Aurelian Townshend's Poem and Masks Edited by E. K. Chambers |
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| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. | XIII. Pure Simple Love.
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| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
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 | Aurelian Townshend's Poem and Masks |  |
28
XIII. Pure Simple Love.
Hide not thy love and myne shal bee
Open and free;
No mask dooth well upon thy face.
Lett those that meane more hurt provide
Love of a guide,
Or of some close retyring place.
A harmles kisse would make us thinck
Love hath no Nectar else to drinck.
Open and free;
No mask dooth well upon thy face.
Lett those that meane more hurt provide
Love of a guide,
Or of some close retyring place.
A harmles kisse would make us thinck
Love hath no Nectar else to drinck.
Our loves are not of age to will
Both good and ill,
For thine, alas, is but new borne,
And myne is yett to yonge to speake.
How can they breake
Or hold Loves civill Lawes in skorne?
Wee might go naked if some spie,
Apt to traduce us, stood not by.
Both good and ill,
For thine, alas, is but new borne,
And myne is yett to yonge to speake.
How can they breake
Or hold Loves civill Lawes in skorne?
Wee might go naked if some spie,
Apt to traduce us, stood not by.
29
Had wee been that created paire,
Eve half so faire,
Or Adam lov'd but half so well,
The Serpent could have found no charme
To doe us harme,
Or had so much as tyme to tell
His tale to thee, or I to view
An apple where such cherries grew.
Eve half so faire,
Or Adam lov'd but half so well,
The Serpent could have found no charme
To doe us harme,
Or had so much as tyme to tell
His tale to thee, or I to view
An apple where such cherries grew.
Yett had hee ledd mee to thy brest,
That waye was best
To have seduct mee from thy lipp.
Those apples tempt mee most; They bee
Fruit of that Tree,
That made our first forefathers slipp.
I dare not touch them least I dye
The death thou threatnest with thyne Eye.
That waye was best
To have seduct mee from thy lipp.
Those apples tempt mee most; They bee
Fruit of that Tree,
That made our first forefathers slipp.
I dare not touch them least I dye
The death thou threatnest with thyne Eye.
Yett hee that meanes not to transgres
Needes fearr the lesse,
For what hath Justice heere to doe
But with her skales? Her sword may lye
As Useles by,
When shee comes downe to Judge us twoe;
For no persuations can infect
Thyne innocence or my respect.
Needes fearr the lesse,
For what hath Justice heere to doe
But with her skales? Her sword may lye
As Useles by,
When shee comes downe to Judge us twoe;
For no persuations can infect
Thyne innocence or my respect.
30
If all the stings of envy laye
Strewde in our waye,
And tongues to tell of all wee did,
As our affection waxeth old,
Shall itt growe cold?
Loves Elementall fire forbid
Such frost and snowe, for past all doubt,
If our sparks dye, his fire will out.
Strewde in our waye,
And tongues to tell of all wee did,
As our affection waxeth old,
Shall itt growe cold?
Loves Elementall fire forbid
Such frost and snowe, for past all doubt,
If our sparks dye, his fire will out.
Though thanckfull hands and eyes may prove
Cyphers of love,
Yett, till some figure bee prefixt,
As oos, by thousands or alone,
Stand all for none,
So, till our lookes and smiles bee mixt
With further meaning, they amount
To nothing by a iust account.
Cyphers of love,
Yett, till some figure bee prefixt,
As oos, by thousands or alone,
Stand all for none,
So, till our lookes and smiles bee mixt
With further meaning, they amount
To nothing by a iust account.
How golden was that age that lett,
When Couples mett,
Theire lips and hands doe what they woulde,
Left out theire haires and more skinn bare,
Then now they dare;
For libertie misunderstood
Is counted lightnes, and when twoe
Maie doe amise, tis thought they doe.
When Couples mett,
Theire lips and hands doe what they woulde,
Left out theire haires and more skinn bare,
Then now they dare;
For libertie misunderstood
Is counted lightnes, and when twoe
Maie doe amise, tis thought they doe.
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Yett since there bee some people still,
That meane no ill,
The worlde is not so full of sinne,
Butt that wee maie finde some place yett
Proper and fitt
To act our mutuall friendship in,
And some Spectators to allowe
Of our old loving fashion now.
That meane no ill,
The worlde is not so full of sinne,
Butt that wee maie finde some place yett
Proper and fitt
To act our mutuall friendship in,
And some Spectators to allowe
Of our old loving fashion now.
Then will I lay my cheeke to thyne,
And thou shalt twyne
Thy maiden armes about my neck,
And I will compas in thy waste
With arms as chaste,
And one anothers eyes bedeck
With little babies which shall bee
Our unpolluted progenee.
And thou shalt twyne
Thy maiden armes about my neck,
And I will compas in thy waste
With arms as chaste,
And one anothers eyes bedeck
With little babies which shall bee
Our unpolluted progenee.
Besides weele doe such childish things,
Though Love have wings,
Hee shal bee lothe to fly awaye;
And restles tyme, as lothe to passe
By with his glase,
Shall offer everie foote to staie;
One spinn, the next draw out our yeeres,
And the third Fate lett fall her sheeres.
Though Love have wings,
Hee shal bee lothe to fly awaye;
And restles tyme, as lothe to passe
By with his glase,
Shall offer everie foote to staie;
One spinn, the next draw out our yeeres,
And the third Fate lett fall her sheeres.
32
If anie Lovers of one sort
Hether resort,
Theyll fitt them with our modest sceanes,
And prompted by a wanton eye
Quicklie discrye
Wee know not what such action meanes,
Butt runn awaye and leave the Stage
To them and this corrupted age.
Hether resort,
Theyll fitt them with our modest sceanes,
And prompted by a wanton eye
Quicklie discrye
Wee know not what such action meanes,
Butt runn awaye and leave the Stage
To them and this corrupted age.
And if her eyes, clearest and best
Of all the rest,
Surveigh theise Lynes tract with Loves dart,
Presume to ask her, ere you go,
Whether or no
Shee wilbe pleasd to act her part;
Which if shee be ashamd to doe,
Intreat her to excuse mee toe.
Of all the rest,
Surveigh theise Lynes tract with Loves dart,
Presume to ask her, ere you go,
Whether or no
Shee wilbe pleasd to act her part;
Which if shee be ashamd to doe,
Intreat her to excuse mee toe.
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