Love

To all vnhappy Louers

by Richard Brathwaite 1588?–1673

From A Strappado for the Divell (1615)

Love

Come neere me louers, crost by louers fate,
And see these star-crost louers, that their sight,
May somthing cheere the drowping of your state,
Showing such beames of comfort in the night,
Of your discomforts: that both loue and hate,
" May make you happy louers by renew,
" Had to these louers crost as well as you.

You say you lou'd; it's true: and so did these;
" You say you lou'd a faire one; so did he,
Who fancied Thisbee; you say louers peace,
Is seldome purchas'd but by enmity,
Deriu'd from parents: so did loue encrease,
" In these vnhappy Louers, who were crost,
By Parents meanes, of what they fancied most.

Tell me then haplesse louer, hast thou cause
To grieue at that which others haue endur'd,
As if thou wert quite priuiledg'd from lawes,
Firme in thy selfe, from louers hate secur'd,
" O no, beleeue it, prickles hath the Rose,
" The sweet her sower; the hony-Bee her sting,
" Loue though a toy, yet shee's a toile somthing.

Repose thee then vnhappy louer heere,
And see loues fal in tragick measures fram'd,
That when thou seest a louer loose his deere,
Thou of like chance may neuer be asham'd
Since thou art but as other louers were.
" For shame its none, to loose whats scarce begun,
" But shame is't not to doe what should be done.

MLA

Brathwaite, Richard. “To all vnhappy Louers.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/brathwaite/57/.

Chicago

Brathwaite, Richard. “To all vnhappy Louers.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/brathwaite/57/.

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