Works

Love is a syrup; and whoe'er we see
Sick and surcharg'd with this satiety,
Shall by this pleasing trespass quickly prove
There's loathsomeness e'en in the sweets of love.

Let me be warm, let me be fully fed,
Luxurious love by wealth is nourished.
Let me be lean, and cold, and once grown poor,
I shall dislike what once I lov'd before.

Let fair or foul my mistress be,
Or low, or tall, she pleaseth me;
Or let her walk, or stand, or sit,
The posture her's, I'm pleased with it;
Or let her tongue be still, or stir...

You say, to me-wards your affection's strong;
Pray love me little, so you love me long.
Slowly goes far: the mean is best: desire,
Grown violent, does either die or tire.

I press'd my Julia's lips, and in the kiss
Her soul and love were palpable in this.

If I kiss Anthea's breast,
There I smell the ph[oe]nix nest:
If her lip, the most sincere
Altar of incense I smell there -
Hands, and thighs, and legs are all
Richly aromatical....

A Gyges ring they bear about them still,
To be, and not seen when and where they will;
They tread on clouds, and though they sometimes fall,
They fall like dew, and make no noise at all:...

Love and myself, believe me, on a day
At childish push-pin, for our sport, did play;
I put, he pushed, and, heedless of my skin,
Love pricked my finger with a golden pin;...

Love is a circle, that doth restless move
In the same sweet eternity of Love.

Gold I've none, for use or show,
Neither silver to bestow
At my death; but this much know;
That each lyric here shall be
Of my love a legacy,
Left to all posterity....

Maids' nays are nothing, they are shy
But to desire what they deny.

Want is a softer wax, that takes thereon,
This, that, and every base impression,

That manna, which God on His people cast,
Fitted itself to ev'ry feeder's taste.

Man knows where first he ships himself; but he
Never can tell where shall his landing be.

The repetition of the name made known
No other than Christ's full affection.

When with the virgin morning thou dost rise,
Crossing thyself come thus to sacrifice;
First wash thy heart in innocence; then bring
Pure hands, pure habits, pure, pure every thing....

Though frankincense the deities require,
We must not give all to the hallow'd fire.
Such be our gifts, and such be our expense,
As for ourselves to leave some frankince

By the weak'st means things mighty are o'erthrown.
He's lord of thy life who contemns his own.

Eaten I have; and though I had good cheer,
I did not sup, because no friends were there.
Where mirth and friends are absent when we dine
Or sup, there wants the incense and the wine.

You are a Tulip seen to-day,
But, Dearest, of so short a stay,
That where you grew, scarce man can say.

You are a lovely July-flower;
Yet one rude wind, or ruffling shower,...