A Defence of Poesie and Poems Part 5

Which so o'ercomes man's ravished sense, That souls, to follow it, fly hence.

No such-like smell you if you range To th' Stocks, or Cornhill's square Exchange; There stood I still as any stock, Till Mopsa, with her puddle dock, Her compound or electuary, Made of old ling and young canary, Bloat-herring, cheese, and voided physic, Being somewhat troubled with a phthisic, Did cough, and fetch a sigh so deep, As did her very bottom sweep: Whereby to all she did impart, How love lay rankling at her heart: Which, when I smelt, desire was slain, And they breathed forth perfumes in vain.

Their angel voice surprised me now; But Mopsa, her Too-whit, Too-whoo, Descending through her oboe nose, Did that distemper soon compose.

And, therefore, O thou precious owl, The wise Minerva's only fowl; What, at thy shrine, shall I devise To offer up a sacrifice?

Hang AEsculapius, and Apollo, And Ovid, with his precious shallow.

Mopsa is love's best medicine, True water to a lover's wine.

Nay, she's the yellow antidote, Both bred and born to cut Love's throat: Be but my second, and stand by, Mopsa, and I'll them both defy; And all else of those gallant races, Who wear infection in their faces; For thy face (that Medusa's s.h.i.+eld!) Will bring me safe out of the field.

POEM: VERSES

To the tune of the Spanish song, "Si tu senora no ducles de mi."

O fair! O sweet! when I do look on thee, In whom all joys so well agree, Heart and soul do sing in me.

This you hear is not my tongue, Which once said what I conceived; For it was of use bereaved, With a cruel answer stung.

No! though tongue to roof be cleaved, Fearing lest he chastised be, Heart and soul do sing in me.

O fair! O sweet! when I do look on thee, In whom all joys so well agree, Just accord all music makes; In thee just accord excelleth, Where each part in such peace dwelleth, One of other beauty takes.

Since then truth to all minds telleth, That in thee lives harmony, Heart and soul do sing in me.

O fair! O sweet! when I do look on thee, In whom all joys so well agree, They that heaven have known do say, That whoso that grace obtaineth, To see what fair sight there reigneth, Forced are to sing alway: So then since that heaven remaineth In thy face, I plainly see, Heart and soul do sing in me.

O fair! O sweet! when I do look on thee, In whom all joys so well agree, Sweet, think not I am at ease, For because my chief part singeth; This song from death's sorrow springeth: As to swan in last disease: For no dumbness, nor death, bringeth Stay to true love's melody: Heart and soul do sing in me.

POEM: TRANSLATION

From Horace, Book II. Ode X., beginning "Rectius vives, Licini," &c.

You better sure shall live, not evermore Trying high seas; nor, while sea's rage you flee, Pressing too much upon ill-harboured sh.o.r.e.

The golden mean who loves, lives safely free From filth of foreworn house, and quiet lives, Released from court, where envy needs must be.

The wind most oft the hugest pine tree grieves: The stately towers come down with greater fall: The highest hills the bolt of thunder cleaves.

Evil haps do fill with hope, good haps appall With fear of change, the courage well prepared: Foul winters, as they come, away they shall.

Though present times, and past, with evils be snared, They shall not last: with cithern silent Muse, Apollo wakes, and bow hath sometime spared.

In hard estate, with stout shows, valour use, The same man still, in whom wisdom prevails; In too full wind draw in thy swelling sails.

POEM: A SONNET BY SIR EDWARD DYER

Prometheus, when first from heaven high He brought down fire, till then on earth not seen; Fond of delight, a satyr, standing by, Gave it a kiss, as it like sweet had been.

Feeling forthwith the other burning power, Wood with the smart, with shouts and shrieking shrill, He sought his ease in river, field, and bower; But, for the time, his grief went with him still.

So silly I, with that unwonted sight, In human shape an angel from above, Feeding mine eyes, th' impression there did light; That since I run and rest as pleaseth love: The difference is, the satyr's lips, my heart, He for a while, I evermore, have smart.

POEM: SIR PHILIP SIDNEY'S SONNET IN REPLY

A satyr once did run away for dread, With sound of horn which he himself did blow: Fearing and feared, thus from himself he fled, Deeming strange evil in that he did not know.

Such causeless fears when coward minds do take, It makes them fly that which they fain would have; As this poor beast, who did his rest forsake, Thinking not why, but how, himself to save.

Ev'n thus might I, for doubts which I conceive Of mine own words, my own good hap betray; And thus might I, for fear of may be, leave The sweet pursuit of my desired prey.

Better like I thy satyr, dearest Dyer, Who burnt his lips to kiss fair s.h.i.+ning fire.

POEM: MUST LOVE LAMENT?

My mistress lowers, and saith I do not love: I do protest, and seek with service due, In humble mind, a constant faith to prove; But for all this, I cannot her remove From deep vain thought that I may not be true.

If oaths might serve, ev'n by the Stygian lake, Which poets say the G.o.ds themselves do fear, I never did my vowed word forsake: For why should I, whom free choice slave doth make, Else-what in face, than in my fancy bear?

My Muse, therefore, for only thou canst tell, Tell me the cause of this my causeless woe?

Tell, how ill thought disgraced my doing well?

Tell, how my joys and hopes thus foully fell To so low ebb that wonted were to flow?

O this it is, the knotted straw is found; In tender hearts, small things engender hate: A horse's worth laid waste the Trojan ground; A three-foot stool in Greece made trumpets sound; An a.s.s's shade e'er now hath bred debate.

If Greeks themselves were moved with so small cause, To twist those broils, which hardly would untwine: Should ladies fair be tied to such hard laws, As in their moods to take a ling'ring pause?

I would it not, their metal is too fine.

My hand doth not bear witness with my heart, She saith, because I make no woeful lays, To paint my living death and endless smart: And so, for one that felt G.o.d Cupid's dart, She thinks I lead and live too merry days.

Are poets then the only lovers true, Whose hearts are set on measuring a verse?

Who think themselves well blest, if they renew Some good old dump that Chaucer's mistress knew; And use but you for matters to rehea.r.s.e.

Then, good Apollo, do away thy bow: Take harp and sing in this our versing time, And in my brain some sacred humour flow, That all the earth my woes, sighs, tears may know; And see you not that I fall low to rhyme.

As for my mirth, how could I but be glad, Whilst that methought I justly made my boast That only I the only mistress had?