Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE PRETENCE, by JOSEPH BEAUMONT First Line: Vain hart, why wouldst thou try Last Line: Thou fearest thine own weapon, lawfulness. Subject(s): Christianity; Law & Lawyers; Attorneys | ||||||||
VAIN Hart, why wouldst Thou try The Bag of every Bee that buzzeth by? With any didst Thou ever meet Amidst whose Honey was not sett A Sting to warn thy Hand The Danger of Delight to understand. Nay, leave thy preaching: I Believe that Pleasure Lawfull is, which thy Fond Tooth, desires to taste. But since The Lawfulness is thy pretence, Come, I will let Thee loose To Lawful things, where Thou mayst noblier choose. First, know, 'tis Lawful to Abstein from that Thou pantest after so. 'Tis Lawful quite to quench the fire Of any secular desire: 'Tis Lawful to refuse What Law itself alloweth Thee to use. 'Tis Lawful to deny Whate'r doth feuel to thy Flame supply. 'Tis Lawful to maintain a Warr Against thy Selfe, and not to spare That Body, which unless Thou mortifie'st it, will thy Life suppress. To Weep, to Fast, to Pray; To walk the hardy and heroik Way Of Saints and Martyrs, whoe in fear Of nothing more than Pleasures were; To bowe thy venturous back And any Cross on Thy brave Shoulders take; By his dear Blood to trace The gallant Footstepps of thy Lord; to Place Thy Self above thy Self, and live In Life's own Fount, whilst Thou dost give All Thy Desires to His Incomparable Will in Sacrifice. All these are Lawful; and Much more then so. -- Why dost Thou trembling stand? That Tremor shakes from off Thy face The Mask in which it sheltered was; And makes thee now confess Thou fearest thine own weapon, LAWFULNESS. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...JAKE MANN by EDGAR LEE MASTERS SIX POETS IN SEATCH OF A LAWYER by DONALD HALL ANY AND ALL by LAWRENCE JOSEPH DOMESDAY BOOK: JANE FISHER by EDGAR LEE MASTERS DOMESDAY BOOK: THE GOVERNOR by EDGAR LEE MASTERS LAW LIKE LOVE by WYSTAN HUGH AUDEN THE LAWYER'S INVOCATION TO SPRING by HENRY HOWARD BROWNELL THE LAWYER'S WAYS by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR Γενεθλιακον by JOSEPH BEAUMONT Γενεθλιακον by JOSEPH BEAUMONT A CONCLUSORIE HUMNE TO THE SAME WEEK; & FOR MY FRIEND by JOSEPH BEAUMONT |
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