English

VII

When smoke stood up from Ludlow,
And mist blew off from Teme,
And blithe afield to ploughing
Against the morning beam
I strode beside my team,

The blackbird in the coppice
Looked out to see me stride,
And hearkened as I whistled
The trampling team beside,
And fluted and replied:

" Lie down, lie down, young yeoman;

VI

When the lad for longing sighs,
Mute and dull of cheer and pale,
If at death's own door he lies,
Maiden, you can heal his ail.

Lovers' ills are all to buy:
The wan look, the hollow tone,
The hung head, the sunken eye,
You can have them for your own.

Buy them, buy them: eve and morn
Lovers' ills are all to sell.
Then you can lie down forlorn;

V

Oh see how thick the goldcup flowers
Are lying in field and lane,
With dandelions to tell the hours
That never are told again.
Oh may I squire you round the meads
And pick you posies gay?
— 'T will do no harm to take my arm.
" You may, young man, you may."

Ah, spring was sent for lass and lad,
'Tis now the blood runs gold,
And man and maid had best be glad

III

The Recruit

Leave your home behind, lad,
And reach your friends your hand,
And go, and luck go with you
While Ludlow tower shall stand.

Oh, come you home of Sunday
When Ludlow streets are still
And Ludlow bells are calling
To farm and lane and mill,

Or come you home of Monday
When Ludlow market hums
And Ludlow chimes are playing

41

Besides, to be well knowne finds out oppressors,
By which the World still honours thee the lesse;
For who be throughly knowne, are euer loosers ,
If Fame belye not Mans unworthinesse,
Where to the iust, in thought, as well as deede,
What other trumpet doth the Conscience neede?

42

Yet in Mans youth, perchance, Fame multiplies
Courage, and actiue vnderstandingnesse,
Which cooles in Age, and in experience dyes,
Like Fancies smoke, Opinions wantonnesse:

1

What are Mens liues, but labyrinths of error ,
Shops of deceit , and Seas of misery?
Yet Death yeelds so small comfort, so much terror;
Gaine, Honour, Pleasure , such illusions be;
As though against life, each man whet his wit,
Yet all Mens hearts, and sense, take part with it.

2

Of which three baytes, yet Honour seemes the chiefe,
And is vnto the world, like goodly weather,
Which giues the spirits life, the thoughts reliefe,

121

As for example; Buildings of all kinds;
Ships, Houses, Halls, for humane policy;
Camps, Bulwarkes, Forts, all instruments of Warre;
Surueying, Nauigation, Husbandry,
Trafficke, Exchange, Accompts, & all such other,
As, like good children, do aduance their mother.

122

For thus, these Arts passe, whence they came, to life,
Circle not round in selfe-imagination,
Begetting Lines upon an abstract wife,
As children borne for idle contemplation;

81

For though the words she vse, seeme leuels true,
And strong, to show the crookednesse of Error;
Yet in the inward man there's nothing new,
But masked euill, which still addeth terror,
Helping the vanity to buy or sell,
And rests as seldome as it labours well.

82

Besides their Schoolemens sleepy speculation,
Dreaming to comprehend the Deity
In humane reasons finite eleuation;
While they make Sense seat of Eternity,

41

Though there most dangerous, where wit serveth might,
To shake diuine foundations, and humane,
By painting vices, and by shadowing right,
With tincture of Probabile prophane,
Vnder false colour giuing truth such rates,
As Power may rule in chiefe through all Estates.

42

For which respects, Learning hath found distaste
In Gouernments, of great, and glorious fame;
In Lacedemon scorned, and disgrac'd,
As idle, vaine, effeminate, and lame:

When sorrow (using mine own fire's might)
Melts down his lead into my boiling breast,
Through that dark furnace to my heart oppressed,
There shines a joy from thee, my only light;
But soon as thought of thee breeds my delight,
And my young soul flutters to thee, his nest,
Most rude despair, my daily unbidden guest,
Clips straight my wings, straight wraps me in his night,
And makes me then bow down my head, and say,
Ah, what doth Phoebus ' gold that wretch avail
Whom iron doors do keep from use of day?