A COMPARISON BETWIXT THE STRENGTH OF BEASTS,
THE WISDOM OF MAN, AND THE BEAUTY OF
A WOMAN'S FACE."
THE bull by nature hath his horns;
The horse his hoofs, to daunt their foes;c
The light-foot hare the hunter scorns;
The lion's teeth his strength disclose.
The fish, by swimming, 'scapes the weel;
The bird, by flight, the fowler's net;
With wisdom man is arm'd as steel;
Poor women none of these can get.
What have they then?-fair Beauty's grace,
A two-edg'd sword, a trusty shield;
No force resists a lovely face,
Both fire and sword to Beauty yield.
a This title is omitted in the first edition.
Woman's heart.-edit. 1621.
c The horses hoofs to daunt their foes.-edit. 1621.
"No force resist; a lovely face," in the second; but as in
the text in the first edition.
Of late, what time the bear turn'd round
At midnight in her wonted way,
And men of all sorts slept full sound,
O'ercome with labour of the day :
The God of Love came to my door,
And took the ring, and knocks it hard : "Who's there," quoth I, "that knocks so sore? You break my sleep, my dreams are marr❜d.”
"A little boy, forsooth," quoth he,
"Dung-wet with rain this moonless night."
With that methought it pitied me:
I op'd the door, and candle light.
And straight a little boy I spied;
A winged boy with shafts and bow;
I took him to the fire-side,
And set him down to warm him so.
His little hands in mine I strain,
To rub and warm them therewithal;
Out of his locks I crush the rain,
From which the drops apace down fall.
At last, when he was waxen warm,
"Now let me try my bow," quoth he;
"I fear my string hath caught some harm,
And wet, will prove too slack for me."
He said; and bent his bow, and shot;
And wightly hit me on the heart:
The wound was sore; and raging hot,
The heat like fury reeks my smart.
"Mine host," quoth he, "my string is well," And laugh'd so, that he leap'd again:
"Look to your wound for fear it swell,
Your heart may hap to feel the pain."
ANACREON'S SECOND ODE, OTHERWISE.
NATURE in her work doth give,
To each thing that by her doth' live,
A proper gift; whereby she may
Prevent in time her own decay.
The bull a horn, the horse a hoof,
The light-foot hare to run aloof:
The lion's strength who may resist?
The birds aloft fly where they list:
f do. edit. 1608, 1611, and 1621. g where.edit. 1611 and 1621.
The fish swims safe in waters deep,
The silly worm at least can creep:
What is to come, men can forecast,
And learn more wit by that is past.
The woman's gift, what might it be?
The same for which the ladies three,
Pallas, Juno, Venus strave,
When each desired it to have.
ANACREON'S THIRD ODE, OTHERWISE.
CUPID abroad, was lated in the night;
His wings were wet with ranging in the rain:
Harbour he sought, to me he took his flight,
To dry his plumes: I heard the boy complain;
I op'd the door, and granted his desire;
I rose myself, and made the wag a fire.
Prying more narrow by the fire's flame,
I spy'd his quiver hanging at his back:
Doubting the boy might my misfortune frame,
I would have gone for fear of further wrack.
But what I fear'd, did me, poor wretch, betide,
For forth he drew an arrow from his side.
He pierc'd the quick, and I began to start;
A pleasing wound, but that it was too high:
His shaft procur'd a sharp, yet sugar'd smart;
Away he flew, for now his wings were dry;
But left the arrow sticking in my breast,
There sore I grieve, I welcom'd such a guest.'
NATURAL COMPARISONS WITH PERFECT LOVE.
THE lowest trees have tops; the ant her gall;
The fly her spleen; the little sparks their heat:
The slender hairs cast shadows, though but small;
And bees have stings, although they be not great.
Seas have their source, and so have shallow springs;
And love is love, in beggars as in kings.
Where rivers smoothest run, deep are the fords;
The dial stirs, yet none perceives it move;
The firmest faith is in the fewest words;
The turtles cannot sing, and yet they love.
True hearts have eyes, and ears, no tongues to speak;
They hear, and see, and sigh; and then they break.'
h That sore.-Lee Priory edition.
i Signed R. G. in the first edition, and stated in the Lee Priory edition to have been taken from Robert Green's Orpharion.
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