in you to make T rue friendship wheresoe're you undertake T hus you do live and living so you may O mit the care of your departing day N o death can raze your memory away 19. To my very good Friend and Cousin Mr. Roger King I love and so do you but know you whom Faith that same party best that first doth come And my love is as constant as her stay Why should I love her when she goes away If you are of the same mind we are then Two constant Lovers though not constant men We both are still in love but fix not for We the new Object evermore preferr And that affection surely is most wise That comes not from the heart but from the eyes 20. To Thalia Weep out thine eyes Thalia why are they Unmelted yet into an Inland-Sea Drown all thy slanderers with them such as dare Affirm thee guilty and thy name not fair Or rather scorn their Ignorance that frame Unworthy Calumnies against thy Name Mnemosyne thou mother of the maides And you sweet Sisters that in Ascra shades Retired from the troubles of the Earth To many a lasting verse give fortunate birth Do'st not offend you that the Comick Muse Should suffer such affronts and high abuse Because that I frequent the thronged Stage I 'm censur'd by the malice of this Age Of Levity but I despise the frowns Of rigid Cato's and the hiss of Clowns Illiterate Fools may please their gluttonous tast At dinner with some Epicure-Lord and wast Their precious dayes in riot whil'st I feed Mine ears with all the wit these Times do breed Sing loud Thalia Noble Souls will love To see thy Servants in their Socks to move And may their ends be Tragical that hate The harmless mirth thy Comedies create I do profess I 'm one that do admire Each word refin'd in true Poetick fire And do approve of natural action where Fables seem as true passages they were And love our Theatres of worth where we May thee in all thy several dresses see 21. An Epitaph on my dear Cousin German Mrs. Elizabeth Stanhope who died at Elveston about the 20th year of her age and lies there buried Here lies a Virgin and in stead Of losing of her Maiden-head For she should soon have been a wife Bereaved of a noble Life Stanhopes lament and Ratcliffes mourn Before her sad untimely Urne But such a sorrow is too slight For cause of so extreme a weight Droop Elveston and Darbyshire No Green but black perpetual wear May April showers to Heavens tears turning Make all May-flowers spring up in mourning Weep all that ever knew her or Rather all that have heard of her For trivial Deaths let 's mourning wear Of black for her of cloth of hair Or let us senseless clothes despise And show our sadness in our eyes Let 's melt our hearts though they be stones And weep our eyes to Diamonds Which being touch'd by deaths cold hand Congeal'd may on her Marble stand Any discourse let us detest For sighs and grones express us best But who is this that we in such A sorrow must lament so much Elizabeth Stanhope now you know Go mourn until you die for wo. 22. An Epitaph on my dear sister the Lady Boteler who deceased about the 34th year of her Age. Here lies the Lady Boteler who ran through Two States of Life and both of them so true And just were known to all that knew her that Her her survivers all may imitate The Virgin and the matrimonial life She blest with her example And so rife Her memory doth flourish that it can Not die while there on earth lives one good man Cokaine her own name was Elveston gave Her Life Tutburie death Ashbourn a Grave 33. To Lesbia I thank you Lesbia for your lips and smiles Your pretty courtship and your amorous Wiles Her breath was sweet as Venus bower of bliss Her joyes uncounterfeit and not remiss Her skin was smooth as calmest summers day And warm as are the temperate Noons in May Her mind was willing and her body laid In th' truest Garbe to tempt who durst invade There wanted nothing to complete our joyes Had not the house been liable to spies For I do value more a Ladies fame Then satisfaction of my highest flame Thus much in jest now to speak truth is time I 'm glad we parted and escap'd the Crime 24. An Epitaph on a great sleeper Here lies a great Sleeper as every body knows Whose Soul would not care if his body ne're rose The business of life he hated and chose To die for his ease for his better repose And 't is believ'd when the last trump doth wake him Had the Devil a bed he would pray him to take him 25. An Epitaph on a great Wencher Here lies a great Wencher and dead I dare swear For were he alive an whore would be here 26. To my honoured Friend Mr. Marmaduke Wyvel Sir I have ever honour'd you and do Owe all fair service I can pay to you But Friend I owe you more then this yet shall With all the speed that may be absolve all 27. An Epitaph on Mrs. M. H. Here lies a body whose soul went hence Fuller of Glory then Innocence What her life wanted to make high Her worth she wrought when she did die And now when all her fight is done Her Foes must say that she hath won Let her faults perish with her breath And none think of her life but death 28. To Mr. Nathaniel Hazard and his Wife on their Marriage Blest Pair Goodnight The Prologue now is done Your wooing's past and both of you are won The sweets of Love remain the Play 's behinde To yield delight to a long longing minde May all fair fortune crown your happy Lives You out-love husbands and she out-love wives May every night and day and day and night And hour and minute be to you delight May all my wishes prosper and may you Never repent y' are one and wish you two And for your Epilogue when you return To earth may all that know you for you mourn 29. To Corinna Why excellent Corinna do you throw Your gold away for durt to lay on snow For so compar'd unto your whiter skin The Linen is you veil your body in For like a Diamond taken from a rock You would appear unclouded of your smock 30. Of Lycoris Beauty and Honour are great names and they Here and hereafter differ many a way Beauty half Age destroyes and none can be Enamour'd on the fair'st Anatome Immaculate Honour easily disperses All Cloudes that hover o're Heroes Heirses Beauty triumpheth over humane kind And mighty Love enthrones in every mind Honour disdains base Actions and would have A noble life to be our Epitaph The fair Lycoris doth desire a long And flourishing Spring of beauty ever young Her many years to wear away in mirth And Heavens epitome to have on earth Her dayes in musick and in feasts
should not your indignation move The Gods will give us leave their Heaven to love He lives unto Report and so shall I If slain demonstrate your great Cruelty You are my Empress under your fair hand Send me what Destiny you will command My Fate is what you please to have it I Live by your kindness or your coyness dye 4. Lady in your applause verse goes As slow and dull as heavy prose And your known worthes would you submit Your self a subject unto Wit Would blunt invention and ore'come With strong Amaze make Poets dumbe By what means then shall I declare My thoughts at height or what you are A world of Paper would but be My love in an Epitome Fair Lady therefore do not look For my affection in a book Search my life through and if you find Not what I can do be unkind 5. Petrarch for the neat Sonnets he did frame In Laura's praise obtain'd a Poets Name I of my Mistress write in verse and show it And yet I do profess I am no Poet. They feign but I speak truth what they invent Out of long study for a Complement In me is earnest Those rich words that they Enforce upon some beauties I can lay With reverence on you whom I adore And Times to come may as a Saint implore Then unto all may you propitious be I wish to heaven you now were so to me Believe because these are unsmooth my wit Dul'd with amazement and my hand unfit To hold a pen so steddy as to write Lest some Offence should frustrate my delight Your Beauty is my wonder That you should Prove merciless my fear but my most bold And happiest earthly wish is That you may With kindness save whom else your beauties slay 6. Lady I love and if you can Believe there is a faith in man No one can think a Mistress fitter Nor any love a Mistris better When I do look on you I scorn The rosie blushes of the morn When I do hear you speak I know No musick can so sweetly go When I at first your lips did touch I thought Jove never met with such I tasted Odours in your breath Able to win a Soul from death All things that have been by you smell So fragrant after and so well That Flora may be banished And you elected in her stead My sences being yours make all My future days one Festival And comfort me who now am sad Least losing Senses I grow mad 7. Now after tedious weeks of being mute The Mistress of my life I do salute As it is in your power to make each line Of Poesie I write to you divine For if you kindly smile on them you give Ability enough to make them live So is it in your power if you would please To speak those words to raise me unto ease For unto me Enceladus doth lye In flakes of Snow and I in Fiers dye Do not believe I counterfeit who think Verses in your praise would transcolour Inke And your Glass an Elizium where one may Behold your Shadow ere your dying day And that reflection I had rather view Then all the beauties in the world but you Had I your Picture reasonably wrought No Lady like it should command my thought Pigmalion-like I would adore't until You did prove kind or me my griefes did kill Think not I do dissemble For who can Look on your face unmov'd that is a man Who ist'hath heard your voice but he will say Your Tongue can charm all hearers to obey And who hath touch'd your lips but like unto A