Francis Beaumont (1584–1616) and John Fletcher (1579–1625)

SHAKE off your heavy trance,

And leap into a dance,

Such as no mortals use to tread,

Fit only for Apollo—

To play to, for the moon to lead,

And all the stars to follow!

O blessed youth! for Jove doth pause,

Laying aside his graver laws

For this device:

And at the wedding such a pair

Each dance is taken for a prayer,

Each song a sacrifice.

You should stay longer if we durst;

Away! Alas! that he that first

Gave Time wild wings to fly away,

Has now no power to make him stay.