| |
| SITTING by a river side, | |
| Where a silent stream did glide, | |
| Muse I did of many things, | |
| That the mind in quiet brings. | |
| I ’gan think how some men deem | 5 |
| Gold their god; and some esteem | |
| Honour is the chief content | |
| That to man in life is lent. | |
| And some others do contend, | |
| Quiet none like to a friend. | 10 |
| Others hold there is no wealth | |
| Comparèd to a perfect health. | |
| Some man’s mind in quiet stands, | |
| When he is lord of many lands; | |
| But I did sigh, and said all this | 15 |
| Was but a shade of perfect bliss; | |
| And in my thoughts I did approve | |
| Naught so sweet as is true love. | |
| Love ’twixt lovers passeth these, | |
| When mouth kisseth and heart grees, | 20 |
| With folded 1 arms and lips meeting, | |
| Each soul another sweetly greeting; | |
| For by the breath the soul fleeteth, | |
| And soul with soul in kissing meeteth. | |
| If love be so sweet a thing, | 25 |
| That such happy bliss doth bring, | |
| Happy is love’s sugared thrall; | |
| But unhappy maidens all, | |
| Who esteem your virgin’s blisses | |
| Sweeter than a wife’s sweet kisses. | 30 |
| No such quiet to the mind, | |
| As true love with kisses kind. | |
| But if a kiss prove unchaste, | |
| Then is true love quite disgraced. | |
| Though love be sweet, learn this of me: | 35 |
| No sweet love but honesty. | |
