Poetical Works of Edmund Waller and Sir John Denham Part 14

b.a.l.l.s of this metal slack'd At'lanta's pace, And on the am'rous youth[1] bestow'd the race; Venus (the nymph's mind measuring by her own), Whom the rich spoils of cities overthrown Had prostrated to Mars, could well advise Th' advent'rous lover how to gain the prize.

Nor less may Jupiter to gold ascribe; For, when he turn'd himself into a bribe, Who can blame Danae[2], or the brazen tower, That they withstood not that almighty shower 10 Never till then did love make Jove put on A form more bright, and n.o.bler than his own; Nor were it just, would he resume that shape, That slack devotion should his thunder 'scape.

'Twas not revenge for griev'd Apollo's wrong, 15 Those a.s.s's ears on Midas' temples hung, But fond repentance of his happy wish, Because his meat grew metal like his dish.

Would Bacchus bless me so, I'd constant hold Unto my wish, and die creating gold.

[1] 'Am'rous youth': Hippomenes.

[2] Transcriber's note: The original text has a single dot over the second "a" and another over the "e", rather than the more conventional diaresis shown here.

CHLORIS AND HYLAS.

MADE TO A SARABAND.

CHLORIS.

Hylas, O Hylas! why sit we mute, Now that each bird saluteth the spring?

Wind up the slacken'd strings of thy lute, Never canst thou want matter to sing; For love thy breast does fill with such a fire, That whatsoe'er is fair moves thy desire.

HYLAS.

Sweetest! you know, the sweetest of things Of various flowers the bees do compose; Yet no particular taste it brings Of violet, woodbine, pink, or rose; 10 So love the result is of all the graces Which flow from a thousand sev'ral faces.

CHLORIS.

Hylas! the birds which chant in this grove, Could we but know the language they use, They would instruct us better in love, And reprehend thy inconstant Muse; For love their b.r.e.a.s.t.s does fill with such a fire, 17 That what they once do choose, bounds their desire.

HYLAS.

Chloris! this change the birds do approve, Which the warm season hither does bring; 20 Time from yourself does further remove You, than the winter from the gay spring; She that like lightning shined while her face lasted, The oak now resembles which lightning hath blasted.

IN ANSWER OF SIR JOHN SUCKLING'S VERSES.

CON.

Stay here, fond youth! and ask no more; be wise; Knowing too much long since lost Paradise.

PRO.

And, by your knowledge, we should be bereft Of all that Paradise which yet is left.

CON.

The virtuous joys thou hast, thou wouldst should still Last in their pride; and wouldst not take it ill If rudely from sweet dreams, and for a toy, Thou waked; he wakes himself that does enjoy.

PRO.

How can the joy, or hope, which you allow Be styled virtuous, and the end not so? 10 Talk in your sleep, and shadows still admire!

'Tis true, he wakes that feels this real fire; But--to sleep better; for whoe'er drinks deep Of this Nepenthe, rocks himself asleep.

CON.

Fruition adds no new wealth, but destroys, And while it pleaseth much, yet still it cloys.

Who thinks he should be happier made for that, As reasonably might hope he might grow fat By eating to a surfeit; this once past, What relishes? even kisses lose their taste. 20

PRO.

Blessings may be repeated while they cloy; But shall we starve, 'cause surfeitings destroy?

And if fruition did the taste impair Of kisses, why should yonder happy pair, Whose joys just Hymen warrants all the night, Consume the day, too, in this less delight?

CON.

Urge not 'tis necessary; alas! we know The homeliest thing that mankind does is so.

The world is of a large extent we see, And must be peopled; children there must be: 30 So must bread too; but since there are enow Born to that drudgery, what need we plough?

PRO.

I need not plough, since what the stooping hine[1]

Gets of my pregnant land must all be mine; But in this n.o.bler tillage 'tis not so; For when Anchises did fair Venus know, What interest had poor Vulcan in the boy, Famous Aeneas, or the present joy?

CON.

Women enjoy'd, whate'er before they've been, 39 Are like romances read, or scenes once seen; Fruition dulls or spoils the play much more Than if one read, or knew the plot before.

PRO.

Plays and romances read and seen, do fall In our opinions; yet not seen at all, Whom would they please? To an heroic tale Would you not listen, lest it should grow stale?

CON.

'Tis expectation makes a blessing dear; Heaven were not heaven, if we knew what it were.

PRO.

If 'twere not heaven if we knew what it were, 'Twould not be heaven to those that now are there. 50

CON.

And as in prospects we are there pleased most, Where something keeps the eye from being lost, And leaves us room to guess; so here, restraint Holds up delight, that with excess would faint.

PRO.

Restraint preserves the pleasure we have got, But he ne'er has it that enjoys it not.

In goodly prospects, who contracts the s.p.a.ce, Or takes not all the bounty of the place?

We wish remov'd what standeth in our light, And nature blame for limiting our sight; 60 Where you stand wisely winking, that the view Of the fair prospect may be always new.