I sing no harme good sooth to any wight,

 To Lord or foole, Cuckold, begger or knight,

To peace-teaching Lawyer, Proctor, or brave

Reformed or reduced Captaine, Knave,

  5Officer, Iugler, or Iustice of peace,

Iuror or Iudge; I touch no fat sowes grease,

I am no Libeller, nor will be any,

But (like a true man) say there are too many.

I feare not ore tenus; for my tale,

10Nor Count nor Counsellour will redd or pale.

A Citizen and his wife the other day

Both riding on one horse, upon the way

I overtooke, the wench a pretty peate,

And (by her eye) well fitting for the feate.

15I saw the lecherous Citizen turne backe

His head, and on his wifes lip steale a smacke,

Whence apprehending that the man was kinde,

Riding before, to kisse his wife behinde,

To get acquaintance with him I began

20To sort discourse fit for so fine a man:

I ask'd the number of the Plaguy Bill,

Ask'd if the Custome Farmers held out still,

Of the Virginian plot, and whether Ward

The traffique of the I〈n〉land seas had marr'd,

25Whether the Brittaine Burse did fill apace,

And likely were to give th'Exchange disgrace;

Of new-built Algate, and the More-field crosses,

Of store of Bankerouts, and poore Merchants losses

I urged him to speake; But he (as mute

30As an old Courtier worne to his last suite)

Replies with onely yeas and nayes; At last

(To fit his element) my theame I cast

On Tradesmens gaines; that set his tongue agoing:

Alas, good sir (quoth he) There is no doing

35In Court nor City now; she smil'd and I,

And (in my conscience) both gave him the lie

In one met thought: but he went on apace,

And at the present time with such a face

He rail'd, as fray'd me; for he gave no praise,

40To any but my Lord of Essex dayes;

Call'd those the age of action; true (quoth Hee)

There's now as great an itch of bravery,

And heat of taking up, but cold lay downe,

For, put to push of pay, away they runne;

45Our onely City trades of hope now are

Bawd, Tavern-keeper, Whore and Scrivener;

The much of Privileg'd kingsmen, and the store

Of fresh protections make the rest all poore;

In the first state of their Creation,

50Though many stoutly stand, yet proves not one

A righteous pay-master. Thus ranne he on

In a continued rage: so void of reason

Seem'd his harsh talke, I sweat for feare of treason.

And (troth) how could I lesse? when in the prayer

55For the protection of the wise Lord Major,

And his wise brethrens worships, when one prayeth,

He swore that none could say Amen with faith.

To get him off from what I glowed to heare,

(In happy time) an Angel did appeare,

60The bright Signe of a lov'd and wel-try'd Inne,

Where many Citizens with their wives have bin

Well us'd and often; here I pray'd him stay,

To take some due refreshment by the way.

Looke how hee look'd that hid the gold (his hope)

65And at's returne found nothing but a Rope,

So he on me, refus'd and made away,

Though willing she pleaded a weary day:

I found my misse, struck hands, and praid him tell

(To hold acquaintance still) where he did dwell;

70He barely nam'd the street, promis'd the Wine,

But his kinde wife gave me the very Signe.

TO make the doubt cleare, that no woman's true,

Was it my fate to prove it strong in you?

Thought I, but one had breathed purest aire,

And must she needs be false because she's faire?

  5Is it your beauties marke, or of your youth,

Or your perfection, not to study truth?

Or thinke you heaven is deafe, or hath no eyes?

Or those it hath, smile at your perjuries?

Are vowes so cheape with women, or the matter

10Whereof they are made, that they are writ in water,

And blowne away with winde? Or doth their breath

(Both hot and cold at once) make life and death?

Who could have thought so many accents sweet

Form'd into words, so many sighs should meete

15As from our hearts, so many oathes, and teares

Sprinkled among, (all sweeter by our feares

And the divine impression of stolne kisses,

That seal'd the rest) should now prove empty blisses?

Did you draw bonds to forfet? signe to breake?

