Donne

by John Donne

  A blushing womanly discovering grace;

  Richly cloath’d Apes, are call’d Apes, and as soone

  Ecclips’d as bright we call the Moone the Moone.

  Men of France, changeable Camelions,

  Spittles of diseases, shops of fashions,

  Loves fuellers, and the rightest company

  Of Players, which upon the worlds stage be,

  Will quickly know thee, and no lesse, alas!

  Th’indifferent Italian, as we passe

  His warme land, well content to thinke thee Page,

  Will hunt thee with such lust, and hideous rage,

  As Lots faire guests were vext. But none of these

  Nor spungy hydroptique Dutch shall thee displease,

  If thou stay here. O stay here, for, for thee

  England is onely a worthy Gallerie,

  To walke in expectation, till from thence

  Our greatest King call thee to his presence.

  When I am gone, dreame me some happinesse,

  Nor let thy lookes our long hid love confesse,

  Nor praise, nor dispraise me, nor blesse nor curse

  Openly loves force, nor in bed fright thy Nurse

  With midnights startings, crying out, oh, oh

  Nurse, ô my love is slaine, I saw him goe

  Or the white Alpes alone; I saw him I,

  Assail’d, fight, taken, stabb’d, bleed, fall, and die.

  Augure me better chance, except dread Jove

  Thinke it enough for me to’have had thy love.

  ELEGIE XIX

  To his Mistress Going to Bed

  Come, Madam, come, all rest my powers defie,

  Until I labour, I in labour lie.

  The foe oft-times having the foe in sight,

  Is tir’d with standing though he never fight.

  Off with that girdle, like heavens Zone glittering,

  But a far fairer world incompassing.

  Unpin that spangled breastplate which you wear,

  That th’eyes of busie fooles may be stopt there.

  Unlace your self, for that harmonious chyme,

  Tells me from you, that now it is bed time.

  Off with that happy busk, which I envie,

  That still can be, and still can stand so nigh.

  Your gown going off, such beautious state reveals,

  As when from flowry meads th’hills shadowe steales.

  Off with that wyerie Coronet and shew

  The haiery Diademe which on you doth grow:

  Now off with those shooes, and then softly tread

  In this loves hallow’d temple, this soft bed.

  In such white robes, heaven’s Angels us’d to be

  Receavd by men: thou Angel bringst with thee

  A heaven like Mahomets Paradice, and though

  Ill spirits walk in white, we easly know,

  By this these Angels from an evil sprite,

  Those set our hairs, but these our flesh upright.

  Licence my roaving hands, and let them go,

  Before, behind, between, above, below.

  O my America! my new-found-land,

  My kingdome, safeliest when with one man man’d,

  My Myne of precious stones: My Emperie,

  How blest am I in this discovering thee!

  To enter in these bonds, is to be free;

  Then where my hand is set, my seal shall be.

  Full nakedness! All joyes are due to thee,

  As souls unbodied, bodies uncloth’d must be,

  To taste whole joyes. Jems which you women use

  Are like Atlanta’s balls, cast in mens views,

  That when a fools eye lighteth on a Jem,

  His earthly soul may covet theirs, not them:

  Like pictures, or like books gay coverings made

  For lay-men, are all women thus array’d.

  Themselves are mystick books, which only wee

  (Whom their imputed grace will dignifie)

  Must see reveal’d. Then since that I may know;

  As liberally, as to a Midwife shew

  Thy self: cast all, yea, this white lynnen hence,

  There is no pennance, much less innocence:

  To teach thee, I am naked first; why then

  What needst thou have more covering then a man.

  ELEGIE XVII

  The heavens rejoyce in motion, why should I

  Abjure my so much lov’d variety,

  And not with many youth and love divide?

  Pleasure is none, if not diversifi’d:

  The sun that sitting in the chaire of light

  Sheds flame into what else soever doth seem bright,

  Is not contented at one Signe to Inne,

  But ends his year and with a new beginnes.

  All things doe willingly in change delight,

  The fruitfull mother of our appetite:

  Rivers the clearer and more pleasing are,

  Where their fair spreading streames run wide and farr;

  And a dead lake that no strange bark doth greet,

  Corrupts it self and what doth live in it.

  Let no man tell me such a one is faire,

  And worthy all alone my love to share.

  Nature in her hath done the liberall part

  Of a kinde Mistresse, and imploy’d her art

  To make her loveable, and I aver

  Him not humane that would turn back from her:

  I love her well, and would, if need were, dye

  To doe her service. But followes it that I

  Must serve her onely, when I may have choice?

  The law is hard, and shall not have my voice.

  The last I saw in all extreames is faire,

  And holds me in the Sun-beames of her haire;

  Her nymph-like features such agreements have

  That I could venture with her to the grave:

  Another’s brown, I like her not the worse,

  Her tongue is soft and takes me with discourse:

  Others, for that they well descended are,

  Do in my love obtain as large a share;

  And though they be not fair, ’tis much with mee

  To win their love onely for their degree.

