THE MISTRESSE OR SEVERAL COPIES OF LOVE-VERSES Written by Mr. A. Cowley In his Youth and now since his Death thought fit to be published Haeret lateri lethalis arundo LONDON Printed for Rowland Reynolds at the Sun and Bible in Postern-Street neer More-Gate 1667. To the Reader A Correct Copy of these verses and as I am told written by the Authour himselfe falling into my hands I thought fit to send to the Presse chiefely because I heare that the same is like to bee done from a more imperfect one It is not my good fortune to bee acquainted with the Authour any further then his fame by which hee is well knowne to all Englishmen and to that I am sure I shall doe a service by this Publication Not doubting but that if these verses please his Mistresse but halfe so well as they will generally doe the rest the world hee will bee so well contented as to forgive at least this my boldnesse which proceedes onely from my Love of Him who will gaine reputation and of my Country which will receive delight from it I shall use no more preface nor 〈◊〉 one word besides these few lines to the Booke but faithfully and nakedly transmit it to thy view just as it came to mine unlesse perhaps some Typographicall faults get into it which I will take care shall be as few as may be and desire a pardon for them if there be any Farewell THE MISTRESSE OR SEUERALL COPIES OF LOVE VERSES The Request 1. I ' Have often wisht to love what shall I doe Me still the cruell Boy does spare And a double taske must beare First to wooe him then a Mistresse too Come at last and strike for shame If thou art any thing besides a name I le thinke Thee else no God to bee But Poets rather Gods who first created Thee 2. I aske not one in whom all beauties flow Let me but love what ere she bee Shee cannot seeme deform'd to mee And I would have her seeme to others so Desire takes wings and strait does fly It stayes not dully to inquire the why When I 'me that thing a Lover growne I shall not see with others Eyes scarce with mine owne 3. If shee bee coy and scorne my noble fire If her chill heart I cannot move Why I 'le enjoy the very Love And make a Mistresse of mine owne Desire Flames their most vigorous heat doe hold And purest light if compast round with cold So when sharpe Winter meanes most harme The spring Plants are by the Snow it selfe kept warme 4. But doe not touch my heart and so be gone Strike deepe thy burning arrowes in Lukewarmnesse I account a sinne As great in Love as in Religion Come arm'd with flames for I would prove All the extremities of mighty Love Th' excesse of heat is but a fable Wee know the torrid Zone is now found habitable 5. Among the Woods and Forrests thou art found There Bores and Lions thou dost tame Is not my heart a noble game Let Venus Men and Beasts Diana wound Thou dost the Birds thy Subjects make Thy nimble feathers doe their wings oretake At every spring they chant thy praise Make me but love like them I 'le sing thee better laies 6. What service can mute Fishes doe to Thee Yet against them by Dart prevailes Peircing the armour of their Scales And still thy sea-borne Mother lives i'th'Sea Dost thou deny only to mee The no-great priviledge of Captivity I beg or challenge here thy Bow Either thy pitty to mee or else thine anger show 7. Come or I 'le teach the world to scorne that Bow I 'le teach them thousand wholsome arts Both to resist and cure thy darts More then thy skilfull Ovid ere did know Musick of sighes thou shalt not heare Nor drinke no more on wretched Lovers Teare Nay unlesse soone thou woundest mee My Verses shall not only wound but murther Thee The Thraldome 1. I Came I saw and was undone The Lightning through my bones marrow run A poynted paine pierc't deep my heart A swift cold trembling seiz'd on every part My head turn'd round nor could it beare The Poyson that was enter'd there 2. So a destroying Angells breath Blowes in the Plague and with it hasty Death Such was the paine did so beginne To the poore wretch when Legion entred in Forgive me God I cri'd for I Flatter'd my selfe I was to dye 3. But quickly to my Cost I found 'T was cruell Love not Death had made the wound Death a more generous rage does use Quarter to all he conquers does refuse Whilst Love with barbarous mercy saves The vanquisht lives to make them slaves 4 I am thy slave then let me know Hard Master the great aske I have to doe Who pride and scorne doe undergoe In tempests and rough Seas thy Galleys row Thy part and groane and sigh but