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16  17 
ANNE BRADSTREET.

parts, her pious conversation, her courteous disposition, her exact diligence in her place, and discreet managing of her family occasions; and more than so, these poems are the fruit but of some few hours, curtailed from her sleep, and other refreshments." What a sweet and rare description of a woman of genius!

The contents of her book are curious: a Poem upon the Four Elements, the Four Humours in Man's Constitution, the Four Ages of Man, and the Four Seasons of the Year; in these we are presented with personifications of Fire, Air Earth, and Water; Choler, Blood, Melancholy, and Phlegm; Childhood, Youth, Middle Age, and Old Age; each of whom comes forth with an address in which its peculiar excellencies are depicted.  Then follows a versified  History of the Four Monarchies of the World; with divers other Pleasant and Serious Poems.  The subjoined extracts are from a long poem entitled Contemplations, and prove Mrs. Bradstreet to have been a genuine poet.  The slow, stately measure she adopted, suits well the solemn majesty of her musing thoughts.

FROM "CONTEMPLATIONS."

I WIST not what to wish, yet sure, thought I,
If so much excellence abide below,
How excellent is He, that dwells on high!
Whose power and beauty by his works we know.
Sure He is goodness, wisdome, glory, light,
That hath this under world so richly dight:
More heaven than earth was here, no winter and no night.

Then on a stately oak I cast mine eye,
Whose ruffling top the clouds seemed to aspire;
How long since thou wast in thine infancy?
Thy strength, and stature, more thy years admire.
Have hundred winters past since thou wast born?
Or thousand since thou brak'st thy shell of horn?
If so, all these as nought, eternity doth scorn.

Then higher on the glistering sun I gazed,
Whose beams were shaded by the leavie tree,

The more I looked, the more I grew amazed,
And softly said, what glory's like to thee?
Soul of this world, this Universe's eye,
No wonder some made thee a deity;
Had I not better known, alas! the same had I.

Thou as a bridegroom from thy chamber rushest, 
And as a strong man joyes to run a race,
The morn doth usher thee with smiles and blushes,
The earth reflects her glances in thy face.
Birds, insects, animals with vegetive,
Thy heart from death and dulness doth revive,
And in the darksome womb of fruitful nature dive.

Art thou so full of glory, that no eye
Hath strength thy shining rayes once to behold?
And is thy splendid throne erect so high,
As to approach it can no earthly mould?
How full of glory then must thy Creator be,
Who gave this bright light lustre unto thee!
Admired, adored for ever, be that Majesty.

Who thinks not oft upon the fathers' ages,
Their long descent, how nephew's sons they saw,
The starry observations of those sages,
And how their precepts to their sons were law;
How Adam sighed to see his progeny
Clothed all in his black sinful livery,
Who neither guilt nor yet the punishment could fly.

Our life compare we with their length of dayes,
Who to the tenth of theirs doth now arrive?
And though thus short, we shorten many wayes,
Living so little while we are alive;
In eating, drinking, sleeping, vain delight,
So unawares comes on perpetual night,
And puts all pleasures vain unto eternal flight.
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Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-06-26 17:00:21 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-06-26 23:40:56 First word "nent" is a continuation from previous page's "emi-" (eminent). and must be per SI instructions transcribed as full word on the previous page ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-06-27 09:14:12