hope will come and beare a part To hide my want of voyce my want of Art Corona Alphabeticall in imitation of the 119 Psalme AWay unhallowed spirits fleshly borne Unto the second birth these lines belong Your eyes are full of lust your hearts of scorn You cannot taste a supernatur'd song When in Gods furnace you shall prove refin'd Divinely transubstantiate from above Your Soules contrite your stony hearts calcin'd And him propound sole object of your love Then shall my inspirations finde applause And penetrate your soules as well as mine Then will you finde them both your meat and sauce And warm your spirits at such beams Divine God knows what preparations I have past Oft broken with this Plough to kill my weeds Down melted in a new mould to be cast Macerate fetter'd fitted for new seeds When his magnetique vertue draws you come Till then to what I write be blinde deaf dumb BLest Founder of this earthly Hospitall Sole daily Benefactor to mankinde Lord Paramount of Lords of Kings and all Soule of our Soules controller of the minde Transcendent Essence dazling more our sight Then Sun-beams Owles harder to comprehend Then 't is for Ants to judge and reason right Of men and know whereto their counsels tend Thou who giv'st Faith and Grace spirituall Hearts happiest Center food and notion Who truely art what falsely we doe call Instinct or Nature Father of motion Inspire my soule my spirit animate Thy working power and glory to expresse That these my lines may partly expiate My lives and pens past errors and impresse Thy stampe divine upon my readers heart Assisted by thy holy Spirits Art COntemne not Lord this humble sacrifice This Incense from the censor of my heart Heart which thy quickning Spirit mortifies To live and die to thee a true convert As in my heart so flow into my stile Untie tune cleare my soule that I may sing Thy saving grace and prove most happy while I may one sparkle to thy glory bring None but a power Almighty could create Yet greater wonder our redemption was Nor goes lesse mercy to regenerate That worke nor consummate nor Sabbath has To live fresh fishes in this briny Sea To swim by faith against strong natures streame Beyond our reason and our eyes to see And make thy soule transporting love our theame This Antedates the sweet fruition Of thy most beatifique vision DIspence O Lord that I polluted lame Presume thy power and mercies to display Thy Priest should perfect be and free from blame But thy projection workes on base allay The greatest graces thou hast summon'd all Thy creatures to thy praise their rent to pay Nor can I chuse but answer to thy call Accountable for mercies more then they But yet alas what fruite can I expect From these farre short of lines Apocryphall Since thine owne dictates finde so small effect And Isralites prov'd hypocriticall Yes thou hast wonders wrought on me and canst By thy assistance so my labours blesse Some one at least by me may be advanc'd To feele thy Spirits motion and redresse The course of sinne which flesh cannot withstand Without the succour of thy sacred hand ERect O Lord thy Trophees in my Verse Confound with shame th' Idolatrizing Muse Teach such with me thy praises to rehearse T is better write to save then to seduce Teach them thy beautie riches thou who art Riches and beauties donor cleare their eyes To admire the vertues which thou doest impart To the rich furnish'd earth and guilded skies Thou needst no strain'd conceits nor figures such As they imploy to shew wit and give grace Thou their Hyperbole's exceed'st so much They faint to see invention wants a place Oh that my Verse like Aarons rod had pow'r To overcharme what those inchanters sing And all their strong illusions to devour Or like the Brasen Serpent cure their sting Then might my Muse triumphant Lawrell weare Endu'd with grace no thunder blasts to feare FAther of beautie goodnesse power and love Vertue of vertues spring of eloquence By whom alone we are we live and move And exercise a happy confidence Whose love to us made thee evacuate Thy selfe and glory frailtie to put on Frailtie to hunger die degenerate To man in all but his corruption Oh let thy love like love in us procure And teach us to deny our selves for thee Change which to thee was losse will be our cure Thy hunger food thy death our life will bee Teach us to love and we shall learne to write In Characters of love our hearts will flow Love chafes benummed spirits to endite And ever carries light ' its flames to show Make mee Oh Lord to thee a perfect lover And love will both it selfe and thee discover No wonder else if we prove dull to write For 't is a wonder Lord to love thee right GRieve Oh my heart grieve that thou canst not grieve Grieve that thy streames flow counter to thy will Grieve that thy fraile propensions still survive And thy intemperate nature swayes thee still Shame oh my soule oh shame to see thy shame Shame that nor faith nor reason can prevaile Shame that thou knowest most savage things to came And that thy Art upon thy selfe doth faile Suffer thou doest and justly suffer too In selfe offending wilt thou still befoole Thy selfe in doing what thou should'st not doe And non-proficient prove in thy owne schoole Yes Lord it will be so except thy grace Continually prevent preside restraine In thy least absence nature will take place Nor can against it selfe it selfe containe Children from Nurses are nor safe nor quiet Without thee soule nor body can keepe diet Destroy Oh Lord what foments our annoy Or wild presumption will our health destroy HEaven wert thou no reward Hell but a tale Religion but a waking dreame begot Twixt policie and fancy to prevaile Over fraile flesh and hopes and feares besot Were conscience but a brat of Arts begetting As reall in ' its falshood as in truth A home-spun stuffe as false wrought as selfe fretting A brand impos'd upon our tender youth Yet hath it pleas'd my Lord to manifest So palpably his selfe and love to mee Were nature richer sweeter I le divest And strip my selfe of all for love of thee None more then I th'erroneous print can read Of melancholy and superstition Nor better all their subtile steps untread Distinguishing between Text and Tradition Beleeve me more hath gone me to convert Then either wit or nature can pervert HAbituate maladies are hardly cur'd Relaps proves often mortall worst in sinne To me relaps'd oft and to sinne inur'd Strange hath thy mercy Lord and patience been Insolvable I am for such great grace Yet I ambitious am to make returne What most is mine and others most embrace In gratefull sacrifice to thee I burne Obedience Temperance I here professe Worldly delights and wealth I abdicate No fetter'd votary yet ne're the lesse My selfe to thee I freely consecrate Power
inquisitive and judicious Reader then much matter and conceit compendiously digested with sufficiency of perspicuity To conclude lines of a farre fetcht and labour'd fancy with allusions and curiosity and in similes of little more fruit or consequence then to ravish the Reader into the writers fine Chamaeleon colours and feed him with aire I approve not so much as heighth and force of spirit sententiously and weightily exhibited wit needs not rack it self where matter flowes embroderies become not a rich stuffe and art is best exprest where it least appeares A strong wing is to be preferred before a painted and good â—ense and matter elegantly delivered before extravagancy of fancy and conceit such unnaturall impertinency serves rather to shadow then illustrate to overwhelme then set forth the subject as well apposite as accurate writing is the Authorsglory Postscript upon occasion of the then young Princes pretended desire to have sight of the following Poems ANd here under pardon to conclude with this further defence of Love the subject of this little work but taking it more large and high I find love to be the most worthy object of the best and most generous dispositions and none but maligne natures that addresse not their thoughts towards it for what good and worthy mind hath its being that is not bent as upon its felicity either to the love of women the most naturall of men the most noble or above all of God the most happy and rewardfull Whither else tend all our studies of comlinesse of glory and noble actions of charity and good deeds Wherein can man so well resemble his great Creator as by worth and goodnesse to win love what more noble end can any man have to study vertue and perfection then thereby to win affection and praise the reward and food of vertue and tribute of God Nay love the essence of God the good spirit and wings of the soule the Mother Child and finall cause of Beauty the begetter and maintainer of the world the life of life by love the Sunne shines and the earth brings forth by love is society and commerce maintained by love the soule dwels with the body and God with the soule by love nature ever works for our preservation when the body and almost the soule are laid in sleep Admirable love without thee life is hatefull man but a wolfe to man the world a second Chaos For thy sake alone who affectest not a decaying Mansion I apprehend losse by growing old yet thus againe am I comforted by thy most divine power that thou never abandonest the dwelling of goodnesse and art successively fruitfull over all the good works of nature to the worlds period so that to the vertuous where the love of women failes the love of men begins and where that by the withering imperfections of age grows cold as the aire to a setting Sunne there for our supreame and infinite comfort begin to shine most clearly the beames of that divinest love which before were too much intercepted by the sensualities and passions of our younger yeares to make us therein eternally happy by that operation of love and contemplation of beauty which at the last must be our soules immortall food and joy Advertisement upon the first Verses I am not ignorant that who keepes the common road falls not into the incumbrances incurred by them who search or by or nearer wayes Writing is a by-path of life I am yet ingaged to it but hope shortly to get out and by the way I give you this Antidote and Rapsody of praecaution and true information concerning the following pieces The reason why I retaine and expose them with others is not so much that I esteem them worthy of view or life as that they were many yeares since Copyed and spread abroad beyond my knowledge then and are now beyond my power to recall they are more Chaffe then Corn fitter to bee ventilated blown away and play in the aire then vented in any Market and commerce of wit and censure they are incorrect if not incorrigible yet I consent to leave them and many other my pieces such as they are to represent unto me the difference 'twixt then and now To attempt to perfect them were to dispersonate their youth and hasty nature and fall into the much frequented stage Error of putting stronger lines and more conceited and elaborate elegancy into weake mouths and strong passions then well comporteth with them let their youth and genuine conception plead their pardon You shall mistake them if you often conceive them not rather the off-spring of fancy then passion But take them at the worst they have something of reason and serious in them and the errours of love are not so foule as the love of errour nor is it impertinent to perswade love in them who have constrained it in you and love may bee such as to become no lesse justifiable then naturall Love is in truth of divers kinds ever an Ebullition of the liver sometimes it is made and forced upon us sometimes wee weave and foole our selves into it sometimes it proceeds from gratitude and good nature of gratification It is generally the child of weaknesse as well as of idlenesse witnesse my selfe in my childish youth and Melancholy humour A vigorous gayety of the heart and mind taken up and busie in other affections and entertainments hardly admits it It is a sad confinement a disease like womens longing where the violent appetite of one object no better then the rest gives relish to that alone whilst a right and undistasted apprehension of every thing in the true kind is the much better and sounder constitution and as in longing after such or such a morsell the consideration is carried by the fancy and tast which have no rule but themselves or as at Table the hearty approbation of some one dish is a provocation to others appetites so in love And as most Dogs will often strive to get away anothers bone though otherwise little desired or when a morsell is offered to bee snatched from them grow greedy of that which before they neglected so in affections I leave the application Sometimes as love hath been tearmed a warfare so is brave Conquest made ambition too many make it their felicity and effeminately bend all their affections towards it Sometimes it is taken up for a fashion and to be in fashion is in idle times of no small importance to idle and gallant persons Sometimes like Coqualuchios and Epidemicall diseases it may much proceed from the disposition of the Ayre as in other kind wee may observe of quarrells that they seldome go alone Our poore volatile ayery affections are strongly wrought upon as well from outward as inward incentives winds and Aspects The first accesse of love is not ever by the eyes it hath often a strong foundation and preocupation begotten at the eare when a noble heart takes impression of a well lodged reputation eminent in fame vertue
