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
may give their Altars o're They 'l smoak but seldome any more If none but Happy Men must them adore 2. The Lightning which tall Oakes oppose in vain To strike sometimes does not disdain The humble Furzes of the Plain She being so high and I so low Her power by this doth greater show Who at such distance gives so sure a blow 3. Compar'd with her all things so worthlesse prove That nought on earth can towards her move Till 't be exalted by her Love Equall to her alas ther 's none She like a Deity is growne That must Create or else must be alone 4. If there be man who thinks himselfe so high As to pretend aequality He deserves her lesse then I For he would cheat for his reliefe And one would give with lesser grief To an undeserving Beggar then a Thiefe Against Fruition NO thour' t a fool I 'le swear if ere thou grant Much of my Veneration thou must want Whence once thy kindnesse puts my Ignorance out For a learn'd Age is alwaies least devout Keep still thy distance for at once to me Goddesse and Woman too thou canst not be Thour't Queen of all that sees thee and as such Must neither Tyrannize nor yeeld to much Such freedome give as may admit command But keep the Forts and Magazines in thine hand Thour' t yet a whole world to me and dost fill My large ambition but 't is dang'rous still Lest I like the Pellaean Prince should be And weep for other worlds hav'ng conquerd thee When Love has taken all thou hast away His strength by too much riches will decay Thou in my fancy dost much higher stand Then Women can be plac'd by Natures hand And I must needs I 'me sure a loser be To change Thee as Thour' t there for very Thee Thy sweetnesse is so much within me plac'd That shouldst thou Nectar give 't would spoile the tast Beauty at first moves wonder and delight 'T is Natures Jugling trick to cheat the sight Wee'admire it whilst unknown but after more Admire our selves for liking it before Love like a greedy Hawke if we give way Does over-gorge himselfe with his own Prey Of very hopes a surfeit he 'le sustain Unlesse by fears he cast them up again His spirit and sweetnesse dangers keep alone If once he lose his sting he growes a Drone Love undiscovered 1. I Others may with safety tell The moderate Flames which in them dwell And either find some Med'cin there Or cure themselves even by Despair My Love 's so great that it might prove Dangerous to tell her that I Love So tender is my wound it must not bear Any salute though of the kindest aire 2. I would not have her know the pain The Torments for her I sustain Lest too much goodnesse make her throw Her Love upon a Fate too Iow Forbid it Heaven my Life should be Weigh'd with her least Conveniencie No let me perish rather with my grief Then to her disadvantage find reliefe 3. Yet when I dye my last breath shall Grow bold and plainly tell her all Like covetous men who nere discry Their deare hid Treasures till they dye Ah fairest Mayd how should it chear My Ghost to get from Thee a Tear But take heed for if me thou Pittiest then Twenty to one but I shall live again The given Heart 1. I Wonder what those Lovers mean who say They have given their Hearts away Some good kind Lover tell me how For mine is but a Torment to me now 2. If so it be one place both hearts contain For what do they complain What courtesie can Love do more Then joyne Hearts that parted were before 3. Woe to her stubborn Heart if once mine come Into the selfe same roome 'T will tear and blow up all within Like a Granado shot into a Magazin 4. Then shall Love keep the ashes and torn parts Of both our broken Hearts Shall out of both one new one make From hers th' Allay from mine the Mettall take 5. For of her heart he from the Flames will find But little left behind Mine only will remain entire No drosse was there to perish in the Fire The Prophet 1. TEach me to Love go teach thy selfe more witt I chief Professour am of it Teach craft to Scots and thrift to Jews Teach boldnesse to the Stews In Tyrants Courts teach supple flattery Teach Sophisters and Jesuites to lye Teach fire to burn and winds to blow Teach restlesse fountains how to flow Teach the dull earth fixt to abide Teach Women kind Inconstancy and Pride See if your diligence here will usefull prove But neither teach not me to Love 2. The God of Love if such a thing there be May learn to love from Mee He who does boast that he has bin In every Heart since Adams sinne I 'le lay my Life my Mrs. on 't that 's more I le teach him things he never knew before I le teach him a Receipt to make Tears which shall understand and speak I le teach him Sighes like those in Death At which the Soule goes out too with the breath Still the Soule stayes yet still does from me runne As light and heat does with the Sun 3. 