than the merit of the gift and so accept it not as a thing of desert but as a testimony of good wil. A description of a Married woman VVidow and Maid A Wâ—fe is like a Garment worn and torn A Maid like one made up and never worn A Widow like a Garment worn thred-bare Sold at the second hand like Brokers ware The Maids Complement upon his Eloquence YOur eloquent deserts speak love and I should wrong to lock it in the wards of covert bosome when it deserves with characters of brass asorted residence against the tooth of time and a razor of oblivion therefore my soul cannot but yeild you forth to publike thanks forerunning more requiralls Oh! how you are winding up the watch of your wit Sir I cannot but admire the delight and life of your wit the light of your wisdome and the Mercury of your Eloquence His Answer in praise of her Elegancie Sweet Mistris I could not without making my self guilty of irreverance speak otherwise to you than in a way of praise I value love in all but faire Lady most in you where I find it richly sitting on the neck of honour Fair one such is the galled condition of the age that should my feeble Encomiums presume to touch a lâ—ttle at what your beauty in the largest manner merits the fairest title I should gain for my true meaning would be parasite Madam Let others daub and flatter I 'le not give over to draw true lines but maugre all their painting â—il proclaim you aloud vertuous and faire In a Word Madam to live with you is to live with all the graces for Nature hath made you the example of all her liberalities Madam I wil put it upon the file of thankful remembrance and register it for a singular act of your benificence A Lady and a Knight Sir say not you love unless you do For lying wil not honour you His answer Madam I love I love to die And wil not lye unless by you You say I lye I say you A lovers sad passion for loss of his Mistris VVHere shall I finde that Melancholie Muse That never heard of any thing but moan And read that passion that herpen doth usâ— When she and sorrow sadly sit alone To tel the world more than the world can tel What fits indeed most fitly figured hel Let me not think once of the smallest thought Nay speak of love then of the greatest griefe Where every lover with sorrows over-wrought Live but in death dispairing of reliefe While thus my heart with torments torn assunde May of the world be call'd the woful wonder The Day 's like Night all darkned in distress Pleasure becomes a subject unto pain The Spirit over-prest with heaviness While helpless horror vexeth every vein Deaâ—h shakes her dart grief hath my grave prepaâ— Yet to more sorrow is my spirit spar'd The Only eyes that not endures the light The Nâ—ght-ravens song that soundeth nought but death The Cockatrice that killeth with her sight The poysoned ayre that choaks the sweetest breath Thunders and earthquakes all together met These tel a little how my life is set Were woes dissolv'd to sighes and sighes to tears And every tear a torment of the mind The minds destress unto the deadly fears That finde more death than death it self can find Death to that life that living can descrie A little more yet of my misery Put all the woes of all the world together Sorrow and Death set down in all their pride Let miserie bring all her Muses hither Wâ—th all the horrors that the heart may hide Then read the state but of my ruthful story And say my griefe hath gotten sorrows glory For Natures sickness sometime may have ease Fortune though fickle sometime is a friend The minds affection patience may appease And death is cause that many torments end To shew the nature of my pain alas Pain hath no nature to discry my pain But where that pain it self in pain doth pass Think on vexation so in every vein That hopeless helpless some endless pain may tel Save hel it self but mine there is no hel If such love be a ground of deadly grief Consuming cares hath caught me by the heart If want of comfort hopeless of relief Be further moe so weigh my inward smart If love's unkindness so my grief is grounded If causeless wronged so my heart is wounded If love refused so read on my ruin If truth disgraced so my sorrow moved If faith abus'd the ground my sorrow grew in If Vettues scorned so my death approved If death delaying so my heart perplexed If living dying so my spirit vexed My Infants years mispent in Childish toyes My riper years in rules of little reason My better years in all mistaken joyes My present time O most unhappy season In fruitless labour and in endless love O what a horror hath my life to prove I sigh to see my infancy mispent I mourn to finde my youthful life misled I weep to feel my farther discontent I dye to try how love is living dead I sigh I mourn I weep I living dye And yet must live to shew more misery The hunted Hart sometime doth leave the hound My heart alas doth never leave the Chase The live Hounds line sometimes is yet unfound My bands are hopeless of so high a grace Summer restores what winter doth deprive But my love withered never can revive I cannot figure sorrows in conceit Sorrow exceeds all figures in our sense But on my wo even sorrows all may wait To see a note exceed their excellence Let me conclude to see how I am wounded A lover himself is in his love confounded But whereof groweth this passion of the pain That thus perplexeth every other part Whence is the humor of this hateful vain So damps the Spirit and consumes the heart O let my soul with bitter teares confess It is the ground of all unhappiness If lack of love I am the note of need If lack of friends no faith on earth remains If lack of health see how my soul doth bleed If lack of pleasure look upon my pains If lack of love of friends of wealth and pleasure Say then my sorrow must be out of measure Measure No measure measure can my thought But that one love that is beyond all measure Which knowing how my grief have now been wrought Can bring her love into the highest pleasure Which must my sorrows either cut off quite Or never let me think upon delight There is a lack that tels me of a life There is a loss that tels me of a Love Betwixt them both a state of such a strife As makes my spirit such a passion prove That lack of one and the others loss alas Makes me the wofulst wretch that ever was A Schollar in praise or rather dispraise of his Mistris A Schollar to win his Mistris love Compar'd her to three Goddesses above And swore she had to give her due