Lethe-drinker forgets all save you But I am extasied you are above My best expressions though I am in love 8. When I look on your Ribband-knots I find That my rash gazing eies have thral'd my mind For they become you so exceeding well That they have tide my toung I cannot tell When I perceive the wanton Windes to play With your unequal'd hair amaz'd I stay And bless their happiness that they can move Those amorous tresses and not fall in love When you into Hide Parke do go all there To follow the race-riders do forbear And all of them unanimously approch And as if waiters do attend your Coach That your fair eys may shine on them whose light Doth set their hearts on fier at the sight And force vows from them that for your dear sake Of greatest toils they greatest joys would make But what do I do then I nothing can Your beauties make a Statue of a Man I cannot look and talke to you like some Lady your matchless Beauties strike me dumbe But when I am retired and alone My resolutions then do yeild to none Regard reward my earnest love and so Raise me to heights of joy from depths of wo. 9. Lady from Cornwall unto you I writ But my hard Fates kept you from seeing it How glad had I been if that you had known That there I was yours much more then mine own Each wind that blew I lov'd because I thought The sound thereof might to your ears be brought Each Showre that came I wish'd of gold and that Jove-like I fell into my Danae's lap Each star I saw put me in minde of thee But th' art too fair a little star to be I went to Sea and when I there was come I thought of him that to his Hero swom And wish't so you did love as she did him That like Leander I to you might swim But now I am return'd again be you As kind to me as you have found me true 10. Awake my Muse put on thy best attire To sing her Beauty and my raging fire Make all the world know since she will not know That she is much to blame to use me so Sweet cruel fair one unto all of these You may reply causes of my unease For you are sweet as flowry May's west wind Why should so sweet a Creature be unkinde And you are fair and fair and sweet must be The reason I endure your Cruelty Each Statue I see makes me my Case thus mone It hath a Body you an heart of stone I fain would die but thinking I must come To be a wanderer in Elizium I do destroy that infant-thought for there No Soul 's so pure as is your body here Each night my troubled thoughts keep sleep away That time 's to me as busie as the day But you that are with never a care opprest Enamour the night Deities in your rest Old Somnus fears his wand may do some ill And therefore charms your eies with kisses still O that I knew the way whereby to move My sweet and cruel fair One unto love Will sighing do it O you Gods of wind Lend me your breathes that I may sigh her kind Will tears prevail O that my eies would then Melt out themselves into an Ocean Or may Entreaties win upon her sense Assist me all you Powers of eloquence Pity my miseries which are grown so high That
nothing we should hate They whom all nations for Heroick soules And vertuous Actions above the Poles Have â—nthroniz'd did nought we should condemn And therefore Lovely One let 's follow them Strict Hymens rules wherefore should we obey Which on themselves the Gods did never lay Is it more honour to observe the lives Of surly Cato's then the Deities Away with fear 'T is reason prompts you to What I desire and love me what to do And therefore do not blush unless it be Because so many will envy thee and me Yet Madam know after so much exprest I honour vertue and have writ in jest 7. To my Cousin Mr. Charles Cotton I Wonder Cousin that you would permit So great an Injury to Fletcher's wit Your friend and old Companion that his fame Should be divided to anothers name If Beaumont had writ those Plays it had been Against his merits a detracting Sin Had they been attributed also to Fletcher They were two wits and friends and who Robs from the one to glorifie the other Of these great memories is a partial Lover Had Beaumont liv'd when this Edition came Forth and beheld his ever living name Before Plays that he never writ how he Had frown'd and blush'd at such Impiety His own Renown no such Addition needs To have a Fame sprung from anothers deedes And my good friend Old Philip Massinger With Fletcher writ in some that we see there But you may blame the Printers yet you might Perhaps have won them to do Fletcher right Would you have took the pains For what a foul And unexcusable fault it is that whole Volume of plays being almost every one After the death of Beaumont writ that none Would certifie them so much I wish â—s free Y 'had told the Printers this as you did me Surely you was to blame A Forreign wit Ownes in such manner what an English writ Joseph of Exeters Heroick piece Of the long fatal war 'twixt Troy and Greece Was Printed in Cornâ—lius Nepos Name And robs our Countreyman of much of 's fame 'T is true Beaumont and Fletcher both were such Sublime wits none could them admire too much They were our English Polestars and did beare Between them all the world of fancie cleare But as two Suns when they do shine to us The aire is lighter they prodigious So while they liv'd and writ together we Had Plays exceeded what we hop'd to see But they writ few for youthful Beaumont soon By death eclipsed was at his high noon Surviving Fletcher then did pen alone Equal to both pardon Comparison And suffer'd not the Globe and Black-Friers Stage T' envy the glories of a former Age. As we in humane bodies see that lose An eye or limbe the vertue and the use Retreats into the other eye or limb And makes it double So I say of him Fletcher was Beaumonts Heir and did inherit His searching judgement and unbounded Spirit His Plays are Printed therefore as they were Of Beaumont too because his Spirit 's there 8. To my Son Mr. Thomas Cokaine YOU often have enquir'd where I have been In my years Travel and what Cities seen And sâ—ai'd in of the which therefore in brief I for your satisfaction name the chief When four and twenty years and some moneths more Of Age I was I left our English Shore And in a thousand six hundred thirty two Went hence fair France and Italy to view At Roy July the sixteenth we took Ship And on the seventeenth did arrive at Deipe Henry the fourths secure retreat where one Night having lain I rode next day to Roan Thence in a Coach I did to Paris go Where then I did but spend a day or two Thence with the Lions messenger went thither And pass'd through Mont-Argis Mollins and Never In two days thence we did to Cambray get A City at the foot of Eglebet At Maurein I din'd and six days spent Among the Alpes with high astonishment There dreadful Precepice and horrid sound Of water and hills hid in Cloudes I found And trees above the Clouds on Mountains top And houses too a wonder to get up On Mount-Sinese's top I did ride o're A smooth and pleasant Plain a League or more Upon the which a large Fish-pool there is And one o' th Duke of Savoy's Palaces At the Plains End a little Chappel and A pretty Inn do near together stand That night we did descend 'bove half the way Where first we heard Italian spoke and lay Next morn we down to Susa rode full glad When Mount-Sinese we descended had And that same night to Turin came where we Staid but a day the Beauties of 't to see There we took Coach for Millaine and by th' way A Dinners time did at Vercelli stay And at Novara lay a night and stai'd But at great Millaine one such hast I made And but at Crema one and by the Lake Of stormy Garda did a dinner take Through the low Suburbs of high Bergamo I rode and that night did to Brescia go For works of Iron fam'd And having past Thorow Verona by Catullus grac't Did at Vicenza dine so forward went Through Padoa and on the banks of Brent Saw many Palaces of pleasant Site And to the rich fam'd Venice came that night Thence having stai'd there half a year did go Unto Ferrara by the river Poe Saving some four miles where a Coach we took When Phaetons fatal River we forsook I at Ravenna din'd Rimmini lay And the next Night did at Ancona stay A long days journey wherein we betime Pesaro rode through did at Fano dine For hansome women fam'd And in our way Rid neer small well-wall'd Siningaglia The next day at Loretto din'd and there View'd the Fair Church and House fam'd every where Thorow long Recanati rode and so To Macerata in the Even did go Next day I din'd at Tolentin and was It 'h Church of their renown'd Saint Nicholas Foligno and Spoletto having past Terin and Narin took a Nights repast Within Otricoli I the next day Din'd at Rignano ' i th' Flaminian way And in the Evening afterwards did come Thorow the Port del Popolo to Rome Where what the holy week and Easter could To strangers view afford I did behold Where that old Cities wonders I did view And all the many Marvels of the new Three weeks I there made my abode and then For Naples took my travels up agen Of all Frascati's Wonders had a sight And thence unto Velletri rode that night At Terrachina lay the next Then through The Kingdom pass'd at Mola took a view Of Old Gaeta thence to Capua rode Where onely I dinners time abode So I to Naples came where three weeks stay Made me the wonders thereabouts survey I at Puzzolo was there cross'd the Bay Fam'd for the bridge of proud Caligula To Baja and that day a view did take Of Aniana and Avernus Lake The mortal Grott was in and Sepulchre Which murther'd Agrippina did
