 | Poems (1872) |  |
TO THE YOUNG GENTLEWOMEN AT COURT.
Beware, fair maide, of musky courtiers' oaths;
Take heed what gifts and favours you receive;
Let not the fading glosse of silken cloathes
Dazell thy virtues, or thy fame bereave:
For loose but once the hould thou hast of grace,
Who will respect thy favour or thy face?
Take heed what gifts and favours you receive;
Let not the fading glosse of silken cloathes
Dazell thy virtues, or thy fame bereave:
For loose but once the hould thou hast of grace,
Who will respect thy favour or thy face?
Each greedy hand doth catch to spoil the flower,
Where none regards the stalk it grew upon;
Each creature loues the fruit still to devoure,
And let the tree to fall or grow alone.
But this advise, faire creature, take from mee:
Let none take fruit, unless he take the tree.
Where none regards the stalk it grew upon;
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And let the tree to fall or grow alone.
But this advise, faire creature, take from mee:
Let none take fruit, unless he take the tree.
Believe not oathes nor much-protesting men,
Creditt no vowes, nor no bewailing songs;
Let courtiers sweare, forsweare, and sweare agayne,
Their heart doth live two regions from their tongues;
And when with oathes the heart is made to tremble,
Believe them least, for then they most dissemble.
Creditt no vowes, nor no bewailing songs;
Let courtiers sweare, forsweare, and sweare agayne,
Their heart doth live two regions from their tongues;
And when with oathes the heart is made to tremble,
Believe them least, for then they most dissemble.
Take heed, lest Cæsar do corrupt thy mind,
And foul ambition sell thy modesty;
Say tho' a king thou euer curteous find,
He cannot pardon thy impurity;
For doe with king, to subject you will fall,
From lord to lackey, and at last to all.
And foul ambition sell thy modesty;
Say tho' a king thou euer curteous find,
He cannot pardon thy impurity;
For doe with king, to subject you will fall,
From lord to lackey, and at last to all.
| Poems (1872) | |