than whitest bone of all On her feet Her feet so short and slender little round On earth a finer pair cannot be found A last of his Mistresses perfections She hath Venus lip and eye With Diana's chastity In those parts I have reveal'd Venus beauty is exprest Yet there are some parts conceal'd Which my fancie judgeth best The conclusion Thus every part impairs a grace And beauty dwels in every place Loves Month. May is not loves month May is ful of flowers But dropping Aprill-love is ful of showers Definition of love Love is a friend a fire a heaven a hel Where pleasure pain sad repentance dwel Love will out The light of hidden fire it self discovers And love that 's conceal'd bewraies poor lovers On the parting of lovers Lovers wel wot what grief it is to part When 'twixt two bodies liveth but one heart And lovers say the heart hath double wrong When it is bar'd the assistance of the tongue On the constancie of affections Love wel is said to be a life in death That laughs and weeps and all within one breath Lovers Lottery The World 's a Lottery a Lovers prise Is such a Girl that 's fair that 's chast wise The quality of Love Love is a spirit all compact with fire Not gross to sink but light and wil aspire VVhat love is Love is a Golden Bubble full of Dreams That waking breaks and fills us with extreams Lovers delight to be alone Lovers best lâ—ke to see themselves alone Or with their loves if needs they must have one Vows of Lovers We know not how to love til love unblinde us And vows made ignorantlie can ne're bind us On the purity of their affections Needs must Venus wars be sweet When two Maiden-lovers meet Impossibility of concealing love The light of hidden fire it self discovers And love that is conceal'd betraies poor lovers On one sick with love Where Venus strikes with beautie to the quick Great are the cares of those that are love-sick The errors of love All men do erre because that men they be And men with beautie blinded cannot see VVhat love is Love is a subtil influence Whose smallest force stil hangeth in suspence Love admits of no contrary arguments Love hates all arguments disputing stil For sense against reason with a senseless will VVhat love is Love is a blinded God an angry Boy A slave to beauties wil a witless toy A ravening bird tyrant most unjust A private hel a very sea of lust Another definition of love Love is a sowre delight a sugred griefe A breach of reasons law a secret thiefe A living death an ever dying life A sea of tears an everlasting strife A bait for fools a scourge of noble wits A deadly wound a shot which ever hits On sudden affection From hasty love see thou abstain 'T is lust not love thou seeks thus to obtain The effects of love This is the least effect of Cupids dart To change the mind by woundâ—ng of the heart Cruelty of love Love is not ful of mercy as men say But deaf cruel where he means to prey The parting of Lovers Love goes to love as School-boyes from their Books But love from love toward School with heavy looks A Maxime of love 'T is folly by our wisest worldlings proved If not to gain by love to be beloved Loves wounds One was the bow One was the Dart That wounded us both to the heart Then since we both do feel one pain Let one love cure us both again The constancie of lovers Once learn to love the lesson is most plain And being learnt is never lost again The force of love Were beauty under twenty locks kept fast Yet love breaks through and picks them all at last Of Musick and love As without breath no pipe doth move No Musick 's kindly without love A loving conjunction The day unto my hope doth now shine fair I and my love in love united are Love finds an opportunity When love hath knit two hearts in unity They seldome fail to find and opportunity Offers of love not to be refused Occasion 's winged and ever flyeth fast Coming she smiles and frowns once being past Patience of Lovers One may endure for when the pain is past Reward though long it stay yet comes at last Sorrows of Lovers â—ighs are the ease calamity affords Which serve for speech when sorrow wanteth words To his Mâ—stris on her expected humiliation from him for a rude Kiss â—f that I must such penance do â—'le bow unto no Saint but you On the Tears of Lovers â—n sighs the Lover speaks his secret pains Tears are his Oratory words do make him tremble â—et womens tears fall when they most dissemble On frozen affection There where the hearts Atturney once is mute The Clyent breaks as desperate off his suit Of true and false love True love 's a Saint so shal you true love know False love 's a Scythian yet a Saint in show Love breaks all silence What Fish so dumb what Beast so dul of heart That hears love sing and will not bear a part No business like that of love The fair the false love can â—dmit all but the busie man He that hath business and makes love does do â—uch wrong as if a married man should woo The perseverance of a Lover Desire being Pilot and bright beauties prize Who can fear sinking where such treasure lyes The beginning of love â—air beauty is the spark of hot desire And sparks in time will kindle to a fire On a Lovers adveâ—sity As the Stars in darkelt night So love by suffering shines more bright For like unto a hidden flame It wil at last break forth again On lust Lust maks Oblivion beateth reason back Forgetteth shames pure blush and honours wrack On Virginity The ripest Corn dies if it be not reapt Beauty alone is lost too early kept A cruel Mâ—stris Nothing so ill becomes the fair As cruelty which yeilds unto no prayer On Coyness A wayward beauty doth not fancie move A frown forbids a smile engendreth love Another Fair words and power attractive beauty Brings men too wanton in subjective Another Hope and despair attend a Lover still Hope for to save despair to kill On jealousie Where jealousie in baseâ—t minds doth dwel 'T is metal Vulcans Cyclops sent from hel On pleasures Somthing must stil be left to cheer our sin And give a touch of what should not have bin To those that know but pleasures price All 's one a Prison or a Paradice On chastity The unstain'd vail which innocents adorn The ungathered rose defended with the thorn Another on the same Penelope in spending chast her dayes As worthy as Vlysses was of praise A chast Vow To thee as constant as the Sun to day Til from this light night hurries me away Protestations of service I have vowed both love and duty To your vertue and your beauty On the Court. Thither let Phoebus sons resort
by the fires of Cupid blame me not since your eyes kindled the flames of my affections Madam exercise not the extremity of your rigour upon him that suffers such miseries under the false title and quality of an offender Know faire Creature that such a bright day may at last enlighten my innocencie when revengeful lovers shall search into my ashes to find out truth there buried Sir These glorious progressions of your vertue will at last mount you to the highest pith of admiration Madam shut not up these eyes from the light of your beautie lest they be perpetuallie opened to tears Madam It is impossible you should ever draw to you a reputation of honour signed with the effusion of my blood Madam There are those will deplore my ashes and strew some silly flowers on the place impressed with the prints of your punishments Fair one When my soul shall be seperated from my body it shall every where wait on your purified spirit as the shadow of it Madam If you should please to condemn me to darkness by the eclipsing of the divine light of your beautie yet I despair not but that at last from the sphere of your splendors due to my merits you will vouchsafe the rayes of your clemencie to enlighten the duskie nights of my miseries and misfortunes Fair one Though death may seperate our lives yet love shall unâ—te our ashes and we shall preserve the immortalitie of our affections by the immortality of our souls Madam Seated thus on your faire pavilion you appear like resplendent day in the attires of a Majesty absolutely royall Madam Your goodly nature well proportioned body the bright colour of your face the