The Harmony of the muses, or, The gentlemans and ladies choisest recreation full of various, pure and transcendent wit : containing severall excellent poems, some fancies of love, some of disdain, and all the subjects incident to the passionate affections either of men or women / heretofore written by those unimitable masters of learning and invention, Dr. Joh. Donn, Dr. Hen. King, Dr. W. Stroad [et al].

His Mistris commanding the return of Letters.

SO grieves the adventerous Merchant when he throwes, All the long-toil'd-for treasure, his ship stowes Into the angry Mayn, to save from wrack Himself and men, as I grieve to give back

These Letters, yet so pow'rful is your sway, As if you bid me die, I must obey; Go then blest Papers, you shall kiss those hands, That gave you freedom, but held me in bands, Which with a touch did give you life, but I Because I may not touch those hands, must die; Methinks as if they knew they should be sent Home, to their native soyl, from banishment; I see them smile, like dying Saints that know, They are to leave the earth & towards he'ven go, When you return, pray tell your soveraign, And mine, I gave you courteous entertain, Each line receiv'd a tear, and then a kiss, First bath'd in that, it scap'd unscorcht in this, I kist it 'cause your fair hand had been there, Because it was not, then I shed a tear; Tell her, no length of time, nor change of aire, No cruelty, disdain, absence, dispaire, No, nor her stedfast constancy can deterre, My vassal heart from ever honouring her; Though these be pow'rful arguments to prove I love in vain, yet I must ever love; Say if she frown when you that word rehearse, (Service) in Prose is oft call'd Love in Verse; Then pray her since I send back on my part Her Papers, she would send me back my heart, If she refuse, warn her to come before The God of Love, whom thus I will implore, Travling in thy Countries rode, great god, I spi'd By chance this Lady, and walkt by her side,

From place to place, f••aring no violence, For I was well arm'd, and had made defence In former fights, 'gainst fiercer foes then she, Did at our first encounter seem to be, But going further, every step reveal'd Some hidden weapon, till that time conceal'd, Seeing those outward armes, I did begin, To fear some greater strength was lodg'd within, Looking into her mind, I might survey An host of beauties that in Ambush lay, And won the day before they fought the field, For I unable to refist, did yield; But the insulting Tyrant foe destroyes, My conquer••d mind, my ease, my peace, my joyes, Breaks my sweet sleeps, invades my harmless rest, Robs me of all the treasure of my breast, Spares not my heart, nor yet (a greater wrong) For having stoln my heart, she binds my tongue; But at the last her melting eyes unseal'd My lips, enlarg'd my tongue, then I reveal'd To her own ears the story of my harmes, Wrought by her vertues and her Beauties charms; Now hear just judge an act of savageness, When I complain in hope to have redress, She bends her angry brow, and from her eye, Shoots thousand darts, I then well hope't to dye, But in such soveraign Balm Love dips his shot, That though they wound a heart, they kill it not; She saw the blood guish forth frō many a wound, Yet fled and left me bleeding on the ground,

Nor sought my cure, nor saw me since, 'tis true, Absence and time two cunning Leaches drew The flesh together, yet sure though the skin ••e clos'd without, the wound festers within; Thus hath this cruel Lady us'd a true Servant and subject to her self and you; Nor know I, great love, if my life be lent, To shew thy mercy or my punishment, Since by the onely Magick of thine Art, A Lover still may live that wants an heart; If this enditement fright her so as she, Seem willing to return my heart to me, But cannot find it, for perhaps it may, 'Mongst other trifling hearts be out oth' way; If she repent, and will make me amends, Bid her but send me hers, and we are friends.