The Whole Works of William Browne of Tavistock ... Now first collected and edited, with a memoir of the poet, and notes, by W. Carew Hazlitt, of the Inner Temple |
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 | The Whole Works of William Browne |  |
Vnder an Aldar on his sandy marge
Was Tauy set to view his nimble charge,
And there his Loue he long time had expected:
While many a rose-cheekt Nymph no wile neglected
To wooe him to imbraces; which he scorn'd,
As valluing more the beauties which adorn'd
His fairest Walla, then all Natures pride
Spent on the cheekes of all her sexe beside.
Now would they tempt him with their open brests,
And sweare their lips were Loues assured Tests:
That Walla sure would giue him the deniall
Till she had knowne him true by such a triall,
Then comes another, and her hand bereaues
The soone slipt Alder of two clammy leaues,
And clapping them together, bids him see
And learne of loue the hidden mystery.
Braue Flood (quoth she) that hold'st vs in suspence,
And shew'st a God-like powre in abstinence,
At this thy coldnesse we doe nothing wonder,
These leaues did so, when once they grew asunder;
But since the one did taste the others blisse,
And felt his partners kinde partake with his,
Behold how close they ioyne; and had they power
To speake their now content, as we can our,
They would on Nature lay a hainous crime
For keeping close such sweets vntill this time.
Is there to such men ought of merit due,
That doe abstaine from what they neuer knew?
No: then as well we may account him wise
For speaking nought, who wants those faculties.
Taste thou our sweets; come here and freely sip
Diuinest Nectar from my melting lip;
Gaze on mine eyes, whose life-infusing beames
Haue power to melt the Icy Northerne streames,
And so inflame the Gods of those bound Seas
They should vnchaine their virgin passages,
And teach our Mariners from day to day
To bring vs Iewels by a neerer way.
Twine thy long fingers in my shining haire,
And thinke it no disgrace to hide them there;
For I could tell thee how the Paphian Queene
Met me one day vpon yond pleasant Greene,
And did intreat a slip (though I was coy)
Wherewith to fetter her lasciuious Boy.
Play with my teates that swell to haue impression;
And if thou please from thence to make digression,
Passe thou that milkie way where great Apollo
And higher powres then he would gladly follow.
When to the full of these thou shalt attaine,
It were some mastry for thee to refraine;
But since thou know'st not what such pleasures be
The world will not commend but laugh at thee.
But thou wilt say, thy Walla yeelds such store
Of ioyes, that no one Loue can raise thee more;
Admit it so, as who but thinkes it strange?
Yet shalt thou finde a pleasure more, in change,
If that thou lik'st not, gentle Flood, but heare
To proue that state the best I neuer feare.
Tell me wherein the state and glory is
Of thee, of Auon, or braue Thamesis?
In your owne Springs? or by the flowing head
Of some such Riuer onely seconded?
Or is it through the multitude that doe
Send downe their waters to attend on you?
Your mixture with lesse Brookes addes to your fames,
So long as they in you doe loose their names:
And comming to the Ocean, thou dost see,
It takes in other Floods as well as thee;
It were no sport to vs that hunting loue
If we were still confinde to one large Groue.
The water which in one Poole hath abiding
Is not so sweet as Rillets euer gliding.
Nor would the brackish waues in whom you meet
Containe that state it doth, but be lesse sweet,
And with contagious streames all mortals smother,
But that it moues from this shore to the other.
There's no one season such delight can bring,
As Summer, Autumne, Winter, and the Spring.
Nor the best Flowre that doth on earth appeare
Could by it selfe content vs all the yeere.
The Salmons, and some more as well as they,
Now loue the freshet, and then loue the Sea.
The flitting Fowles not in one coast doe tarry,
But with the yeere their habitation vary.
What Musicke is there in a Shepherds quill
(Plaid on by him that hath the greatest skill)
If but a stop or two thereon we spy?
Musicke is best in her varietie.
So is discourse, so ioyes; and why not then
As well the liues and loues of Gods as men?
Was Tauy set to view his nimble charge,
And there his Loue he long time had expected:
While many a rose-cheekt Nymph no wile neglected
To wooe him to imbraces; which he scorn'd,
As valluing more the beauties which adorn'd
His fairest Walla, then all Natures pride
Spent on the cheekes of all her sexe beside.
Now would they tempt him with their open brests,
And sweare their lips were Loues assured Tests:
That Walla sure would giue him the deniall
Till she had knowne him true by such a triall,
Then comes another, and her hand bereaues
The soone slipt Alder of two clammy leaues,
And clapping them together, bids him see
And learne of loue the hidden mystery.
Braue Flood (quoth she) that hold'st vs in suspence,
And shew'st a God-like powre in abstinence,
At this thy coldnesse we doe nothing wonder,
These leaues did so, when once they grew asunder;
But since the one did taste the others blisse,
And felt his partners kinde partake with his,
Behold how close they ioyne; and had they power
53
They would on Nature lay a hainous crime
For keeping close such sweets vntill this time.
Is there to such men ought of merit due,
That doe abstaine from what they neuer knew?
No: then as well we may account him wise
For speaking nought, who wants those faculties.
Taste thou our sweets; come here and freely sip
Diuinest Nectar from my melting lip;
Gaze on mine eyes, whose life-infusing beames
Haue power to melt the Icy Northerne streames,
And so inflame the Gods of those bound Seas
They should vnchaine their virgin passages,
And teach our Mariners from day to day
To bring vs Iewels by a neerer way.
Twine thy long fingers in my shining haire,
And thinke it no disgrace to hide them there;
For I could tell thee how the Paphian Queene
Met me one day vpon yond pleasant Greene,
And did intreat a slip (though I was coy)
Wherewith to fetter her lasciuious Boy.
Play with my teates that swell to haue impression;
And if thou please from thence to make digression,
Passe thou that milkie way where great Apollo
And higher powres then he would gladly follow.
When to the full of these thou shalt attaine,
It were some mastry for thee to refraine;
But since thou know'st not what such pleasures be
The world will not commend but laugh at thee.
But thou wilt say, thy Walla yeelds such store
Of ioyes, that no one Loue can raise thee more;
Admit it so, as who but thinkes it strange?
Yet shalt thou finde a pleasure more, in change,
If that thou lik'st not, gentle Flood, but heare
To proue that state the best I neuer feare.
Tell me wherein the state and glory is
54
In your owne Springs? or by the flowing head
Of some such Riuer onely seconded?
Or is it through the multitude that doe
Send downe their waters to attend on you?
Your mixture with lesse Brookes addes to your fames,
So long as they in you doe loose their names:
And comming to the Ocean, thou dost see,
It takes in other Floods as well as thee;
It were no sport to vs that hunting loue
If we were still confinde to one large Groue.
The water which in one Poole hath abiding
Is not so sweet as Rillets euer gliding.
Nor would the brackish waues in whom you meet
Containe that state it doth, but be lesse sweet,
And with contagious streames all mortals smother,
But that it moues from this shore to the other.
There's no one season such delight can bring,
As Summer, Autumne, Winter, and the Spring.
Nor the best Flowre that doth on earth appeare
Could by it selfe content vs all the yeere.
The Salmons, and some more as well as they,
Now loue the freshet, and then loue the Sea.
The flitting Fowles not in one coast doe tarry,
But with the yeere their habitation vary.
What Musicke is there in a Shepherds quill
(Plaid on by him that hath the greatest skill)
If but a stop or two thereon we spy?
Musicke is best in her varietie.
So is discourse, so ioyes; and why not then
As well the liues and loues of Gods as men?
| The Whole Works of William Browne | |