1. Third song COme Ladyes rise and let us know Now you have seen what you can do Harke how the Musick doth invite All you to Solemnize this Night Then let the Sounds that you do hear Order your feet unto your ear O rise rise altogether And let us meet Musick 's Divine and well may joyn Our motions rude unto a sweet 2. The Figures of the Magick Art We 'l equall in a better part Judicial Astrologie Cannot cast such an one as we Adde but your skill as we desire And wee 'l keep time to Phoebus Lyre O rise rise altogether And let us meet Musick 's Divine and well may joyn Our Motions rude unto a sweet Here all the Company dance what they please and while they please when they leave the Lar or one of the Masquers sings this to the spectator Ladyes as they go from them Fourth song LAdyes enough we dare not Tempt you to more then this Now may your Servants spare not To give each of you a kiss If we were they you should have them To recompence your pain O happy they that gave them And may give them again 'T is late Goodnight go sleep and may Soft slumbers crown your eyes till day This being sung the Masquers the Lar Familiaris and the Satyre go into the Arbour which closes on them An Epithalamium design'd for the Nuptials of Sir Andrew Knyvegston my Wives Brother and Mrs. Elizabeth Stanhope of Elveton my Cousin-german Their Marriage prevented by her death RIse amorous Virgins rise and dress The Bride her Groome's in readiness She wakes and fain would call you from Your Beds but blushes therefore come The early Bridesgroom swears he knowes You dream't to night of pleasing Showes Of Hymen joyning willing hands To be subjected to his bands Of Hymen joyning mutual hearts And Hymen joyning other Parts Or else you did not sleep at all For thinking what was to befall To the fair Virgin that to night Full of soft trembling and delight Must a pure Maiden go to Bed And rise without her Maidenhead But merry Lasses hast It may Be your own turn another day Attire her quickly and while you Are busied so laugh at her too And any of you would laugh to be So happy and so nigh as she Let her be drest as Juno when She tempted Jove scorn'd mortal men As the bright Cyprian Queen when she Did first enthral War's Deitie As the delicious Memphian Dame When she great Anthony o'recame Not by her Souldiers masteries But beams of her al-powerful eyes Now she is ready stay a while And let us see her blush and smile May all the Genial powers Divine Most gentle sweet One now combine And shower and power upon you two All that you can desire they do But lead her out Now go together To be of two made one or either You go divided and alone But must return both of you One He must be hers not his and she Must not be hers but his must be Now they do walk triumphant o're Those fears that troubled them before And all their friends attendants by All joyful for this day of joy She studies not as she doth go How she again may answer No But unto every thing say I As all the Maides would that are by He happy man soon to be blest Unto the Temple maketh hast And every minute hates that stands Not 'twixt their hearts but 'twixt their hands Behold they are arrived where They will be placed in one Sphere To run through a most glorious Life Of Love most blessed Man and Wife Th' Amazed Priest when he espies The radiant beauties of her eyes Cannot believ 't the Bride to be But an Immortal Deitie Descended from Olympus Top Where they all drink in Hebe's Cup Or Cytheraea Queen of love Or the chast daughter of high Jove The new Solemnities to grace Or on the youthful Pair to gaze But when he 's satisfi'd 't is she He looks no more for fear that he His heart should deep enthral in love Past any hope of a remove When both are willing and past woing No Marriage can be long a doing The Parson asks and they Consent Both eager of their own Content Though now and then he smiles and she Doth blush to think what soon must be Now all is done that's to be done Within the Church and they are One The Bride-men wish all joy betide Unto the glad and bashful Bride And the Bride-maides do bid the like To him which he expects at night At their Return with all the prayers Of all their Friends for happy years A Sumptuous Dinner doth invite All to 't with different Appetite Most sit to feed their covetous eyes With the Brides matchless delicacies No other Object can remove Their looks and many rose in love Some old cold few and their neer kin Eat well and many healths begin To both their future days of joy And the soon getting of a Boy Such healths do often make her spred Her beauteous face with sudden red For Virgins often blush to hear Those things they long for and love dear All Dinner-while a fine-voic'st Boy Sings many a Song and many a Toy Of Love and of lost Maiden-heads And all the joyes of Marriage-Beds The Bridegroom happiest man of all May safely take survey and fall Into no danger of the sweet Delicious Bride and she doth meet His every look and every smile And blushes for 't all dinner-while She is asham'd to look therefore And loves so she cannot give o're On fire and fire again they set Their hearts but careless are of it They know the night will come and then Th' are sure to cool themselves agen Dinner being done the afternoon Is tedious in regard of soon Yet with variety worn away Of sports belonging to that day They dance and the fair Bride doth move In conjuring circles of sweet Love She treads so evenly as she meant To make the ground an Instrument And sends up sounds so soft and rare Angels might dance unto that Aire The Bridegroom 's blest by every tongue Of all the merry various thronge To be an Owner of that One Whose equal they have never known And she is counted happy too To be belov'd by him so true To her and worthy unto all Both blest in equal Nuptial He now dares boldly kiss and oft Doth give her hard ones she him soft She is his own and no delight He wants but what will come at night Though she 's asham'd when he doth kiss She 's not content when he doth miss And thus the Afternoon being spent Time draws them nearer their content They go to Supper not to eat But both to be reveng'd on meat Because till that be done they know To bed they must not cannot go Supper being finish't and indeed Too much time knowing what 's to succeed The fearfull Virgin 's lead away Trembling at what she would assay And her undresses tell next morn What she must rise yet
vain To get repute by following that strain When I bethink me that great Johnson he Who all the ancient wit of Italy And learned Greece by his industrious Pen Transplanted hath for his own Countreymen And made our English tongue so swell that now We scarce an equal unto it allow Writ Epigrams I tremble and instead Of praise beseech a pardon when I 'm read 61. To my honoured kinsman Mr. Henry Kendal the younger Your Grand-Mother was hospitable did Invite me often to her house and bid Me hearty welcome And I hope to prove The like effects hereafter of your love Poets of old were Prophets held and I For once will venture on a Prophesy You shall at Smithsby flourish gain the Hearts Of all your Countrey by your worthy Parts 62. To Maides Soft Virgins you whose tender hearts are prone To yield unto your own destruction Resist all vicious flames and you will find The Glories of an undefiled mind Preserve your bodies as a Magazin That doth contain the richest Treasure in For Diamonds Pearls and Stones of highest price Heaven lov'd virginity mainly out-vies Patavine Chastity enjoying more Content then Acts of a Suburran Whore 'T is mean to yield submission unto Sense When virtue hopes so great a Recompence 63. To the truly Noble Sir Arthur Gorges Those worthy Romans that scorn'd humble things Created and obliged after-Kings Amidst their thoughts of highest honour ne're Conceiv'd Imaginations 'bove your sphere The Babylonian Euphrates may For ever run and Tybris never stay The plenteous Rhine continually speed on And Danubie each to it's Ocean And not out-go your fair and high repute Which doth amaze the world and strikes me mute 94. To Sir Andrew Knyveton my wives brother Wonder not why among so many of My Epigrams I do not oftner scoff And taunt of men observing when they halt And tax them smartly after for their fault I know that Epigrams should either be Satyres reduc'd to an Epitome Or els in choicest Language should invite Being what you please the Readers with delight Troth I in scoffes but little do prevail Which is the cause that I no oftner rail And have for Eloquence but what you see And therefore all my friends must pardon me 65. To my Cousins Germans Mr. Cromwell Mr. Byron Mr. Ratcliff and M. Alexander Stanhope The worlds four Parts and all the various Seas And Rivers that embrace them thousand wayes Perfect the Globe terrestrial set it fix't Equal the circumvolving Heaven betwixt So you four joyning in a Sympathie Of an unmach'd fraternal Amitie Sought to for noble Soules by all that can Under and Honour or a Generous man Are courted on all sides and truly do Love them reciprocally that love you So that your friends and you do justly stand The Centre of fair Friendship in the Land 66. To my Cousin Mr. Charles Cotton the younger In how few years have you rais'd up an high Column of Learning by your Industry More glorious then those Pyramids that Old Canopus view'd or Cair doth yet behold Your noble Father that for able Parts Hath won an high Opinion in all hearts May like the elder Scaliger look down With admiration on his worthy Son Proceed fair plant of Ex'lencies and grow So high to shadow all that are below 67. To my honest Kinsman Sir John Reppington I pray you Sir impale your Woods that we In them the hunting of the Buck may see By which good deed you will be sure to please grounds The Naiades and Hamadryades