XLIX SONNET. Poor Soul, the centre of my sinful earth, Fooled by these rebel powers that thee array, L SONNET. The expense of spirit in a waste of shame All this the world well knows; yet none knows well William Shakespeare. 5 IO LI TIMES GO BY TURNS. The lopped tree in time may grow again; The driest soil suck in some moistening shower ; Times go by turns, and chances change by course, 5 From foul to fair, from better hap to worse. The sea of Fortune doth not ever flow, She draws her favours to the lowest ebb; Her tides have equal times to come and go; Her loom doth weave the fine and coarsest web; 10 No joy so great but runneth to an end, No hap so hard but may in fine amend. Not always fall of leaf, nor ever spring; No endless night, yet no eternal day; The saddest birds a season find to sing; The roughest storm a calm may soon allay; Thus with succeeding turns God tempereth all, That man may hope to rise, yet fear to fall. A chance may win that by mischance was lost; That net that holds no great, takes little fish ; In some things all, in all things none are crossed ; Few all they need, but none have all they wish; Unmeddled joys here to no man befall, 15 20 Who least hath some, who most hath never all. Robert Southwell. LII LIFE A BUBBLE. This Life, which seems so fair, Is like a bubble blown up in the air, By sporting children's breath, Who chase it everywhere, And strive who can most motion it bequeath; And though it sometimes seem of its own might But in that pomp it doth not long appear; LIII 5 ΙΟ William Drummond. MAN'S MORTALITY. Like as the damask rose you see, 5 10 Or like the bird that's here to day, 15 Or like the pearlèd dew of May, Or like an hour, or like a span, 20 E LIV ON GOD'S OMNIPOTENCY. O every living worldly wight, Awake and dress yourself with speed, To serve and praise the God of might, From whom all bounty does proceed : For if ye drift and still refuse, The heaven and earth will you accuse. The brutal beasts without all strife They willingly his voice obey; The creatures that have no life Set forth his glory day by day; The heaven it is his dwelling place, His works are all before his face, Of hearts the secrets He does know; And every thing as in a glass He sees before it come to pass. The swift and active fiery sprights, The Cherubins of substance pure, They walk among the holy streits, And make him daily service sure; Yea at all times they ready stand To go and come at his command. His holy purpose to fulfil, And potent power to declare, The massive earth reposes still, Suspended in the cessile air; And at her due appointed hours Brings forth most pleasant fruits and flowers. 30 We hear them thudding by us go, Yet not conceive them with our sight: Like flocks of fowls the clouds above Again they suddenly remove, 40 45 We wot not where, nor reason why : But to obey his holy law They pour out rain, sharp hail, and snaw. He made the sun, a lamp of light, A well of heat, to shine by day; 50! He made the moon to guide the night, On idols and the host of heaven : With fables and fictitious leis. 60 He is above Mercurius, Above Neptunus on the sea, |