Love

Julia's Churching, or Purification.

by Robert Herrick 1591–1674

From Hesperides (1648)

Love

PUt on thy Holy Fillitings, and so
To th' Temple with the sober Midwife go.
Attended thus (in a most solemn wise)
By those who serve the Child-bed misteries.
Burn first thine incense; next, when as thou see'st
The candid Stole thrown ore the Pious Priest;
With reverend Curtsies come, and to him bring
Thy free (and not decurted) offering.
All Rites well ended, with faire Auspice come
(As to the breaking of a Bride-Cake) home:
Where ceremonious Hymen shall for thee
Provide a second Epithalamie.
She who keeps chastly to her husbands side
Is not for one, but every night his Bride:
And stealing still with love, and feare to Bed,
Brings him not one, but many a Maiden-head.

MLA

Herrick, Robert. “Julia's Churching, or Purification.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/herrick/907/.

Chicago

Herrick, Robert. “Julia's Churching, or Purification.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/herrick/907/.

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