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SYREN COME, worthy Greeke, Ulysses come, | |
| Possesse these shores with me, | |
| The windes and seas are troublesome, | |
| And here we may be free. | |
| Here may we sit and view their toyle, | 5 |
| That travaile in the deepe, | |
| Enjoy the day in mirth the while, | |
| And spend the night in sleepe. | |
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ULYSSES Faire nymph, if fame or honour were | |
| To be attain’d with ease, | 10 |
| Then would I come and rest with thee, | |
| And leave such toiles as these: | |
| But here it dwels, and here must I | |
| With danger seek it forth; | |
| To spend the time luxuriously | 15 |
| Becomes not men of worth. | |
| |
SYREN Ulysses, O be not deceiv’d | |
| With that unreall name: | |
| This honour is a thing conceiv’d, | |
| And rests on others’ fame. | 20 |
| Begotten only to molest | |
| Our peace, and to beguile | |
| (The best thing of our life) our rest, | |
| And give us up to toyle! | |
| |
ULYSSES Delicious nymph, suppose there were | 25 |
| Nor honor, nor report, | |
| Yet manlinesse would scorne to weare | |
| The time in idle sport: | |
| For toyle doth give a better touch | |
| To make us feele our joy; | 30 |
| And ease findes tediousnes, as much | |
| As labour yeelds annoy. | |
| |
SYREN Then pleasure likewise seemes the shore, | |
| Whereto tendes all your toyle; | |
| Which you forego to make it more, | 35 |
| And perish oft the while. | |
| Who may disport them diversly, | |
| Find never tedious day; | |
| And ease may have variety, | |
| As well as action may. | 40 |
| |
ULYSSES But natures of the noblest frame | |
| These toyles and dangers please; | |
| And they take comfort in the same, | |
| As much as you in ease: | |
| And with the thought of actions past | 45 |
| Are recreated still: | |
| When pleasure leaves a touch at last | |
| To shew that it was ill. | |
| |
SYREN That doth opinion only cause | |
| That ’s out of custom bred; | 50 |
| Which makes us many other laws | |
| Than ever nature did. | |
| No widdowes waile for our delights, | |
| Our sports are without blood; | |
| The world we see by warlike wights | 55 |
| Receives more hurt than good. | |
| |
ULYSSES But yet the state of things require | |
| These motions of unrest, | |
| And these great spirits of high desire | |
| Seem borne to turne them best: | 60 |
| To purge the mischiefes, that increase | |
| And all good order mar: | |
| For oft we see a wicked peace | |
| To be well chang’d for war. | |
| |
SYREN Well, well, Ulysses, then I see | 65 |
| I shall not have thee here; | |
| And therefore I will come to thee, | |
| And take my fortune there. | |
| I must be wonne that cannot win, | |
| Yet lost were I not wonne: | 70 |
| For beauty hath created bin | |
| T’ undoo or be undone. | |
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