lively port and grave carriage of your person all these speak you to be a real branch sprung from some royall stem Fair one Your haire negligently disshevel'd and careless attire grace forth your beautie which shines in the midst of so many obstacles as the Sun in a winter day Faire Creature Cast not those eyes down neither colour your face with those modest blushes since it would appear most admirable that your Vertues should finde Fetters in a place where they expect Crowns Sir I desire to end my daies on the Theater of Kings in their glorious services Madam Heaven hath created me such a one as you see ful of good wil though of slender fortunes and means Sir We have continuallie lived together as one soul divided into two bodies and since our amities have taken root in a mutuall temperance and correspondencie of humours we have maintained in us a continuall familaritie which neither death nor hell can ever have power to separate Fairest Our breasts shall be ever interchangeablie transparent Fair one Dissimulation or contradiction cannot approach the sincerity of our loves Fairest let me embrace you with the oppenness of my heart and the profusion of my love that our souls may evaporate themselves into one another Sir Your favours create me againe and give me a new being Sir I shal never pretend any right to any honour in the world but only to obey your commands Mistris The grace of speech dwells on your fair lips Sir Hereafter ages shall take Palms and Lawrels to crown the reliques of your honoured ashes Fairest these eies of mine are but emblems of tears mixt with love Madam spread not that Cipress Vail over your face lest you benight your beauty and darken the bright raies of that which makes our day Madam Your beauty is a divinitie left on earth to be known and beloved of mortalls A description of Beauty BEauty is Natures Ivy-Bush It is her beauty only creates her queene 't is that which adds a commanding power to every syllable Glory not too much in the prerogative of Nature seeing she hath made thee man make not thy selfe a woman Your beauty is a Tyrant of a short reign you cannot call it your own for you can neither give it nor preserve it long Beauty is the conqueress of man never to be satisfyed with the raies of her chrystal painted eyes A feature that excels all mortall sense Such a one that when she lay naked his eyes did carve him out a Feast of love Her body doth present those fields of peace that Poets sing of in Elizium She lay like eclipsed Cynthia sweetly canopied with darkness til he drew the curtains of love Had Paris seen her naked he had slighted his Nell of Greece for her Trimming her beauty forth with blushing bravery with the wonders of her beauty mortall eyes are never to be satisfyed as if she were made only for admiration to be adored of men or win grace from Heaven A Complexion as clear as the Sky Beauty is the image of the Creator and the Rhetorick of Heaven THE School of Complements Choice and fair Flowers selected out of the Garden of Eloquence to adorn our Language with variety of Expressions upon severall occasions Upon his absence I Shall no longer esteem my selfe absent from you whil'st I hold any room in your heart and memory Let those dul clods of earth not yet informed with true promethean fire measure affections by their Miles of Acres we whose souls are cast in a more pure mould by a most subtile penetration and transfusion of hearts enjoy a secure freedome in one anothers wishes and in the greatest distance are cherished with a virtuall contiguity It is a brutish love and wants the quickning fire of reason that can by circumstances be intermitted the more extracted flames of our affections shal like more glorious Pyramides burn bright and cleare and light our souls though thus seemingly disjoyned to our daily mutual imbracements Let not my remoteness change your purposes more than it shakes the resolution I have made to live yours Protestations of love IT is as impossible for me not to love you as it is for the Sun to forget his ordinary course So am I ravished with your beauty that it will prove harder for mee to forget you than it would prove difficult to resolve for death and know for a certain that I shall stil be rather content and disposed to consent to the hatred of my selfe than to the love of any other object but you Your sight may be forbidden me and you may hinder me from speaking to you but not to have the effiges of your divine beauty imprinted in my heart and not to love and serve you it is a thing not onely out of your power but mine also for I am to you as an accident so inseparable that you cannot be without me Vpon her beauty I Should have thought I had too much failed in so much duty had I not directed it to so faire a mark but the favour of your affections is that to which I sacrifice my best endeavours Vanquished by your beauty I have yeelded up the arms of my libertie and freedome under your obedience Nothing shall take from your heart but death it self the fair image of your divine
beauty Death it self shall here stand vassal and homage pay to your more powerful darts when every quickning glance from you shall ad new life as he destroys the old In admiration of her goodnes IT is your goodness that hath supplyed my small merit which could noo have dared to promise me the favours you can afford me The goodness of your soul is so cleare and bright that sin dares not approach too neer for fear of discovering its own deformity You need not seek for your inheritance when the rich evidence of your vertue entitles you to heaven I wonder not to see so many bankrupts in goodness when I finde the Stock of Vertue rests alone in you These noble favours may quicken my endeavours but never create a desert in me they are so much beyond my all On her leaving him LOvers in despite of absence lose not the remembrance of their lovers they are as the Flowers which though trod on do resume their lustre at the Suns approach Although thou goest away yet we cannot part Here in my heart thou still remainest yet I must shed some tears which like the morning dew or as Aprill showers shall make the spring-tide of our love though by this winter covered grow fresh and green again To forsake me when your company is dearest to me is no sign of true friendship which parts not at death it self since love remains for ever Take pitty on all those bloody sorrows which the apprehension of your absence makes me already so miserably to feel To accuse in a Letter IT is better to love with severity than to deceive with sweetness I expected a Cordial but I received a Corrasive your bitter-sweet was unequally tempered and in your Pills though sugar'd over I found an unwelcome operation I received thy Letter but I must chide thee sweet another câ—ose from thy faire hand wil make me surseit you frowned when last we parted and by that cloud you bid me expect a storm it is a double bliss thus sweetly to be deceivâ—ed you frown indeed but a thousand Cupids lodg themse ves in every wrinckle of your brow I would forbear to write to you in this manner were it not that the affection I bear to you doth force and by its authority draw all these words from my heart and mouth Mistris The Bees are not hated for their stings no more should