Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, EPISTLE TO THE LADY LUCY, COUNTESS OF BEDFORD, by SAMUEL DANIEL


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

EPISTLE TO THE LADY LUCY, COUNTESS OF BEDFORD, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Though virtue be the same when low she stands
Last Line: By which, when all consumes, your fame shall live.
Subject(s): Bedford, Lucy, Countess Of (1581-1627); Fame; Nature; Virtue; Women; Russell, Lucy, Countess Of Bedford; Reputation


Though virtue be the same when low she stands
In th' humble shadows of obscurity
As when she either sweats in martial bands
Or sits in court, clad with authority,
Yet, madam, doth the strictness of her room
Greatly detract from her ability;
For, as in-walled within a living tomb,
Her hands and arms of action labor not;
Her thoughts, as if abortive from the womb,
Come never born, though happily begot.
But where she hath, mounted in open sight,
An eminent and spacious dwelling got,
Where she may stir at will, and use her might,
There is she more herself, and more her own;
There in the fair attire of honor dight
She sits at ease, and makes her glory known;
Applause attends her hands, her deeds have grace;
Her worth, new-born, is straight as if full grown.
With such a goodly and respected face
Doth virtue look, that's set to look from high,
And such a fair advantage by her place
Hath state and greatness to do worthily.
And therefore well did your high fortunes meet
With her, that gracing you, comes graced thereby;
And well was let into a house so sweet,
So good, so fair so fair, so good a guest,
Who now remains as blessed in her seat
As you are with her residency blessed.
And this fair course of knowledge whereunto
Your studies, learned lady, are addressed
Is th' only certain way that you can go
Unto true glory, to true happiness;
All passages on earth besides are so
Encumbered with such vain disturbances
As still we lose our rest in seeking it,
Being but deluded with appearances;
And no key had you else that was so fit
T' unlock that prison of your sex as this,
To let you out of weakness, and admit
Your powers into the freedom of that bliss
That sets you there where you may oversee
This rolling world, and view it as it is,
And apprehend how th' outsides do agree
With th' inward being of the things we deem
And hold in our ill-cast accounts to be
Of highest value and of best esteem;
Since all the good we have rests in the mind,
By whose proportions only we redeem
Our thoughts from out confusion, and do find
The measure of ourselves and of our powers;
And that all happiness remains confined
Within the kingdom of this breast of ours,
Without whose bounds all that we look on lies
In others' jurisdictions, others' powers,
Out of the circuit of our liberties.
All glory, honor, fame, applause, renown
Are not belonging to our royalties,
But t' others' wills, wherein they'are only grown;
And that unless we find us all within,
We never can without us be our own,
Nor call it right our life that we live in,
But a possession held for others' use,
That seem to have most interest therein;
Which we do so dissever, part, traduce,
Let out to custom, fashion, and to show,
As we enjoy but only the abuse
And have no other deed at all to show.
How oft are we constrained to appear
With other countenance than that we owe,
And be ourselves far off, when we are near!
How oft are we forced on a cloudy heart
To set a shining face and make it clear,
Seeming content to put ourselves apart
To bear a part of others' weaknesses!
As if we only were composed by art,
Not nature, and did all our deeds address
T' opinion, not t' a conscience, what is right,
As framed by'example, not advisedness,
Into those forms that entertain our sight.
And though books, madam, cannot make this mind
Which we must bring apt to be set aright,
Yet do they rectify it in that kind,
And touch it so as that it turns that way
Where judgment lies; and though we cannot find
The certain place of truth, yet do they stay
And entertain us near about the same,
And give the soul the best delights that may
Encheer it most, and most our spirits inflame
To thoughts of glory, and to worthy ends.
And therefore in a course that best became
The clearness of your heart, and best commends
Your worthy powers, you run the rightest way
That is on earth that can true glory give,
By which, when all consumes, your fame shall live.





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