love poetry

ON HIS FALLING IN LOVE WITH NEAERA .

Farewell that liberty our fathers gave,
In vain they gave, their sons receiv'd in vain:
I saw Neaera, and her instant slave,
Though born a Briton, hugg'd the servile chain.

Her usage well repays my coward heart,
Meanly she triumphs in her lover's shame,
No healing joy relieves his constant smart,
No smile of love rewards the loss of fame.

Oh that to feel these killing pangs no more,
On Scythian hills I lay a senseless stone,

I AM in love and cannot woo,
Heigho! Heigho! what shall I do;
I gape and sigh and sometimes weep
For Phillis that my heart doth keep.

I love her hair and forehead high,
Then am I taken with her eye,
Her cheek I do commend for gay
But then her nose hangs in my way.

Her lips I praise but then steps in
Her white and pretty dimpled chin,
But there her neck I do behold
Fit to be hung with chains of gold.

Her breasts are soft as any down
Beneath which lies her Maiden Town,

Now fie on love, it ill befits,
Or man and woman know it,
Love was not meant for people in their wits,
And they that fondly show it
Betray their too much feathered brains,
And shall have only Bedlam for their pains.
To love is to distract my sleep,
And waking, to wear fetters;
To love is but to go to school to weep;
I'll leave it for my betters.
If single love be such a curse,
To marry is to make it ten times worse.

" LEARN to forget," the wise man said of old;
Learn to forget the cruel wiles of Fate:
Learn to forget the gods' remorseless hate;
Death comes apace, and soon the tale is told;
Then fill the wine-cup ere the blood be cold,
And, lapped in languorous beauty's soft caress,
Distil a potion of forgetfulness
From lips of coral and from locks of gold.

But thou shalt fill my wine-cup, and the wine
Shall be the joy and beauty of the earth:
I'll drink deep draughts of essences divine,
Of peace and truth and love and holy mirth:

O friend, what honour canst thou have of me?
Better my name were never named again:
Vain were the builded hopes, and worse than vain,
Now hope is shattered, is the memory.
Then void thy heart of what remains to thee
Of my importunate presence; make it clear
Of all that was and all that might have been,
Of Love, or thought of love, if thought there be —

But I have that nor thou nor Time can take,
Nor gusty fortune nor the tongues of men,
I have thyself within me, there to make
Sweet music in the chambers of my heart —

My love can sing no other song,
But still complains I did her wrong.
Believe her not; it was not so,
I did but kiss her and let her go.

And now she swears I did — But what?
Nay, nay, I must not tell you that.
And yet I will, it is so sweet
As " te-he, ta-ha " when lovers meet.

But women's words they are heedless
To tell you more it is needless.
I ran and caught her by the arm,
And then I kissed her; this was no harm.

But she, alas, is angry still,
Which showeth but a woman's will.

ACT V. SCENE I.

A Part of the Country.

INFORTUNIO lying on the ground, attended by SELINA habited like Antonio, FELICE , and Shepherds.

Infor. I do not know this place, nor who you are,
Nor know I yet myself.
Sel. Infortunio.
Infor. That name I once did answer to, but then
I was not banish'd to a wilderness,
Nor slept on such a bed.
Oh, — —
If I be he, whom you call Infortunio,
Tell me how I came hither. Dost thou weep?
I prithee tell me, boy, why do those tears

ACT IV. SCENE I.

A Room in Rufaldo's House .

Enter ANTONIO , drest in Selina's apparel, with HILARIA .

Ant. Have I not done my part, wench, with confidence to proceed thus far with thy father? Either I am infinitely like my sister, or they are all mad with credulity: but our good fathers are blinded with their passions, and that helps me much. Well, I do but think upon the night's work; there lies my masterpiece; I have it, it is for thy sake, Hilaria, I have assumed this habit, the end will speak it.
Hil. But what will you do? Antonio is lost now.

ACT III. SCENE I.

A Room in Rufaldo's House .

Enter RUFALDO .

ACT II. SCENE I

A Room in Rufaldo's House .

Enter BUBULCUS .

Bub. If I were a woman, now could I fall in love with myself: every body tells me I am the properest gentleman in the town, and I put it up; for the truth is, I dare not give any one the lie. A pox o' fighting! I can look as big as another, but shall I be such an ass, to venture myself with beasts? for they say your swords most commonly are foxes, and have notable metal in them. — Let me see, I am now at Rufaldo's, my father-in-law that must be; here he is —