Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume IV. The Higher Life. 1904. | | | | III. Faith: Hope: Love: Service | | A Mystical Ecstasy | | Francis Quarles (1592–1644) |
| | | E’EN like two little bank-dividing brooks, | |
| That wash the pebbles with their wanton streams, | |
| And having ranged and searched 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. | |
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| 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. | |
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| 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. | | | | |
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