THE SONG.

LOVERS, rejoice! your pains shall be rewarded,

The god of love himself grieves at your crying;

No more shall frozen honour be regarded,

Nor the coy faces of a maid denying.

No more shall virgins sigh, and say "We dare not,
For men are false, and what they do they care not.”

All shall be well again; then do not grieve;
Men shall be true, and women shall believe.

Lovers, rejoice! what you shall say henceforth,

When you have caught your sweethearts in your arms, It shall be accounted oracle and worth;

No more faint-hearted girls shall dream of harms, And cry "They are too young"; the god hath said, Fifteen shall make a mother of a maid:

Then, wise men, pull your roses yet unblown:

Love hates the too-ripe fruit that falls alone.

CUPID, PARDON WHAT IS PAST.

UPID, pardon what is past,

CU

And forgive our sins at last!
Then we will be coy no more,
But thy deity adore;

Troths at fifteen we will plight,
And will tread a dance each night,
In the fields, or by the fire,

With the youths that have desire.
Given ear-rings we will wear,

Bracelets of our lovers' hair,

Which they on our arms shall twist,

With their names carved, on our wrist;

All the money that we owe1

We in tokens will bestow;

And learn to write that, when 'tis sent, Only our loves know what is meant.

Oh, then pardon what is past,

And forgive our sins at last!

1 Own.

H

From BEAUMONT and FLET-
CHER'S The Maid's Tragedy,

1619.1

BRIDAL SONGS.

FIRST SONG, during which Proteus and other sea-deities enter.

CYNTHIA, to thy power and thee

We obey.

Joy to this great company!

And no day

Come to steal this night away,

Till the rites of love are ended,

And the lusty bridegroom say,

Welcome, light, of all befriended!

Pace out, you watery powers below;

Let your feet,

Like the galleys when they row,

Even beat;

Let your unknown measures, set
To the still winds, tell to all
That gods are come, immortal, great,
To honour this great nuptial.

SECOND SONG.

HOLD back thy hours, dark Night, till we have done ;

The Day will come too soon;

Young maids will curse thee, if thou steal'st away
And leav'st their losses open to the day :

Stay, stay, and hide

The blushes of the bride.

Stay, gentle Night, and with thy darkness cover

The kisses of her lover;

Stay, and confound her tears and her shrill cryings, Her weak denials, vows, and often-dyings ;

Stay, and hide all :

But help not, though she call.

THIRD SONG.

To bed, to bed! Come, Hymen, lead the bride,

And lay her by her husband's side;

Bring in the virgins every one

That grieve to lie alone,

That they may kiss while they may say a maid ;
To-morrow 'twill be other kissed and said.

Hesperus, be long a-shining,

While these lovers are a-twining.

L

ASPATIA'S SONG.

AY a garland on my hearse
Of the dismal yew ;

Maidens, willow branches bear;
Say, I died true.

My love was false, but I was firm

From my hour of birth.
Upon my buried body lie
Lightly, gentle earth!

I

FICKLENESS.

COULD never have the power

To love one above an hour,

But my head would prompt mine eye
On some other man to fly.

Venus, fix thou mine eyes fast,

Or, if not, give me all that I shall see at last.