Classic Poem

The Argument

Faire Cythareas limbes beheld ,
The straying Lads heart so inthral'd:
That in a Trance his melted spright,
Leaves th' sences slumbring in delight.

1

Now to the Bower hee sent his thevish eyes,
To steale a happy sight; there doe they finde
Faire Venus , that within halfe naked lyes;
And straight amaz'd (so glorious beauty shin'd)
Would not returne the message to the minde:
 But full of feare, and superstitious awe,
 Could not retire, or backe their beames with-draw,
 So fixt on too much seeing made they nothing saw.

2

Her goodly length, stretch't on a Lilly-bed;
(A bright foyle of a beauty farre more bright,)
Few Roses round about were scattered,
As if the Lillies learnt to blush for spite,
To see a skinne much more then Lilly-white:
 The bed sanke with delight so to be pressed,
 And knew not which to thinke a chance more blessed,
 Both blessed so to kisse, and so agayne be kissed.

3

Her spacious fore-head like the clearest Moone,
Whose full-growne Orbe begins now to be spent,
Largely display'd in native silver shone,
Giving wide roome to beauties Regiment,
Which on the plaine with love tryumphing went:
 Her golden haire a rope of pearle imbraced,
 Which with their dainty threds oft times enlaced,
 Made the eie think the pearle was there in gold inchased.

4

Her full large eye, in jetty-blacke array'd,
Prov'd beauty not confin'd to red and white,
But oft her selfe in blacke more rich display'd;
Both contraries did yet themselves unite,
To make one beauty in different delight:
 A thousand loves sate playing in each eye,
 And smiling mirth kissing faire courtesie,
 By sweete perswasion wan a bloodlesse victory.

5

The whitest white set by her silver cheeke,
Grew pale and wan like unto heavy lead:
The freshest Purple fresher dyes must seeke,
That dares compare with them his fainting red:
On these Cupi[d]o winged armies led,
 Of little loves, that with bold wanton traine
 Under those colours, marching on the plaine,
 Force every heart, and to low vasselage constraine.

6

Her lips, most happy each in others kisses,
From their so wisht imbracements seldome parted,
Yet seem'd to blush at such their wanton blisses;
But when sweete words their joyning sweet disparted,
To th' eare a dainty musique they imparted:
 Upon them fitly sate delightfull smiling,
 A thousand soules with pleasing stealth beguiling:
 Ah that such shew's of joyes should be all joyes exiling?

7

The breath came slowly thence, unwilling leaving
So sweet a lodge, but when she once intended,
To feast the aire with words, the heart deceiving,
More fast it thronged so to be expended;
And at each word a hundred loves attended,
 Playing ith' breath, more sweete then is that firing,
 Where that Arabian onely bird expiring,
 Lives by her death, by losse of breath more fresh respiring.

8

Her chin, like to a stone in gold inchased,
Seem'd a faire jewell wrought with cunning hand,
And being double, doubly the face graced.
This goodly frame on her round necke did stand,
Such pillar well such curious worke sustain'd;
 And on his top the heavenly spheare up rearing,
 Might well present, with daintier appearing,
 A lesse but better Atlas , that faire heaven bearing.

9

Lower two breasts stand all their beauties bearing,
Two breasts as smooth and soft; but ah alas!
Their smoothest softnes farre exceedes comparing:
More smooth and soft; but naught that ever was,
Where they are first deserves the second place:
 Yet each as soft and each as smooth as other;
 And whe thou first tri'st one & the the other,
 Each softer seemes then each, & each then each seemes smoother.

10

Lowly betweene their dainty hemisphæres,
(Their hemisphæres the heav'nly Globes excelling,)
A path, more white then is the name it beares,
The lacteall path conducts to the sweet dwelling,
Where best delight all joyes sits freely dealing;
 Where hundred sweetes, and still fresh joyes attending;
 Receive in giving, and still love dispending,
 Grow richer by their losse, and wealthy by expending.

11

But stay bold shepheard, here thy footing stay,
Nor trust too much unto thy n[e]w-borne quill,
As farther to those dainty limbes to stray;
Or hope to paint that vale, or beautious hill,
Which past the finest hand and choycest skill:
 But were thy Verse and Song as finely fram'd,
 As are those parts, yet should it soone be blam'd,
 For now the shameless world of best things is asham'd.

12

That cunning Artist , that old Greece admir'd,
Thus farre his Venus fitly portrayed;
But there he left, nor farther ere aspir'd:
His Dædale hand, that Nature perfected
By arte, felt arte by nature limitted.
 Ah! well he knew, though his fit hand could give
 Breath to dead colours, teaching marble live,
 Yet would these lively parts his hand of skill deprive.

13

Such when this gentle boy her closly view'd,
Onely with thinnest silken vaile o'er-layd,
Whose snowy colour much more snowy shew'd,
By being next that skin; and all betray'd,
Which best in naked beauties are aray'd:
 His spirits melted with so glorious sight,
 Ran from their worke to see so splendent light,
 And left the fainting limbes sweet slumbring in delight.