20Or must we reade you quite from what you speake,

And finde the truth out the wrong way? or must

Hee first desire you false, would wish you just?

O I prophane, though most of women be

This kinde of beast, my thought shall except thee;

25My dearest love, though froward jealousie,

With circumstance might urge thy'inconstancie,

Sooner I'll thinke the Sunne will cease to cheare

The teeming earth, and that forget to beare,

Sooner that rivers will runne back, or Thames

30With ribs of Ice in June would bind his streames,

Or Nature, by whose strength the world endures,

Would change her course, before you alter yours.

But O that treacherous breast to whom weake you

Did trust our Counsells, and wee both may rue,

35Having his falshood found too late, 'twas hee

That made me cast you guilty, and you me,

Whilst he, black wretch, betray'd each simple word

Wee spake, unto the cunning of a third.

Curst may hee be, that so our love hath slaine,

40And wander on the earth, wretched as Cain,

Wretched as hee, and not deserve least pitty;

In plaguing him, let misery be witty;

Let all eyes shunne him, and hee shunne each eye,

Till hee be noysome as his infamie;

45May he without remorse deny God thrice,

And not be trusted more on his Soules price;

And after all selfe torment, when hee dyes,

May Wolves teare out his heart, Vultures his eyes,

Swine eate his bowels, and his falser tongue

50That utter'd all, be to some Raven flung,

And let his carrion coarse be a longer feast

To the Kings dogges, then any other beast.

Now have I curst, let us our love revive;

In mee the flame was never more alive;

55I could beginne againe to court and praise,

And in that pleasure lengthen the short dayes

Of my lifes lease; like Painters that do take

Delight, not in made worke, but whiles they make;

I could renew those times, when first I saw

60Love in your eyes, that gave my tongue the law

To like what you lik'd; and at maskes and playes

Commend the selfe same Actors, the same wayes;

Aske how you did, and often with intent

Of being officious, be impertinent;

65All which were such soft pastimes, as in these

Love was as subtilly catch'd, as a disease;

But being got it is a treasure sweet,

Which to defend is harder then to get:

And ought not be prophan'd on either part,

70For though'tis got by chance, 'tis kept by art.

BY our first strange and fatall interview,

 By all desires which thereof did ensue,

By our long starving hopes, by that remorse

Which my words masculine perswasive force

  5Begot in thee, and by the memory

Of hurts, which spies and rivals threatned me,

I calmly beg: But by thy fathers wrath,

By all paines, which want and divorcement hath,

I conjure thee, and all the oathes which I

10And thou have sworne to seale joynt constancy,

Here I unsweare, and overswear them thus,

Thou shalt not love by wayes so dangerous.

Temper, ô faire Love, loves impetuous rage,

Be my true Mistris still, not my faign'd Page;

15I'll goe, and, by thy kinde leave, leave behinde

Thee, onely worthy to nurse in my minde,

Thirst to come backe; ô if thou die before,

My soule from other lands to thee shall soare.

Thy (else Almighty) beautie cannot move

20Rage from the Seas, nor thy love teach them love,

Nor tame wilde Boreas harshnesse; Thou hast reade

How roughly hee in peeces shivered

Faire Orithea, whom he swore he lov'd.

Fall ill or good, 'tis madnesse to have prov'd

25Dangers unurg'd; Feed on this flattery,

That absent Lovers one in th'other be.

Dissemble nothing, not a boy, nor change

Thy bodies habite, nor mindes; bee not strange

To thy selfe onely; All will spie in thy face

30A blushing womanly discovering grace;

Richly cloath'd Apes, are call'd Apes, and as soone

Ecclips'd as bright we call the Moone the Moone.

Men of France, changeable Camelions,

Spittles of diseases, shops of fashions,

35Loves fuellers, and the rightest company

Of Players, which upon the worlds stage be,

Will quickly know thee, and no lesse, alas!