Honouring the woods and brooks that grace those And raise a stately Eccho by your Houndes T' invite Diana to your Groves that she A partner in your rural sports may be Or peirce the beauteous Goddess Venus ear And bring her down from her celestial sphere To be spectatress of your game brought thence To guard some young Adonis from Offence By making you a park all this is done A pleasant Grace unto your Amington 68. To my Brother in Law Colonel Will. Nevil The old luxurious Romans vaunts did make Of gustful Oysters took in Lucrine Lake Your Essex better hath and such perchance As tempted Caesar first to pass from France How did those ancient Worthies captive all The humbled world unto their Capitol Yet from it's highest Towers could not survey So rich a Countrey as from Holt you may The noble Brutus vertuous Portia Luckless Antonius chast Octavia Soul-fix'd Paulina to her murther'd Lord The learned Seneca such worthes afford As have astonish'd Ages yet your best Of wives may justly with them all contest You then enjoying a full Fortune and The delicacies may eat of Sea and land Your dayes spend at a house of so fair site And with a so deserving wife each night Consider since that you possess all this If y' are not happy who the Devil is 69. An Epitaph on a Penitent Bawde Here lies a good woman to speak but the truth Who liv'd by her Tail all the days of her youth And when she was old and none could endure her Stuck still to the Flesh and became a Procurer Yet was at her death so full of Remorses That she cri'd a peccavi for all her lewd courses 70. An Epitaph on an old Bawde Here lies an old Bawde whom the grave should have gotten Fourty years since for then she was rotten Now here she doth lie for all People to piss on For fear of Doomes-day in a stinking Condition But enough of this business for well we may think The more we stir in it the more it will stink 71. To my Cousin Mr. William Milward Whil'st you at Chilcote live and I at Pooley Let 's every Week meet one another duly Talk of our long Acquaintance and the strange Things that have hapned since this mighty change And drink a Glass of honest Countrey-Ale To all our absent Friends at every Tale. 72. Don Quixot Quarta parte Cap. 33. Es de vidrio la Muger Pero no se ha de provar Si se puede O no quebrar Porque to do podria ser Y es mas facil el quebrar se Y no es cordura ponerse A peligro de romperse Lo que no puede soldar se Yen esto opinion esten Tados yen r'azon la fundo Que si ay Danaes en el mundo Ay pluvias de Oro tambien Englished Of Women A Woman is of Glass or weaker And should not be put to the proof Or if she be not as to break her Which is a thing facile enough Glass is crack'd with an easie stroke And it no wisdom is to put That within danger to be broke Which never can be solder'd up All men of an Opinion are And it upon this reason ground That if there any Danaes were Gold Showers also would be found 73. Of a Servant-Maid A servant maid in Winter washing clothes Upon the banks where pleasant Arnus flowes A passenger espi'd her and did say I wish sweet heart you had a warmer day She look'd upon him
Thenot reverenc't for thy hoary hair Of all the Shepherds that amongst us are To thee the soon'st I would unload my minde That art in Counsel wise in pity kinde Wise to advise me if I do amiss And pitiful to rue my wretchedness Know I have cause to weep as long as I Have any moisture left in either eye To tear off every hair from off my head And rage impatiently till I am dead O my Credulity That did suppose There could be faith in any Lovers oathes Then Then t is for love that Amarillis thus Disconsolately liveth here with us But which of all our Boyes is so unwise To slight a Beauty of so rich a price Amar. Knew'st thou not Thyrsis that had wont to keep On yonder Hill a jolly flock of Sheep Who all the while they on the banks did feed Play'd merry tunes upon his Oaten reed Such songs as Alta highly did esteem And for their quaintness was in love with him The Daughter of rich Ionius who was Took with his pipe like many an other Lass But when my Shepherd all the rest did slight And in my beauty onely did delight He did not care for all her wealth and tho She was an hansome Wench would never wo For such Command I then had of his heart That I did think he never could depart Which being known his angry Father sent Him out of Arcadie in discontent That being far remov'd and forth of sight He might forget his Amarillis quite And so I hear he hath and yet he swore Absence should make his love not less but more Ah perjur'd man He faithless and untrue Hath falsly slighted me and took a new O Thenot Couldst thou think that Thyrsis he That made such vows would ever faithless be His vows had he broke onely it had bin A pardonable and a venial Sin Thenot can men weep like a Crocodile Have they their tears so ready to beguile He wept when we did part as much as I And now is guilty of such perjury Then Sad Amarillis though I know thy youth Cannot sustain the breach of Lovers truth Without Impatiency For women when They bear affection seldom change like men Yet know in you 't were wisdom to remove Your heart from him that hath so fail'd in love Amar. Ere I can leave my Thyrsis Thenot know I must want life when I do backward go Just Jove revenge my falshood I will be True as I was though he hath slighted me Know honest Thenot that I am not Wind When I have setled once to change my minde When I prove false Thou glorious Guide of day Change East and West and run another way And thou pale-horned Queen of night constrain The Sea to dulness neither wax nor wane The pleasant Ladon first shall change his Course And every River run back to the Source The fixed Stars weary of standing shall Amaze Astrologers be Planets all And toil'd Bootes tired with his pain Leave travel off and fix his sevenfold Wain Then Be comforted sweet Lass For sure when he Returns again again he will love thee Amar. Thenot could I expect but so much good I here would live as merry as I cood And to our rural Pan each night and morn Make faithful Orisons for his Return Then Trust me young Amarillis I have no Doubt of him but am sure it will be so An honest man may fall and yet may be Not ever in his fault neither will he When he returns and finds that you have bin True unto him ashamed of his Sin His former faith he will renew and more Love Amarillis then he lov'd before Amar. Thanks gentle Thenot for these words of joy Poor Amarillis to her Fortunes try And if that me you ever thankless find Banish my name for ever from your minde Thy Speeches have rais'd hope he wil come back And me again into his favour take And that on Holy-days when all the Rout Do sport the medows and the fields about Crowning with Garlands her that Dances best Making her Mistress of our Country-Feast With showing Gambals on the dazy Green And eating Chees-cakes with our Summer Queen I with my Shepherd among th' others shall Dance many a merry Jig and many a Brall For since my Thyrsis from Arcadia went I solitary have liv'd discontent When others have been playing have sat down And moystned wth my tears the Sun-burnt ground Then But leave such sadness Amarillis now And unto us thy Company allow For I dare lay the best Lamb I have here He shortly will return and love thee deare Amar. My thanks again good Thenot Ever be Belov'd of Pan for comforting of me Then And may our rural God fair Shepherdess Thee with fruition of thy Wishes bless Amar. I have no other wish but that my Swain Would come to us and be mine own again Happy the day when we by Ladon side Eat Cream and kisses mutually enjoyde And happy were those Nights when on his knee He by the Fire side did dandle me How often as we sat so hath thy Son Thy Billy Thenot to th' old Woman run For apples to make Lambs-wooll Never more We two shall drink as we have drunk before But far more happy were those days of note When we from Martin did live far remote In thy kind Cottage when I did not know What 't was to love and be forsaken so There I have sung and laugh'd laugh'd song And been as merry as the day was long But since my Thyrsis hath both woed and won me And so forgotten me he hath undon me Then We should have something to divert this thought For Melancholy Shepherdess is naught I hope that now we very shortly shall Hear on our Green that pleasant Pastorall Which of an Obstinate Lass young Coridon Thy love-sick Brother did write long agon Which Tityrus his faithful Friend approv'd A Shepherd for his able parts belov'd Amar. When it is song I will not fail to hear For Coridons sake whom I do love so dear To me that Pastoral he oft hath said While both our neighbor-flocks have fed plaid And honest Thenot many sundry times I unto him have read my Thyrsis rimes Wherein he prais'd me above woman-kind And little did I think those Words were winde But those few happy days are past and now Sad care sits always heavy on my brow Ere Thyrsis went none danc'd so much as I None laugh'd so chearfully none did enjoy So many nights of joy and days of bliss And all because I thought that I was his And if when he returns again he will Receive his long-forsaken Amarill The Lamb which best of all my Flock I prize Unto our rural Pan I 'le sacrifice Then Fair Shepherdess be confident ere long He will return and quit him of the wrong That he hath don himself increasing so His former love that you no end shall know T is time to fould our Flocks For we have sat So long a talking that it is
