III Lyrics Printed Only in the Edition of 1657 [John Gamble’s Ayres and Dialogues] Having No Titles
On this Swelling Bank.
On this swelling bank, once proud
Of its burden, Doris lay:
Here she smil’d, and did uncloud
Those bright suns eclipse the day;
Here we sat, and with kind art5
She about me twin’d her arms,
Clasp’d in hers my hand and heart,
Fetter’d in those pleasing charms.
Here my love and joys she crown’d,
Whilst the hours stood still before me,10
With a killing glance did wound,
And a melting kiss restore me.
On the down of either breast,
Whilst with joy my soul retir’d,
My reclining head did rest,15
Till her lips new life inspir’d.
Thus, renewing of these sights
Doth with grief and pleasure fill me,
And the thought of these delights
Both at once revive and kill me!20
Dear, fold me once more.
Dear, fold me once more in thine arms!
And let me know
Before I go
There is no bliss but in those charms.
By thy fair self I swear5
That here, and only here,
I would for ever, ever stay:
But cruel Fate calls me away.
How swiftly the light minutes slide!
The hours that haste10
Away thus fast
By envious flight my stay do chide.
Yet, Dear, since I must go,
By this last kiss I vow,
By all that sweetness which dwells with thee,[3:1]15
Time shall move slow, till next I see thee.
The Lazy Hours.
The lazy hours move slow,
The minutes stay;
Old Time with leaden feet doth go,
And his light wings hath cast away.
The slow-pac’d spheres above5
Have sure releas’d
Their guardians, and without help move,
Whilst that the very angels rest.
The number’d sands that slide
Through this small glass,10
And into minutes Time divide,
Too slow each other do displace;
The tedious wheels of light
No faster chime,
Than that dull shade which waits on night:15
For Expectation outruns Time.
How long, Lord, must I stay?
How long dwell here?
O free me from this loathed clay!
Let me no more these fetters wear!20
With far more joy
Shall I resign my breath,
For, to my griev’d soul, not to die
Is every minute a new death.