if thou should'st depart Leaving thee living in posterity Be not selfe-wild for thou art much too faire To be deaths conquest and make wormes thine heire An invitation to Marriage MVsick to heare why hear'st thou musick sadly Sweets with sweets warre not joy delights in joy Why lov'st thou that which thou receavst not gladly Or else receiv'st with pleasure thine annoy If the true concord of well tuned sounds By unions married do offend thine eare They do but sweetly chide thee who confounds In singlenesse the parts that thou should'st beare Marke how one string sweet husband to another Strikes each in each by mutuall ordering Resembling â—ier and child and happy mother Who all in one one pleasing note do sing Whose speechlesse song being many seeming one Sings this to thee thou single wilt prove none It is for feare to wet a widdowes eye That thou consum'st thy selfe in single life Ah if thou issuleâ—â—e shalt hap to die The world will waile thee like a makelesse wife The world will be thy widdow and still weepe That thou no forme of thee hast left behind When every privat widdow well may keepe By childrens eyes her husbands shape in minde Looke what an unthrift in the world doth spend Shifts but his place for still the world enjoyes it But beauties waste hath in the world an end And kept unus'd the user so destroyes it No love toward others in that bosome sits That on himselfe such murdrous shame commits For shame dâ—â—y that thou bear'st love to any Who for thy selfe art so unprovident Grant if thou wilt thou art belov'd of many But that thou none lov'st is most evident For thou art so possest with murdrous hate That gainst thy selfe thou stickst not to conspire Seeking that beautious roofe to ruinate Which to repaire should be thy chiefe desire O change thy thought that I may change my minde Shall hate be fairer log'd then gentle love Be as thy presence is gracious and kind Or to thy selfe at least kind hearted prove Make thee another selfe for love of me That beautie still may live in thine or thee As fast as thou shalt wane so fast thou grow'st In one of thine from that which thou departest And that fresh blood which yongly thou bestow'st Thou maist call thine when thou from youth convertest Herein lives wisedome beautie and increase Without this folly age and cold decay If all were minded so the times should cease And threescore yeares would make the world away Let those whoâ— nature hath not made for store Harsh featurelesse and rude barrenly perish Looke whom she best indow'd she gave the more Which bountious gift thou shouldst in bountie cherrish She carv'd thee for her seâ—le and ment thereby Thou shouldst print more not let that coppy die When I doe count the clock that tels the time And see the brave day sunck in hidious night When I behold the violet past prime And sable curls or silver'd ore with white When loftie trees I see barren of leaves Which erst from heat did canopiâ— the herd And Sommers greene all girded up in sheaves Borne on the beare with white and bristly beard Then of thy beautie doe I question make That thou among the wasts of time must goe Since sweets and beauties doe themselves forsake And die as fast as they see others grow And nothing gainst Times sithe can make defence Save bread to brave him when he takes thee hence False beleefe WHen my Love sweares that she is made of truth I doe beleeve her though I know she lies That she might thinke me some untutor'd youth Vnskilfull in the worlds false forgeries Thus vainly thinking that she thinkes me young Although I know my yeares be past the best I smiling credit her false speaking tongue Outfacing faults in Love with loves ill rest But wherefore sayes my love that shee is young And wherefore say not I that I am old O Loves best habit is a soothing tongue And Age in love loves not to have yeares told Therefore I le lie with Love and Love with me Since that our faults in Love thus smother'd be A Temptation TWo loves I have of Comfort and Despaire That like two Spirits doe suggest me still My better Angell is a Man right faire My worser spirit a Woman colour'd ill To winne me soone to hell my Female evill Tempteth my better Angell from my side And would corrupt my Saint to be a Divell Wooing his puritie with her faire pride And whether that my Angell be turnd feend Suspect I may yet not directly tell For being both to me both to each friend I ghesse one Angell in anothers hell The truth I shall not know but live in doubt Till my bad Angell fire my good one out Fast and loose DId not the heavenly Rhetoricke of thine eye Gainst whom the world could not hold argument Perswade my heart to this false perjurie Vowes for thee broke deserve not punishment A woman I forswore but I will proue Thou being a Goddesse I forswore not thee My vow was earthly thou a heavenly love Thy grace being gaind cures all disgrace in me My vow was breath and breath a vapour is