ore-slipt thy Cheek thence they shall flye With hot propension to thy flaming Eye Thence to that smooth that polish'd plain of Snow On which thy Brests those Hils of wonder grow Where little Cupids daunce and do contend Which of them first shall venture to descend To the Elisian Vallies that doe lie 'Twixt them and that rich Mine of puritie Thy slender Waste What does remain below 'T is fit that none but you and I should know When like a vent'rous well resolved man I sail through yourunfathom'd Ocean To Loves safe Harbour I 'm too modest Sweet With wide expressions of our Loves to greet Thy willing eares since I for my part meane In Action not in Words to be obscene VNclose those Eye-lids and out-shine The brightnesse of the breaking day The light they cover is divine Why should it fade so soone away Stars vanish so and day appeares The Sun 's so drown'd i' th' morning's teares Oh! let not sadnesse cloud this Beautie Which if you lose you 'll nere recover It is not Love's but Sorrowes dutie To die so soon for a dead Lover Banish oh banish griefe and then Our Joyes will bring our Hopes agen Epithalamium THe Joyes of Youth and what the Spring Of Health Strength Happiness can bring Wait upon this Noble paire Lady may you still be faire As earliest Light and stil enjoy Beauty which Age cannot destroy May you bee fruitfull as the Day Never Sigh but when you Pray Know no Grief but what may bee To temper your Felicitie And You my Lord may truest Fame Still attend on your great Name Live both of you espous'd to Peace And with your years let Love increase Goe late to Heav'n but comming thither Shine there two glorious Starres together Epithalamium THe holy-Priest had joynd their Hands and now Night grew propitious to their bridall Vow Majestick Iuno and young Hymen flyes To light their Pines at the fair Virgins eyes The little Graces amorously did skip With the small Cupids from each Lip to Lip Venus her self was present and untide Her Virgin zone when loe on either side Stood as her Hand-maids Chastitie and Truth With that immaculate guider of her Youth Rose-colour'd Modestie these did undresse The beauteous Maid who now in readinesse The nuptiall Tapors waving 'bout her Head Made poor her Garments and enrich'd her Bed While the fresh Bridegroome like the lusty Spring Did to the holy Bride-bed with him bring Attending masc'line Vertues down he laid His snowie Limbs by a far whiter Maid There Kisses link'd their Minds as they imbrace A Quire of Angels flew about the place Singing all Blisse unto this Pair for ever May they in Love and Union still persever Upon a Gentleman playing on the Lute STrange miracle Who 's this that wears The native Liv'rie of the Sphears Transforming all our sense to Ears Surely it cannot bee a sin To think there is or may have bin On earth a heavenly Seraphin That granted certain 't must bee hee In any else there cannot bee Such a Coelestiall Harmonie When glorious He with swift pursute Touch't the soft Cordage of his Lute The Genius of the World was mute Amphion so his hand let fall VVhen at th' inchantment of his call Stones danc'd to build the Theban VVall. Arion sure when he began To charme th' attentive Ocean VVas but an Embleme of this Man VVhose numerous Fingers whiter farre Than Venus Swans or Ermines are VVag'd with the amorous strings a Warre But such a Warre as did invite The Sense of Hearing and the Sight To riot in a full delight For as his Touch kept equall pace His Looks did move with such a grace We read his Musick in his Face Live Noble Youth let Heav'n inspire Thee with its owne eternall Fire While all that hear thee doe admire Love LOve 's a Child and ought to be Won with smiles his Deitie Is cloath'd in Panthers skins which hide Those parts which kill if but espy'd Hates Wars but such as mildly led By Venus are to pleasures Bed There do soft imbraces fight Kisses combate with delight Amorous looks and sighs discover What be fits a timerous Lover But who ere to Love doth yeeld Mars his Spear nor Pallas Shield Can save from ruine for Loves Fire Once enkindled by desire Blown by thoughts impetuous blasts It for ever burning lasts The Sphear to which it strives to flie Are humane hearts that seek to die These like fuell Loves fire cherish Till they to ashes burne and perish To a reviv'd Vacation Play Prologue IT is a dead Vacation yet we see Which glads our souls a wel-set Company Adorn our Benches We did scarce expect So full an Audience in this long neglect Of Court and Citie Gentry that transfer In Terme their Visits to our Theater The Countrey Gentlemen come but to Town For their own bus'nesse sake to carry down A sad Sub-poena or a fearfull Writ For their poor Neighbour not for love of Wit Their comely Madams too come up to see New Fashions or to buy some Raritie For their young Son and Heir and only stay Till by their Sheepshearing they 'r call'd away The Courtiers too are absent who had wont To buy your Wares on trust they 'r gone to hunt The nimble Buck