A Maidens choice twixt Age and Youth
Rabbid Age and Youth
cannot liue together:
Youth is full of pleasure,
Age is full of care.
Youth like Summers morn,
Age like Winters weather:
Youth is full of sport,
Ages breath is short:
Youth is nimble, Age is lame;
Youth is hot and bold,
Age is weak and cold:
Youth is wild, and Age is tame:
Age I do abhor thee;
Youth I do adore thee,
O my loue, my loue is young,
Age I do defie thee:
O sweet Shepherd hie thee,
for me thinks thou stay’st too long,
Here I do attend,
arm’d by loue and pleasure,
With my youthfull friend,
ioyfully to meet,
Here I do wait
for my only treasure,
Venus sugred bait,
fancies dainty sweet;
Like a louing wife,
so lead I my life,
thirsting for my hearts desire,
Come sweet youth, I pray,
Away old man a way,
thou canst not giue that I require.
For old age I care not,
Come my loue and spare not,
Age is feeble, Youth is strong,
Age I do defie thee,
O sweet Shephard, hie thee,
for me thinks thou stayest too long.
Phoebus stay thy Steeds
ouer swiftly running:
Driue not on so fast,
bright resplendent Sun.
For fair Daphnes sake
now expresse thy cunning:
Pittie on me take,
else I am vndone,
Your hours swift of flight,
That waste with Titans sight,
and so consume the cheerfull day,
O stay a while with me,
Till I my loue may see,
O Youth thou dost too long delay,
Time will ouer slip vs,
And in pleasures trip vs,
come away therefore with speed,
I would not lose an houre,
For faire London Tower,
Venus therefore, help my need.
Floras banks are spread,
in her rich attire,
With the dainty Violet,
and the Primrose sweet,
Dazes white and red,
fitting youths desire:
Where the Daffadilly,
and the Cowslip meet,
All for youths behooue,
Their fresh colours moue,
in the Medowes green and gay,
The Birds with sweetest notes,
Do strain their pritty throates,
to entertain my loue this way.
I with twenty wishes,
And an hundred kisses,
would receiue him by the hand,
If he gaue not a fall,
I would him Coward call,
and all vnto my word would stand.
Loe where he appears
like to young Adonis,
Ready to set on fire,
the chastest heart aliue.
Iewell of my life,
welcome where thine own is,
Pleasant are thy looks,
sorrowes to depriue.
Embrace thy darling dear,
Without all doubtfull fear:
at thy command I wholy rest,
do what thou wilt to me,
Therein I agree,
and be not strange to my request:
To youth I only yeeld,
age fits not Venus field,
though I be conquer’d, what care I,
In such a pleasant warre,
Come meet me if you dare,
who first mislikes, first let him cry
FINIS.
(3 votes, average: 4,33 out of 5)