The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw Volume II Part 61

Alas, how brief and grudg'd our Spring!

Ah, flow'ry days how vanis.h.i.+ng!

E'en so ye hasten on and on With an unceasing motion.

And thou, sweet Beauty, brightly flas.h.i.+ng, But all too soon thy fairness das.h.i.+ng, To depths of lowest Night must go: Ah, losing there thy hasty glow; Dark'ning mists around thee clinging, And thy loveliness swift-winging: A love that brightens to deceive; A dream-shadow, fugitive.

Ye therefore o'er whom Life's young Day s.h.i.+neth still with golden ray, Seize--Fate's harsh distaff makes appeal, And h.o.a.ry Time's quick-whirling wheel, As round and round the circle spins, And to furthest distance wins-- Seize ye the gliding seasons fleet, And dews of vernal Phosphor sweet, And new-blown flowers' brightness meet.

O, what to tender loves ye owe, Waste not on Chaos dark below, Where pallid ghosts dim-gleaming go.

Though, Beauty, on thy starry cheeks, Where snow's white pureness ever breaks, And where gazing, we see born Roses fresh without all thorn, Buds intertwining undefil'd, Spotless as e'er a grace-born child: Though thou with everlasting faith Fosterest with thy nectar'd breath Myriad Loves, and dost them feed With honey'd feast of heavenly mead In gentle draughts; and they roam round In thy realms, and aye are found Surfeiting themselves with play In one amorous holiday; Happy in the drenching dew, And seeking ever to renew Their torch-flames at thy fair eyes, And whet blunt arrows' ecstasies With sweet juice that in honey lies: And so, with their flame relumed, Deftly hover, airy-plumed; Waving higher still and higher Their torches that raise soft desire; Menacing the very stars, Yea the old heavens i' their wars: Although beneath thy high-arch'd brow Sits Majesty, nor doth allow To wanton loves such liberty As mocks the Ruler of the sky; But in their wild career gives pause, Imposing on them Love's sweet laws: Though thy whole frame in every part Sets forth the sky as in a chart; Though thy fair face in every look Shows heaven in page of living book; To Earth reveals the starry skies In the bright glances of thine eyes: Yet, alas, on these fair cheeks, Where the rose all-blus.h.i.+ng speaks, There shall come the snow's sad whiteness, And the red, heart-breaking brightness: On the 'human face divine,'

That as a star doth radiant s.h.i.+ne, There shall come the deep'ning shadow, As clouds across the dappl'd meadow.

On the high state of the brow To-morrow Death may make his blow; And all of Nature's bravery Gone, in the Grave's cavern lie.

Alas, the fairest is the fleetest!

Alas, how short-liv'd is the sweetest!

Alas, the richest is the rarest!

Alas, that Death doth spoil the fairest! G.

HYMNUS VENERI,

DUM IN ILLIUS TUTELAM TRANSEUNT VIRGINES.

Tu tuis adsis, Venus alme, sacris: Rideas blandum, Venus, et benignum, Quale c.u.m Martem premis, aureoque Frangis ocello.

Rideas o tum neque flamma Phoeb.u.m, Nec juvent Phben sua tela; gestat Te satis contra tuus ille tantum Tela Cupido.

Saepe in ipsius pharetra Dianae Hic suas ridens posuit sagittas, Ausus et flammae Dominum magistris Urere flammis.

Virginum te orat chorus--esse longum Virgines nollent--modo servientum Tot columbarum tibi pa.s.serumque augere catervam.

Dedicant quicquid labra vel rosarum Colla, vel servant tibi liliorum; Dedicant totum tibi ver genarum, Ver oculorum.

Hinc tuo sumas licet arma nato, Seu novas his ex oculis sagittas; Seu faces flamma velit acriori Flave comatas.

Sume, et o discant quid amica, quid nox, Quid bene et blande vigilata nox sit; Quid sibi dulcis furor, et protervus Poscat amator.

Sume per quae tot tibi corda flagrant, Per quod arcanum tua cestus halat, Per tuus quicquid tibi dixit olim aut Fecit Adonis.

TRANSLATION.

A HYMN TO VENUS,

WHILE THE VIRGINS Pa.s.s UNDER HER PROTECTION.

Be thou, sweet Venus, present now, Whilst at thy sacred rites we vow; Smile, Venus, with the smile that charms When Mars enfolds thee in his arms, O'ercome with glance as suns.h.i.+ne golden, Renowned from the ages olden.

Smile; then Phbus' flame shall fail, Nor Phbe her own darts avail.

