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Home  »  The Oxford Book of English Verse  »  276. A Divine Rapture

Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.

Francis Quarles. 1592–1644

276. A Divine Rapture

E’EN like two little bank-dividing brooks, 
  That wash the pebbles with their wanton streams, 
And having ranged and search’d a thousand nooks, 
  Meet both at length in silver-breasted Thames, 
    Where in a greater current they conjoin:         5
So I my Best-belovèd’s am; so He is mine. 
 
E’en so we met; and after long pursuit, 
  E’en so we joined; we both became entire; 
No need for either to renew a suit, 
  For I was flax, and He was flames of fire:  10
    Our firm-united souls did more than twine; 
So I my Best-belovèd’s am; so He is mine. 
 
If all those glittering Monarchs, that command 
  The servile quarters of this earthly ball, 
Should tender in exchange their shares of land,  15
  I would not change my fortunes for them all: 
     Their wealth is but a counter to my coin: 
The world ‘s but theirs; but my Belovèd’s mine.