Drink to me Only With Thine Eyes
Romantic verses by Ben Jonson
Home Page    A Celebration of Charys I (His Excuse For Loving)     III (What He Suffered)    IV (Her Triumph)    V (His Discourse With Cupid)    VI (Claiming a Second Kiss By Desert)    VII (On Begging Another)    VIII (Urging Her of a Promise)   IX Her Man Described By Her Own Dictamen    X (Another Lady's Exception, present at the Hearing)   An Elegy (i)    An Elegy (ii)    A Nymph's Passion        Clerimont's Song    Exerpt: The Poetaster    Song to Celia   The Hour Glass    To Celia    Why I Write Not of Love   

 

How He Saw Her

I beheld her on a day,
When her look out-flourish'd May :
And her dressing did out-brave
All the pride the fields then have :
Far I was from being stupid,
For I ran and call'd on Cupid ;—
Love, if thou wilt ever see
Mark of glory, come with me ;
Where's thy quiver ?  bend thy bow ;
Here's a shaft, thou art too slow !
And, withal, I did untie
Every cloud about his eye ;
But he had not gain'd his sight
Sooner than he lost his might,
Or his courage ;  for away
Straight he ran, and durst not stay,
Letting bow and arrow fall :
Not for any threat, or call,
Could be brought once back to look.
I foolhardy, there up took
Both the arrow he had quit,
And the bow, with thought to hit
This my object ;  but she threw
Such a lightning (as I drew)
At my face, that took my sight,
And my motion from me quite ;
So that there I stood a stone,
Mock'd of all, and call'd of one,
(Which with grief and wrath I heard),
' Cupid's statue with a beard ;
Or else one that play'd his ape,
In a Hercules his shape.'
 

  Find love of your own through free SC personal ads !