No More Learning

TO JOHN DONNE.


Who shall doubt, _Donne_, where I a _Poet_ bee,
When I dare send my _Epigrammes_ to thee?
That so alone canst judge, so'alone do'st make:
And, in thy censures, evenly, dost take
As free simplicity, to dis-avow,
As thou hast best authority, t'allow.
Read all I send: and, if I finde but one
Mark'd by thy hand, and with the better stone,
My title's seal'd. Those that for claps doe write,
Let punees, porters, players praise delight,
And, till they burst, their backs, like asses load:
A man should seek great glory, and not broad.

B. JON.


[To Lucy _&c. _ To John Donne _&c. _ _1650-69, in sheets added
1650_. _See_ Text and Canon _&c. _]




[Illustration: JOHN DONNE

From the engraving prefixed to the Poems in the Editions of 1635,
1639, 1649, 1650, 1654]




SONGS _AND_ SONETS.


_The good-morrow. _

I wonder by my troth, what thou, and I
Did, till we lov'd? were we not wean'd till then?
But suck'd on countrey pleasures, childishly?
Or snorted we in the seaven sleepers den?
T'was so; But this, all pleasures fancies bee. 5
If ever any beauty I did see,
Which I desir'd, and got, t'was but a dreame of thee.

And now good morrow to our waking soules,
Which watch not one another out of feare;
For love, all love of other sights controules, 10
And makes one little roome, an every where.
Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone,
Let Maps to other, worlds on worlds have showne,
Let us possesse one world, each hath one, and is one.

My face in thine eye, thine in mine appeares, 15
And true plaine hearts doe in the faces rest,
Where can we finde two better hemispheares
Without sharpe North, without declining West?
What ever dyes, was not mixt equally;
If our two loves be one, or, thou and I 20
Love so alike, that none doe slacken, none can die.


[SONGS AND SONETS. _1635-69: no division into sections, 1633_]

[The good-morrow. _1633-69_, _A18_, _L74_, _N_, _TCC_, _TCD:_
_no title_, _A25_, _B_, _C_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_,
_O'F_, _P_, _S:_ Elegie. _S96_]

[2 lov'd? _1639-69:_ lov'd, _1633-35_]

[3 countrey pleasures, childishly? _1633-54_, _D_, _H40_,
_H49_, _Lec:_ childish pleasures seelily? _1669_, _A18_,
_A25_, _B_, _JC_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_, _S96_, _TC_]

[4 snorted _1633-54_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _Lec_, _O'F_, _S96:_
slumbred _1669_, _A18_, _A25_, _JC_, _L74_, _N_, _P_, _TC_
seaven sleepers _1633:_ seven-sleepers _1635-69_]

[5 this,] as _1669_]

[10 For _1633-69_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _Lec:_ But _rest of
MSS_. ]

[13 to other, worlds on _1633-54:_ to other worlds our _1669:_
to others, worlds on _D_, _H49_, _Lec_, _and other MSS_.