Stood in that happy garden, guardianless. And been ourselves as gods. But in distress WILFRID SCAWEN BLUNT. CLXVII INGRATEFUL BEAUTY THREATENED KNOW, Celia, since thou art so proud, 'Twas I that gave thee thy renown : Thou hadst, in the forgotten crowd Of common beauties, lived unknown, Had not my verse exhaled thy name, And with it impt the wings of Fame. That killing power is none of thine, I give it to thy voice and eyes: Thy sweets, thy graces, all are mine; Thou art my star, shin'st in my skies; Tempt me with such affrights no more, Let fools thy mystic forms adore, I'll know thee in thy mortal state. Wise poets, that wrapt truth in tales, Knew her themselves through all her veils. THOMAS CAREW. CLXVIII THE SCRUTINY WHY should'st thou swear I am forsworn, Since thine I vowed to be? Lady, it is already morn, And 'twas last night I swore to thee Have I not loved thee much and long, And rob thee of a new embrace, Not but all joy in thy brown hair But I must search the black and fair, Then if, when I have loved my round, Ev'n sated with variety. RICHARD LOVELACE. CLXIX FALSE LOVE (THE GLOVE AND THE LIONS) KING Francis was a hearty king, and loved a royal sport, And one day as his lions fought sat looking on the court; The nobles filled the benches, with the ladies in their pride, And 'mongst them sat the Count de Lorge, with one for whom he sighed : And truly 'twas a gallant thing to see that crowning show, Valour and love, and a king above, and the royal beasts below. Ramp'd and roar'd the lions, with horrid laughing jaws ; They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams, a wind went with their paws; With wallowing might and stifled roar they rolled on one another, Till all the pit with sand and mane was in a thunderous smother; The bloody foam above the bars came whisking through the air; Said Francis then, "Faith, gentlemen, we're better here than there." De Lorge's love o'erheard the king, a beauteous lively dame With smiling lips and sharp bright eyes, which always seem'd the same: She thought, the Count my lover is brave as brave can be; He surely would do wondrous things to show his love of me; King, ladies, lovers, all look on; the occasion is divine; I'll drop my glove to prove his love; great glory will be mine. She dropp'd her glove, to prove his love, then look'd at him and smiled; He bowed, and in a moment leapt among the lions wild : The leap was quick, return was quick, he has regain'd his place, Then threw the glove, but not with love, right in the lady's face. "By Heaven!" said Francis, "rightly done!" and he rose from where he sat : "No love," quoth he, "but vanity, sets love a task like that." LEIGH HUNT. CLXX ON A WOMAN'S INCONSTANCY I LOVED thee once, I'll love no more; Nothing could have my love o'erthrown When new desires had conquered thee, No constancy, to love thee still. Yea, it had been a sin to go And prostitute affection so, Since we are taught no prayers to say Yet do thou glory in thy choice, CLXXI SIR ROBERT AYTON, SONG OF GLYCINE A SUNNY Shaft did I behold, His eyes of fire, his beak of gold, And thus he sang: "Adieu! adieu ! We must away: Far, far away! To-day! to-day!" SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE. |