An Elegy on the Death of Nathanael Collins, Elegy
FƲNERAL-TEARS At the Grave of The much Desired And Lamented Mr. NATHANEEL COLLINS? Who changed Death for LIFE, December 28. 1684.
— But shall he unobserved steal away?
Or Israel not afford an hand to lay(a)Isai. 57.1.
An Evil-boding Death to heart? no Son
Of All the Prophets when Elijah's gone
Look after him?
Forbid this, Heaven! Showr
On a bereaved Clod of Earth a pow'r
To yield a spire of grass (b)allusion to the poetical fancy of Ajaxwhereon may grow
The Name of COLLINS, help a verse to show
His Vertues, as that Flock acknowledged
Their Doe (c)Dorcas, Act. 9.39.when to the Spicy Mountains fled.
Assist mee, thou who hast engag'd the Just
A Memory, (d)Psa. 112.6.to whom the precious dust
Of Saints Dissolv'd remains united! —
I SIGH the Fate for which our broached eyes
Spend floods of brine; at which a dire surprise
Of a soul-chilling horrour doth invade
The Soul not stone before; at which are made
In serious minds as many wounds as were
To Caesar (e)whom the Roman conspirators slew with 23 woundsgiven. Reader, shake to hear;
The DEATH of COLLINS tis. He dead without
A Paper winding sheet to lay him out!
A shame. O that Egyptian Odours, and
Embalmers too(f)Gen 50.2. were now at my command!
I want them. But Hyperboles withdraw,
Be gone Licentious Poets. What I saw
On this occasion let some countrey Rymes
That call a Spade a Spade, tell after-Times.
DEPRIV'D of Charrets & of Horsmen too,(g)all. to 2. King. 2.12.
I on the wings of Contemplation flew;
Into the howling desart thus I went,
The cut-off garden (h)so some render the Garden of Nuts, Cant. 6.11. in a phrase very accomodable to America.where our David sent
His sheep to seed and fold, from which he drave
The Rav'nous Tigre-brood, in which he gave
His herds a Rest at noon. (i)Cant. 1.7.On Jordans Banks
I meant to sit with Thoughts on this and Thanks.
But there found I an Elect Lady, (k)some (tho' groundlesly though) suppose a Church intended by that name in 2. Joh 1.There
Grov'ling in Ashes, with dishev'led hair,
Smiting her breast, black'd with a mourning dress,
Resembling mother Sion in distress;(l)all. to the figure thereof in B. K.'s ingenious poem.
Or like a Rachel in a Bethl'em plight,(m)Mat. 2.18.
But with a Beauty glittering too, that might
The Features show that Judah's preaching King
Much did once in his machless Raptures sing;(n)viz. the Canticles.
I found her. There amaz'd, into a Tree(o)all. to such a metamorphosis celebrated in Ovid.
Almost transformd with passion: Sympathie
Produced this Enquiry, Who I wonder,
Seems Sorrow's Center, Sorrow's Essence yonder?
Lo, I no sooner had approached near,
Then from above this voice did thunder; Here
Pitty, the Church of Middletown bespeaks
Set in the midst of swoons and sobs and shrieks.
With Bowells full of it I hastned to
The Wet place, asking Why she grieved so;
And had this Answer.
SIr, Ask you this? Are you a Sojourner
Within New-Englands bounds & know not why?
I've lost great COLLINS, man! O that, O there,
From this Tears-Fountain (p)Hinc illae lacrymae.is my misery.
Immortal COLLINS! what a Charm is in
So dear a Name? 'Tis Honey mixt with gall
To think, I had him, but I miss him; Seen
He was, sad word!(q)fuimus Troes. but so no more he shall.
My Love is Talkative: tis fit that I
Thus vent my smother'd Fire. The Rabbins say
That when good old Methusela did dye,
His Wife nine husbands lost in him that day.
Like Looser I will speak: The Lamentation
Over Jerus'lems Woe doth suit me well,
A Widow how is she become! ‖Lam. 1.1.Privation
Seems now to be my only Principle.
