_Loves Progress._
Who ever loves, if he do not propose
The right true end of love, he's one that goes
To sea for nothing but to make him sick:
Love is a bear-whelp born, if we o're lick
Our love, and force it new strange shapes to take, 5
We erre, and of a lump a monster make.
Were not a Calf a monster that were grown
Face'd like a man, though better then his own?
Perfection is in unitie: preferr
One woman first, and then one thing in her. 10
I, when I value gold, may think upon
The ductilness, the application,
The wholsomness, the ingenuitie,
From rust, from soil, from fire ever free:
But if I love it, 'tis because 'tis made 15
By our new nature (Use) the soul of trade.
All these in women we might think upon
(If women had them) and yet love but one.
Can men more injure women then to say
They love them for that, by which they're not they? 20
Makes virtue woman? must I cool my bloud
Till I both be, and find one wise and good?
May barren Angels love so. But if we
Make love to woman; virtue is not she:
As beauty'is not nor wealth: He that strayes thus 25
From her to hers, is more adulterous,
Then if he took her maid. Search every spheare
And firmament, our _Cupid_ is not there:
He's an infernal god and under ground,
With _Pluto_ dwells, where gold and fire abound: 30
Men to such Gods, their sacrificing Coles
Did not in Altars lay, but pits and holes.
Although we see Celestial bodies move
Above the earth, the earth we Till and love:
So we her ayres contemplate, words and heart, 35
And virtues; but we love the Centrique part.
Nor is the soul more worthy, or more fit
For love, then this, as infinite as it.
But in attaining this desired place
How much they erre; that set out at the face? 40
The hair a Forest is of Ambushes,
Of springes, snares, fetters and manacles:
The brow becalms us when 'tis smooth and plain,
And when 'tis wrinckled, shipwracks us again.
Smooth, 'tis a Paradice, where we would have 45
Immortal stay, and wrinkled 'tis our grave.
The Nose (like to the first Meridian) runs
Not 'twixt an East and West, but 'twixt two suns;
It leaves a Cheek, a rosie Hemisphere
On either side, and then directs us where 50
Upon the Islands fortunate we fall,
(Not faynte _Canaries_, but _Ambrosiall_)
Her swelling lips; To which when wee are come,
We anchor there, and think our selves at home,
For they seem all: there Syrens songs, and there 55
Wise Delphick Oracles do fill the ear;
There in a Creek where chosen pearls do swell,
The Remora, her cleaving tongue doth dwell.
These, and the glorious Promontory, her Chin
Ore past; and the streight _Hellespont_ betweene 60
The _Sestos_ and _Abydos_ of her breasts,
(Not of two Lovers, but two Loves the neasts)
Succeeds a boundless sea, but yet thine eye
Some Island moles may scattered there descry;
And Sailing towards her _India_, in that way 65
Shall at her fair Atlantick Navell stay;
Though thence the Current be thy Pilot made,
Yet ere thou be where thou wouldst be embay'd,
Thou shalt upon another Forest set,
Where many Shipwrack, and no further get. 70
When thou art there, consider what this chace
Mispent by thy beginning at the face.
Rather set out below; practice my Art,
Some Symetry the foot hath with that part
Which thou dost seek, and is thy Map for that 75
Lovely enough to stop, but not stay at:
Least subject to disguise and change it is;
Men say the Devil never can change his.
It is the Emblem that hath figured
Firmness; 'tis the first part that comes to bed. 80
Civilitie we see refin'd: the kiss
Which at the face began, transplanted is,
Since to the hand, since to the Imperial knee,
Now at the Papal foot delights to be:
If Kings think that the nearer way, and do 85
Rise from the foot, Lovers may do so too;
For as free Spheres move faster far then can
Birds, whom the air resists, so may that man
Which goes this empty and Ætherial way,
Then if at beauties elements he stay. 90
Rich Nature hath in women wisely made
Two purses, and their mouths aversely laid:
They then, which to the lower tribute owe,
That way which that Exchequer looks, must go:
He which doth not, his error is as great, 95
As who by Clyster gave the Stomack meat.