finde Thy sighs encrease the angry winde 5. Like an Aegyptian Tyrant some Thou weariest out in building but a Tombe Others with sad and tedious art Labour i' the Quarries of a stony Heart Of all the workes thou dost assigne To all the severall slaves of thine Employ me mighty Love to digge the Mine The Given Lover 1 I 'Le on for what should hinder me From Loving and Enjoying Thee Thou canst not those exceptions make Which thin-sould under-mortalls take That my Fate 's too meane and low 'T were pitty I should love thee so If that dull cause could hinder me In Loving and Enjoying thee 2. It does not me a whit displease That the rich all honours seise That you all Titles make your owne Are Valiant Learned Wise alone But if you claim o're Women too The power which over men ye doe If you alone must Lovers bee For that Sirs you must pardon mee 3. Rather then loose what does so neare Concerne my Life and Being here I 'le some such crooked waies invent As you or your Forefathers went I 'le flatter or oppose the King Turne Puritan or Any thing I 'le force my Mind to arts so new Grow Rich and Love as well as You. 4. But rather thus let me remaine As Man in Paradise did reigne When perfect Love did so agree With Innocence and Poverty Adam did no Joynture give Himselfe was Joynture to his Eve Untoucht with Av'arice yet or Pride The Rib came freely back to ' his side 5. A curse upon the man who taught Women that Love was to be bought Rather dote onely on your Gold And that with greedy av'arice hold For if Woman too submit To that and sell her selfe for it Fond Lover you a Mistress have Of her that 's but your Fellow slave 6. What should those Poets meane of old That made their God to wooe in God Of all men sure They had no cause To bind Love to such costly Lawes And yet I scarcely blame them now For who alas would not allow That Women should such gifts receive Could They themselves Be what They give 7.
and Torture every part To heal me of my Love 2. There is no danger if the pain Should me to a Feaver bring Compar'd with Heats I now sustain A Feavour is so Cool a thing Like drink which feaverish men desire That I should hope 't would almost quench my Fire The separation 1. ASke me not what my Love shall doe or be Love which is Soule to Body and Soule of Mee When I am sepa'rated from thee Alas I might as easily show What after Death the Soule will doe 'T will last I 'me sure and that is all we know 2. The thing call'd soule will never stirre nor move But all that while a livelesse Carkasse prove For 't is the Body of my Love Not that my Love will fly away But still continue as they say Sad troubled Ghosts about their Graves doe stray The Tree 1. I Close the flour'ishingst Tree in all the Parke With freshest Boughs and fairest head I cut my Love into his gentle Barke And in three dayes behold 't is dead My very written Flames so vi'olent be They'have burnt and withere'd up the Tree 2 How should I live my selfe whose Heart is found Deeply graven every where With the large History of many a wound Larger then thy Trunke can beare With art as strange as Homer in the Nut Love in my Heart has Volumes put 3. What a few words from thy rich stock did take The Leaves and Beauties all As a strong Poison with one drop does make The Nailes and Haires to fall Love I see now a kind of Witchcraft is For Characters could nere doe this 4. Pardon yee Birds and Nymphes who lov'd this Shade And pardon mee thou gentle Tree I thought her name would thee have happy made And blessed Omens hop'd from Thee Notes of my Love thrive here said I and grow And with yee let my Love doe so 5. Alas poore youth thy love will never thrive This blasted Tree predestines it Goe tie the dismall Knot why shouldst thou live And by the Lines thou there hast writ Deform'dly hanging the sad Picture bee To that unlucky Historie Her Vnbeliefe 1. T Is a strange kinde of Ignorance this in you That you your Victories should not spy Victories gotten by your Eye That your bright beames as those of Comets doe Should kill but not know How nor Who. 2. That truly you my Idoll might appeare Whilst all the People smell and see The odorous flames I offer thee Thou sit'st and doest not see nor smell nor heare Thy constant zealous worshipper 3. They see 't too well who at my fires repine Nay th ' unconcern'd themselves doe prove Quick-Ey'd enough to spy my Love Nor does the Cause in thy Face clearelier shine Then the Effect appeares in mine 4. Faire Infidell by what unjust decree Must