Henry Vaughan

Fresh fields and woods! the Earth's fair face, God's foot-stool, and man's dwelling-place. I ask not why the first Believer Did love to be a country liver? Who to secure pious content Did pitch by groves and wells his tent; Where he might view the boundless sky, And all those glorious lights on high; With flying meteors, mists and show'rs, Subjected hills, trees, meads and flow'rs; And ev'ry minute bless the King And wise Creator of each thing. I ask not why he did remove To happy Mamre's holy grove, Leaving the cities of the plain To Lot and his successless train? All various lusts in cities still Are found; they are the thrones of ill; The dismal sinks, where blood is spill'd, Cages with much uncleanness fill'd. But rural shades are the sweet fense Of piety and innocence. They are the Meek's calm region, where Angels descend and rule the sphere, Where heaven lies leiger, and the dove Duly as dew, comes from above. If Eden be on Earth at all, 'Tis that, which we the country call.

Hail sacred shades! cool, leavy House! Chaste treasurer of all my vows, And wealth! on whose soft bosom laid My love's fair steps I first betrayed: Henceforth no melancholy flight, No sad wing, or hoarse bird of night, Disturb this air, no fatal throat Of raven, or owl, awake the note Of our laid echo, no voice dwell Within these leaves, but Philomel. The poisonous ivy here no more His false twists on the oak shall score, Only the woodbine here may twine As th'emblem of her love and mine; Th'amorous sun shall here convey His best beams, in thy shades to play; The active air, the gentlest showers Shall from his wings rain on thy flowers; And the moon from her dewy locks Shall deck thee with her brightest drops: What ever can a fancy move, Or feed the eye; be on this Grove; And when at last the winds and tears Of Heaven, with the consuming years, Shall these green curls bring to decay, And clothe thee in an aged gray: (If ought a lover can foresee; Or if we poets, prophets be) From hence transplant'd, thou shalt stand A fresh Grove in th'Elysian land; Where (most blest pair!) as here on earth Thou first didst eye our growth and birth; So there again, thou'lt see us move In our first innocence, and love: And in thy shades, as now, so then, We'll kiss, and smile, and walk again.

1 My Soul, there is a country 2 Afar beyond the stars, 3 Where stands a winged sentry 4 All skillful in the wars; 5 There, above noise and danger 6 Sweet Peace sits, crown'd with smiles, 7 And One born in a manger 8 Commands the beauteous files. 9 He is thy gracious friend 10 And (O my Soul awake!) 11 Did in pure love descend, 12 To die here for thy sake. 13 If thou canst get but thither, 14 There grows the flow'r of peace, 15 The rose that cannot wither, 16 Thy fortress, and thy ease. 17 Leave then thy foolish ranges, 18 For none can thee secure, 19 But One, who never changes, 20 Thy God, thy life, thy cure.

1 Whatever 'tis, whose beauty here below 2 Attracts thee thus and makes thee stream and flow, 3 And wind and curl, and wink and smile, 4 Shifting thy gate and guile;

5 Though thy close commerce nought at all imbars 6 My present search, for eagles eye not stars, 7 And still the lesser by the best 8 And highest good is blest;

9 Yet, seeing all things that subsist and be, 10 Have their commissions from divinity, 11 And teach us duty, I will see 12 What man may learn from thee.

13 First, I am sure, the subject so respected 14 Is well dispos'd, for bodies once infected, 15 Deprav'd, or dead, can have with thee 16 No hold, nor sympathy.

17 Next, there's in it a restless, pure desire 18 And longing for thy bright and vital fire, 19 Desire that never will be quench'd, 20 Nor can be writh'd, nor wrench'd.

21 These are the magnets which so strongly move 22 And work all night upon thy light and love, 23 As beauteous shapes, we know not why, 24 Command and guide the eye.

25 For where desire, celestial, pure desire 26 Hath taken root, and grows, and doth not tire, 27 There God a commerce states, and sheds 28 His secret on their heads.

29 This is the heart he craves, and who so will 30 But give it him, and grudge not, he shall feel 31 That God is true, as herbs unseen 32 Put on their youth and green.