_Reflecting on his passion for his mistrisse._
Come, Fates; I feare you not. All whom I owe
Are paid, but you. Then rest me ere I goe.
But, Chance from you all soveraignty hath got,
Love woundeth none but those whom death dares not;
Else, if you were, and just, in equitie 5
I should have vanquish'd her, as you did me.
Else Lovers should not brave death's pains, and live,
But 'tis a rule, _Death comes not to relieve_.
Or, pale and wan deaths terrours, are they lay'd
So deepe in Lovers, they make death afraid? 10
Or (the least comfort) have I company?
Orecame she Fates, Love, Death, as well as mee?
Yes, Fates doe silke unto her distaffe pay,
For their ransome, which taxe on us they laye.
Love gives her youth, which is the reason why 15
Youths, for her sake, some wither and some die.
Poore Death can nothing give; yet, for her sake,
Still in her turne, he doth a Lover take:
And if Death should prove false, she feares him not;
Our Muses, to redeeme her she hath got. 20
That fatall night wee last kiss'd, I thus pray'd,
Or rather, thus despair'd; I should have said:
Kisses, and yet despaire? The forbid tree
Did promise (and deceive) no more then shee.
Like Lambs that see their teats, and must eat Hay, 25
A food, whose tast hath made me pine away.
_Dives_, when thou saw'st blisse, and crav'dst to touch
A drop of water, thy great paines were such.
Here griefe wants a fresh wit, for mine being spent,
And my sighes weary, groanes are all my rent; 30
Vnable longer to indure the paine,
They breake like thunder, and doe bring down rain.
Thus, till dry teares soulder mine eyes, I weepe;
And then, I dreame, how you securely sleepe,
And in your dreames doe laugh at me. I hate, 35
And pray Love, All may: He pitties my state,
But sayes, I therein no revenge should finde;
The Sunne would shine, though all the world were blind.
Yet, to trie my hate, Love shew'd me your teare;
And I had dy'd, had not your smile beene there. 40
Your frowne undoes me; your smile is my wealth;
And as you please to looke, I have my health.
Me thought, Love pittying me, when he saw this,
Gave me your hands, the backs and palmes to kisse.
That cur'd me not, but to beare paine gave strength, 45
And what it lost in force, it tooke in length.
I call'd on Love againe, who fear'd you so,
That his compassion still prov'd greater woe;
For, then I dream'd I was in bed with you,
But durst not feele, for feare't should not prove true. 50
This merits not your anger, had it beene,
The Queene of Chastitie was naked seene;
And in bed, not to feele, the paine I tooke,
Was more then for _Actæon_ not to looke.
And that brest which lay ope, I did not know, 55
But for the clearnesse, from a lump of snowe,
Nor that sweet teat which on the top it bore
From the rose-bud, which for my sake you wore.
These griefs to issue forth, by verse, I prove,
Or turne their course, by travaile, or new love: 60
All would not doe. The best at last I tryde:
Unable longer to hould out I dyed.
And then I found I lost life, death by flying:
Who hundreds live are but soe long a dying.
Charon did let me passe: I'le him requite. 65
To marke the groves or shades wrongs my delight.
I'le speake but of those ghosts I found alone,
Those thousand ghosts, whereof myself made one,
All images of thee. I ask'd them, why?
The Judge told me, all they for thee did dye, 70
And therefore had for their Elisian blisse,
In one another their owne Loves to kisse.
O here I miss'd not blisse, but being dead;
For loe, I dream'd, I dream'd; and waking said,
Heaven, if who are in thee there must dwell, 75
How is't, I now was there, and now I fell.
