0, TO HIS SLEEPING MISTRESS. From Women Pleased, 1647 (acted 1620?). fair sweet face! O, eyes celestial bright, Twin stars in heaven, that now adorn the night! Oh, fruitful lips, where cherries ever grow, And damask cheeks, where all sweet beauties blow! To beauty sacred, and those angel eyes! WEEP NO MORE. From the Queen of Corinth, 1647 (acted 1618?). WEEP no more, nor sigh, nor groan, Sorrow calls no time that's gone; Violets plucked the sweetest rain Grief is but a wound to woe; Gentlest fair, mourn, mourn no mo. DIRGE. From the Maid's Tragedy, 1619 (acted 1610?). LAY a garland on my hearse Of the dismal yew; Maidens, willow branches bear; My love was false, but I was firm From my hour of birth. MARRIAGE HYMN. From The Two Noble Kinsmen, 1634 (written 1611?). ROSES, their sharp spines being gone, Not royal in their smells alone, But in their hue; Maiden-pinks, of odour faint, Primrose, first-born child of Ver Oxlips in their cradles growing, All, dear Nature's children sweet, .Not an angel of the air, Bird melodious or bird fair, Be absent hence! The crow, the slanderous cuckoo, nor May on our bride-house perch or sing, But from it fly! PHINEAS FLETCHER. (1582-1648?.) AN HYMN. From the Poems of Fletcher, 1633. Reprinted in Chalmers' Poets, vol. vi., and in the Fuller Worthies Library (edited by Dr. Grosart). DROP, drop, slow tears, And bathe those beauteous feet, Which brought from Heaven The news and Prince of Peace: Cease not, wet eyes, His mercies to entreat; To cry for vengeance Sin doth never cease: In your deep floods Drown all my faults and fears; Nor let His eye See sin, but through my tears. JOHN FORD. (15867-16397.) CALANTHA'S DIRGE. From the Broken Heart, 1633 (acted 1629?). Dyce has edited Ford's Works. GLORIES, pleasures, pomps, delights, and ease, Can but please Outward senses, when the mind ROBERT DAVENPORT. Youth may revel, yet it must Love only reigns in death; though art PENTHEA'S DYING SONG. H no more, no more, too late Он Sighs are spent; the burning tapers Of a life as chaste as fate, Pure as are unwritten papers, Love is dead; let lovers' eyes Now Love dies-implying Love's martyr must be ever, ever dying. ROBERT DAVENPORT. (?-1651?.) From King John and Matilda, 1655 (acted 1636?). MATILDA, now go take thy bed In the dark dwellings of the dead; And rise in the great waking day, 161 Rest thou, chaste soul, fixed in thy proper sphere, Amongst Heaven's fair ones; all are fair ones there. Chorus. Rest there, chaste soul, whilst we here troubled say "Time gives us griefs, Death takes our joys away". "A. W." A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE SOUL AND THE BODY. "A. W." is a frequent contributor to Davison's Poetical Rhapsody, 1602, where the following extract is found. Various conjectures as to his identity are discussed by Mr. Bullen in the Introduction to his edition of the Rhapsody. Soul. AY Y me, poor soul, whom bound in sinful chains This wretched body keeps against my will! Body. Ay me, poor body, whom for all my pains, This froward soul causeless condemneth still! Soul. Causeless? Whenas thou striv'st to sin each day! Body. Thou art the cause that sett'st this means a-work. |