you must pity them or I shall die And be not henceforth harsh That I may finde My sweet and fair One like a Goddess kinde 11. Fair Mistress though my fate is so adverse That I could rather weep then sing in verse Yet one or two I 'le force my Muse to write And you with your own Cruelty delight Me-thoughts when last I heard the Nightingal She did not mention her own woes at all But every note that past my listning ear Did make me my own misery to hear It was a change worthy her skill for she Will sing the saddest things and therefore me Pity a man in Hell for there I am I could not else live so amidst my flame And make my joyes with all my sufferings even But two kind words and I shall be in Heaven 12. Dear Lady from your eies there came A lightning did my heart inflame And set it all on burning so That forth the fire will never go Be merciful for I remain Till you be kind in endless pain And machless fair One deign to know That pity should with beauty goe That comely bodies should include Mindes in them equally as good I will not doubt you until I Have reason from your Crueltie Since we deformed bodies finde To be the Emblems of the minde Why should not I pursue that art And think one fair hath such an heart Confirm Philosophie which you By being merciful may do And unto the eternal praise Of your rich Beauty I will raise A fame so high that times to come Of your deare name shall ne're be dumbe So you with Rosalinde shall be Eterniz'd unto Memorie With Stella live names known as well As Colin Clout and Astrophel As kindness in a Lady can Preserve in life a dying man So verses after she is dead Report will of her spread Return affection and we then Shall live though die and live agen 13. I have mine eyes and love for who Hath eyes to see and doth not so Who can behold a lovely face Both full of beauty and of grace See pretty lips and glorious eyes And not be chang'd though ne're so wise Rich Cherry-cheeks and browes Divine And not desire would she were mine I have a Lady lately seen Far perfecter then beauties Queen Diana's vertues make her stai'd And Venus forme a lovely Maid Surely two Goddesses have strove To make a wonder of my Love No Beauty Venus lets her want And Dian hath made her a Saint To pray to Saints many deny And censure for idolatry But none of them will say I erre If I with prayers petition her Deign therefore virtuous beauteous Fair You that are more then others are For beauty whom all wonder at And for your vertues emulate Pity my heart by you enflam'd For cruelty be not defam'd Nor joy to see my miseries rage Which your tongue onely can asswage But a true service entertain Rewarding it with love again 14. Before a little Book of my own that I sent her Lady I do not give this Book alone But with 't my heart which you have made your own Censure my verses as you please but be Kind to my heart lest you do ruine me I made these little Poems and if you Vouchsafe your love to me you make me too Be kind as you are fair I wish no other So make a doubtful man an happy Lover 15. Be kind blind Boy and let not her alone T is tyranny in thee to shoot at one Me thou hast wounded she untouch'd remains Slights all my Sighs and credits not my pains If th' hast an Arrow though but one behind Strike her and make us both be of one mind Thou God of Love born in an happy hour In some fresh Garden in some flowry Bower I by thy wings fill'd with the sighes of thy Fast-â—erter'd Subjects by thy Quiver and by Thy fatal Bow by Venus drawn along Olympus Star-pav'd Courts the Gods among If thou dost ever hope eternal Jove Will eyes vouchsafe unto the God of Love By these and more I do beseech thine aide Or make me mine or mine this Angel-Maide Pity my misery and take my part Or heal my wound or wound her cruel heart Fair Love Sole Centre of my thoughts to you I am a Suppliant be my Judge and true Censure my passâ—ons prayers affections me Throughly and narrowly and if you see No fault in me as you no fault shall finde Leave off your cruelty and be you kinde Use me according to my love if I Adore you not let me unpitied die 16. At her going out of the Countrey Farewell fair Saint But when you are away And far remote think of me once a day When shall I see again your Amber-haire Look on your stately forehead arched fair View those two Suns your heart-bewitching eies Your Nose and Mouth and all your Rarities Hear your sweet tongue again whose words alone Would make deaf Mortalls hear if not a stone Not till I come to London Phoebus hie Drive not the Sun so slowly through the skie If these short dayes these Winter-days will seem So tedious then what should I think of them If they were Summer-Hours Surely I Should wish like Phaeton thou might'st fall die For in your absence I shall take delight In Dreams of you t'wear out the longest Night I love and that is all that I can say My vehement thoughts take all my words away The more I think to write I can the less His heart is safe who can his love express Know I am yours much more then I can tell And say with grief sweet'st of your Sex Farewell 17. At my Return having brought her the first days Journey Farewell again Fair Mistress of my heart For you must go and I must now depart My body doth return my heart doth stay You it along with you do bear away Lay it by yours thither it would withdraw The fire of mine the frost of yours may thaw Farewel dear eies It will be tedious Night With me as long as I do want your light Farewell sweet mouth encompass'd with a row Of richest Cherries over and below The Nectar and Ambrosia I shall want That hang on them and fast an irksome Lent Farewel best tongue Now thee I shall not hear I would not care if all things silent were Farewell all fair Beauty I shall not view Until again I do behold't in you All things befriend you Hyems do not frown Keep Boreas still and all his Brethren down Be of a kind Aspect and look not pale With frost or Snow not sullenly let fall Showr's from thine eies Be milde that Phoebus may Waite on my lovely mistress every day So she may hap to favour thee which thing May change the Winter to another Spring My last Farewel Till I in London see My Love again I shall a mourner be 18. Hail my Delight whom I so well lov'd here Do now love there and will love every where I hope you do not doubt my
winds blow back the Seas agen And cover you that women henceforth may Beware and earnest love with earnest pay But I am patient and though in vaine I love I dare not therefore be profane May you arrive safely and soon and live In all felicity whil'st I here grieve And sigh and weep for you may not a thought Of yours remember me be I forgot Lest when you think how you have left me you Should give a stop unto your mirth and rue But one word more it is not yet too late To make a wretched Lover fortunate Let not my prayers sighes vows be spent in vain But as I do love you so love again And we will go together never part Till I your body have who have my heart Which had I in possession I should finde Ways soon enough to win your backward mind 24. Although she cannot number thousands even With some deform'd whom Fortune more hath given Shall want of wealth scorn'd by true happiness Resist my way or make me love her less Yet hath she a fair Portion and her Name From one of our best Houses Coritane And she is beauteous as a cheerful day Or Venus rising from her Mother-Sea Are not her teeth the richest Pearls and sure He that hath Pearls enow cannot be poor Are not her radiant eies two diamonds fair And we all know that those stones precious are Art not her hairs of Gold And what but it fit Makes wrinkles smooth Age youth unfit things Her beauteous Cheekes are Roses such as neither The Spring can give nor the cold Winter wither Her lovely Breasts are Apples of more worth Then ever the Hesperides brought forth Arabian Odours both the India's Good She in one curious body doth include Cupid in nothing more his eies doth miss Then that he cannot see how fair she is Jupiter for her would unthrone his Queen And Pluto leave his lovely Proserpine Neptune from Amphitrite would remove And Mars for her forsake the Queen of love She 's like a Soul before it doth depart Even all in all and All in every part No man hath seen her but to every Sence Of him she bettereth the intelligence He knows his eies are perfect in their sight That in no other Object can delight He knows his smelling's exquisite that doth When he hath felt her breath all others loth A perfume for the Gods most fit and sweet When they at Counsel on Olympus meet And Iris they or Mercury beneath T is likely send for her so fragrant breath A free and unconfined touching her Above the lips of Queens all would prefer Or sacred hands of bounteous Kings compar'd The pretious Down of Phoenix's being hard Unto her softer skin And her sweet Tongue Which chides in Musick and enchantes in song And strikes the ablest Rhetoricians dumb Is fit'st to plead the peace of Christendom He in the sphere of happiness will move On whom she pleases to bestow her love And have the most delicious Repast That shall her Hymenaean Dainties tast You that are beauty in the Zenith who Can find no Equal wheresoer'e you go My Love no longer cruelly despise But dart me mercy from your gracious eyes And we shall both be rich For I am sure Themselves no happy Lovers ere thought poore 25. To her obtain'd Past are my sighs and woes complaints and tears Nor am I longer subject to my fears Her frowns no more strike terrour to my soul Though I was wounded she hath made me whole Within the rank of happy Lovers I Am now enrol'd and march triumphantly Ore all the Crosses that before did stay And hinder me to enter in this way And sing the Boy-Gods praise who wanting sight Shot at my Mistress and did hit the White My happiness