20
Ah cannot wee,
As well as Cocks and Lyons jocund be,
After such pleasures?
Ah cannot wee,
As well as Cocks and Lyons jocund be,
After such pleasures?
John Donne
_1633-69_, _A18_, _N_, _TCC_, _TCD:_ _no
title_, _B_, _O'F_, _S_]
[1 For _1633-54:_ From _1669_
the _1633_, _A18_, _N_, _TC:_ my _1635-69_, _B_, _O'F_, _S_,
_Chambers_]
[3 For] And _1669_]
[6 One thousand I did think nothing nor doe, _S_, _O'F_
(nothing think) doe, _1635-69:_ doe. _1633_]
[7 divide, _1633_, _1669:_ deem'd, _1635-54_, _O'F_]
[8 a] one _O'F_, _S:_ _line dropped_ _A18_, _N_, _TC_
forgot] forget _1669_, _A18_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TC_]
_The Paradox. _
No Lover saith, I love, nor any other
Can judge a perfect Lover;
Hee thinkes that else none can, nor will agree
That any loves but hee:
I cannot say I lov'd, for who can say 5
Hee was kill'd yesterday?
Love with excesse of heat, more yong then old,
Death kills with too much cold;
Wee dye but once, and who lov'd last did die,
Hee that saith twice, doth lye: 10
For though hee seeme to move, and stirre a while,
It doth the sense beguile.
Such life is like the light which bideth yet
When the lights life is set,
Or like the heat, which fire in solid matter 15
Leaves behinde, two houres after.
Once I lov'd and dy'd; and am now become
Mine Epitaph and Tombe.
Here dead men speake their last, and so do I;
Love-slaine, loe, here I lye. 20
[The Paradox. _1635-69_: _no title_, _1633_, _A18_, _H40_,
_L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_ _TCC_, _TCD_]
[3 can, nor will agree _A18_, _H40_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TC_:
can or will agree, _1633-69_]
[6 yesterday? ] yesterday. _1633-39_]
[14 lights life _H40_, _L74_, _RP31_, _S:_ lifes light
_1633-69_, _A18_, _N_, _O'F_, _S96_, _TC_]
[15 which _Ed:_ which, _1633-69_]
[17 lov'd _A18_, _H40_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TC:_ love
_1633-69_
dy'd] dyed _1633-69_]
[20 lye. _H40_, _RP31_, _S_, _S96:_ dye. _1633-69_, _A18_,
_L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _TC_]
_Farewell to Love. _
Whilst yet to prove,
I thought there was some Deitie in love
So did I reverence, and gave
Worship; as Atheists at their dying houre
Call, what they cannot name, an unknowne power, 5
As ignorantly did I crave:
Thus when
Things not yet knowne are coveted by men,
Our desires give them fashion, and so
As they waxe lesser, fall, as they sise, grow. 10
But, from late faire
His hignesse sitting in a golden Chaire,
Is not lesse cared for after three dayes
By children, then the thing which lovers so
Blindly admire, and with such worship wooe; 15
Being had, enjoying it decayes:
And thence,
What before pleas'd them all, takes but one sense,
And that so lamely, as it leaves behinde
A kinde of sorrowing dulnesse to the minde.
20
Ah cannot wee,
As well as Cocks and Lyons jocund be,
After such pleasures? Unlesse wise
Nature decreed (since each such Act, they say,
Diminisheth the length of life a day) 25
This, as shee would man should despise
The sport;
Because that other curse of being short,
And onely for a minute made to be,
(Eagers desire) to raise posterity. 30
Since so, my minde
Shall not desire what no man else can finde,
I'll no more dote and runne
To pursue things which had indammag'd me.
And when I come where moving beauties be, 35
As men doe when the summers Sunne
Growes great,
Though I admire their greatnesse, shun their heat;
Each place can afford shadowes. If all faile,
'Tis but applying worme-seed to the Taile. 40
[Farewell to love. _1635-69_ (_following_ Soules joy: _p. _
429), _O'F_, _S96_]
[4 Worship; _Ed:_ Worship, _1635-69_]
[10 sise, _1635-69_, _O'F:_ rise _S96_]
[23 pleasures? _Ed:_ pleasures, _1635-69_]
[26 This, _Ed:_ This; _1635-69_]
[27 sport; _Ed:_ sport, _1635-69_]
[29 to be, _Ed:_ to be _1635-69_]
[30 (Eagers desire) _Ed:_ Eager, desires _1635-69_. _See
note_]
[36 summers _1635-69:_ summer _1650-1669_]
_A Lecture upon the Shadow. _
Stand still, and I will read to thee
A Lecture, Love, in loves philosophy.
These three houres that we have spent,
Walking here, Two shadowes went
Along with us, which we our selves produc'd; 5
But, now the Sunne is just above our head,
We doe those shadowes tread;
And to brave clearnesse all things are reduc'd.
So whilst our infant loves did grow,
Disguises did, and shadowes, flow, 10
From us, and our cares; but, now 'tis not so.
That love hath not attain'd the high'st degree,
Which is still diligent lest others see.
