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The Lament of La Belle Heaulmiere

(Les Regrets de la belle bealmiere)

Methought I heard the mournful sigh
Of she who was the town's mistress,
Lamenting that her youth should die
And speaking thus in sore distress:
" Ah foul age, in your bitterness
And hate, why have you used me so?
What hinders me in my duress
Ending this life so useless now?

" Broken hast thou the spell so fair
That beauty once gave unto me;
Merchants and clerks and priests once were
My slaves, and all men born to see
Were mine, and paid gold royally

To His Freinds of Christchurch upon the Mislike of the Marriage of the Artes

But is it true, the Court mislik't the Play,
That Christchurch and the Arts have lost the day?
That Ignoramus should so farr excell
Their Hobby-horse from ours hath borne the bell?
Troth you are justly serv'd, that would present
Ought unto them, but shallow merriment;
Or to your Marriage-table did admitt
Guests, that are stronger farr in smell, then Witt.
Had some quaint bawdry larded ev'ry Scaene,
Some fawning Sychophant, or courted Queane;
Had there appear'd some sharp, crosse-garter'd man,
Whome their loud laugh might nickname Puritan,

Ballade of Vanished Lords, 2

(Ballade des seigneurs du temps jadis)

The Saints, Apostles, where are they,
Vestured in albs and each one stoled
In amict; who by neck did lay;
All sinners by the fiend controlled?
And even as these are gone, behold,
So all must go their fate to find,
Servants and sons, and young and old:
So much carries away the wind.
And Constantine's successor—say,
Where is he with his hands of gold?
And the French king who stands for ay
Above all kings whose tales are told;
Who, praising God and saintly souled,

Consent, The. In Imitation of the Virgin's Answer to the Angel

In imitation of the Virgin's Answer to the Angel.

[Luk. 1.38.]

Great GOD: Thy Chosen People shall
Each one to Thee be Called home:
And to a Choice of thee they All
On thy Heart-conq'ring Call shall come.

God, Father, Son , and Spirit , make
Tenders that overcome us quite:
I'll be your GOD; He sayes: I'll take
In you, as in dear Sons delight.

The Lord-Redeemer does propose
To Pay for us a wondrous Price ;
To guide our Wayes ; to quell our Foes ;

Ballade of Vanished Lords, 1

(Ballade des seigneurs du temps jadis)

And more—that Pope the third Calixte
Last of his name, where is he gone,
Who four years held the Papalist?
Where's Alphonse, King of Aragon.
The gracious lord Duke of Bourbon,
And Artus, Duke of broad Bretagne,
And Charles the seventh named “Le Bon”?
But where is now brave Charlemagne!

Also that Scottish king of mist
And rain, with half his face, saith one,
Vermillion like an amethyst,
Painted from chin right up to crown.
The Cyprian king of old renown,

Conversion Exemplified

And now, to Life Rais'd by the Heav'nly Call,
Henceforth Vain Idols , I Renounce you all.
Vile Flesh , Thy raging Lust, and sordid Ease,
My winged Soul now shall not serve and please.
False World, Thy Laws shall be no longer mine,
Nor to thy Wayes my New-born Soul incline.
Satan, Thou wilt, I know, my Tempter be;
But thy Temptation shall not Govern me.
Foolish I've been; O Lord , I blush, I grieve;
And gladly would my Woful Folly leave.
Fain would I Turn to God; but can't alone:
Help, Sovereign Grace, or it will ne'er be done!

A Morning in Spring

Aurora was drest in her purple array,
And sol had just mounted the chariot of day;
The swift winged hours came dancing along,
And the lark to the morn galy warbled her song;
When struck with the spring and the beauties of May,
Thus Damon began to his fair one the lay.

How sweet is the prospect around,
How beautiful nature is seen;
Each hedge with May blossom is crown'd,
Each mead with a delicate green;
What odours came forth from each grove,
How blithe the wild choristers sing,
Can there aught be in nature, my love,

Happy Days

Come back — come back — thou youthful Time
When joy and innocence were ours,
When life was in its vernal prime,
And redolent of sweets and flowers.
Come back — and let us roam once more
Free-hearted through Life's pleasant ways,
And gather garlands as of yore —
Come back — come back — ye happy days.

Come back — come back — 't was pleasant then
To cherish faith in Love and Truth,
For nothing in dispraise of men
Had sour'd the temper of our youth.
Come back — and let us still believe
The gorgeous dream Romance displays,
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