generalitie of love and applause attending it there is it already halfe as much subdued as it is ambitious to possesse and subdue to complete I acknowledge the approbation of the eye for a requisite concomitant To draw and quicken sometimes the saying of the shadow is usefully true it flies what followes and pursues what seemes to retire and flie Whether love bee most naturall betweene differing or sutable complections may as well bee a question as the old rule of friendship to consist amongst equalls hath been lately controlled But as friendships are conceived most firme in such relation and tye as there may bee a dependency wrought either by a reciprocation of mutuall benefits and advantages or where at least the good and fortune of the one relies and fastens it selfe upon the other So if the fantasticall existence of love receive not a fixation from some more solid root and consideration such as growes either from a rationall and deliberate election or from such like sympatheticall proportion of mind vertue and affections it will bee easily subject to scatter and blow away in the lightnesse of the soyle that produced it It is a fantastique and hardly to bee concluded on by reason but wee generally see it is specificall as betweene vipers and other creatures in their kind And certainly there is a self-self-love raigning in us which will not well permit a quick viperine highgusted spirit to fancy one of a dull and flegmatique temper Who ever lov'd that lov'd not at first sight is as false as fine circumstance and opportunities more often beget it and love to shew its extravagant power ordinarily graffs it selfe upon the stock of an unfavourable prejudiciall and crabbed opinion As there is great difference betwixt What will you give and What will you take so is there in seeking and making love or being found and made to it Wise men are said to make more opportunities then they find but in love it holds the other way True love is as passive as active and it is the height of its true art to moderate it selfe as to love and bee wise How blind and unreasonable soever it is supposed as I have otherwhere said a fair kind and sutable object hath much to alledge why it ought to bee loved and it is a peculiar prerogative of faith to transcend our reason you see I affect to write rather obscurely then full and largely what you stick upon to conceive may stick the better with you I have often pitied to see not onely the most beautifull of creatures but the fairest and kindest natures most subject to the excesse and vitious fruite of their love and kindnesse there is belonging to them a kind of goodnesse being as well affected in a gratification of others as the naturall pleasure respecting onely themselves It is as happy that divine and humane Lawes have circumscribed us herein as it is miserable to see how nature by a gallantry of custome hath shaken off her fairer richer girdles and bracelets so farre as to become relapsed into her naked native current common with other creatures almost drowned in her owne whirlpoole and neglecting all other lessons of vertue honour and Religion men may ordinarily learne from women a strength beyond their ordinary in maintaining themselves above the vanitie and levitie of resenting impression from admiring and affecting eyes you may attribute it to their honour lying at stake one way as ours another but well considered men as well in honour as fortune prove the greater losers by such intanglings perfection of one may bee imperfection in another But here let the most unlovely natures and contemners of love find this Paradox that there is none of them all so clay or kay cold but despitâ— of their rigid perverse discourse and disposition I except impotent maleficiat aged and sickly frigidity if they meet with a right a kind and courting subject and bee plyed with warme cloathes it shall put them into such a heate as birds feele in the Spring or Deere in the Autumne yet this I grant that very many not incapable of love wander all their lives without meeting a true steele to their flint or a fatall constellation of the heavenly and earthly stars to their inflammation You know the proverbe of marriage and hanging and old sayings are somewhat authentique Fate may bee easilier slighted then avoyded Gamesters may think to counter-shuffle Fortune out of her course when the poore fooles become in truth her Instruments to shuffle themselves into her noose Reason and discourse were not given to us I confesse in vaine and they are to bee imployed according to good discretion yet such as will leave nothing to fortune are not ever the most successefull As men in ships conceit the earth to move when it is themselves so wee may wittily thinke wee leade and fetter fortune which in spight of our wisedome will prove our guide and steerer There are to us in our courses as to Pilots at Sea certaine insensible currents that force us out of our propounded way and scope Si fortuna volet fies de Rhetore Consul Si volet haec eadem fies de Consule Rhetor. The universall agent is the great and prime wheele by whose motion all thoughts actions and events are commanded It is hee who turnes Ille ego qui quondam from Mantua to Troy or Rome and so it gratiously pleased him to convert my Muse by a better to a better nature St. Paul made us witnesses of his and I am contented by an equall Communication of both kinds to make you witnesses of my better conversion That Eternall and Melior natura I implore to instruct mee to distinguish betwixt him and man true or false Piety and Charitie to preside mee in all my courses and leade mee in his trust to him in whom alone is all true fâ—licitie Amen Amen 1638. Many of these Verses I owne not for I In them was scarce my owne Nor am I hee Who made them but since from such vanitie May grow such change reade through and change with mee AVRORA AWake my silent long reserved Muse Th' allarme of love tumultuous in my heart Summons out all my soules best strength art And doth my weaker faculties confuse What serve you now you precept Sentinells You Rampars fram'd of reason and discourse Against all passions power and intercourse One puts you now to flight who all compells To yeeld unto her all-subduing might 'T is shee may truely say I come I see And captivate the proudest hearts to mee Her power commands mee love admire and write Her glory and my love above compare Wherein great Queene of love accept good will For it exceeds the power of earthly quill Either t' expresse they so transcendent are On then my pen my burd'ned soule to ease Shee absent thou alone my mind must please Not for their worth but for thy worthinesse Accept of these presumptuous ruder lines Where through my weaknesse thy bright beauty
balme such as no gold can buy To ease those hearts that for your love have smarted Grant then my lives faire Sun Apollo-like VVhose light 's our light our life direction cure These vertues Phoebus yeelds thy essence pure That I may offer at the shrine I seeke The pleasing sacrifice and fruits of love Which tasted may your equall pleasure prove You Elegie wayling writers elegant VVhose sad despised Muse of little sings But rigour scorne and her tyrannick stings VVho all compos'd of Ice and Adamant As Nero joy'd those tragick flames to see VVhich Romes proud flames had reason just to rew So triumphs and insulteth over you The cruell Mistris of your misery I wonder at your braines productions VVhich ' stead of comforting benigne aspect Are fed with nipping blasts frosts and neglect From those Parelii proud in your destructions I like the flame-fed Salamanders kind And as the tender Sommer-lab'ring Bee Except a warmthfull Zephyr breath on mee Am stupifi'd with cold fruitlesse in mind Love child of heate and hope doth barren perish Except faire Sun his tender plant you cherish QUeene of Beautie most divine From whose sacred charming shrine Humane power cannot part Without sacrifice of heart Thetis Nymphs had little grace Whilst your beautie was in place And their influence was cold As sent from a watry mould Shall I happy call that night VVhen to gaine a pleasing sight Pretious libertie I lost And am now on loves Sea tost By a tempest of desire Mixed full of heav'nly fire Rais'd by that inchanting face Of her Sex the onely grace Yes most happy I it call Though it doe my freedome thrall Freedome none may neere compare VVith that happy state where are Those in your faire service plac'd And that please to make them grac'd Happy martyr of constraint VVhose paine is for such a Saint And who hath for object giv'n The sweet hope of such a heav'n Faire a stranger terme mee not That your Sanctitie would blot Saint did never yet object Former knowledges defect Against those whose zealous vowes True devotion avowes If my merit yet bee small To procure your love withall Time alone to you must prove How well I will deserve your love Grace in Saints ought to abound Grace ne're growes on merits ground Be then gracious as I true Constant and faithfull unto you And my fortunes that have crown'd Mee happy on that Relicks ground Shall bee all ascrib'd to serve You that all respect deserve To winne her from resolving upon a Cloyster'd life in whom love is conceived to bee yet predominant PRetty wanton Beauties treasure Made for sweet delight and pleasure Pretious Jewell of thy kind VVhose equall 't is as hard to find As the matchlesse Phoenix mate VVhat though nature did create You Phoenix-like to bee admir'd And your essence so inspir'd That your beauteous winning parts Should sole triumph over hearts Yet in this you farre o're goe Such solitary state of woe That shee exempt from like and love Those delights doth never prove That have made the Gods so oft Quit their heav'nly azure Loft The sweet food of love to tast More delicious then repast Of Ambrosia or the wine Appropriate to the Divine Nature you so happy frames That the sweetest game of games You to whom all cards are free To choose till you pleased bee May command in such perfection That th' Ambrosian refection Tastlesse and insipid were Ballanced in that compare Oh! but how I doe envie Except I knew it should bee I That happy he whom you will daigne Such Soule-filling joyes to gaine Let not now a fond Discourse Contrary to Natures course Make you abstaine from those delights Whereto shee kindly you invites Shee each thing instructs you know What is its friend and what 's its foe Her you boldly may believe Shee did never none deceive Be not sway'd by wit of Schools Precepts were made to governe fools And to subject those to aw That want selfe-strength of reasons law Reason and Nature are all one Reason moves from her alone But why doe wee thus dispute With a kisse I you confute Send those to Cels upon whose thought The world and Love have never wrought Birds that long have lived free Caught and Cag'd but pine and die I marvaile not Earths fairest ornament Abstract of beauty Natures onely pride That your delight is onely to abide In Londons sweet commerce sole Element Where the refined Spirits of our I le Ingenious discourse communicate And hourely fresh delights participate Dull tedious time with pleasure to beguile We all best love our like London in much Doth you resemble London is the best The fairest richest Town of all the rest In all this Continent there is none such London our treasure Instruments of warre Majestick residence and Gems containes London farre more then all the other gaines London the firmament where every Starre Of magnitude of power and vertue moves London the Schoole and forum of all Arts London the Empory that all imparts That use requires or our affection loves London the envy of all other Townes As chiefe in beauty so supreame in power Our Kingdomes brightest object fairest flower Inchanting Syren that mee happy crownes In honouring of my Nativity I to your better judgements now referre Those none-such excellencies to conferre With hers that forceth my Captivity But faire beware you bee not like in this Though in your prison many a soule remaines As London holdeth infinite in chaines You be no Tyrant cruell mercilesse Insulting over and in galling those VVho or for suite for life or for affection Serv'd by your habeo cor above protection Unto your mercy doe themselves expose In this Metropolis I must compare Thee to the fairest flowers whence Bees may pluck Their honey and yet Spiders poison suck You faire the Bee and not the Spider are You like Earths Jewels or the Heavens lights VVere made in glorious places to appeare Nor ought that beauteous garment out to weare Amongst the rustick herd and rude delights You like to Cynthia the heavens Queen VVere made to govern bee admir'd and seen WHen in your lap that creame you set VVhich you invited mee to eate Sugar it needed none Your sweeteâ—t touch alone Made it a matchlesse pleasant meate The milke that did from these breasts move That nursed up the God of Love No not the Manna dew Nor jâ—yce that ever grew In tast did so delightfull prove Neither Nectar nor Nepenthe Can in like degree content me Fond Esau hadst thou sold For this though not for gold Thy birth-right we had never shent thee Not Flora's lap most fairely drest Nor the sweet milk of Fortunes breast So gracefull pleasing are As it and you both were More sweet then ever tongue exprest But now if this such sweetnesse drew Onely by being plac'd in you Sweet then above all wonder Is that your sweetnesse under Most happy hee that proves it true FAire spotlesse Scarfe once by my Goddesse borne VVhen
