Vpon The Death Of His Incomparable Friend Sir Henry Raynsford Of Clifford Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCAADDAAEDDDFFGG DDGGDDDDFFDDHHIJCCFF FFFFGGDDDDDDDDDDEEDD DDGGDDGGDDKKDDBCDDGG DDDDDDDDDDAALLCCAADD GGDDAADDAAAALLDDGGDD DDGGLLAA

Could there be words found to expresse my losseA
There were some hope that this my heauy crosseA
Might be sustained and that wretched IB
Might once finde comfort but to haue him dieB
Past all degrees that was so deare to meC
As but comparing him with others heeC
Was such a thing as if some Power should sayA
I'le take Man on me to shew men the wayA
What a friend should be But words come so shortD
Of him that when I thus would him reportD
I am vndone and hauing nought to sayA
Mad at my selfe I throwe my penne awayA
And beate my breast that there should be a woeE
So high that words cannot attaine theretoD
T'is strange that I from my abundant breastD
Who others sorrowes haue so well exprestD
Yet I by this in little time am growneF
So poore that I want to expresse mine owneF
I thinke the Fates perceiuing me to beareG
My worldly crosses without wit or feareG
Nay with what scorne I euer haue deridedD
Those plagues that for me they haue oft prouidedD
Drew them to counsaile nay conspired ratherG
And in this businesse laid their heads togetherG
To finde some one plague that might me subuertD
And at an instant breake my stubborne heartD
They did indeede and onely to this endD
They tooke from me this more then man or friendD
Hard hearted Fates your worst thus haue you doneF
Then let vs see what lastly you haue wonneF
By this your rigour in a course so strictD
Why see I beare all that you can inflictD
And hee from heauen your poore reuenge to viewH
Laments my losse of him but laughes at youH
Whilst I against you execrations breathI
Thus are you scorn'd aboue and curst beneathJ
Me thinks that man vnhappy though he beC
Is now thrice happy in respect of meC
Who hath no friend for that in hauing noneF
He is not stirr'd as I am to bemoneF
My miserable losse who but in vaineF
May euer looke to find the like againeF
This more then mine own selfe that who had seeneF
His care of me where euer I had beeneF
And had not knowne his actiue spirit beforeG
Vpon some braue thing working euermoreG
He would haue sworne that to no other endD
He had been borne but onely for my friendD
I had been happy if nice Nature hadD
Since now my lucke falls out to be so badD
Made me vnperfect either of so softD
And yeelding temper that lamenting oftD
I into teares my mournefull selfe might meltD
Or else so dull my losse not to haue feltD
I haue by my too deare experience boughtD
That fooles and mad men whom I euer thoughtD
The most vnhappy are in deede not soE
And therefore I lesse pittie can bestoweE
Since that my sence my sorrowe so can soundD
On those in Bedlam that are boundD
And scarce feele scourging and when as I meeteD
A foole by Children followed in the StreeteD
Thinke I poor wretch thou from my griefe art freeG
Nor couldst thou feele it should it light on theeG
But that I am a Christian and am taughtD
By him who with his precious bloud me boughtD
Meekly like him my crosses to endureG
Else would they please me well that for their cureG
When as they feele their conscience doth them brandD
Vpon themselues dare lay a violent handD
Not suffering Fortune with her murdering knifeK
Stand like a Surgeon working on the lifeK
Deserting this part that ioynt off to cutD
Shewing that Artire ripping then that gutD
Whilst the dull beastly World with her squint eyeB
Is to behold the strange AnatomieC
I am persuaded that those which we readD
To be man haters were not so indeedD
The Athenian Timon and beside him moreG
Of which the Latines as the Greekes haue storeG
Nor not did they all humane manners hateD
Nor yet maligne mans dignity and stateD
But finding our fraile life how euery dayD
It like a bubble vanisheth awayD
For this condition did mankinde detestD
Farre more incertaine then that of the beastD
Sure heauen doth hate this world and deadly tooD
Else as it hath done it would neuer doeD
For if it did not it would ne're permitD
A man of so much vertue knowledge witD
Of naturall goodnesse supernaturall graceA
Whose courses when considerately I traceA
Into their ends and diligently lookeL
They serue me for Oeconomike bookeL
By which this rough world I not onely stemmeC
In goodnesse but grow learn'd by reading themC
O pardon me it my much sorrow isA
Which makes me vse this long ParenthesisA
Had heauen this world not hated as I sayD
In height of life it had not tane awayD
A spirit so braue so actiue and so freeG
That such a one who would not wish to beeG
Rather then weare a Crowne by Armes though gotD
So fast a friend so true a PatriotD
In things concerning both the worlds so wiseA
Besides so liberall of his facultiesA
That where he would his industrie bestoweD
He would haue done e're one could think to doeD
No more talke of the working of the StarresA
For plenty scarcenesse or for peace or WarresA
They are impostures therefore get you henceA
With all your Planets and their influenceA
No more doe I care into them to lookeL
Then in some idle Chiromantick bookeL
Shewing the line of life and Venus mountD
Nor yet no more would I of them accountD
Then what that tells me since what that so ereG
Might promise man long life of care and feareG
By nature freed a conscience cleare and quietD
His health his constitution and his dietD
Counting a hundred fourscore at the leastD
Propt vp by prayers yet more to be encreastD
All these should faile and in his fiftieth yeareG
He should expire henceforth let none be deareG
To me at all lest for my haplesse sakeL
Before their time heauen from the world them takeL
And leaue me wretched to lament their endsA
As I doe his who was a thousand friendsA

Michael Drayton



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