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Home  »  The Oxford Book of English Verse  »  213. Hear, ye Ladies

Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.

John Fletcher. 1579–1625

213. Hear, ye Ladies

HEAR, ye ladies that despise 
  What the mighty Love has done; 
Fear examples and be wise: 
  Fair Callisto was a nun; 
Leda, sailing on the stream         5
  To deceive the hopes of man, 
Love accounting but a dream, 
  Doted on a silver swan; 
    Danaë, in a brazen tower, 
    Where no love was, loved a shower.  10
 
Hear, ye ladies that are coy, 
  What the mighty Love can do; 
Fear the fierceness of the boy: 
  The chaste Moon he makes to woo; 
Vesta, kindling holy fires,  15
  Circled round about with spies, 
Never dreaming loose desires, 
  Doting at the altar dies; 
    Ilion, in a short hour, higher 
    He can build, and once more fire.  20