overpast No period of contentmentment can bee plac'd Faire-promising little-performing joy That in th'obtaining doth it selfe destroy Our fleshes torture cancker of state and minde Fancies faire weed toy-doting childish kinde That feeds and mads with faire imagin'd showes Rewarded to know least where most it knowes Ape of infinitie that proud aspires Though nature bound to b'endlesse in desires Vext by that woolfe Ambition pride and honour That glitt'ring glasse that snares who dotes upon her That ignis fatuus that who e're pursues Oft meets with inconvenience that hee rues That tickling breath bought at the highest rate Guilt pill that costs so many a broken pate Monster that preyes upon our blood and ease And makes us toyle whom wee contemne to please That britly base strung gem most hardly won Rich lasting stuffe in show but quickly done That pleasant bait that feeds but never fils That Syren that then flatters when it kils That curbe of pleasure sweet of our fond pain Faire instrument ambitions end to gain But Lydia to return again to you I grant 't is hard to know false love from true Your proper art must bee your guiding thred That in loves Lab'rinth you bee not misled In many things we right conclusion take Though wee no certainty of proof can make I proof-lesse think her painted others faire And find faire weather in a threatning aire But venter Lydia she is ne're much wrong'd Who joyes the fruit of love for which shee long'd VVEll women w' are content for modesty You shall dissemble so you 'l be content VVee shall esteem it as a vertuous lie Nor force us to beleeve more then is meant To say you like and love yet have no end Nor any further pleasure doe affect Then such as friend communicates to friend In sight and speech and outward good respect Such may bee friendship but 't was never love Say truly when you doe your Lover kisse Find you no inward kindling sparkles move That you enjoy a more contenting blisse But may it not I feare bee over true That women have forgot to love indeed Nor any such true love is found in you As doth from undissembling hearts proceed And that you may not ignorance pretend VVhat true love is I will to you define That lovers true may reap their loves true end And magnifie a power so divine LOve 's an exhaled Meteor set on fire By beauties Sun in Region of desire A pleasing print nature sets on our heart Of fairest feature which to re-impart Unto the world shee agitates our mind That thereby we perpetuate our kind A longing after inward free commerce VVhere spirits seek with spirits to converse A mutuall blisse most joyfull occupation Where two that like would make one corporation Love is a liking taken to a piece VVhich to make ours we stick not at the price An absent presence businesse full of doubt A guest let in that keeps all others out A peacefull warre a friendly enemy A free State turn'd into a Monarchy Love is an essence all divine and pure A pleasant wound that only one can cure A weeping joy a hopefull sweet despaire An Aprill day Chamaeleon fed with aire A large imprisonment a bold fac'd shame A play where holding out makes lose the game An importuning fancy entertain'd That mutins reason if not well restrain'd An Incubus that sits heavy on the mind Or mewing Cat that hunteth after kind A â—igging to discover hidden treasure Sâ—â—â— union of the minds and bodies pleasure The plesant'st game that ever was invented That sweetest sinne so hard to be repented The happiest gift rich nature doth bestow On them that doe her service undergoe VVorker of wonders father of all things That makes Kings-beggers and makes Beggers kings That makes the Lawyer plead without a fee And the Divine commit Idolatry That makes the daring Souldier to preferre A single combate farre above the warre VVitnesse that Dame who did the Lab'rer win To quit his club and settle him to spin Love makes the Merchant think his home-spun piece Richer then the stuffe of India France or Greece Love turns the Courtiers reason into rime And his sleep houres to curious dressing time Makes him leave Master Horse and Hound and Hare To hunt his Mistris sure above compare And value each kind look kisse of her hand At higher rate then his best field of land Love makes the Sloven turn most neat affected Yet oft the curious carelesse and neglected Love makes the silent speechlesse man to speak Yet oft sets the best Oratour to seek Converts a Papist to a Protestant Whilst he in recompence prayes to a Saint Makes Atheists to acknowledge Deitie Yet holyest Writers profane Piety Makes honest unto one a common whore Yet makes lascivious who was chast before Transformeth women into manly shape Yet maketh men become effeminate Turns age to youth that once again they may In August tast the pleasant fruits of May 'T is Fancies nat'rall child ne're lawfull bred But where by Reason Fancy's seconded Fancy but liking reason love doth make Reasonlesse love of madnesse doth partake But both affections thus concurre in one Fully t' enjoy their object as their owne Nor is it love that seeketh not to prove That sweet which nature makes the end of love Were 't not a silly Bee nay a true Drone That having seis'd a faire flower as her owne Would simply on exteriour pleasure feed Nor seek to gain the inward honey sweet Such withering flowers are we and silly they That gather not their honey whilst they may 'T is natures work who the cold barren mould Makes fruitfull by loves fire species to hould Her mind and pleasures we ought not contemn Fantastick pleasures are not like to them One loves this pleasure th' other loves another But every Son delights to make a Mother FAire give me leave to call you cruell Since cruell I have prov'd you You kind appear'd but to adde fuell To torture him that lov'd you And well you knew your beauty never Could have bewitch'd my mind Nor had you me intangled ever Had you not seemed kind So to seem kind so to dissemble Are but false Syren notes And doe those trait'rous lights resemble That Ships intice to rocks Cruelty often favour proves And favour mischief breeds Hard heart which pity nothing moves More hard which torture breeds Had you at first made firm denyall Nor seem'd to have affected I had not lost with tedious tryall The joy that I expected Loves Card was wont to tell us this That we were neere our Port VVhen women did but heare or kisse But now all rules fall short Like Helens welcome Ile they are Refreshing pleasant ground Where to put in wee ill can spare But are most hardly found Like Proteus daily form they change Never the same remaâ—ning To day most kind to morrow strange Now loving now disdaining The witty yet that can contrive Honour to joine with pleasure Go thorough where they earnest give And
For future times a pattern most exact Faire Ship most fairly fraught for VVar and Peace Untimely sunk scarce launcht into the seas Too glorious rising Sunne soon overcast That shin'st in Heaven for here thy beames were plac't On mould too dull cold worthlesse to beget An active fruitfulnesse answering thy heat Thy flames of vertue were more pure and high Then our weake state could foment with supply No vertue didst thou want or vice possesse That could make great thy worth or glory lesse Furnish't with all materials fit to raise A high superlative of Princely praise A true Minervian issue sprung from Iove Visible vertue forcing us to love As true a vertuous Cyrus naturall As Xenophons fain'd artificiall Faire fire receiv'd as from our Persian King Dead vertue once againe to life to bring Heroick off-spring of that English blood VVhich anciently hath so celebrous stood As faire a splendor to thy Fathers stem As or his Scepter Throne or Diadem If Troy lamented Hector Grecians scourge â—arre greater grief thy death to us doth urge Troy miss'd no Captaines though their Hector dead But whom hath now our Priam fit to lead VVith union and alacrity the Bands Of English Scottish Welsh and Irish Lands VVhose active well born spirits thirsted all To follow such a hopefull Generall VVhose pattern set the coldest mindes on fire VVith glorious thoughts and generous desire Sole able Engine t' have repair'd the fame Of th' once illustrious wither'd English name Such vertue could not actionlesse remaine VVhich made him fly our dulnesse with disdain VVherefore brave Spirits that do inward burn Loving true glory joine with me and mourn And with your slames make him a funerall fire And with him end each thought that did aspire Smother in his Ashes what began to flame And teach your thoughts to study peacefull fame Temper your most untimely ill faln hear VVhich may your ruine not your glory get Except that idle glory you esteem Vying who most effeminate shall seem Most proud affected and like weeds of worth VVhich our best soyles uncultivate bring forth Mourn and lament him Patron of all truth Nay him the soule and glory of your youth Nor never hope an active time to see Except enforc't to act our miserie Happy our Fathers warlike spirits we Haplesse though fortunate our Sons may be To whom this seven yeare retrograde hath brought A Prince with like faire promis'd vertues fraught To top his story with victorious bayes As Iames with sweet of Peace hath blest our dayes Adding as many Crownes as Iames hath done To Crowne his titles with possession Thus glorious Comet with more zeale then art In thy fames dirige I beare a part Which may it pardon finde though hoarsly sung And passe with favour 'mongst th' Elegiack throng As writ by him who having vow'd sword-service Can ill performe a Poets sacrifice Upon the death of Anne of Denmarke Queen of great Britaine and the blazing Starre appearing neere her death taken for the stellifyed spirit of Prince Henry dead not long before BRave soul thou hast prevail'd God hath his owne And wee ill debters were nor paid the loane Of such a Jewell bee thou Henries Star Pointing thy mothers way and not our war Heaven bee appeas'd and grant our prayers and teares Prevent thy further anger and our feares Say that our false hearts to our selves and thee Deriding goodnesse and true pietie Led by our vaine affections as our God Not charitie say this deserves thy rod Let not the Roman petty Gods surpasse Thy rulers mercies Marcus Curtius was To them a sacrifice their wrath to swage Our losse hath doubled his then slack thy rage And grant againe we feele no further paines But blesse our dayes with joy in what remaines Epitaph HEre lies Iames his rich gem the eyes delight The graces mansion our faire dayes good night Glory of the Court object no sooner seene But knowne the gracefull presence of a Queene Rich Jewels shee is said to leave farre more Rich was shee in her pretious vertues store Heaven grant her royall vertues transportation Breed not a dearth unto her sex our nation Vpon the death of my faire Cousin Drury SSay passenger and for her sake Who while shee liv'd had power to make All eyes that on her cast their sight To fix with wonder and delight Daine that these lines one sigh may borrow Breathed from thy heart with generous sorrow To see in this sad Tombe now dwelling The fairest Drury late excelling In vertue beautie and all grace That heaven in earthly mould can place And that which may your griefe increase Is that shee did a maid decease And all that wee in her admir'd With her is perisht and expir'd Matchlesse shee lived unmatcht shee dide Druries sole heire and Suffolks pride Vpon the death of the supereminent Lady Haddington Delineated to the life IMperious soule proud Quintessence of wit Union of natures beautie forcing love Faire Haddington farewell here dead with thee Lie Loves awe sweetnesse life and majestie Manly ambitious spirits hope possest By conquest of fierce beautie to be blest Change your desires for sweare ambition The glorious subject of your hopes is gone Alas nor verse nor picture can expresse The least of her heart-winning lovelinesse Happy who knew her for he knew perfection Such as henceforth hath freed him from subjection Another MOunt up to heaven free soul with Larke-like joy Scorning our earthly base condition Where no malitious envie can annoy Thy faire ingenious disposition There shew thy selfe in thy pure nakednesse Where all thoughts in their simple truth appeare To speake thy selfe with true borne simplenesse Is vertues habit out of fashion here To covet flatter lie bee politique Hunt gaine with greedy falshood and deceipt To bee a devill so an hypocrite Are vertues to gaine this worlds good conceipt Thou wert not such and therefore happy now If faith and truth may happinesse procure Thy life thy truth death doth thy faith avow These are the golden wings that mount thee sure To lasting glory glory bee thy due For being faithfull noble faire and true An Incentive to our Poets upon the death of the victorious King of Swedeland FIe slow Boötes brood what not a line To celebrate a vertue so divine See you not Perseus mounted in the skie Outdoing all the antient Chivalry Expect you till his Steed dash on your braines To make you flow into heroick straines Can your Electrian facultie in wit Raise nothing but meere trash and strawes to it Is brave Gustavus of too solid stuffe His great exploits for your sleight veine too tusse That like poore falsifyers you despaire To profit from a peece so rich and faire Whilst from more triviall subjects you will drive A trade shall make your reputation thrive By ransacking the mysteries of Art To set a luster on some low desert Rouze up at length your over stupid muse Unite all in one quire and bravely chuse No other rapture whereupon
