Whose glory like a meteor shone,
Or aëry apparition,

Admir'd a while, but slighted known.

Fierce, as the chafed lyon hies,
He rowses him, and to her flies,
Thinking to answer with his speare-

Now, as in warre intestine where,
Ith' mist of a black battell, each
Layes at his next, then makes a breach
Through th' entrayles of another, whom
He sees nor knows whence he did come,
Guided alone by rage and th' drumme,
But stripping and impatient wild,
He finds too soon his onely child.
So our expiring desp'rate lover
Far'd when, amaz'd, he did discover
Lucasta in this nymph; his sinne
Darts the accursed javelin

'Gainst his own breast, which she puts by

With a soft lip and gentle eye,

Then closes with him on the ground

And now her smiles have heal'd his wound.

Alexis too again is found;

But not untill those heavy crimes

She hath kis'd off a thousand times,
Who not contented with this pain,
Doth threaten to offend again.

And now they gaze, and sigh, and weep, Whilst each cheek doth the other's steep, Whilst tongues, as exorcis'd, are calm; Onely the rhet❜rick of the palm

Prevailing pleads, untill at last
They[re] chain'd in one another fast.
Lucasta to him doth relate

Her various chance and diffring fate:
How chac'd by Hydraphil, and tract
The num'rous foe to Philanact,

Who whilst they for the same things fight,
As Bards decrees and Druids rite,
For safeguard of their proper joyes

And shepheards freedome, each destroyes
The glory of this Sicilie;

Since seeking thus the remedie,

They fancy (building on false ground)
The means must them and it confound,
Yet are resolved to stand or fall,
And win a little, or lose all.

From this sad storm of fire and blood
She fled to this yet living wood;

Where she 'mongst savage beasts doth find
Her self more safe then humane 1 kind.
Then she relates, how Cælia-2
The lady here strippes her array,
And girdles her in home-spunne bayes,
Then makes her conversant in layes
Of birds, and swaines more innocent,
That kenne not guile [n]or courtship ment.
Now walks she to her bow'r to dine

1i. e. than among human kind.

2 It may be presumed that Lucasta had adopted the name of Calia during her sylvan retreat.

Under a shade of Eglantine,

Upon a dish of Natures cheere

Which both grew, drest and serv'd up

there :

That done, she feasts her smell with po'ses
Pluckt from the damask cloath of Roses.
Which there continually doth stay,
And onely frost can take away;

Then wagers which hath most content
Her eye, eare, hand, her gust or sent.
Intranc't Alexis sees and heares,

As walking above all the spheres:
Knows and adores this, and is wilde,1
Untill with her he live thus milde.2

So that, which to his thoughts he meant
For losse of her a punishment,

His armes hung up and his sword broke,
His ensignes folded, he betook

Himself unto the humble crook.

And for a full reward of all,

She now doth him her shepheard call,

And in a see of flow'rs install:
Then gives her faith immediately,
Which he returns religiously;
Both vowing in her peacefull cave
To make their bridall-bed and grave.
But the true joy this pair conceiv'd,
Each from the other first bereav'd,
And then found, after such alarmes,
Fast-pinion'd in each other's armes,

1 Impatient.

2 Tranquil or secluded.

Ye panting virgins, that do meet
Your loves within their winding sheet,
Breathing and constant still ev'n there;
Or souls their bodies in yon' sphere,
Or angels, men return'd from hell
And separated mindes―can tell.

TO ELLINDA,

THAT LATELY I HAVE NOT WRITTEN.

I.

F in me anger, or disdaine

In you, or both, made me refraine
From th' noble intercourse of verse,
That only vertuous thoughts rehearse ;
Then, chaste Ellinda, might you feare
The sacred vowes that I did sweare.

II.

But if alone some pious thought
Me to an inward sadnesse brought,
Thinking to breath your soule too welle,
My tongue was charmed with that spell;
And left it (since there was no roome
To voyce your worth enough) strooke dumbe.

III.

So then this silence doth reveal

No thought of negligence, but zeal :

For, as in adoration,

This is love's true devotion;

Children and fools the words repeat,

But anch'rites pray in tears and sweat.

ELLINDA'S GLOVE.

HOU

SONNET.

I.

1

snowy farme with thy five tenements! 1 Tell thy white mistris here was one, That call'd to pay his dayly rents; But she a-gathering flowr's and hearts is gone,

And thou left voyd to rude possession.

II.

But grieve not, pretty Ermin cabinet,
Thy alabaster lady will come home;

If not, what tenant can there fit

The slender turnings of thy narrow roome,
But must ejected be by his owne dombe??

III.

Then give me leave to leave my rent with thee:
Five kisses, one unto a place :

For though the lute's too high for me,

Yet servants, knowing minikin3 nor base,
Are still allow'd to fiddle with the case.

i. e. the white glove of the lady with its five fingers.

2 Doom.

A description of musical pin attached to a lute. It was only brought into play by accomplished musicians. In the address of "The Country Suiter to his Love," printed in Cotgrave's Wits Interpreter, 1662, p. 119, the man says:

"Fair Wench! I cannot court thy sprightly eyes

With a base-viol plac'd betwixt my thighs,