  And though I faile of my required ends,

  The attempt is glorious and it selfe commends.

  How happy were our Syres in ancient times

  Who held plurality of loves no crime!

  With them it was accounted charity

  To stirre up race of all indifferently;

  Kindreds were not exempted from the bands:

  Which with the Persian still in usage stands.

  Women were then no sooner asked then won,

  And what they did was honest and well done.

  But since this title honour hath been us’d,

  Our weake credulity hath been abus’d;

  The golden laws of nature are repeald,

  Which our first Fathers in such reverence held;

  Our liberty revers’d and Charter’s gone,

  And we made servants to opinion,

  A monster in no certain shape attir’d,

  And whose originall is much desir’d,

  Formlesse at first, but growing on it fashions,

  And doth prescribe manners and laws to nations.

  Here love receiv’d immedicable harmes,

  And was dispoiled of his daring armes.

  A greater want then is his daring eyes,

  He lost those awfull wings with which he flies;

  His sinewy bow, and those immortall darts

  Wherewith he’is wont to bruise resisting hearts;

  Onely some few strong in themselves and free

  Retain the seeds of antient liberty,

  Following that part of love although deprest,

  And make a throne for him within their brest,

  In spight of modern censures him avowing

  Their Soveraigne, all service him allowing.
<
br />   Amongst which troop although I am the least,

  Yet equall in perfection with the best,

  I glory in subjection of his hand,

  Nor ever did decline his least command:

  For in whatever forme the message came

  My heart did open and receive the same.

  But time will in his course a point discry

  When I this loved service must deny.

  For our allegiance temporary is,

  With firmer age returnes our liberties.

  What time in years and judgement we repos’d,

  Shall not so easily be to change dispos’d

  Nor to the art of severall eyes obeying,

  But beauty with true worth securely weighing,

  Which being found assembled in some one

  Wee’l leave her ever, and love her alone.

  SATIRES

  SATYRE I

  Away thou fondling motley humorist,

  Leave mee, and in this standing woodden chest,

  Consorted with these few bookes, let me lye

  In prison, and here be coffin’d, when I dye;

  Here are Gods conduits, grave Divines; and here

  Natures Secretary, the Philosopher;

  And jolly Statesmen, which teach how to tie

  The sinewes of a cities mistique bodie;

  Here gathering Chroniclers, and by them stand

  Giddie fantastique Poëts of each land.

  Shall I leave all this constant company,

  And follow headlong, wild uncertaine thee?

  First sweare by thy best love in earnest

  (If thou which lov’st all, canst love any best)

  Thou wilt not leave mee in the middle street,

  Though some more spruce companion thou dost meet

  Not though a Captaine do come in thy way

  Bright parcell gilt, with forty dead mens pay,

  Not though a briske perfum’d piert Courtier

  Deigne with a nod, thy courtesie to answer.

  Nor come a velvet Justice with a long

  Great traine of blew coats, twelve, or fourteen strong,

  Wilt thou grin or fawne on him, or prepare

  A speech to Court his beautious sonne and heire!

  For better or worse take mee, or leave mee:

  To take, and leave mee is adultery.

  Oh monstrous, superstitious puritan,

  Of refin’d manners, yet ceremoniall man,

  That when thou meet’st one, with enquiring eyes

  Dost search, and like a needy broker prize

  The silke, and gold he weares, and to that rate

  So high or low, dost raise thy formall hat:

  That wilt consort none, untill thou have knowne

  What lands hee hath in hope, or of his owne,

  As though all thy companions should make thee

  Jointures, and marry thy deare company.

  Why should’st thou that dost not onely approve,

  But in ranke itchie lust, desire, and love

  The nakednesse and barenesse to enjoy,

  Of thy plumpe muddy whore, or prostitute boy

  Hate vertue, though shee be naked, and bare?

  At birth, and death, our bodies naked are;

  And till our Soules be unapparrelled

  Of bodies, they from blisse are banished.

  Mans first blest state was naked, when by sinne

  Hee lost that, yet hee was cloath’d but in beasts skin,

  And in this course attire, which I now weare,

  With God, and with the Muses I conferre.

  But since thou like a contrite penitent,

  Charitably warn’d of thy sinnes, dost repent

  These vanities, and giddinesse, loe

  I shut my chamber doore, and come, lets goe.

  But sooner may a cheape whore, who hath beene

  Worne by as many severall men in sinne,

  As are black feathers, or musk-colour hose,

  Name her childs right true father, ’mongst all those:

  Sooner may one guesse, who shall beare away

  The infant of London, Heire to an India,

  And sooner may a gulling weather-Spie

  By drawing forth heavens Scheme tell certainly

  What fashioned hats, or ruffes, or suits next yeare

  Our subtile-witted antique youths will weare;

  Then thou, when thou depart’st from mee, canst show

  Whither, why, when, or with whom thou wouldst go.

  But how shall I be pardon’d my offence

  That thus have sinn’d against my conscience?

