To His Scornfull Mistresse

Love in's first infant dayes had 's Wardrobe full;
Sometimes we found him courting in a Bull.
Then, drest in snowy plumes, his long neck is
Made pliable and fit to reach a kisse:
When aptest for imbraces he became
Either a winding Snake, or curling Flame:
And cunningly a pressing kisse to gaine,
The Virgins honour in a Grape would staine:
When he consulted Lawns for privacies,
The Shepheard, or his Ram was his disguise:
But the blood raging to a rape, put on
A Satyre, or a wilder Stallion;
And for variety, in Thetis Court
Did like a Dolphin with the Sea-Nymph sport:
But since the sad Barbarian yoak hath bowd
The Grecian neck, Love hath lesse change allowd,
Contracted lives in eyes; no flaming robes
Wears, but are lent him in your Christall Globes:
Not worth a waterd Garment; when he wears
That Element he steals it from my tears.
A Snake he is (alasse) when folded in
Your frowns, where too much sting guards the fair skin
A Shepheard unto cares, and onely sips
The blushing Grape of your Nectarean lips:
The Ram Bull stallion Satyrs onely fight
Loves battels now in my wild appetite.
He in his Swan too suffers a restraint,
Cygnaean onely in my dying plaint.
Since all his actions love to moralls turnes,
And faintly now in things lesse reall burnes,
In such a weaknesse contraries destroy,
And she his murdresse is, who now is coy.