V. All 's our own, to make the most of, Sweet Sing and say for, Watch and pray for, Keep a secret or go boast of, Sweet! VI. But for loving, why, you would not, Sweet, Paid you, brayed you In a mortar-for you could not, Sweet! VII. So, we leave the sweet face fondly there: Be its beauty Its sole duty! Let all hope of grace beyond, lie there! VIII. And while the face lies quiet there, Who shall wonder That I ponder A conclusion? I will try it there. IX. As,-why must one, for the love foregone, Scout mere liking? Thunder-striking Earth, the heaven, we looked above for, gone! X. Why, with beauty, needs there money be, Love with liking? Crush the fly-king In his gauze, because no honey-bee? XI. May not liking be so simple-sweet, If love grew there 'T would undo there All that breaks the cheek to dimples sweet? XII. Is the creature too imperfect, say? Would you mend it And so end it? Since not all addition perfects aye! XIII. Or is it of its kind, perhaps, Just perfection Whence, rejection Of a grace not to its mind, perhaps? XIV. Shall we burn up, tread that face at once Into tinder, And so hinder Sparks from kindling all the place at once? XV. Or else kiss away one's soul on her? Your love-fancies! -A sick man sees Truer, when his hot eyes roll on her! XVI. Thus the craftsman thinks to grace the rose, Plucks a mould-flower For his gold flower, Uses fine things that efface the rose : XVII. Rosy rubies make its cup more rose, Precious metals Ape the petals, Last, some old king locks it up, morose! XVIII. Then how grace a rose? I know a way! Leave it, rather. Must you gather? Smell, kiss, wear it—at last, throw away! A LIGHT WOMAN, I. So far as our story approaches the end, II. My friend was already too good to lose, And seemed in the way of improvement yet, When she crossed his path with her hunting-noose And over him drew her net. III. When I saw him tangled in her toils, A shame, said I, if she adds just him To her nine-and-ninety other spoils, The hundredth for a whim! IV. And before my friend be wholly hers, So, I gave her V. eyes my own eyes to take, My hand sought hers as in earnest need, And round she turned for my noble sake, And gave me herself indeed. VI. The eagle am I, with my fame in the world, VII. For see, my friend goes shaking and white; I have turned, it appears, his day to night, VIII. And I did it, he thinks, as a very thief: "Though I love her-that, he comprehends"One should master one's passions, (love, in chief) "And be loyal to one's friends!" IX. And she,--she lies in my hand as tame As a pear late basking over a wall; Just a touch to try, and off it came; 'T is mine, can I let it fall? X. With no mind to eat it, that's the worst! Were it thrown in the road, would the case assist? 'T was quenching a dozen blue-flies' thirst When I gave its stalk a twist. |