Poem by Alexander Brome

Plain Dealing

1.

WEll, well, 'tis true,
I am now fal'n in Love,
And 'tis with You:
And now I plainly see,
While you're enthron'd by me above,
You all your arts and pow'rs improve
To Tyrant over me;
And make my flames th'Incentives of your Scorn,
While you rejoyce, and feast your Eyes to see me thus forlorn.

2.

But yet be wise,
And don't believe, that I
Did think your Eyes
More bright than Stars can be;
Or that your Face Angels out-vies
In their Coelestial Liveries
'Twas all but Poëtrie.
I could have said as much by any She,
You are not beauteous of your self, but are made so by me.

3.

Though we, like Fools,
Fathom the Earth and Skie,
And drein the Schools
For names t'express you by:
Out-rant the lowd'st Hyperboles
To dub the Saints, and Deities,
By Cupid's Heraldry:
We know you're Flesh and Bloud as well as Men,
And when we will can mortalize, and make you so agen.

4.

Yet, since my Fate
Has drawn me to this Sin,
Which I did hate,
I'll not my labour lose:
But will love on, as I begin,
To th' purpose, now my hand is in,
'Spite of those Arts you use;
And let you know, the World is not so bare,
There's Things enough to love, besides such Toyes as Ladies are.

5.

I'll love good Wine;
I'll love my Book and Muse,
Nay all the Nine;
I'll Love my real Friend;
I'll Love my Horse; and, could I chuse
One, that would not my Love abuse,
To her my Heart should bend.
I'll love all those, that laugh, and those, that sing;
I'll love my Countrey, Prince, and Laws; and those, that love the King.

1. To his Mistress (LAdy you'l wonder when you see)
2. The Damosel
3. The Wary Woer
4. On the Queens Arrival
5. On the Kings Return

Print

1316 Views

Last Poems

To Russian version