i' th' Countrey and conceive They give you Int'rest if you but receive A haunch of Ven'son or if they supplie Your Wives trim Churching with a Red-Deer Pie Few Gentlemen are now in Town but those Who in your Books remain uncross'd for Clothes Who when you aske them money are so slack To pay 't their answer is What do you lack You are our daily and most constant Guests Whom neither Countrey bus'nesse nor the Gests Can ravish from the Citie 't is your care To keep your Shops ' lesse when to take the Ayr You walke abroad as you have done to day To bring your Wives and Daughters to a Play How fond are those men then that think it fit T'arraigne the Citie of defect of Wit When we do know you love both wit sport Especially when you 've vacation sor't And now we hope you 've leisure in the Citie To give the World cause to suspect you witty We would intreat you then put off awhile That formall brow you wear when you beguile Young Chapmen with bad Wares pray do not look On us as on the Debtors in your Book With a shrewd countenance what we act to day Was for your sakes some think a pretty Play Nay wee our selves almost presume it good Because we hope it will be understood By your capacious Brains which know to get Wealth and for that cause we can't doubt your Wit At least we dare not since wee 'r bound to say All those are witty come to see our Play For Ezekiel Fen at his first Acting a Mans Part. PROLOGVE SUppose a Merchant when he lanches forth An untry'd Vessell doubtfull of its worth Dare not adventure on that infant Peece The glorious fetching of a
of the greener Bay Dipping my Pen in tears what ere it be That I would write it proves an Elegie You must expell this Sadnesse You whose light Eclipses that pale Virgin of the Night The solitary Moon whose every Ray Transcends the clearest lustre of the Day You in whose eyes sit flames which can beget Themselves a living Spheer in every Wit You that are All Women can be and more Than Youth and Beauty ere disclos'd before Who doe resemble Heav'n so neer You 'd want Onely the Name not Nature of a Saint You with a smile can like the West-wind bring An unexpected Summer on the Spring And with one Beame or comfortable Glance Ravish my soule into so high a trance That Your bright Head shall hit the Stars and flie To Heaven o' th' swift wings of my Poesie While I with equall feare and hope possest Tender my Heart your Sacrifie and rest Your Servant To Lucinda He being in Prison REceive these lines from your imprison'd Friend As the last Farewell which his hand must send To greet your Eyes from which mine borrow'd light To guide my wandring Fancie to the sight Of Mortals wonder in your Essence Love First darted Raies from those bright Stars to move Me to admire your Beautie But agen To make old Nature proud as when my Pen Flowd with mellifluous Epithites to show The glorious shape shee fully did bestow On your unequal'd Frame To say your haire Are nets of Gold whose Tramels might insnare The King of gods or that your Iv'rie brests Are Balls of Camphire sweeter than the nests Where the Arabian Phenix does desire To burne her selfe as I have done in fire More precious than her Funerall flames would add New griefs so powerfull as would force mee mad Were I of stronger temper Since I 've lost Those rarities bought with the pricelesse Cost Of my unvalued Libertie which now I must forgoe for ever from the Vow You made before the Hierarchie of Heaven Which now I summon witnesses how even My Love has been I free you If you heare That wilfully I perish'd one poor teare I aske no more shed and my Soule when Death Has robd my carcasse of its loathed breath Shall pray that you hereafter may possesse A Friend that lov'd your Memorie no lesse Than I who spight of Fortune will be blest That once I was term'd Yours though now I rest Forsaken To Lucinda revolted from him 'T Was I who made thee Beauteous before You might have sate regardlesse at your dore Or past the Streets as other Women doe Without salutes or being congee'd to When now each eye that sees thee does admire To view a mortall Creature to aspire So neer the Heav'nly Essence every tongue Since I set out thy Excellence among Men of ingenuous Spirits strives to raise Thy Name beyond the name of Praise Nature did well I must confesse to frame Thee of her choisest Matter for the same You stand indebted to her and 't is fit You should acknowledge thankfulnesse for it The Orient Pearl new taken from the shell Though 't be as precious in it self to sell Cannot so fitting and commodious bee As when 't is polishd by a Lapidarie The glistring Diamond shines not to the sight Till by the Mill and Cutter 't is made bright You had as much implicite Beautie true As now you have when first I did you view But like a Diamond clouded ore with Drosse It gave small lustre cause unknown it was I polish'd it by giving it a Name Beautie 's regardlesse till adorn'd by Fame But Oh the Faith of Women Can there be Evasions found for such