is such that Times to come Shall not complain I of my joys was dumbe Let him whose Mistress is deform'd or old Not worth a Sonnet nor a Line withhold Or if on such an heap of years or sad Chaos of features he will needs run mad Loose the true judgement of his eyes or think That Channel water's Nectar he doth drink Let him profess he 's happy ne're so much The World that sees her cannot think him such 'T were fondness in me that what ere my youth Writ in her praise I now should say was truth I would not if I could but to be just To her and to my self thus much I must I 'm so far from repenting of my choice That every day she 's dearer in mine eyes Dear heart and dearer to me then mine heart We 'l live in love and in our loves depart The World shall bless our Fates and they that come Into sad bonds wish happy Lovers dumb Funeral Elegies 1. On the Death of my very good Friend Mr. Michaâ—l Drayton PHoebus art thou a God and canst not give A Priviledge unto thine own to live Thou canst But if that Poets nere should dye In Heaven who should praise thy Deity Else â—ill my Drayton thou hadst liv'd and writ Thy life had been immortal as thy wit But Spencer is grown hoarse he that of late Song Glorianâ— in her Elfin state And so is Sydney whom we yet admire Lighting our little Torches at his fire These have so long before Apollo's Throne Carrel'd Encomiums that they now are growne Weary and faint and therefore thou didst dye Their sweet unfinish'd Ditty to supply So was the Iliad-writer rapt away Before his lov'd Achilles fatall day And when his voice began to fail the great 〈…〉 did assume his seat Therefore we must not mourn unless it be 〈◊〉 none is left worthy to follow thee It is in vain to say thy lines are such As neither time not envies rage can touch For they must live and will whiles there 's an eye To reade or wit to judge of Poetrie You Swans of Avon change your fates and all Sing and then die at Drayton's Funeral Sure shortly there will not a drop be seen And the smooth-pebbled Bottom be turn'd green When the Nymphes that inhabit in it have As they did Shakespeere wept thee to thy grave But I molest thy quiet sleep whil'st we That live would leave our lives to die like thee 2. On my dear Sister Mrs. Isabella Cokaine who who died at Ashbourne about the 18th yeer of her Age and lyes there buried IT is an irreligious pride to turne Away our eyes and not to see thine Urne For sure that body whose blest soul doth keep A Jubile in heaven while here asleep It lies in holy earth is every day Bless'd by good Angels that do pass that way And therefore we with reverence should eye The Sepulchres where Saints entomb'd do lye And every time that we do go or come Nigh where thine Ashes lye behold thy Tombe But when we see it should we weep our eyes Dry of their tears and then conclude in cries It is impossible that our complaints Should make a Diapason to the Saints â—an Hallelujahs song above
more despise The poorest then the richest Sacrifice So I my Lord present my self to you And this slight humble verse unto your view Let our best Heralds such as are most good Sail up the mighty Current of your blood And from the ancient and most glorious Stem Of those that wore the English Diadem Blazon your pedegree whil'st I admire Your fair Conditions sparks of honours fire To be born onely great and not to be Vertuous too is as we often see The morning Sun rise clearly in the East Presently after be with Clouds opprest And after one fair chearful blaze of light The day prove stormy till it mix with night But this concerns not you you are as far From all unworthiness as is that star That by the vertue of the Southerne stayes This Mass of earth and water in its place From earth And as those opposite Stars do poise This Globe of earth and Water midst the skies Equally distant in all places from The Heavens that round it in Circumference come Or to descend As Mahomets tombe doth fix By vertue of two Loadstones them betwixt So you my Lord for sweet Conditions known Parallels to your high birth stand alone Unaim'd and unarriv'd at to their ends Th' Amaze of all and honour of your friends Accept this graciously my Lord And know 'T is but a Glimps of the respect I owe And but an Atome of the Service For Whole volumes would not be a Character 4. To a Lady that was so like another that I cal'd her Picture I Call you Picture and by your Consent Although I know you want no Ornament Nor any curious Arts use to supply Any defect in you to any eye You then are none and do want Colours so snow As heaven wants clouds or Summers earth wants Both which do both deform And you therefore To ouâ—vy heaven and earth admit no more You then no picture are but unto those That can become enamour'd on your clothes Vandike Mitten Geltrop or Johnson may Draw something like you As a Summers day May in the fleeting Clouds well counterfeit Similitudes of things here and not hit For 't is impossible to Limn you right As 't is the earthly Globe without a night To make your eyes were to amaze us all Make in your face two Suns rise And to vail Their glorious motions no eclipses there Can be more beautiful then your brown hair So doth the brightest star ofttimes repine At it's own glory and forbear to shine To name Apelles and to wish him draw Your Portraicture could he perform 't 't were law To future Limners but your beauties height All imitation doth transcend outright Your Lips are like the rosy buds of May And your even teeth the pearls of India Your mouth 's the sweetest Magazin of bliss Where Cupids Dialect best spoken is Your loveliest Cheeks are the tru'st Hemispheres Of beauty triumphing above your Peeres This your first sitting is when you sit next I shall be better pleas'd and you more vext For I shall more admire your beauties store Though you be angry th' are so slubberd o're 5. To my Mistress TO love you Lady is but just we know We have good eyes and Judgments that do so Your beauties are no Common Ornaments But Rarities and plac'd with excellence By Natures curious hand That could entice Even Jove from all his Glories and the Skyes Make him reject his full triumphant way O're Gods and men and thunder cast away Depose himself from high Olympus leave Amaz'd the heavenly Deities and beneath Retire himself on earth to gaze on you More wonderful then all the Goddess Crew Make him forsake his stately Queens embrace Wise Pallas eyes and amorous Venus Face His draughtes of Nectar fil'd by Ganymed And the sweet Lessons by Apollo plai'd His sister Juno had not been his Queen If you the â—â—atelieâ— beauty he had seen His daughter Venus had not been enstal'd Goddess of love but you the Goddess cal'd Nor had Minerva with the fair gray eyes Been crown'd for wisdom 'bove the Deities Had Jove heard your discourse your words do fall With such a ravishing force upon us all Immortal Phoebus that with glorious beams All Nations lights and gilds all Ocean streams In all his Progress yet did never view A beauty so supreme and bright as you Had Phaeton liv'd till now and skilful been He would have given his Chariot unto him Left the Star-chequer'd Court and from the skies A light on earth in some unus'd disguise To court your smiles more precious then his throne And all the glories that attend thereon And in your company swear by a kiss He never was before in any bliss Your eyes are not the Sun and Moon for they Are equal lights and both do rule by day Your Nose is such as doth become your face Better then the best other in that place Your mouth exceedes the breaking of the day For that is sweet when Night drives light away Your teeth surpass the milky way in Heaven More white then it more wonderful more even Your lips are smooth as Chrystal red as is Pure abstract redness blessedness to kiss Your bosom 's a new paradise of joy And undiscover'd to the vulgar eye Your hidden beauties do as much excell All all Art can invent and all tongues tell As doth your body magazin of joyes Exceed your clothes seen onely by our eyes But were this all you onely did present A curious Outside picture Ornament Your mind brave Lady is a thing above All Objects yet of all the past worlds Love It is so gentle sweet and unconfin'd In goodness that it makes the body minde Like the Philosophers Stone that mixing with Worse metals doth to them gold-substance give Let them therefore that do not wonder when They have seen you be counted beasts not men 6. To the Lady M. BEst of your Sex and handsomest to boot I here present you with no marriage-suit My Fate is fix'd and I contented am Although sometimes I court another flame I dare not wish a wrong to your desert Far be such thoughts for ever from my heart Yet must not be so cruel to my self As not from you to covet such a wealth Arabia's rich perfumes are nothing to Nor all the Spices all the East can show Sure my desire can be no Crime in me Nor your Consent can your dishonour be Else all the ancient Poets did devise To cheat the modern with most Stygian lyes Wherefore should Jove neglect Saturnia's Love And all his endless happiness above Assume so many various Shapes t' enjoy With humane beauties sensuality And glorious Phoebus cast his Rayes away With our fine Lasses here below to play Although grim Pluto the Infernal flames Endures his rage Proserpin's beauty tames Cynthia whose chastity each Grecian pen And Roman wit renowned left to men Victorious Love in triumph trampled on And made her wanton with Endimion These high examples we may imitate For Deities did
