It chanced a ringlet of her hair
Caught my poor soul, as in a snare :
Which ever since has been in thrail;
-Yet freedom she enjoys withal.

⚫96.

UPON JULIA'S VOICE

WHEN I thy singing next shall hear,
I'll wish I might turn all to ear,
To drink-in notes and numbers, such
As blessed souls can't hear too much :
Then melted down, there let me lie
Entranced, and lost confusedly;
And by thy music strucken mute,
Die, and be turn'd into a Lute.

*97*

THE NIGHT PIECE:

TO JULIA

HER eyes the glow-worm lend thee,
The shooting stars attend thee;
And the elves also,

Whose little eyes glow

Like the sparks of fire, befriend thee.

No Will-o'th'-Wisp mis-light thee,
Nor snake or slow-worm bite thee;

But on, on thy way,

Not making a stay,

Since ghost there's none to affright thee.

Let not the dark thee cumber;

What though the moon does slumber?
The stars of the night

Will lend thee their light,

Like tapers clear, without number.

Then, Julia, let me woo thee,
Thus, thus to come unto me;
And when I shall meet
Thy silvery feet,

My soul I'll pour into thee.

*

*98*

HIS COVENANT OR PROTESTATION TO JULIA

WHY dost thou wound and break my heart,

As if we should for ever part?

Hast thou not heard an oath from me,

After a day, or two, or three,

I would come back and live with thee?
Take, if thou dost distrust that vow,
This second protestation now :-
Upon thy cheek that spangled tear,
Which sits as dew of roses there,
That tear shall scarce be dried before
I'll kiss the threshold of thy door;

Then weep not, Sweet, but thus much know,--
I'm half return'd before I go.

classical

*99*

HIS SAILING FROM JULIA

WHEN that day comes, whose evening says I'm gone
Unto that watery desolation;

Devoutly to thy Closet-gods then pray,

That my wing'd ship may meet no Remora.
Those deities which circum-walk the seas,
And look upon our dreadful passages,
Will from all dangers re-deliver me,

✔For one drink-offering pouréd out by thee.
Mercy and Truth live with thee and forbear
In my short absence, to unsluice a tear;
But yet for love's-sake, let thy lips do this,—
Give my dead picture one engendering kiss;
Work that to life, and let me ever dwell
In thy remembrance, Julia. So farewell.

* 100*

HIS LAST REQUEST TO JULIA

I HAVE been wanton, and too bold, I fear,
To chafe o'er-much the virgin's cheek or ear;—
Beg for my pardon, Julia ! he doth win
Grace with the gods who's sorry for his sin.
That done, my Julia, dearest Julia, come,
And go with me to chuse my burial room :
My fates are ended; when thy Herrick dies,
Clasp thou his book, then close thou up his eyes.

· ΙΟΙ

THE TRANSFIGURATION

IMMORTAL clothing I put on
So soon as, Julia, I am gone
To mine eternal mansión.

Thou, thou art here, to human sight Clothed all with incorrupted light; --But yet how more admir'dly bright

Wilt thou appear, when thou art set In thy refulgent thronelet,

That shin'st thus in thy counterfeit !

* 102 *

LOVE DISLIKES NOTHING

WHATSOEVER thing I see, Rich or poor although it be, 'Tis a mistress unto me.

Be my girl or fair or brown,
Does she smile, or does she frown:
Still I write a sweet-heart down.

Be she rough, or smooth of skin ;
When I touch, I then begin

For to let affection in.

I HELD Love's head while it did ache;
But so it chanced to be,
The cruel pain did his forsake,
And forthwith came to me.

Ai me! how shall my grief be still'd?
Or where else shall we find

One like to me, who must be kill'd
For being too-too-kind?

* 104 *

TO DIANEME

I COULD but see thee yesterday
Stung by a fretful bee;