you hate me for the sharpness of my circumstances We must not praise our selves for being better than the worst but rather blame our selves for being worse than the best since then I faile in my merits give me leave to mourn for my imperfections Farwell I Must depart from you yet shall not your service be deprived of my obedience Adieu fair Sun of my life I leave you for this present but be alwaies assured that my minde and my desires shall never depart from you Dear Love I know not which way to begin to bid you farwel nor how to finish this discourse which once ended our disconsolate departure follows Wo is me must I needs wander away from all my felicities at once losing with the happiness of your sight the most perfect object of beatitude Farwel Madam be alwaies fortunate whilst I shal languish unhappy though most constant Expressions of affection YOU can never do so much for me but that the affection wherewith I adore you and the faith I have imposed in you wil prove far greater Mistris You are the first to whom my affectâ—onate heart hath been offered and shall if you please be the last that shal have the last possession of it Do but let me once discover my affâ—ctâ—ons to you then command me to perpetual silence if you please You are the eye of mine eyes and thought of my thoughts the perfecter of my defaults the life of my love the scope and end of all my desires and hopes Beare wel in minde mine affection that though I be removed from your fair eyes I may not be so faâ— from your favours The Lovers impression of Costancie I Shal in loving you manifest such an affectionate stability and stedfastness that my loyalty and my love shall inseparably wait upon you My constancie may easily shew you that I have as good an heart to die for you as I have a mind and desire to live and love you I shall make it appear to after-times that I am the man who for your sake have made my selfe an invincible rock of stedfastness for I shall stil hug my constancie and never let it stir from me til my last gasp Vpon her Affability and Courtesie IT is your courtesie that lends me the favour which Heaven and Nature hath denyed me Your courtesie wil force the most rigid Cato to turn your Proselyte and make the Cynick leave his Tub enamoured with your banity Each part above you shines with a peculiar grace but in your mild behaviour they all concentrate Upon your Brow Beauty and honour sit enthron'd whence in your stately carriage they dispence their powerful Lawes It is out of your generous disposition you wâ—sh me wel as it is of duty that I honour you Vpon a LOVERS fear LOvers live alwaies in more fear than hope and wil sooner conceive of their sorrows then hear of their joyes Ladie I have just cause to fear lest by placâ—ng my love upon an object either too violent or too much diâ—ant my sense may be deceived you far transcend my deserts but my desires lie captive at your feet one â—eam from your bright eie wil kindle them a new and â—dd a new vigour to me your languishing prostrate The fear I have left my slender merit should take awaie our good mind to wish me well doth in a sort make all those joyes imperfect which my sweetest thoughts made me judge so fuil and entire On her desires FAirest Be but as desirous of my content as I am of your service My desires make me as careful to please you as I am bound by duty and compelled by inclination to serve you I wish Heaven that gave me the boldness of desire had likewise graced me with desert To give or present THis I dedicate consecrate and offer up unto you with the samt heart wherewith I vowed you my service Your bounty hath furnished me with power and your example with will accept therefore this small present gleaned from your plentious Harvest which shall ever testifie to the ungratefull world how much I glory to proclaim aloud my wealths chiefe founders I should be ignorant and ungrateful too should I presume to think it worthy your acceptance when every jewel receives its Character of value from your esteem The mass of all my wealth made up together disclaâ—ms the name of merit and therefore here I freely give it all and in the strong indentures of loyalty I bind my self your Prentice I had rather present you with some small thing and so be reputed ignorant than ungrateful Regard more the affection
precious for if you please to let it incircle your white finger it being a Diamond Ring will sparkle most in the dark shewing that love like a clouded Star shines lightest in the night of misfortune Gent VVell sir I am obliged to your courtesie to receive it and since you please to conser so rich a gift on my unworthiness I wil weare it for your sake Aym. Then you honour me above my desert for your acceptance of this sacrifice of my love is to me above all rewards The Ring is inscribed with amor circulus love is a Circle without end Gent. I must acknowledge your beauty and my self your servant for bestowing on me so rich a gift Aym. The sparkling lustre thereof cannot compare with the light beams of your eyes but honour me so much to weare it on your finger Gent. I promise that and more acknowledge my selfe infinitely beholding to you Aym. You have said too much concerning so poor a present yet in your acceptance of this trifle I shall ever bless my own happiness To wooe a coy scornfull Maid Aym. LEt not my love be misconstrued for presumption if I once again strive to warm your affection by declaring unto you how much I honour your perfection pray at last be mercifull and do not stil reward my love with cold disdain Maid Sir I know that men have powerfull Language but I am none of those young ones you are deceived if you think that fine Musk words can sweeten me up to betray my self and for my beauty I would not have you dote on that it suffices me without commendation Aym. Should I not commend what all admire I were much too blame Maid Sir Wise men admire nothing for if I were beautiful what is beauty but a fading flower blasted often with too much breathing on and cannot grow safely upon the stalk of Virginity because every one will be reaching forth to gather it Pray excuse me if I prevent such a danger for love and I are quite faln out Aym. Let me reconcile you to a good opinion of a chast love there is no greater happiness than the sacred Vnion of Hearts especially when long and humble suits conquer disdain and so I hope perseverance will at last Crown me with your love and bring you to entertain my desire with a mutuall affection Maid Sir If you would be more thrifty of your breath you may spend it to better purpose for you may intimate your desires and make tedious discourses But in a word I shall never love you Aym. O say not so you know not how much misery those few words would bring upon me for hope grounded on your gentle disposition hath hitherto kept me alive and made me walk like a faint shadow whilest in my chamber I am like a mourner with a Taper by me watching my own funerall and I will dwell there in a mist of sighes and all this for your sake Maid Sir I hope you will not accuse me of your death pray shake of this love and I will then acknowledg your kindness in ceasing to trouble me with complaints Learn wisdome that will cure all distempers Aym. Yet while I live I wil attend upon you and when I am