the Irish Seas so troublesome and dangerous there is a proportion of bearing beyond which wee sink I was in my prime youth encountered with many unfavourable dysasters c. The great change of the Court and long greatnesse of them whom accident c. My absence in travaile hindering my falling in with those times my retirednesse by that course and over-exact study of language which certainly is proper only to children to whom it comes insensibly and is most troublesome to curious spirits these and much more conspired against me I would when my fortune was whole have matched my Sonne then very young and have assured my Lands upon him for a reasonable portion it could not bee My Predecessor after a long and desperate sicknesse lived just enough to marry me and many stranger things then these have befaln me in the Article of a Catastrophe to my fortune November 2. 1637. TO say something still of diverse ambiguities and perplexities incident to my condition and fortune which besides the accidentall melancholy bred in my body could hardly saile to work an alteration and disease upon a minde curious of avoiding inconveniencies and choosing the best my nature was bent to ordinary pleasures yet morally withdrawn to an observation of decency vertue moderation and improvement of knowledge with an acquisite affectation of Philosophicall Morall Civill and Christian perfection wherein as well for vogue fashion and reputation as truth I could not willingly consent to come short of the best When I grew towards manhood being of myself disposed to forbeare marriage untill I should be thirty yeares old and then not to marry without great choyce in fitting my self and obtaining a fulnesse of fortune to set my self at ease in my quality and that estate â— c I saw the inconvenience but Wife Children and my disease made me unfit for another mans house and though I wished yet I could not resolve a change which to me who could never easily admit a resolution with inconveniencies attending it was ever abhorrent my naturall curiosity whose minde was never quiet till all circumstances and conveniencies were run over and over and accommodated by me made all things especially in a seat of my own most troublesome To the melancholy tainted spirit nothing is more unfit then idlenesse nothing more troublesome then its curious discoursing upon resolutions nothing more unfit then confinement to one place yet nothing more hard then to resolve and digest change and alteration Once marryed I was set to seek how to live where to live my birth and breeding was in the City my affection and chiefe seat in Cambridgeshire but many strong considerations diverting mee from it The Court where I was young entred followed might have kept me from that depth of melancholy whereunto travaile study and retirednesse in care and fancy of what belonged to a house drowned mee but that also by accident was unfit for me yet at length for a strong diversion and under so brave a patronage as that of Prince Henry I readventured upon it but his immature death and much sicknesse of my own following upon it with other disproportions finally aliened me from that course Thus and much more hath my life been a conflict with disease and fortune I have formerly touched many more particulars yet not all nor the worst It is one of the greatest in satisfactions of writing to an ingenuous spirit in most important matters to have least freedome there are many Noli me tangere's The contrast of Gods grace and Religion against the impetuosity of naturall affections hath been many yeares my greatest combat I have fought resolutely but received many foiles yet by the infinite goodnesse of my Saviour I have received such most unexpected succour that to my unvaluable comfort I triumph c. I have dedicated my self next to God wholly to my Son and have many years endevoured his good beyond my own I have now made my self his Pensioner and I wish no worldly happinesse more then his prosperity thus with a running pen I ease my minde which though with no serious exactnesse yet with little prejudice to my health for otherwise the strength of my disease would not suffer me to beare the strength and curiosity of my own discourse He who is subject to melancholy let him shun as a Rock at Sea over-studying or tyring of his thoughts and when he finds conclusions come not off cleerly and that a restinesse of discourse grows upon him let him give over for the present not admitting the least tumultuation till such a good and fit time after as he may return new and fresh to work by this meanes shall hee avoid much hurt of his spirits and attain better to his ends In reading also little and little at once shall dispatch more and that without inconvenience of health then much together to the oppression of the soule Ne quid nimis in all things is an excellent instruction How many a man hath tyred his horse by riding a little too fast who might otherwise have come well to his journies end The like is seen in expence a very little contracting would often have given ease and thrist where a very small overspending hath bred continuall want and ruine By my miserable experience I could give many rules upon this worlds course and melancholy Moderation is good but Gods grace is above all and without it nothing can prosper How lustily doth the root feed a tree whose branches are few and small in respect To the all-seeing God be glory for with us but through him dwels nothing but darknesse errour frailty and ignorance November 4. 1637. MY gracious God the support and guide of us and all our actions since thou hast vouch safed to grant mee a firme and happy faith in Christ and love of thee with a contempt of all earthly and carnall joyes confirm unto me I most humbly beseech thee thy heavenly graces and the comfort of thy good Spirit for I abhorre my self whensoever that joy faileth me or any worldly affections assault me none more then I knows their vanity their unsoundnesse their emptinesse of all true and perfect satisfaction such as left mee ever to seek ever unquiet till such time as I wholly resigned my self unto thee The world is a wildernesse of ravenous beasts there is no path no safety no contentment or protection but through thy favour Sweet Lord impart it unto me and I shall finde that quiet and joy of heart which I have ever wanted Helpe me for I shall hate my self if through the infirmity of my flesh and blood I reap not more joy and complacence in my surrender to thee and in thy grace then ever I did or could finde in the most full and flattering pleasures which this instable world affords I have often found thy most mercifull and miraculous reliefe and support beyond expectation beyond naturall conceit Let thy mercy and grace continue with mee to my end and
contemperament and heat strength goodnesse and sweetnesse of nature and supernaturall grace excited and maintained I finde the best companions and Physitians of body and soule you are witnesse how necessary they have been of late unto me in the sorrows and troubles I have undergone I thank you for your visit and spirituall comfort you imparted to my relapsed Son hee still needeth it hee hath not wanted naturall heat and courage temper moderation and a well concocted discourse as well as a thorow digestion to some peccant humours of his body I feare he doth Time and conflict with evills have not confirmed and wrought upon him exchange of liberty health and pleasures for disease restraint and paine with an apprehensive contemplation of imminent death this mortall yeare work a melancholick dejection upon his minde and meeting with his infirmity appeare at this time his greatest danger A little ease strength and alacrity of spirits animate his naturall presumption to his harm and a little cloud overcasting him as much exanimates If God had not furnished me with as strong a resolution to flight as I have ever been apt to apprehend the worst events I had a thousand times miscarryed there is no slavery like the feare of death no bravery like the contempt of the world and fortune I have lost possessions friends brothers children but I have found God and have not lost my selfe I have sowed kindnesse and reaped dis-respect my good intentions charity resolution and the grace of God are my reward and ever-relieving cordials I seek not my self abroad nor judge my self or others by the successe others weaknesse and distempers shall not be mine it shall rather fortifie and recollect mee if my exuberance of naturall heate and fancy breed my inconvenience I can make an oyle of the same Scorpion to help me not to have too much is not to have enough Aliquid amputandum is the best constitution luxuriance of Nature is the longest laster at least if violence accident and over-bold indiscreet adventure intercept it not heat is the vehiculâ—m of vertue hot natured plants have the strongest faculties and braveliest resist the vigour and extremity of weather and Winter Thus I play the Pedler with you to you I open my pack of small wares to the world I durst but will not they would but pry and smile and scorn not buy to use to weare and make their own You finde here a great deale of trash but no trumpery many bables and toyes yet some Gloves to weare Knives to cut Linnen to adorn cover and keep warme Looking-glasses to see and order your self Pedlers are not ever unwelcome sometimes they are required at least let my good will make not unwelcome unto you this my good morrow Yet to goe a little further and end where I begun There is a happy and just use to be made of naturall heate of our selves and of Gods creatures instituted as Oyle for cheerefulnesse of countenance and Wine to rejoyce the heart of man that use to finde that to practise without declining either to excesse or fantasticall superstition and rigidity of humane Sophistry prevarication and errour is that wee ought to endevour and pray for in the discreet exercise of a good conscience which God grant us Amen November 17. 1638. THus you see Animal vigilans semper laborat some more remisse some more intense according to the activity of their spirits and occasions but my voyage is well past over and I will not spread my sayles to every winde I will be a stone to my self against the wings of my thoughts sedation shall be my affectation I will spare my fuell and rake up my fire let them make publique bonfires and ring their Bells to warme and sport the world who finde matter and joy to publish mine is inward and shall serve my self till opportunity concurre accept in good part with your wonted favour this my pastime account and register never intended for a work or piece of worth Farewell SOules must have objects strong high-relished The strongest filling fair and permanent Such is Gods love wherewith not nourished Earthly and base must be their nutriment No other love can defecate a soule From wallowing in delights base empty foule THou Lord who first didst nip me in the bud From time to time dost humble mee Lest I should sin by heighth of blood And love the world more then the love of thee I gratulate thy favour confident That so thou doest my soule preserve To bee a well-tun'd instrument To sound thy praise and thy decrees to serve Nor will I envy this mans wantonnesse His honor or the others wealth Esteeming nothing happinesse But to possesse a soule in heavenly health All other joyes infatuate the minde Feeding it with a false content Oh let me still thy favour finde To keep me thine I grudge no chastisement Moderate health and fortune are the best A little fire close set unto And heat sufficient to digest Doe the same things that more abounding doe The more wee have the more we still presume Disordred mindes good states abuse The highest spirits most consume May I have nothing more then grace to use Great Farmes are seldome duely husbanded Ranke grounds abound in noysome weeds Wolves Foxes Goates in wastes are bred He feeds more foes then Friends who many feeds THough Friends be absent conversation lost My bating Soule oft labouring in it self By winds and fortune on the black Sea tost Thou present Lord I feare nor wave nor shelf Thou Father Brother art and Friends to me Be the world whose it list so thou be mine They ne're miscarry who rely on thee Grace storms dispels more strong then they combine All thrives where thou the pruning Gardner art To thy Plants blastings frugall blessings prove Though Summer heighth and flourishing impart Winter gives strength and Timber to the Grove To thine all sufferings end in joy and rest And th' absence of a wicked world is best EAse handsomnesse nor profit 't is to tread Your shooe awry like may of vice be said T is ever best to live and walk upright Things crooked grown hardly return to right May I enjoy a faire and quiet minde Soules work like troubled Seas long after winde GOdly content and quiet of the minde Constitute happinesse resembling Heaven Where soules nor strife nor thirst of action finde Reluctancy is conquer'd all goes even Vertue it self untroubled must proceed Howe're its Acts miscarry or succeed Devotions Et quoniam Deus ora movet Sequar ora moventem Introduction DIvinest Herberts Soule daign that I joyn In Hymns accorded to the heart by thine Unto our Masters glory and admit Mee for a Rivall in thy heighth of love For though thy lofty flight bee farre above My creeping Muse in spirit verse and wit My love both may and ought thy love exceed Since greatest pardons greatest love doe breed Thus living sing we Swan-like singing dye His Panegyrick our own Elegie Others I
