Ralph Waldo Emerson, comp. (1803–1882). Parnassus: An Anthology of Poetry. 1880.
To his Winding-SheetRobert Herrick (15911674)
C
Of all I’ve writ:
The grace, the glorie, and the best
Piece of the rest;
Thou art of what I did intend
The all, and end;
And what was made, was made to meet
Thee, thee, my sheet;
Come then, and be to my chaste side
Both bed and bride.
We two, as reliques left, will have
One rest, one grave;
And, hugging close, we will not feare
Lust entering here;
Where all desires are dead or cold,
As is the mould;
And all affections are forgot,
Or trouble not.
Here needs no court for our request,
Where all are best;
All wise, all equal, and all just
Alike i’ th’ dust.
Nor need we here to feare the frowne
Of court or crown;
Where fortune bears no sway o’er things,
There all are kings.
And for a while lye here concealed,
To be revealed,
Next, at that great platonick yeere,
And then meet here.