Th'indifferent Italian, as we passe

His warme land, well content to thinke thee Page,

40Will hunt thee with such lust, and hideous rage,

As Lots faire guests were vext. But none of these

Nor spungy hydroptique Dutch shall thee displease,

If thou stay here. O stay here, for, for thee

England is onely a worthy Gallerie,

45To walke in expectation, till from thence

Our greatest King call thee to his presence.

When I am gone, dreame me some happinesse,

Nor let thy lookes our long hid love confesse,

Nor praise, nor dispraise me, nor blesse nor curse

50Openly loves force, nor in bed fright thy Nurse

With midnights startings, crying out, oh, oh

Nurse, ô my love is slaine, I saw him goe

O'r the white Alpes alone; I saw him I,

Assail'd, fight, taken, stabb'd, bleed, fall, and die.

55Augure me better chance, except dread Iove

Thinke it enough for me to'have had thy love.

THE heavens rejoyce in motion, why should I

Abjure my so much lov'd variety,

And not with many youth and love divide?

Pleasure is none, if not diversifi'd:

  5The sun that sitting in the chaire of light

Sheds flame into what else so ever doth seem bright,

Is not contented at one Signe to Inne,

But ends his year and with a new beginnes.

All things doe willingly in change delight,

10The fruitfull mother of our appetite:

Rivers the clearer and more pleasing are,

Where their fair spreading streames run wide and farr;

And a dead lake that no strange bark doth greet,

Corrupts it self and what doth live in it.

15Let no man tell me such a one is faire,

And worthy all alone my love to share.

Nature in her hath done the liberall part

Of a kinde Mistresse, and imploy'd her art

To make her loveable, and I aver

20Him not humane that would turn back from her:

I love her well, and would, if need were, dye

To doe her service. But followes it that I

Must serve her onely, when I may have choice

Of other beauties, and in change rejoice?

25The law is hard, and shall not have my voice.

The last I saw in all extreames is faire,

And holds me in the Sun-beames of her haire;

Her nymph-like features such agreements have

That I could venture with her to the grave:

30Another's brown, I like her not the worse,

Her tongue is soft and takes me with discourse.

Others, for that they well descended are,

Do in my love obtain as large a share;

And though they be not fair, 'tis much with mee

35To win their love onely for their degree.

And though I faile of my required ends,

The attempt is glorious and it self commends.

How happy were our Syres in ancient times,

Who held plurality of loves no crime!

40With them it was accounted charity

To stirre up race of all indifferently;

Kindreds were not exempted from the bands:

Which with the Persian still in usage stands.

Women were then no sooner asked then won,

45And what they did was honest and well done.

But since this title honour hath been us'd,

Our weake credulity hath been abus'd;

The golden laws of nature are repeald,

Which our first Fathers in such reverence held;

50Our liberty's revers'd, our Charter's gone,

And we're made servants to opinion,

A monster in no certain shape attir'd,

And whose originall is much desir'd,

Formlesse at first, but goeing on it fashions,

55And doth prescribe manners and laws to nations.

Here love receiv'd immedicable harmes,

And was dispoiled of his daring armes.

A greater want then is his daring eyes,

He lost those awfull wings with which he flies;

60His sinewy bow, and those immortall darts

Wherewith he'is wont to bruise resisting hearts.

Onely some few strong in themselves and free

Retain the seeds of antient liberty,

Following that part of Love although deprest,

65And make a throne for him within their brest,

In spight of modern censures him avowing

Their Soveraigne, all service him allowing.

Amongst which troop although I am the least,

Yet equall in perfection with the best,

70I glory in subjection of his hand,

Nor ever did decline his least command:

For in whatever forme the message came

My heart did open and receive the same.

But time will in his course a point discry

75When I this loved service must deny,

For our allegiance temporary is,

With firmer age returnes our liberties.

What time in years and judgement we repos'd,

Shall not so easily be to change dispos'd,

80Nor to the art of severall eyes obeying;

But beauty with true worth securely weighing,

Which being found assembled in some one,

Wee'l love her ever, and love her alone.

