Ah wretch! I seem to touch her now; but oh, So travellers, that lose their way by night, RESOLVED TO LOVE. I WONDER What the grave and wise Their mirth or anger move: They understand not breath that words does want; Our sighs to them are insignificant. One of them saw me, the' other day, Touch the dear hand which I admire; My soul was melting straight away, And dropp'd before the fire: This silly wise man, who pretends to know, Ask'd why I look'd so pale, and trembled so? Another, from my mistress' door, Saw me with eyes all watery come; Nor could the hidden cause explore, But thought some smoke was in the room: VOL. II. G Such ignorance from unwounded learning came; He knew tears made by smoke, but not by flame. If learn'd in other things you be, And have in love no skill, For God's sake keep your arts from me, For I'll be ignorant still: Study or action others may embrace; My love's my business, and my books her face. These are but trifles, I confess, Which me, weak mortal! move; Nor is your busy seriousness Less trifling than my love: The wisest king, who from his sacred breast MY FATE. Go bid the needle his dear North forsake, And, when these false to their own motions prove, Does nothing tie more strong than me to you; Their sad and cruel doctrine to maintain; Let all predestinators me produce, Who struggle with eternal bonds in vain : This fire I'm born to-but 'tis she must tell, Whether 't be beams of heaven or flames of hell. You, who men's fortunes in their faces read, If thou find there kind and propitious rays, Is writ in heaven; but oh, my heaven is there. What can men learn from stars they scarce can see? Two great lights rule the world, and her two, me. THE HEART BREAKING. It gave a piteous groan, and so it broke ; I thought that this some remedy might prove; Cut by this chance in pieces small, In all still lived, and still it stung in all. And now, alas! each little broken part Feels the whole pain of all my heart; And every smallest corner still Lives with the torment which the whole did kill, Even so rude armies, when the field they quit, Each troop does spoil and ruin more How many Loves reign in my bosom now! THE USURPATION. THOU 'adst to my soul no title or pretence; Till I had given myself to thee; But thou hast kept me slave and prisoner since. In an elective monarchy, Part of my heart by gift did to thee fall; But thou, their covetous neighbour, dravest out all: The public miseries, and my private fate, That I one drop from thee should alienate; Nor wilt thou grant my sins a part, Though the sole cause of most of them thou art; Counting my tears thy tribute and thy due, Since first mine eyes I gave to you. Thou all my joys and all my hopes dost claim; Nought can resist, or not increase the flame: Thou dost devour, unless thy stamp it bear: As men in hell are from diseases free, Free from their known formality: My conquer'd soul from out thine hands to gain; Since all the natives there thou 'ast overthrown, And planted garrisons of thine own. MAIDENHEAD. THOU worst estate even of the sex that's worst; To' attend the weakness of our birth! |