Page:The works of Anne Bradstreet in prose and verse.djvu/248

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i62 Afffie Brad/ireet's Works.

He that in youth is godly, wife and fage.

Provides a ftafT then to fupport his Age.

Mutations great, fome joyful and fome fad,

In this fliort pilgrimage I oft have had.

Sometimes the Heavens with plenty fmiTd on me

Sometime again rain'd all Adverlity.

Sometimes in honour, fometimes in difgrace,

Sometime an Abje6t, then again in place.

Such private changes oft mine eyes have feen,

In various times of ftate Fve alio been.

I've feen a Kingdome flourifh like a tree,

When it was rul'd by that Celeftial flie ;^

And like a Cedar, others fo furmount:

That but for Ihrubs they did themfelves account.

Then faw I France and Ho/land, fav'd Caks won,f \s^^

And Philip and Albertus half undone.

I faw all peace at home, terror to foes.

But ah, I faw at laft thofe eyes to clofe,

And then methought the day ^ at noon grew dark

When it had loft that radiant Sun-like Spark:

  • Queen Elizabeth.

t It is difficult to explain this reference unless the destruction of the Span- ish Armada in 158S is meant. While it was at anchor before Calais, it was scattered and put to flight by a successful stratagem of the English admiral. The Englilh thus gained an advantage which they soon followed up to victory. It can hardlj refer to the surprise of Calais in 1596, bj Albert, Archduke of Austria, who had recently been made Governor of the Neth- erlands by Philip II. of Spain. The various successes of Elizabeth may, perhaps, be said to have " half undone" Philip and Albert.

k world.

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