One foot in sea and one on shore, To one thing constant never: Then sigh not so, but let them go, And be you blithe and bonny, Converting all your sounds of woe Into Hey nonny, nonny! Sing no more ditties, sing no moe Of dumps so dull and heavy! The fraud of men was ever so, Since summer first was leafy: Then sigh not so, but let them go, And be you blithe and bonny, Converting all your sounds of woe Into Hey nonny, nonny! FROM TWELFTH NIGHT O Mistress mine, where are you roaming? Every wise man's son doth know. What is love? 't is not hereafter; FROM MEASURE FOR MEASURE Take, O, take those lips away, That so sweetly were forsworn; And those eyes, the break of day, Lights that do mislead the morn: But my kisses bring again, Bring again; Seals of love, but sealed in vain, Sealed in vain! FROM CYMBELINE 5 10 15 5 5 Golden lads and girls all must, As chimney-sweepers, come to dust. Fear no more the frown o' th' great; Thou hast finished joy and moan: No exorciser harm thee! Nor no witchcraft charm thee! 5 10 15 20 5 Thus with many a pretty oath, N. BRETON AS IT FELL UPON A DAY As it fell upon a day, In the merry month of May, Sitting in a pleasant shade, Which a group of myrtles made, Beasts did leap and birds did sing, Trees did grow and plants did spring, Everything did banish moan, Save the nightingale alone; She, poor bird, as all forlorn, That to hear her so complain Ah, thought I, thou mourn'st in vain, None takes pity on thy pain. 20 Senseless trees, they cannot hear thee; All thy friends are lapped in lead; TO COLIN CLOUT Beauty sat bathing in a spring, IGNOTO Where fairest shades did hide her; The winds blew calm, the birds did sing, 25 The cool streams ran beside her. My wanton thoughts enticed mine eye, To see what was forbidden, 5 But better memory said, fie: 10 So, vain desire was chidden. He said, he had loved her long; 15 This pleasant lily white, These sunbeams in mine eye, EARL OF OXFORD THE HERDMAN'S HAPPY LIFE What pleasure have great princes And fortune's fate not fearing, Their dealings plain and rightful, They never know how spiteful On favorite presumptuous, Whose pride is vain and sumptuous. All day their flocks each tendeth, At night they take their rest, More quiet than who sendeth His ship into the east, Where gold and pearl are plenty, For lawyers and their pleading, Where conscience judgeth plainly, Not caring much for gold; To keep him from the cold. Though poor and plain his diet, Yet merry it is and quiet. OUT OF MR. BIRD'S SET SONGS A NYMPH'S DISDAIN OF LOVE 'Hey, down, a down!' did Dian sing, Amongst her virgins sitting; 'Than love there is no vainer thing, For maidens most unfitting.' 40 5 10 The virgin's life was free. 'Hey, down, a down!' did Dian sing, etc. At length men usèd charms, To which what maids gave ear, Embracing gladly endless harms, Anon enthralled were. Thus women welcomed woe, Disguised in name of love, A jealous hell, painted show: So shall they find that prove. 'Hey, down, a down!' did Dian sing, Amongst her virgins sitting; 'Than love there is no vainer thing, For maidens most unfitting.' And so think I, with a down, down, derry. IGNOTO ROSALIND'S MADRIGAL Love in my bosom like a bee, Doth suck his sweet; Now with his wings he plays with me, Now with his feet. Within mine eyes he makes his nest, His bed amidst my tender breast; And so think I, with a down, down, derry. When women knew no woe, And yet he robs me of my rest. Ah, wanton, will ye? And if I sleep, then percheth he, With pretty slight, And makes his pillow of my knee, The livelong night. 15 20 25 10 Else I with roses every day Will whip ye hence, 20 And bind ye, when ye long to play, For your offence. I'll shut my eyes to keep ye in, I'll make you fast it for your sin, If he gainsay me? What if I beat the wanton boy With many a rod? He will repay me with annoy, Because a god. Then sit thou safely on my knee, And let thy bower my bosom be; Lurk in mine eyes, I like of thee. O Cupid! so thou pity me, Spare not, but play thee. 30 35 THOMAS LODGE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY LYRICS Among the lyrics of the earlier part of the seventeenth century, one discerns, somewhat clearly, at least three poetical manners, which emanated, respectively, from Edmund Spenser, Ben Jonson, and John Donne. The sensuous beauty, playful imagery, and fluent melody of Spenser are clearly present in the poems of William Browne and George Wither. The fine finish, poise, and chastened sweetness of Jonson are a refining influence in the shorter lyrics of Robert Herrick, Thomas Carew, John Suckling, and Richard Lovelace. In John Donne, incisive and subtle thinking finds fantastic, and sometimes harsh, expression in far-fetched analogies, mystifying metaphors, and dimly suggestive images. The poetical apparatus of Donne, often, and his fancy, still more often, are essential in the passionate, soaring, and mystical outbursts of George Herbert, Richard Crashaw, and Henry Vaughan. tices, however, that Spenser, Jonson, and Donne did not exclusively dominate the poetical output of their conscious or unconscious disciples. One no Toward the middle of the century appears a new influence in poetical form, the 'heroic,' or 'closed,' couplet, practiced by Edmund Waller, John Denham, Abraham Cowley, and Andrew Marvell. This verse-form, best adapted to epic and satire, had no important influence upon lyric, except, indirectly, through repression. Thou art not fair, for all thy red and white, |