EBBA 32125
Huntington Library - Bridgewater
Ballad XSLT Template
An ELEGIE upon the Death of King CHARLS.
|
BRight Soul! instruct us Mortals how to mourn,
|
How to approach, yet not profane thine Urn.
|
To come with Humane Sighs, or Eyes,
|
Were sure too bold a Sacrifice.
|
Lest a foul tear or nauseous gust
|
Should scatter or defile thy Dust,
|
We should in homage to thy Shrine
|
Weep out our humour Crystalline,
|
Which there congeald might Sapphirs turn
|
By borrowing Lustre from thine Urn.
|
They only know such Losses to Condole,
|
Who can for every Sigh, breathe out a Soul.
|
Bright Soul! instruct us to that just respect
|
With which thy Hallowed Ashes must be deckt.
|
To build them Trophees were unjust:
|
Thy Vertues canopy thy Dust.
|
To write upon them were unsafe:
|
Thy name is thy best Epitaph.
|
To carve thy Statue were amisse:
|
Thy Book thy best Colossus is.
|
T inclose thy Reliques were uneven:
|
No Shrine is fit for them, but Heaven.
|
Can Nothing lend thee Lustre? may we turn
|
Nothing, if nothing can adorn thine urn.
|
CHORUS. Hark, hark, how each Orb his Tune doth keep,
|
While Peals of Angels ring;
|
And since we cannot fitly weep,
|
Lets try how we can sing.
|
Since Charles advancd beyond the King,
|
Is placd above his wain,
|
Twere sure a sacrilegious thing
|
To weep him down again.
|
Then let our accents all conspire
|
With Heavns loud harmonyes;
|
While this short Anthem fills the Quire,
|
Hes welcome to the Skyes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
View Raw XML