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 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 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. JOHN FLETCHER. 1576-1625. ["The Mad Lover." 1618.] Go, happy heart! for thou shalt lie Tell her, if she chance to hide If a tear escape her eye, The altar was my loving breast, Your body was the sacred shrine, Your cruel mind the power divine, ["The Tragedy of Valentinian." About 1618.] SONG. Hear, ye ladies that despise What the mighty Love has done; Fear examples, and be wise: Fair Calisto was a nun : To deceive the hopes of man, Danaë, in a brazen tower, Where no love was, loved a shower. Hear, ye ladies that are coy, What the mighty Love can do; Fear the fierceness of the boy: The chaste moon he makes to woo; Vesta, kindling holy fires, Circled round about with spies, Never dreaming loose desires, Doting at the altar dies. Ilion, in a short hour, higher He can build, and once more fire. ["A Wife for a Month." 1624.] TO THE BLEST EVANTHE. Let those complain that feel Love's cruelty, With roses gently h' has corrected me, My war is without rage or blows: My mistress' eyes shine fair on my desires, And hope springs up inflamed with her new fires. |