Hath his trencher and his stool, LOVE WHILE WE CAN. COME, my Celia, let us prove, While we can the sports of love, To be taken, to be seen, These have crimes accounted been.t THE QUEEN'S MASQUE. 1605. THE BIRTH OF LOVE. O beauty on the waters stood, When love had severed earth from flood; So when he parted air from fire, He did with concord all inspire; There is a Fool's Song in the Bird in a Cage of Shirley (see Shirley's songs in this volume) which seems to be formed upon this song. The leading idea of this song is taken from Catullus. It was a favourite theme with the old dramatists, and will be found treated in a variety of ways amongst their songs. And there a matter he then taught IF CUPIDS SHOOTING AT RANDOM. F all these Cupids now were blind, Or play should put it in their mind What pretty battle they would make, And each one wound his mother. EPICENE; OR, THE SILENT WOMAN. 1609. THE GRACE OF SIMPLICITY. STILL to be neat, still to be drest, Though art's hid causes are not found, Give me a look, give me a face, Than all the adulteries of art; They strike mine eyes, but not my heart.* *This is one of the best known of Jonson's songs, and a remarkable illustration of the art with which he constructed these compositions. The first verse is an evident preparation for the skilful flattery and delightful sentiment of the second. Nothing less than the fascinating result to which it leads us could excuse its want of gallantry. DRIN THE FOREST.* TO CELIA. RINK to me only with thine eyes, Or leave a kiss but in the cup, And I'll not look for wine. The thirst that from the soul doth rise, But thou thereon didst only breathe, And sent'st it back to me; Since when it grows, and smells, I swear, [VARIETY, grace, and sweetness are the predominant characteristics of Beaumont and Fletcher's songs. They occupy a middle region between Shakespeare and Jonson. The individual hand of either poet cannot be traced with certainty in any of these pieces. We learn from the traditions which have reached us, that they lived together on the Bank-side, and not only pursued their studies in close companionship, but carried their community of habits so far that they had only one bench between them, and used the same clothes and cloaks in common. Beaumont has got the credit (though the younger man) of possessing the restraining judgment, and Fletcher the overflowing fancy and exuberant wit. There * A collection of Jonson's smaller poems. You oft have been told, Both the young and the old, And bidden beware of the Cut-purse so bold! Then if you take heed not, free me from the curse, Who both give you warning, for, and the Cut-purse, Youth, youth, thou hadst better been starved by thy Than live to be hanged for cutting a purse. [nurse, It hath been upbraided to men of my trade, That oftentimes we are the cause of this crime: The Devil in hell in his trade is not worse, The poor servant maid wears her purse in her placket, Then she cries and rages Amongst the baggages, And swears at one thrust she hath lost all her wages; To make good the breach of the cruel Cut-purse. Youth, youth, &c. Your eyes and your fingers are nimble of growth, But the hangman is only the Cut-purse's cut. When he bridles your necks, And then, at the last, what becomes of your tricks? Youth, youth, &c. But now to my hearers this counsel I give, And pray, friends, remember it as long as you live; Himself in a cloud, There's many a purse hath been lost in a crowd, Oh! youth, &c. An inferior hand may be easily detected in these supplementary verses. It will be seen, also, that the writer changes the alternate rhymes to couplets. Examples have been Of some that were seen In Westminster-hall, yea, the pleaders between ; Then why should the judges be free from this curse, More than my poor self for cutting the purse? Youth, youth, &c. At Worcester, 'tis known well, and even in the jail, And lost (ipso facto) his purse in the place. Of judgment so great, A judge there did lose a fair purse of velvate. At plays, and at sermons, and at the sessions, They stick not the stare-abouts' purses to take. At a better place, At court, and in Christmas, before the king's face. Alack, then for pity! must I bear the curse, That only belongs to the cunning Cut-purse? Youth, youth, &c. But O, you vile nation of Cut-purses all, Relent and repent, and amend and be sound, And know that you ought not by honest men's fall Advance your own fortunes, to die above ground; And though you go gay In silks as you may, It is not the high way to heaven, as they say. Repent then, repent you, for better, for worse, And kiss not the gallows for cutting a purse. Youth, youth, &c. |