Pieter Claesz, Still Life with a Skull and a Writing Quill, 1628.

FROM          Antonius, 1592            Chorus        Alas, with what tormenting fire Us martyreth this blind desire     To stay our life from flying ; How ceaselessly our minds doth rack, How heavy lies upon our back     This dastard fear of dying ! Death rather healthful succor gives, Death rather all mishaps relieves     That life upon us throweth ; And ever to us doth unclose The door whereby from cureless woes     Our weary soul out goeth. What goddess else more mild than she To bury all our pain can be?     What remedy more pleasing? Our painëd hearts, when dolor stings And nothing rest or respite brings,     What help have we more easing? Hope, which to us doth comfort give And doth our fainting hearts revive,     Hath not such force in anguish ; For, promising a vaine relief, She oft us fails in midst of grief     And helpless lets us languish. But death, who call on her at need, Doth never with vain semblant feed,     But, when them sorrow paineth, So rids their souls of all distress Whose heavy weight did them oppress,     That not one grief remaineth. .        .        .        .               How abject him, how base !  think I, Who, wanting courage, cannot die     When need him thereto calleth ; From whom the dagger drawn to kill The cureless griefs that vex him still,     For fear and faintness falleth. O Antony, with thy dear mate, Both in misfortunes fortunate,     Whose thoughts, to death aspiring, Shall you protect from victor's rage, Who on each side doth you encage,     To triumph much desiring. That Cæsar may you not offend Nought else but death can you defend,     Which his weak force derideth ; And all in this round earth contained, Powerless on them whom, once enchained,     Avernus' prison hideth Where great Psammetic's ghost doth rest, Not with infernal pain possessed     But in sweet fields detainëd ; And old Amasis' soul likewise And all our famous Ptolemies     That whilom on us reignëd.

to Works of Mary Sidney Herbert

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