William Strode (poet)

"Returne my joyes, and hither bring A tongue not made to speake but sing, A jolly spleene, an inward feast, A causelesse laugh without a jest, A face which gladnesse doth anoynt, An arm that springs out of his joynt, A sprightfull gate that leaves no print, And makes a feather of a flint, A heart that’s lighter than the ayre, An eye still dancing in his spheare, Strong mirth which nothing can controule, A body nimbler than the soule, Free wandring thoughts not tyde to muse Which thinke on all things, nothing choose, Which ere we see them come are gone; These life itselfe doth feede upon."

"When Westwell Downes I gan to tread, Where cleanely wynds the greene did sweepe, Methought a landskipp there was spread, Here a bush and there a sheepe: The pleated wrinkles of the face Of wave-swolne earth did lend such grace, As shadowings in Imag’ry Which both deceive and please the eye.The sheepe sometymes did tread the maze By often wynding in and in, And sometymes round about they trace Which milkmayds call a Fairie ring: Such semicircles have they runne, Such lynes acrosse so trymly spunne That sheppeards learne whenere they please A new Geometry with ease.The slender food upon the downe Is allwayes even, allwayes bare, Which neither spring nor winter’s frowne Can ought improve or ought impayre: Such is the barren Eunuches chynne, Which thus doth evermore begynne With tender downe to be orecast Which never comes to haire at last.Here and there twoe hilly crests Amiddst them hug¢g a pleasant greene, And these are like twoe swelling breasts That close a tender fall betweene. Here would I sleepe, or read, or pray From early morne till flight of day: But harke! a sheepe-bell calls mee upp, Like Oxford colledge bells, to supp."

"I know no paynt of poetry Can mend such colourd Imag’ry In sullen inke: yet Fayrford, I May relish thy fayre memory. Such is the Ecchoes faynter sound, Such is the light when sunne is drownd; So did the fancy looke upon The worke before it was begunne: Yet when those shewes are out of sight My weaker colours may delight. Those Images so faythfully Report true feature to the eye As you may thinke each picture was Some visage in a looking-glasse; Not a glasse-window face, unlesse Such as Cheapside hath: where a presse Of paynted gallants looking out Bedecke the Casement round about: But these have holy physnomy: Each pane instructs the Laity With silent eloquence: for here Devotion leads the eye, not eare, To note the catechising paynt, Whose easy phrase doth so acquaint Our sense with Gospell that the Creede In sucha hand the weake may reade: Such types even yet of vertue bee, And Christ, as in a glasse wee see. Behold two turtles in one cage, With such a lovely equipage, As they who knew them long may doubt Some yong ones have bin stollen out. When with a fishing rodde the clarke Saint Peters draught of fish doth marke, Such is the scale, the eye, the finne, Youd thinke they strive and leape within; But if the nett, which holds them breake, Hee with his angle some would take. But would you walke a turne in Pauls? Looke uppe; one little pane inroules A fayrer temple: fling a stone The Church is out o’ the windowes throwne. Consider, but not aske your eyes, And ghosts at midday seeme to rise: The Saynts there, striving to descend, Are past the glasse, and downward bend. Looke there! The Divell! all would cry Did they not see that Christ was by: See where he suffers for thee: see His body taken from the Tree: Had ever death such life before? The limber corps, besullyd ore With meager palenesse, doth display A middle state twixt Flesh and Clay: His armes and leggs, his head and crowne, Like a true Lambskinne dangling downe, Who can forbeare, the Grave being nigh, To bring fresh oyntment in his eye? The wondrous art hath equall fate, Unfencd and yet unviolate: The Puritans were sure deceivd, And thought those shadowes movde and heavde, So held from stoning Christ: the winde And boystrous tempests were so kinde As on his Image not to prey, Whom both the winds and seas obey. At Momus wish bee not amazd; For if each Christian heart were glazde With such a window, then each breast Might bee his owne Evangelist."

"Be silent you still musique of the Sphears, And every sense make haste to be all ears, And give devout attention to her aires, To which the Gods doe listen as to prayers Of pious votaries; the which to heare Tumult would be attentive, and would swear To keep lesse noise at Nile, if there she sing, Or with a happy touch grace but the string. Among so many auditors, so many throng Of Gods and men that presse to hear her songs, O let me have an unespied room, And die with such an anthem ore my tomb."

