LOVE FROWARD AND DISSEMBLING.

Maids, in modesty, say No to that

Which they would have the profferer construe Ay.
Fie, fie! how wayward is this foolish love;
That, like a testy babe, will scratch the nurse,
And presently, all humbled, kiss the rod!

LOVE COMPARED TO AN APRIL DAY.

O, how this spring of love resembleth
The uncertain glory of an April day;
Which now shows all the beauty of the sun,
And by-and-by a cloud takes all away!

AN ACCOMPLISHED YOUNG GENTLEMAN.

His years but young, but his experience old;
His head unmellow'd, but his judgment ripe;·
And, in a word (for far behind his worth
Come all the praises that I now bestow),
He is complete in feature, and in mind,
With all good grace to grace a gentleman.

A LOVER'S BANISHMENT.

And why not death, rather than living torment?
To die, is to be banish'd from myself;
And Silvia is myself: banish'd from her,
Is self from self: a deadly banishment!
What light is light, if Silvia be not seen?
What joy is joy, if Silvia be not by?
Unless it be to think that she is by,
And feed upon the shadow of perfection.
Except I be by Silvia in the night,
There is no music in the nightingale :
Unless I look on Silvia in the day,
There is no day for me to look upon.

Ay, ay; and she hath offered to the doom
(Which, unreversed, stands in effectual force)
A sea of melting pearl, which some call tears:
Those at her father's churlish feet she tendered;
With them, upon her knees, her humble self;
Wringing her hands, whose whiteness so became them,
As if but now they waxed pale for woe:
But neither bended knees, pure hands held up,
Sad sighs, deep groans, nor silver-shedding tears,
Could penetrate her uncompassionate sire.

REPENTANCE.

Who by repentance is not satisfied,

Is nor of heaven nor earth.

LOVE INCREASED BY ATTEMPTS TO SUPPRESS IT.

Didst thou but know the inly touch of love,
Thou wouldst as soon go kindle fire with snow,
As seek to quench the fire of love with words.

Luc. I do not seek to quench your love's hot fire; But qualify the fire's extreme rage,

Lest it should burn above the bounds of reason.

Jul. The more thou damm'st it up, the more it The current, that with gentle murmur glides, [burns; Thou know'st, being stopp'd, impatiently doth rage; But when his fair course is not hindered,

He makes sweet music with the enamell'd stones,
Giving a gentle kiss to every sedge

He overtaketh in his pilgrimage;

And so by many winding nooks he strays,
With willing sport, to the wild ocean.

Then let me go, and hinder not my course;

I'll be as patient as a gentle stream,

And make a pastime of each weary step,

Till the last step have brought me to my love;
And there I'll rest, as, after much turmoil,

A blessed soul doth in Elysium.

INFIDELITY IN A FRIEND.

Who should be trusted now, when one's right hand

Is perjured to the bosom? Proteus,

I am sorry I must never trust thee more,

But count the world a stranger for thy sake.

The private wound is deepest.

Two lads, that thought there was no more behind, But such a day to-morrow as to-day,

And to be a boy eternal.

We were as twinn'd lambs, that did frisk i' the sun, And bleat the one at the other: what we changed, Was innocence for innocence; we knew not

The doctrine of ill-doing-no, nor dream'd

That any did

had we pursued that life,

And our weak spirits ne'er been higher rear'd

With stronger blood, we should have answer'd Heaven Boldly, Not guilty; the imposition clear'd,

Hereditary ours.*

EXPOSING AN INFANT.

Come on, poor babe:

Some powerful spirit instruct the kites and ravens
To be thy nurses! Wolves and bears, they say,
Casting their savageness aside, have done
Like offices of pity.

A GARLAND FOR MIDDLE-AGED MEN.

I'll not put

The dibble in earth to set one slip of them:
No more than, were I painted, I would wish
This youth should say, 'twere well; and only therefore
Desire to breed by me. Here's flowers for you;

Hot lavender, mints, savory, marjoram;

The marigold, that goes to bed with the sun,
And with him rises weeping; these are flowers
Of middle summer, and, I think, they are given
To men of middle age.

RURAL SIMPLICITY.

I was not much afeard; for once or twice
I was about to speak; and tell him plainly,
The self-same sun, that shines upon his court,
Hides not his visage from our cottage, but
Looks on alike.

Setting aside original sin.