[An Elegie. Reflecting on _&c._ _A10_: An Elegie. _H39_,
_H40_, _L74_, _RP31_: Eleg. XIII. _1635-69_: _no title_, _Cy_:
Elegie. _P_]
[5 Else, if you were, and just, in equitie _H39_: Else, if you
were, and just in equitie, _1635-54_, _Grosart_: True, if you
were, and just in equitie, _1669_, _Chambers_ (True)]
[12 Orecame she Fates, Love, Death, _MSS._: Or can the Fates
love death, _1635-69_]
[13 distaffe _1635-69_, _H39_, _L74_: distaves _A10_, _H40_,
_RP31_]
[14 For their ... on us they laye. _Cy_, _H39_, _H40_, _L74_,
_P_: For ransome, which taxe they on us doe lay. _1635-69_:
For Ransome, but a taxe on us they lay: _A10_]
[17-19 Death] death _1635-69_]
[18 take: _H40_, _L74_: take. _1635-69_]
[21 That fatall night we last kiss'd _1635-69_: That last
fatall night wee kiss'd _A10_, _H39_, _H40_, _L74_, _P_,
_RP31_]
[22 _in brackets_ _1635-69_
said: _Ed_: said, _1635-69_]
[23 despaire? _Ed_: despaire. _1635-69_]
[24 shee.] yee. _A10_, _H40_]
[28 A drop of water, thy greate _1635-69_: A small little
drop, thy _Cy_, _H39_ (then thy), _H40_, _L74_, _P_: The
poorest little drop, thy _A10_]
[63 life] lif's _Grosart_: _spelt lief_ _H40_]
[64 Who] Where _Grosart_]
[66 marke] walke _Grosart_
or] and _A10_]
[67 but] out _Grosart_, _from H39_]
[68 Those thousand] Thousand _A10_]
[72 In one] _omit_. _Grosart_]
[74 (For loe I dreampt) _H39 and Grosart_]
[75 Heaven] O Heaven _A10_]
_An Elegie to M^{ris} Boulstred_: 1602.
Shall I goe force an Elegie? abuse
My witt? and breake the Hymen of my muse
For one poore houres love? Deserves it such
Which serves not me, to doe on her as much?
Or if it could, I would that fortune shunn: 5
Who would be rich, to be foe foone undone?
The beggars best is, wealth he doth not know;
And but to shew it him, encreases woe.
But we two may enjoye an hour? when never
It returnes, who would have a losse for ever? 10
Nor can so short a love, if true, but bring
A halfe howres feare, with the thought of losing:
Before it, all howres were hope; and all are
(That shall come after it,) yeares of dispaire.
This joye brings this doubt, whether it were more 15
To have enjoy'd it, or have died before?
T'is a lost paradise, a fall from grace,
Which I thinke, Adam felt more then his race.
Nor need those angells any other Hell;
It is enough for them, from Heaven they fell. 20
Besides, Conquest in love is all in all;
That when I liste, shee under me may fall:
And for this turne, both for delight and view,
I'le have a Succuba, as good as you.
But when these toyes are past, and hott blood ends, 25
The best enjoying is, we still are frends.
Love can but be frendshipps outside; their two
Beauties differ, as myndes and bodies do.
Thus, I this great Good still would be to take,
Vnless one houre, another happy make: 30
Or, that I might forgett it instantlie;
Or in that blest estate, that I might die.
But why doe I thus travaile in the skill
Of despis'd poetrie, and perchance spill
My fortune? or undoe myself in sport 35
By having but that dangerous name in Court?
I'le leave, and since I doe your poet prove,
Keep you my lines as secret as my Love.
[An Elegie _&c._ _A10_, _L74_ (J. R. _in margin_), _RP31_:
Elegie _N_, _TCD_ (J. R.): Elegie to his M. promissing to love
him an hour. _HN_ (_signed J. R._): An Elegy 1602. To M^{rs}
Boulstrede. _Le Prince d'Amour. &c._ _1660
[7 text from HN_: The beggers best is, that wealth he doth
<not> know, _A10_: The beggar's best, his _&c._ _L74_, _RP31_,
_N_, _TCD_, _Sim_: The beggar's best that _Grosart_]
[9 two _Sim_: _om. HN_, _L74_, _N_, _RP31_, _TCD_: But we an
hour may now enjoy when never _A10_
hour?] hour; _L74_]
[10 It returnes] Again't returnes _A10_]
[16 or have] or else _A10_]
[21 Besides, _A10_: Beside, _L74_]
[23 delight] despite _A10_]
[27 but be] be but _Sim_
their _Ed_: there _A10_, _L74_]
[30 one] on _L74_]
[32 _Poem closes_, _A10_]
[34 despis'd poetrie,] deeper mysteries, _Sim_]
_An Elegie._
True Love findes witt, but he whose witt doth move
Him to love, confesses he doth not love:
And from his witt, passions and true desire
Are forc'd as hard, as from the flint is fire.
