第11章 FIRST BOOK(8)

With a great train ensuing.

Above the rest were goodly to be seen

Two gentle knights of lovely face and feature，

Beseeming well the bower of any queen，

With gifts of wit and ornaments of nature，

Fit for so goodly stature，

That like the twins of Jove they seem'd in sight

Which deck the baldric of the Heavens bright；

They two， forth pacing to the river's side，

Received those two fair brides， their love's delight；

Which， at th'appointed tide，

Each one did make his bride

Against their bridal day， which is not long：

Sweet Thames！ run softly， till I end my song.

E. SPENSER

54◆THE HAPPY HEART

Art thou poor， yet hast thou golden slumbers？

O sweet content！

Art thou rich， yet is thy mind perplexed？

O punishment！

Dost thou laugh to see how fools are vexed

To add to golden numbers， golden numbers？

O sweet content！ O sweet， O sweet content！

Work apace， apace， apace， apace；

Honest labour bears a lovely face；

Then hey nonny nonny， hey nonny nonny！

Canst drink the waters of the crispéd spring？

O sweet content！

Swimm'st thou in wealth， yet sink'st in thine own tears？

O punishment！

Then he that patiently want's burden bears

No burden bears， but is a king， a king！

O sweet content！ O sweet， O sweet content！

Work apace， apace， apace， apace；

Honest labour bears a lovely face；

Then hey nonny nonny， hey nonny nonny！

T. DEKKER

55◆THIS LIFE， WHICH SEEMS SO FAIR

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，

Like to an eye of gold， to be fix'd there，

And frm to hover in that empty height，

That only is because it is so light.

—But in that pomp it doth not long appear；

For， when'tis most admired， in a thought，

Because it erst was nought， it turns to nought.

W. DRUMMOND

56◆SOUL AND BODY

Poor Soul， the centre of my sinful earth，

Fool'd by those rebel powers that thee array，

Why dost thou pine within， and sufer dearth，

Painting thy outward walls so costly gay？

Why so large cost， having so short a lease，

Dost thou upon thy fading mansion spend？

Shall worms， inheritors of this excess，

Eat up thy charge？is this thy body's end？

Then， Soul， live thou upon thy servant's loss，

And let that pine to aggravate thy store；

Buy terms divine in selling hours of dross：

Within be fed， without be rich no more： —

So shalt thou feed on death， that feeds on men，

And death once dead， there's no more dying then.

W. SHAKESPEARE

57◆LIFE

The World's a bubble， and the Life of Man

Less than a span：

In his conception wretched， from the womb

So to the tomb；

Curst from his cradle， and brought up to years

With cares and fears.

Who then to frail mortality shall trust，

But limns the water， or but writes in dust.

Yet since with sorrow here we live opprest，

What life is best？

Courts are but only superficial schools

To dandle fools：

The rural parts are turn'd into a den

Of savage men：

And where's a city from all vice so free，

But may be term'd the worst of all the three？

Domestic cares afict the husband's bed，