Except our loves at this noone stay,
We shall new shadowes make the other way. 15
As the first were made to blinde
Others; these which come behinde
Will worke upon our selves, and blind our eyes.
title_, _B_, _O'F_, _S_]
[1 For _1633-54:_ From _1669_
the _1633_, _A18_, _N_, _TC:_ my _1635-69_, _B_, _O'F_, _S_,
_Chambers_]
[3 For] And _1669_]
[6 One thousand I did think nothing nor doe, _S_, _O'F_
(nothing think) doe, _1635-69:_ doe. _1633_]
[7 divide, _1633_, _1669:_ deem'd, _1635-54_, _O'F_]
[8 a] one _O'F_, _S:_ _line dropped_ _A18_, _N_, _TC_
forgot] forget _1669_, _A18_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TC_]
_The Paradox. _
No Lover saith, I love, nor any other
Can judge a perfect Lover;
Hee thinkes that else none can, nor will agree
That any loves but hee:
I cannot say I lov'd, for who can say 5
Hee was kill'd yesterday?
Love with excesse of heat, more yong then old,
Death kills with too much cold;
Wee dye but once, and who lov'd last did die,
Hee that saith twice, doth lye: 10
For though hee seeme to move, and stirre a while,
It doth the sense beguile.
Such life is like the light which bideth yet
When the lights life is set,
Or like the heat, which fire in solid matter 15
Leaves behinde, two houres after.
Once I lov'd and dy'd; and am now become
Mine Epitaph and Tombe.
Here dead men speake their last, and so do I;
Love-slaine, loe, here I lye. 20
[The Paradox. _1635-69_: _no title_, _1633_, _A18_, _H40_,
_L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96_ _TCC_, _TCD_]
[3 can, nor will agree _A18_, _H40_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TC_:
can or will agree, _1633-69_]
[6 yesterday? ] yesterday. _1633-39_]
[14 lights life _H40_, _L74_, _RP31_, _S:_ lifes light
_1633-69_, _A18_, _N_, _O'F_, _S96_, _TC_]
[15 which _Ed:_ which, _1633-69_]
[17 lov'd _A18_, _H40_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_, _TC:_ love
_1633-69_
dy'd] dyed _1633-69_]
[20 lye. _H40_, _RP31_, _S_, _S96:_ dye. _1633-69_, _A18_,
_L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _TC_]
_Farewell to Love. _
Whilst yet to prove,
I thought there was some Deitie in love
So did I reverence, and gave
Worship; as Atheists at their dying houre
Call, what they cannot name, an unknowne power, 5
As ignorantly did I crave:
Thus when
Things not yet knowne are coveted by men,
Our desires give them fashion, and so
As they waxe lesser, fall, as they sise, grow. 10
But, from late faire
His hignesse sitting in a golden Chaire,
Is not lesse cared for after three dayes
By children, then the thing which lovers so
Blindly admire, and with such worship wooe; 15
Being had, enjoying it decayes:
And thence,
What before pleas'd them all, takes but one sense,
And that so lamely, as it leaves behinde
A kinde of sorrowing dulnesse to the minde.
20
Ah cannot wee,
As well as Cocks and Lyons jocund be,
After such pleasures? Unlesse wise
Nature decreed (since each such Act, they say,
Diminisheth the length of life a day) 25
This, as shee would man should despise
The sport;
Because that other curse of being short,
And onely for a minute made to be,
(Eagers desire) to raise posterity. 30
Since so, my minde
Shall not desire what no man else can finde,
I'll no more dote and runne
To pursue things which had indammag'd me.
And when I come where moving beauties be, 35
As men doe when the summers Sunne
Growes great,
Though I admire their greatnesse, shun their heat;
Each place can afford shadowes. If all faile,
'Tis but applying worme-seed to the Taile. 40
[Farewell to love. _1635-69_ (_following_ Soules joy: _p. _
429), _O'F_, _S96_]
[4 Worship; _Ed:_ Worship, _1635-69_]
[10 sise, _1635-69_, _O'F:_ rise _S96_]
[23 pleasures? _Ed:_ pleasures, _1635-69_]
[26 This, _Ed:_ This; _1635-69_]
[27 sport; _Ed:_ sport, _1635-69_]
[29 to be, _Ed:_ to be _1635-69_]
[30 (Eagers desire) _Ed:_ Eager, desires _1635-69_. _See
note_]
[36 summers _1635-69:_ summer _1650-1669_]
_A Lecture upon the Shadow. _
Stand still, and I will read to thee
A Lecture, Love, in loves philosophy.
These three houres that we have spent,
Walking here, Two shadowes went
Along with us, which we our selves produc'd; 5
But, now the Sunne is just above our head,
We doe those shadowes tread;
And to brave clearnesse all things are reduc'd.
So whilst our infant loves did grow,
Disguises did, and shadowes, flow, 10
From us, and our cares; but, now 'tis not so.
That love hath not attain'd the high'st degree,
Which is still diligent lest others see.
Except our loves at this noone stay,
We shall new shadowes make the other way. 15
As the first were made to blinde
Others; these which come behinde
Will worke upon our selves, and blind our eyes.
