From The Marrow of Compliments, 1655.
The Lover pithily persuading his Mistress to relinquish her virgin resolves.
Beauteous Mistress,
THOUGH that no God may thee deserve,
Yet for thy own sake (whom I serve)
Abandon cold Virginity,
The Queen of Love's sole enemy.
Practise the gesture of a nun
When your flowery youth is done:
Pallas joys in single life
'Cause she cannot be a wife.
Love then, and be not tyrannous;
Heal the heart thou hast wounded thus.
Stain not thy youth with avarice;
Fair fools love to be counted nice.
The corn dies if it be not reapt,
Beauty is lost too strictly kept.
Come then (dearest) let's not tarry;
One day more and we will marry.
Which he humbly begs, who is wholly
yours not to be disobliged,
T. W.
From John Cotgrave's Wit's Interpreter, 1655.
'TIS[39] not how witty, nor how free,
Nor yet how beautiful she be,
But how much kind and true to me:
Freedom and wit none can confine,
And beauty like the sun doth shine,
But Kind and True are only thine.
Let others with attention sit
To listen and admire her wit;
That is a rock where I ne'er split.
Let others dote upon her eyes
And burn their hearts for sacrifice:
Beauty's a calm where danger lies.