Robert Herrick

"Let's live with that small pittance that we have;     Who covets more, is evermore a slave."

"Let kings and rulers learn this line from me:     Where power is weak, unsafe is majesty."

"God's said to leave this place, and for to come     Nearer to that place than to other some,     Of local motion, in no least respect,     But"

"Live by thy Muse thou shalt, when others die, Leaving no fame to long posterity; When monarchies trans-shifted are, and gone, Here shall endure thy"

"Grow for two ends, it matters not at all,     Be 't for my bridal or my burial."

"Crab faces gowns with sundry furs; 'tis known     He keeps the fox fur for to face his own."

"Of pushes Spalt has such a knotty race,     He needs a tucker for to burl his face."

"One silent night of late, When every creature rested, Came one unto my gate, And knocking, me molested. Who's that, said I, beats there, And tro"

"Would I woo, and would I win?     Would I well my work begin?     Would I evermore be crowned     With the end that I propound?     Would I fr"

"Case is a lawyer, that ne'er pleads alone,     But when he hears the like confusion,     As when the disagreeing Commons throw     About their"

"In's Tusc'lans, Tully doth confess,     No plague there's like to foolishness."

"Jacob God's beggar was; and so we wait,     Though ne'er so rich, all beggars at His gate."

"Buggins is drunk all night, all day he sleeps;     This is the level-coil that Buggins keeps."

"Not all thy flushing suns are set, Herrick, as yet; Nor doth this far-drawn hemisphere Frown and look sullen ev'rywhere. Days may conclude in nigh"

"Drink wine, and live here blitheful while ye may; The morrow's life too late is; Live to-day."

"In sober mornings do thou not rehearse The holy incantation of a verse; But when that men have both well drunk, and fed, Let my enchantments then b"

"Health is no other, as the learned hold,     But a just measure both of heat and cold."

"Fair was the dawn, and but e'en now the skies     Show'd like to cream inspir'd with strawberries,     But on a sudden all was chang'd and gone"

"With blameless carriage, I lived here     To the almost seven and fortieth year.     Stout sons I had, and those twice three     One only daugh"

"Let there be patrons, patrons like to thee,     Brave Porter! poets ne'er will wanting be:     Fabius and Cotta, Lentulus, all live     In thee"

"I cannot love as I have lov'd before;     For I'm grown old and, with mine age, grown poor.     Love must be fed by wealth: this blood of mine"

"Reproach we may the living, not the dead:     'Tis cowardice to bite the buried."

"Ph[oe]bus! when that I a verse     Or some numbers more rehearse,     Tune my words that they may fall     Each way smoothly musical:     For"

"Horne sells to others teeth; but has not one     To grace his own gums, or of box, or bone."

"When I shall sin, pardon my trespass here;     For once in hell, none knows remission there."

"I.     Now, now's the time, so oft by truth     Promis'd should come to crown your youth.     Then, fair ones, do not wrong     Your joys by stay"

"When thou dost play and sweetly sing -     Whether it be the voice or string     Or both of them that do agree     Thus to entrance and ravish"

"Play, Phoebus, on thy lute, And we will sit all mute; By listening to thy lyre, That sets all ears on fire. Hark, hark! the God does play! And a"

"To cleanse his eyes, Tom Brock makes much ado,     But not his mouth, the fouler of the two.     A clammy rheum makes loathsome both his eyes:"

"Look how our foul days do exceed our fair;     And as our bad, more than our good works are,     E'en so those lines, pen'd by my wanton wit,"

"Wrinkles no more are, or no less, Than beauty turn'd to sourness."

"Moon is a usurer, whose gain,     Seldom or never knows a wain,     Only Moon's conscience, we confess,     That ebbs from pity less and less."

"As Julia once a-slumb'ring lay, It chanced a bee did fly that way, After a dew, or dew-like shower, To tipple freely in a flower; For some rich fl"

"God will have all, or none; serve Him, or fall     Down before Baal, Bel, or Belial:     Either be hot or cold: God doth despise,     Abhor, an"

"Come pity us, all ye who see Our harps hung on the willow-tree; Come pity us, ye passers-by, Who see or hear poor widows' cry; Come pity us, and b"

"For sport my Julia threw a lace     Of silk and silver at my face:     Watchet the silk was, and did make     A show as if't had been a snake:"

"Hor.    While, Lydia, I was loved of thee,     Nor any was preferred 'fore me     To hug thy whitest neck, than I     The Persian king lived no"

"Spur jingles now, and swears by no mean oaths,     He's double honour'd, since he's got gay clothes:     Most like his suit, and all commend the"

"Sorrows our portion are: ere hence we go,     Crosses we must have; or, hereafter woe."

"Anthea bade me tie her shoe;     I did; and kissed the instep too:     And would have kissed unto her knee,     Had not her blush rebuked me."

"When Julia chid I stood as mute the while     As is the fish or tongueless crocodile.     Air coin'd to words my Julia could not hear,     But"

"God scourgeth some severely, some He spares;     But all in smart have less or greater shares."

"If thou dislik'st the piece thou light'st on first,     Think that of all, that I have writ, the worst:     But if thou read'st my book unto the"

"Down with the rosemary, and so     Down with the bays and misletoe;     Down with the holly, ivy, all     Wherewith ye dress'd the Christmas ha"

"Predestination is the cause alone     Of many standing, but of fall to none."

"One of the five straight branches of my hand     Is lop'd already, and the rest but stand     Expecting when to fall, which soon will be;     F"

"You are a tulip seen today, But (Dearest) of so short a stay; That where you grew, scarce man can say. You are a lovely July-flower, Yet one rude"

"Now, now the mirth comes     With the cake full of plums,     Where bean's the king of the sport here;     Beside we must know,     The pea al"

"Fly me not, though I be gray,     Lady, this I know you'll say;     Better look the roses red,     When with white commingled.     Black your"

"I'm sick of love, O let me lie     Under your shades to sleep or die!     Either is welcome, so I have     Or here my bed, or here my grave."

"E'en all religious courses to be rich     Hath been rehers'd by Joel Michelditch:     But now perceiving that it still does please     The ster"

"Love he that will, it best likes me     To have my neck from love's yoke free."

"Cherry-ripe, ripe, ripe, I cry, Full and fair ones; come, and buy: If so be you ask me where They do grow? I answer, there Where my Julia's lips d"

"Go, pretty child, and bear this flower Unto thy little Saviour; And tell him, by that bud now blown, He is the Rose of Sharon known. When thou has"

"Rook he sells feathers, yet he still doth cry     Fie on this pride, this female vanity.     Thus, though the Rook does rail against the sin,"

"Close keep your lips, if that you mean     To be accounted inside clean:     For if you cleave them we shall see     There in your teeth much l"

"God is so potent, as His power can     Draw out of bad a sovereign good to man."

"My Muse in meads has spent her many hours     Sitting, and sorting several sorts of flowers,     To make for others garlands; and to set     On"

"1. Hence, hence profane, and none appear             With anything unhallowed here;             No jot of leaven must be found             Con"

"'Tis liberty to serve one lord; but he     Who many serves, serves base servility."