shines And Sun-like doth in spite of mists expresse Its owne true glory Wisely happy hee Who in this glasse of water viewes this Sun Excelling object which to looke upon Our humane Organs too unable bee What though the Sisters nine my Muse disclaime As an untutor'd Novice new start up That never tasted the Castalian cup Let others invocate their idle name Whilst I by thy divine pow'r set on fire Thy worth on higher Trophees elevate Then e're the greatest Poet Laureate Could her renowne that did his Muse inspire Assist great goddesse then my passions story Thy beauties record thine shall bee the glory To make an Inventory of thy parts By faire resemblance of their forme and hew To Ivory Corall Crystall heavenly blew Hills Pillars Bowes Valleyes and piercing darts Were to detract from that perfection Of teeth of lips of eyes of azure veines Breast neck browes lookes and those delicious plaines Which thou hold'st in most faire connexion Excelling all resemblance all compare And were indeed by cunning to aspire To colour forth the burning heat of fire Or glorious light and dazling beames which are In Phoebus face and fiery Chariot dwelling Thou like the joyes of the Elysian place Which who strives to describe shall but debase Art onely knowne by others all excelling Let then all Pens and Species confesse Their weaknesse thy perfections to expresse Since Cupid to Loves Seas my Barke hath prest My fate once led mee by the Cape of Hope But since alas my agitated Boate Hath past Despaires sad gulfe and its arrest I Anchor cast dysaster to prevent But Anchor hopelesse did and helplesse prove That marble white and red it could not move Whereon I ventur'd it but home was sent Like as do those whom fearefull shipwrack threats Labour for life some harbour good to win Yet crost by wind and tide cannot put in So up and downe my tossed Bottome beates Expecting better fortune and some grace That welcom'st haven that I may recover Which under that Cape once more I discover Center of happinesse most wished place But cruell night why dost thou mee such wrong With thy black cloake to barre mee of that fight My onely marke my soules supreme delight Supplanting my enflamed hope so long That for a fortnight thou dost that remove Fortnight which will as long to mee appeare As if each night contain'd a tedious yeare The onely object of my joy and love For joy without her presence have I none Nor can I love but onely her alone If Art by wishing could obtained bee I would I had the power of Circe's skill Not like to her by poys'ning meanes to kill But by some secret Philters mystery Loves mutuall flames to her I would impart Whose piercing eyes have set my breast on fire Whilst shee I feare remaines without desire Impenetrable to loves powerfull Dart. Bee not unjust great-little God of love Turne not a Tyrant in thy latter raigne Make us not thinke that thou didst love ordaine Our torture but felicitie to prove Justices ballance ever even stands Shoote equall then her heart as well as mine That wee may both adore thy power divine With equall happy love faith joy and bands So shall I ever celebrate thy fame But else have cause to curse thy power and name I wonder much that all this Parliament Your Sex 'gainst you a bill hath never fram'd Wherein me thinkes you justly might be blam'd That contrary to common Lawes intent And common good by your meanes dearth is bred With scarcitie which men incenseth so That some contentlesse some to fury goe And all because you hold monopoled And have ingross'd into your sole possession The masse and stock and beautie of our age A grievance just except you can asswage Their cause of plaint by satisfying impression Whereat me thinkes I see you forth produce Your selfe for Patent beautifully fram'd By God and Natures perfect working hand Whose power to question were prophane abuse And thus your right authoriz'd they confuted Subscribe your Patent n'ere to bee disputed Come on you searching quintessence of wit Limbeck no more your all-exhausted braine To find that delectable place againe Where all things did in first perfection meet Contemplate here this little peece of mould And you will soone acknowledge it at least A perfect modell happily congest Of all delights which that place did enfold Perpetuall Sommer faire doth here reside Harmonious concord is in all things found Flowers fruites perfumes delights do here abound Nor growes there here or nettle thorne or weede Here all in native true perfection growes Nor shall the Gard'ner need to toyle but take Who would not then all earth besides forsake Here to inhabit where all solace flowes Most happy garden earths true Paradise But happier gard'ner whom my soule envies Be not unwilling my request to grant That I your shadow and resemblance have The reason why this favour I do crave Is not for that your pourtraiture I want For were my breast transparent like mine eye You there your selfe enthronized should see Sole Empresse of my heart my thoughts and mee Consecrate trophees of your victory This your Idea feasteth mee within Whilst my poore eyes who first did entertaine You for their welcom'st guest doe now complaine They stâ—rved are distasted of each thing Except your selfe alone deny not then A charitie so superficiall Which when times ruines you can not recall Shall yet your glory shew and shown to men Who nothing will beleeve but what they view Shall force them wonder and accuse their fate That made them lose by sending them too late The happy servitude of seeing you And make them honour verse and pencills skill Which onely can preserve what time would kill Since that my vowes my fortune and my love My course and resolution did ingage To undertake a sacred Pilgrimage To that Saints shrine which sole my soule doth move So haplesse and malignant is my chance That guide and Pilot other have I none Then onely that blind cruell Boy alone Who suffers mee nor rest nor yet advance Thus leads the blind the blind whilst both astray Wander 'mongst thorny thicks looking each hour When fierce untamed passions should devour Like savage beasts my poore soule for their prey Oh pitie now my fairest Saint and Starre The restlesse wildred state wherein I stand And since I seeke but you lend your faire hand To guide my course such morall lessons are That none deny to kindle others light Nor to direct the wandring Pilgrim right That light to light way to the stray we give The reason easie is it nothing costs Nor breeds our diminution or losse And truth to say faire Sun I onely live By that pure light and heat drawne from your eyes VVhose sparkes have so my subject heart inflam'd VVith heav'nly fire so wonderfully fram'd That it to quench in you it onely lies You like Achilles speare which sole imparted Helpe to the hurt it made can sole apply A soveraigne
so perfect is and faire As the best worthinesse in mee Cannot come neere in least degree Shall I then strive to quench my fire No rather love and still admire For shee love's proper subject is Who loves not her doth love amisse I 'le love her then and by her love So perfect I will hope to prove That shee may love what shee hath taught And once bee catcht by what shee caught Song IF you will love know such to be The Lawes of Cupids Monarchy That to refuse Is to abuse Loves government and I declare That such loves Rebells not his subjects are To love is not to bee your owne Love studies to please them alone Whom it affects Without respects Of ought besides and love confin'd Is but by usurpation love defin'd If you did love as well as I You nothing could or would deny But would conceive That you receive What you bestow if this were true Your heart to live in mee and mine in you IF my divining soule and all the Art Loves Schoole hath yeelded me foretell me true I may possesse a parcell of your heart And as I love be lov'd againe by you If fondly I presume and overween And all my arguments fallacious prove Pardon the errour that so oft is seen Of a selfe flattery in desire and love But if my wit my true Informer bee And yours with Sophistry doth not abuse You may be lov'd and honored so by mee As truest and most zealous lovers use If now you show disdaine my hopes are drown'd If smile with highest fortunes they are crown'd To her who shut him in her Closet to breake his hearing of her singing in her upper Chamber with her Teacher made upon the instant to perswade her to bee more free YOu like heav'ns influence beauty constancy And order would bee like in this To hide like themly our heavenly harmonie VVhilst all besides imparted is Yet Heav'ns themselves deny not that to those Whom in their high Spheare they inclose Bee then like heav'ns in all I aske no more They are no niggards of their store Vpon a Brayd of haire FAire thou art nor canst be other That proceed'st from such a Mother Soft and gentle youthfull white Suting her skin and th' eyes delight Such woare Venus and such haire VVeare all that buy to make them faire Silke and silver wrought togethâ—r Show'd so faire nor richly never Loves leading laisse I hope thou art And with thee bring'st to me her heart VVhich to owne imparts more pleasure Then honor beautie knowledge treasure Or all possessions which to gaine Caesar had left Rome Philip Spaine Alexander had forsaken To master earth and undertaken To conquer her whose love alone Had fill'd his vast ambition Triumph my soule in this thy prize Basâ— thee in her lovely eyes And in her joy more height of blisse Then ever fancie knew to wish Let spight and envie swell and burst And jealous frenzie doe its worst VVhilst wee by loves pure fire refin'd Their wits out-shine their malice blind And most securely live above All reach of passion but our love I cannot say I in your service starve Since you affoâ—d me hope to feed upon But if you long confine my food thereon My poore life cannot long it selfe preserve A meate it is so languishing and dry That hourely I diminish pine and faint Unwilling to importune with complaint But that hope bids me rather beg then die Faire flattering hope but oft deceiving guest Unhappy happy Anchor of our soule Which with distractions dost our peace controule VVhere evils known our minds would lesse molest Pity faire Mistris crowne my hopes at last Let me not still roule fruits passions stone And make hel-tortured Tantalus his moane VVho hopes and sees faire fruit but must not tast Best wits indeed at first their favours spare But or discard or ne're long niggards are If my Coelestia bee content to love Faire love mee then to my compleat content Soone will the summer of our yeeres bee spent VVhen life shall but a griefe and penance prove Since you the seeds of love in me have sown VVhich now are ripened by your faire aspect Oh doe not now your harvest due neglect But please your tast in gathering your own Let mee not Torch-like set on fire by you Consume my being in my selfe-fed flame VVhilst you too cruell make my death a game And triumph in my dying fondly true Love vertue like in action doth appeare VVhere words the cheapest Agents of our ends Oft counterfeit yet passe for perfect friends And proof-lesse none or little credit beare That I may thinke you are not one of those VVho for selfe glory are content to faine A glosse of kindnesse and to entertaine Admirers of their worth in verse and prose Give me an actuall argument that firme May you to me my love to you confirm FOrbeare my headstrong Heliotropian thoughts Forbeare your ever gazing on that Sunne Such sense-confounding object learne to shunne As you with naught but sighs and passions fraughts And you my greedy never satiate eyes VVho more you view the more you still desire Your over daring fixed lookes retire For sight subsisteth by varieties Abstaine my feet your hasty steps withhold From her to whom all lovers flock amaine But none are seen back to return againe Better is freedome poore then bands of gold But Traytors all I fondly you reprove Too late your alien'd service I recall Thoughts eyes and feet tongue hands and heart and all Are sole resign'd to her command and love And so inforc'd to love wee all conjoine Suters for grace to her the most divine IT was that gracioâ—s season of the yeare VVhen Husbandmen their welcome harvest inne VVhen fairest fruits are in perfection seene And Courtiers thorough woods chase flying Deere VVhen every swaine requitall due receives For all the care and paines hee had sustain'd VVhen I alone unfortunate remain'd VVhose care and paines no recompence perceives That I imbarqued in the Courtly crew Seem'd all intent on nought but forest sport VVhen oft alasse my heart was farre from Court Conversing most my fairest love with you Mee thought the hunted Deere the Dogges did chase Resembled mee whom my owne thoughts pursue And if a wounded Stagge I chanc'd to view My pierced restlesse heart pity'd his case Sometimes I checkt my thoughts as at a bay VVhich broke by your faire conquering aspect They freshly follow carelesse to be checkt Permitting my repose nor night nor day Sometimes I fly to solitaty shade Hoping to scape 'mongst thicke of letter'd leaves Sometimes in company which grief deceives I thrust my selfe but still my thoughts invade Thus toild by day when night sweet time of rest Cordiall restorative of all that lives Truce to our toile and fainting sorrow gives I tapiss in my bed all care possest VVhere restlesse still exil'd from ease I tosse By those my selfe-bred swift-foote hounds pursu'd VVhose long enjoyed chase hath so indu'd Them with
