1Is Lisle and Lucas slain?
Oh say not so. 2Who could kill love and valor
at a blow? 3Just as Minerva’s darling
closed his eyes, 4Love kissing wept and on his bosom dies.
5Ah me, what horrid Hydra
had the heart 6Them in their deaths thus to unite and part?
7Mars on the Areopagus once was tried;
8His valor saved him or he else had died.
9His judge and jury were the best of gods;
10These worst of men. Oh me, what odds
11Had Jove’s three sons
of everlasting fame, 12Born of a mortal and celestial flame,
13Had they been here this business to decide?
14Then these too
noble gallants had not died. 15Or had Astreus
, lover of the morn, 16Of whose bright womb her brighter babe was born
, 17Had he been here he would have took delight
18To save their lives that for his child did fight.
19Then had their judges been the gods eternal
20Or upright men, nay or the powers infernal,
21This unambiguous business to decide.
22Then this unparalleled friendship had not died.
23But Jews, Turks, Atheists, Independents, all
24That cursed rabble
, made these gallants fall. 25How could they do it? Were they not amazed
26When as the cruel Parcae
sat and gazed 27On their perfections? As Lachesis drew the thread,
28“What, won’t you part asunder?,” then she said.
29They striving in their lives to embrace each other,
30She twirled and twisted both of them together.
31Then Clotho at their constant love did wonder,
32And in mere pity, pulled them not asunder.
33And being, it seems, the tenderest-hearted lass,
34“Go, noble souls,” she said, and let them pass.
35But Atropas, enraged, began to chide,
36Saying “these true love’s knots must be untied!”
37But seeing their lives, she could not stay t’untwist,
38“Let those sit idling here,” she said, “that list.
39How can we give account unto those powers
40That us employ, in trifling out our hours?”
41Then scolding at her sisters for their sloth,
42She with her fatal scissors snipped them both.
43She then cried out, “Alas!” but hurring fate
44Forced her, poor girl; her pity came too late
. 45Lycaon, Tantal
, tender to this brood 46Who fed on hostages’ and infants’ blood:
47Why are they now more cruel than at first?
48They’re drunk with Christian blood, yet still they thirst.
49Doth that old vulture
and his preying brood 50Think to grow young with sucking sprightly blood?
51Oh, let them next suck Nessus’s poisoned gore;
52Like mad Alcides let them rave and roar;
53And as they have been three kingdoms’
sore annoyers, 54Let them, like him, at last be self-destroyers.
55Had these undaunted loving heroes died
56In former times, they had been deified.
57Then their renown and love had spread as far
58As those two famous thunderbolts of war
. 59Effigies, pyramids, columns, colosses
, 60Had been erect to memorize
our losses. 61But we are now denied our just desires;
62True grateful love in this our age expires.
63Yet some sad swan
I know there will be found 64That for this only action shall be crowned,
65That shall bear lovely Lisle’s and Lucas’s name
66Unto the temple of eternal fame.
67When that black army after their short dream
68Shall floating be on Styx
his sable stream, 69They by the angry billows shall be tossed
70Till in oblivion’s horrid womb they’re lost.
71If he that fired Diana’s fane
for fame 72Lost both his expectation and his name;
73If covetous Cambyses, who presumed
74To rob the Gods ’til sand his mem
consumed, 75Or that fierce Gaul who Delphus meant to plunder
76’Til firey Phoebus routed him with thunder
: 77If these live now in honor, then no doubt,
78Fame shall attend this sacrilegious rout,
79Who have our faith’s defender
over-powered, 80And temples, altars, victims, all devoured.
81But these victorious souls live now above
82And gloriously go in endless love,
83Whilst their fair frame
which here did close their lives, 84Shall live in fame ’til they in glory rise.