  Now we are in the street; He first of all

  Improvidently proud, creepes to the wall,

  And so imprisoned, and hem’d in by mee

  Sells for a little state his libertie,

  Yet though he cannot skip forth now to greet

  Every fine silken painted foole we meet,

  He them to him with amorous smiles allures,

  And grins, smacks, shrugs, and such an itch endures,

  As prentises, or schoole-boyes which doe know

  Of some gay sport abroad, yet dare not goe.

  And as fidlers stop lowest, at highest sound,

  So to the most brave, stoops hee nigh’st the ground.

  But to a grave man, he doth move no more

  Then the wise politique horse would heretofore,

  Or thou O Elephant or Ape wilt doe,

  When any names the King of Spaine to you.

  Now leaps he upright, Joggs me, and cryes, Do you see

  Yonder well favoured youth? Which? Oh, ’tis hee

  That dances so divinely; Oh, said I,

  Stand still, must you dance here for company?

  Hee droopt, wee went, till one (which did excell

  Th’Indians, in drinking his Tobacco well)

  Met us; they talk’d; I whispered, let’us goe,

  ’T may be you smell him not, truely I doe;

  He heares not mee, but, on the other side

  A many-coloured Peacock having spide,

  Leaves him and mee; I for my lost sheep stay;

  He followes, overtakes, goes on the way,

  Saying, him whom I last left, all repute

  For his device, in hansoming a sute,

  To judge of lace, pinke, panes, print, cut, and plight,

  Of all the Court, to have the best conceit;

  Our dull Comedians want him, let him goe;

  But Oh, God strengthen thee, why stoop’st thou so?

  Why, he hath travayld. Long? No, but to me

  Which understand none, he doth seeme to be

  Perfect French, and Italian; I replyed,

  So is the Poxe; He answered not, but spy’d

  More men of sort, of parts, and qualities;

  At last his Love he in a windowe spies,

  And like light dew exhal’d, he flings from mee

  Violently ravish’d to his lechery.

  Many were there, he could command no more;

  Hee quarreird, fought, bled; and turn’d out of dore

  Directly came to mee hanging the head,

  And constantly a while must keepe his bed.

  SATYRE II

  Sir; though (I thanke God for it) I do hate

  Perfectly all this towne, yet there’s one state

  In all ill things so excellently best,

  That hate, toward them, breeds pitty towards the rest.

  Though Poëtry indeed be such a sinne

  As I thinke that brings dearths, and Spaniards in,

  Though like the Pestilence and old fashion’d love,

  Ridlingly it catch men; and doth remove

  Never, till it be sterv’d out; yet their state

  Is poore, disarm’d, like Papists, not worth hate.

  One, (like a wretch, which at Barre judg’d as dead,

  Yet prompts him which stands next, and cannot reade,

  And saves his life) gives ideot ac
tors meanes

  (Starving himselfe) to live by his labor’d sceanes;

  As in some Organ, Puppits dance above

  And bellows pant below, which them do move.

  One would move Love by rithmes; but witchcrafts charms

  Bring not now their old feares, nor their old harmes:

  Rammes, and slings now are seely battery,

  Pistolets are the best Artillerie.

  And they who write to Lords, rewards to get,

  Are they not like singers at doores for meat?

  And they who write, because all write, have still

  That excuse for writing, and for writing ill;

  But hee is worst, who (beggarly) doth chaw

  Others wits fruits, and in his ravenous maw

  Rankly digested, doth those things out-spue,

  As his owne things; and they are his owne, ’tis true,

  For if one eate my meate, though it be knowne

  The meate was mine, th’excrement is his owne:

  But these do mee no harme, nor they which use

  To out-doe Dildoes, and out-usure Jewes;

  To out-drinke the sea, to out-sweare the Letanie;

  Who with sinnes all kindes as familiar bee

  As Confessors; and for whose sinfull sake,

  Schoolemen new tenements in hell must make:

  Whose strange sinnes, Canonists could hardly tell

  In which Commandements large receit they dwell.

  But these punish themselves; the insolence

  Of Coscus onely breeds my just offence,

  Whom time (which rots all, and makes botches poxe,

  And plodding on, must make a calfe an oxe)

  Hath made a Lawyer, which was (alas) of late

  But a scarce Poët; jollier of this state,

  Then are new benefic’d ministers, he throwes

  Like nets, or lime-twigs, wheresoever he goes,

  His title of Barrister, on every wench,

  And wooes in language of the Pleas, and Bench:

  A motion, Lady; Speake Coscus; I have beene

  In love, ever since tricesimo of the Queene,

  Continuall claimes I have made, injunctions got

  To stay my rivals suit, that hee should not

  Proceed, spare mee; In Hillary terme I went,

  You said, If I return’d next size in Lent,

  I should be in remitter of your grace;

  In th’interim my letters should take place

  Of affidavits: words, words, which would teare

  The tender labyrinth of a soft maids eare,

  More, more, then ten Sclavonians scolding, more

  Then when winds in our ruin’d Abbeyes rore;

  Which sicke with Poëtrie, and possest with muse

  Thou wast, and mad, I hop’d; but men which chuse