Poems, by J.D. VVith elegies on the authors death

Elegie on M^ris Boulstred.

DEath I recant, and say, unsaid by mee What ere hath slip'd, that might diminish thee. Spirituall treason, atheisme 'tis, to say, That any can thy Summons disobey. Th'earths face is but thy Table; there are set Plants, cattell, men, dishes for Death to eate. In a rude hunger now hee millions drawes Into his bloody, or plaguy, or sterv'd jawes. Now hee will seeme to spare, and doth more wast, Eating the best first, well preserv'd to last. Now wantonly he spoiles, and eates us not, But breakes off friends, and lets us peecemeale rot. Nor will this earth serve him; he sinkes the deepe Where harmelesse fish monastique silence keepe. Who (were Death dead) by Roes of living sand, Might spunge that element, and make it land. He rounds the aire, and breakes the hymnique notes In birds, Heavens choristers, organique throats, Which (if they did not dye) might seeme to bee A tenth ranke in the heavenly hierarchie. O strong and long-liv'd death, how cam'st thou in? And how without Creation didst begin? Thou hast, and shalt see dead, before thou dyest, All the foure Monarchies, and Antichrist. How could I thinke thee nothing, that see now In all this All, nothing else is, but thou.

Our births and life, vices, and vertues, bee Wastfull consumptions, and degrees of thee. For, wee to live, our bellowes weare, and breath, Nor are wee mortall, dying, dead, but death. And though thou beest, O mighty bird of prey, So much reclaim'd by God, that thou must lay All that thou kill'st at his feet, yet doth hee Reserve but few, and leaves the most to thee. And of those few, now thou hast overthrowne One whom thy blow, makes, not ours, nor thine own. She was more stories high: hopelesse to come To her Soule, thou'hast offer'd at her lower roome. Her Soule and body was a King and Court: But thou hast both of Captaine mist and fort. As houses fall not, though the King remove, Bodies of Saints rest for their soules above. Death gets'twixt soules and bodies such a place As sinne insinuates 'twixt just men and grace, Both worke a separation, no divorce. Her Soule is gone to usherup her corse, Which shall be'almost another soule, for there Bodies are purer, then best Soules are here. Because in her, her virtues did outgoe Her yeares, would'st thou, O emulous death, do so? And kill her young to thy losse? must the cost Of beauty,'and wit, apt to doe harme, be lost? What though thou found'st her proofe'gainst sins of youth? Oh, every age a diverse sinne pursueth. Thou should'st have stay'd, and taken better hold, Shortly ambitious, covetous, when old,

She might have prov'd: and such devotion Might once have stray'd to superstition. If all her vertues must have growne, yet might Abundant virtue'have bred a proud delight. Had she persever'd just, there would have bin Some that would sinne, mis-thinking she did sinne. Such as would call her friendship, love, and faine To sociablenesse, a name profane. Or sinne, by tempting, or, not daring that, By wishing, though they never told her what. Thus might'st thou'have slain more soules, had'st thou not crost Thy selfe, and to triumph, thine army lost. Yet though these wayes be lost, thou hast left one, Which is, immoderate griefe that she is gone. But we may scape that sinne, yet weepe as much, Our teares are due, because we are not such. Some teares, that knot of friends, her death must cost, Because the chaine is broke, but no linke lost.