and nights Between her lovers Armes in soft delights But with so cunning Carriage to enjoy This momentary false felicity As to deceive the curious world that for't She every where may have a fair report And that when she enters the Grave's descent Honour may fix upon her Monument 31. Of Mary a Chambermaid Mary a Chambermaid a brown-eyde Lass Complain'd that she all day in labour was I laugh'd at her simplicity and said Surely at Night then you 'l be brought to bed 32. Of Katherine a Kitchen-wench Katherine a Kitchen-wench merrily said That lame men were the best to please a maid I ask'd her why She wittily repli'd They that have Legs defective love to ride 33. Of the Infamie of his Mistress Tibull Lib. 4. Rumor ait crebro nostram peccare puellam Nunc ego me surdis auribus esse velim Crimina non haeâ— sunt nostro sine ficta dolore Quid miserum torques Rumor acerbe tace Of falshood Fame my Mistress doth accuse Would I were deaf and could not hear the newes This is not forged without my unease Why dost thou vex me cruel Rumour peace 34. To Apollo Ausonius Gallus Pone arcum Paean celeresque reconde sagittas Non te virgo fugit sed tua tela timet Phoebus thy Bow and Arrows hide for she Thy weapons feats but doth not fly from thee 35. To my Cousin Mr. Charles Cotton Pardon my boldness Cousin that defames Your name among my trivial Epigrams Yet I before have sometimes us'd you thus For in my Eclogues you are Tityrus 36. Of Chaucer Our good old Chaucer some despise and why Because say they he writeth barbarously Blame him not Ignorants but your selves that do Not at these years your native language know 37. Of Edmond Spencer Our Spencer was a Prodigie of wit Who hath the Fairy Queen so stately writ Yield Grecian Poets to his Nobler Style And ancient Rome submit unto our I 'le You modern wits of all the four-fold earth worth Whom Princes have made Laureates for your Give our great Spencer place who hath out-song Phoebus himself with all his Learned Throng 38. To my Noble Cousin Colonel Ralph Sneyde When the last spring I came to Keel and found Old Hospitality on English Ground I wonder'd and Great Sydney did prefer My Sneyde superiour to thy Kalander All things are neat and Jovial Plenty keepes Continual Festivals by years not weekes He good decai'd House-keeping doth revive And doth preserve our English Fame alive So liv'd our worthy Ancestours and so May you till you the oldest Man may grow Within the Land and ripe for heaven go hence Bemon'd as far as known Poets th' expence Of time and paper both may save that day The Poor your lasting'st epitaph will say 39. Of Farmo Farmo one afternoon was drunk extreamly Wherein he curs'd and swore ly'd not meanly One ask'd him whence when he had 's wits again So many vices did proceed so vain Marry quoth he as I do truly think They came not from my heart but from my drink 40. Of Ovids Banishment The secret cause of Ovids sad mischance Was seeing or being seen in dalliance They that dare act that vice should choose their time And not add scandal also to the crime 41. To Mr. Thomas Bancroft Sir in your Epigrams you did me grace T' allow me 'mong your many Friends a Place T' express my gratitude if Time will be After my death so courteous to me As to vouchsafe some few years to my name Freely enjoy with me my utmost Fame 42. To the Lady Elizabeth Darcy my Cousin German Madam the greatest Ladies of past Times Kind Influences upon Poets rhimes Have from their gracious eyes bestow'd and made Them Heaven with their Inventions to invade As the Pelignan Poet honour'd by The supreme Princess of sweet Italy Who singing her under Corinna's Name Fill'd the whole Roman Empire with her Fame Which having spread from his immortal verse Is now renown'd through all the Universe And Madam you will do your self no wrong T' encourage a good Poet in his Song And to your mercy you no Injury do If you forgive this toy I 've sent to you 43. To my worthy Friend Colonel Edward Stamford Great-soul'd Achilles was a noble Friend Hector for valour every where renown'd Thousands the bounteous Caesar did commend Antonius the best natur'd man was found What need I search for more in Rome or Greece You in you have the vertues of all these 44. To my Cousin German Mrs. Cordelia Harryes When as in Cornwall at Powlmaggon I Enjoy'd that sweet retired Companie Methought that house afforded all the bliss Poets can feign there in Elysium is My Lord and Lady blest in wedlock led Their dayes in as much quiet as in bed They spent their Nights fit couple t' entertain Hermes and Jove walk't they on earth again And their House to be made a Temple where Concor'd and peace triumphed all the year But old Philemon and his reverened wife Led a most poor though a contented Life My Lord Mohun liv'd in a plenteous wise Able to feast the wandring Deities You and your Sisters Graces seem'd to grace Your Parents firm Affection and the Place So live the blest and best and so may I While you a more transcendent Life enjoy 45. To Lydia You boast that you are beautiful and wear A several rich Gown every week i' th' year That every day new Servants you do win But yet no vertue have to glory in One of less beauty and less bravery and Servantless sooner should my heart command Beauty will fade and ruines leave behind Give me the lasting beauty of the mind Servants and clothes are the Enammel oft Of bodies too luxurious and soft Leave vaunting Lydia therefore till you can Speak one true vertue and I 'le hear you then 46. Of a Room in an Ale-house that we call the Apollo This Room with Mirth and jests we hallow Unto the Deity of Apollo And although here we do want Wine To consecrate before his Shrine To absent Friends we do prevail In plenteous Pots of mighty Ale Such as it seemes great Dis did love Who Ceres daughter from above Did steal such drink as will constrain Ceas'd Oracles to speak again And noble Spirits will infuse Into the poor'st and humblest Muse And Men in all the humours dress Of Ovids Metamorphosis An Ant by drinking this is grown To be a lusty Mirmydon The rustick Numa it will bring From Plow and make him Rome's great King Desire in coldest bosomes move Quickning Pygmalion's marble Love Against Troy's Conquerours combine And turn the victours into Swine Then welcome all that hate the Folly Of Solitary Melancholy Love mirth and jests and mean to hallow This Room unto the great Apollo 47. Of Delia. Talking with Delia I did perceive A natural Perfume in her fragrant breath And could not choose but gather many a kiss From her sweet lips Portcullisies of bliss Like a Chamelion I could
in a pretty snuff And then repli'd Sir here I 've fire enough Laying her hands you may guess where He smil'd To hear her answer come so quick and wild And pulling out his weapon said fair Wench Light me this Candle then e're I go hence 74. The Boyes Opinions A few untoward Boyes hapning together Started a Question t' be resolved whether And from the youngest put it to the oldest What part about a Woman was the coldest The first a knee did say in his Opinion Was the cold'st place of any female Minion The next recovering from some thought he stuck at Said he conceiv'd it needs must be her buttock By feeling cold but he was but a Noddy When she takes up her clothes to ease her body The third then spake with very earnest urging The breasts he did imagine of a virgin Maid or no maid the fourth cri'd 't is no matter The cold'st place sure lies between wind water After the Question thus being vext and hammer'd Oh! sigh'd a Lover lately grown enamour'd Who ever speaks the truth may be the boldest Of a coy Ladies parts her heart 's the coldest I quoth the sixth from all of you do vary And am of an Opinion quite contrary For with a Woman I lay late and found her herâ— Warm every where to th' purpose Pox confound They all laugh'd saying he might thank his riot And they gues'd him a Clap by his strict diet My Hostess heard them grunting on her Palet And swore an old Woman as any Sallet Was cold wholesome And to clear this riddle She to him call'd Son you may come and fiddle But he seem'd bashful and refus'd the Grannum Swearing what Lust is in these beasts to dam u'm 75. Of a Sawyer One cleaving Billets for a Courtezan Viewing her beauty was a wounded man He sigh'd and mus'd and did his work neglect So that she came and him for Loytering check't He standing more amaz'd she said speak friend What dost thou aile Why dost not make an end Recovering from 's astonishment he thought That faint hearts never fair Atchievement wrought And Mistress said A great desire I have To lie with you She answered him peace knave I scorn so base a Clown For all this he Pli'd her and at the last they both agree A Crown of Gold he was to give her so She pluckt her Clothes her favour to bestow And with her white hand clapt her whiter Thigh Saying's this flesh fit for a Sawyer Fye He hearing this look't on his Gold again And said is'e fit to give this to a Quean And so the Goodman chanced to recover Saving his mony and went home no Lover 76. Of a Gentleman of Venice and his Mistress A Gentleman of Venice as the most Of them themselves do put unto that cost Kept a fair Mistress and did every day In solace weare with her some hours away Coming one Afternoon with an Intent To spend some time in amorous blandishment He found her undispos'd and newly laid Groning and sick and cover'd on her Bed He seeing this sigh'd sadly Love I fear I 'm now but troublesome in staying here An other time I 'le visit you Pray stay Quoth she Introth you shall not go away Come sit down by me Heark you Servant I Am ner'e so sick but on my back can ly 77. To my especial Friend Mr. Henry Thimbleby Platonick Love must needs a Friendship be Or els Platonick Love's a Gullery Love is as Johnson