I who with such restlesse care Would make this truth to thee appeare Must I who preach it and pray for it bee Damn'd by thy incredulitie 2. I by thy Vnbeliefe am guiltlesse slaine Oh have but Faith and then that you May know that Faith for to be true It shall it selfe by'a Miracle maintaine And raise mee from the Dead againe 3. Meane while my Hopes may seem to be orethrowne But Lovers Hopes are full of Art And thus dispute that since my Heart Though in thy Brest yet is not by thee knowne Perhaps thou may'st not know thine Owne Love given over 1. IT is enough enough of time and paine Hast thou consum'd in vaine Leave wretched Cowley leave Thy selfe with shadowes to deceave Think that already lost which thou must never gaine 2. Three of thy lustiest and freshest yeares Post in stormes of Hopes and Feares Like helplesse Ships that bee Set on fire 'i th midst o' the Sea Have all been burnt in Love all been drown'd in Teares 1. Resolve then on it and by force or art Free thy unlucky Heart Since Fate does disapprove Th' ambition of thy Love And not one Starre in heave'n offers to take thy part 4. If ere I cleare my Heart from this desire If ere it home to'his brest retire It nere shall wander more about Though thousand beauties call'd it out A Lover Burnt like mee for ever dreads the fire 5. The Poet the Plague and every small disease May come as oft as ill Fate please But Death and Love are never found To give a Second Wound Wee 're by those Serpents bit but wee'redevour'd by these 6. Alas what comfort i st ' that I am grown Secure of be'ing againe orethrowne Since such an Enemy needs not feare Least any else should quarter there Who has not onely Sack't but quite burnt downe the Towne TO THE READER IN stead of the Authors Picture in the beginning I thought sit to fix here this following Copy of Verses being his owne illustration of his Motto and as I conceive the more lively representation of him Tentanda vita est qua me quoque possim Tollere humo victorque virûm volitare per ora WHat shall I do to be for ever knowne And make the Age to come my owne I shall like Beasts or Common people dy Unlesse you write mine Elegy While others great by being borne are growne Their Mothers Labour not their owne In this Scale Gold in th' other Fame does ly The weight of that mounts this so high These men are fortunes Jewells moulded bright Brought forth with their owne fire and light If I her vulgar stone for either looke Out of my selfe it must be strooke Yet I must on what sound i st ' strikes mine eare Sure I Fames Trumpet heare It sounds like the last Trumpet for it can Raise up the buried Man Unpast Alps stop mee but I 'le cut through all And march the Muses Hanniball Hence all ye flattering Vanities that lay Nets of Roses in the way Hence the desire of Honours or Estates And all that is not above Fate Hence Love himselfe that Tyrant of my dayes Which intercepts my coming Praise Come my best Friends my Bookes and lead me on 'T is time that I were gone Welcome great Stagirite and teach me now All I was borne to know Thy Schollers Vict'ories thou doest farre out-doe He conquered th'Earrh the whole World you Welcome learn'd Cicero whose blest Tongue and Wit Preserves Romes Greatnesse yet Thou art the first of Or'atours onely hee Who best can prayse thee next must bee Welcome the Mantuan Swan Virgil the wise Whose Verse walkes highest but not flies Who brought green Po'esie to her perfect age And mad'st that Art which was a Rage Tell mee yee mighty Three what shall I doe To be like one of you But you have climb'd the Mountain's top there sit On the calme flourishing head of it And whilst with wearied steps we upward goe See us and Clouds below FINIS A Table of the Heads in this Poem THe Request Pag. 1. The Thraldome 4 The Given Lover 5 The Spring 8 Written in Iuyce of Lemon 10 Inconnstant 13 Not faire 41 Platonick Lover 15 The Change 16 Clad all in White 19 Leaving Me and then loving many 19 My heart discovered 20 Answer to the Plantonicks 21 The vaine Love 22 The Soule 23 The Passions 26 Wisedome 28 The Despair ibid The Wish 30 My Diet 32 The Thiefe 33 All-over Love 34 Love and Life 35 The Bargaine 37 The Long Life 39 The Councell 40 Resolved to be beloved 42 The Same 43 The Discovery 45 Against Fruition 46 Love undiscovered 47 The Given Heart 48 The Prophet 49 The Resolution 51 Called Inconstant 52 The Welcome 53 The Heart fled againe 55 Womens Superstition 56 The Soule 58 Eccho 59 The rich Rivall 60 Against Hope 61 For Hope 63 Loves Ingratitude 65 The Frailty 66 Coldnesse 67 The enjoyment 68 Sleepe 70 Beauty 71 The Parting 73 The Picture 74 The Concealement 76 The Monopoly 77 The Distance 79 The Encrease 80 Loves Visiblity 81 Looking on and discoursing with his Mistresse 82 Resolved to Love 83 My Fate 85 The Heart-breaking 86 The Vsurpation 88 Maidenhead 90 Impossibilities 92 Silence 94 The Dissembler 95 The Inconstant 96 The Constant 98 The Name 100 Weeping 101 Discretion 103 The Waiting-Maid 104 Councell 106 The Cure 107 The Separation ibid The Tree 108 Her Vnbeleefe 110 Love given over 113 FINIS
