Carmen Deo nostro, te decet hymnus sacred poems, / collected, corrected, augmented, most humbly presented. To my Lady the Countesse of Denbigh by her most deuoted seruant. R.C. In heaty [sic] acknowledgment of his immortall obligation to her goodnes & charity.
About this Item
Title
Carmen Deo nostro, te decet hymnus sacred poems, / collected, corrected, augmented, most humbly presented. To my Lady the Countesse of Denbigh by her most deuoted seruant. R.C. In heaty [sic] acknowledgment of his immortall obligation to her goodnes & charity.
Author
Crashaw, Richard, 1613?-1649.
Publication
At Paris :: By Peter Targa, printer to the Arch-bishope of Paris, in S. Victors streete at the golden sunne.,
M. DC. LII. [1652]
Rights/Permissions
To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
Subject terms
English poetry -- 17th century.
Cite this Item
"Carmen Deo nostro, te decet hymnus sacred poems, / collected, corrected, augmented, most humbly presented. To my Lady the Countesse of Denbigh by her most deuoted seruant. R.C. In heaty [sic] acknowledgment of his immortall obligation to her goodnes & charity." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A80774.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 6, 2024.
Pages
descriptionPage [unnumbered]
[illustration]
NON VI.
'Tis not the work of force but skillTo find the way into man's will.'Tis loue alone can hearts vnlock.Who knowes the WORD, he needs not knock.
TO THE
Noblest & best of Ladyes, the
Countesse of Denbigh. Perswading her to Resolution in Religion,
& to render her selfe without further
delay into the Communion of
the Catholick Church.
WHat heau'n-intreated HEART is This?Stands trembling at the gate of blisse;Holds fast the door, yet dares not vētureFairly to open it, and enter.
descriptionPage [unnumbered]
Whose DEFINITION is à doubtTwixt life & death, twixt in & out.Say, lingring fair! why comes the birthOf your braue soul so slowly forth?Plead your pretences (o you strongIn weaknes! why you choose so longIn labor of your selfe to ly,Nor daring quite to liue nor dy?Ah linger not, lou'd soul! à slowAnd late consent was a long no,Who grants at last, long time trydAnd did his best to haue deny'd,What magick bolts, what mystick BarresMaintain the will in these strange warres!What fatall, yet fantastick, bandsKeep The free Heart from it's own hands!So when the year takes cold, we seePoor waters their owne prisoners be.Fetter'd, & lockt vp fast they lyIn a sad selfe-captiuity.The astonisht nymphs their flood's strange fate de∣plore,To see themselues their own seuerer shore.Thou that alone canst thaw this cold,And fetch the heart from it's strong Hold;All mighty LOVE! end this long warr,And of a meteor make a starr.O fix this fair INDEFINITE.And 'mongst thy shafts of soueraign lightChoose out that sure decisiue dartWhich has the Key of this close heart,Knowes all the corners of't, & can controulThe self-shutt cabinet of an vnsearcht soul.
descriptionPage [unnumbered]
O let it be at last, loue's houre▪Raise this tall Trophee of thy Powre;Come once the conquering way; not to confuteBut kill this rebell-wotd, IRRESOLVTEThat so, in spite of all this peeuish strengthOf weaknes, she may write RESOLV'D AT LENGTH,Vnfold at length, vnfold fair flowreAnd vse the season of loue's showre,Meet his well-meaning Wounds, wise heart!And hast to drink the wholsome dart.That healing shaft, which heaun till nowHath in loue's quiuer hid for you.O Dart of loue! arrow of light!O happy you, if it hitt right,It must not fall in vain, it mustNot mark the dry regardles dust.Fair one, it is your fate; and bringsAeternall worlds vpon it's wings.Meet it with wide-spread armes; & seeIt's scat your soul's iust center be.Disband dull feares; giue faith the day.To saue your life, kill your delayIt is loue's seege; and sure to beYour triumph, though his victory.'Tis cowardise that keeps this feildAnd want of courage not to yeild.Yeild then, ô yeild. that loue may winThe Fort at last, and let life in.Yeild quickly. Lest perhaps you proueDeath's prey, before the prize of loue.This Fort of your fair selfe, if't be not won,He is repulst indeed; But you'are vndone.
email
Do you have questions about this content? Need to report a problem?
Please contact us.