Lucasta [34]
Ellinda, might you feare The sacred vowes that I did sweare.
II. But if alone some pious thought Me to an inward sadnesse brought, Thinking to breath your soule too welle, My tongue was charmed with that spell; And left it (since there was no roome To voyce your worth enough) strooke dumbe.
III. So then this silence doth reveal No thought of negligence, but zeal: For, as in adoration, This is love's true devotion; Children and fools the words repeat, But anch'rites pray in tears and sweat.
ELLINDA'S GLOVE. SONNET.
I. Thou snowy farme with thy five tenements!<34.1> Tell thy white mistris here was one, That call'd to pay his dayly rents; But she a-gathering flowr's and hearts is gone, And thou left voyd to rude possession.
II. But grieve not, pretty Ermin cabinet, Thy alabaster lady will come home; If not, what tenant can there fit The slender turnings of thy narrow roome, But must ejected be by his owne dombe?<34.2>
III. Then give me leave to leave my rent with thee: Five kisses, one unto a place: For though the lute's too high for me, Yet servants, knowing minikin<34.3> nor base, Are still allow'd to fiddle with the case.
<34.1> i.e. the white glove of the lady with its five fingers.
<34.2> Doom.
<34.3> A description of musical pin attached to a lute. It was only brought into play by accomplished musicians. In the address of "The Country Suiter to his Love," printed in Cotgrave's WITS INTERPRETER, 1662, p. 119, the man says:--
"Fair Wench! I cannot court thy sprightly eyes With a base-viol plac'd betwixt my thighs, I cannot lisp, nor to a fiddle sing, Nor run upon a high-strecht minikin."
In Middleton's FAMILIE OF LOVE, 1608 (Works by Dyce, ii. 127) there is the following passage:--
"GUDGEON. Ay, and to all that forswear marriage, and can be content with other men's wives. GERARDINE. Of which consort you two are grounds; one touches the bass, and the other tickles the minikin."
BEING TREATED. TO ELLINDA.
For cherries plenty, and for corans Enough for fifty, were there more on's; For elles of beere,<35.1> flutes<35.2> of canary, That well did wash downe pasties-Mary;<35.3> For peason, chickens, sawces high, Pig, and the widdow-venson-pye;<35.4> With certaine promise (to your brother) Of the virginity of another, Where it is thought I too may peepe in With knuckles far as any deepe in;<35.5> For glasses, heads, hands, bellies full Of wine, and loyne right-worshipfull;<35.6> Whether all of, or more behind--a Thankes freest, freshest, faire Ellinda. Thankes for my visit not disdaining, Or at the least thankes for your feigning; For if your mercy doore were lockt-well, I should be justly soundly knockt-well; Cause that in dogrell I did mutter Not one rhime to you from dam-Rotter.<35.7>
Next beg I to present my duty To pregnant sister in prime beauty, Whom well I deeme (e're few months elder) Will take out Hans from pretty Kelder, And to the sweetly fayre Mabella, A match that vies with Arabella; In each respect but the misfortune, Fortune, Fate, I thee importune.
Nor must I passe the lovely Alice, Whose health I'd quaffe in golden chalice; But since that Fate hath made me neuter, I only can in beaker pewter: But who'd forget, or yet left un-sung The doughty acts of George the yong-son? Who yesterday to save his sister Had slaine the snake, had he not mist her: But I shall leave him, 'till a nag on He gets to prosecute the dragon; And then with helpe of sun and taper, Fill with his deeds twelve reames of paper, That Amadis,<35.8> Sir Guy, and Topaz With his fleet neigher shall keep no-pace. But now to close all I must switch-hard, [Your] servant ever; LOVELACE RICHARD.
<35.1> This expression has reference to the old practice of drinking beer and wine out of very high glasses, with
II. But if alone some pious thought Me to an inward sadnesse brought, Thinking to breath your soule too welle, My tongue was charmed with that spell; And left it (since there was no roome To voyce your worth enough) strooke dumbe.
III. So then this silence doth reveal No thought of negligence, but zeal: For, as in adoration, This is love's true devotion; Children and fools the words repeat, But anch'rites pray in tears and sweat.
ELLINDA'S GLOVE. SONNET.
I. Thou snowy farme with thy five tenements!<34.1> Tell thy white mistris here was one, That call'd to pay his dayly rents; But she a-gathering flowr's and hearts is gone, And thou left voyd to rude possession.
II. But grieve not, pretty Ermin cabinet, Thy alabaster lady will come home; If not, what tenant can there fit The slender turnings of thy narrow roome, But must ejected be by his owne dombe?<34.2>
III. Then give me leave to leave my rent with thee: Five kisses, one unto a place: For though the lute's too high for me, Yet servants, knowing minikin<34.3> nor base, Are still allow'd to fiddle with the case.
<34.1> i.e. the white glove of the lady with its five fingers.
<34.2> Doom.
<34.3> A description of musical pin attached to a lute. It was only brought into play by accomplished musicians. In the address of "The Country Suiter to his Love," printed in Cotgrave's WITS INTERPRETER, 1662, p. 119, the man says:--
"Fair Wench! I cannot court thy sprightly eyes With a base-viol plac'd betwixt my thighs, I cannot lisp, nor to a fiddle sing, Nor run upon a high-strecht minikin."
In Middleton's FAMILIE OF LOVE, 1608 (Works by Dyce, ii. 127) there is the following passage:--
"GUDGEON. Ay, and to all that forswear marriage, and can be content with other men's wives. GERARDINE. Of which consort you two are grounds; one touches the bass, and the other tickles the minikin."
BEING TREATED. TO ELLINDA.
For cherries plenty, and for corans Enough for fifty, were there more on's; For elles of beere,<35.1> flutes<35.2> of canary, That well did wash downe pasties-Mary;<35.3> For peason, chickens, sawces high, Pig, and the widdow-venson-pye;<35.4> With certaine promise (to your brother) Of the virginity of another, Where it is thought I too may peepe in With knuckles far as any deepe in;<35.5> For glasses, heads, hands, bellies full Of wine, and loyne right-worshipfull;<35.6> Whether all of, or more behind--a Thankes freest, freshest, faire Ellinda. Thankes for my visit not disdaining, Or at the least thankes for your feigning; For if your mercy doore were lockt-well, I should be justly soundly knockt-well; Cause that in dogrell I did mutter Not one rhime to you from dam-Rotter.<35.7>
Next beg I to present my duty To pregnant sister in prime beauty, Whom well I deeme (e're few months elder) Will take out Hans from pretty Kelder, And to the sweetly fayre Mabella, A match that vies with Arabella; In each respect but the misfortune, Fortune, Fate, I thee importune.
Nor must I passe the lovely Alice, Whose health I'd quaffe in golden chalice; But since that Fate hath made me neuter, I only can in beaker pewter: But who'd forget, or yet left un-sung The doughty acts of George the yong-son? Who yesterday to save his sister Had slaine the snake, had he not mist her: But I shall leave him, 'till a nag on He gets to prosecute the dragon; And then with helpe of sun and taper, Fill with his deeds twelve reames of paper, That Amadis,<35.8> Sir Guy, and Topaz With his fleet neigher shall keep no-pace. But now to close all I must switch-hard, [Your] servant ever; LOVELACE RICHARD.
<35.1> This expression has reference to the old practice of drinking beer and wine out of very high glasses, with