Warmth enough the sun doth lend us;

From his heat the shades defend us; And thereby we share in these Safety, profit, pleasure, ease.

Other blessings, many more,
At this time enjoyed may be,
And in this my song therefore
Praise I give, O Lord! to Thee;

Grant that this my free oblation
May have gracious acceptation,
And that I may well employ
Everything which I enjoy.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

GEORGE WITHER

O now is come our joyful'st feast;

Let every man be jolly,

Each room with ivy leaves is drest

And every post with holly.

Though some churls at our mirth repine,
Round your foreheads garlands twine,
Drown sorrow in a cup of wine,
And let us all be merry.

Now every lad is wondrous trim,
And no man minds his labour;
Our lasses have provided them
A bag-pipe and a tabour,

Young men and maids and girls and boys

Give life to one another's joys,

And you anon shall by their noise
Perceive that they are merry.

Then wherefore in these merry days
Should we, I pray, be duller?
No, let us sing our roundelays

To make our mirth the fuller,
And whilèst thus inspired we sing,
Let all the streets with echo ring,
Woods and hills, and everything
Bear witness we are merry.

SPRING

THOMAS CAREW

OW that the winter's gone, the earth hath lost

NOW

Her snow-white robes; and now no more the frost

Candies the grass or casts an icy cream

Upon the silver lake or crystal stream:

But the warm sun thaws the benumbèd earth,
And makes it tender; gives a sacred birth
To the dead swallow; wakes in hollow tree
The drowsy cuckoo and the bumble-bee.
Now do a choir of chirping minstrels bring
In triumph to the world the youthful spring!
The valleys, hills, and woods, in rich array,
Welcome the coming of the longed-for May.

E

TO DAFFODILS

ROBERT HERRICK

AIR daffodils, we weep to see

You haste away so soon;

As yet the early rising sun
Has not attained his noon:
Stay, stay,

Until the hastening day
Has run

But to the even song;

And having prayed together, we
Will go with you along.

We have short time to stay, as you;
We have as short a spring:
As quick a growth to meet decay
As you or anything:

We die,

As your hours do; and dry

Away

Like to the summer's rain,

Or as the pearls of morning dew,
Ne'er to be found again.