dead I wil visit yoâ—â—n a dream and tel you you were a ciuell Maid 〈◊〉 â—â—clude let one parting kiss seal my transport to Eliâ—â—â—â— and I am gone Maid Sir since you are so resoluâ—e I will strive to give you a better answer at your next return Aym. In confidence of that happiness I wil presume to visit you again and live to be your servant A jesting discourse with a maid Aym COme why wil you be an enemie to your self and let modestie keep you stil in the state of virginity I came to offer my service to help you out of this trouble Maid You are very kind but I like my present estate Maids are happie Aym. Alas poor ignorance dost thou talk of happiness I tel thee until thou art married thou art but a Cypher and of no account Maid O sir You are deceived our hearts are free from the passion of love retain a world of happiness being exempted from any wanto Knowledge for maids dying in their present condition do all go to heaven Aym. You are deceived their punishment is to lead apes in hel and therefore to avoid this be kind while you may and accept of a friendly offer Maid What offer Aym. Lest it should raise a blush upon your cheek I wil whisper it into your ear you understand Maid Take heed sir lest while you counterfeit a flame you kindle a real fire I bear too much thy infectious words have betrayed a base ignoble mind Aym. Why I did but tel you a truth I had thought you had been more intelligent and would not have scarred at a bold word Maid Nay farwel Aym. Pardon me all I have spoken was to try your temper and having found you both wise and witty I wil desire you in a fair manner to grant me your love which I only desire and though I did appear rash and wanton you shal find me worthy of your affections To contract privately ones self to tythe knot of marriage Aym. NOw our love hath arrived to a happy conclusion the storms raised by our disdain being blown over the union of our affections making a soft and gentle harmony which the soul can only discern therefore that our new begun love may never expire I do here in the sight of heaven and all good angels marry and contract my soul to yours and give away my selfe wholly to be at your disposing till the Ceremonies of the Church confirm my promise Maid With as true an affection I do give my self over into your possession and freely bestow on you my love which shall never know alteration but remain ever firm and constant to you it is therefore expedient that you obtain my friends good wil according to your promise and til then we must remain only contracted in our affections Aym. Heaven I beseech thee bear witness to our private agreement and may I never know one day of comfort when I break my promised Vow let me now embrace you with the arms of affection and thus with a soft kiss seal the obligation of our loves To salute a friend newly arriv'd from a journey Alex. SIir When first the news of your return had arrived to my knowledg I was heigtn'd with an earnest desire to behold you and prevent other of your friends by the first tender of my service that as my love towards you doth exceed theirs in true perfect sincerity so it might in place obtain priority and shew how ambitious I am of your favour Aym. Sir You still continue your former nobleness making it your chiefe ayme to exceed others in perfection of mind otherwise I had an intention to visit you but it is your desire and happiness to overcome others in kindness for which I can but
right belonging to these other Gentlemen Alex. We might have spar'd this Ceremonie for the appetite loves good dainties better than Complements Now pray carve for your selves you are kindly welcome Gent. Sir We wil not put you to any trouble in helping us we know that manners wil allow us to make a dinner we come to trespass on you The Feasters excuse to his friend after Dinner ALEX. Sir I desire you to excuse your mean fare and slender entertainment whereunto I have presumed much to invite you but I hope our ancient acquaintance and your own good nature will procure me Pardon in that I have done this only to enjoy your company and society for your good discourse is to me a Feast far exceeding any dainties that I could provide for you Friend Your reall kindness hath been such and so unexpected that I cannot give you sufficient thanks for your courtesie and kinde entertainment all that I can retribute is t promise that I wil snatch an opportunity to express my gratitude Alex. You have honoured me enough in your acceptance of my good will But it is not wholsome to stir suddenly after dinner Let 's discourse you are conversant abroad what News do you hear Fr. Pardon me sir the world runs round about me whilest I stand unmoved never markiâ—g the motions thereof and therefore I am altogether ignorant in novelties it may be you hear more A. Indeed sir J have so many affairs that J can enquire after none J thought you could have given us some good intelligence Fr. Sir J desire you to excuse me for J hold it fruitless imployment but to satisfie your request if J knew any fresh News that were not yet in print J should be bold to acquaint you with it since you desire me A. J wil not importune any further but desire your pardon that J should impose on you the office of an intelligencer excuse my intent therein since what J desired was to pass away the time while we sit but now if you please we will rise Fr. Sir then J most really thank you you have made me bold with you J wil accompany you a while to the fire and then take my leave To offer service to a young Maid AYM Seeing you are alone I would willingly attenâ— on you if you please to accept of my service Maid It is more than I desite or deserve and it would appear boldness in me to accept of a strangers companie For it is not for me to entertain all shews and offers of kindness I can but thank you for your good wil I am not far distant from mine own home Aym. I pray let me bear you company and by the way make me happy in some discourse resolve me one question wâ—re you ever in love Maid Though it be no manners to answer one question with demanding another yet wil I presume to ask you if you were never in love Aym. Fair one from thence springs my unhappâ—ness I am too forward in these desires I have beheld many beauties but you have prevailed more than the rest to conquer my affection and I must acknowledge that in meeting you I have met death or life Maid Pray speak in plain terms I am ignorant of your meanings Aym. I desire you then know and believe that I am already far in love with you and I hope you will not scorn my sudden motion if I should desire you to reward my love with your favour and by the way let me entreat you to thâ—nk that heaven have pointed our sâ—range accidental meeting and gave me boldness to pâ—tition your favour and affection which I hope you wil grant Maid Sir I know not â—n this case how to give an answer that may procure your content but I desire you to impoâ—tune me no farther but grant me time to consider your motion and this is my fathers house whâ—ther if you pease to come hereaâ—ter I wil strâ—ve to resolve â—ou howsoeâ—er you shall be welcome Aym. But before I lose your presence which is my chiefest happiness let me tel you that when you go you bear away my heart with you and I shall only