Which set our weake subdu'd distempered minds on fire Reason is put to flight and appetite beares sway Which blindly leads and blindly forceth us obey And that hee much mistakes who from a womans minde Or reason doth expect or just effects to finde Since passions indigest conceipt meere chance and will Their resolutions and their actions governe still But soft my gall-distilling pen your griefe contain Which howsoever just yet blaphemy refrain Admit her heart of fleshly temper fram'd as mine Bee pierc'd and captivate by Cupids pow'r divine Alas shee rather should bee pitied then accus'd Since what from force proceeds may justly bee excus'd And if indeed my faire Coelestia it bee true That your heart for another burnes as mine for you If you desire to bee so happy in your love That his affections unto you may mutuall prove If you expect your sighs which numberlesse abound Shall eâ—re receive reward or e're with joy bee crown'd Oh! let your your kindnesse then extended unto mee Make you deserve your happy hopes effects to see And faire beware lest if you shew unkind disdaine Loves justice justly yeeld you Talions law againe And if 't bee true that griefe delights in company Then will you love my presence and my sympathy Together wee will sit and comfort one another For griefe is most extreame when we our passions smother Where breathing out at large our due complaints of love Wee 'l both our hearts discharge and pitie learne to move And this lame happinesse of love shall please my mind That though you cannot love you are not yet unkind â—â—t pardon mee deare friend 't is not report alone Can prooflesse my aspiring fixed hope dis-throne But stedfast still in zeale and confidence I dwell As faithfull I love her shee may love mee as well IN fruitlesse expectation to remaine To bee in bed and yet debarr'd of rest To serve where you no favour can obtaine Is saith th' Italian to bee most distrest And these unfortunate effects I prove My faire Coelestia in my fervent love 'T is you detaine my long expected blisse 'T is you that make mee restlesse passe the night 'T is you I faithfull serve yet you it is Mercilesse you with-hold my chiefe delight And know faire creature hee that faithfull serves A costlesse favour ever well deserves Thinke that you have a friend that doth possesse A curious garden plentifully fraught VVith all the pleasures nature can expresse And all delights that ever cunning wrought And all these beauties singularly grac'd By a faire fountaine in the Center plac'd Hee lets you in with welcome entertaine And grants that many wayes your selfe you please Yet midst this ravishment you doe complaine Of thirst extreame which seeking to appease At that faire fountaine which you chance t'espie Your unkind friend his water doth deny And most uncharitable doth permit That part of it should idly slide away And part corrupt by over-keeping it Rather then yeeld a drop your thirst to stay VVhich nothing else can quench and 's onely bred By those dry sweets wherewith hee had you fed Would you now take this party for your friend O no I know you rather would conceive That all his kindnesses did only tend VVith quenchlesse thirst your pleasures to bereave And justly might you wish you ne're had knowne Those joyes whereby your joy is overthrowne That cruell friend faire love are you to me And your perfections that faire garden are VVhither a welcome guest I seeme to bee My senses ravisht all with pleasures rare Of beautie enterchange of words and kisses VVhich yet all breed but thirst and further wishes And those as cheapely you may satisfie As you a water drop may easily give Why cruell faire is't then that you deny That kindnesse without which I cannot live Deale plainly may not this the true cause bee You love my verses better farre then mee And apprehend that if I once obtain The full of my ambitions high desire My love will Moone-like enter on the wain And having won the day straight sound retire O do not so abuse your selfe and mee My love like Phoebus never change shall see My love like Phoebus never change shall see In constant course and heate ever the same And like the Northerne Pole shall fixed bee More firme then can be mov'd by heavens frame Constant to you till death I will remaine For never shall I see so faire againe No faire Coelestia love is Venus sonne Feare not the mother for the child 's destroying Nor is that saying unto you unknowne That th' essence true of love is in enjoying Hee playes the best who holdeth what hee wins The wiser sort still at their end begins If you approve my muses loftie flight And to be fed with change of praises still You must not oft delude her and invite Her to an empty lure that yeelds no fill A Hawke that loftily hath flowne and hard Well merits the best food and best reward Those exhalations that the heavens feed Did they not downe againe distill their rain Coelestiall bodies soone should want and need Those vapours which the earth sends up againe And Iove himselfe should lose his sacrifice But that hee mortals feeds and gratifies No fire can long subsist by smoak alone Flame 's by an oily solid substance fed Who divers times a field hath till'd and sowne Yet findes no profit by his labour bred His folly well deserves to reape but wind Having oft prov'd it barren and unkind Who shoots his arrows up and nothing hits Fooles bolts they prove which their own heads do break One may be ventur'd but he wants his wits That all his Quiver spends one shaft to seek Though vertue ought not foule repulse receive Yet wisdome wils us fruitlesse labours leave Full ill hee sings whose song cannot obtain A draught of drink impatient thirst to swage Though silly Bird I warble many a straine To please your eares imprison'd in your cage Birds long unfed their singing soon neglect No Almes no thankfull language must expect As happy in love are they that give as take Faire pity me and make me happy then Since you your self shall equall happy make VVomen receive farre more delight then men And if you find that I unfaithfull prove Let me be made a reprobate of Love And if you like these off-springs of my brain Whereto your self the Heroine mother are Suffer them not to die with drought but daign To water them from that your fountain faire VVhich true Parnassus spring doth Poets breed And tasted makes their Muse her self exceed It 's true that my affections lately bent And shap't their course that Mid-land straight to win Where Love hath plac'd his uttermost extent His else insatiate conquest to confine And as in nature it is proper known That fire should mount untill it hath attain'd His proper place the concave of the Moon So love untill it hath that center gain'd Whether by natures stimulating force It is
sollicited her work to doe Restlesse remaines still labouring in its course Till it may rest where it aspir'd unto 'T is likewise true my love hath mist its end And yet I cannot think my labour lost Though the main faile the By hath been my friend So farre as with content may quit my cost Like to the Alchymist whose golden aime Shoots chiefly at the Philosophick stone Whereof though hee fall short yet doth hee gain Many a pretious found extraction Many a quintessence and Limbeckt oyle To others and himselfe of use and pleasure Nor thinks it an ill guerdon of his toile T' impart unto the world such hidden treasure So I in these conceipts elaborate The wanton babes sprung from an am'rous brain My passions fire and heat evaporate And mine own ease with others pleasure gain And if I please the kind lascivious eare VVith these light ayres for pleasure only tun'd I seek no more nor care how the austere Censure these idle houres in rhyme consum'd They as superfluous banquet stuffe are meant Made but to please the outward sense and tast VVhich though they yeeld no solid nourishment They are not yet a profitlesse repast And if the strictest Stoick on Earths face VVaste not some houres as idly spent as these VVhereof remaineth no account or trace So necessary pleasures are and ease VVithout the which our soules themselves oppresse Then let me be condemn'd but if you find Your selves in pleasure wasting time no lesse Nor shew remaines thereof more then of wind Judge then my time at least as happ'ly spent As theirs that hunting love who little care So they injoy good pastime chase and sent To make the silly purchase of a Hare I Helen sought where Lucrece I did find At least a Lucrece she appeares to mee But were I Paris she perchance as kind VVould prove as Helen Troian youth to thee Oh no I do recant and firmly credit She is as spotlesse chast as perfect faire And thus will flatter hers and mine own merit If she were other I should not despaire And here my Love shall change its former hew And yet Chamaeleon-like remain the same As she is chast my love as chast and true And to like vertuous die it self shall frame Living still hers though only fed with aire And as her beauty won my heart before Finding her now as vertuous as then faire Her inward graces make me love her more Nor was my breast possest with such wild fire Thâ—t nought but Venus milk could quench my flame Hope 's the sole nutriment of my desire VVhere that once failes my flames alone grow tame Nor am I of so strong a faith in love To think where free occasion hath not wanted And free acquaintance hath giv'n means to move VVhat three months have deny'd will e're be granted VVho seeks a woman to his will to move Yet gaines no ground in furthering his desire Not to advance is to go back in love Let him good Souldier like his Siege retire But faire Coelestia since I have concluded Your vertue like your beauty most divine Oh let no sequel prove me now deluded Such subtilty would double that your crime Or be indeed what you appeare to be Or may you still at least seem so to me A FANCIE MY hearts faire Conqu'resse author of my griefe Deny me not to plead for my reliefe If you too cruell will no help impart Yet lend my plaints your eare to ease my heart Offenders capitall that plead for grace Are heard though not relieved in their case 'T is you the winner are cause of my pain Sick men and losers are allow'd to plain You that have made mee love can make mee live And none but you can my disease relieve Should I not then my cure from you demand I accessary to my death should stand Accuse not him who for deare life doth move But blame your selfe who so inforceth love You that have made my heart in love abound Ought not to bee offended with loves sound He that is almost dead for want of meat You must not blame him if hee ask to eat Nor ought you such an echo to condemn As love receiv'd from you resounds agen Nor blame that instrument whose sound is such As your faire hand is pleas'd to give the touch And if your heart to flint-like bee compos'd That to no pity it can bee dispos'd If 't be decreed by my malignant fate That here on earth that curst infernall state Must bee inflicted on me for my pain That I must love and not be lov'd again Yet be not angry Faire or if you 'l chide Chide Cupid that my subject tongue doth guide 'T is that blind little winged childish God That doth so often times deserve the rod For his mis-matching our affections fire With an unsuited different desire But to obey your will which unto me A venerable law shall ever be I 'le rather all on fire within consume Then once to ask a water drop presume And rather over-swoln with love will break Then once to dare of love to you to speak Thus will I inward bleed untill I find Or death or you my Love to me more kind Made in imitation of a Sonnet in Ronsard THough he that loves with unrequited love And finds his heat ingender no reflection Nor that his plaints can her compassion move That is the object of his true affection May uncondemn'd resume his love again And to a more kind subject it apply Himself exempting from unpityed pain Nor doth he wrong whom no desert doth tie Nor doth he faith or constance violate For vertue and folly incompatible be And constant Lovers uncompassionate Are foolish guilty of their miserie Nor breaks that Prince his faith who league hath sworn Of amity with some great Potentate Who will not after the like oath return Of love and faithfull aide unto his State For perfect love in sympathie consists And single Love is but a fatuous fire Yet little merits he who not persists No victory is gotten by retire I 'le love her still though shee unjust doe prove And happier contentment will I find In loving her with unrequited love Then to love one lesse faire though farre more kind IS 't possible you can deny With such unyeilding sleighting heart So small a suite so earnestly Pursu'd by my so true desert That not the cheapest toy you weare As ribban pin or thread of fringe I may with your kind favour beare Love feeds ev'n on the sleightest things Unhappily my heart is plac'd Since for my heart I cannot gaine To be in this slight measure grac'd That I importune to obtaine You feare be like that I will make it An earnest of what I desire No I 'le but as a Relique take it Of you the Saint that I admire And though my true loves due reliefe I hopelesse am e're to attaine Such proofe will comfort yet my griefe In that I reape not your disdaine Welcome at last yet pretty
