From The Academy of Compliments, 1650.
WHEN doth Love set forth desire?
In prime of youth, men say.
And when again will it retire?
When beauty falls away.
Then you in youth that think on this,
Taste what the sweetness of love is.
The night comes not at lovers' call;
Being come, stays not their leisure;
Hours that are sweet are swift withall,
And attend not on our pleasure:[68]
Then you in youth, that think on this,
Taste what the sweet of beauty is.
John Cotgrave's Wit's Interpreter, 1655.
I[69] WALK'D abroad not long ago,
But will not tell you whither;
It is where flowers of beauty grow
And fair ones flock together.
And Cupid will great wonders show
If ever you come thither.
For like two suns, two beauties bright
Did shining sit together,
As tempted by their double light
Mine eyes were fix'd on either;
And both at once so show'd their might,
I loved, but knew not whether.
Such equal sweetness Venus gave
That she preferr'd not either;
That when for love I sought to crave,
I knew not well of whether:
For one while this I liked to have,
And then I that had rather.
A lover of the choicest eye
Might have been pleased with either,
And so I must confess should I,
Had they not been together:
Now both must love or both deny,
In one enjoy I neither.
But, happy chance, I feel no smart
To curse my coming thither;
For, since that my divided heart
I[n] choosing knew not whether,
Love angry grew and did depart:
And now I care for neither.