Accomplishing great things, by things deem'd weak Subverting worldly strong, and worldly wise By simply meek: that suffering for truth's sake Is fortitude to highest victory,
And, to the faithful, death the gate of life; Taught this by his example, whom I now Acknowledge my Redeemer ever blest."
To whom thus also the Angel last replied: "This having learn'd, thou hast attain'd the sum 570 Of wisdom: hope no higher, though all the stars Thou knew'st by name, and all the ethereal powers, All secrets of the deep, all Nature's works,
Or works of God in heaven, air, earth, or sea, And all the riches of this world enjoy'dst, And all the rule, one empire; only add Deeds to thy knowledge answerable; add faith, Add virtue, patience, temperance: add love, By name to come call'd charity, the soul
Of all the rest: then wilt thou not be loth
To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess A Paradise within thee, happier far.
Let us descend now therefore from this top Of speculation; for the hour precise
Exacts our parting hence; and see! the guards, 585 By me encamp'd on yonder hill, expect
Their motion; at whose front a flaming sword, In signal of remove, waves fiercely round. We may no longer stay: go, waken Eve; Her also with gentle dreams have calm'd, Portending good, and all her spirits composed To meek submission: thou, at season fit, Let her with thee partake what thou hast heard;
Chiefly, what may concern her faith to know, The great deliverance by her seed to come (For by the woman's seed) on all mankind: That ye may live, which will be many days, Both in one faith unanimous, though sad, With cause, for evils past; yet much more cheer'd With meditation on the happy end."
He ended, and they both descend the hill; Descended, Adam to the bower, where Eve Lay sleeping, ran before: but found her waked; And thus with words not sad she him received: "Whence thou return'st, and whither went'st, I know; For God is also in sleep; and dreams advise, Which he has sent propitious, some great good Presaging, since with sorrow and heart's distress Wearied I fell asleep: but now lead on; In me is no delay: with thee to go,
Is to stay here; without thee here to stay, Is to go hence unwilling; thou to me Art all things under heaven, all places thou, Who for my wilful crime art banish'd hence. This further consolation yet secure I carry hence; though all by me is lost, Such favour I unworthy am vouchsafed, By me the Promised Seed shall all restore."
A GOOD man ther was of religioun, That was a poure Persone of a toun: But riche he was of holy thought and werk. He was also a lerned man, a clerk, That Cristes gospel trewely wolde preche. His parishens devoutly wolde he teche. Benigne he was, and wonder diligent, And in adversite ful patient:
And swiche he was ypreved often sithes. such proved times
Ful loth were him to cursen for his tithes,
But rather wolde he yeven out of doute, Unto his poure parishens aboute,
Of his offring, and eke of his substance. He coude in litel thing have suffisance. Wide was his parish, and houses fer asonder, But he ne left nought for no rain ne thonder, Jn sikenesse and in mischief to visite The ferrest in his parish, moche and lite, Upon his fete, and in his hand a staff. This noble ensample to his shepe he yaf, That first he wrought, and afterward he taught. Out of the gospel he the wordes caught.
And this figure he added yet therto, That if gold ruste, what shuld iren do ? For if a preest be foule, on whom we trust, No wonder is a lewed man to rust: Wel ought a preest ensample for to yeve, By his clenenesse, how his shepe should live. He sette not his benefice to hire,
And lette his shepe acombred in the mire,leave encumbered And ran unto London, unto Seint Poules, To seken him a chanterie for soules,
Or with a brotherhede to be withold:
But dwelt at home, and kepte wel his fold, So that the wolf ne made it not miscarie. He was a shepherd, and no mercenarie. And though he holy were, and vertuous, He was to sinful men not dispitous, Ne of his speche dangerous ne digne, But in his teching discrete and benigne. To drawen folk to Heven, with fairenesse, By good ensample, was his besinesse: But if were any persone obstinat,
What so he were of highe, or low estat,
Him wolde he snibben sharply for the nones.
A better preest I trowe that no wher non is. [occasion
He waited after no pompe ne reverence, Ne maked him no spiced conscience, But Cristes lore, and his apostles twelve, He taught, but first he folwed it himselve.
COME, Sleep! O Sleep! the certain knot of peace, The baiting place of wit, the balm of woe, The poor man's wealth, the prisoner's release, The indifferent judge between the high and low; With shield of proof, shield me from out the prease Of those fierce darts despair at me doth throw; O, make in me those civil wars to cease; I will good tribute pay, if thou do so. Take thou of me smooth pillows, sweetest bed; A chamber deaf to noise, and blind to light; A rosy garland, and a weary head. And if these things, as being thine by right, Move not thy heavy grace, thou shalt in me, Livelier than elsewhere, Stella's image see.
THE PASSIONATE SHEPHERD TO HIS LOVE.
COME live with me, and be my love, And we will all the pleasures prove, That valleys, groves, or hills and fields, And all the steepy mountain yields:
And we will sit upon the rocks, Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks, By shallow rivers, to whose falls Melodious birds sing madrigals.
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