in 's New Inne hath prov'd Desire of union with the belov'd And cannot onely be a gazing at But a strong Appetite t'incorporate Why do you praise a Ladies Beauties so And in a silence let her vertues go Leave trifling for we gather by your suit Your marriage shortly will your words confute 78. The Florentine Dutchess and her Woman Dwarfe A great Duchess of Florence some years since Had a She-Dwarfe of quick Intelligence And a surpassing beauty whom above Her other Servants she did highly love Nanna I bear thee such good will she said That I 've a great desire to have thee wed One of thy Size but handsome as might be Because I Children fain would have of thee Madam she answer'd I have sometimes been Within your Cellar and your vessels seen And which did me with a strange pleasure strike The great and least had bunge-holes all alike 79. To my honoured Friend Sir William Persal Sir you are every where belov'd and should I say admir'd my words a truth woo'd hold You master all the Arts and can discourse Of any science from the very Source To the full growth of it From Pole to Pole Nature hath made you Doctor of her whole What others have grown old about and gray You have acquir'd by a more gentile way For what they an Herculean Labour make To you is but a soft Symposiack Your quick all-apprehending brain is such It dictates wonders which are prov'd as much Let not this Sir seem flattery and offend I write but what I think And so I end 80. A Design of an Epick Poem I sing the valiant deeds and brave exploits Of Brutus equal to the Worthies Nine And the adventures strange of wandring Knights Famous in ours and Countries transmarine From Italy their high auspicious flights Directed hither by the fates Divine And how fair Ladies in their bloomy years Became enamour'd on those Cavaliers A work Heroick worthy to be writ In stately numbers equal to their deeds And by no humble and no vulgar wit By one that onely knows but oaten reeds But by an able Poet that can fit Each Lover and each Souldier in their weeds That knows to draw a Line so firmly wrought As neither Time nor War can bring to nought But seeing none this Task to undertake And fearing these great Actions might die Neglected cast all into Lethe Lake Because that some malicious enemy Hath won upon this stupid Isle to make It think them Fictions rais'd by poetry I out of zeal unto so great a truth Present this poem to our English youth 81. To my vertuous fair Cousin the Lady Trentham Madam I dare not blame this Age nor call Any vice in it Epidemical You are immaculate and of so high A vertue that you awe Impiety Your Heart is a pure Heaven where nothing is Admitted that can be conceiv'd amiss The Poets Flight of vertues I contemn And patient â—low Astrea's after them You are their Sphere of happiness and do Entertain all the Goddesses in you 82. To the Same You bear that holy Martyrs name that did Die for her chastity Saint Winnifrid An honour here you do her and when you Shall meet in Heaven she will return your due You there will the precedent Saint appear And she your name eternally then bear 83. To my old Friend Mr. Rob. Grosvenor Sir we have heard of Slanders of that height As if to Paradise they directed right When out alas it is a foul offence Any way to
Satyre I have writ A remedy for those 'i th amorous fit Love Elegies and Funeral Elegies Letters of things of divers qualities Encomiastick Lines to works of some A Masque and an Epithalamium Two Books of Epigrams All which I mean Shall in this volume come upon the Scene Some divine Poems which when first I came To Cambridge I writ there I need not name Of Dianea neither my Translation Omitted here as of another fashion For heavens sake name no more you say I cloy you I do obey you Therefore friend God b'wy you 125. Of this Book This little Work I 've done which time may wast Or Ioves displeasure into darkness cast But I will hope the best and that it may Last after I am ashes many a day FINIS EPIGRAMS The third Book 1. To the Gentry of Darbyshire GEntlemen and my Countrey men pray look With courteous eyes upon this trivial Book For I present it to you that it may Show my respects to you another day Why to the Lords I write not you enquire I should not be so bold though I desire But to avoid prolixity of words Gentlemen they are though you are not Lords 2. To the Readers Two Books of Epigrams I 've writ before Yet Gentle Readers I present you more Behold the third here offer'd you but what It will prove good or bad I know not yet May it likewise obtain your candor els Henceforth for me write Epigrams your selves 3. To the Right Honourable Philip Earl of Chesterfield Baron of Shelford c. Philip the second Earl of Chesterfield I a request have and I hope you 'l yield Yet I in modesty long time have stuck From making it And 't is but for a Buck Bestow one on me and on this good reason I will not ask again till the next season 4. An Epitaph on Elizabeth the Lady Reppington who deceased at Ammington about the 50. year of of her age and lies buried at Tamworth Here underneath this Monumental Stone Elizabeth the Lady Reppington Doth lye inter'd And therefore whosoere Thou art that passest by awhile forbear Thy hast and read and weep for he 's unjust Unto the merits of her precious dust That doth not drop his Tears in showers for she Is worthy of eternal Memory Worthy of storms of sighes Thunder of Grones To mourn her loss with due afflictions The sea-bright family that gave her birth Hath gain'd thereby a glory on the earth Happy her husband in so good a wife Happy her children to receive a life From such a Magazine of worthes as she A fair example for Posterity To name her virtues is to name them all She was their Centre she their pure White-hall Their Court their Palace where heaven did rejoyce To see such Cherubims without a vice She was their Paradise and her bright soul The Diety that did command the whole But O! there is another heaven else sure Her soul had never left a place so pure Earth is not the reward for virtue Look Upwards that 's towards her she is a Book A Directory for thy life which read And practiced thou wilt be so prais'd when dead An Epitaph on my honoured Cousin Mr. John Reppington who deceased at Ammington about the 25 year of his age and lies buried at Tamworth Here lies Iohn Reppington that came to be By Edwards death Heir of his Family As t' him his elder brother did give room So he t' his younger witness by this tomb He a few weeks after his mother di'd And of the same new term'd disease beside So he a most obsequious son was found That waited on his mother under ground He was good natur'd bore an honest mind Belov'd by all men and to all men kind And had no foe but death who too severe Hath cast an Heir so young and hopeful here 6. To Mr. Charles Hutchinson my Cousin German Cousin I long to see you married well And long at Rawslison to see you dwell Then I should oft wait on you make some stay It being from Pooly t' Ashburn in the way So I should make your house mine Inne what tho W' are friends and neer a kin Pray be mine so 7. To Mr. Francis Fitzherbert of Lincolnes Inne my kinsman To love and not to love it is all one If you do let the Fair belov'd alone And to love once unless you do love ever Is a slight toy and was an earnest never Therefore to shew you true affection have Your Mistrisse wed and love her to the grave 8. To Mr. Will. Stanhope the younger my Cousin German Why do you live so long a Batchelor Is it cause you the femall sex abhor Or do you fear women are troublesome And therefore loth into their yoke to come If such opinions do your minde enthrall Marry a wife and she 'l confute them all 9. Of Quintilla Quintilla talkes too much and why is it Because Quintilla hath but little wit And at each thing she speakes she doth laugh after A Fool is known by an excess of laughter 10. To my mother Mrs Anne Cokain Let none our Ashbourn discommend henceforth Your Gardens shew it is a place of worth What delicate Sparagus you have growing there And in how great abundance every year What gallant Apricocks and Peaches brave And what delicious Nectorins you have What Mellons that grow ripe without those Glasses That are laid over them in other Places What Grapes you there have growing and what wine Pleasant to tast you made last vintage time Plant Vines when of Grapes you have got store Make wine enough and I will ask no more Then Mr. Bancroft in high lines shall tell The world your cellar 's Aganippe's Well The rest are to be made Song 1. 1. I Saw a proud fair Lass to day Whose beauties equal those of May She is as sweet as flowers new blown Much pity she should lie alone What would you give to bless your sight With such an object of delight 2. I wondred at her delicate hair Mulcibers Net so soft and rare T' entangle even the Gods above And fill their hearts with gentle love What would you give c. 3. I gaz'd upon her beauteous eyes Loves exquisitest Palaces VVherein as many Cupids be As there are men that dare them see VVhat would you give c. 4. Het stately forehead was so fair That Iris Arch is no compare Match'd onely in lame Vulcans bride Unequal'd in the world beside What c. 5. Her sweetest Mouth doth far excell The Delphian certain Oracle T is Loves best musick all ears charmer All hearts enthraller and blouds warmer What c. 6. Her pretty hands I did espy Fitter for kisses then an eye They were so small I cannot look For such again but in a book What c. 7. Her bosome Beauties sweet champain The Poets Elizium I do fain Not white with snow but a selecter Colour all overstrow'd with Nectar What c. 8. The two brave Thrones