Thy Cupid only against thee Wields successful weaponry.

Oft and oft the laughing Boy In the wildness of his joy Has slipt into Diana's quiver His keen arrows, that a s.h.i.+ver Pleasant-painful send through all, When he, trickster, doth enthral.

Yea, he has dar'd the Lord of Fire With flames more burning, in his ire.

The arm-link'd Virgins to thee pray, Seeking thou wouldst near them stay; Were it but to offer here, In the flock that hovers near, More doves and sparrows lightly-flying: To their prayer there's no denying.

Lo, they dedicate in posies All their lips supply of roses; All their necks, of lilies, white As the dewy stainless light; Yea, the whole Spring of each cheek, And that which from their eyes doth break.

Hence, Venus, arms thou mayest take For thy wanton Boy to make Arrows from their fire-darting eyes, Or torches flame-tipp'd that surprise With Love's delicious agonies.

Take them, and see thou lett'st them know What means a 'mistress;' and then show What the Night all-wakeful is In the rapture of its bliss; What the bold lover shall demand When all charms he doth command.

Take them: by all the hearts that burn, And pa.s.sionate unto thee turn!

By all the mysteries that are breath'd, Or in thine own girdle sheath'd!

By all to thee Adonis e'er Or said or did, when he would swear, Ne'er i' the world was one so fair! G.

VERIS DESCRIPTIO.

Tempus adest, placidis quo sol novus auctior horis Purpureos mulcere dies, et sidere verno Floridus, augusto solet ire per aethera vultu, Naturae communis amor; spes aurea mundi; Virgineum decus, et dulcis lascivia rerum, Ver tenerum, ver molle subit; jam pulchrior annus p.u.b.e nova, roseaeque recens in flore juventae Felici fragrat gremio, et laxatur odora Prole parens; per aquas, perque arva, per omnia late Ipse suas miratur opes, miratur honores.

Jam Zephyro resoluta suo tumet ebria tellus, Et crebro bibit imbre Jovem, sub frondibus altis Flora sedens, audit, felix! quo murmure lapsis Fons patrius minitetur aquis, quae vertice crispo Respiciunt tantum, et strepero procul agmine pergunt.

Audit, et arboreis siquid gemebunda recurrens Garriat aura comis, audit, quibus ipsa susurris Annuit, et facili cervice remurmurat arbor.

Quin audit querulas, audit quodcunque per umbras Flebilibus Philomela modis miserabile narrat.

Tum quoque praecipue blandis Cytherea per orbem Spargitur imperiis; molles tum major habenas Incut.i.t increpitans, cestus magis ignea rores Ingeminat, tumidosque sinus flagrantior ambit; Nympharum incedit late, Charitumque corona Amplior, et plures curru jam nect.i.t olores: Quin ipsos quoque tum campis emitt.i.t apricis Laeta parens gremioque omnes effundit Amores. _Venus_ Mille ruunt equites blandi, peditumque protervae Mille ruunt acies: levium pars terga ferarum Insiliunt, gaudentque suis stimulare sagittis; Pars optans gemino multum properare volatu Aerios conscendit equos; hic pa.s.sere blando Subsiliens leve ludit iter; micat huc, micat illuc Hospitio levis incerto, et vagus omnibus umbris: Verum alter gravidis insurgens major habenis Maternas molitur aves: illi improbus acrem Versat apem similis, seseque agnoscit in illo.

Et brevibus miscere vias ac frangere gyris: Pars leviter per prata vagi sua lilia dignis Contendunt sociare rosis; tum floreus ordo Consilio fragrante venit; lascivit in omni Germine laeta ma.n.u.s; nitidis nova gloria pennis Additur; ill.u.s.tri gremio sedet aurea messis; Gaudet odoratas coma blandior ire sub umbras.

Excutiunt solitas, immitia tela, sagittas, Ridentesque aliis pharetrae spectantur in armis.

Flore ma.n.u.s, et flore sinus, flore omnia lucent.

Undique jam flos est. Vitreas hic p.r.o.nus ad undas Ingenium illudentis aquae, fluitantiaque ora, Et vaga miratur tremulae mendacia formae.

Inde suos probat explorans, et judice nympha Informat radios, ne non satis igne protervo Ora tremant, agilesque docet nova fulgura vultus, Atque suo vibrare jubet petulantius astro.

TRANSLATION.

A DESCRIPTION OF SPRING.

The time is come, when, lord of milder hours, The Sun, ascending fresh with larger powers, Is wont to woo and soothe the purple Day, And, brilliant with its beaming vernal ray, To climb with face august the heavenly way; All Nature's love, Earth's hope and glory golden, To which for garlands virgins are beholden.

