From The Bristol Drollery, 1674.
COME, Phillis, let's to yonder grove,
That I may tell thee how I love;
And how I've suffer'd every day
Since thou hast stol'n my heart away;
How many nights I've lain awake
And sigh'd away for Phillis' sake.
This, Phillis, this shall be our talk
Whilst hand in hand we gently walk;
Then down we'll sit in yonder shade
A myrtle has for lovers made;
And when I've called thee duck and dear,
And wooed thee with a sigh or tear,
If love, or pity on thy swain,
Move Phillis' heart to cure my pain,
Then like two billing turtles we
Will do what none but Love shall see.
From Vinculum Societatis, or the Tie of Good Company, 1687.
CHLORIS saw me sigh and tremble,
And then ask'd why I did so;
Love like mine can ill dissemble:—
Chloris 'tis for love of you,
For those pretty tempting graces
Of your smiling lips and eyes,
For those pressing close embraces
When your snowy breasts do rise;
For those joys of which the trial
Only can instruct your heart
What you lose by your denial,
When Love draws his pleasing dart;
For those kisses in perfection
Which a wanton soul like mine,
Form'd by Cupid's own direction,
Could infuse too into thine;
For those shapes, my lovely Chloris,
And a thousand charming things,
For which monarchs might implore you
To beget a race of kings;
And for which I fain would whisper,
But my heart is still afraid,—
Yet 'tis that young ladies wish for
Every night they go to bed.
From John Cotgrave's Wit's Interpreter, 1655.
DOWN[6] in a garden sat my dearest love,
Her skin more soft than down of swan,
More tender-hearted than the turtle dove
And far more kind than bleeding pelican.
I courted her; she rose and blushing said,
"Why was I born to live and die a maid?"
With that I plucked a pretty marigold,
Whose dewy leaves shut up when day is done:
"Sweeting," I said, "arise, look and behold,
A pretty riddle I'll to thee unfold:
These leaves shut in as close as cloistered nun,
Yet will they open when they see the sun."
"What mean you by this riddle, sir?" she said;
"I pray expound it." Then I thus begun:
"Are not men made for maids and maids for men?"
With that she changed her colour and grew wan.
"Since that this riddle you so well unfold,
Be you the sun, I'll be the marigold."