Once did I prise, I'l now praise what I had.
The box of his Fames Oyntment *Eccles. 7.1.now shall send
Abroad its Odours. Alexander †from whose corpse 'tis said there went a smell surprizingly fragrant.dead
Had not the scent which doth from him ascend.
Some Elogyes compose to try their Wits;
The Gout, (r)praised by Pichennerus,the Feavour, ‖praised by Huttenus,yea & Injustice,(s)praised by Glaucus,
Folly [t]praised by Erasmus,and Poverty [u]praised by Pierius, all in set poems, or orations.have in the Fits
Of Ranting Writers had a comeliness.
My Theme, my Humour is not such an one:
Who to prove Cicero not eloquent,
Pen'd Books,(x)as once an humoursome person did. who truth & worth for guards disown
Such only count Collins not excellent.
Bright COLLINS, Star of the first Magnitude,
Extol him how could I! I sha'n't be chid
If as much time on him my gazes shou'd
Spend, as that Greeks (y)Socrates, who spent 15 year in framing of one Panegyric, one oration.in's Panegyric did.
O that Apelles were my servant now
To limn this Hero, but his utmost All
Would blush, and draw a vail upon the Brow(z)as that painter did upon his Minerva's.
Below whose Majesty his skill would fall.
I would that you, my Friend, each drop of Ink
Could fill with Elogyes no fewer then
The little eels *of which I can with my Microscope see incredible hundreds playing about in one drop of water.that may swim in't: I think
They all should celebrate this Flow'r of men.
I would too that each syllable all round
This Globe with perfum'd Air might fly about;
Or your Stentorophonic Tube {inverted †}which speaking-Trumpet may be heard a vast way off.might sound
The praise of admirable Collins out.
Death, thou All-biting †all. to ye Acrost. of Mors Mordens Omnia Rostro S uoProdigall, a blow
Of thine hath laid within the ground a plant
Surpassing Cedars. I did hardly know
A spice whose quantity on it was scant.
Good Nature and good Education were
In him conjoyn'd to such an high degree,
As gain'd the Title of that‖Tit. Vesp. who was termed, Deliciae humani generis. Emperour,
In this rare soul Mankinds delight we see.
Facetious Snow-balls from his candid breast
With early Magic hence would captivate
His near, Familiars, so that he was blest
Who could have leave to be his Intimate.
Hence from his Cradle clothes his neat discretion,
Mounted upon bridled Ʋrbanity,
Before a most obliging Disposition,
Triumphant rode in ev'ry Company.
But Oh the fruits of Heav'nly Graces dew
Upon so rich a soyl! Let Peter bid
His Brethren add one graces pearl unto
The*v. the glorious catalogue 2. Pet. 1.5, 7. rest: The whole heap was in Collins hid.
You'd scarce believe the FAITH residing in
This Child of Abraham, the strong Impression
On his heart of Realities unseen,‖2. cor. 4 18.
Of Gospel glories, of things past expression:
How dearest to him his Redeemer; how
With brave Ignatius †whose saying often was, Amor meus est crucifixushe could warble out
O Christ my Love; how we might e'en allow
A JESƲS grav'd¶which is grosly and fabulously reported of another. within his breast no doubt.
His VERTUE took this sister by the hand;
And with her train accompanyed thus,
In vert'ous flights he went — how much beyond
An Aristides; **two glories of the heathen, the one for Justice, the other for Fidelity.or a Regulus!
For KNOWLEDGE, tho in him poor Harvard lost
One of her tallest sons, one of the best
Souldiers in her Minerva's Camp, my boast
Of higher Wisdom in him i'n't the least.
My Moses, he in Egypts Learning verst{inverted †}†Act. 7.22.
Had more then that; Accomplishments Divine
In exercise of which, while he converst
With Isr'els Jah, to us his face did shine.†‖Exod. 34.35.
Yare at his GRAMMAR, kenning how and when
To speak: his tongue a*Prov. 15.4. tree of life, no (dross
Proceeding from this Chrysostom ‖†golden mouth.) the penn
Of Ready writers like, not barbarous.
