EMPIRES.

EMPIRES of kings are now, and ever were As Salust saith, co-incident to feare.

FELICITY QUICK OF FLIGHT.

EVERY time seemes short to be
That's measur'd by felicity:

But one halfe houre, that's made up here
With griefe, seemes longer then a yeare.

PUTREFACTION.

PUTREFACTION is the end

Of all that nature doth intend.

PASSION.

WERE there not a matter known,
There wo'd be no passion.

JACK AND JILL.

SINCE Jack and Jill both wicked be,

It seems a wonder unto me

That they no better do agree.

UPON PARSON BEANES.

OLD Parson Beanes hunts six dayes of the week,
And on the seventh he has his notes to seek.
Six dayes he hollows so much breath away,
That on the seventh he can nor preach or pray.

THE CROWD AND COMPANY.

IN holy meetings there a man may be
One of the crowd, not of the companie.

SHORT AND LONG, BOTH LIKES.

THIS lady's short, that mistresse she is tall;
But long, or short, I'm well content with all.

POLLICIE IN PRINCES.

THAT princes may possesse a surer seat,
"Tis fit they make no one with them too great.

UPON ROOK. EPIG.

Rook he sells feathers, yet he still doth crie

Fie on this pride, this female vanitie.

Thus though the rooke do's raile against the sin, He loves the gain that vanity brings in.

UPON THE NIPPLES OF JULIA'S BREAST.

HAVE ye beheld, with much delight,
A red-rose peeping through a white?
Or else a cherrie, double grac't,
Within a lillie's center plac't?

Or ever mark't the pretty beam

A strawberry shewes, halfe drown'd in creame?
Or seen rich rubies blushing through

A pure smooth pearle, and orient too?
So like to this, nay all the rest,

Is each neate niplet of her breast.

TO DAISIES, NOT TO SHUT SO SOONE.

SHUT not so soon; the dull-ey'd night
Has not as yet begunne

To make a seizure on the light,
Or to seale up the sun.

No marigolds yet closed are,

No shadowes great appeare;

Nor doth the early shepheards starre
Shine like a spangle here.

Stay but till my Julia close

Her life-begetting eye;

And let the whole world then dispose
It selfe to live or dye.

TO THE LITTLE SPINNERS.

YEE pretty huswives, wo'd ye know
The worke that I wo'd put ye to?
This, this it sho'd be,-for to spin
A lawn for me, so fine and thin
As it might serve me for my skin.
For cruell love has me so whipt,
That of my skin I all am stript,
And shall dispaire that any art
Can ease the rawnesse, or the smart,
Unlesse you skin again each part.
Which mercy if you will but do,

I call all maides to witnesse too
What here I promise, that no broom
Shall now or ever after come,

To wrong a spinner or her loome.

OBERON'S PALACE.

AFTER the feast, my Shapcot, see,
The fairie court I give to thee:
Where we'le present our Oberon led

Halfe tipsie to the fairie bed;

Where Mab he finds, who there doth lie
Not without mickle majesty ;

Which done, and thence remov'd the light,

We'l wish both them and thee good night.

Full as a bee with thyme, and red
As cherry harvest, now high fed
For lust and action, on he'l go

To lye with Mab, though all say no.
Lust has no eares; he's sharpe as thorn,
And fretfull, carries hay in's horne,
And lightning in his eyes, and flings
Among the elves, if mov'd, the stings
Of peltish wasps; we'l know his guard;
Kings, though th'are hated, will be fear'd.
Wine lead him on. Thus to a grove
Sometimes devoted unto love,

Tinseld with twilight, he and they,
Lead by the shine of snails, a way
Beat with their num'rous feet, which by
Many a neat perplexity,

Many a turn, and many a crosse-
Track they redeem a bank of mosse,
Spungie and swelling, and farre more
Soft then the finest Lemster ore.†
Mildly disparkling, like those fiers
Which break from the injeweld tyres
Of curious brides, or like those mites
Of candi'd dew in moony nights,
Upon this convex, all the flowers
Nature begets by th' sun and showers
Are to a wild digestion brought,
As if love's sampler here was wrought,

* Angry.

† A kind of fine wool.