thred Ne're yet since Love his raigne begun Was such small thing more merited More prized or more hardly won DO not reject those titles of your due VVhich natures art hath stiled in your face The name of Faire onely belongs to you None else that title justly can imbrace You Beauties heire her coate sole spotlesse weare VVhere others all some markes abatement beare T is not their cheeks touch'd with Vermillion red Sâ—ain'd with the tincture of enchanting skill Nor yet the curl'd devises of their head Their breasts display'd their looks fram'd to their will Their quick turn'd eye nor all their proud attire Can make me their perfections to admire All this is done without Natures consent Thy beautie needs no arts inticing ayd Thine nature gave their 's art hath onely lent Thine shall endure when theirs are quite decay'd Thy beautie others doth as much excell As heav'n base earth or earth accursed hell Others are faire if not compar'd to thee Compar'd to them thy beautie doth exceed So lesser Starres give light and shine wee see Till glorious Phoebus lifteth up his head And then as things ashamed of their might They hide themselves and with themselves their light Since Natures skill hath given you your right Do not kind nature and your selfe such wrong You are as faire as any earthly wight You wrong your selfe if you correct my tongue Though you deny her and your selfe your due Yet dutie bids me Faire intitle you VVHen God gave man the high Lieutenancy Of all commanding that on earth should bee Hee yet foresaw no true felicitie Could grow to man without societie Wherefore he made of a refined mould Woman to all his workes as crowne of gold The richest presents are the last bestow'd And arts perfections in the last works show'd Her solely hee intended mans companion Most pleasing object of his conversation Whereby who womans company condemne Highly Gods sacred will and Law contemne And few or none neglect their company But such as want worth or abilitie The worthiest men that most prize reputation Would rather lose mens then their estimation Which made th'al-knowing Solomon compare Their love to things most pretious and most rare 'T is not the vulgar breath as hath been said But womens good opinion that ne're stray'd They wits and vertues whetstones are that give The edge and appetite that makes us strive Each other to excell in show and deed To gaine the love of them that most exceed In feminine prehemenence whose love All noble courages of men doth move Honour from men but fruitlesse pleasure brings But womens love gives happinesse of Kings And onely followes those that do possesse The beauties art and nature doe expresse Other delights that hang but on conceit Are sawce and margent this the Text and meat Our sev'rall senses find their sev'rall pleasure But woman is to every sense a treasure To see to heare to touch and if not tast Tisby a sweeter pleasure farre surpast For taste in deed and every other sweet That wee enjoy by natures benefit Onely conduce unto the worke of love Wherein alone wee serviceable prove To God and nature who each worke beside Of our fantastick pleasure do deride And they that give all pleasure to the mind Are naturelesse distasted and unkind Nature to mee hath beene so much a friend I 'le ever honour her and serve her end But you 'l object that womens company Ought serve alone for mans necessitie And that their idle conversation Is uselesse but for procreation As servile ignorant nor ought of worth Is by their triviall fellowship brought forth But womens worth writers enough affirme Which so well prov'd I need not now confirme As for the fault of ignorance you finde 'T is but your education keeps them blinde Yet mid'st that blindnesse of such art they show As cunning'st wits of men doe overgoe And if their disobedience you mislike Beasts by our fall gain'd freedome they the like Perchance expect and as the Privernate Answer'd the question of the Roman State That rebells did such punishment deserve As they that judge themselves too good to serve VVhich made the gen'rous Roman set them free Communicating Roman libertie Knowing that nature n'ere that State would bear VVhich is commixt with servitude and fear So had I power to alter marriage law Both should be free and both exempt from aw And then this verse you happy true should find No comfort 's likâ— to women that are kind But you my doting ravisht soules delight Soule of your Sex subject of what I write VVhose company affords a second joy To that which heav'nly soules in Gods enjoy And whose privation breeds another hell To those that e're did in your presence dwell VVhere onely to have power to come and see Is happinesse above capacitie VVhose presence charmes our cares like heav'nly wine Infusing height of joy and heate divine To whom all other beauties that give light Are cold and dead as Glow-wormes in the night You a quick sparkling-bright-enflaming fire That kindles all comes neare makes all admire As much more lively pleasing in compare As gliding streames then standing waters are Sole Planet of our Spheare raising our blood As mightily as Cynthia th' Oceanâ—lood â—lood I need not name you you are like the Sun Knowne by the most obscure description Oh! if you could in course as constant prove Too happy should hee bee that joyes your love But you like an unguided Phaeton Take glory onely to bee gaz'd upon And to inflame this lower world with fire Of an unbridled and untam'd desire VVhilst your owne heart as hard and cold as stone Is plac'd above all conflagration Reserv'd I thinke to bee enjoy'd by Iove Disdaining all inferiour earthly love For Leda Europa Danae all in one Come nothing neare you Beauties paragon You surely are a Goddesse nor can bee Injoy'd but by a perfect deitie For men may thinke you love and finde you faire But thinking to imbrace you finde but aire Nature hath beene but niggardly to all That unto you shee might bee prodigall To you true beauties faire originall VVhence others have but counterfeit derivall Men may o're other creatures pow'r pretend But full obedience they to you extend And glory more your sacred power t' obey Then over all things else to carry sway BUt that great President of this faire Round VVee may not 'gainst thy will expostulate Nor dare upon lame humane reasons ground Oppose what thou hast pleas'd to ordinate Our reasons false light else would make us stray And with strong arguments our minds induce Against the marriage sanction to invey VVhence flowes such ruine trouble and abuse Nor can thy institution bee accus'd For that observ'd what now our torture brings Had such felicitie to us infus'd As equalls poorest soules with joy of Kings Matches were first made by consent of love VVhich constant mindes in puritie excelling Did so perpetuate that nought could remove Them from their first affections
fixed dwelling Now â—ordid avarice and swell'd ambition Without respect of love make marriage knot And are the vitious ends which that condition With want of harmony and discord blot In former ages love did marriage draw Where marâ—iage band is now loves motive made Grossely hee erres who thinkes that words or law Can sympathy of heart and love perswade Love rather alien'd is then bred by force An essence tender all divine and free Abhorring bands and compulsory course Fainting at thought of forc'd necessitie Happy those times happy that age of gold And free communitie of Plato's state VVhen love was unconfined uncontroul'd Nor any liv'd with those their heart did hate Then love the Cement of societie Sweet band of peace and musicall consent Failing and turn'd to contrarietie Each free from other to first freedome went And then the faultlesse quiet vertuous wight Did not the undeserved penance beare With an unreason'd snarling jealous sprite The pretious portion of its age t'outweare Nor did they in the sweet of home retrait The matchlesse cordiall of a travail'd minde Where happy love makes happy our receipt A purgatory ' stead of comfort finde Nor did that Phantome honour them restraine Or feare desertlesse husbands to offend Make women their true loves desire refraine Not daring lend their owne to please a friend Nor knew they false-bred squint-ey'd bastardy Nor yet the horror of a loathed bed No the heart-gnawing cares by jealousie Of loosely kept and lockt up honour bred Nor did that poys'ning damn'd Italian art The desperate refuge of th'impatient soule So oft prevaile with the malicious heart That no restraint of vertue can controule And since that many are of such complections That change they must nor ought can lâ—ng affect What misery it is to such affections To plague each other with their loves effect The Romans Iewes and many other Nations Had the advantage to repudiate Unty'd to alledge their accusations VVhich would but scandall breed to eithers state But since our law such licence doth not use Each take their fortune and bee well content A common destiny none ought refuse Stolne flesh oâ—t yeeldeth sweetest nourishment Since faultlesse none let 's beare with one another Brag of the better and the worser smother OH doe not taxe me with a brutish love Impute not lust alone to my desire No such prophane aspersion ought to move From you the sacred author of my fire I seeke your love and if you that deny All joyes that you and all the world can give My love-sick soule would little satisfie VVhich no food but your favour can relieve It is your better pâ—rt I would enjoy Your faire affections I would call mine owne 'T is but a prostitute and bestiall joy VVhich seekes the grosse materiall use alone The Town 's not ours the market place unwon Nor doe I her enjoy whose heart 's not mine Hearts conquest is the worthy ambition Seale of our worth a ravishment divine Invincible to strength of humane hand Union divine of mutuall burning hearts Which both subdu'd tâ—iumphing both command Soveraigne delight that God to man imparts Oh let me in this true joy happy bee Or never may you bee enjoy'd by mee MY love to shew her cold desire Hath clad her selfe in freeze attire VVhilst my loves passion all on fire Melts with her beames that I admire Shee by this habit proves shee needs No helpe externall from her weeds And that shee Phoebus glory exceeds Dimm'd by the covering clouds hee breeds THese things must meete to make my mistris faire A gracefull count'nance of a changing ayre A faire eye that a fairer soule discovers Good lippes full breasts sit play fellowes for lovers Plumpe wrests with hands well fashion'd soft and white Faire statur'd body to give full delight Yet I confesse I oft have pleas'd my mind Where what I mention was not all conjoyn'd TO bee assur'd men love as they professe Lydia it is a mystery I confesse And to discerne the right from counterfeit Is a high knowledge Artists hardly get For art on false things sets the fairest hew To make them bee preferr'd before the true The art of art consists in hiding art Well may you judge parts outward not the heart It is a hidden booke which the most High Can onely read with his all-seeing eye It is the private Closet of the minde Where what wee lay our selves oft hardly finde Noâ— to be robb'd or pickt by cunning'st wit But where weake spirits have the keeping it It is a Sea whose depth was never plumm'd Nor e're the creatures and the treasures summ'd It is a skie where wandring Starres doe move But the Astrologie is hard to prove Best knowledge of it is conjecturall Nor doth it under demonstration fall If outward things deceive expos'd to shew Lesse must wee thinke th' inward remote to know The best Physitian oft failes of his skill And thinking by his art to cure doth kill Nor can the cunning'st Lapidarie tell A true stone from a counterfeit set well Nor can the Goldsmith but by highest test Know an adulterate metall from the best A little truth makes falshood currant passe As little gold by Alchymy doth brasse Man 's growne so basely artificiall That wee have lost our golden naturall Emulous art hath nature overcome And inward peace and truth hath overthrowne Proud man that glories most in reasons use By reason 's growne most subject to abuse And not content with what God him assign'd With pleasures false and false griefe plagues his mind Whilst seeking the felicitie of opinion Still toyles but ne're findes firme foundation For what we build though n'outward force o'rethrowes Yet change of passion quickly overblowes Thus are wee still to seeke whilst other creatures Injoy the sweet content of natures treasures Nor doth th' one servile to the other stand Whilst hee 's indeed most slave that doth command Enough 's a feast to them whilst what wee have Begets in us but appetite to crave Nature assign'd equalitie to all Nor meant her free gifts under sale should fall Nor e're intended wee should bee so mad Having the face of earth so richly clad And so sufficiently for mans full use That wee should labour after things abstruse Subterran metalls wrought by fire of hell Mans happinesse and quiet to expell Making them Idols and the needlesse meanes To purchase all which shee so costlesse sends Whilst beasts enjoy a quiet uncontroul'd Free from the plagues and mischiefes bred by gold Free from warre murther theft and penury False calumnies and damned perjury Which wee old Rebells against natures law Foolish commit without or wit or aw And fettered live by our owne enthralling hands Most witlesse servile to fantastick bands Fooles to the wiser fooles mad in desire Preferring ayry smoake before true fire Subjects of fool-bred scorne passion and envy Malice and boundlesse curiositie Insatiate humor ne're content with well That vainely still importunes to excell Reasons and natures bounds which
