Welcome 1. GO let the fatted Calfe be kill'd My Prodigall's come home at last With noble resolutions fill'd And filld with sorrow for the past No more will burn with Love or Wine But quite has left his Women and his Swine 2. Welcome ah welcome my poor Heart Welcome I little thought I 'le swear 'T is now so long since we did part Ever again to see thee here Dear wanderer since from me you fled How often have I heard that you were dead 3. Had it thou found each womans breast The Lands where thou hast travelled Either by Savages possest Or wild and uninhabited What joy couldst take or what repose In Countries so unciviliz'd as those 4. Lust the scorching Dog-starre here Rages with immoderate heat Whilst Pride the rugged Northern Bear In others makes the cold too great And where these are temperate known The Soil's all barren Land or rocky Stone 5. When once or twice you chanc'd to view A rich well-govern'd Heart Like China it admitted you But to the Frontiere-part From Paradise shut for evermore What good is't that an angell shut the Door 6. Welfare the Pride and the Disdain And Vanities with Beauty joyn'd I nere had seen this Heart again If any Faire one had been kind My Dove but once let loose I doubt Would ne're returne had not the Flood been out The Heart fled again 1. FAlse foolish Heart didst thou not say That thou wouldst never leave me more Behold again 't is fled away Fled as farre from me as before I strove to bring it again I cryed and hollowed after it in vain 2. Even so the gentle Tyrian Dame When neither Grief nor Love prevail Saw the dear object of her flame Th'ingratfull Trojan hoist his saile Aloud she call'd to him to stay The wind bore him and her lost words away 3. The dolefull Ariadne so On the wide shore forsaken stood False Theseus whither dost thou go A faire false Theseus cut the flood But Bacchus came to her reliefe Bacchus himselfe 's too weak to ease my griefe 4. Ah sencelesse Heart to take no rest But travail thus eternally Thus to be frozen in every brest And to be scorcht in every Eye Wandring about like wretched Caine Thrust out ill us'd by all but by none slaine 5. Well since thou wilt not here remaine I 'le even to live without Thee try My Head shall take the greater pain And all thy duties shall supply I can more eas'ly live I know Without Thee then without a Mistris thou Womens Superstition 1. OR I 'me a very Dunce or Woman-kinde Is a most unintelligible thing I can no Sence nor no Contexture finde Nor their loose parts to Method bring I know not what the Learn'd may see But they 'r strange Hebrew things to Me. 2. By Customes and Traditions they live And foolish Ceremonies of antick date We Lovers new and better Doctrines give Yet they continue obstinate Preach we Loves Prophets what we will Like Jews they keep their old Law still 3. Before their Mothers Gods they fondly fall Vain Idoll Gods that have no Sence nor Minde Honours their Ashtaroth and Pride their Baal The Thundring Baal of Woman-kind With twenty other Devills more Which They as we do Them adore 4. But then like Men both Covetous and Devout Their costly Superstition loath t'omit And yet more loath to issue Moneys out At their own charge to furnish it To these expensive Deities The Hearts of men they sacrifice The Soule 1. SOme dull Philosopher when he hears me say My Soule is from me fled away Nor has of late inform'd my Body here But in another's breast does lye That neither is nor wil be I As a Form Servient and Assisting there 2. Will cry Absurd and ask me how I live And Syllogismes against it give A curse on all your vain Philosophies Which on weak Natures Law depend And know not how to comprehend Love and Religion those great Mysteries 3. Her Body is my Soule laugh not at this For by my life I swear it is 'T is that preserves my Being and my Breath From that proceeds all that I doe Nay all my thoughts and speeches too And separation from it is my Death Eccho 1. TYred with the rough denialls of my prayer From that hard she whom I obey I come in and find a Nymph much gentler here That gives consent to all I say Ah gentle Nymph who lik'st so well In hollow solitary Caves to dwell Her Heart being such into it go And do but once from thence answer me so 2. Complaisant Nymph who dost thus kindly share In griefs whose cause thou dost not know Hadst thou