| |
| COME, little infant, love me now, | |
| While thine unsuspected years | |
| Clear thine agèd father’s brow | |
| From cold jealousy and fears. | |
| |
| Pretty surely ’twere to see | 5 |
| By young Love old Time beguiled, | |
| While our sportings are as free | |
| As the nurse’s with the child. | |
| |
| Common beauties stay fifteen; 1 | |
| Such as yours should swifter move, | 10 |
| Whose fair blossoms are too green | |
| Yet for lust, but not for love. | |
| |
| Love as much the snowy lamb, | |
| Or the wanton kid, does prize, | |
| As the lusty bull or ram, | 15 |
| For his morning sacrifice. | |
| |
| Now then love me: Time may take | |
| Thee before thy time away; | |
| Of this need we’ll virtue make, | |
| And learn love before we may. | 20 |
| |
| So we win of doubtful Fate, | |
| And, if good she to us meant, | |
| We that good shall antedate, | |
| Or, if ill, that ill prevent. 2 | |
| |
| Thus as kingdoms, frustrating | 25 |
| Other titles to their crown, | |
| In the cradle crown their king, | |
| So all foreign claims to drown; | |
| |
| So to make all rivals vain, | |
| Now I crown thee with my love: | 30 |
| Crown me with thy love again, | |
| And we both shall monarchs prove. | |
