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George Herbert - The Crosse
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       What is this strange and uncouth thing
To make me sigh, and seek, and faint, and die,
Untill I had some place, where I might sing,
       And serve thee; and not onely I, 
But all my wealth, and familie might combine
To set thy honour up, as our designe.

       And then when after much delay,
Much wrastling, many a combate, this deare end,
So much desir`d, is giv`n, to take away
       My power to serve thee: to unbend.
All my abilities, my designes confound,
And lay my threatenings bleeding on the ground.

       One ague dwelleth in my bones,
Another in my soul (the memorie
What I would do for thee, if once my grones
       Could be allow`d for harmonie):
I am in all a weak disabled thing,
Save in the sight thereof, where strength doth sting.

       Besides, things sort not to my will,
Ev`n when my will doth studie thy renown:
Thou turnest th` edge of all things on me still,
       Taking me up to throw me down:
So that, ev`n when my hopes seem to be sped,
I am to grief alive, to them as dead.

       To have my aim, and yet to be
Farther from it than when I bent my bow;
To make my hopes my torture, and the fee
       Of all my woes another wo,
Is in the midst of delicates to need,
And ev`n in Paradise to be a weed.

       Ah my deare Father, ease my smart!
These contrarities crush me: these crosse actions
Doe winde a rope about, and cut my heart:
          And yet since these thy contradictions
Are properly a crosse felt by thy sonne
With but foure words, my words, Thy will be done.
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