How lofty in his RHET'RIC, when with cryes
To the Omnipotent reduc'd to say¶as in Exod. 32.10. feriendi licentiam petit a Mose qui fecit Mosen.
Let me alone, thereby he scal'd the Skyes,
And with the old {inverted †}preces et lacrymae sunt Arma Ecclesiae.Artill'ry got the day.
In the best LOGIC, Oh how Rational!
How able to spy Canaan through! how ready
To baffle a Temptation! and withal
Full of his Oracles sound, solid, steady!
How right was his ARITHMETIC that knew
Wisely to measure his own‖Psa. 90.12. dayes! How right
Was his GEOMETRY, that found the true
Bulk of the earth! a point**and an invisible point no doubt would it be to an humane eye in the starry Heaven, tho it probably contains above Ten Thousand Millions of cubic German leagues. not worth the sight.
In his ASTRONOMY how ripe his eye
Reaching to things beyond the stars! Alwayes
Exact in this no-vain ¶¶as some other Philosophy is call'd in Col. 2.8.PHILOSOPHY,
That in all things he found his Makers ‖‖presentem docult quaelibet herba Deum.praise.
Master of all the Arts that shew us what
Tis from each Bad unto each Good to goe;
To all his Knowledge last subjoyning that,{right †}Socrates his Hoc tantum scio, me nihil scire.
All that I know is, that I nothing know.
For TEMPERANCE, he liv'd upon it, hee
Like Hooper spar d much in his diet, more
In 's speech, but most in Time; the hateful Three
‖the Pleasures, and Profits & Honours of the world, become the 3 Belzebubs of it, according to the Distich Ambitiosus honos et opes et foeda voluptas, Haec tria pro trino Numine mundus habet.Fly-gods o'th' world mean while he car'd not for.
To Meat a*Dan. 1.12. Daniel; and a Rechabite¶Jer. 35.6.
To Drink; like a John Baptist †Mat. 3.4.in his Rayment;
His sleep, like David, {inverted †}Psa. 119.62.robbing in the Night;
Still putting Nature off with scanty payment.
Abstemious in all things at such a rate,
Some (like Eliza {left †}K. Edw. VI. us'd to call the Princess Elizabeth, his Sister Temperance.in her Brothers eyes,
Him Brother Temp'rance could denominate.
And Justice caus'd what e'er lookt otherwise.
For PATIENCE whole beds and loads of it
In his soul flourisht. What Affliction meant
He felt as much as most do talk, and yet
Groans might from him, but Grumbles *‖It was the sentence of a great Saint under great pain, I groan but do not grumble.ne're be sent.
And under Provocation, 'twas a care
By him maintaind to smile Affronts away.
Not fireing when meer Cock-boats landed are;
Seldom decoy'd from his mild Yea, or Nay.
No Brother of*whom Homer so often represents in fumes. Achilles; like unto
The Ʋpper Regions free from Tempests; full
Of the doves temper: Able for to go
Over an Alphabet, ¶as was wont to do the Renowned Roman Emperour.tho Anger pull,
His GODLINESS steer'd ‖allusion to Sola sit humanae pietas cynosura carinae.all his motions still:
God had his thrice-hot †Amo te, Domine, plusquam meos, plusquam mea, plusquam me. Bern.love, his life, his Whole:
Gods Honour was his End, and in the Will
Of God he moulded {inverted †}all. to Rom. 6.17. gr.his renewed soul.
His sev'rall Turns on a Religious threed
He sought to string: fixing that Motto on
What signal he in both his Callings did,
With much devotion, Lord {right †}as he, Propter te, Domine, propter te.for thee alone.
How James-like were his‖of whom Ecclesiastical History relates, that his hardned knees wore the Badges of his hard prayers. Pray'rs, how did the word
Of Life, his heart Christs ¶as Jerome remarkt of his friend Nepotian.Library affect!
