_Venus_ heard me sigh this song,
And by Loves sweetest Part, Variety, she swore, 20
She heard not this till now; and that it should be so no more.
And by Loves sweetest Part, Variety, she swore, 20
She heard not this till now; and that it should be so no more.
John Donne
.
.
so long: _1633 and all MSS.
:_
Thy beames so reverend, and strong
Dost thou not thinke
I could eclipse and cloude them with a winke,
But that I would not lose her sight so long? _1635-69_
]
[17 spice] space _1650-54_]
[18 leftst _1633:_ left _1635-69_]
[23 us;] us, _1633_]
[24 wealth] wealth's _A25_, _C_, _P_
alchimie. _Ed:_ alchimie; _1633-69_]
[26 thus; _Ed:_ thus. _1633-69_]
_The Indifferent. _
I can love both faire and browne,
Her whom abundance melts, and her whom want betraies,
Her who loves lonenesse best, and her who maskes and plaies,
Her whom the country form'd, and whom the town,
Her who beleeves, and her who tries, 5
Her who still weepes with spungie eyes,
And her who is dry corke, and never cries;
I can love her, and her, and you and you,
I can love any, so she be not true.
Will no other vice content you? 10
Wil it not serve your turn to do, as did your mothers?
Or have you all old vices spent, and now would finde out others?
Or doth a feare, that men are true, torment you?
Oh we are not, be not you so,
Let mee, and doe you, twenty know. 15
Rob mee, but binde me not, and let me goe.
Must I, who came to travaile thorow you,
Grow your fixt subject, because you are true?
_Venus_ heard me sigh this song,
And by Loves sweetest Part, Variety, she swore, 20
She heard not this till now; and that it should be so no more.
She went, examin'd, and return'd ere long,
And said, alas, Some two or three
Poore Heretiques in love there bee,
Which thinke to stablish dangerous constancie. 25
But I have told them, since you will be true,
You shall be true to them, who'are false to you.
[The Indifferent. _1633-69_, _A18_, _N_, _TCC_, _TCD:_ A
Songe, Songe, _or no title_, _B_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _JC_,
_Lec_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96:_ Sonnet. _P_]
[3 lonenesse] lovers _1669_
maskes] sports _1669_, _S_
and _1669:_ & _1633-39:_ _om. _ _1650-54_]
[12 spent] worn _1669_]
[15 mee, _1633:_ me; _1635-69_]
[17 travaile] _spelt_ travell, travel _1635-69_]
[19 sigh] sing _1669_]
[20 sweetest Part,] sweetest sweet, _1669_, _P_, _S_]
[21 and that it _1633_, _B_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec_, _S:_ it
_1635-69_, _H40_, _P:_ and it _A18_, _JC_, _N_, _O'F_, _S96_,
_TC_]
_Loves Vsury. _
For every houre that thou wilt spare mee now,
I will allow,
Usurious God of Love, twenty to thee,
When with my browne, my gray haires equall bee;
Till then, Love, let my body raigne, and let 5
Mee travell, sojourne, snatch, plot, have, forget,
Resume my last yeares relict: thinke that yet
We'had never met.
Let mee thinke any rivalls letter mine,
And at next nine 10
Keepe midnights promise; mistake by the way
The maid, and tell the Lady of that delay;
Onely let mee love none, no, not the sport;
From country grasse, to comfitures of Court,
Or cities quelque choses, let report 15
My minde transport.
This bargaine's good; if when I'am old, I bee
Inflam'd by thee,
If thine owne honour, or my shame, or paine,
Thou covet most, at that age thou shalt gaine. 20
Doe thy will then, then subject and degree,
And fruit of love, Love I submit to thee,
Spare mee till then, I'll beare it, though she bee
One that loves mee.
[Loves Vsury. _1633-69_, _L74:_ _no title_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_,
_H40_, _H49_, _Lec_, _O'F_, _P_, _S:_ Elegie. _S96_]
[5 raigne, _1633_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _L74_, _Lec_,
_P_, _S:_ range, _1635-69_, _O'F_, _S96_. _See note_]
[6 snatch, _1633_, _1669:_ match, _1635-54_]
[7 relict] relique _1669_]
[12 that] her _1669_]
[13 sport; _1669:_ sport _1633-54:_ sport, _most MSS. _]
[15 let report _1633_, _1669_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_,
_L74_, _Lec_, _P_, _S:_ let not report _1635-54_, _O'F_,
_S96_, _Chambers_.
