There will I make thee beds of roses,
With a thousand fragrant posies:
A cup of flowers, and a kyrtle

Embroider'd all with leaves of myrtle:

A gown

made of the finest wool,

Which from our pretty lambs we pull :
Slippers lined choicely from the cold,
With buckles of the purest gold:

A belt of straw and ivy buds,

With coral clasps and amber studs ;
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Then live with me, and be my love.

The shepherd swains shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May morning ;—
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me, and be my love.

MARLOW. 1562-1593.

THE NYMPH'S REPLY.

IF that the world and love were young,
And truth in every shepherd's tongue,
These pretty pleasures might me move
To live with thee, and be thy love.

But time drives flocks from field to fold,
When rivers rage, and rocks grow cold;
And Philomel becometh dumb,

And all complain of cares to come.

The flowers do fade, and wanton fields
To wayward winter reckoning yields;
A honey tongue, a heart of gall,
Is fancy's spring, but sorrow's fall.

Thy gown, thy shoon, thy beds of roses,
Thy cup, thy kyrtle, and thy posies,
Soon break, soon wither, soon forgotten,
In folly ripe, in reason rotten.

Thy belt of straw and ivy buds,
Thy coral clasps and amber studs,
All these in me no means can move
To come to thee, and be thy love.

But, could youth last, and still love breed,
Had joys no date, nor age no need,
Then these delights my mind might move
To live with thee, and be thy love.

SIR W. RALEIGH.

YOUTH AND AGE.

RABBED Age and Youth
Cannot live together:
Youth is full of pleasure,
Age is full of care;

Youth like summer morn,

Age like winter weather; Youth like summer brave, Age like winter bare ; Youth is full of sport,

Age's breath is short;

Youth is nimble, Age is lame; Youth is hot and bold,

Age is weak and cold;

Youth is wild, and Age is tame.

Age, I do abhor thee;

Youth, I do adore thee.

Oh, my love, my love is young: Age, I do defy thee!

O sweet shepherd, hie thee,

For methinks thou stay'st too long.

SHAKESPEARE.

ABSENCE.

IF to be absent were to be
Away from thee,

Or that when I am gone
You or I were alone;

Then, my Lucasta, might I crave

Pity from blustering wind, or swallowing wave.

But I'll not sigh one blast or gale

To swell my sail;

Or pay a tear t' assuage

The foaming Blue-god's rage:

For whether he will let me pass,

Or no, I'm still as happy as I was.

Though seas and lands between us both,

Our faith and troth,

Like separated souls,

All time and space controls:

Above the highest sphere we meet

Unseen, unknown, and greet as angels greet.

So then we do anticipate

Our after fate,

And are alive i' the skies,

If thus our lips and eyes

Can speak like spirits unconfined

In heaven, their earthly bodies left behind.

LOVELACE.

1618-1658.

TO DAISIES.

EVENING.

HUT not so soon: the dull-eyed night

Has not as yet begun

To make a seizure on the light,

Or to seal up the sun.

No marigolds yet closed are,

No shadows great appear;
Nor doth the early shepherd's star
Shine like a spangle there.

Stay but until my fair one close

Her animating eye,

And let the whole world then dispose

Itself to live or die.

ROBERT HERRICK.

1591-1674.