What God-ward flames did his pure *Anima justi Coelum est.mind afford,
Of any Ord'nance dreading a Neglect!
BROTHERLY-KINDNESS did procure the Law
Of Kindness in his †prov. 31.26.lips, a Denison
Of Philadelphia [a]which name signifies brotherly love.in him we saw;
Heir to the soul of the Apostle[b]Heb. 13.1. gr. [b]of whom tis said that when through age he could do no more, he would give that short Lesson for a long Sermon to his congregation, my Children, love one another.John.
A Zuinglian entire that ever said[c]a savory speech recorded of the famous Zuinglius.
Let me see Christ in any one, I shall
Him with both Armes embrace. Whatever made
Distinctions, this with him removed all.
And CHARITY in him warm Beams extended
To all the Race of Man; Philanthropy
Him like a shaddow every where attended;
COLLINS made up of Love, we us'd to cry.
An Injury seldom resenting more
Than Cranmer or the Martyrologer*Holy Mr. Fox.
Who urn'd his Ashes, of whom tis notour,
Of good, for ill, Turns from them sure you were.
In fine, As the¶Seneca. Philosopher did give
His friend advice, suppose a Cato's eye
On you, and so be wise; when I would live
Uprightly, I'd imagine, COLLINS by.
Thus was he for a Christian, and thus he
With Conversation lightned, every Deed
Of his in print a Sermon yeeldeth mee:‖Ille pius pastor, quo non prestantior unus, Qui faciendo docet, quae facienda doc…t.
But now what as a Minister you'l heed.
Methinks I see how fraught the Pulpit was
Of Grace, of Gravity, of Wisdom, when
With most harmonious notes a Barnabas
He now was, and a Boanerges then:
How deep his Sermons were, where Elephants
Might take content, and yet withal how plain,
Suited unto the leather Dublet's Wants.
All in a near unimitable Strain:
What undasht †all. to 2. Cor. 2.17. gr.wine he gave me: what a Zeal
For me consum'd him: how material
He was in Dispensations aim'd to heal
Distempers in me, yet how Spiritual:
He like an Ox *all. to those 2 creatures in Rev. 4.7. whereof by the former some will have the Pastor, & by the latter the Teacher of a Church to be meant.was alwaies labouring
To feed me, but he like an Eagle *all. to those 2 creatures in Rev. 4.7. whereof by the former some will have the Pastor, & by the latter the Teacher of a Church to be meant.too
Did soar to Pisgah's Top, from thence to bring
Celestial Visions pore-blind us unto.
One is a Doctor most¶so Alexander Hales. Invincible
Another most{right †}so Bradwardine. Profound, a Third is counted
A Subtil {left †}so Scotus.one; (Scholastic Records tell)
A Fourth{inverted †}so Aquinas. Angelical by none surmounted:
COLLINS was all of this. The noble¡:!thus distinguished in an Epigram of Beza's Three
Geneva Crowns, enlightning Calvin, and
The thundring Farel join'd auspiciouslie
With shouring Viret, here in one did stand.
For Memory almost a Seneca,‖‖whose tenacious Memory is to all Ages memorable.
For Judgement and Fancy inferior
To few: in Learning rich, and ev'ry way
He was a furnisht Gospel-Orator.
How many*all. to. Act. 16.14. Lydian-hearts reputed him
A‖an excellent Divine, the English of whose Name seems to be Key-carrier: Claviger, by him unlockt? To us
For Light giv,n to our House how much Esteem
He had as an{inverted †}another, whose Name in likelyhood was House-Lamp. Oecolampadius!
To save poor me and mine, Oh how severe†observing the Motto of the Emperour Severus, which was LABOREMUS.
His Labours were! how lasting his Renown
Must to my Offspring be, Once (saying) were
Doves eyes within the Locks of {right †}all. to Cant. 4.1. where by those expressions some understand Christian Teachers surrounded with their believing Hearers.Middletown!
