[40] / But as when the child of Thaumas10 spreads her riches, / the earth luxuriated in vestment of many colors. / Chloris,11 the goddess beloved by fleet Zephyr, did not adorn / the gardens of Alcinous with so many various flowers. / Silver rivers washed the verdant field; [45] / the sand was gilded richer than Hesperian Tagus.12 / Through the fragrant wealth stole the light breath of Favonius,13 / the dewy breath born under innumerable roses. / Such, on the distant shores of the land of the Ganges, / is the home of Lucifer,14 the king, imagined to be. [50] / While I myself was marvelling at the dense shades beneath the clustering vines / and the shining regions everywhere, / behold, Winchester’s bishop suddenly stood before me, / the splendor of stars shone in his bright face; / a dazzling white robe flowed down to his golden ankles, [55] / a white fillet encircled his divine head. / And while the reverend old man advanced in such fashion, / the flowery earth trembled with happy sound. / The celestial multitudes applaud with jewelled wings, / the pure air resounds with triumphal trumpet. [60] / Everyone salutes the new companion with an embrace and a song, / and one among them uttered these words from his peaceful lips: / “My son, come, and, happy, reap the joys of your father’s kingdom; / here rest forever, my son, from harsh labor.”15 / He spoke, and the winged troops touched their harps,16 [65] / but for me golden sleep was banished with the night. / I wept for the dreams disturbed by the mistress of Cephalus.17 / May such dreams often befall me! /

(Oct ? 1626)

1 Lancelot Andrewes, who died on Sept. 25, 1626.

2 the Italian goddess of the dead. The plague was severe in London in 1625-26.

3 often identified as Duke Christian of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, who died in the Low Countries (Belgia) during the Thirty Years’ War on June 6, 1626, and Count Ernest of Mansfeld, who died on Nov. 29. Adherents of the Protestant cause, they were brothers in arms only. Or perhaps they were King James (died Mar. 27, 1625) and Maurice, Prince of Orange (died Apr. 23, 1625).

4 Pluto, god of hell and brother of Jove.

5 Venus.

6 The belief was the basis of the Roman auspices (avis spicere), originally signs from birds in flight or song, which were prescriptions of conduct and prayer to determine whether the gods were favorable.

7 Proteus, the changeable ancient of the sea, herded the seals of Neptune.

8 the evening star.

9 Spanish, i.e., western.

10 Iris, goddess of the rainbow.

11 goddess of spring and flowers, and wife of the West Wind. The garden of Alcinous is described in Od., VI, 291–94.

12 the river in Spain, noted for its golden sand in the reflected sun.

13 Zephyr.

14 “bearer of light,” the Sun.

15 Rev. xiv. 13: “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me: ‘Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them’.”

16 Rev. xiv. 2: “And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps.”

17 Aurora, the dawn.

In obitum Præsulis Eliensis1

               Adhuc madentes rore squalebant genæ,

                 Et sicca nondum lumina

               Adhuc liquentis imbre turgebant salis,

                 Quem nuper effudi pius,

5

   5          Dum mæsta charo justa persolvi rogo

                 Winstoniensis præsulis;2

               Cum centilinguis Fama (proh semper mali

                 Cladisque vera nuntia)

               Spargit per urbes divitis Britanniæ,

10

  10                Populosque Neptuno3 satos,

               Cessisse morti, et ferreis sororibus4

                 Te, generis humani decus,

               Qui rex sacrorum illâ fuisti in insulâ

                 Quæ nomen Anguillæ tenet.5

15

   15        Tunc inquietum pectus irâ protinus

                 Ebulliebat fervidâ,

               Tumulis potentem sæpe devovens deam:

                 Nec vota Naso6 in Ibida

               Concepit alto diriora pectore,

20

  20                Graiusque vates parciùs

               Turpem Lycambis execratus est dolum,

                 Sponsamque Neobolen suam.7

               At ecce diras ipse dum fundo graves,

                 Et imprecor neci necem,

25

   25        Audisse tales videor attonitus sonos

                 Leni, sub aurâ, flamine:8

               Cæcos furores pone, pone vitream

                 Bilemque et irritas minas.

