Natures lay Ideot, I taught thee to love,
And in that sophistrie, Oh, thou dost prove
Too subtile: Foole, thou didst not understand
The mystique language of the eye nor hand:
Nor couldst thou judge the difference of the aire 5
Of sighes, and say, this lies, this sounds despaire:
Nor by the'eyes water call a maladie
Desperately hot, or changing feaverously.
I had not taught thee then, the Alphabet
Of flowers, how they devisefully being set 10
And bound up, might with speechlesse secrecie
Deliver arrands mutely, and mutually.
Remember since all thy words us'd to bee
To every suitor; _I_, _if my friends agree_;
Since, household charmes, thy husbands name to teach, 15
Were all the love trickes, that thy wit could reach;
And since, an houres discourse could scarce have made
One answer in thee, and that ill arraid
In broken proverbs, and torne sentences.
Thou art not by so many duties his, 20
That from the worlds Common having sever'd thee,
Inlaid thee, neither to be seene, nor see,
As mine: who have with amorous delicacies
Refin'd thee'into a blis-full Paradise.
Thy graces and good words my creatures bee; 25
I planted knowledge and lifes tree in thee,
Which Oh, shall strangers taste? Must I alas
Frame and enamell Plate, and drinke in Glasse?
Chafe waxe for others seales? breake a colts force
And leave him then, beeing made a ready horse? 30
[Elegie VII. _1635-69:_ Elegie VIII. _1633:_ Elegye.
(_numbered variously_) _A18_, _A25_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H49_,
_JC_, _Lec_, _M_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_, _TCC_, _TCD_, _W_]
[2 Oh, ... prove] Oh, how ... prove _1669_]
[6 despaire: _1635-69:_ despaire. _1633_]
[7 call _1633_, _A18_, _A25_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_,
_Lec_, _M_, _N_, _O'F_ (_corrected from_ know), _P_, _TC_,
_W:_ know _1635-69:_ cast _S_, _Chambers and Grosart_]
[10 they devisefully being set] their devise in being set
_Cy_, _P_]
[12 arrands _1633:_ errands _1635-69:_ meet errands _B_]
[14 _agree_; _Ed:_ _agree_. _1633-69_]
[21-2 That ... nor see,] _in brackets 1669_]
[24 Paradise] paradise _1633_]
[25 words _1633-54_, _A25_, _B_, _Cy_, _JC_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_,
_W:_ works _1669_, _A18_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec_, _TC_
bee; _Ed:_ bee, _1633-69_]
[26 thee, _1633:_ thee: _1635-69_]
[28 Glasse? _Ed:_ glasse. _1633-69_]