My Neighbourhood shar'd with me too; he gave
Some Spirit unto them: and then his{left †}One of his last Services was that he assisted in a Day of Prayer at New-Haven, immediatly on which he sickned. Haven
He chose: So on the Day ‖*He died on a Sabbath Day about the beginning of the Morning Exercise.we us'd to have
Heaven from him, from us he flew to Heaven.
The Age of Perkins **about 44.just attaind, he thought
It time to follow him. But Why so fast?
The cause you know that of such things is brought
Belong'd to him, he only grew too fast.¶Immodicis brevis est aetas et rara senectus.
More would I say but Heart-corroding Anguish
Layes that check on me, you have lost him now.
Broken with thy big Loss dear Friend, I languish:
Hence would my Tears more than my River flow.
Now in Micaiahs Trance*1. King. 22.17. I seem to see
For Food on mountains, wandring Shepherdless,
And Shiftless rambling, what belongs to me.
Wast Park of mine that now no Keeper has!
Lord, is my Night come shall Impaenitent
Transgressours now continue so? Shall it
Upon my Meeting-House, while men repent,
This and that man born here ‖allusion to Psal. 87.5.no more be writ?
Shall a forsaken now Society
Without its Head, its Heart, its Eyes remain?
And like Isaiah's woful Vineyard ly[a]all. to Isai. 5.
With with'ring Grapes abandon'd by the Rain?
O Ghastly Omens! if Paraeus dy
Let Heidleberge look to't. If Austin go
Let Hippo tremble. If Elisha fly[b]2. King. 15.20. 'Tis one of the Jewish Oracles, Quando Luminaria patiuntur Eclipsin, malum est signum mundo.
After his Master, next year brings a wo
I fear of both sorts now[c]Some have observed, that the Death of a faithful Minister in a place where he hath done God much service, is oft attended with a great Mortality among other persons in that place. I. Collins. Elijahs Lamenation. p. 18. Mortalities,
Of Famines too I fear the[d]See Amos 8.11. worst, I fear
The Gallop of no less Calamities
Then can be wrap'd in a pale Comets Hair.
Amidst these hideous Frights perplext, I mourn
With Incohaerent Throbs you see. Now tell me
Whether it be not just that thus forlorn
I here bewail this that has late befel me.
SHE said; Her heavy words were hardly out
When, as one planet-struck, a doleful shout
Of the surviving COLLINSes detaind
Me from Replies to what had been complain'd.
To fill the Stage there seem'd to throng a croud
Of his Relations to us. First aloud
His Aged Parents with drench'd Hankerchiefs
Saw and had cause thus to proclaim their Griefs:
A Son, our Staff and ‖A Bird fam'd for its regard to its Dam:Stork; (said they) A Son,
Our Benjamin, Alas, must he be gone
To his Long-Home before us? Heaven more
May now be Heaven to us than before.
Farewel, thou world of *One of the most splendid Cities wherein, is hence appositely term'd Lutetia.Dirt; we meekly wait
But for a ‖Vitam habentes in patientia, Mortem in desiderio.Call too. This deplored: Straight
His Brethren not as a†see Jer. 22.17. Jehoiakim
But as a{inverted †}v. 2. Sam. 1.17. Jonathan, bemoaned him,
With this, We live to see the Joseph die,
Whom we thought born for our Adversity!
His Widdow then, (the tender Whiting swam
Thro' the Black {right †}all. to the Mare mortuum.sea of Death to us) I came
(Said She) to bear a part with you. But I
Must in deep Silence do't. That ev'ry Sigh
Of mine — O that it Marbles might erect
To him, for lack of whom I'm thus deject.
And then his Orphans, all ensabled add
O could we say — that once a Father had,
A Father whose paternal over-sight
Did make us over happy, whose Delight
Was in our Welfare, whose Behaviours
Still taught us — Mercy! what a Loss is our's!
In this Distraction mixing once again
A Consolation-cup; [f]such the Jews were wont to have at their Funerals.Thick Mists amain
About us gathering; a Murmur there
Of the blest Shade himself we then might hear.