My love's all fire whose flames my soule do nurse, 5
Whose smokes are sighes; whose every sparke's a verse.
Doth measure women win? Then I know why
Most of our Ladies with the Scotts doe lie.
A Scott is measur'd in each syllable, terse
And smooth as a verse: and like that smooth verse 10
Is shallow, and wants matter, but in his handes,
And they are rugged; Her state better standes
Whom dauncing measures tempted, not the Scott:
In brief she's out of measure, lost, soe gott.
Greene-sickness wenches, (not needes must but) may 15
Looke pale, breathe short; at Court none so long stay.
Good witt ne're despair'd there, or _Ay me_ said:
For never Wench at Court was ravished.
And shee but cheates on Heaven, whom you so winne
Thinking to share the sport, but not the sinne. 20
[An Elegie. _A10_: _similarly_, _B_, _H40_, _L74_, _O'F_,
_RP31_: Elegia Undecima. _S_: _no title_, _Cy_, _P_ (J. D _in
margin_): _first printed by Grosart_]
[1 findes] kindles _RP31_]
[5 do _A10_, _L74_: doth _Grosart and Chambers_]
[7 women win? _A10_: win women? _L74_]
[11 but in his handes, _A10_, _B_, _L74_, _O'F_, _P_: but's
in's bands _S_: cut in bands _Grosart and Chambers_: writt in
his hands _H-K_ (_teste Grosart_)]
[14 she's _A10_, _L74_, _P_, _H-K_ (_Grosart_): theyre _S_,
_Chambers_
soe] if _A10_]
[17 ne're _A10_: neare _L74_]
_Song._
Deare Love, continue nice and chaste,
For, if you yeeld you doe me wrong,
Let duller wits to loves end haste,
I have enough to wooe thee long.
All paine and joy is in their way; 5
The things we feare bring lesse annoy
Then feare; and hope brings greater joy;
But in themselves they cannot stay.
Small favours will my prayers increase;
Granting my suit you give me all, 10
And then my prayers must needs surcease,
For, I have made your Godhead fall.
Beasts cannot witt nor beauty see,
They mans affections onely move;
Beasts other sports of love doe prove, 15
With better feeling farre than we.
Then Love prolong my suite, for thus
By losing sport, I sport doe win;
And that may vertue prove in us,
Which ever yet hath beene a sinne. 20
My comming neare may spie some ill,
And now the world is given to scoffe;
To keepe my Love, (then) keepe me off,
And so I shall admire thee still.
Say I have made a perfect choyce, 25
Satietie our Love may kill;
Then give me but thy face and voyce,
Mine eye and eare thou canst not fill.
To make me rich (oh) be not poore,
Give me not all, yet something lend, 30
So I shall still my suite commend,
And you at will doe lesse or more.
But, if to all you condescend,
My love, our sport, your Godhead end.
[Song. _1635-69_: _no title_, _A10_, _B_, _HN_ (_signed_ J.
R.), _L74_ (Finis. JR monogram), _O'F_, _P_, _S96_]
[1 Love,] Love _1635-69_]
[13 witt] will, _1635-54_]
[14 They, _1635-69_: Those _L74_]
[18 I sport] I sports _1635-54_]
[19 that may _A10_, _HN_, _L74_: that doth _1635-69_: let that
_B_]
[26 Satietie] Sacietie _1635-39_, _L74_