39. Come Sleep, Oh Sleep
Come sleep, Oh sleep, the certain knot of peace,
The baiting place of wit, the balm of woe,
The poor man's wealth, the prisoner's release,
Th'indifferent judge between the high and low;
With shield of proof shield me from out the prease
Of those fierce darts Despair at me doth throw;
Oh make in me those civel wars to cease;
I will good tribute pay, if thou do so.
Take thou of me smooth pillows, sweetest bed,
A chamber deaf to noise and blind to light,
A rosy garland and a weary head;
And if these things, as being thine by right,
Move not thy heavy grace, thou shalt in me,
Livelier than elsewhere, Stella's image see.



1. knot of peace  CP. "love knot"
2. baiting-place  resting-place
3. poor man's wealth  CP. "gentle sleep spurns not the lowly homes of rustic folk"(Horace)
4. indifferent  impartial.
5. shield of proof  shield of 'proved' steel, i.e., of steel hard-ended till it can stand a certain trial. (Fowler)
6. prease  crowd, multitude.
7. a rosy garland  garland of roses (an emblem of feasting, in allusion to the Greek custom of wearing a wreath at banquets.)
8. Stella's image  a dream of Stella (the poet's lady).

Previous    Next