Have from a better braine,

Can better do'it; Except she meant that I

By this should know my pain,

As prisoners then are manacled, when they'are condemn'd to die.

What ere shee meant by'it, bury it with me,
For since I am

Loves martyr, it might breed idolatrie,

If into others hands these Reliques came;
As'twas humility

To afford to it all that a Soule can doe,

So,'tis some bravery,

That since you would save none of mee, I bury some of you.

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John Donne.

The Blossome.

Ittle think'st thou, poore flower,

Little think state watch'd sixe or seaven dayes,

And seene thy birth, and seene what every houre
Gave to thy growth, thee to this height to raise,
And now dost laugh and triumph on this bough,
Little think'st thou

That it will freeze anon, and that I shall
To morrow finde thee falne, or not at all.

Little think'st thou poore heart

That labour'st yet to nestle thee,
And think'st by hovering here to get a part
In a forbidden or forbidding tree,

ΤΟ

And hop'st her stiffenesse by long siege to bow:
Little think'st thou,

That thou to morrow, ere that Sunne doth wake,
Must with this Sunne, and mee a journey take.

But thou which lov'st to bee

Subtile to plague thy selfe, wilt say,

Alas, if you must goe, what's that to mee?
Here lyes my businesse, and here I will stay:
You goe to friends, whose love and meanes present
Various content

To your eyes, eares, and tongue, and every part.
If then your body goe, what need you a heart?

Well then, stay here; but know,

When thou hast stayd and done thy most;
A naked thinking heart, that makes no show,
Is to a woman, but a kinde of Ghost;

How shall shee know my heart; or having none,
Know thee for one?

Practise may make her know some other part,

But take my word, shee doth not know a Heart.

Meet mee at London, then,

Twenty dayes hence, and thou shalt see
Mee fresher, and more fat, by being with men,
Then if I had staid still with her and thee.
For Gods sake, if you can, be you so too:
I would give you

There, to another friend, whom wee shall finde

As glad to have my body, as my minde.

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30

40

John Donne.

The Relique.

Wsome second ghest to entertaine,

'Hen my grave is broke up againe

(For graves have learn'd that woman-head
To be to more then one a Bed)

And he that digs it, spies

A bracelet of bright haire about the bone,
Will he not let us alone,

And thinke that there a loving couple lies,
Who thought that this device might be some way
To make their soules, at the last busi day,
Meet at this grave, and make a little stay?

If this fall in a time, or land,
Where mis-devotion doth command,
Then, he that digges us up, will bring
Us, to the Bishop, and the King,

To make us Reliques; then
Thou shalt be a Mary Magdalen, and I
A something else thereby ;

All women shall adore us, and some men;
And since at such time, miracles are sought,
I would have that age by this paper taught
What miracles wee harmelesse lovers wrought.

First, we lov'd well and faithfully,
Yet knew not what wee lov'd, nor why,
Difference of sex no more wee knew,
Then our Guardian Angells doe;

Comming and going, wee

Perchance might kisse, but not between those meales;
Our hands ne'r toucht the seales,

ΙΟ

20 •

Which nature, injur'd by late law, sets free:
These miracles wee did; but now alas,

All measure, and all language, I should passe,
Should I tell what a miracle shee was.

John Donne.

30

The Prohibition.

TAke heed of loving mee,

At least remember, I forbade it thee;
Not that I shall repaire.my'unthrifty wast

Of Breath and Blood, upon thy sighes, and teares,
By being to thee then what to me thou wast;
But, so great Joy, our life at once outweares,
Then, least thy love, by my death, frustrate bee,
If thou love mee, take heed of loving mee.

Take heed of hating mee,

Or too much triumph in the Victorie.
Not that I shall be mine owne officer,
And hate with hate againe retaliate;
But thou wilt lose the stile of conquerour,
If I, thy conquest, perish by thy hate.
Then, least my being nothing lessen thee,
If thou hate mee, take heed of hating mee.

Yet, love and hate mee too,
So, these extreames shall neithers office doe;
Love mee, that I may die the gentler way;
Hate
mee, because thy love is too great for mee;
Or let these two, themselves, not me decay;
So shall I, live, thy Stage, not triumph bee;
Lest thou thy love and hate and mee undoe,
To let mee live, O love and hate mee too.

John Donne.

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20

S%

The Expiration.

So, breake off this last lamenting kisse,

Which sucks two soules, and vapors Both away, sucks two soules,

Turne thou ghost that way, and let mee turne this,

And let our selves benight our happiest day,
We ask'd none leave to love; nor will we owe
Any, so cheape a death, as saying, Goe;

Goe; and if that word have not quite kil'd thee,
Ease mee with death, by bidding mee goe too.
Oh, if it have, let my word worke on mee,

And a just office on a murderer doe.

Except it be too late, to kill me so,

Being double dead, going, and bidding, goe.

John Donne.

Absence.

Bsence heare my protestation

AB

Against thy strengthe

Distance and lengthe,

Doe what thou canst for alteration:
For harts of truest mettall

Absence doth joyne, and time doth settle.

Who loves a Mistris of right quality,
His mind hath founde

Affections grounde

Beyond time, place, and all mortality:

To harts that cannot vary

Absence is present, time doth tary:

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