EPITHAMALIONS: OR MARRIAGE SONGS. AN EPITHALAMION On Frederick Count Palatine of the Rhine, and the Lady Elizabeth, being married on St. Valentine's day. I. HAIL, Bishop Valentine! whose day this is, All the air is thy diocese, And all the chirping choristers And other birds are thy parishioners: The lyric lark and the grave whispering dove; The husband cock locks out, and strait is sped, And meets his wife, which brings her feather-bcd. 10 This day, which might inflame thyself, old Valentine! II. Till now thou warm'dst with multiplying loves All that is nothing unto this, For thou this day couplest two phoenixes. Thou mak'st a taper see What the sun never saw, and what the ark 20 (Which was of fowl and beasts the cage and park) Where motion kindles such fires as shall give Up then, fair phoenix bride! frustrate the sun; Thyself from thine affection Tak'st warmth enough, and from thine eye All lesser birds will take their jollity. Up, up, fair bride! and call Thy stars from out their several boxes; take [tine! 30 Thy rubies, pearls, and diamonds, forth, and make Thyself a constellation of them all; And by their blazing signify That a great princess falls, but doth not die: 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 day, Valentine! IV. Come forth, come forth! and as one glorious flame So meet thy Frederick, and so To an unseparable union go; Since separation Falls not on such things as are infinite, To make you one; his way, which divers ways And that y' are one, by hearts and hands made fast, V. But, oh! what ails the sun, that hence he stays Stays he new light from these to get? And finding here such stars is loth to set? So slowly pac'd in this procession? Is all your care but to be look'd upon, Is eaten, and too long their meat they praise. '50 bo The masquers come late, and I think will stay, A night as well as day to thee, old Valentine? VI. They did, and night is come; and yet we see What mean these ladies, which (as tho' A bride, before a good-night could be said, VII. Here lies a she sun, and a he moon there; She gives the best light to his sphere; They unto one another nothing owe: And yet they do; but are 70 80 So just and rich in that coin which they pay, 90 That neither would, nor needs, forbear nor stay; Neither desires to be spar'd nor to spare: They quickly pay their debt, and then Take no acquittances, but pay again: They pay, they give, they lend, and so let fall No cccasion to be liberal. More truth, more courage, in these two do shine Than all thy turtles have, and sparrows, Valentine! VIII. And by this act of these two phoenixes Nature again restored is; For since these two are two no more, There's but one phoenix still, as was before. (As Satyrs watch the sun's uprise) will stay 100 ΓΙΟ Till which hour we thy day enlarge, O Valentine! 112 |