No More Learning

O why wouldst thou be any instrument 155
To this unnaturall course, or why consent
To this, not miracle, but Prodigie,
That when the ebbs, longer then flowings be,
Vertue, whose flood did with thy youth begin,
Should so much faster ebb out, then flow in? 160
Though her flood was blowne in, by thy first breath,
All is at once sunke in the whirle-poole death.
Which word I would not name, but that I see
Death, else a desert, growne a Court by thee.
Now I grow sure, that if a man would have 165
Good companie, his entry is a grave.
Mee thinkes all Cities, now, but Anthills bee,
Where, when the severall labourers I see,
For children, house, Provision, taking paine,
They'are all but Ants, carrying eggs, straw, and grain; 170
And Church-yards are our cities, unto which
The most repaire, that are in goodnesse rich.
There is the best concourse, and confluence,
There are the holy suburbs, and from thence
Begins Gods City, New Jerusalem, 175
Which doth extend her utmost gates to them.
At that gate then Triumphant soule, dost thou
Begin thy Triumph; But since lawes allow
That at the Triumph day, the people may,
All that they will, 'gainst the Triumpher say, 180
Let me here use that freedome, and expresse
My griefe, though not to make thy Triumph lesse.
By law, to Triumphs none admitted bee,
Till they as Magistrates get victorie;
Though then to thy force, all youthes foes did yield, 185
Yet till fit time had brought thee to that field,
To which thy ranke in this state destin'd thee,
That there thy counsailes might get victorie,
And so in that capacitie remove
All jealousies 'twixt Prince and subjects love, 190
Thou could'st no title, to this triumph have,
Thou didst intrude on death, usurp'dst a grave.
Then (though victoriously) thou hadst fought as yet
But with thine owne affections, with the heate
Of youths desires, and colds of ignorance, 195
But till thou should'st successefully advance
Thine armes 'gainst forraine enemies, which are
Both Envy, and acclamations popular,
(For, both these engines equally defeate,
Though by a divers Mine, those which are great,) 200
Till then thy War was but a civill War,
For which to Triumph, none admitted are.
No more are they, who though with good successe,
In a defensive war, their power expresse;
Before men triumph, the dominion 205
Must be _enlarg'd_ and not _preserv'd_ alone;
Why should'st thou then, whose battailes were to win
Thy selfe, from those straits nature put thee in,
And to deliver up to God that state,
Of which he gave thee the vicariate, 210
(Which is thy soule and body) as intire
As he, who takes endeavours, doth require,
But didst not stay, t'enlarge his kingdome too,
By making others, what thou didst, to doe;
Why shouldst thou Triumph now, when Heav'n no more 216
Hath got, by getting thee, then't had before?
For, Heav'n and thou, even when thou livedst here,
Of one another in possession were.
But this from Triumph most disables thee,
That, that place which is conquered, must bee 220
Left safe from present warre, and likely doubt
Of imminent commotions to breake out:
And hath he left us so? or can it bee
His territory was no more then Hee?
No, we were all his charge, the Diocis 225
Of ev'ry exemplar man, the whole world is,
And he was joyned in commission
With Tutelar Angels, sent to every one.
But though this freedome to upbraid, and chide
Him who Triumph'd, were lawfull, it was ty'd 230
With this, that it might never reference have
Unto the Senate, who this triumph gave;
Men might at Pompey jeast, but they might not
At that authoritie, by which he got
Leave to Triumph, before, by age, he might; 235
So, though, triumphant soule, I dare to write,
Mov'd with a reverentiall anger, thus,
That thou so earely wouldst abandon us;
Yet I am farre from daring to dispute
With that great soveraigntie, whose absolute 240
Prerogative hath thus dispens'd with thee,
'Gainst natures lawes, which just impugners bee
Of early triumphs; And I (though with paine)
Lessen our losse, to magnifie thy gaine
Of triumph, when I say, It was more fit, 245
That all men should lacke thee, then thou lack it.
Though then in our time, be not suffered
That testimonie of love, unto the dead,
To die with them, and in their graves be hid,
As Saxon wives, and French soldurii did; 250
And though in no degree I can expresse
Griefe in great Alexanders great excesse,
Who at his friends death, made whole townes devest
Their walls and bullwarks which became them best:
Doe not, faire soule, this sacrifice refuse, 255
That in thy grave I doe interre my Muse,
Who, by my griefe, great as thy worth, being cast
Behind hand, yet hath spoke, and spoke her last.


[Obsequies to _&c. _ _B_, _S96_ _and similarly_ _A25_, _C_,
_D_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TCD:_ Obsequies
to the Lord Harringtons brother. To the Countesse of Bedford.
_1633-54:_ Obsequies on the Lord Harrington, &c. To the
Countess of Bedford. _1669_]

[7 mans _1633_, _D_, _H49:_ mens _1635-69 and most MSS_. ]

[11 these _1633-69:_ those _B_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _O'F_, _S_,
_TCD_]

[15 midnight, now _1633-69:_ midnight; now _Chambers:_
midnight now, _Grolier_]

[26 that Sunne] this Sunne _N_, _TCD_]

[30 hardest] hardyest _1669_]

[34 end. _D:_ end; _1633-69_]

[35 our true glasse, _1633-69_ (glass, _1633_): truly our
glass _A25_, _B_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_,
_S96_, _TCD_

see] see. _1633_ _some copies_, _1635_]

[38 Things, in proportion fit, by perspective, _D:_ Things, in
proportion fit by perspective, _1633:_ Things, in proportion,
fit by perspective, _1635-54_, _Chambers:_ Things in
proportion, fit by perspective, _1669_. _See note_]

[39 men; _D:_ men, _1633:_ men: _1635-69_]

living _1633:_ beeing _1635-69_, _Chambers and Grolier_]

[40 neare. _1635-69:_ nere; _1633_]

[44 contemplation. _Ed:_ contemplation; _1633-69_]

[51 on; _Ed:_ on, _1633-69_]

[52 was. _Ed:_ was; _1633-69_]

[53 feed _1635-69 and MSS. :_ feeds _1633_]

[63 would _1633:_ should _1635-69_]

[69 to have his _1633_, _A25_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_,
_N_, _S_, _S96_, _TCD:_ to'have had his _1635-69_, _O'F_,
_Chambers_]

[70 old; _Ed:_ old, _1633-39:_ old. _1650-69_]

[71 So, then that _Ed:_ So then, that _1633:_ So, then, that
_1635-69_]

[76 exercise] exercse _1633_ _some copies:_ encrease _D_,
_H49_, _Lec:_ exercise: they _S_

lacke _1633-54:_ last _1669_

time] room _A25_, _B_, _JC_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_, _TCD_]

[78 epitome: _D:_ epitome.