IF I FREELY MAY DISCOVER
What would please me in my lover : I would have her fair and witty, Savouring more of Court than City; A little proud, but full of pity; Light and humorous in her toying, Oft building hopes, and soon destroying, Long but sweet in the enjoying : Neither too easy nor too hard, All extremes I would have barr'd.
She should be allow'd her passions, So they were but used as fashions : Sometimes froward, and then frowning; Sometimes sickish, and then swouning; Every fit with change still crowning: Purely jealous I would have her, Then only constant when I crave her : 'Tis a virtue should not save her.
Thus, nor her delicates would cloy me, Nor her peevishness annoy me.
F your trouble, BEN! to ease me,
I will tell what man would please me.
I would have him, if I could, Noble, or of greater blood,- Titles, I confess, do take me, And a woman God did make me; French to boot, at least in fashion,
And his manners of that nation. Young I'd have him too, and fair, Yet a man; with crisped hair, Cast in thousand snares and rings For Love's fingers and his wings, Chestnut colour,- or, more slack, Gold upon a ground of black; Venus' and Minerva's eyes,
For he must look wanton-wise; Eye-brows bent like Cupid's bow; Front an ample field of snow; Even nose; and cheeks withal Smooth as is the billiard-ball; Chin as woolly as the peach; And his lip should kissing teach, Till he cherish'd too much beard And made love, or me, afear'd. He should have a hand as soft As the down, and show it oft; Skin as smooth as any rush, And so thin to see a blush Rising through it, ere it came; All his blood should be a flame Quickly fired, as in beginners
In Love's school, and yet no sinners. 'Twere too long to speak of all : What we harmony do call
In a body should be there;
Well he should his clothes too wear,
Yet no tailor help to make him,—
Dress'd, you still for a man should take him,
And not think he had eat a stake Or were set up in a brake. Valiant he should be, as fire Showing danger more than ire; Bounteous as the clouds to earth; And as honest as his birth;
All his actions to be such
As to do no thing too much,- Nor o'erpraise nor yet condemn, Nor out-value nor contemn,
Nor do wrongs nor wrongs receive, Nor tie knots nor knots unweave; And from baseness to be free, As he durst love Truth and Me.
Such a man, with every part, I could give my very heart : But of one if short he came,
I can rest me where I am.
IN THE PERSON OF WOMANKIND
MEN! if you love us, play no more
The fools or tyrants with your friends, To make us still sing o'er and o'er
Our own false praises, for your ends: We have both wits and fancies too; And if we must, let's sing of you!
Nor do we doubt but that we can,
If we would search with care and pain, Find some one good in some one man; So, going thorough all your strain,
We shall at last of parcels make
One good enough for a song's sake.
And as a cunning painter takes,
In any curious piece you see, More pleasure while the thing he makes Than when 'tis made, why so will we : And having pleased our art we 'll try To make a new, and hang that by.
OR LOVE'S SAKE kiss me once again!
I long and should not beg in vain;
Here's none to spy thee:
Why do you doubt or stay?
I'll taste as lightly as the bee,
That doth but touch his flower and flies away.
One more! and, 'faith, I will be gone :
Can he that loves ask less than one? Nay! you may err in this
And all your bounty wrong:
This could be call'd but half a kiss; What were but once to do we should do long.
I will but mend the last, and tell Where, how, it would have relish'd well; Join lip to lip, and try!
Each suck the other's breath,
And whilst our tongues perplexed lie
Let who will think us dead, or wish our death.
Unto my more sweet Love!
Suffer me to store with kisses This empty lodging that now misses The pure rosy hand that wore thee, Whiter than the kid that bore thee. Thou art soft, but that was softer. Cupid's self hath kiss'd it ofter Than e'er he did his mother's doves, Supposing her the Queen of Loves
That was thy mistress, Best of Gloves!
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