happy call Till the cleft Foot discovers all Then they start from 't halfe Ghosts themselves with fear And Devill as 't is it does appear So since against my will I found Thee foul Deform'd and crooked in thy Soule My Reason strait did to my Senses shew That they might be mistaken too Nay when the world but knowes how false you are There 's not a man will think you fair Thy shape will monstrous in their fancies be They 'l call their Eyes as false as Thee Be what thou wilt hate will present thee so As Puritans do the Pope and Papists Luther do Platonick love 1. INdeed I must confesse When Souls mix 't is an happinesse But not compleat till Bodies too do joyne And both our Wholes into one Whole combine But halfe of Heaven the Soules in glory tast 'Till by Love in Heaven at last Their Bodies too are plac't 2. In thy immortall part Man as well as I thou art But something 't is that differs Thee and Me And we must one even in that difference be I Thee both as a man and woman prize For a perfect Love implies Love in all Capacities 3. Can that for true love passe When a faire woman courts her glass Something unlike must in Loves likenesse be His wonder is one and Variety For he whose soule nought but a Soule can move Does a new Narcissus prove And his own Image love 4. That soules do beauty know 'T is to the Bodies help they owe If when they ow't they strait abuse that trust And shut the Body from 't 't is as unjust As if I brought my dearest friend to see My Mistresse and at th' instant He Should steal her quite from Me. The Change 1. Love in her sunny Eyes does basking play Love walks the pleasant Mazes of her Haire Love does on both her Lips for ever stray And sows and reaps a thousand kisses there In all her outward parts Lov 's alwaies seen But oh He never went within 2. Within Loves foes his greatest foes abide Malice Inconstancy and Pride So the Earths face Trees Herbs and Flowers do dresse With other beauties numberlesse But at the Center Darknesse is and Hell There wicked Spirits and there the Damned dwell 3. With me alas quite contrary it fares Darknesse and Death lies in my weeping eyes Despair and Palenesse in my face appears And Grief and Fear Loves greatest enemies But like the Persian Tyrant Love within Keeps his proud Court and ne're is seeen 4. Oh take my Heart and by what means you 'l prove Within too stor'd enough of Love Give me but Yours I 'le by that change so thrive That Love in all my parts shall live So powerfull is this Change it render can My outside Woman and your inside Man Clad all in White 1. FAirest thing that shines below Why in this robe dost thou appear Wouldst thou a white most perfect show Thou must at all no garment wear Thou wilt seem much whiter so Then Winter when 't is clad with Snow 2. 'T is not the Linnen shewes so faire Her skinne shines through and makes it bright So Clouds themselves like Suns appear When the Sun pierces them with Light So Lillies in a glass inclose The Glasse will seem as white as those 3. Thou now one heap of beauty art Nought outwards or within is foule Condensed beams make every part Thy Body 's cloathed like thy Soule Thy soule which does it selfe display Like a starre plac'd i' th the Milky way 4. Such robes the Saints departed wear Wooven all with Light divine Such their exalted Bodies are And with such full glory shine But oh they ' tend not mortalls pain Men pray I fear to both in vaine 5. Yet seeing thee so gently pure My hopes will needs continue still Thou wouldst not take this garment sure When thou hadst an intent to kill Of Peace and yeelding who would doubt When the White Flags he sees hung out Leaving Me and then loving many SO Men who once have cast the truth away Forsook by God do strange wild lusts obey So the vain Gentiles when they left t' adore One Deity could not stop at thousands more Their zeal was sencelesse straight and boundlesse grown They worshipt