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 Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere; This bed thy centre is, these walls thy sphere. 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 Our hands ne'er touched the seals, Which Nature, injured by late law, set free: These miracles we did; but now, alas! Should I tell what a miracle she was. THE ANNIVERSARY. All kings, and all their favourites, All glory of honours, beauties, wits, The sun itself (which makes times, as these pass) 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 This, or a love increased, there above, 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. SECRECY PROTESTED. Fear not (dear love) that I'll reveal The god of love himself (whose dart Did first wound mine, and then thy heart,) What sweets in stolen embraces dwell. If when I die physicians doubt What caused my death, and there to view Of all their judgments which was true, Rip up my heart, O then I fear The world will see thy picture there. |