Henry King

Here you will find the Poem The Farewell of poet Henry King

The Farewell

Splendidis longum valedico nugis. 

Farewell fond Love, under whose childish whip, 
I have serv'd out a weary Prentiship; 
Thou that hast made me thy scorn'd property, 
To dote on Rocks, but yielding Loves to fly: 
Go bane of my dear quiet and content, 
Now practise on some other Patient. 
Farewell false Hope that fann'd my warm desire 
Till it had rais'd a wild unruly fire, 
Which nor sighs cool, nor tears extinguish can, 
Although my eyes out-flow'd the Ocean: 
Forth of my thoughts for ever, Thing of Air, 
Begun in errour, finish't in despair. 
Farewell vain World, upon whose restless stage 
Twixt Love and Hope I have foold out my age; 
Henceforth ere sue to thee for my redress, 
Ile wooe the wind, or court the wilderness; 
And buried from the dayes discovery, 
Study a slow yet certain way to dy. 
My woful Monument shall be a Cell, 
The murmur of the purling brook my knell; 
My lasting Epitaph the Rock shall grone: 
Thus when sad Lovers ask the weeping stone, 
What wretched thing does in that Center lie? 
The hollow Eccho will reply, 'twas I.