'T is I who Loves Columbus am t is I Who must new Worlds in it descry Rich Worlds that yield of Treasure more Than all that has been known before And yet like his I fear my Fate must be To find them out for others not for Me. Mee'times to come I know it shall Loves last and greatest Prophet call But ah what 's this if she refuse To hear the wholesome Doctrines of my Muse If to my share the Prophets Fate must come Hereafter Fame here Martyrdome The Resolution 1. THe Devill take those foolish men Who gave you first such powers Wee stood on even grounds till then If any odds Creation made it ours 2. For shame let these weak chaines be broke Lets our slight bonds like Sampson tear And nobly cast away that yoake Which we nor our Forefathers ere could bear 3. French Lawes forbid the female Reign Yet Love does them to slavery draw Alas if wee 'le our rights maintain T is all Mankind must make a Salique Law Called Inconstant 1. HA ha you think y'have killd my fame By this not understood yet common Name A Name that 's full and proper when assigned To Womankind But when you call us so It can at best but for a Metaphor go 2. Can you the shore Inconstant call Which still as Waves passe by embraces all That had as leife the same waves alwaies love Did they not from him move Or can you faults with Pilots finde For changing course yet never blame the wind 3. Since drunk with vanity you fell The things turne round to you that stedfast dwell And you your selfe who from us take your flight Wonder to find us out of sight So the same errour ceazes you As men in motion think the Trees move too The
an Elective Monarchy 2. Part of my Heart by Gift did to Thee fall My Country Kindred and my best Acquaintance were to share the rest But thou their Covetous Neighbour drav'st out all Nay more thou mak'st me worship Thee And wouldst the rule of my Religion be Was ever Tyrant claim'd such power as you To be both Emp'rour and Pope too 3. The publick Mise'ries and my private fate Deserve some tears but greedy Thou Insatiate Maid wilt not allow That I one drop from thee should alienate Nor wilt thou grant my sinnes a part Though the sole cause of most of them thou art Counting my Tears thy Tribute and thy Due Since first mine Eyes I gave to You 4. Thou all my Joyes and all my Hopes dost claim Thou ragest like a Fire in me Converting all things into Thee Nought can resist or not encrease the Flame Nay every Grief and every Fear Thou dost devour unlesse thy stamp it bear Thy presence like the crowned Basilisks breath All other Serpents puts to death 5. As men in Hell are from Diseases free So from all other ills am I Free from their known Formality But all pains eminently lye in Thee Alas alas I hope in vain My conquer'd Soul from out thine hands to gain Since all the Natives there thou 'ast overthrown And planted Garrisons of thine own Maidenhead 1. THou worst Estate even of the sex that 's worst Therefore by Nature made at first T' attend the weaknesse of our birth Slight outward Curtain to the Nuptiall Bed Thou Case to buildings not yet finished Who like the Center of the Earth Dost heaviest things attract to thee Though Thou a point imaginary be 2. A thing God thought for Man-kind so unfit That his first blessing ruin'd it Cold frozen Nurse of fiercest fires Who like the parched plains of Africks sand A sterill and a wild unlovely Land Art alwaies scorcht with hot desires Yet barren quite didst thou not bring Monsters and Serpents forth thy selfe to sting 3. Thou that bewitchest men whilst thou dost dwell Like a close Conj'urer in his Cell And fear'st the daies discovering Eye No wonder 't is at all that thou shouldst be Such tedious and unpleasant company Who liv'st so Melancholy Thou thing of subtle slippery kind Which Women lose and yet no Man can find 4. Although I think thou never found wilt