Old Jacobs Account Cast Up and Owned, Poem 5 – Poem 6
A ſad Memorial on the much lamented death of the Right Virtuous Lady, SƲSANNA REYNOLDS, Wife to the Honourable minded Commander, Com. Gen. REYNOLDS, who exchanged her frailty for a Crown of Immortality, Anno, 1654. JAM CHRISTI SPONSA. PHOENIX MORIENDO REVIVISCIT.
HEnce true Adorements, let Us ſee no more,
Of Mortal favours, ſet upon your Score;
Droop, droop Spectators, Canopy each face,
While Tears like Floods run their Curranto race,
If that you did but rightly underſtand
This loſſe of loſſes, you would ſtraight command
If that it lay within your reach, that all
That Virtue does beſtow might have a fall,
Had we not better ſee that Precious Gold
No ſooner kept, but quickly turn'd to Mold:
Alaſſe we Mortals like the Flower are toſt,
No ſooner blown upon but we are loſt,
It is no wonder, nor admir't as ſtrange
That Sublunary things muſt have a change;
Obſerv't, that fatal death ſtrikes at the beſt,
And Goodneſſe here can never be at reſt
Whileſt Rareneſſe ſtrives for to preſerve it ſelf
Leaves Us at loſſe, and gains it ſelf by ſtealth,
And which is moſt belov'd doth glide away
And turn our joys into a mournfull day.
Now ſpeak your Minds freely, can you not weep,
This loſſe wil make a Heart of Stone to break,
Could greater Virtue have ſuſtain'd ſuſpence,
By gaſhly Deaths overture and offence.
Come to her Shrine, bring Tears and not a Bow,
Aſtraea never left this Earth til now,
Grace, Wiſdom, all Perfections deer
Accompliſh't fully in her Hemiſphere;
Where e're ſhe went, ſhe had attractive force,
Her Love ſo Vocal was, ſtruck others hoarſe:
Each one that knows her, if they had but ſence
To value Candor to its full commence,
Muſt deeply mourn, and ſay that ſhe is gone
And left all goodneſſe here to be forlorn.
Superiors, Equals, all thy loſſe lament,
Not ſo much Thine, as their own loſſe reſent:
Oft as thy Spouſe repairs to his Widdowed Bed,
And miſſes that on which affection fed,
He ſtraightway ſighs, and bids the World farewel,
As not meet for his future love do dwel:
All with one joint conſent of Tears now ſtrive,
T'Embalm that Hearſe, which th'honour'd whil'ſt alive,
But what may Tears do, thoſe poor Rivulets
Are but dumb Orators, where Death beſets:
But what hath death gain'd, ſince thy Virtues live,
Which from thy Aſhes would thy Name revive
Were that dead with Thee, and convey thy Soul
Beyond the utmoſt Stars, and fartheſt Pole,
Thy native home, from whence thou firſt was ſent,
To be to Us a laſting Monument,
Who in thy Marble, may read here doth lie
(For our example) Faith, Hope, Charity.
Virgins lament your Youth and Beauties gone,
The Mirror of your Sex is fled alone,
Ladies bemoan your Nuptials for here lies,
Of Married couples, the ſad Sacrifice,
Who taking farewel of Her Friends took flight
To Heav'n, and bad the world, and her deer Spouſe good night.
Y' are all but common Mourners then, 'tis Thou
Chief Mourner (Noble Reynolds) we allow,
Thou that haſt ſmil'd on Death in open Field,
And dar'd his worſt, nay, boldly made him yeeld,
Yet here ar't conquer'd, mourn, thē mourn no more
Mourn thy high loſſe in her, mourn not her ſtore
Of joys, exchang'd for under-valued Droſs,
Who Triumphs in the Crown of her laſt Croſs,
The wreath, and Palm of Peace impale Her head
She lives & triumphs, though ore come and dead.
HER EPHITAPH.
VIrgins, Matrons Come
Enter this Cold Roome:
Search, and finde, and See
Loves Epitomie,
Stay, and learn, This Enclos'd Clay
With certain Hope waites for the Day
Of Joy, That never ſhall decay.
When This Precious Urn
Yeilds up His return,
When theſe Aſhes ſhall
Quit their Funerall,
In Triumph you ſhall Then Behold
This Earth Clad in Celeſtiall Gold
With all the Bleſſed Saints inrou'ld.
In obitum Clariſſimae Dominae Suſannae Reynolds, quae in Domino placidé obdormivit, octavo Januarii An. 1654. Carmen.
COrripit urna capax Suſannam ſtemmate claram
Inſignem meritis, Euſibieſ que decus.
Hallu…inor! ne que enim foretrum, nec Cymba Charontis,
Nec Manſoleum hanc continuiſſe poteſt.
Quod cecidit pulvis fuit, at que umbratile corpus:
Cui tegmen tellus ſeſquipedale dedit.
Enthea ſed Pſyche periturae neſecia ſortis
Morte triumphatâ, regnat in arce poli.
Parca quid inſanis? dum non vis parcere, habendae
Praedae in perpetuum ſpes tibi nulla manet.
Prima locum Sanctas Heroidas inter habebat,
Nunc cum corporeá hîc obruta mole fuit
At nunc egregiis Suſanna decora trophaeis
Fulget, & aeternae praemia pacis habet
Parce Hyperaſpiſtes Lachrymis, Raynolde, tryumphis
Pluribus inſignis, Parce, Precor, Lachrymis.
Chriſtus Agonochetes prohibet, nam clara brabaea
In Thalami ſociam contulit ìlle tui.
Ambo victores, ambo Paeana Canatis
Laetus amoebaeos reddat uterque ſonos.
Et veſtras ſerpant inter mea Carmina lauros
Si vobis munus tam levidenſe placet.
P. A.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Harrison, Old Jacobs Account Cast Up and Owned (1655)