No More Learning

635. UPON LOVE.

A crystal vial Cupid brought,
Which had a juice in it;
Of which who drank, he said no thought
Of love he should admit.

I, greedy of the prize, did drink,
And emptied soon the glass;
Which burnt me so, that I do think
The fire of hell it was.

Give me my earthen cups again,
The crystal I contemn;
Which, though enchas'd with pearls, contain
A deadly draught in them.

And thou, O Cupid! come not to
My threshold, since I see,
For all I have, or else can do,
Thou still wilt cozen me.


638. THE BEGGAR TO MAB, THE FAIRY QUEEN.

Please your Grace, from out your store,
Give an alms to one that's poor,
That your mickle may have more.
Black I'm grown for want of meat
Give me then an ant to eat,
Or the cleft ear of a mouse
Over-sour'd in drink of souce;
Or, sweet lady, reach to me
The abdomen of a bee;
Or commend a cricket's hip,
Or his huckson, to my scrip.
Give for bread a little bit
Of a pea that 'gins to chit,
And my full thanks take for it.
Flour of fuzz-balls, that's too good
For a man in needihood;
But the meal of milldust can
Well content a craving man.
Any orts the elves refuse
Well will serve the beggar's use.
But if this may seem too much
For an alms, then give me such
Little bits that nestle there
In the prisoner's panier.
So a blessing light upon
You and mighty Oberon:
That your plenty last till when
I return your alms again.

_Mickle_, much.
_Souce_, salt-pickle.
_Huckson_, huckle-bone.
_Chit_, sprout.
_Orts_, scraps of food.
_Prisoner's panier_, the basket which poor prisoners used to hang out
of the gaol windows for alms in money or kind.


639. AN END DECREED.

Let's be jocund while we may,
All things have an ending day;
And when once the work is done,
_Fates revolve no flax they've spun_.

_Revolve_, _i. e. _, bring back.


640. UPON A CHILD.

Here a pretty baby lies
Sung asleep with lullabies;
Pray be silent, and not stir
Th' easy earth that covers her.