but Eyes as well as Tongue and Eare How much compassion wouldst thou show Thy flame whilst living or a flower Was of lesse beauty and lesse ravishing power Alas I might as easilie Paint thee to her as describe Her to Thee 3. By repercussion Beams engender Fire Shapes by reflexion shapes beget The voice it selfe when stopt does back retire And a new voice is made by it Thus things by opposition The gainers grow my barren Love alone Does from her stony breast rebound Producing neither Image Fire nor Sound The rich Rivall 1. THey say you 'r angry and rant mightily Because I love the same as you Alas you 'r very rich 't is true But prithee Foole what 's that to Love and Mee You have Land and Money let that serve And know you have more by that then you deserve 2. When next I see my fair One we shall know How worthlesse thou art of her bed And wretch I le strike thee dumbe and dead With noble verse not understood by you Whilst thy sole Rhetorick shall be Joynture and Jewells and Our Friends agree 3. Pox o' your friends that dote and Domineere Lovers are better friends they they Let 's those in other things obey The Fates and Starres and Gods must govern here Vain names of Blood in Love let none Advise with any Blood but with their owne 4. 'T is that which bids me this bright Maid adore No other thought has had accesse Did she now begg I 'de love do lesse And were she'an Empresse I should love no more Were she as just and true to Mee Ah simple soule what would become of Thee Against Hope 1. HOpe whose weak Being ruin'd is Alike if it succeed and if it misse Whom Good or Ill does equally confound And both the Hornes of Fates Dilemma wound Vain shadow which dost vanish quite Both at full Noon and perfect Night The Starres have not a possibility Of blessing Thee If things then from their End we happy call 'T is Hope is the most hopelesse thing of all 2. Hope thou bold Taster of Delight Who whilst thou shouldst but tast devour'st it quite Thou bringst us an Estate yet leav'st us Poor By clogging it with Legacies before The Joyes which we entire should wed Come deflour'd Virgins to our bed Good fortunes without gain imported be
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
to rest But yet can thee o'retake no more Then this Day can the Day that went before 2. In this our fortunes equall prove To Starres which govern them above Our Starres that move for ever round With the same Distance still betwixt them found 3. In vain alas in vain I strive The wheele of Fate faster to drive Since if round swiftlier it flye She in it mends her pace as much as I. 4. Hearts by Love strangely shufled are That there can never meet a Pare Tamelier then Wormes are Lovers slaine The wounded Heart ne're turnes to wound again The Encrease 1. I Thought I 'le swear I could have lov'd no more Then I had done before But you as easily might account 'Till to the topp of numbers you amount As cast up my Loves score Ten thousand millions was the summe Millions of endlesse Millions are to come 2. I 'me sure her Beauties cannot greater grow Why should my Love do so A reall cause at first did move But mine owne Fancy now drives on my Love With shadowes from it self that flow My Love as we in Numbers see By Cyphers is encreast eternally 3. So the new made and untride Sphears above Took their first turne from th' hand of Jove But are since that beginning found By their owne Formes to turne for ever round All violent Motions short do prove But by the length 't is plain to see That Love 's a Motion Naturall to Mee Loves Visibility 1. WIth much of pain and all the Art I knew Have I endeavour'd hitherto To hide my Love and yet all will not doe 2. The world perceives it and it may be she Though so discreet and good she be By hiding it to teach that skill to Mee 3. Men without Love have so oft cunning grown That something like it they have shown But none that had it ever seem'd to have none 4. Loves of a strangely open simple kind Can no arts or disguises find But thinks none sees it cause it selfe is blind 5. The very Eye betraies our inward smart Love of himselfe left there a part When through it he past into the Heart 6. Or if by chance the face betray not it But keep the secret wisely yet Like Drunkennesse into the Tongue t' will get Looking on and discoursing with his Mistris 1. THese