Why must I thus forever bee confin'd

Against the noble Freedome of my Mind

When as each hoarie Moth, and Gaudy Fly

Within their spheirs injoy their Liberty

The Virgin Bee her luscious Cell forsakes 5

And on a Thousand Flowers pleasures Takes

The glistring Beetle casts her stag like Horns

The next year new her stately Front adorns

Shee rowls her Unctious Embrio East and West

To call great Nature who hears her behest 10

The silk worm Feeds, then Works, then shee inv\o/lv's

Her self, then Breeds, then Flies till shee dissolv's

The Bassalisk that kils by Fascination

Is not Like mee ti'de to one Habitation

Noe nor the Catablepe whose poysonous Eye 15

Where ere shee goes makes Grass and Flowers die

Though these destroy yet may they freely Range

Whils't I am shut up in a Countrey Grange

My looks though sad would make my freind revive

Why must I then bee buried thus alive 20

The amphis bena that at both's ends kill

Doth Freely slide about where er'e shee will

The Dipsus that doth make Men die with Quaffing

And the Tarantula that kils with Laughing

With that Bold Worm which kild the Egiptian Queen 25

All Freely crauling' bout the World are seen

Thus Insects, Reptals that spontaneus breed

From such a solitude as mine are Freed

And I (oh my sad heart) and onely I

Must in this sad confinement living Die 30

The swiftest Dolphin and the vastest Whale

Are not immured as I in Walle or Pale

But every sort of Fish even as they please

Doe Dive and Swim about the spacious seas

Though the dull Oyster from a Rock is torn 35

Yet shee with sayls, and Wind and Tide is boarn

Or’e all the swelling Billons at her Pleasure

Untill the Cunning Crab on her takes seasure

The Flying Fish though shee doth oft despair

Yet shee commands the seas and vaster ayr 40

And those Fair Birds which hover still above

Which are soe Far indulgent to their Love

To let their Females lay upon their Back

Noe Noble Freedome surely they can lack

Nor doe they fear the terrablest Tirants lower 45

Should shut them in a Basteel or a Tower

For they disdain to touch this dunghill Earth

Thus they injoy the Freedome of their Birth

But I to solitude am still confind

The cruelst Curb unto a Noble Mind 50

The Halcion that Calms the Rufling seas

Is not retraind but Flyes where ere shee please

Nor doth the swan on Thames her silver Breast

Ask leave to rise of from her Downey nest

The Rav'nous Ravens Deaff to their Young on's cry 55

May in the spacious ayr most Freely Fly

But I above my life my Children Love

Yet I to comfort them cannot remove

The Foolish Ostridg doth her egs expose

To Thousand dangers er'e they doe disclose 60

Yet proudly shee by wind and Wing is boarn

The swiftest Hors and Rider she doth scorn

But I for mine would willingly dissolve

Yet sad obscurity doth mee involve

The mild and Tenderhearted Turtle Dove 65

That was soe constant to her onely Love

Though shee resolves to have noe second mate

Yet shee her Flieght about the ayr doth take

But I that am more constant then this Dove

Unto my First and last and onely Love 70

Cannot from this sad place (ay mee) remove

The Cuckow that doth put her egs to Nurs

Then eats thear Foster Brothers which is wors

Yet this Curst Embleme of ingratitude

Is not like mee inslavd to solitude 75

All volateeles from the Eagle to the Dove

Their Freedome freely, both injoy and Love

But I noe liberty expect to have

Untill I find my Freedome in my Grave

The swiftest Su noe Liberty can Lack 80

That bears her spritely ofspring on her back

The Cannibal when shee the Huntman hears

Her pretty younglings in a Wallet bears

Thus from Pursuers they are all secure

But these sad shades doth mee ay mee immure 85

That I cannot assist mine in their sorrow

Which makes mee sigh and weep both Eve and Morrow

The Lyon, Tiger, Elaphant, and Bear:

And Thousands more, doe noe confinement Fear

Thus Beasts, Birds, Fishes, Equivocall Worm and Fly 90

Injoy more liberty (woes mee) then I

Wer't for my God, King, Countrey, or my Freind,

My Love, my Children, twere a Noble End

Or wer't for sin my guilty Head I wo'd hide

And Patiently the stroke of Death abide 95

Or wer't my veniall slip's to expiate

Then my restraint would have a happie Date

Or wert for debt I soon could pay that score

But tis, Oh my sad soul, I'le say noe more

To God alone my suffrings Il'e deplore. 100