeksThe snow-mixt roses in her cheekes,Or those rubies soft and sweet,Over those pretty rows that meet:The Chian painter as asham’dHides his picture so far fam’d;And the Queen he carv’d it by,With a blush her face doth dye,Since those lines do limne a creatureThat so far surpast her feature.When thou shew’st how fairest FloraPrankt with pride the banks of Ora,So thy verse her streames doth honour,Strangers grow enamoured on her,All the swans that swim in PoWould their native brooks forgo,And, as loathing Phoebus beams,Long to bath in cooler streames.Tree-turn’d Daphne would be seenIn her groves to flourish green,And her boughs would gladly spareTo frame a garland for thy haire,That fairest Nymphs with finest fingersMay thee crown the best of singers.But when thy Muse dissolv’d in show’rs,Wailes that peerlesse Prince of ours,Cropt by too untimely Fate,Her mourning doth exasperateSenselesse things to see thee moane,Stones do weep, and trees do groane,Birds in aire, fishes in flood,Beasts in field forsake their food;The Nymphs forgoing all their bow’rsTeare their chaplets deckt with flow’rs;Sol himselfe with misty vaporHides from earth his glorious taper,And as mov’d to heare thee plaineShews his griefe in show’rs of raine.
I never rested on the Muses bed,Nor dipt my quill in the Thessalian fountaine,My rustick Muse was rudely fostered,And flies too low to reach the double mountaine.
I never rested on the Muses bed,
Nor dipt my quill in the Thessalian fountaine,
My rustick Muse was rudely fostered,
And flies too low to reach the double mountaine.
Then do not sparkes with your bright Suns compare,Perfection in a Womans work is rare;From an untroubled mind should verses flow;My discontents make mine too muddy show;And hoarse encumbrances of houshold care;Where these remaine, the Muses ne’er repaire.
Then do not sparkes with your bright Suns compare,
Perfection in a Womans work is rare;
From an untroubled mind should verses flow;
My discontents make mine too muddy show;
And hoarse encumbrances of houshold care;
Where these remaine, the Muses ne’er repaire.
If thou dost extoll her haire,Or her ivory forehead faire,Or those Stars whose bright reflectionThrals thy heart in sweet subjection:Or when to display thou seeksThe snow-mixt roses in her cheekes,Or those rubies soft and sweet,Over those pretty rows that meet:The Chian painter as asham’dHides his picture so far fam’d;And the Queen he carv’d it by,With a blush her face doth dye,Since those lines do limne a creatureThat so far surpast her feature.When thou shew’st how fairest FloraPrankt with pride the banks of Ora,So thy verse her streames doth honour,Strangers grow enamoured on her,All the swans that swim in PoWould their native brooks forgo,And, as loathing Phoebus beams,Long to bath in cooler streames.Tree-turn’d Daphne would be seenIn her groves to flourish green,And her boughs would gladly spareTo frame a garland for thy haire,That fairest Nymphs with finest fingersMay thee crown the best of singers.
If thou dost extoll her haire,
Or her ivory forehead faire,
Or those Stars whose bright reflection
Thrals thy heart in sweet subjection:
Or when to display thou seeks
The snow-mixt roses in her cheekes,
Or those rubies soft and sweet,
Over those pretty rows that meet:
The Chian painter as asham’d
Hides his picture so far fam’d;
And the Queen he carv’d it by,
With a blush her face doth dye,
Since those lines do limne a creature
That so far surpast her feature.
When thou shew’st how fairest Flora
Prankt with pride the banks of Ora,
So thy verse her streames doth honour,
Strangers grow enamoured on her,
All the swans that swim in Po
Would their native brooks forgo,
And, as loathing Phoebus beams,
Long to bath in cooler streames.
Tree-turn’d Daphne would be seen
In her groves to flourish green,
And her boughs would gladly spare
To frame a garland for thy haire,
That fairest Nymphs with finest fingers
May thee crown the best of singers.
But when thy Muse dissolv’d in show’rs,Wailes that peerlesse Prince of ours,Cropt by too untimely Fate,Her mourning doth exasperateSenselesse things to see thee moane,Stones do weep, and trees do groane,Birds in aire, fishes in flood,Beasts in field forsake their food;The Nymphs forgoing all their bow’rsTeare their chaplets deckt with flow’rs;Sol himselfe with misty vaporHides from earth his glorious taper,And as mov’d to heare thee plaineShews his griefe in show’rs of raine.
But when thy Muse dissolv’d in show’rs,
Wailes that peerlesse Prince of ours,
Cropt by too untimely Fate,
Her mourning doth exasperate
Senselesse things to see thee moane,
Stones do weep, and trees do groane,
Birds in aire, fishes in flood,
Beasts in field forsake their food;
The Nymphs forgoing all their bow’rs
Teare their chaplets deckt with flow’rs;
Sol himselfe with misty vapor
Hides from earth his glorious taper,
And as mov’d to heare thee plaine
Shews his griefe in show’rs of raine.