The Hesperides & Noble Numbers Part 7

A people currish, churlish as the seas, And rude almost as rudest savages, With whom I did, and may re-sojourn when Rocks turn to rivers, rivers turn to men.

[F] Orig. ed., _warty_.

87. KISSING USURY.

Bianca, let Me pay the debt I owe thee for a kiss Thou lend'st to me, And I to thee Will render ten for this.

If thou wilt say Ten will not pay For that so rich a one; I'll clear the sum, If it will come Unto a million.

By this, I guess, Of happiness Who has a little measure, He must of right To th' utmost mite Make payment for his pleasure.

88. TO JULIA.

How rich and pleasing thou, my Julia, art In each thy dainty and peculiar part!

First, for thy queens.h.i.+p, on thy head is set Of flowers a sweet commingled coronet: About thy neck a carcanet is bound, Made of the ruby, pearl and diamond: A golden ring that s.h.i.+nes upon thy thumb: About thy wrist, the rich dardanium.[G]

Between thy b.r.e.a.s.t.s (than down of swans more white) There plays the sapphire with the chrysolite.

No part besides must of thyself be known, But by the topaz, opal, chalcedon.

_Carcanet_, necklace.

[G] _Dardanium_, a bracelet, from Darda.n.u.s so called. (Note in the original edition.)

89. TO LAURELS.

A funeral stone Or verse I covet none, But only crave Of you that I may have A sacred laurel springing from my grave: Which being seen, Blest with perpetual green, May grow to be Not so much call'd a tree As the eternal monument of me.

90. HIS CAVALIER.

Give me that man that dares bestride The active sea-horse, and with pride Through that huge field of waters ride.

Who with his looks, too, can appease The ruffling winds and raging seas, In midst of all their outrages.

This, this a virtuous man can do, Sail against rocks, and split them too; Ay, and a world of pikes pa.s.s through.

91. ZEAL REQUIRED IN LOVE.

I'll do my best to win whene'er I woo: _That man loves not who is not zealous too_.

92. THE BAG OF THE BEE.

About the sweet bag of a bee Two cupids fell at odds, And whose the pretty prize should be They vow'd to ask the G.o.ds.

Which Venus hearing, thither came, And for their boldness stripp'd them, And, taking thence from each his flame, With rods of myrtle whipp'd them.

Which done, to still their wanton cries, When quiet grown she'd seen them, She kiss'd, and wip'd their dove-like eyes, And gave the bag between them.

93. LOVE KILLED BY LACK.

Let me be warm, let me be fully fed, _Luxurious love by wealth is nourished_.

Let me be lean, and cold, and once grown poor, I shall dislike what once I lov'd before.

94. TO HIS MISTRESS.

Choose me your valentine, Next let us marry-- Love to the death will pine If we long tarry.

Promise, and keep your vows, Or vow ye never-- Love's doctrine disallows Troth-breakers ever.

You have broke promise twice, Dear, to undo me, If you prove faithless thrice None then will woo ye.

95. TO THE GENEROUS READER.

See and not see, and if thou chance t'espy Some aberrations in my poetry, Wink at small faults; the greater, ne'ertheless, Hide, and with them their father's nakedness.

Let's do our best, our watch and ward to keep; Homer himself, in a long work, may sleep.

96. TO CRITICS.

I'll write, because I'll give You critics means to live; For should I not supply The cause, th' effect would die.

97. DUTY TO TYRANTS.

Good princes must be pray'd for; for the bad They must be borne with, and in rev'rence had.

Do they first pill thee, next pluck off thy skin?

_Good children kiss the rods that punish sin_.

Touch not the tyrant; let the G.o.ds alone To strike him dead that but usurps a throne.

_Pill_, plunder.

98. BEING ONCE BLIND, HIS REQUEST TO BIANCA.

When age or chance has made me blind, So that the path I cannot find, And when my falls and stumblings are More than the stones i' th' street by far, Go thou afore, and I shall well Follow thy perfumes by the smell; Or be my guide, and I shall be Led by some light that flows from thee.

Thus held or led by thee, I shall In ways confus'd nor slip or fall.

100. NO WANT WHERE THERE'S LITTLE.

To bread and water none is poor; And having these, what need of more?

Though much from out the cess be spent, _Nature with little is content_.