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Home  »  The Oxford Book of English Verse  »  396. To Coelia

Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.

Charles Cotton. 1630–1687

396. To Coelia

WHEN, Coelia, must my old day set, 
  And my young morning rise 
In beams of joy so bright as yet 
  Ne’er bless’d a lover’s eyes? 
My state is more advanced than when         5
  I first attempted thee: 
I sued to be a servant then, 
  But now to be made free. 
 
I’ve served my time faithful and true, 
  Expecting to be placed  10
In happy freedom, as my due, 
  To all the joys thou hast: 
Ill husbandry in love is such 
  A scandal to love’s power, 
We ought not to misspend so much  15
  As one poor short-lived hour. 
 
Yet think not, sweet! I’m weary grown, 
  That I pretend such haste; 
Since none to surfeit e’er was known 
  Before he had a taste:  20
My infant love could humbly wait 
  When, young, it scarce knew how 
To plead; but grown to man’s estate, 
  He is impatient now.