Or treacherously poor fish beset, Let coarse bold hands from slimy nest The bedded fish in banks out-wrest; Or, curious traitors, sleave-silk flies, Bewitch poor fishes' wand'ring eyes. For thee, thou need'st no such deceit, For thou thyself art thine own bait : That fish, that is not catch'd thereby, Alas! is wiser far than I. THE EXPIRATION So break off this last lamenting kiss, Which sucks two souls, and vapours both away; Turn, thou ghost, that way, and let me turn this, And let ourselves benight our happiest day: We ask'd none leave to love; nor will we owe Any so cheap a death as saying, "Go." Go! — and if that word have not quite kill'd thee, Being double dead, going, and bidding go. THE WILL BEFORE I sigh my last gasp, let me breathe, Great Love, some legacies :- I here bequeath Mine eyes to Argus, if mine eyes can see ; If they be blind, then, Love, I give them thee; My tongue to Fame; to ambassadors mine ears ; To women or the sea, my tears : Thou, Love, hast taught me heretofore By making me serve her who'd twenty more, Only to give to those that had too much before. My constancy I to the planets give ; My truth to them who at the Court do live; To Jesuits; to buffoons my pensiveness; My money to a Capuchin : Thou, Love, taught'st me, by appointing me To love there where no love received can be, Only to give to those that have an incapacity. My faith I give to Roman Catholics; Of Amsterdam; my best civility My patiënce let gamesters share : Thou, Love, taught'st me, by making me Love her that holds my love disparity, Only to give to those that count my gifts indignity. I give my reputation to those Which were my friends; mine industry to foes To Nature all that I in rhyme have writ; Her, who begot this love in me before, ; Taught'st me to make, as though I gave, when I do but restore. To him for whom the passing-bell next tolls, For younger lovers, dost my gifts thus disproportiön. Therefore I'll give no more, but I'll undo Than a sun-dial in a grave : Thou, Love, taught' st me by making me Love her who doth neglect both me and thee, To invent and practise this one way to annihilate all three. |