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The collection / 15 fragments

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12Undated
O, thou great Power! in whom we move, By whom we live, to whom we die, Behold me through thy beams of love, Whilst on this couch of tears I lie, And cleanse my sordid soul within By thy Christ’s blood, the bath of sin. No hallowed oils, no gums I need, No new-born drams of purging fire: One rosy drop from David’s seed Was worlds of seas to quench thine ire: O, precious ransom! which once paid, The Consummatum est was said. And said by him, that said no more, But sealed it with his sacred breath: Thou, then, thus hast dispurged our score, And dying wert the death of death; Be now whilst on thy name we call, Our life, our strength, our joy, our all.
Sir Henry Wotton / quote
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13Undated
Welcome pure thoughts, welcome ye silent groves, These guests, these courts, my soul most dearly loves: Now the wing’d people of the sky shall sing My cheerful anthems to the gladsome spring: A prayer book now shall be my looking-glass, In which I will adore sweet virtue’s face. Here dwell no hateful looks, no palace-cares, No broken vows dwell here, no pale-faced fears: Then here I’ll sit, and sigh my hot love’s folly, And learn ’t affect an holy melancholy; And if Contentment be a stranger then, I’ll ne’er look for it but in Heaven again.
Sir Henry Wotton / quote
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14Undated
I would be great, but that the sun doth still Level his rays against the rising hill; I would be high, but see the proudest oak, Most subject to the rending thunder-stroke; I would be rich, but see men, too unkind, Dig in the bowels of the richest mine: I would be wise, but that I often see The fox suspected, whilst the ass goes free: I would be fair, but see the fair and proud, Like the bright sun, oft setting in a cloud: I would be poor, but know the humble grass Still trampled on by each unworthy ass; Rich hated: wise suspected: scorn’d if poor: Great fear’d: fair tempted: high still envied more: I have wish’d all; but now I wish for neither; Great, high, rich, wise, nor fair; poor I’ll be rather.
Sir Henry Wotton / quote
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