Fie! your haste is scarce sufficing;
For the bride's awake and rising.
Enter, beauties! and attend her;
All your helps and service lend her:
With your quaint'st and new'st devices,
Trim your lady, fair Thamisis.
See! she's ready: with joys greet her,
Lads! go bid the bridegroom meet her;
But from rash approach advise him,
Lest a too much joy surprize him :
None I ere knew yet, that dared
View an angel unprepared.
Now unto the church she hies her;
Envy bursts if she espies her:
In her gestures, as she paces,
Are united all the graces;
Which who sees, and hath his senses,
Loves in spite of all defences.
O most true majestic creature!
Nobles! did you note her feature?
Felt you not an inward motion,
Tempting love to yield devotion,
And as you were e'en desiring,
Something check you for aspiring?
That's her virtue, which still tameth Loose desires, and bad thoughts blameth; For whilst others were unruly,
She observ'd Diana truly,
And hath by that means obtained
Gifts of her that none have gained.
Yon's the bridegroom; d'ye not spy him?
See how all the ladies eye him!
Venus his perfection findeth,
And no more Adonis mindeth.`
Much of him my heart divineth,
On whose brow all virtue shineth.
Two such creatures Nature would not
Let one place long keep: she should not.
One she'll have (she cares not whether,)
But our loves can spare her neither;
Therefore, ere we'll so be spited,
They in one shall be united.
Nature's self is well contented
By that means to be prevented.
And behold! they are retired,
So conjoin'd as we desired,
Hand in hand not only fixed,
But their hearts are intermixed.
Happy they, and we that see it
For the good of Europe be it.
And hear, Heaven! my devotion:
Make this Rhine and Thame an ocean,
That it may with might and wonder
Whelm the pride of Tiber under.
Now yon hall their persons shroudeth,
Whither all this people croudeth;
There they feasted are with plenty :
Sweet Ambrosia is no dainty.
Grooms quaff nectar; for there's meeter,
Yea, more costly wines and sweeter.
Young men all, for joy go ring ye,
And your merriest carols sing ye.
Here's of damsels many choices;
Let them tune their sweetest voices,
For the muses too, to cheer them :
They can ravish all that hear them.
Ladies! 'tis their Highness' pleasures
To behold you foot the measures:
Lovely gestures addeth graces
To your bright and angel faces.
Give your active minds the bridle :
Nothing worse than to be idle.
Worthies! your affairs forbear ye,
For the state awhile may spare ye;
Time was, that you loved sporting:
Have you quite forgot your courting?
Joy the heart of cares beguileth:
Once a year Apollo smileth.
Fellow-shepherds! how, I pray you,
Can your flocks at this time stay you?
Let us also hie us thither;
Let's lay all our wits together,
And some pastoral invent them,
shew the love we meant them.
I myself, though meanest stated,
And in court now almost hated,
Will knit up my Scourge, and venture
In the midst of them to enter;
For I know there's no disdaining
Where I look for entertaining.
See, methinks the very season,
As if capable of reason,
Hath lain by her native rigour :
The fair sun-beams have more vigour ;
They are Æols most endeared,
For the air's still'd and cleared.
Fawns, and lambs, and kids do play,
In the honour of this day;
The shrill blackbird and the thrush
Hop about in every bush,
And among the tender twigs
Chaunt their sweet harmonious jigs;
Yea, and mov'd by this example,
They do make each grove a temple,
Where their time the best way using,
They their summer-loves are chusing;
And unless some churl do wrong them,
There's not an odd bird among them.
Yet I heard, as I was walking,
Groves and hills by echoes talking,
Reeds unto the small brooks whistling,
Whilst they danc'd with pretty rushling.
Then for us to sleep 'twere pity,
Since dumb creatures are so witty.
But, O Titan! thou dost dally;
Hie thee to thy western valley;
Let this night one hour borrow,
She shall pay't again to morrow;
And if thou'lt that favour do them,
Send thy sister Phoebe to them.
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