Lady, your hands are fallen into a snare, For Cupids manicles these Bracelets are. 25. A Bodkin. Euen with this Bodkin you may liue unharmed, 26. A Necklace. Fortune giues your faire neck this lace to weare, 27. A Cushinet. To her that little cares what Lot she wins, 28. A Dyall. The Dyal's your's, watch time least it be lost, 29. A Nutmeg with a Blanke Parchment in it. This Nutmeg holds a Blanke, but chance doth hide it: Write your owne wish, and Fortune will prouide it. Ibid, this variant:— "And yet they spend it worst that watch it most." G. If ioyous pleasure were not in sweet layes Which pleasure linkt with praise, doth bring to all. Heroicke minds with praises most incited, Seeke praise in Musicke and therein excell: God, man, beasts, birds, with Musicke are delighted, And pleasant t'is which pleaseth all so well: No greater profit is then self-content, And this will Musicke bring, and care preuent. When antique Poets Musick's praises tell, They say it beasts did please, and stones did moue: They fain'd, it Cities built, and States defended Sweet birds (poor men's Musitians) neuer slake In sicknesse, health, peace, warre, we do it need, But I by niggard praising, do dispraise Yet all by these rude lines may clearely see, V. TEN SONETS TO PHILOMEL.I SONNET I. Vpon Loues entring by the eares. OFT By which Loue entred to assaile our hearts : Loue knowing this, the vsuall way forsooke: Whose paine is great, although small fault appeare. 1 In my edition of Donne I have assigned these Ten Sonnets to him, but for reasons given in Memorial-Introduction now reclaim them for Davies. Our text is as with the others from the Rhapsody' of 1621, where they are numbered in the class of sonnets xxxiv. to xlii. They were originally signed Melophilus. The various readings are merely orthographieal. G. O why did Fame my heart to loue betray, That Syren-song, cause of my hearts infection? Well might it Philomel to pitty moue. Than should she know how loue doth make me languish, Distracting me twixt hope and dreadfull feare : Then should she know my care, my plaints and anguish, All which for her deare selfe I meekely beare. Yea I could quietly deaths paines abide, So that she knew that for her sake I dide. Of his owne, and his Mistresse sicknesse SICKNESSE entending my loue to betray, Before I should sight of my deere obtaine : Did his pale colours in my face display, |