               Quid temerè violas non nocenda numina,

30

  30                Subitoque ad iras percita?

               Non est, ut arbitraris elusus miser,

                 Mors atra Noctis filia,

               Erebóve patre creta, sive Erinnye,

                 Vastóve nata sub Chao:9

35

   35        Ast illa cælo missa stellato, Dei

                 Messes ubique colligit;

               Animasque mole carneâ reconditas

                 In lucem et auras evocat:

               Ut cum fugaces excitant Horæ diem

40

  40                Themidos Jovisque filiæ;10

               Et sempiterni ducit ad vultus patris;

                 At justa raptat impios

               Sub regna furvi luctuosa Tartari,

                 Sedesque subterraneas.

45

   45        Hanc ut vocantem lætus audivi, citò

                 Fœdum reliqui carcerem,

               Volatilesque faustus inter milites

                 Ad astra sublimis feror:

               Vates ut olim raptus ad cœlum senex11

50

  50                Auriga currus ignei.

               Non me Boötis terruere lucidi

                 Sarraca tarda frigore, aut

               Formidolosi Scorpionis brachia,

                 Non ensis Orion tuus.12

55

   55        Prætervolavi fulgidi solis globum,

                 Longéque sub pedibus deam

               Vidi triformem,13 dum coercebat suos

                 Frænis dracones aureis.

               Erraticorum syderum per ordines,

60

  60                Per lacteas vehor plagas,

               Velocitatem sæpe miratus novam,

                 Donec nitentes ad fores

               Ventum est Olympi, et regiam Crystallinam, et

                 Stratum smaragdis Atrium.14

65

   65        Sed hic tacebo, nam quis effari queat

                 Oriundus humano patre

               Amœnitates illius loci?15 mihi

                 Sat est in æternum frui.

On the death of the Bishop of Ely1

As yet my cheeks were not dry with flowing tears, / and eyes not yet dry, / still were they swollen with the rain of salt liquid, / which lately I, respectful, poured forth, / while I rendered sorrowful obsequies to the esteemed bier [5] / of the bishop of Winchester;2 / when hundred-tongued Fame (alas always / the true messenger of evil and misfortune) / spreads through the cities of affluent Britain / and to the people sprung from Neptune3 [10] / that you had yielded to death, and to the cruel sisters,4 / you, the ornament of the race of men, / who were the prince of saints in that island / which retains the name of Eel.5 / Directly at that time my restless breast [15] / surged with fervid anger, / frequently cursing the goddess powerful in the grave: / Ovid6 in Ibis conceived / no more ominous vows in the depth of his heart, / and the Greek poet, more sparing, [20] / cursed the dishonorable deceit of Lycambes, / and of Neobule, his own betrothed.7 / But lo! while I pour out these harsh curses / and invoke death upon death, / astonished, I seem to hear such sounds as these, [25] / on the gentle breeze beneath the air:8 / “Put away your blind madness; put away your transparent / melancholy and your ineffectual threats. / Why do you thoughtlessly profane deities unable to be harmed / and roused swift to wrath? [30] / Death is not, as you think, deluded wretch, / the dark daughter of Night, / nor sprung from her father Erebus, nor from Erinys, / nor born under desolate Chaos.9 / But she, sent from the starry heaven, [35] / gathers the harvest of God everywhere; / and souls hidden by their fleshy bulk / calls forth into light and air, / as when the flying Hours arouse the day, / the daughters of Themis and Jove;10 [40] / and she leads them into the presence of the eternal Father, / but, just, she sweeps the impious / to the doleful realms of gloomy Tartarus, / to the infernal abodes. / Happy, when I heard her calling, quickly [45] / I left my loathsome prison / and, fortunate, amid the winged warriors / I was borne aloft to the stars, / like the venerable prophet of old,11 snatched up to heaven, / driver of the fiery chariot. [50] / The wain of shining Boötes did not frighten me, / slow from the cold, nor / the claws of fearsome Scorpion, / not even your sword, Orion.12 / I flew past the globe of the gleaming sun, [55] / and far below my feet I saw / the triform goddess,13 whilst she restrained / her dragons with golden reins. / Through rows of wandering stars, / through the milky regions I was conveyed, [60] / often amazed at my strange speed, / until to the shining portals / of Olympus I was come, and the crystalline realm / and the court paved with beryl.14 / But here I shall be silent, for who is able to proclaim, [65] / descended from human father, / the pleasures of that place?15 For me / it is enough to enjoy them through eternity.”

(Oct. ? 1626)

1 Nicholas Felton (1556-1626), Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge, from 1617 to 1619 when he succeeded Lancelot Andrewes as Bishop of Ely. He died on Oct. 6.

2 Lancelot Andrewes, whose death was mourned in El. 3.

3 See Nov. 5, n.