LOVES DIET.
TO what a cumbersome unwieldiness
And burdenous corpulence my love had grown,
But that I did, to make it less,
And keep it in proportion,
Give it a diet, made it feed upon
That which love worst endures, discretion
Above one sigh a day I allowd him not,
Of which my fortune, and my faults had part ;
And if sometimes by stealth he got
A she sigh from my mistress heart,
And thought to feast upon that, I let him see
Twas her very sound, nor meant to me.
If he wrung from me a tear, I bri so
With s and shame, that him it nourishd not ;
If he suckd hers, I let him know
Twas not a tear which he had got ;
His drink was terfeit, as was his meat ;
For eyes, which roll towards all, weep not, but sweat.
Whatever he would dictate I writ that,
But burnt her letters when she writ to me ;
And if that favour made him fat,
I said, "If any title be
veyd by this, ah ! what doth it avail,
To be the fortieth name in aail?"
Thus I reclaimd my buzzard love, to fly
At what, and when, and how, and where I choose.
Now negligent of sports I lie,
And now, as other falers use,
I spring a mistress, swear, write, sigh, and weep ;
And the game killd, or lost, go talk or sleep.
THE WILL.
BEFORE I sigh my last gasp, let me breathe,
Great Love, some legacies ; I here bequeath
Mine eyes tus, if mine eyes see ;
If they be blind, then, Love, I give them thee ;
My too Fame ; to ambassadors mine ears ;
To women, or the sea, my tears ;
Thou, Love, hast taught me heretofore
By making me serve her who had twenty more,
That I should give to none, but such as had too much before.
My stancy I to the plas give ;
My truth to them who at the court do live ;
My iy and openness,
To Jesuits ; to buffoons my pensiveness ;
My sileo any, who abroad hath been ;
My moo a Capu :
Thou, Love, taughtst me, by appointing me
To love there, where no love received be,
Only to give to such as have an incapacity.
My faith I give to Roman Catholics ;
All my good works unto the Schismatics
Of Amsterdam ; my best civility
And courtship to an Uy ;
My modesty I give to soldiers bare ;
My patie gamesters share :
Thou, Love, taughtst me, by making me
Love her that holds my love disparity,
Only to give to those that t my gifts indignity.
I give my reputation to those
Which were my friends ; mine industry to foes ;
To sen I bequeath my doubtfulness ;
My siess to physis, or excess ;
To nature all that I in rhyme have writ ;
And to my pany my wit :
Thou, Love, by making me adore
Her, who begot this love in me before,
Taughtst me to make, as though I gave, when I do but restore.
To him for whom the passing-bell olls,
I give my physic books ; my written rolls
Of moral sels I to Bedlam give ;
My brazen medals unto them which live
In want of bread ; to them which pass among
All fners, mine English tongue :
Though, Love, by making me love one
Who thinks her friendship a fit portion
For younger lovers, dost my gifts thus disproportion.
Therefore Ill give no more, but Ill undo
The world by dying, because love dies too.
Then all your beautie