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216

TO BLOSSOMS

FAIR pledges of a fruitful tree,
Why do ye fall so fast?

Your date is not so past,

But you may stay yet here awhile
To blush and gently smile,
And go at last.

What, were ye born to be

An hour or half's delight,
And so to bid good-night?
'Twas pity Nature brought ye forth
Merely to show your worth,
And lose you quite.

But you are lovely leaves, where we
May read how soon things have
Their end, though ne'er so brave:
And after they have shown their pride
Like you, awhile, they glide

Into the grave.

CORINNA'S MAYING

GET up, get up for shame! The blooming morn
Upon her wings presents the god unshorn.
See how Aurora throws her fair
Fresh-quilted colours through the air:

Get up, sweet slug-a-bed, and see

The dew-bespangled herb and tree!

Each flower has wept and bow'd toward the east, Above an hour since, yet you not drest;

Nay! not so much as out of bed?

When all the birds have matins said,
And sung their thankful hymns, 'tis sin,
Nay, profanation, to keep in,

Whenas a thousand virgins on this day
Spring, sooner than the lark, to fetch in May.

Rise, and put on your foliage, and be seen

To come forth, like the spring-time, fresh and green,
And sweet as Flora. Take no care

For jewels for your gown or hair:
Fear not; the leaves will strew

Gems in abundance upon you:

Besides, the childhood of the day has kept,
Against you come, some Orient pearls unwept.
Come, and receive them while the light
Hangs on the dew-locks of the night,
And Titan on the eastern hill

Retires himself, or else stands still

Till you come forth! Wash, dress, be brief in praying: Few beads are best when once we go a-Maying.

Come, my Corinna, come; and coming, mark
How each field turns a street, each street a park,
Made green and trimm'd with trees! see how
Devotion gives each house a bough

Or branch! each porch, each door, ere this,
An ark, a tabernacle is,

Made up of white-thorn neatly interwove,
As if here were those cooler shades of love.
Can such delights be in the street

And open fields, and we not see 't?
Come, we'll abroad: and let's obey
The proclamation made for May,
And sin no more, as we have done, by staying,
But, my Corinna, come, let's go a-Maying.

There's not a budding boy or girl this day
But is got up and gone to bring in May.
A deal of youth, ere this, is come

Back, and with white-thorn laden home.
Some have dispatch'd their cakes and cream,
Before that we have left to dream:

And some have wept and woo'd, and plighted troth,
And chose their priest, ere we can cast off sloth:
Many a green-gown has been given,

Many a kiss, both odd and even:

Many a glance, too, has been sent From out the eye, love's firmament: Many a jest told of the keys betraying

This night, and locks pick'd: yet we're not a-Maying

Come, let us go, while we are in our prime,
And take the harmless folly of the time!
We shall grow old apace, and die

Before we know our liberty.

Our life is short, and our days run
As fast away as does the sun.
And, as a vapour or a drop of rain,
Once lost, can ne'er be found again,

So when or you or I are made
A fable, song, or fleeting shade,
All love, all liking, all delight

Lies drowned with us in endless night.

Then, while time serves, and we are but decaying,
Come, my Corinna, come, let's go a-Maying.

217

FRANCIS QUARLES

[1592-1644]

AN ECSTASY

E'EN like two little bank-dividing brooks,
That wash the pebbles with their wanton streams,
And having ranged and search'd a thousand nooks,
Meet both at length in silver-breasted Thames,
Where in a greater current they conjoin:
So I my Best-belovèd's am; so He is mine.

E'en so we met; and after long pursuit,
E'en so we joined; we both became entire;

No need for either to renew a suit,

For I was flax, and He was flames of fire:
Our firm-united souls did more than twine;
So I my Best-belovèd's am; so He is mine.

If all those glittering Monarchs, that command
The servile quarters of this earthly ball,
Should tender in exchange their shares of land,
I would not change my fortunes for them all:

Their wealth is but a counter to my coin:
The world's but theirs; but my Beloved's mine.

GEORGE HERBERT

[1593-1633]

218

219

LOVE

LOVE bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.

But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,

Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning

If I lacked anything.

'A guest,' I answered, 'worthy to be here:'
Love said, 'You shall be he.'

'I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,
I cannot look on Thee.'

Love took my hand and smiling did reply,

'Who made the eyes but I?'

Truth, Lord; but I have marred them: let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.'

'And know you not,' says Love, 'Who bore the blame?'
'My dear, then I will serve.'

'You must sit down,' says Love, ' and taste my meat.' So I did sit and eat.

VIRTUE

SWEET day, so cool, so calm, so bright!
The bridal of the earth and sky-

The dew shall weep thy fall to-night;
For thou must die.

220

Sweet rose, whose hue angry and brave
Bids the rash gazer wipe his eye,
Thy root is ever in its grave,

And thou must die.

Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses,
A box where sweets compacted lie,
My music shows ye have your closes,
And all must die.

Only a sweet and virtuous soul,
Like season'd timber, never gives;
But though the whole world turn to coal,
Then chiefly lives.

THE ELIXIR

TEACH me, my God and King,
In all things Thee to see,
And what I do in anything
To do it as for Thee.

Not rudely, as a beast

To run into an action;
But still to make Thee prepossest
And give it his perfection.

'A man that looks on glass

On it may stay his eye,

Or if he pleaseth, through it pass,

And then the heaven espy.

All may of Thee partake

Nothing can be so mean

Which with his tincture, 'for Thy sake,'
Will not grow bright and clean.

A servant with this clause

Makes drudgery divine;

Who sweeps a room, as for Thy laws,

Makes that and the action fine.