The Hesperides & Noble Numbers Part 84

Why dost thou wound and break my heart, As if we should for ever part?

Hast thou not heard an oath from me, After a day, or two, or three, I would come back and live with thee?

Take, if thou dost distrust that vow, This second protestation now.

Upon thy cheek that spangled tear, Which sits as dew of roses there, That tear shall scarce be dried before I'll kiss the threshold of thy door.

Then weep not, sweet; but thus much know, I'm half return'd before I go.

1091. ON HIMSELF.

I will no longer kiss, I can no longer stay; The way of all flesh is That I must go this day.

Since longer I can't live, My frolic youths, adieu; My lamp to you I'll give, And all my troubles too.

1092. TO THE MOST ACCOMPLISHED GENTLEMAN, M. MICHAEL OULSWORTH.

Nor think that thou in this my book art worst, Because not plac'd here with the midst, or first.

Since fame that sides with these, or goes before Those, that must live with thee for evermore; That fame, and fame's rear'd pillar, thou shalt see In the next sheet, brave man, to follow thee.

Fix on that column then, and never fall, Held up by Fame's eternal pedestal.

_In the next sheet._ See 1129.

1093. TO HIS GIRLS, WHO WOULD HAVE HIM SPORTFUL.

Alas! I can't, for tell me, how Can I be gamesome, aged now?

Besides, ye see me daily grow Here, winter-like, to frost and snow; And I, ere long, my girls, shall see Ye quake for cold to look on me.

1094. TRUTH AND FALSEHOOD.

_Truth by her own simplicity is known, Falsehood by varnish and vermilion._

1095. HIS LAST REQUEST TO JULIA.

I have been wanton and too bold, I fear, To chafe o'ermuch the virgin's cheek or ear.

Beg for my pardon, Julia: _he doth win Grace with the G.o.ds who's sorry for his sin_.

That done, my Julia, dearest Julia, come And go with me to choose my burial room: My fates are ended; when thy Herrick dies, Clasp thou his book, then close thou up his eyes.

1096. ON HIMSELF.

One ear tingles; some there be That are snarling now at me: Be they those that Homer bit, I will give them thanks for it.

1097. UPON KINGS.

_Kings must be dauntless; subjects will contemn Those who want hearts and wear a diadem._

1098. TO HIS GIRLS.

Wanton wenches, do not bring For my hairs black colouring: For my locks, girls, let 'em be Grey or white, all's one to me.

1100. TO HIS BROTHER, NICHOLAS HERRICK.

What others have with cheapness seen and ease In varnish'd maps, by th' help of compa.s.ses, Or read in volumes and those books with all Their large narrations incanonical, Thou hast beheld those seas and countries far, And tell'st to us what once they were, and are.

So that with bold truth thou can'st now relate This kingdom's fortune, and that empire's fate: Can'st talk to us of Sharon, where a spring Of roses have an endless flouris.h.i.+ng; Of Sion, Sinai, Nebo, and with them Make known to us the new Jerusalem; The Mount of Olives, Calvary, and where Is, and hast seen, thy Saviour's sepulchre.

So that the man that will but lay his ears As inapostate to the thing he hears, Shall by his hearing quickly come to see The truth of travels less in books than thee.

_Large_, exaggerated.

_Incanonical_, untrustworthy.

1101. THE VOICE AND VIOL.

Rare is the voice itself: but when we sing To th' lute or viol, then 'tis ravis.h.i.+ng.

1102. WAR.

If kings and kingdoms once distracted be, The sword of war must try the sovereignty

1103. A KING AND NO KING.

_That prince who may do nothing but what's just, Rules but by leave, and takes his crown on trust._

1104. PLOTS NOT STILL PROSPEROUS.

All are not ill plots that do sometimes fail; Nor those false vows which ofttimes don't prevail.

1105. FLATTERY.

What is't that wastes a prince? example shows, 'Tis flattery spends a king, more than his foes.

1109. EXCESS.

Excess is s.l.u.ttish: keep the mean; for why?

Virtue's clean conclave is sobriety.

_Conclave_, guard.

1111. THE SOUL IS THE SALT.