When Hils, and Valleys, wrap't in sheets of snow,
Did pennance for their summer luxury,
And Winter old unto the world did show,
The Sceletons of trees, muffling the skye
With vapours cold, and strewing frequently
The earth with wat'ry confects, then I stood
On that fair tract, where Bure creeps lazily
To pay his tribute to a greater flood,
Cleapt Yar, none of the meanest of blew Neptunes brood.
There I beheld the snowy Swannes retreate,
Unto the silver creekes, with motion sad:
Each face of things exprest a ruine great,
But two-fac'd Janus all in sable clad,
Those joyous sports, and merryments forbad,
Which whilome he was wont to tolerate:
The Gods themselves (it seemes) a feeling had,
Of our disasters, when Calista's fate,
Our sorrowes, and her endlesse joyes did propagate.
Calista faire, at whose nativity,
All happy starres auxiliary were,
With kind aspects, shining auspiciously:
For as each gentle God and Goddesse cleere,
Pandora did adorne with bount'ous cheere,
Placing on her all properties divine,
Which made her so unparallel'd appeare;
So did both fix'd, and errant starres combine
With pretious gifts, to dignifie this Heroine.
Though from illustr'ous ancestors shee came,
From Lords sublim'd, for chivalrous renowne;
Yet did her vertues overtoppe her name,
And all those adventitious glories crowne,
Which Fortune, or high birth, had on her throwne:
Her piety, and worth, was so immense,
That Heav'n (it seemes) sent this Panthea downe,
As some great blessing, but revok'd her hence
For our ingratitude, or some such high offence.
Death like Ulysses (while we were intent
To sports, and triumphes, dreading no distresse,
And fearelesse of so dire an accident)
Stole our Palladium hence, the Patronesse
Of all our hopes, and chiefest happinesse:
Then Feasts were turn'd to funerals, no name
Was heard that any solace did expresse,
And all our mirth, like burning Troy became,
Consum'd to cinders blacke, in griefes uncessant flame.
As when the Vestall fires extinguish'd were,
Through some unhappy Virgins fraile neglect,
Then Romes Patricians, fraught with dreary cheere,
In mourning habits dight, were wont t'expect
The dreadfull issue, of some dire effect;
So when that lucid flame, which did maintaine,
Calista's life by cruell death was check't,
Sighes did abound, and sorrowes flow amaine,
Eyes did their bankes inundate and each cheeke distaine.
Man's a plant animall, a tree revers't,
Whose root's the braine, his limmes the branches be,
But blood's the sappe, through every veyne dispers't,
Which aliment imparts with justice free,
Unto each member of this mysticke tree:
Haire[s] are the leaves, which doe the same attire,
Excrescent humours are the gummes (we see)
Flowing from thence; the fruite which doth aspire,
Be actions good, or ill; the seede whereof's desire.
But our faire plant, (the fairest that ere grew)
Such apples on her Verdant branches bare,
As the Hesperian Gardens never knew,
Nor had Alcinous any fruite so rare;
Shee was a tree, with which none might compare:
This Tree by Heavn's decree transplanted is;
We of her happy shade deprived are,
While shee remov'd into eternall blisse,
Becomes a Tree of life, in highest Paradise.
Letter-puff'd Pedants boldly dare averre,
That every starre another world containes;
These, Cities in the skyes would seeme to reare,
Yet build but Castles in the ayre (fond swaines)
That strange conclusions, from fanaticke braines
Strive to produce, when they below might see
(Perhaps) more Worlds; for Verity maintaines
That Man's a Microcosme; each he or shee
Is of a greater World, the briefe epitome.
Mans head is heav'n, the brighter starres fix'd there
Are Fancy, Intellect, and Memory,
The sences eke like Planets do appeare,
Each in his sphere, the Heart which doth supply
All parts with vitall heate, is Phoebus high;
The liver is the Moone, whose pregnant brests
With purple joyce embalmes this Monarchy;
Foure Humours are the Elements, and these
The basement doe compose of this celestiall piece.
