By life or death what so betides,
The state of vertue never slides.

LVI

ANON.

THE LIE

Go, Soul, the body's guest,

Upon a thankless arrant:

Fear not to touch the best;
The truth shall be thy warrant :
Go, since I needs must die,
And give the world the lie.

Say to the Court, it glows

And shines like rotten wood;

Say to the Church, it shows

What's good, and doth no good:
If Church and Court reply,
Then give them both the lie.

Tell Potentates, they live

Acting by others' action;

Not loved unless they give,
Not strong but by a faction:
If Potentates reply,

Give Potentates the lie.

Tell men of high condition,
That manage the estate,
Their purpose is ambition,
Their practice only hate:
And if they once reply,

Then give them all the lie.

Tell them that brave it most,

They beg for more by spending, Who, in their greatest cost,

Seek nothing but commending:
And if they make reply,
Then give them all the lie.

Tell zeal it wants devotion;
Tell love it is but lust;
Tell time it metes but motion;
Tell flesh it is but dust:
And wish them not reply,
For thou must give the lie.

Tell age it daily wasteth;

Tell honour how it alters ; Tell beauty how she blasteth; Tell favour how it falters: And as they shall reply, Give every one the lie.

Tell wit how much it wrangles

In tickle points of niceness; Tell wisdom she entangles Herself in over-wiseness : And when they do reply, Straight give them both the lie.

Tell physic of her boldness;

Tell skill it is pretension;

Tell charity of coldness;
Tell law it is contention :
And as they do reply,
So give them still the lie.

Tell fortune of her blindness;
Tell nature of decay ;
Tell friendship of unkindness;

Tell justice of delay:

And if they will reply,

Then give them all the lie.

Tell arts they have no soundness,
But vary by esteeming ;

Tell schools they want profoundness,
And stand too much on seeming:

If arts and schools reply,

Give arts and schools the lie.

Tell faith it's fled the city;
Tell how the country erreth;
Tell, manhood shakes off pity,
Tell, virtue least preferreth :
And if they do reply,

Spare not to give the lie.

So when thou hast, as I

Commanded thee, done blabbing,

Although to give the lie

Deserves no less than stabbing,-
Stab at thee he that will,

No stab the soul can kill !

SIR W. RALEIGH.

LVII

THE LULLABY OF A LOVER

SING lullaby, as women doe,

Wherewith they bring their babes to rest;

And lullaby can I sing too,

As womanly as can the best. With lullaby they still the childe, And if I be not much beguil'd, Full many wanton babes have I, Which must be still'd with lullaby.

First lullaby, my youthful yeares!

It is nowe time to go to bed,
For crooked age and hoary hairs

Have won the haven within my head:
With lullaby then, youth, be still,
With lullaby content thy will;

Since courage quayles, and comes behind,
Go sleepe, and so beguile thy minde.

Next lullaby, my gazing eyes,

Which wonted were to glance apace;
For every glasse may nowe suffice

To shewe the furrowes in my face.
With lullaby then winke awhile,
With lullaby your lookes beguile :
Let no faire face, nor beautie brighte
Entice you eft with vaine delighte.

And lullaby, my wanton will!

Let reason's rule nowe reigne thy thought,

Since all too late I finde by skill

Howe deare I have thy fancies bought :

With lullaby nowe take thine ease,
With lullaby thy doubtes appease ;
For, trust to this, if thou be still,
My body shall obey thy will.

G. GASCOIGN.