12. Песни Одиночки, или Пеликан

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Pellican.

WHat wondrous hart-grieuing fpectacle,
Haft thou beheld the worlds true miracle ?
With what a fpirit did the Turtle flye
Into the fire, and chearfully did dye ?
He look't more pleafant in his countenance
Within the flame, then when he did aduance,
His pleafant wings vpon the naturall ground,

True perfect loue had to his poore heart bound,
The Phoenix Natures deare adopted child,
With a pale heauy count'nance, wan and mild,
Grieu'd for to fee him firft poffeffe the place,
That was allotted her, her felfe to grace,
And followes cheerfully her fecond turne,
And both together in that fire do burne.
O if the rareft creatures of the earth,
Becaufe but one at once did ere take breath
Within the world, fhould with a fecond he,
A perfect forme of loue and amitie
Burne both together, what fhould there arife,
And be prefented to our mortall eyes,
Out of the fire, but a more perfect creature ?
Becaufe that two in one is put by Nature,
The one hath giuen the child inchaunting beautie,
The other giues it loue and chaftitie:
The one hath giuen it wits rarietie
The other guides the wit moft charily :
The one for vertue doth excell the reft:,
The other in true conftancie is bleft
If that the Phoenix had bene feparated,
And from the gentle Turtle had bene parted,
Loue had bene murdred in the infancie,
Without thefe two no loue at all can be.
Let the loue wandring wits but learne of thefe,
To die together, to their griefe to eafe :
But louers now a dayes do loue to change,
And here and there their wanton eyes do range,
Not pleated with one choife, but feeking many,
And in the end fcarce is content with any:

 

Loue

Loue now adayes Is like a fhadowed fight,
That fhewes it feife in Phoebus golden light,
But if in kindneffe you do ftriue to take it,
Fades cleane away, and you muft needs forfake it.
Louers are like the leaues with Winter fhoken,
Brittle like glaffe, that with one fall is broken.
O fond corrupted age, when. birds fhall fhow
The world their dutie, and to let men know
That no finifter chaunce fhould hinder loue,
Though as thefe two did, deaths arreft they proue.
I can but mourne with fadneffe and with griefe,
Not able for to yeeld the world reliefe,
To fee thefe two continued in the fire,
Whom Loue did copulate with true defire:
But in the worlds wide eare I meane to ring
The fame of this dayes wondrous offring,
That they may fing in notes of Chaftitie,
The Turtle and the Phoenix amitie

Conclufion.

GEntle conceiuers of true meaning Wit,
Let good Experience iudge what I haue writ,
For the Satyricall fond applauded vaines,
Whofe bitter worme-wood fpirite in fome ftraines,
Bite like the Curres of AEgypt thofe that loue them,
Let me alone, I will be loth to moue them,
For why, when mightie men their wit do proue,
How fhall I leaft of all exped their loue ?
Yet to thofe men I gratulate fome paine,
Becaufe they touch thofe that in art do faine.

Cantoes.

But thofe that haue the fpirit to do good,
Their whips will will neuer draw one drop of bloud :
To all and all in all that view my labour,
Of euery iudging fight I craue fome fauour
At leaft: to reade, and if you reading find,
A lame leg'd ftaffe, tis lameneffe of the mind
That had no better skill: yet let it paffe,
For burdnous lodes are fet vpon an Affe.
From the fweet fire of perfumed wood,
Another princely Phoenix vpright ftood :
Whofe feathers purified did yeeld more light,
Then her late burned mother out of fight,
And in her heart reftes a perpetuall loue,
Sprong from the bofome of the Turtle-Done,
Long may the new vprifing bird increafe,
Some humors and fome motions to releafe,
And thus to all I offer my deuotion,
Hoping that gentle minds accept my motion.