12

WRITTEN IN JUICE OF LEMON.

Whene'er then you come hither, that shall be
The time, which this to others is, to me.
The little joys which here are now,
The name of punishments do bear ;
When by their sight they let us know
How we depriv'd of greater are:

"Tis you the best of seasons with you bring; This is for beasts, and that for men, the Spring.

WRITTEN IN JUICE OF LEMON.
WHILST what I write I do not see,
I dare thus, even to you, write poetry.
Ah, foolish Muse! which dost so high aspire,
And know'st her judgment well,

How much it does thy power excel,
Yet darest be read by, thy just doom, the fire.
Alas! thou think'st thyself secure,

Because thy form is innocent and pure:
Like hypocrites, which seem unspotted here;
But, when they sadly come to die,

And the last fire their truth must try, Scrawl'd o'er like thee, and blotted, they appear.

Go then, but reverently go,

And, since thou needs must sin, confess it too: Confess 't, and with humility clothe thy shame; For thou, who else must burned be

An heretic, if she pardon thee,

Mayst like a martyr then enjoy the flame.

But, if her wisdom grow severe,

And suffer not her goodness to be there;

WRITTEN IN JUICE OF LEMON.

If her large mercies cruelly' it restrain ;
Be not discouraged, but require
A more gentle ordeal fire,

And bid her by Love's flames read it again.

13

Strange power of heat! thou yet dost show Like winter-earth, naked or cloth'd with snow: But as, the quickening sun approaching near, The plants arise up by degrees;

A sudden paint adorns the trees,
And all kind Nature's characters appear.

So, nothing yet in thee is seen;

But, when a genial heat warms thee within, A new-born wood of various lines there grows ; Here buds an A, and there a B,

Here sprouts a V, and there a T,
And all the flourishing letters stand in rows.

Still, silly paper! thou wilt think

That all this might as well be writ with ink : Oh, no; there's sense in this, and mysteryThou now mayst change thy author's name, And to her hand lay noble claim;

For, as she reads, she makes, the words in thee.

Yet-if thine own unworthiness

Will still that thou art mine, not hers confessConsume thyself with fire before her eyes, And so her grace or pity move:

The Gods, though beasts they do not love, Yet like them when they're burnt in sacrifice.

INCONSTANCY.

FIVE years ago (says Story) I loved you,
For which you call me most inconstant now;
Pardon me, Madam! you mistake the man,
For I am not the same that I was then ;
No flesh is now the same 'twas then in me;
And that
my mind is changed, yourself may see.
The same thoughts to retain still, and intents,
Were more inconstant far; for accidents

Must of all things most strangely inconstant prove,
If from one subject they to' another move;
My members then the father-members were

From whence these take their birth which now are
If then this body love what the' other did, [here.
'Twere incest; which by Nature is forbid.
You might as well this day inconstant name,
Because the weather is not still the same
That it was yesterday—or blame the year,
'Cause the spring flowers, and autumn fruit, does
bear.

The world's a scene of changes; and to be
Constant, in Nature were inconstancy;

For 'twere to break the laws herself has made :
Our substances themselves do fleet and fade;
The most fix'd being still does move and fly,
Swift as the wings of time 'tis measured by.
To' imagine then that Love should never cease
(Love, which is but the ornament of these)
Were quite as senseless, as to wonder why
Beauty and colour stay not when we die.

NOT FAIR.

'Tis very true, I thought you once as fair
As women in the' idea are;

Whatever here seems beauteous, seem'd to be
But a faint metaphor of thee:

But then, methought, there something shined within,

Which cast this lustre o'er thy skin;

Nor could I choose but count it the sun's light,
Which made this cloud appear so bright.
But, since I knew thy falsehood and thy pride,
And all thy thousand faults beside,

A very Moor, methinks, placed near to thee,
White as his teeth would seem to be.
So men (they say) by hell's delusions led,
Have ta'en a succubus to their bed;
Believe it fair, and themselves happy call,
Till the cleft foot discovers all:

[fear;

Then they start from 't, half ghosts themselves with

And devil, as 'tis, it doth appear.

So, since against my will I found thee foul,
Deform'd and crooked in thy soul,

My reason straight did to my senses show,
That they might be mistaken too:

Nay, when the world but knows how false you are,
There's not a man will think you fair;
Thy shape will monstrous in their fancies be,
They'll call their eyes as false as thee.
Be what thou wilt, hate will present thee so
As Puritans do the Pope, and Papists Luther do.

PLATONIC LOVE..

INDEED I must confess,

When souls mix 'tis an happiness;
But not complete till bodies too combine,
And closely as our minds together join:
But half of heaven the souls in glory taste,
Till by love in heaven, at last,
Their bodies too are placed.

In thy immortal part

Man, as well as I, thou art;

But something 'tis that differs thee and me;
And we must one even in that differénce be.
I thee, both as a man and woman, prize;
For a perfect love implies

Love in all capacities.

Can that for true love pass,

When a fair woman courts her glass? Something unlike must in love's likeness be; His wonder is, one, and variety:

For he, whose soul nought but a soul can move,

Does a new Narcissus prove,

And his own image love.

That souls do beauty know,

'Tis to the bodies' help they owe;

If, when they know't, they straight abuse that trust,
And shut the body from 't, 'tis as unjust
As if I brought my dearest friend to see
My mistress, and at the' instant he
Should steal her quite from me.