languish in sorrow til I visit you again Maid Pray sir do not hold me any longer in dâ—scourse there are many jealous eyes that do watch an occasion to expose me to censures for maintaining with you such an usuall familiarity let me intreat you as you tender my credit to leave me Aym. I must obey you honour me with an ordinary salutation and I wil vanish like a shadow and return again to wait on you who are the substance of my life To confer with a widow in an amorous wooing manner AYM I would entreat you fair widow not to discourage me in my first suit since your modesty and virtuous carriage in your husbands life time hath made me bold to plead for affection and to cherish a certain hope that I should obtain your good liking VVid. Sir I would not have you imagine that my love to my former husband was Written in a Table-Booâ— the Letters whereof may be soon wiped out again no it wa engraven upon my heart and there doth remain to inform me that I ought not to wrong him with a second marriage Aym. Nay widow I must acknowledge you have a fair prâ—tence to put me off with the remembrance of your said husband but will you alwayes punish your self and fast from the joyes of marriage VVid. It is my ful resolved purpose and therefore let not any wanton opinion concerning me give you hope of obtaining my love alas since his departure I am dead unto the world and do but only lye to sigh when I remember that I had so good an husband Aym. His goodness is gone with him but for my part I will be your loving active servant come come put off grief and false imaginations of honouring of the dead for if his soul were capable of any knowledg concerning earthly matters he would rejoyce to see you happâ—ly married and as he gave you all contentment in his life so he would desire that you might be supplyed in the same kind after his death Widow You speake unhappily but pray be satisfied that I intend not to marry yet I respect your good will and in other matters will remaine readie to requite your love A. For other matters I am satisfied but your love is the Mark whereat I aim why would you thus strive to become a Virgin again and forget the conceit of former pleasures which are yet fresh in your remembrance fie fie you do not wel to make your self so dul of apprehension I am come to offer service in the right kind and therefore you are very much to blame to refuse the tender of my respects W. You speak mysteries but I desire if you love me shew it in ceasing to prosecute your suit for I must tell you plainly it will prove fruitless and of none effect Aym. I cannot
lustfull suit withdraw You shall not thatch my New-house with old straw An Epithalamium for a VVedding Night NOw is that welcom night addrest When love beauty makes a feast Let not the Bridegroom be afraid Though he encounter with a maid Shee l squeck shee l cry Shee l fain shee l eye Shee l fear as she did tremble But take her and rowse her And mowse her and rowse heâ— For she doth but dissemble Now Mistris Bride thus much to you The Item I shall give is true Young maidens must not be to coy To entertain their wishes joy But take him and hug him And rug him and lug him For thus true love is tryed Nor be too nice in yeilding things Which must not be denyed Protestations of Charity I le bind my hands to fasten just desire My tongue shall fear to wrong my Mistris fair And if to gaze on her mine eyes aspire I wash them forth with my repentant tears If my proud hands dares once offend my love Or make an offer of a guilty touch I le cut the veins whereby my Fingers move And blead the last my love to her is such If any part or motion of my sence Transcends the limits of my loves direction My bodies death shall ransome that offence My souls engag'd so deep in her perfection A Description of love A Lover is like the Hearb Helitâ—opia which alwaies inclineth to that place where the sun shineth being deprived of the Sun dieth so as lunaries herb as long as the Moon waxeth bringeth forth leaves and the waning shaketh them off So a lover whilst he is in the company of his lâ—dy where all joyes increase uttereth many pleasant conceits but banâ—shed from the sight of his mistris whereall mirth decreaseth either liveth in melancholly or died with desparation Of constancie in Lovâ— COnstancie is like unto the Stork who wheresoeever she fly commeth into no nest but her own or the Lapwing whom nothing can drive her from her young ones but death The Tongue of a Lover should be like the Poinâ— in a Diall which though it go none can see it â—oiâ—g or a young Tree which though it grow noâ—e can perceive it growing The Tryangles in love THere must be in every Tryangle three Lines the first beginneth the second augmenteth the third concludeth it a figure So in Love three Vertues affection which draweth the heart the second Secrecie which increaseth the hope third Constancie which finisheth the VVork without any of these three Rules â—o Tryangle without these three Vertues no Love Another LOve is not unlike the fig-tree whose fruit is sweet but the root is more bitter than the claw of Byteâ—â— or liâ—â— the Apple in Persia whose blossome savoureth likâ— honey whose bud is more sowre than gall as the adament draweth the heavie Iron and the Harp the fleet Dolphin so beauty allureth the chast mind to love and the wisest wiâ—â— to lust and who more trayterous to Phillis than Demophoon yet he a traveller who more perjured to Dido â—haâ— Aeneas and he a stranger who more false to Ariâ—dâ—e thaâ— Theseus yet he a Saylor who more fickle to Medea thaâ— Jason yet he a Staâ—â—â— Again love is like musk though it be sweet in smel it is sower in the smack the leaf of tâ—â— Cedar tree though it be fair to be seen yet the sirrop depâ—â—v th sight even so love though it be pâ—â—gâ—ned by saluting each other with a kiss â—â—t it â—s shaâ—â—n off by fraud of the heart A perfect Lover should be like the glass-worm which shineth most bright in the dark or like the pure frankinsencâ— which smelleth most sweet when it is in the fire or to the Damask Rose which is sweeâ—er in the stil than on the stalk In praise of a loving friend OF all the heavenly gifts on earth Which mortall men commend No treasure wel may countervail A true and faithfull friend What sweeter solace can befall Than such a one to finde As in whose brest thou maist repose The secrets of thy minde If flattering fortune seem to frown And drive thee to distress A true and faithfull friend wil help at need And make thy sorrows less Oh precious Item Oh Jewel great On Friendship Pearl of Price Thou surely dost each thing excel That man can wel devise The Golden Mines are soon decay'd When Fortune turns the Wheel And Force of Arms is soon allay'd If body sickness feel And cunning art soon overthrown Experience teacheth plain And all things else their course doth change When friendship doth remain But since by proof they have been taught A feigned friend to know I wil not trust such glossing tongues More than any open Foe A Complementall Letter for receiving divers favours SIR I am so tyed unto you by your many favours as I profess I know not how to carry my selfe in thankfulness unto you Sir This I earnestly desire you that you wil instead of a recompence for all your favours accept thanks and