FOND Mortals, wipe your eyes (said he) pray keep
That liquor for your selves.*all. to Luk. 23 28. poor Envy 'tis
Which prompts your Threnodies for me. To weep
For my sake, is but to Ignore my Bliss.
O what a world of smoke of dust of Folly
Am I sayl'd ‖all. to Phil. 1.23. where to depart, is by some translated to loose Anchor.from! No sin shall me annoy,
And no Temptation more to be unholy
Shall e'er molest me in my Masters JOY.
I have my Ragged Mantle dropt; I have
All Vanity and all Vexation†Mors Beatitudinis principium, Laborum meta, peremptoria peccatorum, Aug.
Escap'd, my Clay safe kept within a Grave
Preserv'd lies for the Resurrection.
No Cross (g)Christ & his Cross part at Heavens door, for there's no room for Crosses in Heaven. Rutherf. Epist.shall ever gall my shoulders more,
From God, correcting my disorders, and
No Club e're strike me, red with ancient Gore,
Still by each Cain (h)Caint adhuc clavus Abelis sanguine rubens ubique circumfertur. Bucholtz.retained in his hand.
I'm got within the Vail, and there I see
The ever-glorious Face of the(i)The Heaven of Heaven, pourtray'd in Joh. 17.24. GOD-MAN;
And He with Transports doth convey to me
As much of GOD as entertain I can.
I Know, I Live, I Love; But how? forbear
To be inquisitive: It can't be told
To you; No, tho you all(k)skil'd in the language which bold conjectures think to be Heavens Dialect. Hebricians were:
Nor can shell-vessels (l)all. to 2. cor. 4.7. gr.this things meaning hold.
I find besides my loving Guardians here,
Here the Good Angels that convey'd me thro'
T… Divel-haunted-Dungeon-Atmosphere,(m)the territores whereto the apostate troops of Lucifer seem to be confined, from eph. 2.2.
To mine annex their Hallelujahs do.
Here, me the Chorus of the glorify'd,
The polisht (n)all. to 2. cor. 5.5.stones, now in the Temple plac,t
The twice cloath'd (o)all. to 2. ibid. where an upper garment of glory is engaged to the souls on which an under garment of grace is wrought with the Eternal Spir…ts Needle-work.Souls, salute on ev'ry side;
I see Nathaneel (p)v. Joh. 1.47.here, I know the rest.
Be glad that I am here, and after hye,
Your selves with diligence, all posting hither,
Precepts and Patterns left, my Counsels eye,
And Copyes, so we shall be soon together.
Souls, follow me. Anon the Stars, the Sands,
The Atoms of the Universe — a Scrol
Like Heaven fill'd with Nines, for cypher stands,
Compar'd to the Long joyes ‖a line … too long for the verse, but too short notwith…nding to give a shaddow of ETERNITYthat over us may roll.(q)a thing rationally sung by the …man Swan the night before he died.
A PERIOD this puts to the Tragaedy.
He vanisht; They retir'd; confused I
Now quite alone, have nothing else to do,
But to pour out a short Hosannah to
The Worlds Almighty GOVERNOUR to whom
On this account now these Petitions come
From lifted Hands, and bended Knees —
Dread Lord,
By whom vast Hosts of Beings with a Word
Are made and mov'd: Let thy much-hop'd Salvation
Shield us, like Walls from much-fear'd Desolation.
O Save New-Englands Churches; Let them be
Still golden Candlesticks, belov'd by thee,
Still Puritans; Still Iv'ry Pallaces.
Keep up the Quickset Hedge about them; Please
To keep the gladsome Streams of them alive.
Save Middletown, and cause the Place to thrive
Ʋnder Fat Clouds still, and that Bochim let
By thy Provision be a Bethel yet.
Save ev'ry soul that reads this Elegy;
Like COLLINS let us live, like COLLINS dy.
AMEN.
Sic mihi contingat vivere sicque mori.
Sic optat,
Qui longe sequitur vestigia semper adorans.
Qualis vita, ita
FINIS.
End of the text · Cotton Mather, An Elegy on the Death of Nathanael Collins (1685)