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"All aids, themselves made fairer by their place, "Came for additions; yet their purpos'd trim "Pierc'd not his grace, but were all grac'd by him.

"So on the tip of his subduing tongue "All kind of arguments and question deep, "All replication prompt, and reason strong, "For his advantage still did wake and sleep: "To make the weeper laugh, the laugher weep, "He had the dialect and different skill,

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Catching all passions in his craft of will;

"That he did in the general bosom reign "Of young, of old; and sexes both enchanted, "To dwell with him in thoughts, or to remain "In personal duty, following where he haunted: "Consents bewitch'd, ere he desire, have granted; "And dialogu'd for him what he would say,

"Ask'd their own wills, and made their wills obey.

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Many there were that did his picture get,

"To serve their eyes, and in it put their mind; "Like fools that in the imagination set

"The goodly objects which abroad they find "Of lands and mansions, theirs in thought as

sign'd;

"And labouring in more pleasures to bestow them, "Than the true gouty landlord which doth owe 12 them:

18 owe] i. e. own.

"So many have, that never touch'd his hand, "Sweetly suppos'd them mistress of his heart. "My woeful self, that did in freedom stand, "And was my own fee-simple, (not in part,) "What with his art in youth, and youth in art, affections in his charmed power, "Reserv'd the stalk, and gave him all my flower.

"Threw my

"Yet did I not, as some my equals did,
"Demand of him, nor being desired, yielded;
"Finding myself in honour so forbid,

"With safest distance I mine honour shielded:
“Experience for me many bulwarks builded
"Of proofs new-bleeding, which remain'd the

foil

"Of this false jewel, and his amorous spoil.

“But ah! who ever shunn'd by precedent
"The destin'd ill she must herself assay?
"Or forc'd examples, 'gainst her own content,
"To put the by-pass'd perils in her way?

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Counsel

may stop a while what will not stay; "For when we rage, advice is often seen

"By blunting

us to make our wits more keen.

"Nor gives it satisfaction to our blood, "That we must curb it upon others' proof, "To be forbid the sweets that seem so good, “For fear of harms that preach in our behoof. "O appetite, from judgment stand aloof!

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"The one a palate hath that needs will taste, Though reason weep, and cry it is thy last.'

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"For further I could say, 'this man's untrue,' "And knew the patterns of his foul beguiling; "Heard where his plants in others' orchards

grew,

18

"Saw how deceits were gilded in his smiling; "Knew vows were ever brokers 14 to defiling; "Thought, characters, and words, merely but art, "And bastards of his foul adulterate heart.

"And long upon these terms I held my city,
"Till thus he 'gan besiege me: Gentle maid,

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Have of my suffering youth some feeling pity,

And be not of my holy vows afraid :

That's to you sworn, to none was ever said;

For feasts of love I have been call'd unto,

'Till now did ne'er invite, nor never vow.

All my offences that abroad you see,

'Are errors of the blood, none of the mind; 'Love made them not; with acture 15 they may be, 'Where neither party is nor true nor kind:

'They sought their shame that so their shame did

find;

18 patterns of his foul beguiling] i. e. " the examples of his seduction." MALONE.

14 brokers] i. e. panders. 15 acture] i. e. action.

'And so much less of shame in me remains,
'By how much of me their reproach contains.

'Among the many that mine eyes have seen, 'Not one whose flame my heart so much as warm'd, 'Or my affection put to the smallest teen,16

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'Or any of my

leisures ever charm'd:

'Harm have I done to them, but ne'er was harm'd;

Kept hearts in liveries, but mine own was free,

And reign'd, commanding in his monarchy.

'Look here what tributes wounded fancies 17 sent

me,

Of paled pearls, and rubies red as blood;

'Figuring that they their passions likewise lent me 'Of grief and blushes, aptly understood

'In bloodless white and the encrimson'd mood; Effects of terror and dear modesty,

'Encamp'd in hearts, but fighting outwardly.

And lo! behold these talents of their hair,18 'With twisted metal amorously impleach'd,19 'I have receiv'd from many a several fair, (Their kind acceptance weepingly beseech'd,) "With the annexions of fair gems enrich'd,

16 teen] i. e. grief.

17 fancies] See Note 10, p. 235.

18 talents of their hair, &c.] i. e. "lockets, consisting of hair platted and set in gold." MALONE.

19" impleach'd] i. e. interwoven.

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And deep-brain'd sonnets that did amplify
Each stone's dear nature, worth, and quality.

'The diamond; why 'twas beautiful and hard, 'Whereto his invis'd 20 properties did tend; 'The deep-green emerald, in whose fresh regard 'Weak sights their sickly radiance do amend; 'The heaven-hued sapphire and the opal blend With objects manifold; each several stone, 'With wit well blazon'd, smil'd or made some

moan.

'Lo! all these trophies of affections hot,

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'Of pensiv'd and subdued desires the tender, "Nature hath charg'd me that I hoard them not,

But yield them up where I myself must render, 'That is, to you, my origin and ender:

'For these, of force, must your oblations be, 'Since I their altar, you enpatron me.

O then advance of yours that phraseless hand, "Whose white weighs down the airy scale of

praise;

'Take all these similes to your own command,

'Hallow'd with sighs that burning lungs did raise;

'What me your minister, for you obeys,

Works under you; and to your audit comes "Their distract parcels in combined sums.

20 invis'd] i. e. invisible.

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