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THE TRAGEDIE OF MARIAM, FAIRE QUEENE OF JEWRY: CHORAL SONG, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Those mindes that wholy dote upon delight
Last Line: That care for nothing being in their power.
Alternate Author Name(s): Falkland, Viscountess
Subject(s): Jews; Self-gratification; Judaism


Those mindes that wholy dote upon delight,
Except they onely joy in inward good:
Still hope at last to hop upon the right,
And so from Sand they leape in loathsome mud.
Fond wretches, seeking what they cannot finde,
For no content attends a wavering minde.

If wealth they doe desire, and wealth attaine,
Then wondrous faine would they to honor lep:
Of meane degree they doe in honor gaine,
They would but wish a little higher step.
Thus step to step, and wealth to wealth they ad,
Yet cannot all their plenty make them glad.

Yet oft we see that some in humble state,
Are chreefull [sic], pleasant, happy, and content:
When those indeed that are of higher state,
With vaine additions do their thoughts torment.
Th'one would to his minde his fortune binde,
T'hother to his fortune frames his minde.

To wish varietie is signe of griefe,
For if you like your state as now it is,
Why should an alteration bring reliefe?
Nay change would then be fear'd as losse of blis.
That man is onely happy in his Fate,
That is delighted in a setled state.

Still Mariam wisht she from her Lord were free,
For expectation of varietie:
Yet now she sees her wishes prosperous bee,
She grieves, because her Lord so soone did die.
Who can those vast imaginations feede,
Where in a propertie, contempt doth breede?

Were Herod now perchance to live againe,
She would againe as much be grieved at that:
All that she may, she ever doth disdaine,
Her wishes guide her to she knowes not what.
And sad must be their lookes, their honor sower,
That care for nothing being in their power.





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