Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.
Charles Cotton. 16301687396. 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. |