Robert Herrick

"Sadly I walk'd within the field, To see what comfort it would yield; And as I went my private way, An olive-branch before me lay; And seeing it, I"

"Let not that day God's friends and servants scare;     The bench is then their place, and not the bar."

"'Tis not a thousand bullocks' thighs     Can please those heav'nly deities,     If the vower don't express     In his offering cheerfulness."

"At my homely country-seat     I have there a little wheat,     Which I work to meal, and make     Therewithal a holy cake:     Part of which I"

"But born, and like a short delight,     I glided by my parents' sight.     That done, the harder fates denied     My longer stay, and so I died"

"Huncks has no money, he does swear or say,     About him, when the tavern's shot's to pay.     If he has none in 's pockets, trust me, Huncks"

"Of all those three brave brothers fall'n i' th' war     (Not without glory), noble sir, you are,     Despite of all concussions, left the stem"

"Night makes no difference 'twixt the priest and clerk;     Joan as my lady is as good i' th' dark."

"Those saints which God loves best,     The devil tempts not least."

"What's got by justice is established sure:     No kingdoms got by rapine long endure."

"Ah Ben! Say how, or when Shall we thy guests Meet at those lyric feasts Made at the Sun, The Dog, the Triple Tun? Where we such clusters had As"

"Water, water I espy;     Come and cool ye, all who fry     In your loves; but none as I.     Though a thousand showers be     Still a-falling"

"Our household-gods our parents be;     And manners good require that we     The first fruits give to them, who gave     Us hands to get what he"

"What! can my Kellam drink his sack     In goblets to the brim,     And see his Robin Herrick lack,     Yet send no bowls to him?     For love"

"How can I choose but love and follow her     Whose shadow smells like milder pomander?     How can I choose but kiss her, whence does come"

"Fill me a mighty bowl     Up to the brim,     That I may drink     Unto my Jonson's soul.     Crown it again, again;     And thrice repeat"

"Cynthius, pluck ye by the ear,     That ye may good doctrine hear;     Play not with the maiden-hair,     For each ringlet there's a snare."

"What fate decreed, time now has made us see,     A renovation of the west by thee.     That preternatural fever, which did threat     Death to"

"Afflictions they most profitable are     To the beholder and the sufferer:     Bettering them both, but by a double strain,     The first by pa"

"I send, I send here my supremest kiss     To thee, my silver-footed Thamesis.     No more shall I reiterate thy Strand,     Whereon so many sta"

"Thou see'st me, Lucia, this year droop; Three zodiacs fill'd more, I shall stoop; Let crutches then provided be To shore up my debility: Then, whi"

"Honour thy parents; but good manners call     Thee to adore thy God the first of all."

"If kings and kingdoms once distracted be,     The sword of war must try the sovereignty"

"Ursley, she thinks those velvet patches grace     The candid temples of her comely face;     But he will say, whoe'er those circlets seeth,"

"When Pimp's feet sweat, as they do often use,     There springs a soap-like lather in his shoes."

"So long, it seem'd, as Mary's faith was small,     Christ did her woman, not her Mary call;     But no more woman, being strong in faith,     B"

"Another Wassail the trees, that they may bear You many a plum, and many a pear: For more or less fruits they will bring, As you do give them wassa"

"If Thou be'st taken, God forbid     I fly from Thee, as others did:     But if Thou wilt so honour me     As to accept my company,     I'll fo"

"Now is your turn, my dearest, to be set     A gem in this eternal coronet:     'Twas rich before, but since your name is down     It sparkles n"

"God loads and unloads, thus His work begins,     To load with blessings and unload from sins."

"Here a little child I stand Heaving up my either hand; Cold as paddocks though they be, Here I lift them up to Thee, For a benison to fall On our"

"In things a moderation keep:     Kings ought to shear, not skin their sheep."

"Be not proud, but now incline Your soft ear to discipline; You have changes in your life, Sometimes peace, and sometimes strife; You have ebbs of"

"See'st thou that cloud as silver clear, Plump, soft, and swelling every where? 'Tis Julia's bed, and she sleeps there."

"'Tis no discomfort in the world to fall,     When the great crack not crushes one, but all."

"Thy azure robe I did behold     As airy as the leaves of gold,     Which, erring here, and wandering there,     Pleas'd with transgression ev'r"

"For punishment in war it will suffice     If the chief author of the faction dies;     Let but few smart, but strike a fear through all;     Wh"

"Here lies Jonson with the rest     Of the poets: but the best.     Reader, would'st thou more have known?     Ask his story, not this stone."

"Who with a little cannot be content, Endures an everlasting punishment."

"Now Patrick with his footmanship has done,     His eyes and ears strive which should fastest run."

"Dull to myself, and almost dead to these My many fresh and fragrant mistresses; Lost to all music now, since everything Puts on the semblance here"

"Thrice, and above, blest, my soul's half, art thou, In thy both last and better vow; Could'st leave the city, for exchange, to see The country's sw"

"Snare, ten i' th' hundred calls his wife; and why?     She brings in much by carnal usury.     He by extortion brings in three times more:"

"God's boundless mercy is, to sinful man,     Like to the ever-wealthy ocean:     Which though it sends forth thousand streams, 'tis ne'er     K"

"What here we hope for, we shall once inherit;     By faith we all walk here, not by the Spirit."

"Sweet Amarillis, by a spring's Soft and soul-melting murmurings, Slept; and thus sleeping, thither flew A Robin-red-breast; who at view, Not seein"

"Here a solemn fast we keep, While all beauty lies asleep; Hush'd be all things, no noise here But the toning of a tear; Or a sigh of such as bring"

"Thus I     Pass by,     And die:     As one     Unknown     And gone:     I'm made     A shade,     And laid     I' th' grave:     There"

"God strikes His Church, but 'tis to this intent,     To make, not mar her, by this punishment;     So where He gives the bitter pills, be sure"

"Fresh strewings allow     To my sepulchre now,     To make my lodging the sweeter;     A staff or a wand     Put then in my hand,     With a"

"Clear are her eyes, Like purest skies; Discovering from thence A baby there That turns each sphere, Like an Intelligence."

"Goddess, I do love a girl,     Ruby-lipp'd and tooth'd with pearl;     If so be I may but prove     Lucky in this maid I love,     I will prom"

"Through all the night     Thou dost me fright,     And hold'st mine eyes from sleeping;     And day by day,     My cup can say     My wine is"

"What was't that fell but now     From that warm kiss of ours?     Look, look! by love I vow     They were two gilly-flowers.     Let's kiss a"

"Urles had the gout so, that he could not stand;     Then from his feet it shifted to his hand:     When 'twas in's feet, his charity was small;"

"My many cares and much distress     Has made me like a wilderness;     Or, discompos'd, I'm like a rude     And all confused multitude:     Ou"

"Naught are all women: I say no,     Since for one bad, one good I know:     For Clytemnestra most unkind,     Loving Alcestis there we find:"

"No man such rare parts hath, that he can swim, If favour or occasion help not him."

"When well we speak and nothing do that's good,     We not divide the hoof, but chew the cud;     But when good words by good works have their pr"

"Sweet are my Julia's lips and clean,     As if o'erwashed in Hippocrene."