keep their credits treasure Where silly things that love vain glory Little respecting fame Make of themselves a blasted story Whilst others get the gain As mercilesse as is the Ocean Is wavering womans mind And to give reason of their motion Is full as hard to find VVho will their properties discern Like heav'ns joyes must know them VVhat they are never none could learn What they are not must shew them And as in heav'n no sin remaines Nor torment want nor passion So womans heart no good containes No firmnesse no compassion Nor doe I yet hereby condemn All women 't were too much But 't is too true that most of them Are over truly such I know they will themselves excuse And tax corrupting men But well they know a chast refuse Is seldome mov'd agen 'T is when we find they entertain And lend a gracious eare That wee pursue though they complain We hope whilst they will heare Sometime perchance to try their strength They 'l suffer siege and battery And sometimes too they 'l yeeld at length Such power have time and flattery Who Loves approaches once hath past As little need shee care In loves play to sit out the last Th' act where most hid they are But silly men why doe we show The paths of love to those That greatest Clerks doe overgoe And blind as they dispose Most expert Souldiers are they all With art to fight Loves field Nor better knows no Generall When to stand out or yeeld If they be strong they open march And brave the husband foe If weak they night and covert search All vantages they know Or by the confidence they claim In their good mans affection Or by example still they gain And colour their election And think not ever they are silly That many entertaine They are not ever the least wily Though often the most vaine They generally kind appeare And freeâ—ome use to all That those who they indeed hold deare In lesse suspect may fall As Keepers by familiar use Of feeding Deere at hand The simple herd doe oft induce To come unto a stand Where freely any one they strike So VVomen freedome use That unexpected when they like They their own game may chuse Such licence hath not ever been And foolish are we men Having had pow'r to keep them in To let them loose agen Faire VVomens love I doe confesse Is a supreame delight But whatsoever they professe 'T is hard to know them right Shee that pretends to love you best VVill now as well expect To see your love in gifts exprest As they that least affect They by the fruit will judge the tree Nor will beleeve you love Except they ample gifts may see Your love their worth to prove As men their wives love ne're the lesse VVhere mony 's the match-making So women will not have you guesse They love the lesse for taking But love farewell since I perceive Such paines and cost you ask And are so giv'n to deceive I 'l seek some other task Nought but assured love alone Can my affection move And since assurance there is none To know when women love My fortunes faith and free estate Shall ne're themselves expose To plead for love and think we hate When w' are but gull'd with shows As they oft meet with the best fortune That carelesse are in play So they that least plain and importune And most neglect are they Who women oftner doe subdue Then pitifull complainers They ever fly from those that sue And make the carelesse gainers Poore wailing lovers cease your hope That teares though void of strength Will by persistance pierce that rock Your Mistris heart at length Your sighs tears vows and rhyming plaints VVith all fond shew of duty Your making of them Idols Saints Sole Empresses of beauty All doth but glory work and pride In their insulting hearts Their own affections women guide Not plaints nor yet deserts LEt worthlesse spirits feare unstedfast love Guilty of defects that cannot love deserve Such apprehension never me shall move My faith and merit shall your love preserve But if change-loving your complection be By nature subject to saciety My love shall slack as well as yours to me Answering natures lov'd variety And though your love most precious to me is Yet have I learn'd to tame affections so That none more constantly shall joy his blisse Nor none lose easier what he must forgo 'T were idlenesse to urge your constancy For future time above our powers extent The wisest knows not what next houre hee 'l be Love's nor by force nor resolution bent But to prevent malignity of time And permanency to our love to gain Give me your heart to keep as you have mine VVhich no pow'r can remove whilst you retain And yours in me such merit shall approve VVe both will fearelesse be of change in love You 'l say they are toyes the fitter are they then For such vain bubbles Fantomes as are men They profit not and wisemen you will say Pleasures foundation on profit lay To them that want not to give nature right Profit it self in truth is but delight Postscript Alasse I cannot love nor will I wrong So much your kind heart or mine own true tongue To play the cheater where no need compels By vowing that I love you and none els 'T is for base foolish minds to undergo To please themselves or others with a show Free spirits in reality delight Loving to give true nature its true right And yet I cannot say I cannot love But she who now can my affection move VVon to affect nothing but for perfection Must be a perfect object of affection She must be unaffected faire ev'n at first sight T' arrest beholders eyes with sweet delight Yet such again where looking you may finde A silent check to a presumptuous minde She must be such as can give due respect To every man without a rude neglect Yet not of such a light and easie strain That her own due respect she not retain She must possesse a wanton modesty Free affability with Majesty VVit without pride a freedome well confin'd Discreet discourse but most a worthy mind VVhereby her actions she must ever frame To paint her beauâ—y with a beauteous name For noblest natures generous and free VVill never build upon a blasted tree She must to this such ayre of face possesse As gives a life to what her words expresse Now calm and carelesse then with spirit bent In silent Rhetorick speaking her intent Shee must be neither fulsome sweet nor sow'r Of ordered yet of free behaviour Accomplished with all most courtly parts Yet not transported with her own desarts Using them only for her own defence Not greedy to bring them in evidence Such a fair Orange tree my love must be Compos'd of such a contrariety So she in private be as Venus free Minerva let her be in company Desir'd of all possest by me alone Guiding her love with such discretion As
but by a happy constitution and cleernesse of body maintained by daily exercise I thank God I fear not any violent or long continuance Nay I rather reckon it as an excellent medicinall Physick unto me cold ferments into a heat and heat digests and purifies stormes clear the aire agitation refines and subtilizeth the water and fire and stirring advantageth the earth Evills are said not to goe alone and distempers purge away more then their causes But it is good as well in state as soule and bodies to maintain themselves in such a freedome from over-abounding in evill humors that misaccidents when they come and there can be no security against them may not endanger the whole frame Thus much of cold but what shall we say in surprises of heat and fire wee have lately seen many misfortunes thereby shall we therefore not build or not make fire to warm our selves such resolution were to defraud our selves of the naturall commodities of our reason and discourse which teacheth us rather to confine and moderate the use of things then utterly to decline them It is the property of wilde beasts to feare and fly from fire and of men to use it And now to revert something to our other nights discourse of Love which certainly hath some Divinity in it or otherwise it could never as it doth become a fresh and infinite Theam of our best spirits Love and anger are the fires of the Soule if inordinate as well dangerous as vitious shall we therefore shun them as a Plague whose best antidote is to fly quickly farre and return slowly is love as incompatible with reason as is pretended and may not Religion though supernaturall admit of a naturall and free vertuous affection betwixt the two Sexes Religion saith Be angry but sin not and is rather a rule to rectifie then extinguish affections they are the wings of the Soule without an object they are nothing and without the use of them we fall flat to the ground like disfeathered birds The Lady and Nation of Ladies which your Ladiship mentioned are not reasonlesse not to bee without a servant especially such as are or have been beautifull for it is a commanding Character certainely instituted for a delightfull entertainment and admiration It is an unnaturall stupidity not to be affected therewith and a kinde of injury to its Authour not to exercise such affection I ever mean without abuse but this concludes for women not for men our affections have more fire in them matter more combustible and women are commonly as well in effect as in title too much our Mistresses Children and fooles are not allowed to play with fire it had need be a strong well-prepared and well-habituated Soule that entertaines it we are no Salamanders to thrive and be safe in the flames What now ought a man that would be wise to doe affecting to give as well his nature as Religion their right Platonique Love is exploded Love is corporeall and entreth at the eyes Lust cannot be excluded for an ingredient which yet admitted it follows not that it must be predominant as I discoursed unto you some other over-ruling affection may contain and represse it either in a Religious civill or other self-interessed consideration nay even in a divers prevailing respect towards the very subject of our love I can be affected with the objects of my palat and eye and yet forbeare them burn with a surprizing desire of mortall revenge and yet refrain Fear and awe will prevaile even with dogs and beasts and why not in Love but how farre this is to be allowed in discretion I submit with a good morrow to your Ladiships more refined discourse and judgement I send you the Verses humbly kissing your hands and end with my Paper Your Ladiships c. A promiscuous peece of three houres work in a morning to cleare from further writing Madam IF I deceive not my self there is somewhat of power from above urging my addresse unto you I have now by Gods grace finished that my designe of Verses which I had propounded to my self they are upon presumption of your Ladiships favour to goodnesse and your humble servant their Author at your command expect not the strong Master-pieces and quintessentiall lines which these curious times and the refined ambitious Spirits of our age produce in defiance of Critiques my births are naturall easie and hasty sometimes foure peeces to my breakfast in the beginning of a morning I am as impatient as any woman of a long and painfull labour I haste to my journeys end and can as little hope or goe about to remould any of my first births as your Ladiships your children once brought to light I love not Verses of the ragged staffe but wish them fluent and gentle which was wont to be a commendation If my walls want strength to support themselves in their naturall stuffe and scope they shall rather miscarry then borrow the supports of inwrought strange conceits and butteresses of Art if I would undergoe any affectation it should be to deliver over ingenious notions and materiall instructive rationall conceptions with an ingenuous and genuine elegance and some depth of prospective in my termes and expressions according to the capacity and perspicacity of my Reader But I am now too old and serious for Verses and have wholly given them over only these my late peeces I conceived my self to owe to my Maker and I am sorry they were not my first fruite which are more properly his due Autumnall fruits are neither the most pleasant nor wholesome I have in great retirednesse and confusion employed my time of late in the dissection of my self and fortune our observations in the Anatomy of the body grow from the opening of others but of the minde from our selves as the Starres of heaven and Globe of earth they are as yet in great uncertainty and undiscovered some rules we have attained and Eclipses we can foretell but for sound and infallible knowledge and judgement we daily finde our selves as erroneous as our common Almanack-makers whose prognostiques are as ridiculous as false And now finding my selfe in motion betwixt heaven and earth give me leave to impart a contemplation of Characterizing such a perfection as yours in relation to them in comelinesse and beauty like the Heavens in motion regulate in order faire powerfull in influence A well ordered minde resembles the clearenesse serenity peaceablenesse and harmony of the upper Spheres and Crystalline Heaven a faire built body the beautifull variety of the earth delightfull fruitfull well drest and correspondent to the Heavenly motions in season order and constancy yet such little worlds there are which seem to enjoy in some exemptions a priviledge above the lower heavens and the earth for they are free from storms scorchings of heat nippings of frost inundations and other disorders such Comets are sent sometimes to be admired and to awake the dying vertue and reputation of your sex Phidias an