But such a world was our Calista bright,
As was the world, before it injurd was,
Through Womans weakenesse, and a Serpents spite:
For as a seven-fold lustre then did grace
Each glorious starre, and planet, in his place;
As then earth bred no plant of bad effects,
Nor nourish'd any beast of savage race;
So clearest worth adorn'd in all respects,
This peerelesse Dame, who was the glory of her sexe.
Sharp-sighted Speculatists perhaps may find
The causes of those colours, that array
The flowry meades in May, some subtile mind
May the abstruse decrees of starres survey,
Or light on the (long sought for) North-west way
Th' Elixir may be found by Art; the cause
Of swift Euripus fluxe, Time may bewray:
But never shall appeare in time, or place
So rare a creature, as divine Calista was.
Nature turnd Spagyricke in forming her:
Of ordinary stuffe shee was not made,
But of extracted matter, pure, and cleere,
Which Natures Chymistrie prepared had,
By separating the good, from the bad:
This happy temper did in her impresse,
Those rich endowments, with which she was clad;
Vertue, and Beauty; Women blest with these
Become incarnate Angels, earthly Goddesses.
As that faire Picture of the Cyprian Queene,
Drawne by the Coan Painter, did exceed
The bravest pieces, that were ever seene,
Though it was not complete, nor finished;
Even so Calista's life though soone it fled,
Ere shee of youth had pass'd the vernall Line,
Before Time had her to her Solstice led;
Yet this short life of hers was so divine,
That it long lives of earthly Saints seem'd to out shine.
And though her lustre was extinct so soone,
Yet shee no Comet was, no falling starre,
No fading Meteour, or changing Moone;
But shee a Sphere was, wherein Vertues rare,
Like fix'd auspicious Asterismes did glare,
Whose glories did the Deitie invite,
To free this blessed Orbe, from earthly care,
Transposing her to his eternall light,
So to augment the splendor of his kingdome bright.
Shee was betimes discharg'd from griefes, and feares;
Yea grant, shee might have in terrestriall blisse,
Exceeded a whole Myriade of yeares;
Yet had shee bin no more like what she is,
Than Atomes be to largest substances,
For things finite, no due proportion hold,
With any infinite existences:
But in some measure, may our eyes behold
Her past, and present state, by setting drosse to gold.
By helpe of Jacobs staffe, the Artist wise
May take the altitude of any starre;
But Jacobs ladder onely will suffice,
For us to view those blessings singular,
Wherewith all pious Soules enriched are,
The pretious bowels of Mount Potosin,
Pearles and rich Amber, which the Seas prepare,
The choisest gemmes of Natures Magazine,
Are meerely counterfeits, compar'd with wealth divine.
(Oh lovely Sexe) the Worlds most faire halfe part,
That ar't by heav'ns high providence designd,
To be a coadjutrice, to impart
Constant duration, to that mortall kind,
Which God hath with his proper image sign'd,
This pretious jewells losse doe thou lament,
By whom thou didst such estimation finde;
For shee is gone, whose vertues excellent,
The chiefest price and lustre to all females lent.
(Ye gentle Ladyes) Luminaries bright
Of this worlds sphere, terrestriall Goddesses,
That murther like the Basiliskes with sight,
Who are by Natures bounty, grac'd no lesse,
Then Arts, and ornaments advantages;
By her example faire discerne, and see
The way, that leades to truest happinesse;
Tread ye Calista's pathes, and strive to be
As chast, as pious, and as good, as late was shee.
Shee was: her glasse is runne; her periods done;
Oh sentence fraught with dole and dreary care.
She was esteem'd the ages Parragon,
For qualities, and all those habits rare,
Wherein heroicall beauties ought to share;
Oh honourd name, and fame that never dyes.
Shee is inthron'd above the highest starre,
Crown'd with the summe of all felicities;
Oh blisse, not to be seene by any mortall eyes.