many a Beast and many a Stone Ah faire Apostate couldst thou think to flee From Truth and Goodnesse yet keep Unity I reign'd alone and my blest Selfe could call The Universall Monarch of her All. Mine mine her fair East-Indies were above Where those Suns rise that chear the world of Love Where Beauties shine like gems of richest price Where Corall grows and every breath is spice Mine too her rich West-Indies were below Where Mines of gold and treasures grow But as when the Pellaean Conqueror di'd Many small Princes did his Crown divide So since my Love has vanquisht world forsook Murther'd by poisons from her falshoods took An hundred petty Kings claim each their part And rend that glorious Empire of her Heart My Heart discovered HEr body is so gently bright Clear and transparent to the sight Clear as fair Christall to the view Yet soft as that ere Stone it grew That through her flesh me thinks is seen The brightest Soule that dwels within Our eyes through th' radiant covering passe And see that Lilly through its Glasse I through her Breast her Heart espy As Soules in hearts do Soules descry I see 't with gentle Motions beat I see light in 't but find no heat Within like Angels in the sky A thousand gilded thoughts do fly Thoughts of bright and noblest kind Fair and chast as Mother Minde But oh what other heart is there Which sighs and crouds to hers so neer 'T is all on flame and does like fire To that as to it's Heaven aspire The wounds are many in 't and deep Still does it bleed and still does weep Whose ever wretched Heart it be I cannot chuse but grieve to see What pitty in my Breast does raigne Me thinks I feel all its pain So torn and so defac'd it lies That it could neera be known by th' eyes But Oh at last I heard it groan And knew by th'Voice that t' was mine owne So poor Alcione when she saw A shipwrackt body to'wards her draw Beat by the waves let fall a Tear Which only then did Pitty wear But when the Corps on shore were cast Which she her husband found at last What should the wretched widow do Grief chang'd her strait away she flew Turn'd to a Bird and so at last shall I Both from my Murther'd Heart and Murth'rer fly Answer to the Platonicks SO Angels love so let them for me When I 'me all Soule such shall my Love too be Who nothing here but like a Sp'rit would do In a short time beleeve'twill be one too But'shal our Love do what in Beasts we see Even Beasts eat too but not so wel as We. And you as justly might in thirst refuse The use of Wine because Beasts Water
Aegypt I sustain And never feel the dew of Rain From Clouds within the Head appear But all my too much Moysture owe To overflowings of the Heart below 3. Thou who dost Men as Nights to Colours doe Bring all to an Equality Come thou just God and equall me A while to my disdainfull Shee In that condition let me ly Till Love does the same favour shew Love equalls all a better way then You. 4. Then never more shalt thou be invoakt by me Watchfull as Spirits and Gods I 'le prove Let her but grant and then will I Thee and thy Kinsman Death defie For betwixt Thee and them that love Never will an agreement be Thou scorn'st the Unhappy and the Happy Thee Beauty 1. BEauty thou wilde fantastick Ape Who dost in every Country change thy shape Here black there brown here tawny and there white Thou Flatt'rer which complyest with every sight Thou Babel which confounds the Eye With unintelligible variety Who hast no certain when nor where But vary'st still and dost thy selfe declare Inconstant as thy she-Possessours are 2. Beauty Loves Scene and Maskerade So gay by well-plac'd Lights and Distance made False Coyn with which th'Imposture cheats us still The stamp and Colour good but Mettall ill Which Light or Base we find when we Weigh by enjoyment and examine Thee For though thy Being be but show 'T is chiefly Night which men to Thee allow And choose t' enjoy Thee when Thou least art Thou 3. Beauty Thou Active Passive Ill Which dy'st thy selfe as fast as thou dost kill Thou Tulip who thy stock in paint dost wast Neither for Physick good nor Smell nor Tast. Beauty whose Flames but Meteors are Short-liv'd and low though thou wouldst seem a Starre Who dar'st not thine owne Home descry Pretending to dwell richly in the Eye When thou alas dost in the Fancy lye 4. Beauty whose Conquests still are made O're Hearts by Cowards kept or else betraid Weak Victor who thy selfe destroy'd must be When sicknesse storms or Time besieges Thee Thou'unwholsome Thaw to