| Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900. |
| |
| Robert Herrick. 1591–1674 |
| |
| 274. His Winding-sheet |
| |
| COME thou, who are the wine and wit | |
| Of all I've writ: | |
| The grace, the glory, and the best | |
| Piece of the rest. | |
| Thou art of what I did intend | 5 |
| The all and end; | |
| And what was made, was made to meet | |
| Thee, thee, my sheet. | |
| Come then and be to my chaste side | |
| Both bed and bride: | 10 |
| We two, as reliques left, will have | |
| Once rest, one grave: | |
| And hugging close, we will not fear | |
| Lust entering here: | |
| Where all desires are dead and cold | 15 |
| As is the mould; | |
| And all affections are forgot, | |
| Or trouble not. | |
| Here, here, the slaves and prisoners be | |
| From shackles free: | 20 |
| And weeping widows long oppress'd | |
| Do here find rest. | |
| The wrongèd client ends his laws | |
| Here, and his cause. | |
| Here those long suits of Chancery lie | 25 |
| Quiet, or die: | |
| And all Star-Chamber bills do cease | |
| Or hold their peace. | |
| Here needs no Court for our Request | |
| Where all are best, | 30 |
| All wise, all equal, and all just | |
| Alike i' th' dust. | |
| Nor need we here to fear the frown | |
| Of court or crown: | |
| Where fortune bears no sway o'er things, | 35 |
| There all are kings. | |
| In this securer place we'll keep | |
| As lull'd asleep; | |
| Or for a little time we'll lie | |
| As robes laid by; | 40 |
| To be another day re-worn, | |
| Turn'd, but not torn: | |
| Or like old testaments engross'd, | |
| Lock'd up, not lost. | |
| And for a while lie here conceal'd, | 45 |
| To be reveal'd | |
| Next at the great Platonick year, | |
| And then meet here. | |
| |
|
GLOSS: Platonick year] the perfect or cyclic year, when the sun, moon, and five planets end their revolutions together and start anew. See Timæus, p. 39. |
|
|
