No More Learning

If thou beest borne to strange sights, 10
Things invisible to see,
Ride ten thousand daies and nights,
Till age snow white haires on thee,
Thou, when thou retorn'st, wilt tell mee
All strange wonders that befell thee, 15
And sweare
No where
Lives a woman true, and faire.

If thou findst one, let mee know,
Such a Pilgrimage were sweet; 20
Yet doe not, I would not goe,
Though at next doore wee might meet,
Though shee were true, when you met her,
And last, till you write your letter,
Yet shee 25
Will bee
False, ere I come, to two, or three.


[Song. _1633-69:_ Song, A Songe, _or no title_, _A18_, _A25_,
_B_, _C_, _Cy_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _JC_, _L74_, _Lec_, _N_,
_O'F_, _P_, _S_, _S96_, _TCC_, _TCD_]

[3 past yeares] times past _1669:_ past times _P_]

[11 to see] go see _1669_, _S_, _S96:_ see _most other MSS_. ]

[20 sweet; _1669:_ sweet, _1633-54_]

[24 last, till] last so till _O'F_, _S_, _S96_]

[27 False, . . . three] False, ere she come to two or three.
_1669_]




_Womans constancy. _

Now thou hast lov'd me one whole day,
To morrow when thou leav'st, what wilt thou say?
Wilt thou then Antedate some new made vow?
Or say that now
We are not just those persons, which we were? 5
Or, that oathes made in reverentiall feare
Of Love, and his wrath, any may forsweare?
Or, as true deaths, true maryages untie,
So lovers contracts, images of those,
Binde but till sleep, deaths image, them unloose? 10
Or, your owne end to Justifie,
For having purpos'd change, and falsehood; you
Can have no way but falsehood to be true?
Vaine lunatique, against these scapes I could
Dispute, and conquer, if I would, 15
Which I abstaine to doe,
For by to morrow, I may thinke so too.


[Womans constancy. _1633-69_, _A18_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _TCC_,
_TCD:_ _no title_, _B_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _Lec_, _P_, _S_]

[8 Or, _1633_, _1669:_ For, _1635-54_ (_ll. _ 8-10 _in
brackets_)]




_The undertaking. _

I have done one braver thing
Then all the _Worthies_ did,
And yet a braver thence doth spring,
Which is, to keepe that hid.

It were but madnes now t'impart 5
The skill of specular stone,
When he which can have learn'd the art
To cut it, can finde none.

So, if I now should utter this,
Others (because no more 10
Such stuffe to worke upon, there is,)
Would love but as before.

But he who lovelinesse within
Hath found, all outward loathes,
For he who colour loves, and skinne, 15
Loves but their oldest clothes.

If, as I have, you also doe
Vertue'attir'd in woman see,
And dare love that, and say so too,
And forget the Hee and Shee; 20

And if this love, though placed so,
From prophane men you hide,
Which will no faith on this bestow,
Or, if they doe, deride:

Then you have done a braver thing 25
Then all the _Worthies_ did;
And a braver thence will spring,
Which is, to keepe that hid.


[The undertaking. _1635-69:_ _no title_, _1633_, _B_, _D_,
_H40_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_, _O'F_, _P_, _S:_ Platonique Love.
_A18_, _N_, _TCC_, _TCD_]

[2 _Worthies_] _worthies_ _1633_]

[3 And yet] Yet _B_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec_]

[7-8 art . . . it, _1669:_ art, . .