not brighter rise

I think I do Jonson something of a disservice, by posting only one of his poems, and posting that same poem every year. He wrote a lot of poems, and they weren't all to the memory of his beloved and what he hath left us. A little repetition may be called for, at least for the sake of my slightly sardonic, but very real, affection for Ben. It's kind of shocking that I didn't post this poem last year, but I suppose I wasn't totally hooked yet in April.

This morning, timely rapt with holy fire,
I thought to form unto my zealous Muse
What kind of creature I could most desire
To honor, serve, and love; as poets use.
I meant to make her fair, and free, and wise,
Of greatest blood, and yet more good than great;
I meant the day-star should not brighter rise,
Nor lend like influence from his lucent seat.
I meant she should be courteous, facile, sweet,
Hating that solemn vice of greatness, pride;
I meant each softest virtue there should meet,
Fit in that softer bosom to reside.
Only a learned and a manly soul
I purposed her; that should, with even powers,
The rock, the spindle, and the shears control
Of destiny, and spin her own free hours.
Such when I meant to feign, and wished to see,
My Muse bade, 'Bedford write', and that was she.

~Ben Jonson (1572-1637), LXXVI "On Lucy, Countess of Bedford", from Epigrams, in The Works of Benjamin Jonson, 1616. (Epigrams was not at all incidentally dedicated to William Herbert, third Earl of Pembroke. I heart Pembroke).

The footnote for the Countess of Bedford in the Norton Critical Edition of Ben Jonson and the Cavalier Poets reads, "Daughter (1581-1627) of Sir John Harington, the Countess of Bedford was friend and patron to Jonson, Donne, Daniel, and other literary figures; she took part in several of Jonson's masques." I suppose I have in fact written 15,000+ words on why that kind of footnote makes me angry, so we can probably move on. The real question is whether Jonson did actually try to get Bedford to bail him out of jail.