be Yet I 'me resolv'd to search for thee The search it selfe rewards the pains So though the Chymick his great secret misse For neither it in Art nor Nature is Yet things well worth his toyle he gains And does his Charge and Labour richly pay With good unsought exper'iments by the way 5. Say what thou wilt Chastity is no more Thee then a Porter is his Dore. In vain to honour they pretend Who guard themselves with Ramparts and with Walls Them only Fame the truly valiant calls Who can an open breach depend Of thy quick losse can be no doubt Within so Hated and so Lov'd without Impossibilities 1. IMpossibilities oh no there 's none Could mine bring thy Heart Captive home As easily other dangers were o'rethrown As Cesar after vanquisht Rome His little Asian foes did overcome 2. True Lovers oft by Fortune are envy'd Oft Earth and Hell against them strive But Providence engages on their side And a good end at last does give At last Just Men and Lovers alwaies thrive 3. As starres not powerfull else when they conjoyn Change as they please the Worlds estate So thy Heart in Conjunction with mine Shall our own fortunes regulate And to the Stars themselves prescribe a Fate 4. 'T would grieve me much to find some bold Romance That should too kind examples shew Which before us in wonders did advance Not that I thought that story true But none should Fancy more then I would Doe 5. Through spite of our worst Enemies thy Friends Through Locall Banishment from mee Through the loud thoughts of selfe-concerning Ends As easie shall my passage be As was the Am'orous Youth 's ore Helles Sea 6. In vain the Winds in vain the Billows roare In vaine the Starres their aid deni'd He saw the Sestian Tower on th' other shore Shall th'Hellespont our Loves divide No not th'Atlantick Oceans bound lesse Tide 7. Such Seas betwixt us eas'ly conquer'd are But gentle Maid doe not deny To let thy Beams shine on me from afarre And still that Taper let me ' espy For when thy Light goes out I sinke and dye Silence 1. CUrse on this Tongue that has my Heart betraid And his great Secret open laid For of all persons chiefly She Should not the ills I suffer know Since ' dis a thing might dangerous grow Only in her to Pitty Me Since 't is for Me to lose my Life more fit Then 't is for her to save and ransome it 2. Ah never more shall thy unwilling eare My helplesse story hear Discourse and talk away does keep The rude unquiet pain That in my Brest does raign Silence perhaps may make it sleep I 'le bind that Sore up I did ill reveal The Wound if once it Close may chance to Heal. 3. No 't will nere heal my Love will never dye Though it should Speechlesse lye A River ere it meet the Sea As well might stay its source As my Love can his course Unlesse it joyne and mix with Thee If any end or stop of it be found We know the Flood runs still though under-ground The Dissembler 1. UNhurt untoucht did I complain And terrifi'd all others with the pain But now I feel the mighty evill Ah there 's no fooling with the Devill So wanton men whilst others they would fright Themselves have met a reall Spright 2. I thought I 'le swear an handsomely Had been no sinne at all in Poetry But now I suffer an Arrest For words were spoke by me in jest Dull sottish God of Love and can it be Thou understand'st not Raillerie 3. Darts and Wounds and Flame and Heat I nam'd but for the Rhyme or the Conceit Nor meant my verse should raised be To this sad fame of Prophesie Truth gives a Dull Propriety to my stile And all the Metaphors does spoile 4. In things where Fancy much does reigne T is dangerous too cunningly to feigne The Play at last a Truth does grow And Custome into Nature goe By this curst art of begging I became Lame with counterfeiting Lame 5. My Lines of amorous desire I wrot to kindle and blow others fire And 't was a barbarous delight My Fancy promise'd from the sight But now by Love the mighty Phalaris I My burning Bull the first doe try The Inconstant 1. I Never yet could see that face Which had no dart for mee From fifteene yeares to fifties space They all victorious bee Love thou' rt a Dev'ill if I may call thee One For sure in Mee thy name is Legion 2. Colour or Shape good Limbes or Fate Goodnesse or Wit in all I finde In Motion or in Speech a grace
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