"Therefore, despite of fruitless chastity, Love-lacking vestals and self-loving nuns, That on the earth would breed a scarcity And barren dearth of daughters and of sons,

750

Be prodigal: the lamp that burns by night 755 Dries up his oil to lend the world his light.

"What is thy body but a swallowing grave, Seeming to bury that posterity

Which by the rights of time thou needs must have,

If thou destroy them not in dark obscurity? 700 If so, the world will hold thee in disdain, Sith in thy pride so fair a hope is slain.

"So in thyself thyself art made away; A mischief worse than civil home-bred strife, Or theirs whose desperate hands themselves do slay,

765

Or butcher-sire that reaves his son of life.
Foul-cank'ring rust the hidden treasure frets,
But gold that 's put to use more gold be-
gets."

"Nay, then," quoth Adon, "you will fall again

770

Into your idle over-handled theme.
The kiss I gave you is bestow'd in vain,
And all in vain you strive against the stream;
For, by this black-fac'd Night, Desire's foul

"Lest the deceiving harmony should run
Into the quiet closure of my breast;
And then my little heart were quite undone,
In his bedchamber to be barr'd of rest.

No, lady, no; my heart longs not to groan, 78€
But soundly sleeps, while now it sleeps alone.
"What have you urg'd that I cannot reprove?
The path is smooth that leadeth on to danger.
I hate not love, but your device in love,
That lends embracements unto every stranger.
You do it for increase: O strange excuse, 791
When reason is the bawd to lust's abuse !

"Call it not love, for Love to heaven is fled, Since sweating Lust on earth usurp'd his name; Under whose simple semblance he hath fed s Upon fresh beauty, blotting it with blame; Which the hot tyrant stains and soon be

800

"Love comforteth like sunshine after rain,
But Lust's effect is tempest after sun;
Love's gentle spring doth always fresh remain,
Lust's winter comes ere summer half be done;
Love surfeits not, Lust like a glutton dies;
Love is all truth, Lust full of forged lies.
"More I could tell, but more I dare not say; 805
The text is old, the orator too green.
Therefore, in sadness, now I will away;
My face is full of shame, my heart of teen;

Mine ears, that to your wanton talk attended,
Do burn themselves for having so offended.'

With this, he breaketh from the sweet embrace,

811

Of those fair arms which bound him to her breast,

And homeward through the dark laund runs apace;

Leaves Love upon her back deeply distress'd. Look, how a bright star shooteth from the sky,

So glides he in the night from Venus' eye;

818

825

Whereat amaz'd, as one that unaware
Hath dropp'd a precious jewel in the flood,
Or stonish'd as night-wanderers often are,
Their light blown out in some mistrustful wood,
Even so confounded in the dark she lay,
Having lost the fair discovery of her way.

And now she beats her heart, whereat it groans, That all the neighbour caves, as seeming troubled,

Make verbal repetition of her moans;
Passion on passion deeply is redoubled:

830

Wreath'd up in fatal folds just in his way, The fear whereof doth make him shake and shudder;

Even so the timorous yelping of the hounds
Appalls her senses and her spirit confounds.

For now she knows it is no gentle chase,
But the blunt boar, rough bear, or lion proud.
Because the cry remaineth in one place,
Where fearfully the dogs exclaim aloud.

Finding their enemy to be so curst,

They all strain courtesy who shall cope hira

first.

This dismal cry rings sadly in her ear, Through which it enters to surprise ber heart;

Who, overcome by doubt and bloodless fear, With cold-pale weakness numbs each feeling part.

Like soldiers, when their captain once doth yield,

They basely fly and dare not stay the field.

Thus stands she in a trembling ecstasy;
Till, cheering up her senses all dismay'd,
She tells them 't is a causeless fantasy
And childish error that they are afraid;

Bids them leave quaking, bids them fear no