Thy beames so reverend, and strong
Dost thou not thinke
I could eclipse and cloude them with a winke,
But that I would not lose her sight so long? _1635-69_
]
[17 spice] space _1650-54_]
[18 leftst _1633:_ left _1635-69_]
[23 us;] us, _1633_]
[24 wealth] wealth's _A25_, _C_, _P_
alchimie. _Ed:_ alchimie; _1633-69_]
[26 thus; _Ed:_ thus. _1633-69_]
_The Indifferent. _
I can love both faire and browne,
Her whom abundance melts, and her whom want betraies,
Her who loves lonenesse best, and her who maskes and plaies,
Her whom the country form'd, and whom the town,
Her who beleeves, and her who tries, 5
Her who still weepes with spungie eyes,
And her who is dry corke, and never cries;
I can love her, and her, and you and you,
I can love any, so she be not true.
Will no other vice content you? 10
Wil it not serve your turn to do, as did your mothers?
Or have you all old vices spent, and now would finde out others?
Or doth a feare, that men are true, torment you?
Oh we are not, be not you so,
Let mee, and doe you, twenty know. 15
Rob mee, but binde me not, and let me goe.
Must I, who came to travaile thorow you,
Grow your fixt subject, because you are true?
_Venus_ heard me sigh this song,
And by Loves sweetest Part, Variety, she swore, 20
She heard not this till now; and that it should be so no more.
She went, examin'd, and return'd ere long,
And said, alas, Some two or three
Poore Heretiques in love there bee,
Which thinke to stablish dangerous constancie. 25
But I have told them, since you will be true,
You shall be true to them, who'are false to you.
[The Indifferent. _1633-69_, _A18_, _N_, _TCC_, _TCD:_ A
Songe, Songe, _or no title_, _B_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _JC_,
_Lec_, _O'F_, _S_, _S96:_ Sonnet. _P_]
[3 lonenesse] lovers _1669_
maskes] sports _1669_, _S_
and _1669:_ & _1633-39:_ _om. _ _1650-54_]
[12 spent] worn _1669_]
[15 mee, _1633:_ me; _1635-69_]
[17 travaile] _spelt_ travell, travel _1635-69_]
[19 sigh] sing _1669_]
[20 sweetest Part,] sweetest sweet, _1669_, _P_, _S_]
[21 and that it _1633_, _B_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec_, _S:_ it
_1635-69_, _H40_, _P:_ and it _A18_, _JC_, _N_, _O'F_, _S96_,
_TC_]
_Loves Vsury. _
For every houre that thou wilt spare mee now,
I will allow,
Usurious God of Love, twenty to thee,
When with my browne, my gray haires equall bee;
Till then, Love, let my body raigne, and let 5
Mee travell, sojourne, snatch, plot, have, forget,
Resume my last yeares relict: thinke that yet
We'had never met.
Let mee thinke any rivalls letter mine,
And at next nine 10
Keepe midnights promise; mistake by the way
The maid, and tell the Lady of that delay;
Onely let mee love none, no, not the sport;
From country grasse, to comfitures of Court,
Or cities quelque choses, let report 15
My minde transport.
This bargaine's good; if when I'am old, I bee
Inflam'd by thee,
If thine owne honour, or my shame, or paine,
Thou covet most, at that age thou shalt gaine. 20
Doe thy will then, then subject and degree,
And fruit of love, Love I submit to thee,
Spare mee till then, I'll beare it, though she bee
One that loves mee.
[Loves Vsury. _1633-69_, _L74:_ _no title_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_,
_H40_, _H49_, _Lec_, _O'F_, _P_, _S:_ Elegie. _S96_]
[5 raigne, _1633_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _L74_, _Lec_,
_P_, _S:_ range, _1635-69_, _O'F_, _S96_. _See note_]
[6 snatch, _1633_, _1669:_ match, _1635-54_]
[7 relict] relique _1669_]
[12 that] her _1669_]
[13 sport; _1669:_ sport _1633-54:_ sport, _most MSS. _]
[15 let report _1633_, _1669_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_,
_L74_, _Lec_, _P_, _S:_ let not report _1635-54_, _O'F_,
_S96_, _Chambers_.