Apostacie As is in you What Penance can abridge Such an Impietie such dire Sacriledge 'Gainst Love's imperiall Godhead to resist Contemn his Orgies which by me his Priest He did enjoyn by his own powerfull Name You should observe with a religious Flame And you had vow'd to do it swore that I Should offer up to his great Deitie Your heart which Love himselfe would not despise But beg for such a welcome Sacrifice More precious than the sweet Panchayan Gumms The Phoenix Pile or fuming Hecatombs But as a vapour which the flatt'ring Sun Attracts to th' pure Ayrs middle Region Under pretence to give a new Starre birth And throwes a fading Meteor to the Earth So fell your Heart from Love's unspotted Throne By your intemp'rate violation Of Vows to me in which if you persist Mercie will blot you from her candid List As a prodigious Monster and firme Truth Blush at a perjurie so black in Youth So white as yours at which the Rose-cheek'd Morne Might once have borrow'd lustre and unshorne Apollo brightnesse Oh! why should there rest Such falshood such unkindnesse in a Brest Whose superficiall figure does outgoe In whitnesse Lillies or untrodden Snow Ingratefull Woman what unborne offence Can give a specious Shadow a Pretence To thy unhallow'd falshood what strange Cause Thy suddain change this alteration drawes Perhaps now I have set thy Beautie forth With all the Attributes expressing Worth That when I did but speak of thee or write Fancie and Love daunc'd in each Epithite Some other Suitor who to please your eares Purchases Raptures which his dull brain bears As Parrots what is taught them who can speak But by tradition has surpriz'd your weak Imagination and does proudly boast In gaining that which me most labour cost Or else perhaps your over-curious eye Has spy'd some new unknown deformitie In me or 't may be possible you think Which is most likely that the Muses drink Is quite exhausted that my wearie Quill Wants moisture to explain your Praises still In that full way that over-liberall strain My Genius us'd at first your Love to gain If this be it I 'll fill the Daphnean Quire With a fresh Chaunter snatch bright Phaebus Lyre From his swift Fingers and once more rehearse Thy worth in such a strange mellifluous Verse That sweet Propertius shall his Cynthia tell Thy Praises do her Lustre far excell Gabius shall weep that his Lycoris name Is now surpass'd by thy immortall Fame And my great Master Ovid shall confesse Corynna's shining Beautie to be lesse Than thine since he for his Corynna's sake Did only three Books of Loves choice Art make But I for thine will such Conceits devise That after no Invention shall arise Yeeld then and let us ryot in the Sweets That in Youth Love and glorious Beauty meets That all the gods may envie to behold Us over-doe their Fables Dana's Gold Be counted Drosse and Laeda's Swan appear Black as a Crow when whiter Thou art there First shall my Lips with an unvalued Kisse Suck from those fragrant Mountainets of blisse Thy melting Lips more sweetnesse than the Bees Extract from Roses or Hyblaean Trees When to the Ayr their tender wings they yeeld And with their mouths depopulate the field And then descending to thy Iv'rie Neck My wandring Fancie shall my dull Lips check That they
golden Fleece From the remot'st Indies 'T is so with mee Whose Innocence and timerous Modestie Does blush at my own shadow prone to feare Each Wave a Billow that arises here The Company 's my Merchant nor dare they Expose my weak frame on so rough a Sea ' Lesse you their skilfull Pilots please to stear By mild direction of your Eye and Ear Their new rigg'd Bark This is their hopes and mine Promise my selfe if you like North-stars shine I like a daring and adventrous Man Seeking new paths i' th' angry Ocean In threatning Tempests when the surges rise And give salt kisses to the neighb'ring Skies When blustring Boreas with impetuous breath Gives the spread Sailes a wound to let in Death Cracks the tall Mast forcing the Ship though loth On it s carv'd Prow to wear a Crown of sroth Will face all perils boldly to attain Harbour in safety then set forth againe To Mr. Charles Cotton YOu that are he you that are onely he Who are what every noble Soule should be The Abstract of Mankind who truely can Contract Wits spacious Orb into a span Have stock enough of goodnesse to restore VVhat erring Nature ever lost before 'T is not the greatnesse of your Name or Blood Makes mee adore you 't is because you'r good The Wits Maecenas can without a storme Of triviall words even actuate and inform With spritly soule that matter which would lie Lost like a lumpe without a memorie Or life t' ingender Wit Think there can bee In mee dear Sir no seeds of Flatterie Rapt with an holy Zeal I needs must sing Your ample Worth and when I touch a string Of my Phoebeian Lyre chast Daphne shall Tender her Bayes to deck the Festivall Devoted to your merit Bacchus then Shall with his richest Nectar-swelling Pen Indue me with such Wine as