_A18_,
_N_, _TCC_, _TCD:_ _no title_, _JC_]
[5 know; _Ed:_ know, _1633-69_]
[8 with] in _1669_]
[16 might] must _TCC_]
[18 beare] endure _1669_
torturing] tormenting _JC_, _O'F_ (_corr.
_N_, _TCC_, _TCD:_ _no title_, _JC_]
[5 know; _Ed:_ know, _1633-69_]
[8 with] in _1669_]
[16 might] must _TCC_]
[18 beare] endure _1669_
torturing] tormenting _JC_, _O'F_ (_corr.
John Donne
_B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _Lec_, _S:_ our losses sad;
_Grolier:_ our loss be sad. _Chambers_]
[23 meant] thought _A18_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _TC_
this _1633:_ that _1635-69_]
_A Feaver. _
Oh doe not die, for I shall hate
All women so, when thou art gone,
That thee I shall not celebrate,
When I remember, thou wast one.
But yet thou canst not die, I know; 5
To leave this world behinde, is death,
But when thou from this world wilt goe,
The whole world vapors with thy breath.
Or if, when thou, the worlds soule, goest,
It stay, tis but thy carkasse then, 10
The fairest woman, but thy ghost,
But corrupt wormes, the worthyest men.
O wrangling schooles, that search what fire
Shall burne this world, had none the wit
Unto this knowledge to aspire, 15
That this her feaver might be it?
And yet she cannot wast by this,
Nor long beare this torturing wrong,
For much corruption needfull is
To fuell such a feaver long. 20
These burning fits but meteors bee,
Whose matter in thee is soone spent.
Thy beauty,'and all parts, which are thee,
Are unchangeable firmament.
Yet t'was of my minde, seising thee, 25
Though it in thee cannot persever.
For I had rather owner bee
Of thee one houre, then all else ever.
[A Feaver. _1633-69_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _Lec_, _S96:_ Of a
fever. _L74:_ The Fever. _B_, _Cy_, _O'F_, _P:_ Fever.
_A18_,
_N_, _TCC_, _TCD:_ _no title_, _JC_]
[5 know; _Ed:_ know, _1633-69_]
[8 with] in _1669_]
[16 might] must _TCC_]
[18 beare] endure _1669_
torturing] tormenting _JC_, _O'F_ (_corr. from_ torturing)]
[19 For much _1633_, _A18_, _B_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _JC_,
_L74_, _Lec_, _N_, _S_, _S96_, _TC:_ For more _1635-69_,
_O'F:_ Far more _Cy_, _P_]
[22 is soon] soon is _1669_]
[24 Are] Are an _1669_, _P_, _S96_]
[25 Yet 'twas of _1633-54:_ And here as _1669_]
[27 For] Yet _1669_]
_Aire and Angels. _
Twice or thrice had I loved thee,
Before I knew thy face or name;
So in a voice, so in a shapelesse flame,
_Angells_ affect us oft, and worship'd bee;
Still when, to where thou wert, I came, 5
Some lovely glorious nothing I did see.
But since my soule, whose child love is,
Takes limmes of flesh, and else could nothing doe,
More subtile then the parent is,
Love must not be, but take a body too, 10
And therefore what thou wert, and who,
I bid Love aske, and now
That it assume thy body, I allow,
And fixe it selfe in thy lip, eye, and brow.
Whilst thus to ballast love, I thought, 15
And so more steddily to have gone,
With wares which would sinke admiration,
I saw, I had loves pinnace overfraught,
Ev'ry thy haire for love to worke upon
Is much too much, some fitter must be sought; 20
For, nor in nothing, nor in things
Extreme, and scatt'ring bright, can love inhere;
Then as an Angell, face, and wings
Of aire, not pure as it, yet pure doth weare,
So thy love may be my loves spheare; 25
Just such disparitie
As is twixt Aire and Angells puritie,
'Twixt womens love, and mens will ever bee.
[Aire and Angels. _1633-69_, _A18_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_,
_N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_, _S96_, _TCC_, _TCD:_ _no title_, _B_,
_H40_]
[4 bee; _Ed:_ bee, _1633-69_]
[5 came,] came _1633_]
[6 I did] did I _1669_
see. _Ed:_ see, _1633-69_]
[7 since _Ed:_ since, _1633-69_]
[11 who, _Ed:_ who _1633-69_]
[14 lip, eye,] lips, eyes, _1669_, _Chambers_]
[19 Ev'ry thy _1633-39_, _A18_, _B_ (Even), _D_, _H40_, _H49_,
_JC_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_ (Ever), _S96_, _TC:_ Thy every
_1650-69_]
[22 scatt'ring _Ed:_ scattring, _1633-35:_ scattering
_1639-69_]
[27 Aire _1633-54 and all MSS. :_ Airs _1669_, _Chambers_]
_Breake of day. _
'Tis true, 'tis day; what though it be?
O wilt thou therefore rise from me?
Why should we rise, because 'tis light?
Did we lie downe, because 'twas night?
