In man
ambition
is the common'st thing;
Each one by nature loves to be a king.
Each one by nature loves to be a king.
Robert Herrick
Dearest, bury me
Under that Holy-oak or Gospel-tree,
Where, though thou see'st not, thou may'st think upon
Me, when thou yearly go'st procession;
Or, for mine honour, lay me in that tomb
In which thy sacred relics shall have room.
For my embalming, sweetest, there will be
No spices wanting when I'm laid by thee.
_Holy oak_, the oak under which the minister read the Gospel in the
procession round the parish bounds in Rogation week.
56. THE VISION TO ELECTRA.
I dreamed we both were in a bed
Of roses, almost smothered:
The warmth and sweetness had me there
Made lovingly familiar,
But that I heard thy sweet breath say,
Faults done by night will blush by day.
I kissed thee, panting, and, I call
Night to the record! that was all.
But, ah! if empty dreams so please,
Love give me more such nights as these.
57. DREAMS.
Here we are all by day; by night we're hurl'd
By dreams, each one into a sev'ral world.
58. AMBITION.
In man ambition is the common'st thing;
Each one by nature loves to be a king.
59. HIS REQUEST TO JULIA.
Julia, if I chance to die
Ere I print my poetry,
I most humbly thee desire
To commit it to the fire:
Better 'twere my book were dead
Than to live not perfected.
60. MONEY GETS THE MASTERY.
Fight thou with shafts of silver and o'ercome,
When no force else can get the masterdom.
61. THE SCARE-FIRE.
Water, water I desire,
Here's a house of flesh on fire;
Ope the fountains and the springs,
And come all to bucketings:
What ye cannot quench pull down;
Spoil a house to save a town:
Better 'tis that one should fall,
Than by one to hazard all.
_Scare-fire_, fire-alarm.
62. UPON SILVIA, A MISTRESS.
When some shall say, Fair once my Silvia was,
Thou wilt complain, False now's thy looking-glass,
Which renders that quite tarnished which was green,
And priceless now what peerless once had been.
Upon thy form more wrinkles yet will fall,
And, coming down, shall make no noise at all.
_Priceless_, valueless.
Under that Holy-oak or Gospel-tree,
Where, though thou see'st not, thou may'st think upon
Me, when thou yearly go'st procession;
Or, for mine honour, lay me in that tomb
In which thy sacred relics shall have room.
For my embalming, sweetest, there will be
No spices wanting when I'm laid by thee.
_Holy oak_, the oak under which the minister read the Gospel in the
procession round the parish bounds in Rogation week.
56. THE VISION TO ELECTRA.
I dreamed we both were in a bed
Of roses, almost smothered:
The warmth and sweetness had me there
Made lovingly familiar,
But that I heard thy sweet breath say,
Faults done by night will blush by day.
I kissed thee, panting, and, I call
Night to the record! that was all.
But, ah! if empty dreams so please,
Love give me more such nights as these.
57. DREAMS.
Here we are all by day; by night we're hurl'd
By dreams, each one into a sev'ral world.
58. AMBITION.
In man ambition is the common'st thing;
Each one by nature loves to be a king.
59. HIS REQUEST TO JULIA.
Julia, if I chance to die
Ere I print my poetry,
I most humbly thee desire
To commit it to the fire:
Better 'twere my book were dead
Than to live not perfected.
60. MONEY GETS THE MASTERY.
Fight thou with shafts of silver and o'ercome,
When no force else can get the masterdom.
61. THE SCARE-FIRE.
Water, water I desire,
Here's a house of flesh on fire;
Ope the fountains and the springs,
And come all to bucketings:
What ye cannot quench pull down;
Spoil a house to save a town:
Better 'tis that one should fall,
Than by one to hazard all.
_Scare-fire_, fire-alarm.
62. UPON SILVIA, A MISTRESS.
When some shall say, Fair once my Silvia was,
Thou wilt complain, False now's thy looking-glass,
Which renders that quite tarnished which was green,
And priceless now what peerless once had been.
Upon thy form more wrinkles yet will fall,
And, coming down, shall make no noise at all.
_Priceless_, valueless.
