The Abraham Cowley Text and Image Archive

Honor
from The Mistress, Poems (1656; editor's copy)

1.
SHE Loves, and she confesses too;
There's then at last, no more to do.
The happy work's entirely done;
Enter the Town which thou hast won;
The Fruits of Conquest now begin;
Iô Triumph! Enter in.
2.
What's this, ye Gods, what can it be?
Remains there still an Enemie?
Bold Honor stands up in the Gate,
And would yet Capitulate;  10
Have I orecome all real foes,
And shall this Phantome me oppose?
3.
Noisy Nothing! Stalking shade!
By what Witchcraft wert thou made?
Empty cause of Solid harms!
But I shall find out Counter-charms
Thy airy Devi'lship to remove
From this Circle here of Love.
4.
Sure I shall rid my self of Thee
By the Nights obscurity,  20
And obscurer secresie.
Unlike to every other spright,
Thou attempt'st not men t'affright,
Nor appear'st but in the Light.

This text normalized in the same way as Cowley's "Hymn to Light."
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