Love which in spight of darknesse brought us hether, 5
Should in despight of light keepe us together.
Light hath no tongue, but is all eye;
If it could speake as well as spie,
This were the worst, that it could say,
That being well, I faine would stay, 10
And that I lov'd my heart and honor so,
That I would not from him, that had them, goe.
Must businesse thee from hence remove?
_Grolier:_ our loss be sad. _Chambers_]
[23 meant] thought _A18_, _L74_, _N_, _O'F_, _TC_
this _1633:_ that _1635-69_]
_A Feaver. _
Oh doe not die, for I shall hate
All women so, when thou art gone,
That thee I shall not celebrate,
When I remember, thou wast one.
But yet thou canst not die, I know; 5
To leave this world behinde, is death,
But when thou from this world wilt goe,
The whole world vapors with thy breath.
Or if, when thou, the worlds soule, goest,
It stay, tis but thy carkasse then, 10
The fairest woman, but thy ghost,
But corrupt wormes, the worthyest men.
O wrangling schooles, that search what fire
Shall burne this world, had none the wit
Unto this knowledge to aspire, 15
That this her feaver might be it?
And yet she cannot wast by this,
Nor long beare this torturing wrong,
For much corruption needfull is
To fuell such a feaver long. 20
These burning fits but meteors bee,
Whose matter in thee is soone spent.
Thy beauty,'and all parts, which are thee,
Are unchangeable firmament.
Yet t'was of my minde, seising thee, 25
Though it in thee cannot persever.
For I had rather owner bee
Of thee one houre, then all else ever.
[A Feaver. _1633-69_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _Lec_, _S96:_ Of a
fever. _L74:_ The Fever. _B_, _Cy_, _O'F_, _P:_ Fever.
_A18_,
_N_, _TCC_, _TCD:_ _no title_, _JC_]
[5 know; _Ed:_ know, _1633-69_]
[8 with] in _1669_]
[16 might] must _TCC_]
[18 beare] endure _1669_
torturing] tormenting _JC_, _O'F_ (_corr. from_ torturing)]
[19 For much _1633_, _A18_, _B_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _JC_,
_L74_, _Lec_, _N_, _S_, _S96_, _TC:_ For more _1635-69_,
_O'F:_ Far more _Cy_, _P_]
[22 is soon] soon is _1669_]
[24 Are] Are an _1669_, _P_, _S96_]
[25 Yet 'twas of _1633-54:_ And here as _1669_]
[27 For] Yet _1669_]
_Aire and Angels. _
Twice or thrice had I loved thee,
Before I knew thy face or name;
So in a voice, so in a shapelesse flame,
_Angells_ affect us oft, and worship'd bee;
Still when, to where thou wert, I came, 5
Some lovely glorious nothing I did see.
But since my soule, whose child love is,
Takes limmes of flesh, and else could nothing doe,
More subtile then the parent is,
Love must not be, but take a body too, 10
And therefore what thou wert, and who,
I bid Love aske, and now
That it assume thy body, I allow,
And fixe it selfe in thy lip, eye, and brow.
Whilst thus to ballast love, I thought, 15
And so more steddily to have gone,
With wares which would sinke admiration,
I saw, I had loves pinnace overfraught,
Ev'ry thy haire for love to worke upon
Is much too much, some fitter must be sought; 20
For, nor in nothing, nor in things
Extreme, and scatt'ring bright, can love inhere;
Then as an Angell, face, and wings
Of aire, not pure as it, yet pure doth weare,
So thy love may be my loves spheare; 25
Just such disparitie
As is twixt Aire and Angells puritie,
'Twixt womens love, and mens will ever bee.
[Aire and Angels. _1633-69_, _A18_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _Lec_,
_N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_, _S96_, _TCC_, _TCD:_ _no title_, _B_,
_H40_]
[4 bee; _Ed:_ bee, _1633-69_]
[5 came,] came _1633_]
[6 I did] did I _1669_
see. _Ed:_ see, _1633-69_]
[7 since _Ed:_ since, _1633-69_]
[11 who, _Ed:_ who _1633-69_]
[14 lip, eye,] lips, eyes, _1669_, _Chambers_]
[19 Ev'ry thy _1633-39_, _A18_, _B_ (Even), _D_, _H40_, _H49_,
_JC_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _S_ (Ever), _S96_, _TC:_ Thy every
_1650-69_]
[22 scatt'ring _Ed:_ scattring, _1633-35:_ scattering
_1639-69_]
[27 Aire _1633-54 and all MSS. :_ Airs _1669_, _Chambers_]
_Breake of day. _
'Tis true, 'tis day; what though it be?
O wilt thou therefore rise from me?
Why should we rise, because 'tis light?
Did we lie downe, because 'twas night?
Love which in spight of darknesse brought us hether, 5
Should in despight of light keepe us together.
Light hath no tongue, but is all eye;
If it could speake as well as spie,
This were the worst, that it could say,
That being well, I faine would stay, 10
And that I lov'd my heart and honor so,
That I would not from him, that had them, goe.
Must businesse thee from hence remove?