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Then down I laid my head,

Down on cold earth; and for a while was dead,
And my freed soul to a strange somewhere fled.

"Ah, sottish Soul!" said I,
When back to' its cage again I saw it fly
"Fool, to resume her broken chain,

"And row her galley here again!
"Fool, to that body to return

"Where it condemn'd and destin'd is to burn!
"Once dead, how can it be,

"Death should a thing so pleasant seem to thee, "That thou shouldst come to live it o'er again in me?"

THE WISH.

WELL then; I now do plainly see This busy world and I shall ne'er agree; The very honey of all earthly joy

Does of all meats the soonest cloy;

And they, methinks, deserve my pity,

Who for it can endure the stings,
The crowd, and buz, and murmurings,

Of this great hive, the city.

Ah, yet, ere I descend to th' grave,
May I a small house and large garden have!
And a few friends, and many books, both true,
Both wise, and both delightful too!

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And, since love ne'er will from me flee,

A mistress moderately fair,

And good as guardian-angels are,

Only belov'd, and loving me!

Oh, fountains! when in you shall I Myself, eas'd of unpeaceful thoughts, espy? Oh fields! oh woods! when, when shall I be made The happy tenant of your shade ? Here's the spring-head of pleasure's flood; Where all the riches lie, that she

Has coin'd and stamp'd for good.

Pride and ambition here,
Only in far-fetch'd metaphors appear;

Here nought but winds can hurtful murmurs scatter,
And nought but echo flatter.

The Gods, when they descended, hither From heaven did always choose their way; And therefore we may boldly say,

That 't is the way too thither.

How happy here should I,

And one dear She, live, and embracing die!
She, who is all the world, and can exclude
In deserts solitude.

I should have then this only fear-
Lest men, when they my pleasures see,
Should hither throng to live like me,

And so make a city here.

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NOW, by my Love, the greatest oath that is,
None loves you half so well as I:

I do not ask your love for this;
But for Heaven's sake believe me, or I die.
No servant e'er but did deserve

His master should believe that he does serve;
And I'll ask no more wages, though I starve.

'T is no luxurious diet this, and sure
I shall not by 't too lusty prove;
Yet shall it willingly endure,
If't can but keep together life and love.
Being your prisoner and your slave,

I do not feasts and banquets look to have;

A little bread and water's all I crave.

On a sigh of pity. I a year can live;

One tear will keep me twenty, at least ;
Fifty, a gentle look will give;

An hundred years on one kind word I'll feast:
A thousand more will added be,

If you an inclination have for me;
And all beyond is vast eternity!

THE THIEF.

THOU robb'st my days of business and delights,
Of sleep thou robb'st my nights;

Ah, lovely thief! what wilt thou do?
What? rob me of heaven too?

Thou ev❜n my prayers dost steal from me;
And I, with wild idolatry,

Begin to God, and end them all to thee.

Is it a sin to love, that it should thus,
Like an ill conscience, torture us?
Whate'er I do, where'er I go,
(None guiltless e'er was haunted so!)
Still, still, methinks, thy face I view,
And still thy shape does me pursue,
As if, not you me, but I had murder'd you.

From books I strive some remedy to take,

But thy name all the letters make;
Whate'er 't is writ, I find That there,
Like points and commas every-where:
Me blest for this let no man hold;
For I, as Midas did of old,
Perish by turning every thing to gold.

What do I seek, alas! or why do I

Attempt in vain from thee to fly?

For making thee my deity,
I gave thee then ubiquity.
My pains resemble hell in this;

The divine presence there too is,
But to torment men, not to give them bliss.

ALL-OVER LOVE.

"T IS well, 't is well with them, say I, Whose short-liv'd passions with themselves can

die;

For none can be unhappy, who,

'Midst all his ills, a time does know (Though ne'er so long) when he shall not be so.

Whatever parts of me remain,
Those parts will still the love of thee retain ;
For 't was not only in my heart,

But, like a God, by powerful art "T was all in all, and all in every part.

My affection no more perish can
Than the first matter that compounds a man.
Hereafter, if one dust of me

Mix'd with another's substance be,

'T will leaven that whole lump with love of thee.

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