Believe, young man, all those were tears
By wretched wooers sent,
In mournful hyacinths and rue,
That figure discontent;
Which when not warmed by her view,
By cold neglect, each one
Congeal'd to pearl and stone;
Which precious spoils upon her
She wears as
trophies
of her honour.
Robert Herrick
2. Yes.
1. How speaks it, say? 2. Do you but this;
Part your joined lips, then speaks your kiss
_Chor._ And this love's sweetest language is.
1. Has it a body? 2. Aye, and wings
With thousand rare encolourings;
And, as it flies, it gently sings,
_Chor._ Love honey yields, but never stings.
330. THE ADMONITION.
Seest thou those diamonds which she wears
In that rich carcanet;
Or those, on her dishevell'd hairs,
Fair pearls in order set?
Believe, young man, all those were tears
By wretched wooers sent,
In mournful hyacinths and rue,
That figure discontent;
Which when not warmed by her view,
By cold neglect, each one
Congeal'd to pearl and stone;
Which precious spoils upon her
She wears as
trophies
of her honour.
Ah then, consider, what all this implies:
She that will wear thy tears would wear thine eyes.
_Carcanet_, necklace.
331. TO HIS HONOURED KINSMAN, SIR WILLIAM SOAME. EPIG.
I can but name thee, and methinks I call
All that have been, or are canonical
For love and bounty to come near, and see
Their many virtues volum'd up in thee;
In thee, brave man! whose incorrupted fame
Casts forth a light like to a virgin flame;
And as it shines it throws a scent about,
As when a rainbow in perfumes goes out.
So vanish hence, but leave a name as sweet
As benjamin and storax when they meet.
_Benjamin_, gum benzoin.
_Storax_ or _Styrax_, another resinous gum.
332. ON HIMSELF.
Ask me why I do not sing
To the tension of the string
As I did not long ago,
When my numbers full did flow?
Grief, ay, me! hath struck my lute
And my tongue, at one time, mute.
