Since I am thine, oh, come; but with that face Come as thou wilt, and what thou wilt bequeath! SONNET. [To his Lute.] My lute, be as thou wert', when thou did2 grow 5 Which wont in such harmonious strains to flow, Is reft from earth to tune those spheres above, Thy pleasing notes be pleasing notes no more, 7 6 Each stroke a sigh, each sound draws forth a tear. 8 For which be silent as in woods before; Or if that any hand to touch thee deign, SONNET. [To the Nightingale.] DEAR quirister, who from those shadows sends And long, long sing!) for what thou thus complains, 3 Since Winter's gone, and 2 Sun in dappled sky Enamour'd smiles on woods and flowery plains? The bird, as if my questions did her move, 4 66 With trembling wings sigh'd forth, “I love, I love!" SONNET. THRICE happy he, who by some shady grove, But doth converse with that Eternal Love. 1 " dawn." 2 "Sith (winter gone) the." 3 "Now smiles on meadows, mountains, woods, and." 4 "sobb'd." 5 "solitare, yet." O how more sweet is birds' harmonious moan, Or the hoarse sobbings of the widow'd dove, Than those smooth whisperings near a prince's throne, Which good make doubtful, do the ill approve! O how more sweet is Zephyr's wholesome breath, And sighs embalm'd2, which new-born3 flowers unfold, Than that applause vain honour doth bequeath! How sweet are streams to poison drank in gold! The world is full of horrors, troubles', slights; Woods' harmless shades have only true delights. 5 SONNET. SWEET Spring, thou turn'st, with all thy goodly train, Thy head with flames, thy mantle bright with flowers! The Zephyrs curl the green locks of the plain, The Clouds for joy in pearls weep down their showers. Thou turn'st', sweet youth! but ah! my pleasant 6 So ed. 1616.-Ed. 1657, " Dost return ?" 3" do the." And happy days with thee come not again! Do with thee turn, which turn my sweets to1 sours! Delicious, lusty3, amiable, fair: But she whose breath embalm'd thy wholesome air Is gone! nor gold nor gems can her restore. Neglected Virtue! seasons go and come, When thine, forgot, lie closed in a tomb. SONNET. [To the Nightingale.] SWEET bird, that sing'st away the early hours, Attir'd in sweetness sweetly is not driven Quite to forget earth's turmoils, spites, and wrongs, And lift a reverend eye and thought to heaven? Sweet artless songster, thou my mind dost raise THIS world a hunting is; The prey poor man; the Nimrod fierce is Death; His speedy greyhounds are Lust, sickness, envy, care, Strife, that ne'er falls amiss, With all those ills which haunt us while we breathe. Now, if by chance we fly Of these the eager chase, Old age, with stealing pace, Casts on his nets, and there we panting die. [The following Sonnet is taken from "The Flowres of Sion," ed. 1656. The variations noted at the foot of the page are from ed. 1630.] THE weary mariner so far1 not flies An howling tempest, harbour to obtain, Nor shepherd hastes, when frays of wolves arise, As I, wing'd with contempt and just disdain, Now fly the world, and what it most doth prize, And sanctuary seek, free to remain 1 66 fast." |