full two howers now have I gazing been What comfort by it can I gain To look on Heaven with mighty Gulfes between Was the great Misers greatest pain So neere was he to Heavens delight As with the blest converse he might Yet could not get one drop of water by 't 2. Ah wretch I seem to touch her now but oh What boundlesse spaces do us part Fortune and Friends and all earths empty show My Lownesse and her high Desert But these might conquerable prove Nothing does me so farre remove As her hard Soules aversion from my Love 3. So Travellers that lose their way by Night If from a farre they chance t' espy Th' uncertain glimmerings of a Tapers light Take flatterring hopes and think it nigh Till wearied with the fruitlesse pain They sit them down and weep in vain And there in Darknesse and Despair remain Resolved to Love 1. I Wonder what the Grave and Wise Think of all us that Love Whether our pretty Fooleries Their Mirth or Anger move They understand not Breath that Words do want Our Sighes to them are unsignificant 2. One of them saw me th' other day Touch the dear hand which I admire My Soule was melting strait away And dropt before the Fire This silly Wiseman who pretends to know Ask't why I look'd so pale and trembled so 3. Another from my Mistresse ' dore Saw mee with eyes all watry come Nor could the hidden cause explore But thought some smoak was in the room Such Ignorance from unwounded Learning Game He knew Tears made by Smoak but not by Flame 4. If learn'd in other things you be And have in Love no skill For Gods sake keep your arts from mee For I 'le be ignorant still Study or Action others may embrace My Love 's my Businesse and my Books her Face 5. These are but trifles I confesse Which mee weak Mortall move Nor is your busie Seriousnesse Lesse trifling then my Love The wisest King who from his sacred brest Pronounc'd all Vanity chose it for the best My Fate 1. GO bid the Needle his dear North forsake To which with trembling reve'rence it does bend Go bid the Stones a journey upward make Go bid th' ambitious Flame no more t' ascend And when these false to their old Motions prove Then shall I cease Thee Thee alone to Love 2. The fast-link'd Chain of everlasting Fate Does nothing ty more strong then Mee to You My fixt Love hangs not on your Love or Hate But will be still the same what ere you doe You cannot kill my Love with your disdain Wound it you may and make it live in pain 3. Mee mine examples let the Stoiks use Their sad and cruell doctrine to maintain Let all Predestinators me produce Who struggle with eternall bonds in vain This Fire I 'me born to but 't is she must tell Whether 't be beams of Heaven or Flames of Hell 4. You who mens fortunes in their faces read To find out mine look not alas on Mee But mark her Face and all the Features heed For only there is writ my Destiny Or if Starres shew it gaze not on the skies But study the Astrol'ogy of her Eyes 5. If thou find there kind and propitious waies What Mars or Saturn threaten I 'le not fear I well believe the Fate of mortall daies Is writ in Heaven but oh my Heaven is there What can men learn from Starres they scarce can see Two great Lights rule the World and her two Me. The Heart-breaking 1. IT gave a pittious groan and so it broke In vain it something would have spoke The Love within too strong for't was Like Poison put into a Venice Glasse 2. I thought that this some Remedy might prove But oh the mighty Serpent Love Cut by this chance in pieces small In all still liv'd and still it stung in all 3. And now alas each little broken part Feeles the whole pain of all my Heart And every smallest corner still Lives with that torment which the Whole did kill 4. Even so rude Armies when the field they quit And into severall Quarters get Each Troop does spoile and ruine more Then all joyn'd in one body did before 5. How many Loves raigne in my bosome now How many Loves yet all of you Thus have I chang'd with evill fate My Monarch Love into a Tyrant State The Vsurpation 1. THou'hadst to my Soule no title or pretence I was mine owne and free Till I had given my selfe to Thee But thou hast me Slave and Prisoner since Well since so insolent thou' rt grown Fond Tyrant I 'le depose thee from thy Throne Such outrages must not admitted be In
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