Did pennance for their summer luxury,
And Winter old unto the world did show,
The Sceletons of trees, muffling the skye
With vapours cold, and strewing frequently
The earth with wat'ry confects, then I stood
On that fair tract, where Bure creeps lazily
To pay his tribute to a greater flood,
Cleapt Yar, none of the meanest of blew Neptunes brood.
There I beheld the snowy Swannes retreate,
Unto the silver creekes, with motion sad:
Each face of things exprest a ruine great,
But two-fac'd Janus all in sable clad,
Those joyous sports, and merryments forbad,
Which whilome he was wont to tolerate:
The Gods themselves (it seemes) a feeling had,
Of our disasters, when Calista's fate,
Our sorrowes, and her endlesse joyes did propagate.
Calista faire, at whose nativity,
All happy starres auxiliary were,
With kind aspects, shining auspiciously:
For as each gentle God and Goddesse cleere,
Pandora did adorne with bount'ous cheere,
Placing on her all properties divine,
Which made her so unparallel'd appeare;
So did both fix'd, and errant starres combine
With pretious gifts, to dignifie this Heroine.
Though from illustr'ous ancestors shee came,
From Lords sublim'd, for chivalrous renowne;
Yet did her vertues overtoppe her name,
And all those adventitious glories crowne,
Which Fortune, or high birth, had on her throwne:
Her piety, and worth, was so immense,
That Heav'n (it seemes) sent this Panthea downe,
As some great blessing, but revok'd her hence
For our ingratitude, or some such high offence.
Death like Ulysses (while we were intent
To sports, and triumphes, dreading no distresse,
And fearelesse of so dire an accident)
Stole our Palladium hence, the Patronesse
Of all our hopes, and chiefest happinesse:
Then Feasts were turn'd to funerals, no name
Was heard that any solace did expresse,
And all our mirth, like burning Troy became,
Consum'd to cinders blacke, in griefes uncessant flame.
As when the Vestall fires extinguish'd were,
Through some unhappy Virgins fraile neglect,
Then Romes Patricians, fraught with dreary cheere,
In mourning habits dight, were wont t'expect
The dreadfull issue, of some dire effect;
So when that lucid flame, which did maintaine,
Calista's life by cruell death was check't,
Sighes did abound, and sorrowes flow amaine,
Eyes did their bankes inundate and each cheeke distaine.
Man's a plant animall, a tree revers't,
Whose root's the braine, his limmes the branches be,
But blood's the sappe, through every veyne dispers't,
Which aliment imparts with justice free,
Unto each member of this mysticke tree:
Haire[s] are the leaves, which doe the same attire,
Excrescent humours are the gummes (we see)
Flowing from thence; the fruite which doth aspire,
Be actions good, or ill; the seede whereof's desire.
But our faire plant, (the fairest that ere grew)
Such apples on her Verdant branches bare,
As the Hesperian Gardens never knew,
Nor had Alcinous any fruite so rare;
Shee was a tree, with which none might compare:
This Tree by Heavn's decree transplanted is;
We of her happy shade deprived are,
While shee remov'd into eternall blisse,
Becomes a Tree of life, in highest Paradise.
Letter-puff'd Pedants boldly dare averre,
That every starre another world containes;
These, Cities in the skyes would seeme to reare,
Yet build but Castles in the ayre (fond swaines)
That strange conclusions, from fanaticke braines
Strive to produce, when they below might see
(Perhaps) more Worlds; for Verity maintaines
That Man's a Microcosme; each he or shee
Is of a greater World, the briefe epitome.
Mans head is heav'n, the brighter starres fix'd there
Are Fancy, Intellect, and Memory,
The sences eke like Planets do appeare,
Each in his sphere, the Heart which doth supply
All parts with vitall heate, is Phoebus high;
The liver is the Moone, whose pregnant brests
With purple joyce embalmes this Monarchy;
Foure Humours are the Elements, and these
The basement doe compose of this celestiall piece.
