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And lo! behold thefe talents of their hair,
With twisted metal amoroufly empleach'd,
I have receiv'd from many a feveral fair;
Their kind acceptance weepingly befeech'd,
With th' annexions of fair gems inrich'd;
And deep-brain'd fonnets, that did amplify
Each ftone's dear nature, worth and quality:
The diamond! why 'twas beautiful and hard,
Whereto his invis'd properties did tend:
The deep green emerald, in whofe fresh regard
Weak fights their fickly radiance do amend:
The heaven-hued faphyr, and the ophal blend
With objects manifold; each feveral stone,
With wit well blazon'd, fmil'd, or made some moan.
Lo! all thefe trophies of affections hot,
Of penfiv'd and fubdu'd defires, the tender;
Nature hath charg'd me, that I hoard them not,
But yield them up, where I myself must render;
That is, to you my origin and ender.

For thefe of force muft your oblations be
Since I their altar, you enpatron me.

O! then advance (of yours) that phraseless hand,
Whose white weighs down the airy scale of praise!
Take all these fimiles unto your own command,
Hallow'd with fighs, that burning lungs did raise;
What me your minifter for you obeys,
Works under you, and to your audit comes
Their distract parcels, incombined fums.
Lo! this device was fent me from a nun,
Or fifter fanctify'd, of holieft note,

Which late her noble fuit in court did shun;
Whose rareft havings made the bloffoms doat,
For fhe was fought by fpirits of richeft coat,
But kept cold diftance, and did thence remove,
To spend her living in eternal love,

But O! my sweet, what labour is't to leave
The thing we have not, maft'ring what not strives?
Playing the place which did no form receive;
Playing patient fports in unconstrained gives!
She that her fame fo to herfelf contrives,
The fears of battle fcapeth, by the flight,
And makes her abfence valiant, not her might.
O pardon me, in that my boast is true;
The accident which brought me to her eye,
Upon the moment did her force fubdue,
And now fhe would the caged cloister fly;
Religious love put out religious eye:
Not to be tempted, would he be immur'd;
And now to tempt, all liberty procur'd.
How mighty then you are, Ó hear me tell!
The broken bofoms that to me belong,
Have empty'd all their fountains in my well
And mine I pour your ocean all among.

1 ftrong o'er them, and you o'er me being strong, Muft for your victory us all congeft,

As compound love to phyfick your cold breaft.
My parts had power to charm a facred fun;
Tho' difciplin'd, I dieted in grace,

Believ'd her eyes, when they t'affail begun,
All vows and confecrations giving place.
O! moft potential love! vow, bond, nor fpace,
In thee hath neither ftring, knot, nor confine,
For thou art all, and all things elfe are thine.
When thou impreffeft, what are precepts worth,
Of ftale example? When thou wilt enflame,
How coldly thofe impediments ftand forth
Of wealth, of filial fear, law, kindred, fame?
Love's arms are peace,'gainft rule,'gainft fenfe, 'gainst
fhame,

And sweetness in the fuffering pang it bears,
The aloes of all forces, fhocks and fears.
Now all these hearts, that do on mine depend,
Feeling it break, with bleeding groans they pine,
And fupplicant, their fighs to you extend,
To leave the battery that you make 'gainst mine,
Lending foft audience to my fweet defign;
And credent foul to that ftrong bonded oath,
That fhall prefer and undertake my troth.
This faid, his watry eyes he did difmount,
Whofe fights till then were level'd on my face,
Each cheek a river running from a fount,
With brinifh current downward flow'd apace.
Oh! how the channel to the ftream gave grace!
Who glaz'd with cryftal gate the glowing rofes,
That fame thro' water which their hue incloses.
Oh! father! what a hell of witchcraft lies
In the small orb of one particular tear!
But with the inundation of the eyes

What rocky heart to water will not wear?
What breaft fo cold, that is not warmed here?
Oh! cleft effect! cold modefty, hot wrath!
Both fire from hence, and chill extincture hath.
For lo! his paffion but an art of craft,
Even there refolv'd my reafon into tears;
There my white ftole of chastity I daft,
Shook off my fober guards, and civil fears,
Appear to him, as he to me appears,

All melting, tho' our drops this difference bore,
His poifon'd me and mine did him restore.
In him a plenitude of fubtil matter,

Apply'd to cautlefs, all ftrange forms receives
Of burning blufhes, or of weeping water,

O

Or fwooning palenefs; and he takes and leaves
In either's aptnefs, as it beft deceives :

To blush at speeches rank, to weep at woes,
Or to turn white, and fwoon at tragic fhows:
That not a heart, which in his level came
Could 'fcape the hail of his all-hurting aim,
Shewing fair nature is both wild and tame :
And veil'd in them, did win whom he would maim;
Against the thing he fought, he wou'd exclaim;
When he most burnt in heart-wifh'd luxury,
He preach'd pure maid, and prais'd cold chastity.
Thus merely with the garment of a grace,
The naked and concealed fiend he cover'd ;
That th' unexperienc'd gave the tempter place,
Which like a cherubim above them hover'd:
Who, young and fimple, would not be fo lover'd?
Ah me! I fell and yet do queftion make,
What I should do again for such a fake.
Oh! that infected moisture of his eye!

Oh! that falfe fire which in his cheek fo glow'd!
Oh! that forc'd thunder from his heart did fly!
Oh! that fad breath his spongy lungs beftow'd!
Oh! all that borrow'd motion, feeming ow'd!
Would yet again betray the fore-betray'd,
And new pervert a reconciled maid.

The Amorous Epistle of Paris to Helen.

Health unto Leda's daughter, Priam's fon
Sends in these lines, whofe health cannot be won
But by your gift, in whose power it may lie
Mo make me whole or fick; to live or die.
Shall I then speak? or doth my flame appear
Plain without index? Oh! 'tis that I fear!

My love without difcovering fmile takes place,
And more than I could wifh, fhines in my face;
When I could rather in my thoughts defire
To hide the smoke, till time difplay the fire:
Time, that can make the fire of love fhine clear,
Untroubled with the mifty fmoke of fear.
But I diffemble it; for who, I pray,

Can fire conceal? that will itself betray,
Yet if you look, I should affirm that plain
In words, which in my countenance Ì maintain.
I burn, I burn, my faults I have confess'd,
My words bear witnefs how my looks tranfgrefs'd.
Oh! pardon me, that have confefs'd my error,
Caft not upon my lines a look of terror;
But as your beauty is beyond compare,
Suit unto that your looks (oh ! you
most fair!)
That you my letter have receiv'd by this,
The fuppofition glads me, and I wish,
By hope encourag'd, hope that makes me ftrong,
You will receive me in fome fort ere long.
I ask no more, than what the queen of beauty
Hath promis'd me, for you are mine by duty.
By her I claim you, you for me were made,
And the it was my journey did perfuade.
Nor, lady, think your beauty vainly fought;
I by divine inftinct was hither brought :
And to this enterprize the heavenly powers
Have given consent, the gods proclaim me yours.
I aim at wonders, for I covet you;
Yet pardon me, I afk but what's my due,
Venus herself my journey hither led,
And gives you freely to my promis'd bed.
Under her conduct fafe the feas I paft,
Till I arriv'd upon these coafts at last :

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