Of thoughts so far-fetched, as to be not only unexpected, but unnatural, all their books are full.. To a Lady, who wrote poesies for rings: They, who above do various circles find, Then the sun pass through't twice a year, COWLEY. The difficulties which have been raised about identity in philosophy, are by Cowley, with still more perplexity, applied to Love : Five years ago (says story) I loved you, Must of all things most strangely inconstant prove, My members then, the father members were If then this body love what th' other did, The love of different women is, in geographical poetry, compared to travels through different countries: Hast thou not found each woman's breast Either by savages possest, Or wild, and uninhabited? What joy could'st take, or what repose, COWLEY. A lover, burnt up by his affection, is compared to Egypt: The fate of Egypt I sustain, And never feel the dew of rain COWLEY. The lover supposes his lady acquainted with the ancient laws of augury and rites of sacrifice: And yet this death of mine, I fear, When sound in every other part, That the chaos was harmonized, has been recited of old; but whence the different sounds arose remained for a modern to discover: Th'ungovern'd parts no correspendence knew ; The tears of lovers are always of great poetical account; but Donne has extended them into worlds. If the lines are not easily understood, they may be read again. On a round ball, A workman, that hath copies by, can lay And quickly make that which was nothing all. Which thee doth wear, A globe, yea world, by that impression grow, This world, by waters sent from thee my heaven diss On reading the following lines, the reader may perhaps cry out-Confusion worse confounded Here lies a she sun, and a he moon here, They unto one another nothing owe. DONNE. Who but Donne would have thought that a good man is a telescope? Though God be our true glass through which we see Yet are the trunks, which do to us derive Things in proportion fit, by perspective Virtues, indeed remote, seem to be near. Who would imagine it possible, that in a very few lines so many remote ideas could be brought together? Since 'tis my doom, Love's undershrieve, Why this reprieve? Why doth my she advowson fly Incumbency? To sell thyself dost thou intend And hold the contrast thus in doubt, Think but how soon the market fails, The sober Julian were th' account of man, CLIEVELAND. Of enormous and disgusting hyberboles, these may be examples: By every wind that comes this way, Such and so many I'll repay As shall themselves make winds to get to you, In tears I'll waste these eyes, By Love so vainly fed; So lust of old the Deluge punished. COWLEY. COWLEY. All arm'd in brass, the richest dress of war, COWLEY, An universal consternation: ral. His bloody eyes he hurls round, his sharp paws Beasts creep into their dens, and tremble there; Echo itself dares scarce repeat to the sound. COWLEY. THEIR fictions were often violent and unnatu Of his Mistress bathing: The fish around her crowded, as they do To the false light that treacherous fishers shew, As she at first took me : For ne'er did light so clear Though every night the sun himself set there. COWLEY. The poetical effect of a lover's name upon glass: My name engrav'd herein Doth contribute my firmness to this glass; As hard as that which grav'd it was. DON NE. THEIR Conceits were sentiments slight and trifling. On an inconstant woman: He enjoys the calmy sunshine now, |