With a glad plenty of all living things Sweet tender Spring approaches on soft wings.

The Year, more beauteous now with offspring new, And crown'd with Youth's fresh flowers of every hue, Delicious odours pours from happy breast, Of fragrant progeny the parent blest: O'er verdant fields, blue waters, everywhere, At his own wealth he wonders, large and fair.

By her own Zephyr thirsty Earth unbound Drinks eagerly the showers which fall all round; While Flora, sitting where tall trees appear, Lists, O how happily! as, murmuring near, A father-fountain chides its gliding waters, Which with curl'd head--alas, unduteous daughters-- Only look back, and then a garrulous band Pursue their laughing way o'er all the land; Lists how the sighing, oft-returning air Soft prattles to the leafy tresses fair; With what sweet whispers it accosts the tree, Which with bow'd head makes answer murmuringly; Lists, lists again, while through the mournful shade Sad Philomel's pathetic plaint is made.

Now chiefly Venus spreads her empire sweet, And calls the world to wors.h.i.+p at her feet; Now mightier her soft reins shakes to and fro, Chiding, and makes her chariot faster go; More fiery bids her cestus' powers abound, And her warm swelling bosom girds around; More glorious now, circl'd by Nymphs and Graces, She marches forth, and to her chariot-traces She yokes more swans. Nay, freer than before, Her Loves themselves, the sunny meadows o'er, From her maternal bosom see her pour; A thousand hors.e.m.e.n sweet career around, Ten thousand wanton footmen scour the ground; Part mount the backs of wild beasts as they run, And their own goad-like arrows ply in fun; Part seek wing'd flight to urge with double speed, And so ascend each one an airy steed; One, vaulting on a sparrow, flits away; Here see him lightly s.h.i.+ne, there brightly play, In no place long; now resting here, now yonder, Wherever shadows woo them, lo, they wander.

One, rising mightier than her heavy reins, His Mother's birds attempts with lighter chains.

One, bee-like, brave o'erthrows an angry bee, Only another self in him to see; In tiny circles they awhile revolve, But soon their interlacing flight dissolve.

Part, lightly flitting o'er the meadows fair, Strive their own lilies with meet rose to pair.

Now flowery tribes in fragrant counsel stand, Amid the buds wantons the joyous band.

New glory on their s.h.i.+ning pinions rests, A golden harvest settles on their b.r.e.a.s.t.s; With sweeten'd locks to odorous shades they go, Their arrows, weapons harsh, away they throw, While other arms their smiling quivers show.

Flowers in their hand, flowers in their breast, are seen, On every side appears a flowery sheen.

One Love, reclin'd beside a gla.s.sy stream, Admires the nature of the illusive gleam, The liquid likeness of his wavering face, And tremulous deceit of imag'd grace.

Thence, his own rays examining, he tries And fas.h.i.+ons, as the Nymph may chance advise, That braver fires may tremble in his eyes; His mobile face new lightnings flashes far, With rays more wanton, bickering like a star. R. WI.

PRISCIa.n.u.s VERBERANS ET VAPULANS.

The two following poems--somewhat out of character, so to say, with Crashaw--were probably prepared for a tractate, which it has been our good fortune to hap on in the Bodleian. It is a Latin burlesque Poem, filling a small 4to of 20 pages, with this t.i.tle:

EN PRISCIa.n.u.s VERBERANS ET VAPULANS.

Jam publicato verberans aures stylo Qua p.e.n.i.s iterum vapulet, metuit crisin.

Londini

Excudebat Augustinus Mathewes impensis Roberti Mulbourne ad insigne Canis venatici in coemeterio Paulino. 1632.

The words 'Priscia.n.u.s Verberans et Vapulans' remind us of the once-famous 'Comoedia' of Nicodemus Freschlin; but the later poem shows no reminiscence of the earlier. These details will doubtless interest and amuse in relation to Crashaw's pieces. Priscia.n.u.s, otherwise Nisus, a schoolmaster, whips a boy who broke and dirtied his whipping-horse, and the boy's parents bring an action against him for a.s.sault. The place is evidently Aldborough in Suffolk--illumined by the genius of Crabbe--and the name of the boy's family Coleman. The poem thus begins and proceeds--the marginal notes being placed at the bottom of our pages:

Pinguibus in populi, qui dicitur Austricus,[101] arvis Praeturam, fasces, lictores nuper adepta Villa[102] antiqua, novo jam Burgi turget honore.