Classic Poem

So bankets I (oft) made to thee,
Such stuffe as with the Grosers be,
To dainty Dinners often, I
Invited thy sole company;
So oft with costly Suppers sweet,
And Breakefasts fine I did thee greet,
Preserves, Conserves, and such like stuffe
As Civet, Muske, thou hadst enough:
So hast thou now sweet tooth too sweet,
And liquorish mouth for thee most meet.
 So have I (though in no such stead)
 A Willow-Garland on my head.

I loved once a MARIBONE,
And us'd to feede on that alone,
But (more) Ile none, since it doth looke
So bad, when from the flesh t'is tooke:
And since it will so soone be colde,
Not best to taste it I doe holde;
For what is cold for stomack's naught,
As I Phisitions heard say oft:
But had it still continued warme,
I would have thought it could not harme.
 Nor more shalt hurt me, though I scorn'd
 The Willow-Garland were forlorn'd.

So didst thou sweare thou wouldst be fed,
With Birds, such as, whose brests be RED;
In secret thou to me didst tell,
They greed with thee in stomacke well:
Thou saidst, their flesh was tender, white,
And in disgestion they were light,
That thou didst like and love them best,
And didst preferre them fore the rest,
Thou said'st that thee no Fowle did please,
Nor Princely Dish, so well as these:
 And wisht that they might never feed
 On Willow-Garlands bitter seed.

Yet th'Appetite so bad now is
As thou must taste another Dish;
Too long thou hast on ROBBINS fed,
Now lothsome are those Birds so RED:
A PIG forsooth, now eat thou must,
Els lost will be thy wanton lust,
Indeed, meat fit for such as thou,
Thou feed'st on thine owne kinde as now,
On such like stuffe still mayest thou feede,
That still dost waver as a Reede,
 And mak'st me weare with griefe of mind
 The Willow-Garland most unkinde.
 But now a fresh to make thee blush,

So basely for to use me thus,
A paire of Slippers gave I thee,
The fairest that in England be,
For sorts of Silken collours rare,
With Rainybow they might compare,
The worke thereof mans skill did passe,
Like unto them, such never was;
For Florence Princesse they were made,
The Duchesse GREAT them should have had,
 And would she had I had not then
 With Willow-Garland crowned bin.

In Italy there were they wrought,
And hither (as a wonder) brought;
A hundreth Duckets did them buy,
May I nere thrive, if I doe lye.
I sent to thee a golden Cawle,
Imbost with massy gold o're all:
So did I send thee Bracelets rich,
No Courtly Lady scarce had sich,
I gave to thee a Chaine of PEARLES,
A gift too good for fickle Girles,
 And thou my cost for to requite,
 With Willow-Garland dost me dight.

A House I tooke and Garden faire,
In Lambeth Marsh , for change of ayre;
And fifty pound did yeerely pay,
As long as I therein did stay,
With Household-stuffe I did it trim,
And all things fit did place therein:
A rich Field-bed to me was solde,
With Canapi of Silke and Gold:
I gave thee that, and all the rest,
To use it as thou shouldst thinke best.
 And for my Garden, House, and Bed,
 A Willow-Garland hath my Head.

Silkes, Satins, Velvets, thee I gave,
All kinde of Stuffes, new fine, and brave;
So did I Lawnes and Cambrick faire,
For workes of Needle passing rare;
With Purse perfum'd I did the greet,
For Queenes, not queanes that gift was meet;
Full rich it was with Rubies fret,
And precious Stones about were set,
In this I put five hundred Crownes,
To buy thee Peticotes and Gownes;
 For which in love, thou dost command,
 With Willow-Garland that I stand.