Let endless peace your steadfast hearts accord,
And blessed plenty wait upon your board;
And let your bed with pleasures chaste abound,
That fruitful issue may to you afford
Which may your foes confound;

And make your joys redound,

Upon your bridal day, which is not long!
Sweet Thames! run softly till I end my song."

So ended she; and all the rest around
To her redoubled that her undersong

Which said their bridal day should not be long;
And gentle Echo from the neighbour ground
Their accents did resound.

So forth those joyous Birds did pass along
Adown the lee that to them murmur'd low,
As he would speak but that he lack'd a tongue,
Yet did by signs his glad affection show,
Making his stream run slow;

And all the fowl which in his stream did dwell

Gan flock about these twain, that did excel

The rest so far as Cynthia doth shend
The lesser stars. So they, enrangèd well,
Did on those two attend,

And their best service lend

Against their wedding day, which was not long.
Sweet Thames! run softly till I end my song.

At length they all to merry London came,-
To merry London, my most kindly nurse,
That to me gave this life's first native source,
Though from another place I take my name,
An house of ancient fame :

There when they came whereas those bricky towers,
The which on Thames' broad agèd back do ride,
Where now the studious lawyers have their bowers
There whilome wont the Templar knights to bide,

Till they decay'd through pride;

Next whereunto there stands a stately place
Where oft I gained gifts and goodly grace

Of that great lord which therein wont to dwell,
Whose want too well now feels my friendless case :-
But ah! here fits not well

Old woes, but joys, to tell

Against the bridal day, which is not long.

Sweet Thames! run softly till I end my song.

Yet therein now doth lodge a noble Peer,

Great England's glory and the world's wide wonder, Whose dreadful name late through all Spain did thunder,

And Hercules' two Pillars standing near

Did make to quake and fear.

Fair branch of honour! flower of chivalry!

That fillest England with thy triumph's fame,

Joy have thou of thy noble victory,

And endless happiness of thine own name

That promiseth the same,

That through thy prowess and victorious arms

Thy country may be freed from foreign harms

And great Eliza's glorious name may ring

Through all the world, fill'd with thy wide alarms,
Which some brave Muse may sing

To ages following

Upon the bridal day, which is not long!

Sweet Thames! run softly till I end my song.

From those high towers this noble Lord issùing,
Like radiant Hesper when his golden hair
In the ocean billows he hath bathèd fair,
Descended to the river's open viewing,
With a great train ensuing :

Above the rest were goodly to be seen

Two gentle Knights of lovely face and feature

Beseeming well the bower of any Queen,

With gifts of art and ornaments of nature

Fit for so goodly stature,

That like the twins of Jove they seem'd in sight Which deck the baldric of the heavens bright: They two, forth pacing to the river's side, Received those two fair Birds, their love's delight; Which at the appointed tide

Each One did make his Bride.

Against their bridal day, which is not long,
Sweet Thames! run softly, till I end my song.

AMORETTI.

Thrice happy She that is so well assured
Unto herself, and settled so in heart,

That neither will for better be allured
Ne fear'd with worse to any chance to start;
But like a steady ship doth strongly part
The raging waves and keeps her course aright,
Ne aught for tempest doth from it depart,
Ne aught for fairer weather's false delight!
Such self-assurance need not fear the spite
Of grudging foes, ne favour seek of friends;
But in the stay of her own steadfast might
Neither to one herself nor other bends.
Most happy she that so assured doth rest,
But he most happy whom such one loves best!

Fresh Spring! the herald of love's mighty king,
In whose coat-armour richly are display'd
All sorts of flowers the which on earth do spring,
In goodly colours gloriously array'd,—

Go to my Love, where she is careless laid
Yet in her winter's bower, not well awake ;
Tell her the joyous Time will not be stay'd

Unless she do him by the forelock take!
Bid her therefore herself soon ready make
To wait on Love amongst his lovely crew,
Where every one that misseth then her make
Shall be by him amerced with penance due!

Make haste, therefore, sweet Love! whilst it is prime :
For none can call again the passed Time.

The doubt which ye misdeem, fair Love! is vain,
That fondly fear to lose your liberty:

When losing one, two liberties ye gain,

And make him bond that bondage erst did fly.
Sweet be the bands the which true love doth tie,
Without constraint or dread of any ill :

The gentle bird feels no captivity

Within her cage, but sings and feeds her fill.
There pride dare not approach, nor discord spill
The league 'twixt them that loyal love hath bound ;
But simple truth and mutùal good will
Seeks with sweet peace to salve each other's wound:
There Faith doth fearless dwell in brazen tower,
And spotless Pleasure builds her sacred bower.

EPITHALAMION.

Ye learned Sisters! which have oftentimes

Been to me aiding, others to adorn

Whom ye thought worthy of your graceful rhymes,

That even the greatest did not greatly scorn

To hear their names sung in your simple lays,

But joyed in their praise;

And when ye list your own mishaps to mourn

Which death, or love, or fortune's wreck did raise,

Your string could soon to sadder tenor turn,

And teach the woods and waters to lament

Your doleful dreariment :

Now lay those sorrowful complaints aside;

And, having all your heads with garlands crown'd,
Help me mine own Love's praises to resound!
Ne let the same of any be envied!

So Orpheus did for his own Bride:
So I unto myself alone will sing;

The woods shall to me answer, and my echo ring.

Early, before the world's light-giving lamp
His golden beam upon the hills doth spread,
Having dispersed the night's uncheerful damp,
Do ye awake, and with fresh lustihed
Go to the bower of my beloved Love,

My truest turtle-dove!

Bid her awake! for Hymen is awake,

And long since ready forth his masque to move,

With his bright tead that flames with many a flake,

And many a bachelor to wait on him

In their fresh garments trim.

Bid her awake therefore, and soon her dight!

For lo the wished day is come at last

That shall for all the pains and sorrows past

Pay to her usury of long delight;

And whilst she doth her dight,

Do ye to her of joy and solace sing,

That all the woods may answer, and your echo ring!

Bring with you all the Nymphs that you can hear, Both of the rivers and the forests green;

And of the sea that neighbours to her near :

All with gay garlands goodly well beseen!

And let them also with them bring in hand
Another gay garlànd,

For my fair Love, of lilies and of roses

Bound true-love-wise with a blue silk ribbànd!
And let them make great store of bridal posies;