WHO ever loves, if he do not propose

The right true end of love, he's one that goes

To sea for nothing but to make him sick:

Love is a bear-whelp born, if we o're lick

  5Our love, and force it new strange shapes to take,

We erre, and of a lump a monster make.

Were not a Calf a monster that were grown

Face'd like a man, though better then his own?

Perfection is in unitie: preferr

10One woman first, and then one thing in her.

I, when I value gold, may think upon

The ductilness, the application,

The wholsomness, the ingenuitie,

From rust, from soil, from fire ever free:

15But if I love it, 'tis because 'tis made

By our new nature (Use) the soul of trade.

All these in women we might think upon

(If women had them) and yet love but one.

Can men more injure women then to say

20They love them for that, by which they're not they?

Makes virtue woman? must I cool my bloud

Till I both be, and find one wise and good?

May barren Angels love so. But if we

Make love to woman; virtue is not she:

25As beauty'is not nor wealth: He that strayes thus

From her to hers, is more adulterous,

Then if he took her maid. Search every spheare

And firmament, our Cupid is not there:

He's an infernal god and under ground,

30With Pluto dwells, where gold and fire abound:

Men to such Gods, their sacrificing Coles

Did not in Altars lay, but pits and holes.

Although we see Celestial bodies move

Above the earth, the earth we Till and love:

35So we her ayres contemplate, words and heart,

And virtues; but we love the Centrique part.

Nor is the soul more worthy, or more fit

For love, then this, as infinite as it.

But in attaining this desired place

40How much they erre; that set out at the face?

The hair a Forest is of Ambushes,

Of springes, snares, fetters and manacles:

The brow becalms us when 'tis smooth and plain,

And when 'tis wrinckled, shipwracks us again.

45Smooth, 'tis a Paradice, where we would have

Immortal stay, and wrinkled 'tis our grave.

The Nose (like to the first Meridian) runs

Not 'twixt an East and West, but 'twixt two suns;

It leaves a Cheek, a rosie Hemisphere

50On either side, and then directs us where

Upon the Islands fortunate we fall,

(Not faynte Canaries, but Ambrosiall)

Her swelling lips; To which when wee are come,

We anchor there, and think our selves at home,

55For they seem all: there Syrens songs, and there

Wise Delphick Oracles do fill the ear;

There in a Creek where chosen pearls do swell,

The Remora, her cleaving tongue doth dwell.

These, and the glorious Promontory, her Chin

60Ore past; and the streight Hellespont betweene

The Sestos and Abydos of her breasts,

(Not of two Lovers, but two Loves the neasts)

Succeeds a boundless sea, but yet thine eye

Some Island moles may scattered there descry;

65And Sailing towards her India, in that way

Shall at her fair Atlantick Navell stay;

Though thence the Current be thy Pilot made,

Yet ere thou be where thou wouldst be embay'd,

Thou shalt upon another Forest set,

70Where many Shipwrack, and no further get.

When thou art there, consider what this chace

Mispent by thy beginning at the face.

Rather set out below; practice my Art,

Some Symetry the foot hath with that part

75Which thou dost seek, and is thy Map for that

Lovely enough to stop, but not stay at:

Least subject to disguise and change it is;

Men say the Devil never can change his.

It is the Emblem that hath figured

80Firmness; 'tis the first part that comes to bed.

Civilitie we see refin'd: the kiss

Which at the face began, transplanted is,

Since to the hand, since to the Imperial knee,

Now at the Papal foot delights to be:

85If Kings think that the nearer way, and do

Rise from the foot, Lovers may do so too;

For as free Spheres move faster far then can

Birds, whom the air resists, so may that man

Which goes this empty and Ætherial way,

90Then if at beauties elements he stay.

Rich Nature hath in women wisely made

Two purses, and their mouths aversely laid:

They then, which to the lower tribute owe,

That way which that Exchequer looks, must go:

95He which doth not, his error is as great,

As who by Clyster gave the Stomack meat.

C OME, Madam, come, all rest my powers defie,

 Until I labour, I in labour lie.