"I saw faire Cloris walke alone Where feather’d rayne came softly downe, And Jove descended from his tower To court her in a silver shower; The wanton snowe flewe to her breast Like little birds into their nest, And overcome with whiteness there For griefe it thaw’d into a teare, Thence falling on her garment’s hemme For greife it freez’d into a gemme."

"My love and I for kisses play'd, Shee would keepe stake, I was content, But when I wonne shee would be paid; This made mee aske her what she meant. Pray, since I see (quoth she) your wrangling vayne, Take your owne kisses, give me myne againe.'"

"What thing is that, nor felt nor seene Till it bee given? a present for a Queene: A fine conceite to give and take the like: The giver yet is farther for to seeke; The taker doth possesse nothing the more, The giver hee hath nothing lesse in store: And given once that nature hath it still, You cannot keepe or leave it if you will: The workmanshippe is counted very small, The labour is esteemèd naught at all: But to conclude, this gift is such indeede, That, if some see’t twill make theyr hearts to bleede."

"See how the Rainbow in the skie Seems gaudy through the Suns bright eye; Harke how an Eccho answere makes, Feele how a board is smooth’d with waxe, Smell how a glove putts on perfume, Tast how theyr sweetnesse pills assume: So by imputed Justice, Clay Seemes faire, well spoke, smooth, sweet, each way. The eye doth gaze on robes appearing, The prompted Eccho takes our hearing, The board our touch, the sent our smell, The pill our tast: Man, God as well."

"Weep not because this childe hath dyed so yong, But weepe because yourselves have livde so long: Age is not fild by growth of time, for then What old man lives to see th’ estate of men? Who sees the age of grande Methusalem? Ten years make us as old as hundreds him. Ripenesse is from ourselves: and then wee dye When nature hath obteynde maturity. Summer and winter fruits there bee, and all Not at one time, but being ripe, must fall. Death did not erre: your mourners are beguilde; She dyed more like a mother than a childe. Weigh the composure of her pretty partes: Her gravity in childhood; all her artes Of womanly behaviour; weigh her tongue So wisely measurde, not too short nor long; And to her youth adde some few riches more, She tooke upp now what due was at threescore. She livde seven years, our age’s first degree; Journeys at first time ended happy bee; Yet take her stature with the age of man, They well are fitted: both are but a span."

"If Hercules tall stature might bee guest But by his thumbe, wherby to make the rest In due proportion; the best rule that I Would choose to measure Venus’ beauty by Should bee her legg and foot. If husbandmen Measure theyr timber by the foot, why then Not we our wives? Whether wee goe or stride Those native compasses are seldome wide Of telling true: the round and slender foot Is a sure index, and a secrett note Of hidden parts; and well this way may lead Unto the closett of a maydenheade: Here, Emblemes of our youth, we roses tye, And here the garter, love’s deare mystery: For want of beauty here the peacock’s pride Letts fall her trayne, and fearing to bee spide Shutts upp her paynted witnesses to lett Those eyes from view which are but counterfett. Who looks not if this part be good or evill May meet with cloven feet and match the divell, For this doth make the difference betweene The more unhallowed creatures and the cleane, Well may you judge her other stepps are lighte, Her thoughts awry that doth not tread aright: But then there’s true perfection when wee see Those parts more absolute that hidden bee: Nature nere layd a fayre foundation For an unworthy frame to rest upon. Lett others view the topp and limbes throughout, The deeper knowledge is to know the roote: And reading of the face the weakest know, What beauty is; the learned looke below; Who, looking there, doe all the rest, descrie As in a poole the moon we use to spie: Pardon (sweetehart) the pride of my desire If but to kisse your toe it should aspire."

"Tread soft, for if you wake this Knight alone, You raise an Hoast: Religions Champion, His Cuntreys Staffe, Rights bold Distributer, His Neighbours Guard, the Poor mans Almoner, Who dyes with Works about him, as did He, Shall rise attended thus triumphantly."

"This keepes my hands From Cupid’s bands."

"Here silken twynes, there locks you see— Now tell me which the softer bee?"

"Whene’er the wast makes too much hast, That hast againe makes too much wast."