Imágenes de página
PDF
ePub

Sitting in a pleasant shade,

Which a grove of myrtles made,

Beafts did leap, and birds did fing,
Trees did grow, and plants did fpring:
Every thing did banish moan,
Save the nightingale alone;

She (poor bird!) as all forlorn, `-
Lean'd her breaft up-till a thorn,
And there fung the dolefull'st ditty, -
That to hear it was great pity:
Fie, fie, fie, now would the cry;
Tereu, Tereu, by and by;

That to hear her fo complain,
Scarce I could from tears refrain:
For her griefs fo lovely shown,
Made me think upon mine own.
Ah! (thought I) thou mourn'ft in vain,.
None takes pity on thy pain:

Senfelefs trees, they cannot hear thee;
Ruthless bears, they will not chear thee;
King Pandion he is dead;

All thy friends are lap'd in lead ;
All thy fellow-birds do fing,

Careless of thy forrowing:

Whilft as fickle fortune fmil'd,
Thou and I were both beguil'd;
Every one that flatters thee,
Is no friend in mifery.

Words are eafy, like the wind,
Faithful friends are hard to find:
Every man will be-thy friend,
Whilft thou haft wherewith to spend ::
But if store of crowns be fcant,
No man will fupply thy want.

If that one be prodigal,

Bountiful they will him call:=
And with fuch-like flattering,
Pity but he was a king.
If he be addict to vice,
Quickly him they will entice.
If to women he be bent,

They have him at commandments
But if fortune once do frown,
Then farewel his great renown":
They that fawn'd on him before,
Ufe his company no more.
He that is thy friend indeed,
He will help thee in thy need:
If thou forrow, he will weep;
If thou awake, he cannot fleep.
Thus of every grief in heart,
He with thee doth bear a part:
These are certain figns, to know
Faithful friend from flattering foe.

A Request to his Scornful Love:

When thou shalt be difpos'd to fet me light,.
And place my merit in the eye of scorn,
Upon thy fide, against thyself I'll fight,

And prove thee virtuous, tho' thou art forfworn..
With mine own weaknefs being beft acquainted,
Upon thy part I can fet down a ftory

Of faults conceal'd, wherein I am attainted:
That thou in lofing me fhalt win much glory:
And I by this will be a gainer too.

For bending all my loving thoughts on thee;
The injuries that to myself I do,

Doing thee 'vantage, double 'vantage me..

Such is my love, to thee I fo belong,

That for thy right, myself will bear all wrong.

Say that thou didst forsake me for some fault,
And I will comment upon that offence;
Speak of my lamenefs, and I ftrait will halt;
Against thy reasons making no defence.
Thou canst not (love) disgrace me half fo ill,
To fet a form upon defired change,

As I'll myfelf difgrace; knowing thy will,
I will acquaintance ftrangle, and look ftrange;.,
Be abfent from thy walks, and on my tongue
Thy fweet beloved name no more shall dwell,
Left I (too much profane) fhould do it wrong,
And haply of our old acquaintance tell.

For thee, against myself, I'll vow debate;

For I muft ne'er love him, whom thou dost hate.

Then hate me when thou wilt; if ever, now,
Now while the world is bent my deeds to crofs,
Join with the fpite of fortune, make me bow,
And do not drop in for an after lofs :

Ah! do not, when my heart hath 'cap'd this forrow,
Come in the rereward of a conquer'd woe!
Give not a windy night a rainy morrow,.....
To linger out a purpos'd overthrow.

If thou wilt leave me, do not leave me laft;
When other petty griefs have done their spite ;...
But in the onset come, so shall I taste

At first the very worst of fortune's might.

And other strains of woe, which now feem woe;-
Compar'd with lofs of thee, will not feem fo.

Some glory in their birth, fome in their skill, Some in their wealth, fome in their bodies force,,

[ocr errors]

Some in their garments, tho' new-fangled ill;

Some in their hawks and hounds, fome in their horfe: And every humour hath his adjunct pleasure,

Wherein it finds a joy above the rest.

But these particulars are not my measure,.

All these I better, in one general beft.

Thy love is better than high birth to me,.
Richer than wealth, prouder than garments coft;
Of more delight than hawks or horses be:
And having thee, of all mens pride I boast.
Wretched in this alone, that thou may'st take
All this away, and. me moft wretched make.

A Lover's Affection, though his Love prove Unconftant.

But do thy worft to steal thyself away,

For term of life thou art affured mine;
And life no longer than my love will ftay,.
For it depends upon that love of thine.

Then need I not to fear the worst of wrongs,
When in the leaft of them my life hath end;
I fee a better ftate to me belongs,

Than that which on my humour doth depend.
Thou canst not vex me with inconstant mind,
Since that my life on thy revolt doth lie;
Oh! what a happy title do I find,
Happy to have thy love, happy to die!

But what's fo bleffed fair, that fears no blot ?
Thou may't be false, and yet I know it not.

So fhall I live, fuppofing thou art true,
Like a deceived husband; fo love's face.
May ftill feem love to me, tho' alter'd new;
Thy looks with me, thy heart in other place.

For there can live no hatred in thine eye,
Therefore in that I cannot know thy change.
In manies looks the falfe hear t's hiftory

Is writ in moods and frowns and wrinkles ftrange:
But heaven in thy creation did decree,

That in thy face fweet love fhould ever dwell;
Whate'er thy thoughts, or thy heart's workings be,
Thy looks fhall nothing thence but fweetness tell.
How like Eve's apple doth thy beauty grow,
If thy fweet virtue answer not thy show!

They that have power to hurt, and will do none,
That do not do the thing they must do, show;
Who moving others, are themselves as ftone-
Unmoved, cold and to temptation flow:
They rightly do inherit Heaven's graces,
And husband nature's riches from expence ;
They are the lords and owners of their faces,
Others but ftewards of their excellence.
The fummer's flower is to the fummer fweet,
Tho' to itself it only live and dié;

But if that flower with bafe infection meet,.
The bafeft weed out-braves his dignity:

For fweeteft things-turn foureft by their deeds;:
Lilies, that fefter, fmell far worse than weeds.

How fweet and lovely dost thou make the shame,
Which, like a canker in the fragrant rofe,
Doth pot the beauty of thy budding name?
Oh! in what sweets doft thou thy fins inclose !
That tongue that tells the ftory of thy days,
(Making lafcivious comments on thy fport) ·
Cannot difpraise, but in a kind of praise ; ·
Naming thy name, bleffes an ill report.

« AnteriorContinuar »