But such a world was our Calista bright,
As was the world, before it injurd was,
Through Womans weakenesse, and a Serpents spite:
For as a seven-fold lustre then did grace
Each glorious starre, and planet, in his place;
As then earth bred no plant of bad effects,
Nor nourish'd any beast of savage race;
So clearest worth adorn'd in all respects,
This peerelesse Dame, who was the glory of her sexe.
Sharp-sighted Speculatists perhaps may find
The causes of those colours, that array
The flowry meades in May, some subtile mind
May the abstruse decrees of starres survey,
Or light on the (long sought for) North-west way
Th' Elixir may be found by Art; the cause
Of swift Euripus fluxe, Time may bewray:
But never shall appeare in time, or place
So rare a creature, as divine Calista was.
Nature turnd Spagyricke in forming her:
Of ordinary stuffe shee was not made,
But of extracted matter, pure, and cleere,
Which Natures Chymistrie prepared had,
By separating the good, from the bad:
This happy temper did in her impresse,
Those rich endowments, with which she was clad;
Vertue, and Beauty; Women blest with these
Become incarnate Angels, earthly Goddesses.
As that faire Picture of the Cyprian Queene,
Drawne by the Coan Painter, did exceed
The bravest pieces, that were ever seene,
Though it was not complete, nor finished;
Even so Calista's life though soone it fled,
Ere shee of youth had pass'd the vernall Line,
Before Time had her to her Solstice led;
Yet this short life of hers was so divine,
That it long lives of earthly Saints seem'd to out shine.
And though her lustre was extinct so soone,
Yet shee no Comet was, no falling starre,
No fading Meteour, or changing Moone;
But shee a Sphere was, wherein Vertues rare,
Like fix'd auspicious Asterismes did glare,
Whose glories did the Deitie invite,
To free this blessed Orbe, from earthly care,
Transposing her to his eternall light,
So to augment the splendor of his kingdome bright.
Shee was betimes discharg'd from griefes, and feares;
Yea grant, shee might have in terrestriall blisse,
Exceeded a whole Myriade of yeares;
Yet had shee bin no more like what she is,
Than Atomes be to largest substances,
For things finite, no due proportion hold,
With any infinite existences:
But in some measure, may our eyes behold
Her past, and present state, by setting drosse to gold.
By helpe of Jacobs staffe, the Artist wise
May take the altitude of any starre;
But Jacobs ladder onely will suffice,
For us to view those blessings singular,
Wherewith all pious Soules enriched are,
The pretious bowels of Mount Potosin,
Pearles and rich Amber, which the Seas prepare,
The choisest gemmes of Natures Magazine,
Are meerely counterfeits, compar'd with wealth divine.
(Oh lovely Sexe) the Worlds most faire halfe part,
That ar't by heav'ns high providence designd,
To be a coadjutrice, to impart
Constant duration, to that mortall kind,
Which God hath with his proper image sign'd,
This pretious jewells losse doe thou lament,
By whom thou didst such estimation finde;
For shee is gone, whose vertues excellent,
The chiefest price and lustre to all females lent.
(Ye gentle Ladyes) Luminaries bright
Of this worlds sphere, terrestriall Goddesses,
That murther like the Basiliskes with sight,
Who are by Natures bounty, grac'd no lesse,
Then Arts, and ornaments advantages;
By her example faire discerne, and see
The way, that leades to truest happinesse;
Tread ye Calista's pathes, and strive to be
As chast, as pious, and as good, as late was shee.
Shee was: her glasse is runne; her periods done;
Oh sentence fraught with dole and dreary care.
She was esteem'd the ages Parragon,
For qualities, and all those habits rare,
Wherein heroicall beauties ought to share;
Oh honourd name, and fame that never dyes.
Shee is inthron'd above the highest starre,
Crown'd with the summe of all felicities;
Oh blisse, not to be seene by any mortall eyes.
