Nay more; thou mak'st me worship thec, And wouldst the rule of my religion be: Did ever tyrant claim such power as you, To be both emperor and pope too? The public miseries, and my private fate, That I one drop from thee should alienate: Thou all my joys and all my hopes dost claim; Thou ragest like a fire in me, Converting all things into thee; 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. [83] MAIDENHEAD. THOU worst estate ev'n of the sex that's worst; Therefore by Nature made at first T'attend the weakness of our birth! Slight outward curtain to the nuptial bed! Who, like the centre of the earth, A thing God thought for mankind so unfit, Cold, frozen nurse of fiercest fires! Art always scorch'd with hot desires, Yet barren quite, didst thou not bring Monsters and serpents forth thyself to sting! Thou that bewitchest men whilst thou dost dwell Like a close conjurer in his cell, And fear'st the day's discovering eye! No wonder 't is at all that thou shouldst be Such tedious and unpleasant company, Who liv'st so melancholily! Thou thing of subtile, slippery kind, Which women lose, and yet no man can find! Although I think thou never found wilt be, The search itself rewards the pains: Yet things well worth his toil he gains; And does his charge and labour pay With good unsought experiments by the way. Say what thou wilt, chastity is no more In vain to honour they pretend, Who guard themselves with ramparts and with walls; Them only Fame the truly valiant calls, Who can an open breach defend. Of thy quick loss can be no doubt, Within so hated, and so lov'd without. IMPOSSIBILITIES. IMPOSSIBILITIES! oh no, there's none; As easily other dangers were o'erthrown, His little Asian foes did overcome. True lovers oft by Fortune are envied ; As stars (not powerful else) when they conjoin, And to our stars themselves prescribe a fate. 'T would grieve me much to find some bold romance, That should two kind examples shew, Which before us in wonders did advance ; Not that I thought that story true, But none should Fancy more, than I would Do. Through spite of our worst enemies, thy friends; Through local banishment from thee; Through the loud thoughts of less-concerning ends, As easy shall my passage be, As was the amorous youth's o'er Helle's sea: In vain the winds, in vain the billows, roar : He saw the Sestian tower on th' other shore; Such seas betwixt us easily conquer'd are ; But, gentle maid! do not deny To let thy beams shine on me from afar ; For, when thy light goes out, I sink and die. SILENCE. CURSE on this tongue, that has my heart betray'd, For, of all persons, chiefly she Since 't is a thing might dangerous grow, Only in her to pity me: Since 't is for me to lose my life more fit, Ah! never more shall thy unwilling ear Discourse and talk awake does keep That in my breast does reign; Silence perhaps may make it sleep : I'll bind that sore up I did ill reveal; The wound, if once it close, may chance to heal, No, 't will ne'er heal; my love will never die, |