THE BAG OF THE BEE A ROBERT HERRICK BOUT the sweet bag of a bee And whose the pretty prize should be Which Venus hearing, thither came, And for their boldness stript them, And taking thence from each his flame, With rods of myrtle whipt them. Which done, to still their wanton cries, When quiet grown she'd seen them, She kiss'd and wiped their dove-like eyes, And gave the bag between them. THE SUCCESSION OF THE FOUR SWEET MONTHS ROBERT HERRICK JIRST, April, she with mellow show'rs Then after her comes smiling May, In a more rich and sweet array; Next enters June, and brings us more Gems, than those two, that went before: More wealth brings in, than all those three. A BALLAD UPON A WEDDING SIR JOHN SUCKLING TELL thee, Dick, where I have been, Such sights again cannot be found At Charing-cross, hard by the way, And there did I see coming down Forty at least, in pairs. Amongst the rest, one pest'lent fine Our landlord looks like nothing to him, But wot you what? the youth was going To make an end of all his wooing; The parson for him stay'd: Yet by his leave (for all his haste) The maid (and thereby hangs a tale) No grape that's kindly ripe, could be Her finger was so small, the ring, It was too wide a peck: And to say truth (for out it must) Her feet beneath her petticoat, Her lips were red, and one was thin, Just in the nick the cook knocked thrice, And all the waiters in a trice His summons did obey; Each serving man with dish in hand, Marched boldly up like our trained band, Presented, and away. Now hats fly off, and youths carouse; And when 'twas nam'd another's health, On a sudden up they rise and dance; Thus several ways the time did pass, |