of your poor creature who is able to give nothing take prayer for payment what my good mindâ— is to you my tongue cannot express what my true meaning is your heart cannot conceive Sir I hope it shall be read with the same mind it was written taken on the right hand it shal I trust not want its due effect and good acceptance I know it is not excellent but the worst your worthiness indeed whom I have oft admired deserves far betterâ— yet I pray you accept of it and God I trust in time wil inable me to give a further testimonial of my poor service to you Yours in the best bond that I may Another Letter for one absent KInd Sir The scarcity of Letters make them prove dainties being the only way to enjoy presence in affection though not in realty I confess the beâ—t way to judge of a things excellencie is sometimes to want it for we esteem not of the excellency of breath til we want ayre to breathe in and the goodness of your conversation is seen sometimes in absence from you seeing it is absence that kindles a desire to enjoy your presence Sir I suppose you are not ignorant of that common rule that Letters are alwayes for to to bee indited in a kind of careless strain which rule Tully that Prince of Orators observeth in his Epistles the Bonclace of Rhetorich is better to adorn and imbrace the neck of some love-sick Gentlewomen which is as a token sent from her lover to please her and keep her from crying I doubt not but you easily perceive what natural love ought to be united betwixt us raked up in the ashes of forgetfulness and almost quite extinguished for want of blowing and in whose power is it to revive this languishing but in you sir who are the life of Rhetorick Sir the great esteem I have ever had of your friendship suffers me not to endure your absence any longer This tyrannie of your humor or
Where shines their Father but in loves great Court On her delaying marriage Where hearts be knit what helps if not to enjoy Delay breeds doubts no cunning to be coy On his desires What can be said that lovers cannot say Desire can make a Doctor in a day On hand and heart Heaven seals that faith which firmly stands And joyns our hands with hearts our hearts with hands On Misfortune The man that stil amidst misfortunes stands Is sorrows slave and bound in lasting bands On fate They fall which trust to Fortunes fickle wheel But staid by vertue men shall never reel On disdain In high disdain love is a base desire And Cupids Flames is but a watry fire A Knot of most Excellent Letters Wherein is laid open all the Perfections or art of Complementing or inditing any Epistle or Love-Letters A letter of a loving father to his sonne before his death MY Son thou art now coming into the world that I am going out of and yet before my departure I thought fit to write a few lines unto thee what are I hope needful for thee to have a care of whil'st thou livest in it I know thou wilt not break thy bread all in one house feed alwayes of one dish nor live alwayes in one place therefore let me give thee a little kind admonition in this short Letter for thy carriage in all courses the Court is a place of more charge than ease the City-Gawds of more pleasure than worth and the Countrey sports of more pleasure than profit yet is there no service to the King no dwelling to the City nor pleasure to the Countrey but all the weight of the worth of them is in the hand of wisdom who in the knowledge of the use of them makes the best esteem of them but lest I am too tedious and long lessons may overcharge the memory take this one rule for thy learning in all and thou shalt finde it good in â—ore than a few Whersoever thou goest note the best choose the best and keep the best be nor buryed in earth before thou commest to the grave noâ— build Castles in the Ayre lest they fall down upon thy head let not thy eye abuse thy heart nor thy tongue thy will and let reason govern thy will in all the passages of thy Nature be neither needy nor ungratefull uncourteous or unkind and examine thy conscience in the care of thy content ground thy love upon Vertue thy hope upon Reason and thy Happiness upon Grace Live as a Stranger in the World and make what hast thou canst to Heaven Be loyall to thy Prince naturall to thy Countrâ—y Faithfull to thy Friend Kind to thy Neighbour and honest to the whole World so shall God bless thee the best love thee and the worst not hurt thee And thus so weak in body that the Spirit fainteth enforced me to express these few lines of fatherly love unto thee with my Prayers to the Lord of Heaven for thy preservation in this World and Eternall Happiness in the World to come with my Love Blessing and therewith what I am able to leave thee to the Merciful Guard of Heaven I commit thee and rest Thy loving Father c. His Answer MY most loving father this legacy of your love for the direction of my life how much I prize it in my hearts thankfulness the eye of your judgment shal behold in my observation give me leave to tel you that in this little time that I have spent idly in this world I have had some tast of the meat that you have given me where I find that the best meat may be spoyled spoyled in the dressing whilest a cunning Cook will make a rich service of small cost and though giddy heads are in love with gaudy toyes yet the better sorâ— of opinions esteem a small Diamond before a great Saphire I care not if I rather adventure far for the honour of vertue than lessen my Estate by breach of arms and seeing there are so many counterfeits that the best jewel may be mistaken I will meddle with no such wares as may call repentance to an after-reckoning while mine heart looketh toward heaven I hope the Earth shall not blinde my eyes nor the vain â—â—lights of Nature prevail against the vertues of reason but all is in the power of powers by whose grace being guided I shall be ever so preserved that howsoever my heart may be wounded yet I hope I shal never be confounded in hope whereof and unto the which beseeching the almighty either in health to prolong your dayes or in the election of his love to call you to a better life more esteeming these precepts of your love than all the portion you can leave me saving your blessing and so I humbly take my leave and rest Your loving and most obedient Son til death c. A Letter to a friend to borrow money SIR If borrowing of money be not a breach of friendship let me intreat your patience to open your purse I am loath to be too troublesome in making many words where such affable gentleness out-passeth all merit a present occasion puts me to the adventure of your kindness the matter is not much yet it will at this time pleasure me as much as so much may do the sum five pounds the time three months my credit the assurance and hearty thanks the interest thus without troubling the Scrivener I hope my letter will be of sufficient power to prevail with your love intreating your present answer in the affection of an honest heart I commit you to the Almighty Yours or not his own His Answer SIR if your friendship were a follower of fortune Love would have but a little life in this World the contents of your Letter hath put me to a strict account of my Estate how I may help you and not hurt my self I could make many excuses but that they tast of small comfort and therefore knowing time to be precious and to avoid delayes let this suffice your request is granted and the money I have sent you and not doubting your credit wil take your word for a bond and for the use without abuse I wish but requitall upon the like occasion Sir I am so glad that in this or any thing in my power I may make proof of my love I rest in the same Yours or not mine own c. A love-letter to a worthy Gentlewoman FAire Mistris if I had no eyes I should not like you and if not wit I should not love you for the brightness of your beauty is for no blind sight to gaze upon nor the worthiness of your vertue for no weak brains to beat upon if you say I flatter you look into your self and do me no wrong and if I do you right chide nor affection for a discovery where truth is honourable pardon my presumption if it exceed your pleasure and commend his service who will make an honour of
