Love

Saphick Ode

by Charles Cotton 1630–1687

From Poems on Several Occasions (1689)

Love

How easie is his Life, and free,
Who, urg'd by no necessity,
Eats chearfull Bread, and over night does pay
For's next day's Crapula.

No suitor such a mean estate
Invites to be importunate,
No supple flatt'rer, robbing Villain, or
Obstreperous Creditor.

This man does need no Bolts nor Locks,
Nor needs he start when any knocks,
But may on careless Pillow lie and snoar,
With a wide open door.

Trouble and Danger Wealth attend,
An usefull but a dang'rous Friend,
Who makes us pay, e'er we can be releas'd,
Quadruple Interest.

Let's live to day then for to morrow,
The Fool's too provident will borrow
A thing, which through Chance or Infirmity,
'Tis odds he ne'er may see.

Spend all then e'er you go to Heaven,
So with the World you will make even;
And men discharge by dying Nature's score,
Which done we owe no more.

MLA

Cotton, Charles. “Saphick Ode.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/cotton/65/.

Chicago

Cotton, Charles. “Saphick Ode.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/cotton/65/.

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