Robert Herrick

"I freeze, I freeze, and nothing dwells     In me but snow and icicles.     For pity's sake, give your advice,     To melt this snow and thaw th"

"Kings must be dauntless; subjects will contemn     Those who want hearts and wear a diadem."

"And, cruel maid, because I see You scornful of my love, and me, I'll trouble you no more, but go My way, where you shall never know What is become"

"For thirty years Tubbs has been proud and poor;     'Tis now his habit, which he can't give o'er."

"If all transgressions here should have their pay,     What need there then be of a reckoning day?     If God should punish no sin here of men,"

"Prat he writes satires, but herein's the fault,     In no one satire there's a mite of salt."

"Flood, if he has for him and his a bit,     He says his fore and after grace for it:     If meat he wants, then grace he says to see     His hu"

"That was the proverb. Let my mistress be     Lazy to others, but be long to me."

"Where pleasures rule a kingdom, never there     Is sober virtue seen to move her sphere."

"Thou'st dar'd too far; but, fury, now forbear     To give the least disturbance to her hair:     But less presume to lay a plait upon     Her s"

"I cannot pipe as I was wont to do,     Broke is my reed, hoarse is my singing, too;     My wearied oat I'll hang upon the tree,     And give it"

"Who to the north, or south, doth set     His bed, male children shall beget."

"What can I do in poetry, Now the good spirit's gone from me? Why, nothing now but lonely sit And over-read what I have writ."

"Stand forth, brave man, since fate has made thee here     The Hector over aged Exeter,     Who for a long, sad time has weeping stood     Like"

"Fone says, those mighty whiskers he does wear     Are twigs of birch, and willow, growing there:     If so, we'll think too, when he does condem"

"Knew'st thou one month would take thy life away, Thou'dst weep; but laugh, should it not last a day."

"Give me honours! what are these,     But the pleasing hindrances?     Stiles, and stops, and stays that come     In the way 'twixt me and home;"

"End now the white loaf and the pie,     And let all sports with Christmas die."

"Truggin a footman was; but now, grown lame,     Truggin now lives but to belie his name."

"Away with silks, away with lawn,     I'll have no scenes or curtains drawn;     Give me my mistress as she is,     Dress'd in her nak'd simplic"

"To a love-feast we both invited are:     The figur'd damask, or pure diaper,     Over the golden altar now is spread,     With bread, and wine,"

"Bid me to live, and I will live Thy protestant to be; Or bid me love, and I will give A loving heart to thee. A heart as soft, a heart as kind,"

"I do believe that die I must,     And be return'd from out my dust:     I do believe that when I rise,     Christ I shall see, with these same"

"Loth to depart, but yet at last each one     Back must now go to's habitation;     Not knowing thus much when we once do sever,     Whether or"

"From the dull confines of the drooping west To see the day spring from the pregnant east, Ravish'd in spirit, I come, nay more, I fly To thee, bles"

"Why do not all fresh maids appear     To work love's sampler only here,     Where spring-time smiles throughout the year?     Are not here rose"

"Science in God is known to be     A substance, not a quality."

"When Julia blushes she does show     Cheeks like to roses when they blow."

"Dearest of thousands, now the time draws near     That with my lines my life must full-stop here.     Cut off thy hairs, and let thy tears be sh"

"A roll of parchment Clunn about him bears,     Charg'd with the arms of all his ancestors:     And seems half ravish'd, when he looks upon"

"Kissing and bussing differ both in this;     We buss our wantons, but our wives we kiss."

"I have my laurel chaplet on my head     If, 'mongst these many numbers to be read,     But one by you be hugg'd and cherished.     Peruse my m"

"If when these lyrics, Csar, you shall hear,     And that Apollo shall so touch your ear     As for to make this, that, or any one,     Number"

"Droop, droop no more, or hang the head, Ye roses almost withered; Now strength, and newer purple get, Each here declining violet. O primroses!"

"God, He rejects all prayers that are slight     And want their poise: words ought to have their weight."

"The longer thread of life we spin,     The more occasion still to sin."

"Among thy fancies, tell me this, What is the thing we call a kiss? I shall resolve ye what it is: It is a creature born and bred Between the lips"

"Good morrow to the day so fair; Good morning, sir, to you; Good morrow to mine own torn hair, Bedabbled with the dew. Good morning to this primro"

"You say you're young; but when your teeth are told     To be but three, black-ey'd, we'll think you old."

"All things decay with time: The forest sees The growth and down-fall of her aged trees; That timber tall, which three-score lustres stood The proud"

"God, when for sin He makes His children smart,     His own He acts not, but another's part;     But when by stripes He saves them, then 'tis kno"

"Good and great God! how should I fear     To come to Thee if Christ not there!     Could I but think He would not be     Present to plead my ca"

"Then did I live when I did see     Perilla smile on none but me.     But, ah! by stars malignant crossed,     The life I got I quickly lost;"

"How well contented in this private grange     Spend I my life, that's subject unto change:     Under whose roof with moss-work wrought, there I"

"That manna, which God on His people cast,     Fitted itself to ev'ry feeder's taste."

"Groynes, for his fleshly burglary of late,     Stood in the holy forum candidate;     The word is Roman; but in English known:     Penance, and"

"The factions of the great ones call,     To side with them, the commons all."

"Skinns, he dined well to-day: how do you think?     His nails they were his meat, his rheum the drink."

"To get thine ends, lay bashfulness aside;     Who fears to ask doth teach to be deny'd."

"So look the mornings when the sun     Paints them with fresh vermilion:     So cherries blush, and Kathern pears,     And apricots in youthful"

"He that will live of all cares dispossess'd,     Must shun the bad, aye, and suspect the best."

"Goddess, I begin an art;     Come thou in, with thy best part     For to make the texture lie     Each way smooth and civilly;     And a broad"

"Laid out for dead, let thy last kindness be With leaves and moss-work for to cover me; And while the wood-nymphs my cold corpse inter, Sing thou my"

"First offer incense; then, thy field and meads Shall smile and smell the better by thy beads. The spangling dew dredged o'er the grass shall be Tur"

"If after rude and boisterous seas My wearied pinnace here finds ease; If so it be I've gain'd the shore, With safety of a faithful oar; If having"

"Charms, that call down the moon from out her sphere, On this sick youth work your enchantments here! Bind up his senses with your numbers, so As to"

"Three lovely sisters working were,     As they were closely set,     Of soft and dainty maiden-hair,     A curious Armilet.     I, smiling, as"

"Every time seems short to be That's measured by felicity; But one half-hour that's made up here With grief, seems longer than a year."

"Who may do most, does least: the bravest will     Show mercy there, where they have power to kill."

"Here, here I live,     And somewhat give     Of what I have     To those who crave,     Little or much,     My alms is such;     But if my d"