But since that I At the last must part, 'tis best By feigned deaths to die. Yesternight the sun went hence, Then fear not me, But believe that I shall make More wings and spurs than he. O how feeble is man's power, Cannot add another hour, Nor a lost hour recal! But come bad chance, And we join to it our strength, And we teach it art and length, When thou sigh'st thou sigh'st no wind, My life's blood doth decay. It cannot be That thou lov'st me, as thou say'st, Let not thy divining heart Destiny may take thy part, And may thy fears fulfil; But think that we Are but turned aside to sleep: They, who one another keep THE SUN-RISING. Busy old fool, unruly sun, Through windows and through curtains call on us? Saucy pedantic wretch, go chide Late school-boys, and sour 'prentices, Go tell court-huntsmen, that the King will ride, Love, all alike, no season knows nor clime, Nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time. Thy beams so reverend and strong, Dost thou not think I could eclipse and cloud them with a wink, Look, and to-morrow late tell me Be where thou left them, or lie here with me: Ask for those kings, whom thou saw'st yesterday; And thou shalt hear all here in one bed lay. She's all states, and all princes I, Princes do but play us; compared to this, In that the world's contracted thus; Thine age asks ease, and since thy duties be To warm the world, that's done in warming us. Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere; THE RELIC. When my grave is broke up again, (For graves have learned that woman-head, And he that digs it spies A bracelet of bright hair about the bone, And think that there a loving couple lies, If this fall in a time, or land, Thou shalt be a Mary Magdalen, and I All women shall adore us, and some men; First we loved well and faithfully, Coming and going we Perchance might kiss, but yet between those meals Which Nature, injured by late law, set free: THE ANNIVERSARY. All kings, and all their favourites, All glory of honours, beauties, wits, This no to-morrow hath, nor yesterday; Two graves must hide thine and my corse; Alas! as well as other princes, we, (Who prince enough in one another be,) Must leave at last in death these eyes, and ears, Oft fed with true oaths, and with sweet salt tears. (All other thoughts being inmates) then shall prove When bodies to their graves, souls from their graves remove. And then we shall be thoroughly blest: But now no more than all the rest. Here upon earth we are kings, and none but we Can be such kings, nor of such subjects be; Who is so safe as we, where none can do Treason to us, except one of us two? True and false fears let us refrain; Let us love nobly, and live, and add again To write three score: this is the second of our reign. FRANCIS BEAUMONT. 1586-1616. ["Poems." 1640.] THE INDIFFERENT. NEVER more will I protest When the wooing fit is past, Therefore if I chance to meet Thus much liberty I crave, But when we have tried each other, If she better like another, He or she that loves too long. |