The foe oft-times having the foe in sight,

Is tir'd with standing though he never fight.

  5Off with that girdle, like heavens Zone glittering,

But a far fairer world incompassing.

Unpin that spangled breastplate which you wear,

That th'eyes of busie fooles may be stopt there.

Unlace your self, for that harmonious chyme,

10Tells me from you, that now it is bed time.

Off with that happy busk, which I envie,

That still can be, and still can stand so nigh.

Your gown going off, such beautious state reveals,

As when from flowry meads th'hills shadow steales.

15Off with that wyerie Coronet and shew

The haiery Diademe which on you doth grow:

Now off with those shooes, and then safely tread

In this loves hallow'd temple, this soft bed.

In such white robes, heaven's Angels us'd to be

20Receavd by men; Thou Angel bringst with thee

A heaven like Mahomets Paradise; and though

Ill spirits walk in white, we easly know,

By this these Angels from an evil sprite,

Those set our hairs, but these our flesh upright.

25Licence my roaving hands, and let them go,

Before, behind, between, above, below.

O my America! my new-found-land,

My kingdome, safliest when with one man man'd,

My Myne of precious stones, My Emperie,

30How blest am I in this discovering thee!

To enter in these bonds, is to be free;

Then where my hand is set, my seal shall be.

Full nakedness! All joyes are due to thee,

As souls unbodied, bodies uncloth'd must be,

35To taste whole joyes. Gems which you women use

Are like Atlanta's balls, cast in mens views,

That when a fools eye lighteth on a Gem,

His earthly soul may covet theirs, not them.

Like pictures, or like books gay coverings made

40For lay-men, are all women thus array'd;

Themselves are mystick books, which only wee

(Whom their imputed grace will dignifie)

Must see reveal'd. Then since that I may know;

As liberally, as to a Midwife, shew

45Thy self: cast all, yea, this white lynnen hence,

There is no pennance due to innocence.

To teach thee, I am naked first; why than

What needst thou have more covering then a man.

TILL I have peace with thee, warr other men,

And when I have peace, can I leave thee then?

All other Warrs are scrupulous; Only thou

O fayr free Citty, maist thyselfe allowe

  5To any one: In Flanders, who can tell

Whether the Master presse; or men rebell?

Only we know, that which all Ideots say,

They beare most blows which come to part the fray.

France in her lunatique giddines did hate

10Ever our men, yea and our God of late;

Yet she relyes upon our Angels well,

Which nere returne; no more then they which fell.

Sick Ireland is with a strange warr possest

Like to an Ague; now raging, now at rest;

15Which time will cure: yet it must doe her good

If she were purg'd, and her head vayne let blood.

And Midas joyes our Spanish journeys give,

We touch all gold, but find no food to live.

And I should be in the hott parching clyme,

20To dust and ashes turn'd before my time.

To mew me in a Ship, is to inthrall

Mee in a prison, that weare like to fall;

Or in a Cloyster; save that there men dwell

In a calme heaven, here in a swaggering hell.

25Long voyages are long consumptions,

And ships are carts for executions.

Yea they are Deaths; Is't not all one to flye

Into an other World, as t'is to dye?

Here let mee warr; in these armes lett mee lye;

30Here lett mee parlee, batter, bleede, and dye.

Thyne armes imprison me, and myne armes thee;

Thy hart thy ransome is; take myne for mee.

Other men war that they their rest may gayne;

But wee will rest that wee may fight agayne.

35Those warrs the ignorant, these th'experienc'd love,

There wee are alwayes under, here above.

There Engins farr off breed a just true feare,

Neere thrusts, pikes, stabs, yea bullets hurt not here.

There lyes are wrongs; here safe uprightly lye;

40There men kill men, we'will make one by and by.

Thou nothing; I not halfe so much shall do

In these Warrs, as they may which from us two

Shall spring. Thousands wee see which travaile not

To warrs; But stay swords, armes, and shott

45To make at home; And shall not I do then

More glorious service, staying to make men?