286 
Can he prize the tainted posies, 
That on others brests are worne, 
Which may pluck the virgin rosgs, 
From the never-touched thorne? 
T can go rest on her sweet breast, 
That is the pride of Cinthia’s trainey 
Then stay the tongue, thy Mermaids song 
Ts all bestow’d on me in vaine. 
He is a foole that basely dallies, 
Where each peasant mates with him 5 
Shail I haune the thronged vallies, 
W here there’s noble hiils to clime ? 
No, no, though clownes are sear’d wit 
frownes, 
I knew the best can but disdaine ; 
Then those ble prove, so will thy love 
Be all bestow’d on me in vaine. 
1 
2 
Wet I would not daigne embraces 
With the fairest Queenes that bee, 
If another shar’d those graces, 
Which they had bestow’d on me: 
Tle grant that one my Jove, where none 
Shall come to rob me of my gaine ; 
The fickle heart makes teares and arty 
And all bestow’d on me in vaine. 
I doe scorne to vow aduty, 
Where each lustiuil lad may wooe 5 
Give me her, whese sunne-like beauty 
Buzzards dare not sore unto: 
Shee it is affords the blisse, 
For which I would refuse no paine; 
But such as you fond fooles adieu, 
You seeke to captive me in vaine. 
Shee thats proud in the beginning, 
And disdaines each looker on, 
Is a Harpie in the winning, 
But aturtle being won: 
What ’cre betide she’le neere divide 
The favour she to-one doth daine 5 
But fondlings love uncertain proves, 
All all that trust in them are vaine. 
Therefore know when I enjey one, 
And for love employ my breath, 
Shee I court shall be a coy one, 
Though T purchase with my death 
The pleasures there few aime at dare; 
But if perhaps a loyer plaine, 
She isnot woone, nor I undone, 
By placing of my love in vaine. 
Leave me then, thou Syren, leave me, 
Take away these charmed armes, 
Craft thou see’st can neere deceive me, 
Tam proofe “gainst womens charmes ; 
ft focles assay to lead astray, 
The heart that constant must remaine, 
Eut I the while do sit and smile, 
Tosee them spend their love in vaines 
Il. 
Shall I wasting in despair, 
Die because a woman’s faire 5 
Or my cheekes make pale with care, 
*Cause anothers rosie are? ~ 
Be shee feirer then the dae, 
Or the flowery meedes of May, 
li she be not so to me, 
What care I bow fair she be. 
Account of Wither. 
fOct. ty 
Shall my foolish heart be pinde, 
_ 7Cause I see a woman’s kinde, 
Ox a well-disposed nature, 
Joyned in a comely feature ? 
Be she kinde or meeker than 
Turtle-dove or pelican, 
Tf she be not so to me, 
What care I how kinde she be. 
Shall a woman's vertues make 
Me to perish for her sake; 
Ox her merits value knowne, 
Make me quite forget my owne? 
Be she with that goodnes blest, 
That may merit name of best, 
If she seeme not-so to me, 
What care [ how good she be. 
*Cause her fortune seemes too higli, 
Should I play the foole and die? : 
He that beares a noble minde, 
If not outward helpe he finde, 
Thinke what with them he would dey 
That without ‘them dares to wooe $ 
And unlesse that minde I see, 
What care I how great she bee, 
Great, or good, or kinde, or fairey 
I will n’ere the more despaiie;, 
If she love me, then belecve, 
I willdie ere she shall grieve 5 
If she slight me when I wooe, 
I can slight and bid her goe, 
If she be not fit for me, <ee 
What care } how others be. / 
Bishop Percy, who has given the last. 
of these songs among the “ Redigues of 
our ancient Poetry,” from an edition of 
the “ Mistress of Philarete,” 8vax 1622, 
has also given us the tellowing account of 
Wither :-—‘* George Wicher was born June 
Lith, 1588, and in his younger years distin- 
gushed himself-by some pastoral pieces,’ 
that were not inelegant; but growing ab 
terwards involved in the political and re-" 
ligious disputes in the times of James fF, 
and Charles [. he employed his poetical 
vein in- severe pasquils on/the court and. 
clergy, and was occasionally a sufferer for 
the freedom of his pen. Inthe civil war- 
that ensued, he exerted himself in the ser- 
vice of the parliament, and became acon- 
siderable sharer in the spoils. He was 
even one of those provincial tyrants, 
whom Oliver distributed over* the king- 
dom under the name of Major Generals; 
and had the fleecing of the county of Sar- 
rey: but surviving the restoration, he out- 
lived both his power and his affluence; 
and giving bent to his chagrin in libels on 
the court,was long a prisoner.in Newgate, 
and the Tower, He died at length onthe 
2d of May,1667.” 
Phe works of Wither are now all ex 
tremely scarce, although the impressiéns 
or many of them were more numerous - 
tan will be easily believed, 
Eatracts 
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