I do think At least I wish that you this night may drink Pure blood of the rich Spanish Grape which may Make you immortall and atchieve the Bay Poets by drinking ayme at May there bee In your carouses VVit and Companie Fit for your dear enjoying may the wealth Of noble VVine enrich you with a Health Great as my wishes while forgotten I By your Commands banish'd that Company I so admire in my Archaick bed Sigh like a Girle whose precious Maidenhead Is ravish'd from her till your future view Banish that pensive sadnesse and renew The happinesse of Your Servant To my Friend Advice IN Natures Annals Mans's the perfect Story And you of man had been the perfect glory Had not the errour of your giddie youth Sold the Inheritance of that noble truth Entaild on glorious manhood you who are In your desires so much irregular That your Ambition is to have your May Your flower of Youth spent in the fruitlesse play Of gaining Female favours In your blood Live flames which felt yet are not understood Continuall Aetnaes in your veines nere cease To burne yet doe by burning even increase What pleasure find you in a foolish Kisse Or wanton look that you do place your blisse Your minds Elisium in an amorous glance Or Priapeian night-work such a trance A dreame a nothing Can that be the summe O joy that you should aime at to become For that an Idiot to enthrall your heart To one whom nature made your weaker part Your houshold servant to adore her haire Make of her face an Idoll which though faire Is but a painted Sepulchre within Containing rotten ashes of black sin Reliques of soule corruption oh reclaime Those sordid thoughts and let a nobler aime Be your minds Object be the finall Cause Of your youths Actions Let not Cupids Laws Govern you wholly For your female Creatures Inchanting Divels clad in humane features Earths needfull evils Women they whose name Divided does most perfectly proclaime Their bad Condition they whose Beauty must Be to men fire-brands to enkindle Lust They are that sweet and undigested meat That does consume all those that dare to eat The too delicious Banquet Bels that sings One tune at Weddings and at Buryings Serpents whose cunning carriage can intice Another Adam out of Paradice They 'r all extremely good or fraught with evils If good best Saints if bad the worst of Divels Pardon mee sacred Woman-hood that I Who 've rais'd your Beautie to a Deitie Who know you good and vertuous that you can Excell in worth as well as feature Man That I should for the love I bear this Youth Injure the innocence of your matchlesse truth 'T is to reclaime his follies Let him see How bad the worst of your frail Sexe can bee I le expiate this crime hereafter pay To your chast thoughts my own yet Virgin Bay How much am I your friend then that dare chuse To hazzard the fresh honour of my Muse For your dear sake that with one loving breath Giving you life betray my selfe to death But this is friendships dutie and I must Rather to you that to my self be just Oh! Noble Youth when you with judgment shall Read all the Texts not held Canonicall In womens Legends when you shall behold In Times successive Volume what 's inrol'd Concerning them how many leaves are spent Upon their Lives and each a Monument Speaking the mischiefes that of old did rise From the intemperate glances of their eyes And when Times Herald Fame shall usher in Those whom Antiquitie brands for that sin Bring Helen forth and the lascivious Boy Wrapt in the flames themselves did cause of Troy When faire incest'ous Myrrha you shall see Groaning within the entrails of a Tree View wanton Lais who so oft did sell Her beauteous youth a horrid Fiend in Hell Or Tyrian Dido with big rage possest Opening the white dores of her Love-sick brest To let in wilfull death Or when you shall Read modern Stories more Authenticall Then Poetry has taught You shall survey Those Monsters Nero and Caligula Naked and trembling then with guilty feare Insatiate Messalina shall appeare Then the two Queens of Naples who in Name Were parallels as well as in their fame Whose appetites could never be withstood blood Till their owne bloods quench'd their owne heate of When you have seen these turn your eyes and look On that fair paper that unspotted Book Where happier Stories flourish and behold Inscrib'd in Characters of purest Gold Those glorious Names that Fame records to bee Th' immaculate Champions of blest Chastitie Selfe-murdred Lucrece 't will a Saint expresse And damne foule Tarquin for 's lasciviousnesse Chast Arethusa there displayes her Beams That shine though drown'd in lustful Alphey's streams Daphne that Phoebus hot pursuit did shun Looks brighter now than the lascivious Sun But vain are all examples since even we By Reasons Mistris wise Philosophie In Ethicks are instructed that we must Think each thing wicked which we know unjust And what more dire injustice can there be Than to our selves a want of Charitie But I 'm too serious now and must excuse The over-bold