happiness Once a day read these few lines for my sake which if they do that good to thee which I heartily pray for in thee till when and ever my hearts love Thy loving Brother c. His Answer MY good Brother I thank you for your carefull and kind Letter yet let me â—â—l you that zeale without discretion proves not the best part of Religion Reports may be idle and then belief may be erronious when mistakings may breed abuse of good uses I know that riches are witches to them that make heaven of this world but he that hath a leaden wit wil never worship a Golden Calf but since I know Abraham and Lazarus were alike in election give me leave while I am in this world by Christ rather than avarice rather to be a husbandman than to be a labourer for hire If I have wronged any it is unwittinglyâ— whom if I know I wil satisfie most willingly and for the wound of conscience I will hope to be so far from hypocrisie that I shal be free from that fear and therefore though travel hath taught you much experience in the world and having sufficient maintenance to pass through the world you make the less account of the world yet when carefull thrist breedeth no covetous thraldome be not jealous of my love with all the pleasures of the world to make comparison with the least of heavens comfort I know the highest Mountain is but earth and the lowest valley is no other and therefore when I carry my foot-stool on my head let me walk like a fool or monster In brief I know the world and 〈◊〉 to use it and keep account with my care how I mâ—â— most contentedly leave it but for my love to him thâ—â— made it let me live no longer in it then I love and hâ—nour him above it and so intreating you to blow oâ—â— ill breaths that may abuse my disposition and to bâ—â— perswaded so far of my souls health that my joy is ever and only in Christ Jesus to his preservation leaving the happy issue of your hopes in the nature of the best love til I see you and alwaies I rest Your most loving Brother c. A Letter of love to an honourable Lady HOnourable Madam if love were not above reason it would not be so high in regard who dwelling only in the spirits of the best understanding feeds the heart only with the fruits of an infallible resolution What it is in its own nature hath been diversly described but I think never known but unto them that inwardly know it Some hold it a Riddle thaâ— none can interpret but he that made it But if it be aâ— I have read of it a child and beauty begot it I hopâ— Nature wil be her self not unkind to her own breâ—â— how to prove truth the honour in your eyes thâ—◠〈◊〉 wrought my heart to your service shal make â—n oâ—â— to your favour in the happiness of your employmeâ—â— So craving pardon for my presumption in my devâ—â—â— duty to the honour of your command I humbly taâ—â—â— my leave Your Lady-ships in all humbleness c Her answer WOrthy knight if love be above reason it musâ— be either divine or devillish and so regarded accordingly what it is I think is best known by the effect of it howsoever idle brains have beaten about the description of it Riddles are but jests of wit and miracles are ceased from being seen in our age But 〈◊〉 be a child though of a strange Parentage surely nature wil not suffer the Mother to be cruel to her own breed but if it fall out to be an ungracious father what then wil be thought of the children Yet lest in misconstruing a conceit I may mistake a content since in the secret of nature may be a sense of strange under standing I wil suspend my judgement til I have made proof of my opinion when eyes and hearts meet together in discourse I hope the business wil be soon ended that is referred to indifferent judgment So til occasion be offered of the performance of imployment hoping that vertue and honour will soon agree upon sure grounds til I see you I rest Your loving friend c. A Letter from a Knight to a Nobleman for the entertaining of a Secretary NOble LORD I hear that your Secretary hath lately taken his leave of thâ—s world in whose place if you be not provided let my love prevail with your honour for the entertaâ—nment of thâ—s bearer a Gentleman and a kinsman of mine in whose commendations I dare thus far use my cred â— h s heart shall be as fair as his hand upon any occasion of your imployment and for his wâ—t it â—s both in caput and copy-hold for he hath read much and observed morâ— than a little his discent hath been from the loyns of an honourable Line and for his disposition every way I hope you shall finde it no way displeasing Not to trouble you with long circumstance leaving happiness to your acceptance with my service to your command in all humble love I take my leave at this time but rest during life Your Honours devoted to be commanded c. The Lords Answer MY kind Knight I have received your Letter fulfilled your request and entertained your Kinsman of whom I am already so wel perswaded besides the assurance of your knowledg that I think a little matter shal not make square in our loves I find what you write of him and shal have much imployment for him I thank you for him and if he continue his carriage which I doubt not he will be of better fortune than my favour and yet somwhat the more for your sake I wil take such a care of him that ere many months pass you shall find my love in him so til I see you at my house where you shall make your own welcome I rest Your most assured friend c. A Letter to a friend on the other side of the Sea SIR Distance of place must make no difference of minds love and life amongst hearts make an enâ— together I have long longed to hear from you anâ— if I had known whither I had ere this written unto you but now having met with him that meaneth shortly to see you I have thought good to let you know that 〈◊〉 yet live to love you and soâ—ger not to pray for you that all happâ—ness may befall you glad I would be 〈◊〉 see you in the mean tâ—me to â—ear from you how thâ— world goeth there about you whether all birds be 〈◊〉 one feather and how they flie together What blazing Stars have been lately seen and what your Astronomers think wil follow of their appearance whether your wine be watred before it come over and how Youth and Age agree upon the Conjunction Copulative How the great fith and little agree together in your seas and how your Rabbets escape the Kite abroad and the Pole-cat in their Borrows