Friendship's Mystery, To my Dearest Lucasia
Friendship's Mystery, To my Dearest Lucasia
Original Text
Katherine Philips, Poems (1667): 21-22; A Facsimile Reproduction with an Introduction by Travis Dupriest (Delmar, New York: Scholars' Facsimiles and Reprints, 1992). PR 3619 P4P64 1992. E-10 4168 Fisher Rare Book Library
##
1Come, my Lucasia, since we see2 That Miracles Mens faith do move,
3By wonder and by prodigy
4 To the dull angry world let's prove
5 There's a Religion in our Love.
##
6For though we were design'd t' agree,7 That Fate no liberty destroyes,
8But our Election is as free
9 As Angels, who with greedy choice
10 Are yet determin'd to their joyes.
##
11Our hearts are doubled by the loss,12 Here Mixture is Addition grown ;
13We both diffuse, and both ingross :
14 And we whose minds are so much one,
15 Never, yet ever are alone.
##
16We court our own Captivity17 Than Thrones more great and innocent :
18'Twere banishment to be set free,
19 Since we wear fetters whose intent
20 Not Bondage is, but Ornament.
##
21Divided joyes are tedious found,22 And griefs united easier grow :
23We are our selves but by rebound,
24 And all our Titles shuffled so,
25 Both Princes, and both Subjects too.
##
26Our Hearts are mutual Victims laid,27 While they (such power in Friendship lies)
28Are Altars, Priests, and Off'rings made :
29 And each Heart which thus kindly dies,
30 Grows deathless by the Sacrifice.
Publication Start Year
1667
RPO poem Editors
Ian Lancashire
RPO Edition
RPO 1996-2000.
Rhyme