Veritopicon
The Harvard Classics › Vol. 40

An Ecstasy

Francis Quarles

Francis QuarlesFrancis Quarles

[7592-/644]

An Ecstasy

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 ,Wherein a greater current they conjoin:So I my Best-beloved'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:Our firm-united souls did more than twine;So I my Best-beloved's am; so He is mine.
If all those glittering Monarchs, that commandThe servile quarters of this earthly ball,Should tender in exchange their shares of land,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 Beloved's mine.