frozen Age Thou strong Wine which youths Feaver dost enrage Thou Tyrant which leav'st no man free Thou subtle thief from whom none safe can be Thou Murth'rer which hast kill'd and Devill which wouldst Damn me The Parting 1. AS Men in Groen-land left beheld the Sunne From their Horizon run And thought upon the sad halfe year Of Cold and Darknesse they must suffer there 2. So on my parting Mistresse did I look With such swollen eyes my farewell took Ah my fair Starre said I Ah those blest Lands to which bright Thou dost flye 3. In vain the Men of Learning comfort mee And say I 'me in a warme degree Say what they please I say and swear 'T is be yond eighty at least if you 'r not here 4. It is it is I tremble with the Frost And know that I the Day have lost And those wild things which Men they call I find to be but Bears and Foxes all 5. Returne returne gay Planet of the East Of all that shines Thou much the best And as thou now descends to Sea More fair and fresh rise up from thence to Mee 6. Thou who in many a Prop'riety So truly art the Sun to Mee Adde one more likenesse which I 'me sure you can And let Mee and my Sunne beget a Man My Picture 1. HEre take my likenesse with you whilst 't is so For when from hence you go The next Suns rising will behold Me pale and lean and old The Man who did this Picture draw Will swear next day my face he never saw 2. I really beleeve within a while If you upon this shadow smile Your presence will such vigour give Your presence which makes all things live And absence so much alter Mee This will the substance I the shadow be 3. When from your well-wrought Cabinet you take it And your bright looks awake it Ah be not frighted if you see The new sould Picture gaze on Thee And hear it breath a sigh or two For those are the first things that it will doe 4. My Rivall Image will be then thought blest And laugh at me as dispossest But Thou who if I know thee right I' th substance doth not much delight Wilt rather send again for Mee Who then shalt but my Pictures Picture be The Concealment 1. NO to what purpose should I speak No wretched Heart swell till you break She cannot love me if She would And to say truth 't were pitty that she should No to the Grave thy sorrows bear As silent as they will be there Since that lov'd hand this Mortall wound do's give So handsomely the thing contrive That she may guiltlesse of it live So perish that her killing Thee May a chance Medley and no Murther be 2. 'T is nobler much for me that I By'her Beauty not her Anger dye This will look justly and become An Execution that a Martyrdome The censuring World will ne're refraine From judging men by Thunder slaine She must be angry sure if I should be So bold to ask her to make me By being hers happier then she I will not 't is a milder Fate To fall by her not Loving then her Hate And yet this death of mine I fear Will ominous to her appear When sound in every other part Her Sacrifice is found without an Heart For the last Tempest of my death Shall sigh out that too with my breath Then shall the world my noble ruine see Some pitty and some envy Mee Then She her selfe the mighty Shee Shall grace my fun'ralls with this truth 'T was only Love destroy'd the gentle Youth The Monopoly 1. WHat Mines of Sulphur in my breast do lye That feed th' eternall burnings of my heart Not Aetna flames more fierce or constantly The sounding shop of Vulcans smoky art Vulcan his shop has placed there And Cupids Forge is set up here 2. Here all those Arrowes mortall Heads are made That flye so thick unseen through yeelding aire The Cyclops here which labour at the trade Are Jealousie Fear Sadnesse and Despair Ah cruel God! and why to mee Gave you this curst Monopoly 3. I have the trouble not the gains of it Give me but the disposall of one Dart And then I 'le ask no other benefit Heat as you please your furnace in my Heart So sweet's Revenge to me that I Upon my foe would gladly dye 4. Deep into'her bosome would I strike the dart Deeper then Woman ere was struck by Thee Thou giv'st them small wounds so farre from th' Heart They flutter still about inconstantly Curse on thy Goodnesse whom we find Civill to none but Woman-kind 5. Vain God! who women dost thy selfe adore Their wounded Hearts do still retain the powers To travail and to wander as before Thy broken Arrows 'twixt that Sex and ours So'unjustly are distributed They take their Feathers we the Head The distance 1. I'Have followed thee a year at least And never stopt my selfe