No More Learning

25
O perverse sexe, where none is true but shee,
Who's therefore true, because her truth kills mee.


[Twicknam garden. _1633-69:_ _do. or_ Twitnam Garden. _A18_,
_L74_ (_in margin_), _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_, _S96_, _TCC_,
_TCD:_ In a Garden. _B:_ _no title_, _A25_, _Cy_, _D_, _H40_,
_H49_, _JC_, _Lec_, _P_]

[3 eares] years _1669_]

[4 balms . . . cure _1633_, _A25_, _D_, _H49:_ balm . . . cures
_1635-69_, _A18_, _B_, _Cy_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_,
_S96_, _TC_

thing; _Ed:_ thing, _1633:_ thing: _1635-69_]

[6 spider] spiders _1669_]

[8 thoroughly _1633-39:_ throughly _1650-69_]

[12 did] would _A18_, _A25_, _N_, _TC_]

[13 laugh,] laugh _1633_]

[14 that I may not] since I cannot _1669_]

[15 nor yet leave loving, _1633:_ _om. D_, _H40_, _H49_,
_Lec:_ nor leave this garden, _1635-69_, _A18_, _A25_, _Cy_,
_JC_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_, _S96_, _TC_]

[17 groane _A18_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _N_, _TC:_ grow
_1633-69_, _B_, _L74_, _Lec_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_, _S96_]

[18 my yeare, _1633_, _1669_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _Lec:_ the
yeare. _1635-54_, _A18_, _A25_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _TC_]

[20 loves] lovers _1639_]

[24 womans _A18_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _L74_, _N_, _TC:_ womens
_1633-69_, _Lec_, _P_, _S96_]




_A Valediction: of the booke. _

I'll tell thee now (deare Love) what thou shalt doe
To anger destiny, as she doth us,
How I shall stay, though she Esloygne me thus
And how posterity shall know it too;
How thine may out-endure 5
Sybills glory, and obscure
Her who from Pindar could allure,
And her, through whose helpe _Lucan_ is not lame,
And her, whose booke (they say) _Homer_ did finde, and name.
Study our manuscripts, those Myriades 10
Of letters, which have past twixt thee and mee,
Thence write our Annals, and in them will bee
To all whom loves subliming fire invades,
Rule and example found;
There, the faith of any ground 15
No schismatique will dare to wound,
That sees, how Love this grace to us affords,
To make, to keep, to use, to be these his Records.

This Booke, as long-liv'd as the elements,
Or as the worlds forme, this all-graved tome 20
In cypher writ, or new made Idiome,
Wee for loves clergie only'are instruments:
When this booke is made thus,
Should againe the ravenous
Vandals and Goths inundate us, 25
Learning were safe; in this our Universe
Schooles might learne Sciences, Spheares Musick, Angels Verse.

Here Loves Divines, (since all Divinity
Is love or wonder) may finde all they seeke,
Whether abstract spirituall love they like, 30
Their Soules exhal'd with what they do not see,
Or, loth so to amuze
Faiths infirmitie, they chuse
Something which they may see and use;
For, though minde be the heaven, where love doth sit, 35
Beauty a convenient type may be to figure it.

Here more then in their bookes may Lawyers finde,
Both by what titles Mistresses are ours,
And how prerogative these states devours,
Transferr'd from Love himselfe, to womankinde, 40
Who though from heart, and eyes,
They exact great subsidies,
Forsake him who on them relies,
And for the cause, honour, or conscience give,
Chimeraes, vaine as they, or their prerogative. 45

Here Statesmen, (or of them, they which can reade,)
May of their occupation finde the grounds:
Love and their art alike it deadly wounds,
If to consider what 'tis, one proceed,
In both they doe excell 50
Who the present governe well,
Whose weaknesse none doth, or dares tell;
In this thy booke, such will their nothing see,
As in the Bible some can finde out Alchimy.

Thus vent thy thoughts; abroad I'll studie thee, 55
As he removes farre off, that great heights takes;
How great love is, presence best tryall makes,
But absence tryes how long this love will bee;
To take a latitude
Sun, or starres, are fitliest view'd 60
At their brightest, but to conclude
Of longitudes, what other way have wee,
But to marke when, and where the darke eclipses bee?


[A Valediction: of _&c. _ _Ed:_ A Valediction of the Booke
_A18_, _N_, _TCC_, _TCD:_ Valediction of the booke. _D_,
_H49_, _Lec:_ Valediction 3: Of the Booke _O'F:_ The Booke
_Cy_, _P:_ Valediction to his booke. _1633-69_, _S:_ A
Valediction of a booke left in a windowe. _JC_]

[18 Records, _1633-69:_ records, _Grolier_]

[20 tome _1633-35:_ to me _1639-54:_ Tomb. _1669_, _A18_,
_Cy_, _Lec_, _N_, _S_]

[21 Idiome, _Ed:_ Idiome; _1633-69_]

[22 instruments: _Ed:_ instruments, _1633-69_. _See note_]

[25 and Goths inundate us, _A18_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H40_,
_H49_, _Lec_, _N_, _TC:_ and the Goths invade us, _1633-54_,
_S:_ and Goths invade us, _1669_, _H40_, _JC_ (or), _O'F_,
_P_]

[26 were safe; _1633:_ _rest omit semicolon_.

Universe _1633-39:_ Universe, _1650-69_]

[30 abstract] abstracted _1669_]

[32 Or, . . .