Then thou faire Sun that on this earth doth shine Exhale this vapour vow in thee it is If broken thâ—n it is no fault of mine If by me broke what foole is not so wise To breake an Oath to win a Paradise True content SO is it not with me as with that Muse Stird by a painted beautie to his verse Who heaven it selfe for ornament doth use And every faire with his faire doth reherse Making a cooplement of proud compare With Sunne and Moone with earth and seas rich gems With Aprills first borne flowers and all things rare That heavens ayre in this huge rondure hems O let me true in love but truly write And then beleeve me my love is as faire As any mothers childe though not so bright As those gold candells fixt in heavens ayeâ— Let them say more that like of heare-say well I will not prayse that purpose not to sell A bashfull Lover AS an unperfect actor on the stage Who with his feare is put besides his part Or some fierce thing repleat with too much rage Whose strengths abnndance weakens his owne heart So I for feare of trust forget to say The perfect ceremony of loves right And in mine owne loves strength seeme to decay Ore-charg'd with burthen of mine owne loves might O let my books be then the eloquence And domb presagers of my speaking brest Who pleade for love and looke for recompence More then that tongue that more hath more exprest O learne to read what silent love hath writ To heare with eyes belongs to loves fine wit Strong conceite MY glasse shall not perswade me I am old So long as youth and thou art of one date But when in thee times forrowes I behold Then looke I death my dayes should expiate For all that beautie that doth cover
pride The argument all bare is of more worth Then when it hath my added praise beside Oh blame me not if I no more can write Looke in your glasse and there appeares a face That overgoes my blunt invention quite Dulling my lines and doing me disgrace Were it not sinfull then striving to mend To marre the subject that before was well For to no other passe my verses tend Then of your graces and your gifts to tell And more much more thâ—n in my verse can sit Your owne glasse showes you when you looke in it A Lovers excuse for his long absence O Never say that I was false of heart Though absence seem'd my flame to quallifie As easie might I from my selfe depart As from my soule which in thy brest doth lye That is my home of love if I have rang'd Like him that travels I returne againe Iust to the time not with the time exchang'd So that my selfe bring water for my staine Never beleeve though in my nature raign'd All frailties that besiege all kinds of blood That it could so prâ—posterously be stain'd To leave for nothing all thy summe of good For nothing this wide Vniverse I call Save thou my Rose in it thou art my all Alas 't is true I have gone here and there And made my selfe a motley to the view Gor'd mine owne thoughts sold cheape what is most deare Made old offences of affections new Most true it is that I have lookt on truth Asconce and strangely But by all above These blenches gave my heart another youth And worse affaies prou'd thee my best of love Now all is done have what shall have no end Mine appetite I never more will grinde On newer proofe to trie an older friend A God in love to whom I am confin'd Then give me welcome next my heaven the best Even to thy pure and most most loving brest A complaint OFor my sake doe you wish fortune chide The guiltie goddesse of my harmelesse deeds That did not better for my life provide Then publick meanes which publicke manners breeds Thence comes it that my name receives a brand And almost thence my nature is subdu'd To what it workes in like the Dyers hand Pitty me then and wish I were renu'de Whilst like a willing patient I will drinke Potions of Eysell gainst my strong infection No bitternesse that I will bitter thinke Nor double pennance to correct correction Pittie me then deare friend and I assure yee Even that your pittie is enough to cure me Your love and pittie doth th' impression fill Which vulgar scandall stampt upon my brow For what care I who calls me well or ill So you ore-greene my bad my good alow You are my All the world and I must strive To know my shames and prayses from your tongue None else to me nor I to none alive That my steel'd sence or changes right or wrong In so profound Abisme I throw all care Of others voyces that my Adderssence To cryttick and to flatterer stopped are Marke how with my neglect I doe dispence You are so strongly in my purpose bred That all the world beside me thinkes y' are dead Selfe flattery of her beautie SInce I left you mine eye is in my minde And that which governes me to goe about Doth part his function and is partly blind Seemes seeing but effectually is out For it no forme delivers to the heart Of birds or flower or shape which it doth lack Of his quick objects hath the mind no part Nor his owne