[Elegie XVIII. _&c._ _Ed:_ Elegie XVIII. _1669, where it is
first included among the Elegies. It had already been printed
in_ Wit and Drollery. By Sir J. M., J. S., Sir W. D., J. D.,
and the most refined Wits of the Age. _1661. It appears in
A18, A25, B, Cy, D, H49, Lec, N, O'F, S, S96, TC, with title_
Loves Progress., _or_ Elegie. on Loves Progresse., _or with no
title_]
[4 Love is a _1669:_ And Love's a _MSS._]
[5 strange _1661 and MSS.:_ strong _1669_]
[11 I,] I _1669_]
[14 ever _1669:_ for ever _O'F_, _S_, _S96_]
[16 (our new nature) use, _1661_]
[17 these _1669 and MSS.:_ this _1661_, _Cy_, _P_, _Chambers_]
[20 them] _om. 1661_]
[25 beauty'is not _1661 and MSS.:_ beauties no _1669_
thus] thus: _1669_]
[27 Then if he took] Then he that took _1661_, _B_ (takes),
_Cy_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_
spheare] sphear _1669_]
[30 abound: _Ed:_ abound, _1669_]
[32 in _A18_, _B_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec_, _N_, _TC:_ on _1669_,
_A25_
holes.] holes: _1669_]
[38 infinite] infinit _1669_]
[40 erre _1661-69_, _S_, _S96:_ stray _A18_, _A25_, _B_, _Cy_,
_D_, _H49_, _JC_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _TC_]
[42 springes, _H49 and some MSS.:_ springs, _1669_]
[46 and _1661_, _A18_, _A25_, _B_, _C_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec_,
_N_, _P_, _S96_, _TC:_ but _1669_
our _1661_, _MSS.:_ a _1669_]
[47 first Meridian _1661 and MSS.:_ sweet Meridian _1669_.]
[52-3 (Not ... Ambrosiall) ... lips _&c._ _1661 and MSS._
(_not always with brackets and sometimes with_ No _for_ Not
_and_ Canary): Not ... Ambrosiall. Unto her swelling lips when
we are come, _1669_]
[55 For they seem all: there _1669_, _A18_, _B_, _D_, _H49_,
_JC_, _Lec_, _N_, _S_, _TC:_ For they sing all their _1661_,
_Cy_, _P_]
[57 There _1661 and MSS.:_ Then _1669_
swell, _Ed:_ swell _1669_]
[58 Rhemora _1669_]
[59 the glorious Promontory,] _brackets and no comma, 1669_]
[60 Ore past; ... betweene _1661 and MSS.:_ Being past the
Straits of _Hellespont_ between _1669_]
[62 Loves] loves _1669_]
[63 yet] that _D, H49, Lec, and other MSS._]
[65 Sailing] Sailng _1669_]
[66 Navell] Naval _1669_]
[67 thence _A18_, _A25_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec_, _O'F_,
_S_, _S96_, _TC:_ there _1661-9_, _N_(?): hence _P_
thy _all MSS.:_ the _1661-9_]
[68 wouldst _A18_, _A25_, _B_, _Cy_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_, _N_,
_O'F_, _P_, _S_, _S96_, _TC:_ shouldst _1669_]
[70 many _1669:_ some doe _A18_, _A25_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H49_,
_JC_, _Lec_, _N_, _P_]
[73 my _1669_, _A25_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H49_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_,
_S_, _S96_, _TCD:_ thy _Chambers:_ thine _A18_, _TCC_]
[80 the] _bis 1669_]
[81-2 Civilitie, we see, refin'd the kisse Which at the face
begonne, transplanted is _D_, _H49_, _Lec_]
[83 Imperial] imperial _1669_]
[86 too;] too. _1669_]
[90 elements _1661 and MSS.:_ enemies _1669_]
[91 hath] _Chambers omits_]
[93 owe,] owe _1669_]
[96 Clyster gave _A18_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec_, _N_, _TC:_ glister
gives _1669_]