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Hath his trencher and his stool,
When wit waits upon the fool.
O, who would not be
He, he, he?*

LOVE WHILE WE CAN.

COME, my Celia, let us prove,

While we can the sports of love,
Time will not be ours for ever,
He, at length, our good will sever;
Spend not then his gifts in vain,
Suns that set may rise again:
But if once we lose this light,
'Tis with us perpetual night.
Why should we defer our joys?
Fame and rumour are but toys.
Cannot we delude the eyes
Of a few poor household spies?
Or his easier ears beguile,
Thus removed by our wile?
'Tis no sin love's fruits to steal;
But the sweet thefts to reveal:

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,

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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
That elder than himself was thought;
Which thought was yet the child of earth,
For Love is older than his birth.

IF

CUPIDS SHOOTING AT RANDOM.

F all these Cupids now were blind,
As is their wanton brother,

Or play should put it in their mind
To shoot at one another,

What pretty battle they would make,
If they their object should mistake,

And each one wound his mother.

EPICENE; OR, THE SILENT WOMAN.

1609.

THE GRACE OF SIMPLICITY.

STILL to be neat, still to be drest,
As you were going to a feast;
Still to be powdered, still perfumed:
Lady, it is to be presumed,

Though art's hid causes are not found,
All is not sweet, all is not sound.

Give me a look, give me a face,
That makes simplicity a grace;
Robes loosely flowing, hair as free:
Such sweet neglect more taketh me,

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,
And I will pledge with mine;

Or leave a kiss but in the cup,

And I'll not look for wine.

The thirst that from the soul doth rise,
Doth ask a drink divine:
But might I of Jove's nectar sup,
I would not change for thine.
I sent thee late a rosy wreath,
Not so much honouring thee,
As giving it a hope that there
It could not withered be;

But thou thereon didst only breathe,

And sent'st it back to me;

Since when it grows, and smells, I swear,
Not of itself, but thee.

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[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:
Alack, and for pity! why should it be said,
As if they regarded or places or time?

The Devil in hell in his trade is not worse,
Than Gilter, and Diver, and Cutter of purse.
Youth, youth, &c.

The poor servant maid wears her purse in her placket,
A place of quick feeling, and yet you can take it;
Nor is she aware that you have done the feat,
Until she is going to pay for her meat;

Then she cries and rages

Amongst the baggages,

And swears at one thrust she hath lost all her wages;
For she is engaged her own to disburse,

To make good the breach of the cruel Cut-purse.

Youth, youth, &c.

Your eyes and your fingers are nimble of growth,
But Dun many times hath been nimbler than both;
Yet you are deceived by many a slut,

But the hangman is only the Cut-purse's cut.
It makes you to vex

When he bridles your necks,

And then, at the last, what becomes of your tricks?
But when you should pray, you begin for to curse
The hand that first showed you to slash at a purse.

Youth, youth, &c.

But now to my hearers this counsel I give,

And pray, friends, remember it as long as you live;
Bring out no more cash in purse, pocket, or wallet,
Than one single penny to pay for this ballad;
For Cut-purse doth shroud

Himself in a cloud,

There's many a purse hath been lost in a crowd,
For he's the most rogue that doth cry up, and curses,
Who first cries, My masters, beware of your purses.'

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.

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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,
A knight of good worship did there show his face
Against the foul sinners in zeal for to rail,

And lost (ipso facto) his purse in the place.
Nay, once from the seat

Of judgment so great,

A judge there did lose a fair purse of velvate.
O Lord! for thy mercy, how wicked, or worse,
Are those that so venture their necks for a purse!
Youth, youth, &c.

At plays, and at sermons, and at the sessions,
"Tis daily their practice such booty to make;
Yea, under the gallows, at executions,

They stick not the stare-abouts' purses to take.
Nay, one without grace,

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.

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