vision houlds what it doth catch For if it see the rud'st or gentlest sight The most sweet favour or deformedst creature The mountaine or the sea the day or night The Crow or Dove it shapes them to your feature Incapable of more repleat with you My most true minde thus maketh mine untrue Or whether doth my minde being crown'd with you Drinke up the monarchs plague this flattery Or whether shall I say mine eye saith true And that your love taught it this Alcumie To make of monsters and things indigest Such cherubins as your sweet selfe resemble Creating every bad a perfect best As fast as objects to his beames assemble Oh t is the first t is flattry in my seeing And my great mind most kindly drinkes it up Mine eye well knowes what with his gust is greeing And to his pallat doth prepare the cup If it be poison'd t is the lesser sinne That mine eye loves it and doth first beginne Those lines that I before have writ doe lie Even those that said I could not love you deerer Yet then my judgement knew no reason why My most full flaâ—e should afterwards burne clearer But reckoning time whose milliond accidents Creepe in twixt vowes and change decrees of Kings Tan sacred beautie blunt the sharp'st intents Divert strong minds to th' course of altring things Alas why fearing of times tiranny Might I not then say now I love you best When I was certaine ore in-certaintie Crowning the present doubting of the rest Love is a Babe then might I not say so To give full growth to that which still doth grow Tryall of loves constancy ACcuse me thus that I have scanted all Wherein I should your great deserts repay Forgot upon your dearest love to call Whereto all bonds doe tie me day by day That I have frequent binne with unknowne minds And given to time your owne deare purchas'd right That I have hoysted saile to all the winds Which should transport me farthest from your sight Booke both my wilfulnesse and errour downe And on just proofe surmise accumilate Bring me within the levell of your frowne But shoote not at me in your wakened hate Since my appeale sayes I did strive to proove The constancy and vertue of your love Like as to make our appetites more keene With eager compounds we our pallat urge As to prevent our malladies unseene We sicken to shun sicknesse when we purge Even so being full of your neare cloying sweetnesse To bitter sawces did I frame my feeding And sicke of wel-fare found a kinde of meetnesse To be discas'd ere that there was true needing Thus pollicie in love t' anticipate The ills that were not grew to faults assured And brought to medicine a healthfull state Which ranke of goodnesse would by ill be cured But thence I learne and find the lesson true Drugs poyson him that so fell sicke of you What potions have I drunke of Syren teareâ— Distil'd from Limbecks foule as hell within Applying feares to hopes and hopes to feares Still loosing when I saw my selfe to win What wretched errors hath my heart committed Whilst it hath thought it selfe so blessed never How have mine eyes out of their Spheares beene fitted In the distraction of this madding fever O benefit of ill now I finde true That better iâ— by evill still made better And ruin'd love when it is built anew Growes fairer then at first more strong far greater So I returne
And in that kinde doe we of Greece excell you Your rich Epistle doth such gifts present As might the Goddesses themselves content And wooe them to your pleasures but if I Should passe the bonds of shame and tread awry If ever you should put me to my shifts Your selfe should move me more than all your gifts Or if I ever shall transgresse by stealth It shall be for your sake not for your wealth But as your gifts I scorne not so such seeme Most precious where the giver we esteeme More then your presence it shall Hellen please That you for her have past the stormy Seas That she hath caus'd your toyl that you respect her And more than all your Trojan Dames affect her But ye 're a wag in troth the notes and signes You make a Table in the meats and wines I have observ'd when I least seem'd to minde them For at the first my curious eye did finde them Sometimes you wanton your fixt eye advances His brightnesse against mine darting sweet glances Out gazing me with such a stedfast looke That my daz'd eyes their splendor have forsooke And then you sigh and by and by you stretch Your amorous arme outright the bowle to reach That next me stands making excuse to sip Iust in the selfesame place that kis'd my lip How oft have I observ'd your finger make Trickes and conceited signes which straight I take How often doth you brow your smooth thoughts cloke When to my seeming it hath almost spoke And still I fear'd my husband would have spi'd yee In troth you are to blame and I must chide yee You are too manifest a Lover Tush At such knowne signes I could not chuse but blush And to my selfe I oft was forc'd to say This man at