IDENTILIN$$ F14500A|Sal|1633|pp. 115-18\JH\fs(M)\4-9-91\P:EWS\o(OJ;MH[STC7045(A)])\5-23-00;7-31-02\C:JMK\3-20-01;JSC\5-1-01;8-22-02\P:DAS\cd(DFo)\2-24-02\C:JSC\4-29-03p:AWJ\cd(TxAM1)\2-21-05\c:JAH\2-23-05\F:JSC\2-8-06
145.00A.0HE %X%1To the Countesse of Salisbury%2. August. 1614.
145.00A.001 F%+Aire, great, and good, since seeing you, wee see
145.00A.002 What Heaven can doe, and what any Earth can be:
145.00A.003 Since now your beauty shines, now when the Sunne
145.00A.004 Growne stale, is to so low a value runne,
145.00A.005 That his disshevel'd beames and scattered fires
145.00A.006 Serve but for Ladies Periwigs and Tyres
145.00A.007 In lovers Sonnets: you come to repaire
145.00A.008 Gods booke of creatures, teaching what is faire.
145.00A.009 Since now, when all is withered, shrunke, and dri'd,
145.00A.010 All Vertues ebb'd out to a dead low tyde,
145.00A.011 All the worlds frame being crumbled into sand,
145.00A.012 Where every man thinks by himselfe to stand,
145.00A.013 Integritie, friendship, and confidence,
145.00A.014 (Ciments of greatnes) being vapor'd hence,
145.00A.015 And narrow man being fill'd with little shares,
145.00A.016 Court, Citie, Church, are all shops of small-wares,
145.00A.017 All having blowne to sparkes their noble fire,
145.00A.018 And drawne their sound gold-ingot into wyre;
145.00A.019 All trying by a love of littlenesse
145.00A.020 To make abridgments, and to draw to lesse,
145.00A.021 Even that nothing, which at first we were; [CW:Since]
145.00A.022 Since in these times, your greatnesse doth appeare, [p.116]
145.00A.023 And that we learne by it, that man to get
145.00A.024 Towards him, thats infinite, must first be great.
145.00A.025 Since in an age so ill, as none is fit
145.00A.026 So much as to accuse, much lesse mend it,
145.00A.027 (For who can judge, or witnesse of those times
145.00A.028 Where all alike are guiltie of the crimes?)
145.00A.029 Where he that would be good, is thought by all
145.00A.030 A monster, or at best fantasticall:
145.00A.031 Since now you durst be good, and that I doe
145.00A.032 Discerne, by daring to contemplate you,
145.00A.033 That there may be degrees of faire, great, good,
145.00A.034 Through your light, largenesse, vertue understood:
145.00A.035 If in this sacrifice of mine, be showne
145.00A.036 Any small sparke of these, call it your owne.
145.00A.037 And if things like these, have been said by mee
145.00A.038 Of others; call not that Idolatrie.
145.00A.039 For had God made man first, and man had seene
145.00A.040 The third daies fruits, and flowers, and various greene
145.00A.041 He might have said the best that he could say
145.00A.042 Of those faire creatures, which were made that day:[da(TxAM1)]
145.00A.043 And when next day he had admir'd the birth
145.00A.044 Of Sun, Moone, Stars, fairer then late-prais'd earth,
145.00A.045 Hee might have said the best that he could say,
145.00A.046 And not be chid for praising yesterday:
145.00A.047 So though some things are not together true,
145.00A.048 As, that another is worthiest, and, that you:
145.00A.049 Yet, to say so, doth not condemne a man,
145.00A.050 If when he spoke them, they were both true than.
145.00A.051 How faire a proofe of this, in our soule growes? [CW:Wee]
145.00A.052 Wee first have soules of growth, and sense, and those, [p.117]
145.00A.053 When our last soule, our soule immortall came,
145.00A.054 Were swallowed into it, and have no name.
145.00A.055 Nor doth he injure those soules, which doth cast
145.00A.056 The power and praise of both them, on the last;
145.00A.057 No more doe I wrong any; I adore
145.00A.058 The same things now, which I ador'd before,
145.00A.059 The subject chang'd, and measure; the same thing
145.00A.060 In a low constable, and in the King
145.00A.061 I reverence; His power to worke on mee;
145.00A.062 So did I humbly reverence each degree
145.00A.063 Of faire, great, good, but more, now I am come
145.00A.064 From having found their %1walkes%2, to finde their %1home%2.
145.00A.065 And as I owe my first soules thankes, that they
145.00A.066 For my last soule did fit and mould my clay,
145.00A.067 So am I debtor unto them, whose worth,
145.00A.068 Enabled me to profit, and take forth
145.00A.069 This new great lesson, thus to study you;
145.00A.070 Which none, not reading others, first, could doe.
145.00A.071 Nor lacke I light to read this booke, though I
145.00A.072 In a darke Cave, yea in a Grave doe lie;
145.00A.073 For as your fellow Angells, so you doe
145.00A.074 Illustrate them who come to study you.
145.00A.075 The first whom we in Histories doe finde
145.00A.076 To have profest all Arts, was one borne blind:
145.00A.077 He lackt those eyes beasts have as well as wee,
145.00A.078 Not those, by which Angels are seene and see;
145.00A.079 So, though I'am borne without those eyes to live,
145.00A.080 Which fortune, who hath none her selfe, doth give,
145.00A.081 Which are, fit meanes to see bright courts and you, [CW:Yet]
145.00A.082 Yet may I see you thus, as now I doe; [p.118]
145.00A.083 I shall by that, all goodnesse have discern'd,
145.00A.084 And though I burne my librarie, be learn'd.
145.00A.0SS [om]
145.00A.0$$ no ind; M copy prints what COULD be an updrifted, partially printed comma at end of l.37 (nothing there in DFo,MH,OJ,TxAM1)