Annotations

Lucasia: This name refers to the poet's literary companion Ms. Anne Owens of Orielton, a member of Philip's coterie of male and female poets called The Society of Friendship. The names for the members of this society were derived from the plays of William Cartwright, whom Philips studied and revered in her time with the group of cavalier writers lead by composer and critic Henry Lawes, a friend of the poet John Milton

Lucasia comes from the play The Lady Errant, which is described by Professor Jane Farnsworth as a Platonic drama, or a drama in which the action is argumentative dialogue

Philips gave herself the name Orinda, which appears in the title of her later-published poetry collection, The Matchless Orinda.

FRIENDSHIP'S MYSTERYS:
TO MY DEAREST LUCASIA

Come, my Lucasia, since we see
    That miracles men's faith do move,
By wonder and by prodigy
    To the dull, angry world let's prove
    There's a religion in our Love.            5

For though we were design'd t'agree,
    That fate no liberty destroys,
But our election is as free
    As Angells, who with greedy choice
    Are yet determin'd to their Joys.         10

Our hearts are doubled by their loss,
    Here mixture is addition grown;
We both diffuse and both engross:
    And we, whose minds are so much one,
    Never, yet ever, are alone.

We court our own captivity,
    Then Thrones more great and innocent:
`Twere banishment to be set free,
    Since we weare fetters whose intent
    Not bondage is, but Ornament.           20

Divided Joys are tedious found,
    And griefs united easyer grow:
We are our selves but by rebound,
    And all our titles shuffled so,
    Both Princes, and both subjects too.

Our hearts are mutuall victims lay'd,
    While they (such power in friendship ly's)
Are Altars, Priests, and off'rings made,
And each heart which thus kindly dy's,
Grows deathless by the sacrifise.            30