nothing shames Is this I pray Ought save the truth oft times upon the board Where Hellen was ingraven you the word Amo have under-writ in new spilt wine Good sooth at first I could not skan the line Nor understand your meaning Now oh spight My selfe am now taught so to Reade and Write Should I offend as sinne to me is strange These blandishments have power chaste thoughts to change Or if I could be mov'd to step astray These would provoke me to lascivious play Besides I must confesse you have a face So admirable rare so full of grace That it hath power to wooe and to make ceasure Of the most bright chaste beauties to your pleasure Yet had I rather stainelesse keepe my Fame Then to a stranger hazzard my good name Make me your instance and forbeare the fare Of that which most doth please you make most spare The greatest vertues of which wise men boast Is to abstaine from that which pleaseth most How many gallant Youths thinke you desire That which you covet skorch'd with the selfe-same fire Are all the world fooles onely Paris wise Or is there none save you have judging eyes No no you view no more than others see But you are plainer and more bold with me You are more earnest to pursue your game I yeeld you not more knowledge but lesse shame I would to God that you had sayl'd from Troy When my Virginity and bed to enjoy A thousand gallant Princely Suters came Had I beheld young Paris I proclaine Of all those thousand I had made you chiefe And Spartan Menelaus to his griefe Should to my censure have subscribe and yeelded But now alas your hopes are weakely builded You covet goods possest pleasures fore-tasted Tardie you come that should before have hasted What you desire another claimes as due As I could wish t'have beene espoused to you So let me tell you since it is my fate I hold me happy in this present state Then cease faire Prince an idle suite to move Secke not to harme her whom you seeme to love In my contented state let me be guided As both my states and fortunes have provided Nor in so vaine a quest your spirits toile To seeke at my hands an unworthy spoyle But see how soone poore Women are deluded Venus her selfe this covenant hath concluded For in the Idaean Vallies you espie Three Goddesses stript naked to your eye And when the first had promis'd you a Crowne The second Fortitude and warres renowne The third bâ—spake you thus Crowne nor Warres pride Will I bequeath but Hellen to thy Bride I scarce beleeve those high immortall Creatures Would to your eye expose their naked features Or say the first part of your Tale be pure And meete with truth the second's false I 'am sure In which poore I was thought the greatest meede In such a high cause by the Gods decreed I have not of my beauty such opinion T' imagine it preser'd before Dominion Or fortitude nor can your words perswade me The greatest gift of all the Goddesse made me It is enough to me men praise my face But from the Gods I merit no such grace Nor doth the praise you charge me with offend me If Venus doe not enviously commend me But loe I grant you and imagine true Your free report claiming your praise as due Who would in pleasing things call Fame a liar But give that credit which we most desire That we have mov'd these doubts be not you grieved The greatest wonders are the least beleeved Know then I first am pleas'd that Venus ought me Such undeserved grace Next that you thought me The greatest meede nor Scepter nor warres Fame Did you preferre before poore Hellens name Hard-heart t is time thou shouldst at last come downe Therefore I am your valour I your Crowne Your kindnesse conquers me doe what I can I were hard-hearted not to love this man Obdurate I was never and yet coy To favour him whom I can ner'e enjoy What profits it the barren sands to plow And in the furrowes our affections sow In the sweete theft of Venus I am rude And know not how my husband to delude Now I these love-lines write my Pen I vow Is a new office taught not knowne till now Happy are they that in this Trade have skill Alas I am a foole and shall be still And having till this houre not slept astray Feare in these sports least I should misse my way The feare no doubt is greater than the blame I stand confounded and amaz'd with shame And with the very thought of what you seeke Thinke every eye fixt on my guilty cheeke Nor are these suppositions meerely vaine The murmuring people whisperingly complaine And my maide Aethra hath by listning â—â—ily Brought me such newes as toucht mine honour highly Wherefore deare Lord dissemble or desist Being over-eyde we cannot as we list Fashion our sports our Loves pure harvest gather But why should you desist dissemble rather Sport but in secret sport where none may see The greater but not greatest liberty Is limitted to our Lascivious play That Menalaus is farre hence away My husband about great affaires is posted Leaving his royall guest securely hosted