Poems, Epithalamium 1
An Epithalamion, Or mariage Song on the Lady Elizabeth, and Count Palatine being married on St. Valentines day.
I.
HAile Biſhop Valentine, whoſe day this is,
All the Aire is thy Diocis,
And all the chirping Choriſters
And other birds are thy Pariſhioners,
Thou marryeſt every yeare
The Lirique Larke, and the grave whiſpering Dove,
The Sparrow that neglects his life for love,
The houſehold Bird, with the red ſtomacher,
Thou mak'ſt the black bird ſpeed as ſoone,
As doth the Goldfinch, or the Halcyon;
The huſband cocke lookes out, and ſtraight is ſped,
And meets his wife, which brings her feather-bed.
This day more cheerfully then ever ſhine.
This day, which might enflāe thy ſelf, Old Valentine,
II.
Till now, Thou warmd'ſt with multiplying loves
Two larkes, two ſparrowes, or two Doves,
All that is nothing unto this,
For thou this day coupleſt two Phoenixes,
Thou mak'ſt a Taper ſee
What the ſunne never ſaw, and what the Arke
(Which was of foules, and beaſts, the cage, and park,)
Did not containe, one bed containes, through Thee,
Two Phoenixes, whoſe joyned breaſts
Are unto one another mutuall neſts,
Where motion kindles ſuch fires, as ſhall give
Yong Phoenixes, and yet the old ſhall live.
Whoſe love and courage never ſhall decline,
But make the whole year through, thy day, O Valētine.
III.
Up then faire Phoenix Bride, fruſtrate the Sunne,
Thy ſelfe from thine affection
Takeſt warmth enough, and from thine eye
All leſſer birds will take their Jollitie.
Up, up, faire Bride, and call,
Thy ſtarres, from out their ſeverall boxes, take
Thy Rubies, Pearles, and Diamonds forth, and make
Thy ſelfe a conſtellation, of them All,
And by their blazing, ſignifie,
That a Great Princeſs falls, but doth not die;
Bee thou a new ſtarre, that to us portends
Ends of much wonder; And be Thou thoſe ends,
Since thou doſt this day in new glory ſhine,
May all men date Records, from this thy Valentine.
IIII.
Come forth, come forth, and as one glorious flame
Meeting Another, growes the ſame,
So meet thy Fredericke, and ſo
To an unſeparable union goe,
Since ſeparation
Falls not on ſuch things as are infinite,
Nor things which are but one, can diſunite.
You'are twice inſeparable, great, and one;
Goe then to where the Biſhop ſtaies,
To make you one, his way, which divers waies
Muſt be effected; and when all is paſt,
And that you'are one, by hearts and hands made faſt,
You two have one way left, your ſelves to'entwine,
Beſides this Biſhops knot, O Biſhop Valentine.
V.
But oh, what ailes the Sunne, that here he ſtaies,
Longer to day, then other daies?
Staies he new light from theſe to get?
And finding here ſuch ſtore, is loth to ſet?
And why doe you two walke,
So ſlowly pac'd in this proceſſion?
Is all your care but to be look'd upon,
And be to others ſpectacle, and talke?
The feaſt, with gluttonous delaies,
Is eaten, and too long their meat they praiſe,
The maſquers come too late, and' I thinke, will ſtay,
Like Fairies, till the Cock crow them away.
Alas, did not Antiquity aſſigne
A night, as well as day, to thee, O Valentine?
VI.
They did, and night is come; and yet wee ſee
Formalities retarding thee.
What meane theſe Ladies, which (as though
They were to take a clock in peeces,) goe
So nicely about the Bride;
A Bride, before a good night could be ſaid,
Should vaniſh from her cloathes, into her bed,
As Soules from bodies ſteale, and are not ſpy'd.
But now ſhe is laid; What though ſhee bee?
Yet there are more delayes, For, where is he?
He comes, and paſſes through Spheare after Spheare.
Firſt her ſheetes, then her Armes, then any where,
Let not this day, then, but this night be thine,
Thy day was but the eve to this, O Valentine.
VII.
Here lyes a ſhee Sunne, and a hee Moone here,
She gives the beſt light to his Spheare,
Or each is both, and all, and ſo
They unto one another nothing owe,
And yet they doe, but are
So juſt and rich in that coyne which they pay,
That neither would, nor needs forbeare nor ſtay,
Neither deſires to be ſpar'd, nor to ſpare,
They quickly pay their debt, and then
Take no acquittance, but pay again;
They pay, they give, they lend, and ſo let fall,
No ſuch occaſion to be liberall.
More truth, more courage in theſe two do ſhine,
Then all thy turtles have, and ſparrows, Valentine.
VIII.
And by this act of theſe two Phenixes
Nature againe reſtored is,
For ſince theſe two are two no more,
Ther's but one Phenix ſtill, as was before.
Reſt now at laſt, and wee
As Satyres watch the Sunnes upriſe, will ſtay
Waiting, when your eyes opened, let out day.
OnelyOnly deſir'd, becauſe your face wee ſee;
Others neare you ſhall whiſpering ſpeake,
And wagers lay, at which ſide day will breake,
And win by'obſerving, then, whoſe hand it is
That opens firſt a curtaine, hers or his;
This will be tryed to morrow after nine,
Till which houre, wee thy day enlarge, O Valentine.